Why I resigned as Minister of Finance by Kemi Adeosun - ITREALMS

ForTheRecords@ITREALMS:

The exclusive letter Mrs. Kemi Adeosun wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari on her resignation as Finance Minister over alleged fake NYSC certificate. Excerpts.

"14th September, 2018

His Excellency

Muhammadu Buhari

President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

State House

Aso Villa

Abuja

Dear Excellency,

Let me commence by thanking you profusely for the honour and privilege of serving under your inspirational leadership. It has been a truly rewarding experience to learn from you and to observe at close quarters your integrity and sense of duty.

I have, today, become privy to the findings of the investigation into the allegation made in an online medium that the Certificate of Exemption from National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) that I had presented was not genuine. This has come as a shock to me and I believe that in line with this administration’s focus on integrity, I must do the honourable thing and resign.

Your Excellency, kindly permit me to outline some of the background to this matter. I was born and raised in the United Kingdom, indeed my parental family home remains in London. My visits to Nigeria up until the age of thirty-four (34) were holidays, with visas obtained in my UK passport. I obtained my first Nigerian passport at the age of thirty-four (34) and when I relocated there was debate as to whether NYSC Law applied to me. Upon enquiry as to my status relating to NYSC, I was informed that due to my residency history and having exceeded the age of thirty (30), I was exempted from the requirement to serve. Until recent events, that remained my understanding.

On the basis of that advice and with the guidance and assistance of those, I thought were trusted associates, NYSC were approached for documentary proof of status. I then received the certificate in question. Having never worked in NYSC, visited the premises, been privy to nor familiar with their operations, I had no reason to suspect that the certificate was anything but genuine. Indeed, I presented that certificate at the 2011 Ogun State House of Assembly and in 2015 for Directorate of State Services (DSS) Clearance as well as to the National Assembly for screening. Be that as it may, as someone totally committed to a culture of probity and accountability I have decided to resign with effect from Friday, 14th September, 2018.

Your Excellency, It has been an exceptional privilege to have served our nation under your leadership and to have played a role in steering our economy at a very challenging time. I am proud that Nigeria has brought discipline into its finances, has identified and is pursuing a path to long term sustainable growth that will unlock the potential in this great economy. Under your leadership, Nigeria was able to exit recession and has now started to lay the foundations for lasting growth and wealth creation. Repositioning this huge economy is not a short term task and there are no short cuts, indeed there are tough decisions still to be made but I have no doubt that your focus on infrastructural investment, revenue mobilisation and value for money in public expenditure will deliver growth, wealth and opportunity for all Nigerians.

I thank His Excellency, the Vice President and my colleagues in the Federal Executive Council for the huge pleasure and honour of working with them. I also thank most specially, the team in the ‘Finance Family’ of advisers and heads of agencies under the Ministry of Finance. Your Excellency, this group of committed Nigerians represent a range of backgrounds, ethnicities and ages. They have worked well above and beyond the call of duty to support me in the tasks assigned. The diversity in my team and their ability to work cohesively to deliver reforms, convinces me that Nigeria has the human capital required to succeed.

Your Excellency, let me conclude by commending your patience and support, during the long search for the truth in this matter. I thank you again for giving me the honour of serving under your leadership, it is a rare privilege, which I do not take for granted. As a Nigerian and committed progressive, I appreciate you for your dogged commitment to improving this nation.

Please be assured, as always, of my highest regards and best wishes

Kemi Adeosun (Mrs)"

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Buhari accepts Finance Minister, Adeosun resignation over fake certificate - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, Friday accepted the resignation of the Hon. Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, over alleged certificate forgery, reports ITREALMS.

He also thanked the Minister for her services to the nation and wished her well in future pursuits, and consequently approved that the Minister of State Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, should oversee the Ministry of Finance with immediate effect.

This was confirmed to ITREALMS by Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, late Friday, September 14, 2018.

ITREALMS also gathered that Mrs. Adeosun had said in her resignation letter dated same day and made available to ITREALMS, acknowledged she resigned due to alleged forged Certificate of Exemption from National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) obtained for her when she relocated to Nigeria and equally presented same as genuine, unknown to her.

While describing the revelation by media as a shock, Adeosun believed that in line with this administration’s focus on integrity, “I must do the honourable thing and resign.”

