13th biennial inter house: Canaan House wins @MD School - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Canaan House, also known as the Blue House, has emerged winner of the M.D School, Oko Oba, Lagos State 13th biennial inter house sports competition held at the Agege Stadium on Thursday, reports ITREALMS.

Canaan House beat Bethel and Gilgal to lift the giant trophy as champions.
I did so by garnering 14 gold, six silver and nine bronze medals.

Bethel House was a distant second with eight gold, nine silver and nine bronze medals, while Gilgal House was third with seven gold, 14 silver and six bronze medals.
Goshen House was fourth with seven gold, seven silver and 12 bronze medals.

Some of the events competed for were match past, 100 and 200metres (Boys and girls), bursting the balloons, filling the bottles, building the castle, picking of candies and snacks, relay race, egg and spoon race and sack race.

In the invitational relay, Agidingbi Primary School won the boys category, while Oko-Oba Primary School were placed second. 

Royal Crest won the girls category, while Dansol and Lara Day came second and third respectively.

Speaking after the competition, an elated Proprietress of the school, Omolara Adedugbe, thanked all parents and participants for their commitment in ensuring a successful event.
Adedugbe’s words: “Our vision is to ensure that our pupils to acquire value knowledge and skills to enable them in actualizing their life potentials.”

She also commended the pupils for being competitive and their spirit of sportsmanship throughout the games, saying the next edition of the competition promises to be bigger.
Legendary thespian, Chief Idowu Philip, and musical art and member of the Midnight Crew, Mike Abdul, thrilled the pupils and parents alike with music and motivational talks.

Uj. N. Dominic/Editor

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Dealing with ‘problem’ like the Igbos? - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS:

First, a confession. I am Igbo, whatever that means! I was born in 1966, a year before the Nigerian Civil War that lasted for 30 months, from July 1967 to January 1970. And depending on who is counting, or writing the history, the casualty figures in that internecine war could be anywhere between two and three million or more.

I can’t believe am posting this, 105 years after amalgamation and the creation of Nigeria, almost 60 years after independence, 49 years after the civil war ended and the country proclaimed, “no victor, no vanquished,” and embarked on the 3Rs: Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.

Once again, the “Igbo Question” rears its ugly head. The logical question would be, how do we deal with a “problem” like the Igbos? I shall return to this.

But if I were an aged bigot and quintessential newspaperman who has trained many journalists and shaped the future of journalism in Nigeria, an educated “Yoruba” man and “putative lover of Igbos,” how would I answer this question?

I would start by saying, “I attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria between 1974 and 1978 for which I owe the Igbos gratitude for this opportunity. It wasn't that I could not have studied in Lagos, Ibadan or Ife. I wished to be far away from home to detach completely from the city boy life of clubbing and all that in which I was engulfed for five years despite finishing higher school certificate education in record one year with three A level papers at one sitting, a feat in those days. There were fears in my family that a war (1967-1970) had just ended, four years earlier in the East and the people may be hostile to immigrants whose people partook in the war against them. But I was a rebellious young man, and believe I still am at close to 70. At 16, when the war broke out, I was fascinated by Lt Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu's oration and Okokondem on Biafra Radio. I didn't understand what the issues were. So, off to the East I went to Nsukka, the land of the folding hills.

“I made many Igbo friends, maybe because I learned to behave like a Roman in Rome. One day, one of my Igbo friends and I went to his village. Surprisingly, I wasn't frightened by stories I had heard in the West that I could be killed and eaten like bush meat. Everywhere I went, the visitor was treated like a tin god. They brought out the kola and the pepper. There were cultural shocks, though. One day, an 11-year-old boy stretched out his hand to greet me. In Yorubaland, that was an abomination. The older man could deal such a “rude” boy a knock on the head to teach him to respect his elders. But that was republican Igbo culture for you. Without qualms, I took the hand he offered to me in pure love and shook hands with him. If you respect your hosts and do not try to impose yourself on them, they would love you.

“My relationship with the Igbos goes beyond Nsukka. Two of the editors who gave me a sound professional foundation in journalism are Igbos. The first was Mr. George Okoro, who was chief sub editor of the Daily Times when I was brought before him on March 8, 1971, to start work as trainee subeditor. The other was Mr. Angus Okoli. He was acting editor at the Lagos Weekend where I was posted after I completed my training under Mr. Okoro. He was like a big uncle to me. At that time, Alhaji Babatunde Jose, later chairman/managing director of the Daily Times group of companies, was trying to bring to the newspaper people with Higher School Certificate (HSC), but the G4 and “O” Level men were resisting They were Yorubas. Okoro and Okoli were Igbos. Okoro would spend his money to buy us foreign newspapers to train with. He would take us at his own cost from club to club to knock journalism life into us. Sometimes, we ended up at his flat in Johnson Street, near Pedro in Somolu. Okoli would teach you how to write.

“Maybe these men influenced my decision to go to Nsukka without knowing it. If I didn't take a wife from the East, it was probably because I did not have money for the dowry or because I was faithfully committed to a young adolescent's promise I did not wish to break. But the Igbos continued to trudge on my paths No fewer than four of them married my sisters and cousins. They are among the best husbands I have seen in Nigeria in terms of their commitment to the concept of one-man-one-wife which my family values and their love and commitment to the extended families of their wives.

“I remember an incident at one of the wedding engagements. The Igwe who accompanied the groom-to-be said it was against Igbo custom for an Igwe to prostate when he was asked to prostrate before the parents of the bride-to-be. All members of the family felt affronted. Otunba Olufemi Deru, chairman of the event and a former chairman/managing director of BEREC and former president of ICAN, rose and asked everyone to go home. Luckily, there was a member of my faith in the Igbo entourage. I didn't know him, but he recognized me, came over and whispered to me that we should rescue the event from intransigence or rigidity on both sides. So, I announced that maybe the Igwe did not wish to soil his dress and called for a mat. The Igwe agreed to prostrate and actually did. Today, this couple have four beautiful children who are a pride not only to their father's family but to ours as well. From this preamble, I will proceed to voice my opinion on the Okota question with all sense of responsibility.