Below is the full text of Mrs Adeosun’s resignation letter.

"14th September, 2018

His Excellency

Muhammadu Buhari

President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

State House

Aso Villa

Abuja

Dear Excellency,

Let me commence by thanking you profusely for the honour and privilege of serving under your inspirational leadership. It has been a truly rewarding experience to learn from you and to observe at close quarters your integrity and sense of duty.

I have, today, become privy to the findings of the investigation into the allegation made in an online medium that the Certificate of Exemption from National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) that I had presented was not genuine. This has come as a shock to me and I believe that in line with this administration’s focus on integrity, I must do the honourable thing and resign.

Your Excellency, kindly permit me to outline some of the background to this matter. I was born and raised in the United Kingdom, indeed my parental family home remains in London. My visits to Nigeria up until the age of thirty-four (34) were holidays, with visas obtained in my UK passport. I obtained my first Nigerian passport at the age of thirty-four (34) and when I relocated there was debate as to whether NYSC Law applied to me. Upon enquiry as to my status relating to NYSC, I was informed that due to my residency history and having exceeded the age of thirty (30), I was exempted from the requirement to serve. Until recent events, that remained my understanding.

On the basis of that advice and with the guidance and assistance of those, I thought were trusted associates, NYSC were approached for documentary proof of status. I then received the certificate in question. Having never worked in NYSC, visited the premises, been privy to nor familiar with their operations, I had no reason to suspect that the certificate was anything but genuine. Indeed, I presented that certificate at the 2011 Ogun State House of Assembly and in 2015 for Directorate of State Services (DSS) Clearance as well as to the National Assembly for screening. Be that as it may, as someone totally committed to a culture of probity and accountability I have decided to resign with effect from Friday, 14th September, 2018.

Your Excellency, It has been an exceptional privilege to have served our nation under your leadership and to have played a role in steering our economy at a very challenging time. I am proud that Nigeria has brought discipline into its finances, has identified and is pursuing a path to long term sustainable growth that will unlock the potential in this great economy. Under your leadership, Nigeria was able to exit recession and has now started to lay the foundations for lasting growth and wealth creation. Repositioning this huge economy is not a short term task and there are no short cuts, indeed there are tough decisions still to be made but I have no doubt that your focus on infrastructural investment, revenue mobilisation and value for money in public expenditure will deliver growth, wealth and opportunity for all Nigerians.

I thank His Excellency, the Vice President and my colleagues in the Federal Executive Council for the huge pleasure and honour of working with them. I also thank most specially, the team in the ‘Finance Family’ of advisers and heads of agencies under the Ministry of Finance. Your Excellency, this group of committed Nigerians represent a range of backgrounds, ethnicities and ages. They have worked well above and beyond the call of duty to support me in the tasks assigned. The diversity in my team and their ability to work cohesively to deliver reforms, convinces me that Nigeria has the human capital required to succeed.

Your Excellency, let me conclude by commending your patience and support, during the long search for the truth in this matter. I thank you again for giving me the honour of serving under your leadership, it is a rare privilege, which I do not take for granted. As a Nigerian and committed progressive, I appreciate you for your dogged commitment to improving this nation.

Please be assured, as always, of my highest regards and best wishes

Kemi Adeosun (Mrs)"

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Orange, MainOne partner on West Africa submarine cable - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Orange and MainOne Cable Company are pleased to announce that they have signed an agreement allowing for a major investment by Orange in the West Africa submarine cable system, MainOne, reports ITREALMS. Through this partnership Orange will acquire additional capacity, thereby reinforcing its position in the African telecommunications ecosystem. MainOne’s current cable system comprises a 7,000km submarine cable, which was launched in 2010 and has landing stations in Nigeria, Ghana and Portugal. The partnership between Orange and MainOne Company will provide for the construction and installation of two new branches and stations. These will connect the cable to Dakar in Senegal and Abidjan in the Côte d’Ivoire by mid-2019. Orange will be the owner of the cable station in Dakar. Orange’s investment represents a major milestone for this project. Orange Marine, a 100% subsidiary of the Orange Group, has been chosen to manage the installation of these two new branches. Connectivity, capacity & growth opportunities Thanks to this new cable connection, local populations will benefit from better connectivity, lower prices and access to new services. Orange will benefit from multiple Terabits per second of additional bandwidth for the development of fixed and mobile data in Africa. More specifically, this cable extension is an opportunity to improve connectivity and offer a broader range of services for both Orange Côte d’Ivoire & Sonatel. In addition, MainOne offers an alternative route that guarantees the protection of voice and data traffic passing through the other cables in the area – SAT3 WASC SAFE and ACE. A key asset of the Group's broadband network in Africa Through this new partnership, Orange confirms its position as a leading player in the submarine cable market. In this role, the Group aims to develop the quality of service of its worldwide networks and facilitate the use of new digital services for end-users. Orange has a strong commitment to the African continent, which has been at the heart of the Group’s strategy for the last few decades. The Group is investing heavily in building infrastructure and providing access to communication services over the long-term. "Orange's ambition on international networks is both to meet the needs of our affiliates in their interconnection with the Internet world and to increase our leadership on the international data services wholesale market. This partnership with MainOne will allow us to strengthen our presence, with new significant assets in West Africa,” said Jérome Barré, Chief Executive Officer of Wholesale and International Networks. “The development of new digital services in Africa has fostered huge social and economic developments over the past few years. As barriers to access continue to fall with improved networks and more affordable equipment, Orange, as part of its multi-service strategy, is seeking to position itself as an important partner in the continent’s digital transformation Through this new partnership, Orange is set to secure and improve direct access to high-speed broadband services in two of its most important countries, Senegal and the Côte d’Ivoire,” said Alioune Ndiaye, Chief Executive Officer of Orange Middle East and Africa. In her comments, MainOne’s Chief Executive Officer Funke Opeke reiterated the company’s vision for a connected West Africa: “MainOne continues to lead the digital transformation of our sub-region by investing in affordable connectivity to drive economic development. Our objective is to bridge the digital divide between and within West Africa and the rest of the world. We are committed to deepening broadband penetration across West Africa and believe our investments in technologically advanced subsea infrastructure will continue to liberalize the international bandwidth market, further support Orange and other wholesale customers, and ultimately result in improved digital services in the region”. Orange is present in 20 countries in Africa and the Middle East and has 119 million customers (at 30 June 2018). With 5 billion euros of revenues in 2017, this zone is a strategic priority for the Group. Orange Money, its flagship mobile-based money transfer and financial services offer is available in 17 countries and has 38 million customers. Orange, a multi-services operator and key partner of the continent’s digital transformation, provides its expertise to support the development of new digital services in Africa and the Middle East.

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AIP top 10 emerges, Nigeria missing - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The top 10 nominees for the African Innovation Foundation (AIF)  has emerged with Nigeria missing, despite  the over 3000 applications, reports ITREALMS.

AIF’s prestigious Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) 2018 awards had this year’s theme as “African innovation: Investing in Inclusive Innovation Ecosystems” ITREALMS gathered, attracted over 3,000 applications from 52 African countries.

ITREALMS gathered that some of the countries that made the top 10 include Madagascar, Tunisia, Morocco, Uganda, Ghana, Egypt, Rwanda, South Africa, Benin, and Tanzania.

AIF Chairman, Walter Fust, said that building on the AIF mandate, submissions this year demonstrate significant breakthroughs in ICT, agri-business, public health and the environment/ energy sectors to improve the lives and economic prospects of Africans.

“Now in its seventh year running, we have witnessed multi-million-dollar businesses emerging from the IPA initiative, with health, environment/energy and agricultural innovations leaving imprints across the African continent and beyond. Our theme this year prompts the need for increased collaboration between government, business, industry, innovation enablers and the community to further realise African prosperity and economic freedom,” he said.

The IPA initiative has grown from strengthen to strength mobilizing, rewarding and honoring top African innovators whilst also building strategic partnerships with innovation enablers to strengthen innovation ecosystems in Africa. To date, AIF has supported 55 IPA winners/nominees with US$ 1 million+ and mobilized 9 400+ innovators from all 55 African countries. AIF endorsement and exposure generated through IPA have seen past winners securing over US$135 million worth of investments to grow and scale their businesses. IPA past winners and nominee company valuations amount to US$200 million+.