“I am Yoruba, and I condemn all forms of electoral malpractice, including ballot box snatching on election day. The Yorubas are an intelligent people with their own fair share of rascals. There are many intelligent and creative ways open to the Yorubas to deal with the Igbo question in Lagos or elsewhere.

“Chief Obafemi Awolowo dealt with it when Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe abused the generosity of the Yorubas and attempted to take over their land as the Dutchmen took over Southern Africa. The Yorubas also dealt with this question intelligently when Biafran soldiers tried to invade the West from Ore, after overrunning Bendel State with the aid of Igbo connections there. At different fora where the Igbo question in Lagos comes up, I always invite the Igbos to remember that the Yorubas have always been their best friends in Nigeria. The Yoruba leader of the 1950s, Herbert Macaulay, founded the NCNC (National Council of Nigerians and the Cameroons).

“When Macaulay died following an illness during his nationwide campaign for independence, wasn't it the Yoruba NCNC leadership which invited Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe an Igbo, to return home from Ghana and lead their party? And when he held their hand in the soup pot, to bar them from having the meal they prepared, didn't they peacefully and intelligently show him the way back to the east? Yorubas were generous and trustful. Dr Azikiwe insulted their sensibility, abused their generosity and trust. Why would he, an Igbo, wish to be premier of the West and then install an Igbo, as premier of the East when the Yorubas at that time had more literate people than the Igbos? That was cunning, greed and betrayal of trust to say the least.

“We were all fighting to send the white man away and, after we had succeeded, you wished to impose local Igbo colonialism on a better educated Yoruba race. Who would have accepted that? Secondly, I remind my Igbo friends that, after the civil war, their properties in the North, Port Harcourt, Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, their present political allies, were seized from them as “abandoned” property and handed out to the aborigines. But in the latest, Igbo property were all returned with all the rent which accrued to them. Were the Yorubas stupid or merely civilized, honest and friendly or, if you like, God fearing?”

Okota Ballot Box

“As I said in the first part, the snatching of ballot boxes after all the warnings by government was unnecessary, crude, condemnable and punishable. If the Yorubas condemn it elsewhere, they should condemn it also in Okota. But after the condemnation and necessary punishment under the law, it will not be right for all of us to not get to the bottom of why it happened and the bigger problems which are brewing beneath this cause if the surface and deep-lining causes are not addressed.

“The major problem, in my opinion, is the Igbo penchant to wish to take over another person's land. I say this with all sense of responsibility. Recently, Mofe Oyatogun of STAR 101.5FM Radio Station in Lagos played during her EARLY RUSH SHOW, a 1952 audio clip of an interview with Ahmadu Bello, Premier of Northern Nigeria. He said unequivocally that the North would not employ Igbos in its civil service because if you gave them an inch, you will not know when they would take a mile. That was way back in 1952, about 67 years ago. Is this not what is still playing out today in South Africa, Benin Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Libya and China, to mention a few countries?

“In last Saturday's presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari probably won landslide victories in Northern states because that Ahmadu Bello radio interview clip went viral in that political landscape. Peter Obi, an Igbo, was vice presidential running mate to Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, a Fulani from the North-east. It was possible the North still lived in fear of the Igbo man as Ahmadu Bello had taught them to do and as they were reminded in that audio clip replay.

“In Yorubaland, we are a society governed by laws. That is why we have ministries of chieftaincy affairs. All the land in Lagos have owners. Lagos was either a colony or a part of Western Nigeria. But because of the generosity of Yorubas, and the foresight of their forefathers, which made this region the star region in West Africa, the Igbos would like the Yorubaman to believe that “Lagos is no man’s land.” Can anyone say that of Benin without eating his pounded yam as raw yam? Can the Igbos say that of Kano and Jos? The people there know how to make themselves husbands of the mothers of the territorial expansionist.

“Everywhere on earth, we have seen that territorial expansion ends in chaos. In recent history, we can pin the two world wars to it. What about the war in Liberia between the aborigines and the settled slaves? What about Rwanda? What about Hitler's war on the Jews? What about the liberation wars in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique? Why did General Idi Amin of Uganda chase away the Asians? Why did Bangladesh separate from India, Eritrea from Ethiopia and Senegal from Senegambia? What about the communal clashes over land in Nigeria?

“Recently, almost 100 Fulanis were killed in Kaduna. We cannot forget the Zango-Kataf problem. So, we should be careful when you come to settle on my land and say you must represent me in the Nigerian Senate or the House of Representatives, or the Lagos State House of Assembly, taking away from me my aboriginal right to have my kith, kindred and blood represent me, while back home you are being represented in the Senate and House of Reps. When you insist on becoming a commissioner in my state or a deputy governor, or a local government chairman, when you try to govern me in my own land as Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe once tried to do, all because I was generous to let you become in my land what you couldn't become in your land, simply because you believe you have the numbers, I will tell you that is greed and unnatural irrespective of the backing of the law you may think you have.

“Think, for example, about an Igbo becoming the chairman of Lagos Island Local Government and arrogating to himself the right under the laws of Nigeria and of Lagos State to issue instructions to the Oba of Lagos about how the Kabiyesi should conduct himself and govern his people. What will this breed?
That is what has been happening in countries from where the Igbos are being sent back home. It happened once in the North as Ahmadu Bello said in 1952. And seriously speaking, I believe this is why the North rejected Atiku Abubakar. The Igbos should reflect on this...Why does everyone tend to (hate) us?”

Jimi Agbaje/Afenifere
“The Igbos should be wary of Jimi Agbaje and Afenefere. They are politicians who are looking for ethnic heads to break coconuts on. The Igbos are hardworking and resourceful and should try to overcome ethnic politics as the Yorubas have done. They should learn from immigrants from other lands worldwide. The Indians do not trouble their hosts or try to take over their lands. They make their money quietly and take it back home to develop their own land. That is why India has been able to lift herself from poverty. In contrast, the Igbos do not develop their own lands. All they do is largely to make money from abroad through whichever or whatever means and buy up property which other people have built and then claim they own the land without remembering that they can never hold aboriginal rights to the land in their hands whenever the chips come down.