Managing Director of AIF, Pauline Mujawamariya Koelbl who has steered the IPA program since its establishment in 2011, said: “We are proud of the impressive innovations that made it to the top 10 this year. They are evident examples of African ingenuity and each innovation is solving a real challenge in a key sector. Africa, and indeed the rest of the world, must keep an eye out - these innovations are ready to propel our continent’s global competitiveness in the market! Furthermore, these top 10 nominees are a great reminder that if given access to capital, Africans are capable of solving African challenges whilst also contributing to the rest of the world.”

Meet the top 10 IPA nominees whose innovations are in the sectors of agri-business, public health and well-being, ICT, energy, environment and water as follows:

Biodegradable seed tray for rice farming (Madagascar) - Juslain Nomenjanahary Raharinaivo: Rice is a staple food in many African countries, constituting a major part of the diet. With an ongoing demand for increased rice production, some African countries are not self-sufficient. In Madagascar, seeds are therefore sowed in innovative pots made of paper, called BG or biodegradable germinators. Growers transplant seedlings into easy-to-transplant clumps with very high tilling capacity which also increases rice yields and allow possibilities to expand the area under cultivation.

Buried Diffuser (Tunisia) - Mr. Wassim Chahbani: Irrigated systems play a major role in sustaining livelihoods in Africa and the world over. Water in agricultural use is critical for crop yields, and reducing consumption is necessary to increase the amount of available water for other uses. The Buried Diffuser saves irrigation water, energy, and use of fertilizers, reducing zero water waste through evaporation. Water is injected directly to the roots, radically reducing water consumption levels used for irrigation.

Efficient detection of TB and Hepatitis C (Morocco) - Professor Abdeladim Moumen and Dr. Hassan Ait Benhassou: Hepatitis C and Tuberculosis (TB) are critical health burdens in Africa. Besides lack of available treatment, access to accurate and cost-effective diagnostic tests remain a challenge across the continent. This innovation comprises two molecular tests for the rapid, accurate and effective detection and load quantification of both diseases. The technology allows specific detection of the hepatitis C or TB genome in blood or sputum samples; tests are clinically validated, simple, accurate and low cost.

eNose sensor for tea processing (Uganda) – Abraham Natukunda: This innovation applies an "eNose" and analytics platform to supplement current tea processing procedures using low power sensor devices to determine optimum levels of tea fermentation. An analytics platform receives and analyses the sensor data, providing real-time monitoring of key reactive elements and compounds during the tea-processing period, ensuring efficient traceability, prediction, and motion. This innovation will lead to improved control results in better tea quality, boosting marketability and increased revenue for tea processors from each bushel of tea harvested.

Incas Vaginal Discharge Kit (Ghana) – Dr. Laud Anthony Basing: Incas Vagkit is a 3-in-1 urine-based test kit that examines vaginal infections. Linked to a mobile application, it offers a convenient and fast solution for women experiencing vaginal infections. The Vagkit simply requires a urine sample and can be used at home; results are available within 10 minutes. This innovation drastically reduces testing time for vaginal infections in Africa, leading to the efficient and quick detection and management of vaginitis.

“iThrone” portable toilet (Egypt) – Dr. Diana Yousef: “We shrink it” is a revolutionary approach to removing un-piped sewage. This technology innovation is a disruptive yet low-cost composite polymer membrane that essentially “shrink-wraps crap” aggressively evaporating or “flushing” away the full water content of daily sewage output without need for added heat, energy or flush water. This innovation responds to the problem of poor sanitation and health conditions, as well as pollution caused by sewerage. iThrone cuts off a significant amount of methane emissions that are generated by unmanaged/uncollected sewage.

Mobile Shiriki Network (Rwanda) – Henri Nyakarundi: The Shiriki Hub is a Smart Solar Kiosk, powered by strong solar panels and equipped with large capacity batteries, Internet of things (IoT) sensors, and a custom designed router, offering device charging, virtual top-ups, and low-cost connectivity. Designed as a business-in-a-box and distributed on a micro-franchise basis, this is an ideal solution for digital connectivity to rural populations and temporal settlements such as refugee camps.

Natural solutions for skeletal regeneration and repair (South Africa) - Prof. Keolebogile Shirley Motaung: A multi-method approach using natural products for skeletal regeneration and repair. La-Africa Soother (LAS) is a topical paste ointment for sportspeople as a natural anti-inflammatory cream to treat pain and inflammation. The second product which is Plant-Based Morphogenetic Factor Implant (PBMF) induces bone and cartilage formation. Treatment of fractures has been a continuous challenge for orthopaedic surgeons. The latter product differs from knee replacement, autografts and allografts, offering quick results with no waiting period and no harvesting of tissue, with relief and safety for patients.

Reducing pollution in an eco-friendly way using GKSORB! (Benin) - Dr Fohla Mouftaou: Water hyacinth is an environmental threat in many African countries, invading lakes, rivers, and agricultural fields. The threat affects agriculture, the fishing industry, health and livelihoods. GKSORB is 100% organic and biodegradable fiber with the potential to absorb up to 17 times its weight. Made from water hyacinth, it can be used as a separator for hydrocarbons or as a cleaning agent for surfaces contaminated by various pollutants such as hydrocarbons, acids and paints.

Waxy II Technology (Tanzania) - Christian Mwijage: His company recycles and transforms post-consumer waste plastic into durable and environmentally friendly plastic lumber using a chemical-free and energy conserving technology called “Waxy ӀӀ technology” for building, construction and furniture production. Every year, more than nine million tonnes of plastic garbage ends up in the ocean causing a major threat to marine life and people. Plastic timber is an affordable alternative to wood timber and reduces the need for building material manufactured from wood, preserving forests, cutting down on deforestation and mitigating the effects of climate change.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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Experts advocate improved media coverage of digital rights - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Digital Rights experts have called on media practitioners across Africa to focus media attention on digital rights violations on the continent, reports ITREALMS.

They made this call while speaking at the induction ceremony for the 2018 Digital Rights and Inclusion Fellows in Lagos at the headquarters of Paradigm Initiative.

The Communications Officer, Paradigm Initiative, Sodiq Alabi, noted that undoubtedly, there has been an increase in media coverage of digital rights, both in the legacy media and in the new media.

“But there is still room for significant improvement in terms of quality of content and the depth of the reporting. It would be great if major media houses can assign journalists exclusively to digital rights and inclusion issues so that we could have an improvement both in quantity of reports and the quality,” he said.

In his address, the Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative, ‘Gbenga Sesan reiterated the need for media houses to focus more attention on the issues affecting digital rights, stressing that these include the absence of data privacy laws, persecution of bloggers and online journalists, mass surveillance, internet shutdown and the new taxes on over-the-top services like social media.

Paradigm Initiative is a social enterprise dedicated to deepening digital rights and inclusion in Africa. The group created the media fellowship to strengthen the capacity of African journalists interested in covering digital rights and inclusion.

ITREALMS recalls that the pioneer fellows are Victor Ekwealor, a Nigerian and the editor of TechPoint, and Emmanuel Agbenonwossi, the Togolese editor of AfroTribune.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Faulty sunglasses, fake news shut down a country - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Fake news about the dangers to Serbians from being outside during the 1999 solar eclipse resulted in the Government advising the country  to stay indoors, according to new research, reports ITREALMS.

Historian Dr Vladimir Jankovic from The University of Manchester says that virtually all Serbians hid in basements, air raid shelters and darkened rooms, while the rest of Europe celebrated the celestial event.

The fake news was also triggered by the reporting of the dangers of wearing faulty solar-eclipse sunglasses.

The media frenzy led to the release of an official health warning, warning the public they might experience severe itching, hypertension, palpitations and the need to urinate frequently if they stayed outside during the eclipse.

According to Dr Jankovic, one of the reasons for the doom mongering was an article in a small Serbian newspaper, which reported that faulty eclipse viewing sunglasses risked eye damage.

The newspaper discouraged the public from viewing the eclipse.

Other newspapers also suggested that the eclipse would be dangerous to the health of Serbians and even political fate of the worn torn country , says Dr Jankovic.

The reporting led to a Serbian media storm in the days leading up to the eclipse presenting the eclipse as a direct threat to human health.

The government controlled newspaper Politika urged everyone to stay indoors using sensationalist headlines such as ‘The Eclipse and the Apocalypse’.

Dr Jankovic’s paper is published in Social Studies of Science.