“Meanwhile, their land back home is languid, crying and shouting for investment and development and they begin to talk about marginalization. Did they not flower and fruit under Obasanjo and Jonathan's administrations? What happened to Igboland in those 16 years that they were not marginalized? What happened to Yorubaland in those 16 years that the Yorubas were marginalized that Yorubaland still continued to be a honey pot for the Igbo? I would go any day with Chief Emeka Anyaoku who looks at the world with universal spectacles. Succeeding Lagos governments have beautifully held the ethnic balance in Lagos and prevented ethnic disturbances. Igbos should stop saying they own Lagos or that they built Lagos or that Lagos is a “no man's land”. Only a bastard Yorubaman will not feel affronted by such statements. And in spiritual terms, the man or woman who cannot defend his land is not fit to live. Wasn't this the failure of the sons of the Incas?

“It is good news that the leaders of the Igbos and other nationalities in Nigeria have met with the traditional leaders of the Yorubas in Okota and Oshodi areas to avert a backlash in respect of last Saturday's events. As I said earlier, Agbaje and Afenifere are outside the mainstream of Yoruba politics. They are trying to take control of it. And they have the right to so aspire, being Yorubas. What is objectionable to the mainstream Yoruba is their attempt to knock the heads of the Igbo against the head of the mainstream Yorubas.

“They remind the Yorubas of a similar affront by Afonja, the Yoruba army commander in Ilorin who was sent there by the Alaafin of Oyo to stop jihadist expansion. Afonja betrayed the Alaafin and invited the jihadists to defend his betrayal. They did and Afonja triumphed momentarily only to be killed afterwards by the jihadists who took over the land. The perception in Yorubaland today is that the Igbos, in Lagos especially, are the modern jihadists and that Agbaje and Afenifere are the modern Afonjas. This is the underlying perception which, in my opinion, triggered the surface reaction in Okota last Saturday. The Yorubas remain an accommodating people. But they never fail to rise in their defence when they have to, as they did in the 1950s in respect of Dr Azikiwe's blatant attempt to usurp their land and as they also did at Ore during the civil war.”

As an educated, proud “Yoruba” man and ethnic chauvinist, I hope am only speaking my jaundiced mind.

This is not a call to arms, but interventions like the one above signal the crisis confronting us as a people and the great danger we face trying to gloss over it.

So, how do we deal with the “Igbo Question” in Nigeria? Perhaps, there is no “Igbo Question.” What we have is a “National/Nigeria Question” that is real and smoldering. It is time we took on this hydra-headed problem before it consumes us all.

Was there ever a country?

*Contributed by Chido Onumah

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NPOC set to launch new website at Kobe, Japan - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

All is now set for the formal launch of the website for the Non-Profit Operational Constituency (NPOC) at the forthcoming Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN45) Community Forum, slated for Kobe, Japan, reports ITREALMS.

The community forum, tagged ICANN64 has been scheduled between March 9 and 14, 2019.

Disclosing the planned launch, to ITREALMS, NPOC chairperson, Joan Kerr, expressed delight as she shared the February update.

NPOC, she said, has continued to develop organizationally, building a solid foundation for NPOC to function.

Also, Kerr said, NPOC has continued to refine its processes, including crafting the Charter, which is almost in its final draft stages.

She revealed that NPOC has designed a new website to be launched in Kobe, Japan.

“Designing a new website to be launched in Kobe” she declared.

In addition, she said that NPOC is working on its financial management issues which are under discussion.

While activities tracking and project management, she said, were being refined, stressing that NPOC is exploring strategic collaborations, even as the Policy Committee are being fine-tuned.

Kerr further revealed that in preparation for Kobe, that the Executive Committee has approved two scheduled Policy Committee meetings and Constituency Day.

Emphasising that NPOC is collaborating with the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) to explore how the Constituency could share resources and educate not-for-profit organizations about the Domain Name System (DNS).

“NPOC will use the info to establish and strengthen strategic regional collaboration, rejuvenate participation, and foster networking opportunities among members,” she asserted.

NPOC chair invited members to share their expertise and passion so that the Constituency could start the Policy Development Process (PDP) in earnest and share encouraging stories for the new website via npoc-ec@icann.org.

“If you haven't already done so, you can also join us on Skype: NPOC,” she enjoined.

Chuks Egbune/Editor

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Buhari's Victory, Triumph for ordinary Nigerians - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said President Muhammadu Buhari's victory in last Saturday’s presidential election symbolizes the triumph of the ordinary Nigerians over the elite, reports ITREALMS.

The Minister made the remarks in Abuja on Thursday when he received the management of his ministry, who came to congratulate him on the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at last week’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.

“Last weekend's election is a direct contest between ordinary Nigerians and the elite, most of whom are rent seekers. Of course, the ordinary Nigerians have won!” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said the President's victory is a confirmation of the fact that ordinary Nigerians appreciate the pro-people policies of the present administration which, he said, is doing more with far less resources.

“Overall, this government is doing more with less and is restoring decency and integrity to governance. Like the New York Times said, the re-election of President Buhari is a referendum on honesty. There is no better way to put it,” he stated.

While reeling out the policies that endeared President Buhari to the ordinary Nigerians, the Minister said under the Social Investment Programme, the government feeds 9.3 million school children everyday and some 500,000 unemployed graduates have been employed under N-Power, in addition to some 300,000 families who are benefitting from the Conditional Cash Transfer.

He said in a deliberate effort to boost the Small and Medium Enterprises to contribute significantly to the nation’s economy, the Buhari Administration gives out interest-free loans of between N10,000 and N100,000 under the TraderMoni and the MarketMoni Schemes to small business owners.