He said: “Although it seems absurd that the solar eclipse caused such panic, it’s quite understandable that Serbians, who had endured a decade of 'fear', 'terror' and 'non- normality' were particularly sensitive to the perception of risk.

“The Milošević government’s decision to release this false warning was, in part, a result of opinions formed by the behavior and beliefs of others, while paying limited or no attention to scientific evidence.

“It’s a salutary lesson for us all: the circulation of information today is more complex than ever with the ever-increasing numbers of news outlets and the appearance of social media.

“Fake news created a collective display of risk over-compensation in Serbia 1999, and ‘fake news’ continues to affect the decisions of people today.

“The circulation of information throughout modern day society is more complex than ever with the ever-increasing bounty of news outlets and the appearance of social media.

‘Understanding how information is propagated and received by society is critical to understanding collective decision making and an awareness of the trustworthiness of news sources could lead to a more honest, democratic society.”

He added: “The real risk of retinal damage caused by the eclipse was amplified through media hearsay and word of mouth to a point where the government felt compelled to take direct action.

“And that happened because of an atmosphere of fear and the heightened state of cautiousness of the Serbian people and its government at the time.”

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Group warns Dangote to stay clear of Osun politics - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

A political action group in Osun State, Omoluabi United, has called on Africa’s richest man Alhaji Aliko Dangote to stay away from the partisan fray in the state as it gears for the election of a new governor, reports ITREALMS.

Omoluabi United in a press statement made available to ITREALMS, called on Dangote to eschew the word on social media and a YouTube message that he would deploy his wealth in support of the PDP candidate Ademola Adeleke.

In an open letter, the Omoluabii United said the people of Osun State shared similar values with Alhaji Dangote. These are “Common values like Truthfulness, Selflessness, Integrity, Modesty, Assiduity, and Industry”.

They stated, “Given our shared preference for stellar values, we are horrified to hear in the news making the rounds in our state that a charlatan boasts of how he would deploy your money to buy the electorate of Osun. True to his character, he brags not of his own money but to utilise the funds Alhaji Dangote earned from customers in Osun State and others in Nigeria from his enterprise and apply it to unwholesome ends.”

The statement added: “Your wealth is yours to deploy as you deem fit. We assume, however, that you would always cherish positive associations and not negative ones. We urge you to exalt the values that you love, and that best describes you in the politics of Osun State.”

Omoluabi United then pleaded: “Please do not elevate the wrong values, by association,  in Osun State.  Do not do to Osun State what you would not wish on Kano State or any progressive geographical space in Nigeria. Or on any of the companies under the Dangote Group.

“You would not hire to run any part of Dangote Group a character without the necessary school certificate, a waffler, a fellow with no record of any personal attainment in any of life’s undertakings.”

Spokesman of Omoluabi United, Opeyemi Ige, said the message to Aliko Dangote is a plea born out of the need to avoid a significant error in the State.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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AfDB board endorses policy on non-sovereign operations - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved the Bank’s Policy on Non-sovereign Operations (NSO). The document provides the framework within which the Bank through its private sector lending window may provide financing or investment without sovereign guarantees to private and public entities that meet specific eligibility requirements on non-concessional terms, reports ITREALMS. Non-sovereign Operations (NSOs) refers to financing and investment operations that are not guaranteed by a State, covering mostly private sector transactions. They also cover non-sovereign guaranteed financing of eligible public sector enterprises, as well as financing of regional development finance institutions.  The approval of the Policy comes at a critical moment when the Bank is seeking to accelerate inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and crowd in more private sector funding for strong and inclusive growth  to drive economic transformation and sustainable development in its Regional Member Countries (RMCs).  The NSO Policy will complement the Bank’s overarching 2013 Private Sector Development policy framework, notably, by defining what the Bank will do in the area of non-sovereign lending. Within this context, the objective of the Bank’s non-sovereign operations is to help accelerate the continent’s transformation through various financial support mechanisms and products including loans, lines of credit, guarantees, blended finance, equity investments and trade finance. This would enable the Bank to contribute to the sustainable economic growth and inclusive social development of its RMCs individually and jointly, in fulfilment of the Bank’s mandate.  More specifically, the Bank’s engagement in its selected non-sovereign operations will aim to maximise the catalytic impact of its limited resources, while seeking to promote inclusive growth and the gradual transition to ‘green growth’ in its RMCs. It will also help scale up financing in the Bank’s High 5 priority areas of intervention.  Under this NSO Policy, the Bank would provide financing to non-sovereign operations subject to four conditions: (i) the borrower is a private enterprise or an eligible public sector enterprise; (ii) the operations are financially sound; (iii) the operations should result in satisfactory development outcomes, including supporting or creating opportunities for private sector development; and (iv) the Bank brings additionally, which could be either financial or non-financial. The Policy would ensure that NSOs: (i) are well-prepared with clear value added/additionally brought by the Bank; (ii) are technically, economically and financially sound, and diligently managed, adhering to high ethical norms; (iii) are environmentally and socially sustainable; and (iv) have solid prospects of generating significant development results in the RMCs in which they are implemented. The NSO Policy does not apply to the Bank’s sovereign loans and sovereign-guaranteed loans. Such operations will continue to be governed by the relevant policies that guide the Bank Group’s public sector operations. Ayo Midele/GEE

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Ugbede leads old TJI students to reunion - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Rector of Times Journalism Institute (TJI) Mr Ndubuisi Ugbede, would Saturday, September 15, lead old students of the renowned journalism school to a reunion session in Lagos, reports ITREALMS.

Confirming this, the interim National Coordinator, Times Journalism Institute (TJI) Alumni Association, Mr. Remmy Nweke, said Ugbede aside confirming attendance, also endorsed the meeting slated to hold at secretariat of Lagos State Council of  Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Iyalla Street, Alausa Ikeja, by 11am this Saturday.

A press statement by the acting Secretary General, Mr Uwem Udofia, quoted the Coordinator as revealing that the reunion has become necessary to bring the best of brains in Journalism and media practice  who passed through TJI together.

This, Nweke, who also is the Group Executive Editor, DigitalSENSE Africa Media, said, would afford young practitioners to learn from their seniors and older colleagues.

In addition, he said it will be a networking platform for all students, urging all former students of TJI to embrace this opportunity to reintegrate themselves in the brotherhood nurtured by this great professional institute.

"Whether you passed through TJI as Post Graduate student or diploma, it's time to reunite and chart a new course," Nweke said.

The alumni association, he said will be an avenue of lifting one another up and giving back to the society.

He further said that the purpose of an association is to foster a spirit of loyalty, and to promote the general welfare of alumni.

"TJI Alumni associations goal is to strengthen the ties between alumni, he asserted, enjoining old students to  leverage the reunion by making themselves available at the Saturday meeting.

Uj. N. Dominic/GEE

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Imo 2019: Ndigbo Lagos backs Nick Opara-Ndudu - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The campaign of Hon. Nick Opara-Ndudu , the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) aspirant for the 2019  governorship election in Imo  State, got a boost on Sunday as leading personalities  from  Igboland converged in Lagos  to listen to him  as he presented his  blueprint to them in the event which was titled : An Evening With Nick Opara-Ndudu Imo  Gubernatorial Aspirant , 2019, reports ITREALMS.

These personalities who are top executives in the  banking & finance, oil&gas , shipping,and  manufacturing sectors,as well as leading  politicians, civil servants,  among others, gathered at the Landmark  Towers Leisures Centre, Victoria Island, listened with rapt attention as  Opara-Ndudu made a step-by-step presentation of his blueprint , which contain the things he will do  if elected as governor of Imo State in 2019.

They noted that Imo  State has been unlucky   having people who do not have the experience of working in a well structured environment as governors , adding that  that  has impacted  negatively on the socioeconomic development of the state.

They argued that as the eastern heartland ,this mistake should be be avoided by bringing in somebody who has a combination of  both private and public sectors background.

A front line lawyer, and former governorship aspirant in Anambra State, Barr. Kenneth Odidika , who spoke at the occasion, said he has associated with Opara-Ndudu for over three decades described the governorship aspirant as a man who does not renege on his promises. 

"He is a man of integrity, who does what he says, and of high intellectual capacity," Odidika said ,adding : "With Nick Opara-Ndudu as Governor , Anambra will do catch-up".

He also described him as " an excellent thinker and doer".

In his presentation, Opara-Ndudu painted a gory picture of the situation in Imo  State, regretting that the  present leadership does not see  it as something requiring serious attention and commitment.