“Pensioners who have been left in the lurch are being paid, and I am talking of ex-workers of the Nigerian Airways, NITEL and former Biafran Policemen, among others. The former Nigeria Airways staffers were so delighted that they held a rally in support of the President before the elections,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

He said the fight against corruption is being institutionalized with a number of policies that include Treasury Single Account (TSA), Whistleblower policy, and that it has led to the recovery of huge amounts of money as well as property from looters.

The Minister therefore enjoined the citizenry to continue to support the Buhari Administration in building of a strong, secure, economically-buoyant and corrupt-free society.

On the APC's victory in Kwara, the Minister thanked the management of his ministry for appreciating his 'modest' effort in delivering Kwara State from the grip of a crippling hegemony.

“I must stress - and I have said this before - that the credit for the liberation of Kwara goes to the good people of State who, despite efforts to compromise them, refused to sell their votes. A simple slogan, O To Ge (Enough is Enough), captured the determination of the people to vote out those who have held them down for decades. And that is precisely what they did,” he said.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Deaconess Grace Isu-Gekpe, said the entire management and staff of the Ministry are proud of the Minister for his invaluable contribution to the victory of the APC at the presidential and National Assembly elections in Kwara State.

Ayo Midele/Editor

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Innovation Showcase Week 2019 opens in Lagos - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Innovation Showcase Week 2019 opened in Lagos Thursday with the unveiling of the latest transformative technologies to redefine industries and solve some of the most pressing business and consumer challenges in Nigeria, reports ITREALMS.

Obviously the first of its kind event, ITREALMS reports that over 20 exhibiting technology startups showcased latest tech innovations to some 400 business and industry representatives at the home of West Africa’s first deep tech accelerator - NG_HUB by Facebook, across 2 days.

ITREALMS gathered that Innovation Showcase Week tagged (ISW 2019) is the first technology product showcase exhibition out of the startup support programmes by tech innovation centre Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) and global enterprise, Facebook. 

Interested participants can request an invite to attend ISW 2019 by visiting www.cchubnigeria.com/isw2019 and runs through Friday, 1st March in Lagos, Nigeria.

“We recognise the urgent need to accelerate innovation support to medium and large corporates who are positioned to secure significant gains for the economy through smart application of technology”, said ‘Bosun Tijani, CEO and Founder of CcHUB, “ ISW will close the gap between corporates and startups by being an unprecedented platform where industry leaders can experience and adopt homegrown innovations and solutions first hand”.

Showcasing startups at ISW would unveil their ground-breaking innovations built in Facebook’s deep-tech startup program - FBStart Accelerator - and the CcHUB 2018 Incubation program. The products on display leverage advanced technologies such as Data Science, Internet of Things, VR and AI across 8 categories including Healthcare, Agriculture, Mobility, Energy, Education, Safety Training and, Security. These solutions proffer break-through advances to business and consumer challenges in Nigeria.

On the ISW 2019 showfloor, exhibiting Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Security-focused startups Chiniki Guard, SayPeace, Identity Tech, E-Estates, DeepQuest AI and Insyt demonstrate AI’s promising power. Other products on display for the Health and Agriculture sectors include Vetsark, Doctoora, Plantheus, TrepLabs, Gricd and Truppr. Energy and Mobility dedicated areas have Upnepa, Smart Electricity, Hydrolite, Cycles and Lara products on display and the Virtual reality and Safety Training section showcases immersive solutions from Quadron VR, Kanji Drive and Project Move.

“ISW embodies the innovative spirit that defines the Nigerian startup ecosystem. The products and services launching here by the Facebook and CcHUB supported startups will empower individuals and enterprises to change our world for the better,” said Kendra Nnachi, Startup and Developer Programs Manager, Facebook.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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CS Situation Room faults INEC results, says votes didn’t match - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room) has observed that the national collation and announcement of the Presidential election results for the election conducted on 23rd February 2019 has some discrepancies, reports ITREALMS.

The civil society group in its fourth interim statement made available to ITREALMS, said they were compelled to make some observations cutting across lack of vote tallying, claims of duress by INEC officials, and lack of transparency at ward collation, among others.

The statement endorsed by the Mr. Clement Nwankwo, the Executive Director, Policy & Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) & Convener, Nigeria Civil Society SituationRoom said that on the lack of vote tallying, that some of the numbers/votes announced so far by State Returning Officers at the INEC National Collation Centre in Abuja raised concerns. 

The group said that considering there was simultaneous accreditation and voting, a careful look at some of the figures of accredited voters and the total number of votes cast showed discrepancies. 

They pointed out that as at 6:47pm Tuesday 26th February, the discrepancy was a total of 513,214, in 27 States including Nasarawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Edo States and the FCT. 

"Situation Room calls on INEC to transparently address this confusion before the completion of result tabulation," the convener said.

Also, he said there is a lack of clarity in the rationale for cancellation of polls, noting that they recorded 1,084,358 cancelled votes across 1175 polling units in 18 States. 

They suspected the pattern used in this cancellation requires some close interrogation to show fairness and objectivity, insisting that the reasons provided for the cancelled votes include over voting, card reader malfunction and violence. 

"Situation Room demands that INEC provide clarification on rationale and compliance with its Guidelines regarding cancellation of polls. Accusation that these cancellations may have been contrived to supress votes need to be taken seriously and addressed before the close of tabulation. Situation Room calls on INEC to address the discrepancies in the vote tally and provide cogent explanations for the rejected votes and clearly clarify what amounts to cancelled votes," he said.

On the claims of duress by INEC officials, Situation Room observed that INEC officials and adhoc staff serving in varying capacities have alleged harassment and intimidation in the course of the collation process and undue pressure in the announcement of results. 

Notable, they said, was that of the Returning Officer for Imo West Senatorial District, Prof. Francis Ibeawuchi, who disclosed that threats were made to his life, to ensure the return of the incumbent Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, as the winner of the Senatorial election in the district.

Also, in Ikwerre Local Government of Rivers State, the Electoral Officer, Mary Efeture Imawuya alleged that Army Personnel invaded the RAC Centre and held her hostage, in a bid to seize the election results. 

While in Emohua Local Government of Rivers State, the Electoral Officer, Kenneth Etah claimed that military personnel invaded the local INEC office and commenced shooting, thereby creating an environment too violent for the collation process to be carried out.

Situation Room notes that INEC has failed to publicly acknowledge the occurrence of these incidents in the past few days and owe it to its staff and Nigerians, to express concern over these threats and acts of violence and take necessary steps to ensure the security of INEC personnel. Furthermore the implication of this on the sanctity of the ballot must be transparently dealt with.

Situation Room calls on INEC to give immediate attention to the issue of its officials who were forced to announce inaccurate results and also take steps to ensure their safety.

Further, on the transparency at ward collation, Situation Room said it had deployed observers in all 8,809 Electoral Wards across the country and received reports of observers being restricted from several Ward Collation Centres. 

"For instance, our Observers were denied access to 10 Ward Collation Centres in Abia State, 7 in Lagos State and 5 in Akwa Ibom and Ogun States respectively. Other reports received indicate that there was no collation in some Wards; rather, polling unit results were directly collated at Local Government level, raising questions about violation of the collation process," he said.

 The convener, therefore urged Nigerians to be peaceful and law abiding, while calling on political parties and candidates who are aggrieved with the electoral process to ensure that they utilise legally recognised channels to seek redress.

The Situation Room is made up of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in support of credible and transparent elections in Nigeria and includes such groups as Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Proactive Gender Initiative (PGI) Enough is Enough Nigeria, WANGONET, Partners for Electoral Reform, JDPC and YIAGA Africa Others are Development Dynamics, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Stakeholders Democracy Network, Human Rights Monitor, Reclaim Naija, CITAD,Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE), CISLAC, and several other CSOs numbering more than seventy.

Chuks Egbune/DoP

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7yr on: Only 11 ICANN accredited Registrars are from Africa - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

For the past seven years, only 11 accredited Registrars of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) are from the African region, reports ITREALMS.

Investigations by ITREALMS showed that Upperlink Limited is the only ICANN accredited registrar from Nigeria, likewise Burundi, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia have one each.

South Africa is leading with four ICANN accredited registrars, followed by Morocco with two, according to the African Domain Name System (DNS) market study conducted by ICANN in 2017.

A copy of the study available to ITREALMS, indicated that compared to other regions, Africa has a very small number of registrars accredited by ICANN, under its 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA), which is the most current contract governing the registrar relationship with ICANN.

ITREALMS reports that those currently accredited by ICANN in Africa are namely, AFRIREGISTER S.A.; Arcanes Technologies; ATI; Diamatrix C.C.; Domain Name Services (Pty) Ltd; Genious Communications SARL/AU ; Ghana Dot Com Ltd; Internet Solutions (Pty) Ltd; Kheweul.com SA; Upperlink Limited; and Web4Africa Inc. 

However, ITREALMS  gathered that there are some inhibiting factors militating against the African potential ICANN registrars, including the laws and practices inhibiting freedom of expression online, which must be scrutinised as these inhibit content creation and hence demand for websites, blogs and domain names.

Rules governing who may register a domain and how to do so, ITREALMS reports, should be as simple as possible and easily available, stressing for example, that rules in place in some countries require domain names to match the business cum personal name of the entity should be removed.

Similarly, ITREALMS further gathered, that those countries requiring registrants to have a legal presence in their country should review these with the aim of removing such requirements. 

“Requirements, if any, relating to compliance prior to registration of all intellectual property rights laws should be removed and rules should rather focus on add addressing violations through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms after registration,” part of the study stated.

Chuks Egbune/DoP

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Paradigm Initiative releases 2018 annual report, demonstrates impact - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The social enterprise, Paradigm Initiative has released its 2018 annual report with an insight into the work of the organisation, especially in how it lives up to its mission of improving the “livelihoods of underserved youths” reports ITREALMS.

Featured in the annual report is Joy Ukpong, an alumna of the group’s free digital inclusion program. At the time of joining the program, 27-year old Joy Ukpong's income was N10,000 a month as a struggling hairdresser in Ajegunle, Lagos. She was desperate for a break, and Paradigm Initiative’s Digital Inclusion program gave her the break which she wisely seized, learning relevant digital and life skills.

Few weeks after the conclusion of the 10-week training, Ukpong got a job as an administrative assistant at a law firm. Her income immediately jumped to N25,000. Thanks to her new skills, Ukpong has a more stable income and work structure that allows her to develop herself.

Her story, according to Paradigm Initiative’s Communications Officer, Sodiq Alabi, “is another proof that our investment in digital inclusion programs in underserved communities is indeed improving the livelihood of the beneficiaries.”

The Executive Director, ‘Gbenga Sesan also said, “As a result of the year's investment in under-served Nigerian youth, we were able to train 869 students through the 10-week LIFE program, LIFE@School Club and the quarterly workshops. 150 students got internships, picked up jobs, earned enough to return to school, joined apprenticeship programs and/or started micro businesses. During the year, the average income among our students grew from N4,805.15 to N23,083.25!”

Highlighting the group’s work in digital rights, Sesan said “In 2018, our Digital Rights work covered Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gambia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. We hosted 13 training programs, reviewed 36 policy documents, produced 12 research-based reports, acted on 20 digital rights violations, and led 4 litigation processes.”

The Director of Programs, Tope Ogundipe said the passage of the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill in Nigeria is an important milestone for the group in 2018. The Bill, which was transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari on February 5 2019, has been a major project of the group since 2014 when it began advocacy for the passage of a law dedicated to the protection of online rights and freedoms.

Paradigm Initiative, which was founded in Nigeria in 2007, is physically present in five African countries, from where it executes programs across the continent. The group said its new Strategic Management Plan (2019-2023) would even see it do more over the next few years.

*Contributed by Sodiq Alabi, Communications Officer

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Sanwo-Olu Congratulates Buhari, urges Nigerians to remain peaceful - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory in the just concluded presidential election, reports ITREALMS.