He said that if he is given the nod by the electorate, to run the affairs of the state, Imo  would be returned to its glorious past.

This, he said,   would be done through proactive and workable policies that will  bring about transformation of the state.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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ETSI partners IQC on safe cryptography - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

A three-day workshop has been planned by European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in partnership with Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) and Chongqing University will take place in Beijing, China, reports ITREALMS.

This forms part of the 6^th ETSI/IQC Quantum Safe Cryptography Workshop, slated for 06 through 08 November 2018 at the Beijing International Convention Center, Beijing.

This three-day workshop, ITREALMS gathered, will bring together diverse players in the quantum-safe cybersecurity community to facilitate the knowledge exchange and collaboration required to transition cyber infrastructures and business practices to make them safe in an era with quantum computers.

 For instance, Executive Track, designed for business leaders, will outline the state of the quantum threat and its mitigation for a C-level audience including CEOs, CTOs and CISOs.

While on 7th November, the Technical Track, designed for members of the business, government and research communities with a stake in cryptographic standardization on a global scale.

ETSI, IQC and Chongqing University would like to thank all event sponsors for their support.
Sponsorship opportunities including table top opportunities are still available and could register here.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Online courses: Disruption in education sector - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS: 

The education sector is already becoming disruptive in the sense that everything has changed. Online courses is gaining grounds since students can get same quality education at a cheaper cost and still have time to do other things compared to spending years behind the walls of a classroom.

Higher education in Nigeria and all over the world is already feeling the impact of online learning and very few of them are already changing their business model to remain relevant in this disruptive system.

Over the years, indeed 100 years—new kinds of institutions with different initial charters have been created to address the needs of various population segments, including non-consumers. Part-time universities, teachers’ colleges, two-year colleges, and so on were initially launched to serve those for whom a traditional four-year liberal arts education was out of reach or unnecessary. Many of these new entrants strived to improve over time, compelled by analogues of the pursuit of profitability: a desire for growth, prestige, and the capacity to do greater good.

Thus they made costly investments in research, dormitories, athletic facilities, faculty, and so on, seeking to emulate more-elite institutions. Doing so has increased their level of performance in some ways—they can provide richer learning and living environments for students, for example. Yet the relative standing of higher-education institutions in most countries remains largely unchanged without exceptions, the top twenty schools are still the top twenty, and those in the second tier are still the same, decades after decades.

Because both incumbents and newcomers are seemingly following the same methodology, it is perhaps no surprise that incumbents are able to maintain their positions. What has been missing—until recently—is experimentation with new models that successfully appeal to today’s non-consumers of higher education; In other words, those who are not ready to go and spend years behind the school walls.

The question now is whether there is a novel technology or business model that allows new entrants to move upmarket without emulating the incumbents’ high costs—that is, to follow a disruptive path. 

The answer seems to be yes, and the enabling innovation is online learning, which is becoming broadly available globally. Real tuition for online courses is falling, and accessibility and quality are improving. Innovators are making inroads into the mainstream market at a stunning pace.

Will online education disrupt the incumbents’ model? And if so, when? In other words, will online education’s trajectory of improvement intersect with the needs of the mainstream market?

These questions and many more can only be answered with time provided new entrants continue with the trajectory improvement and the incumbents can no longer continue with their business.

Welcome to the world of online learning.

*Contribued by Ebenezer Dare and you can follow Ebenezer on linkedin and Facebook @Ebenezer Olawole Dare. Twitter @DareEbenezer, www.ebenezerdare.com, email: ebbydare@gmail.com

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PocketCon Creative Gallery makes a debut - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

PocketCon Creative Gallery  has made its debut with mission to afford young digital art talents a platform to excel, reports ITREALMS.

The group in a press statement made available to ITREALMS said each of digital creators has an own profile with avatar, bio, art samples tagged with style of art and contact info. Users may share the artists’ profiles in their social media to let other people know of their favorite digital creators of PocketCon.

James Cao, CEO of PocketCon and one of the founders of Gaia Online, said  they aim to grow the industry to become self-regulated.

"We aim to grow a wide friendly self-regulated community, where every user can support our artists by voting for them, sharing their art and following them. New artists are always welcome to join us!"  he said.

Uj. N. Dominic/GEE

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