A press statement by his media and communication team on Wednesday, and made available to ITREALMS, Sanwo-Olu described Buhari's success at the poll as “not only well-deserving, but a valid testimony to the fact that Nigerians acknowledge and are appreciative of his reformative initiatives designed to bring forth a better Nigeria”.

''Your Excellency, I heartily congratulate you on your success at the recent presidential election held across Nigeria last weekend. Your landslide victory is a validation and appreciation of your hard work and commitment to the fight against corruption. With this deserved victory, your selflessness and dedication to the services of our motherland have become a new leadership model in Nigeria.

Expectedly, the reward for good work is more work. So, your victory in the nationwide free and fair election, which is a validation of how your leadership has rekindled hope in millions of Nigerians at home and abroad, has provided yet another valuable opportunity for better Nigeria since democracy has found a permanent place in our country.’’ Sanwo-Olu said.

Sanwo-Olu, who also described President Muhammadu Buhari as the perfect man for the job of taking Nigeria out of the inherited socio-economic quagmire, noted that the evident giant strides of the President in the areas of infrastructure, agriculture, security and economic stability should be sustained.

‘’I am sure that Your Excellency will use this victory and your second term of four years in office to complete all the great projects you embarked upon. You are the perfect candidate for the job of re-ordering the nation and setting her on the path to greatness. The zeal to do something more sustainable for the masses of the country has made your electoral victory reality. All your hard work to achieve an economically viable and one indivisible Nigeria has paid off.’’

The APC flagbearer however called on Nigerians to live in peace and harmony, saying that there is a lot more to benefit from '‘what unites us than what divides us.’’ He advised Nigerians to see elections as a means to an end and not the end itself.

'‘Elections are a four-year cycle activity, which means that when there is life, we will have another round of elections in the next four years. Therefore, it does not do us any good to fight ourselves over it. We all cannot belong to the same political party or lean towards the same candidates, that is why it is a contest, but we have a duty to live together in peace and harmony, regardless of our political leaning.

Making specific reference to Lagos, the APC standard bearer urged non-indigenous Lagosians to ignore the rumoured fracas or intimidation of Igbo by some elements in the State. He said nothing of such will happen in Lagos.

‘’Many ethnic nationalities have settled in Lagos and have made this place a home. We cannot allow a four-year election cycle to divide us. I therefore urge all our Igbo and Hausa brothers and sisters to continue to live in peace as we have lived together over the years. Everyone is safe in Lagos.’’ Sanwo-Olu stated.

Sanwo-Olu, who has resumed campaign activities, urged Lagosians to believe in the All Progressives Congress-led government to continue to deliver the good for the citizens.

He reiterated his commitment to run an inclusive government, where all ethnic nationalities will have a say in the affairs of the state.

‘‘We have done it before. We will do it again. No part of Lagos will be left out of the scheme of things. We will run a Lagos that no one, regardless of where he or she comes from, will be intimidated. We will run a Lagos where every hardworking Lagosian, irrespective of his or her root will have economic empowerment and thrive in commerce. This is what we promise, this is what we will do.’’ Sanwo-Olu said.

Finally, Sanwo-Olu congratulated the National body of the All Progressives Congress as well as all candidates of the party that won positions into the Upper and Lower Chambers of the National Assembly, saying their victory will help to fast track development in the country.

Ayo Midele/Editor

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2019 presidential election: Atiku Abukabar to INEC, Buhari see you in court - ITREALMS

ITREALMS;

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has rejected the 2019 presidential election held on Saturday, February, 23 this year, just as he expressed desire to challenge the results in court, reports ITREALMS.

Atiku in a tweet on his handle listed a number of discrepancies that marred the presidential election including the alleged 50 per cent the total votes in Akwa-Ibom in 2015.

“Consequently, I hereby reject the result of the February 23, 2019 sham election and will be challenging it in court,” he said.

He lamented the militarization of some of his party’s strong holds, however, expressed commended Nigerians for coming out to vote.

“I thank the Nigerian people who trooped out in their millions to perform their civic duty this past Saturday. The patriotism of Nigerians is heartwarming and affirms my oft-repeated statement that we are brothers and sisters born from the womb of one mother Nigeria.

“The suppressed votes in my strongholds are so apparent and amateurish, that I am ashamed as a Nigerian that such could be allowed to happen. How can total votes in Akwa-Ibom, for instance, be 50% less than what they were in 2015?

“Another glaring anomaly is the disruption of voting in strongholds of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers and diverse other states, with the authorities doing little or nothing and in some cases facilitating these unfortunate situations.

“The militarization of the electoral process is a disservice to our democracy and a throwback to the jackboot era of military dictatorship.

“In some areas of the country, such as, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Imo states, troops deployed for the elections turned their guns on the very citizens they were meant to protect.

“I am a democrat and there are democratic avenues available to present the truth to the nation and the watching world. Already, many international observers have given their verdicts, which corroborate our observations. I am sure more will come in the coming hours and days.

“If I had lost in a free and fair election, I would have called the victor within seconds of my being aware of his victory to offer not just my congratulations, but my services to help unite Nigeria by being a bridge between the North and the South.

“However, in my democratic struggles for the past three decades, I have never seen our democracy so debased as it was on Saturday, February 23, 2019.

“2007 was a challenge, but President Yar’Adua was remorseful. In 2019, it is sad to see those who trampled on democracy thumping their noses down on the Nigerian people.

“Consequently, I hereby reject the result of the February 23, 2019 sham election and will be challenging it in court.

“I want to assure my supporters and the entire Nigerian people that together, we will not allow democracy to be emasculated,” he decried.

Chuks Egbune/DoP

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PMB accepts victory, promises to strengthen unity, inclusiveness - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted victory of the Presidential election held on February 23, 2019, promising to strengthen the unity of the country and inclusiveness, reports ITREALMS.

Buhari in a statement made available to ITREALMS, urged his supporters to be maginamus in victory and avoid any atom of violence.

Excerpts from his statement read:

"My Dear Nigerians,

First and foremost, I give thanks to Almighty God Who has spared our lives to witness another victory for Nigerian democracy and victory for our party APC.

2. I thank the millions of Nigerians who voted to re-elect me as your president for the next four years. I am deeply humbled and profoundly grateful to you for judging me worthy of continuing to serve you and for your peaceful conduct.

3. In particular, I would like to thank Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for his masterful leadership as Co-chair of the Campaign Council. I would like to also thank the party chairman Adams Oshiomhole, the Director General of the Campaign Council Rotimi Amaechi, all members of the Presidential Campaign Council and other various Support Groups.

4. My grateful thanks to all those who contributed to the logistical expenses of the campaign in such a vast country like Nigeria.

5. I also thank the millions of volunteers, self-appointed overseers, canvassers, agents, escorts and sentries who sacrificed so much of their time and resources to ensure the success of these elections. I do not have the words adequate to thank them.

6. Although Saturday’s elections were relatively peaceful, troublemakers in a handful of states attempted to disrupt an otherwise orderly process. Security agencies will bring to justice all those arrested in the process.

7. I am very sad at the grievous loss of lives during these elections. Security agencies will step up their efforts to protect voters in the forthcoming State elections.

8. I would like to commend our security agencies, as severely overstretched as they are, for handling the difficult task of securing the country during the election period.

9. I will like to make a special appeal to my supporters not to gloat or humiliate the opposition. Victory is enough reward for your efforts.

10. We give thanks also to our domestic and international observers for contributing to the success of our elections and for their interest in our country and our developing democracy.

11. The new Administration will intensify its efforts in Security, Restructuring the Economy and Fighting Corruption. We have laid down the foundation and we are committed to seeing matters to the end. We will strive to strengthen our unity and inclusiveness so that no section or group will feel left behind or left out.

12. I thank you for your support and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria"
Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

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Pix: VP Osibanjo congratulating President Buhari.

2019 Presidential Election: Charly Boy congratulates PMB, Nigerians - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS:

"Oga Presido,
"Like King Saul was to the Israelites, so you are to Nigeria. I dey take style hail you, kai!! "Congratulations.

"I am not a fan but I dey give you accolades because you and your cabal brothers understand the Jungle politics of Nigeria. Over shap worry una because una know tey tey sey the people who cast the votes decides nothing but the people who count the votes decides everything. Una Well done.

"Over to us Mumu Naija’s. I know it’s beginning to dawn on fellow frustrated Nigerians that we are about to port to the “Next Level” of original suffer head. It was obvious to me that since you clinched this power in 2015 there was going to be, no looking back, after all see how many times you tried.

"People shouting all over the place sey you rig election, hummmm, can you imagine? Na today politrickcians begin rig? If PDP and APC Na d same of the same why didn’t dey outrig you. Na today wey free and fair elections die for dis country? Abegi make we hear word. Mumu people, no be una been dey shout lesser evil, lesser evil. How can lesser defeat Bigger. Sai Baba, chop knuckles

"Mumu Nigerians never know how far. Na now we go take suffer sow uniform. Welcome to second slavery.

"Nonsense!!!!!!

*Contributed by Charles Oputa aka Charly Boy

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2019 Presidential election: INEC declares Buhari winner - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, as the winner of the 2019 presidential elections in Nigeria, reports ITREALMS.

With this announcement, President Buhari of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has been re-elected for a second term in office for another four year.

According to INEC chairman, Prof. Mohmood Yakubu, President Buhari got a total of 15,191,847 votes to emerge.

INEC chairman made the declaration on Wednesday, February 27, following the collation of ballots by the commission in Abuja.

He also disclosed that President Buhari defeated his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who garnered 11,262,978.

Prof. Yakubu put the voter turn-out at 35.6 percent, while the revised 82.3 million registered voters, he said the total valid votes were 27.3 million.

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

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Software testing. Speeding up with technology - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The European Telecommunication Standard Institute (ETSI) has launched the 2019 User Conference on Advanced Automated Testing (UCAAT), reports ITREALMS.

This year’s event, ITREALMS gathered, will be held in Bordeaux, France, between October 22 and 24, 2019.

ITREALMS also gathered that one of this year’s main topics will be the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques for testing and testing the AI, ML systems,

In addition, ITREALMS approaches, technologies, and challenges of using these systems for software testing and the effect of using these technologies in the software testing for different domains such as telecom, transport, enterprise IT, automotive, autonomous systems and healthcare will be discussed.

ETSI, therefore opens call for presentations, noting that submissions should be sent by 26 April 2019, date after which the Program Committee will review the input received and build the conference programme.

UCAAT, also disclosed that great opportunity for tool vendors to target their users, is available for this event.

ITREALMS recalls that UCAAT is dedicated to the application of aspects of automated testing including model-based testing, cloud testing, mobile testing, test methodologies, test management and standardized test specification by focusing on the practical challenges that are often faced in industry. This conference brings together researchers and industrial practitioners from different application domains such as telecommunications, banking, IT Services, automotive, robotics, healthcare, defense as well as tool vendors to meet, discuss and share their practical experiences in the field of software testing.

At this year’s conference, the first day will feature tutorials and training sessions on the application of test process in industrial projects. The following days will include presentations from members of the user community, keynotes from invited speakers, poster sessions, a short vendor track for sponsors and panel discussions.

Nenye Dom/DoP

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Senator Tinubu thanks Lagos Central people for victory - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Senator Oluremi Tinubu has commended the people of Lagos Central Senatorial District for electing her to represent the district in the National Assembly for the next four years, reports ITREALMS.

She said she was ready and willing to put in the work necessary to get Lagos central and Nigeria moving forward.

Senator Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress polled 131,725 votes to defeat het closest rival, Adesunbo Onitiri of the Peoples democratic Party who polled 89, 107 votes

In a statement released on Monday in Lagos and personally signed by her, Senator Tinubu said she was humbled by the support and confidence reposed in the perspective she brought to bear on to the Senate.

The statement reads: “In an overwhelming show of patriotism and loyalty to Nigeria, the people have through their votes, exercised their power to elect leaders and determine the course of our Nation for the next four (4) years. Nigerians have let it be known that we are willing to put in the work necessary to get Nigeria moving forward.

“The good people of Lagos Central Senatorial District have once again elected me to represent them at the Upper Legislative Chamber. I am humbled by the support and confidence reposed in the perspective I bring to the Nigerian Senate. I am honoured to represent Lagos Central for another 4 years and I remain dedicated to ensuring that our youth are sufficiently empowered, that social security is a priority, and that the Nigeria of our dreams is realised.

“Thus, I want to extend my gratitude to my family, members of the Appreciation 2019 Campaign team, and volunteers who have served, knocking on doors, going from market to market, shaking hands and mobilizing the electorate to exercise their civic rights. It is time to get to work, consolidating on the foundations we have put in place. It is time to address the critical issues of infrastructure development, accessibility and affordability of education, and increased employment among others.

“The victory of the APC in today’s elections is a victory for our democracy and the protection of our commonwealth. Thus, I urge the electorate to come out en masse again on Saturday 9th March, 2019 for the Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly Elections.

I would also like to commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on ensuring that the elections were well organised, free and fair; and our security agencies for keeping the peace”.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu, OON

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Fayemi sets up Chieftaincy Review Commission, Advisory Council on Prerogative of mercy - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

In a bid to implement the Administration of Criminal Justice Reform in Ekiti State, the State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has inaugurated an eight-man Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy, reports ITREALMS.

The Governor equally inaugurated a Seven-man Chieftaincy Review Commission to address the plethora of petitions, complaints and requests on chieftaincy matters in the state.

Inaugurating the members of the two committees in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, Governor Fayemi said the committees were critical to good governance in the state, adding that that informed the careful selection of members.

While speaking on the Chieftaincy Review Commission, the Governor said his government had in less than two months after inauguration, received no fewer than 100 petitions arising from the outcome of the report of the Justice Oyewole Chieftaincy Commission.

He added that the commission became imperative in order to have a more comprehensive approach to addressing the agitations and requests.

“We received no fewer than 100 petitions, complaints, requests from many communities and I felt it wasnt proper for us to begin to address these chieftaincy complaints issues on case by case basis and it will be helpful to us to have a much more comprehensive approach what became the source of complaints by many of them is the outcome of the report of justice Oyewole chieftaincy commission".

"Looking into history, we were keen to look for someone who has both institutional memory and professional ability to navigate this very stormy water.

"Many of you may recall that Justice Aladejana had done this before under Otunba Niyi Adebayo and we felt it is better to bring someone who has deep knowledge of this and also of our history as a state and can handle these petitions as well as help us propose ways out of the issues raised according to the terms of reference", he said.

On the advisory council on prerogative of mercy, the Governor noted that many awaiting trial detainees have been languishing in prison; adding that convicts should not just be given pardon on mere ground an ad hoc visit by the Governor or the Chief Judge but on a careful examination of their cases to determine whether to give them a second chance or not.

Ayo Midele/Editor

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STC, Ericsson to launch mid-band 5G network - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and Ericsson announced that they are launching a mid-band 5G network in Saudi Arabia at a signing ceremony held at the Mobile World Congress 2019 event in Barcelona, reports ITREALMS.

STC is deploying a 5G network using Ericsson commercial hardware and solutions including radio access network (RAN), Packet core, transport and Ericsson Network Manager. This network modernization with latest technologies of wireless and fixed broadband, boosted speed and 5G deployment will operate on a 3.5 GHZ band. The 5G network will be deployed with a third-party, 3GPP-compliant user equipment.

Nasser Al Nasser, STC CEO, says: “We are excited to launch one of the fastest mid-band 5G field networks in the world. We have been working in close partnership with Ericsson on 5G for tests in the lab, field trials, and now initial deployment. Throughout this process, our customers and their service requirements are our top priority. Our aim is to build a network that caters for current and future services. 5G is considered as a very important step toward digitalization and connecting everything, which supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 toward economic diversification."

STC and Ericsson have a longstanding partnership to create a strategic roadmap for the evolution towards 5G technology.

Rafiah Ibrahim, Head of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says: “5G holds an immense potential for driving industry digitization and pioneering innovation. Our collaboration with STC has enabled us to create a fast mid-band 5G field network based on real business needs, which supports STC in meeting their future customer requirements.”

5G at mid and high bands is well suited for deployment at existing site grids, especially when combined with low-band LTE. Adding new frequency bands to existing deployments is a future-proof and cost-efficient way to improve performance, meet the growing needs of mobile broadband subscribers, and deliver new 5G-based services.

In addition to facilitating the delivery of next-generation mobile broadband, cloud and providing support for massive Internet of Things (IoT) deployment, Ericsson’s 5G collaboration with STC will also enable new industry use cases thanks to increased throughput and reduced latency.

Eng. Emad A. Alaoudah, Procurement and Support Services Sector VP, STC, said: “STC has signed multiple Rawafed Local Content agreements under its flagship 5G Aspiration Project with Strategic Partners. These agreements will open new opportunities for the local supply market and build long term capability in the national ICT sector.

The 5G project with all partners will contribute more than SAR2bn to local industry, boost Saudization in vital next-gen technology and management positions by 50%, increase SME support by 20%, and double the direct innovation investment made by STC Strategic Partners for 5G industry development within KSA. The measures taken will ensure maximal knowledge transfer, training and development of the Saudi workforce in future 5G technologies.

STC and its Strategic Partners have agreed upon accelerating 5G use case development within the Kingdom leveraging innovation hubs and long-term sustainable innovation platforms. These plans will establish KSA as a future 5G regional center of competence.”

The combined effort of the two partners aims to create significant value towards Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, targeting both consumer and business sectors to enjoy next-generation technologies.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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