Stemming crisis @NBET and solving electricity problem - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS:

In the last one year, the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) has been embroiled in a crisis that has severe consequences for the company, and of course, the generation and distribution of electricity in the country.

The crisis includes allegations of corruption against NBET CEO, Dr Marilyn Amobi, and victimization of staff, including two whistleblowers—Mr. Waziri Bintube, General Manager/Chief Financial Officer and Mr. Abdullahi Sambo—Deputy General Manager/Head of Internal Audit—who have put their careers and wellbeing on the line in order to end what, according to them, is monumental financial malfeasance at NBET.

On February 26, 2018, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) “the Regulator” of the power sector that draws its power from the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) 2005 absolved the management of NBET of any wrongdoing. NERC took out paid adverts in several national newspapers to disclaim the allegations of corruption and highhandedness against Dr. Marilyn Amobi.

The details of the allegation include the fraudulent monthly payment of N2 billion to Olorunsogo and Omotosho Power Plants since September 2016 without any justification.

According to NERC, the whistleblowers could not substantiate their claims of monthly over-invoicing of N2 billion. It noted that the payment mode started during the tenure of pioneer MD/CEO of NERC, Mr. Rumundaka Wonodi, through the tenure of acting MD/CEO, Mr. Waziri Bintube, to the assumption of office of the current MD/CEO, Dr Marilyn Amobi. NERC says NBET and the two power plants executed appropriate waivers which means that Gas Supply Agreement and Gas Transportation Agreement were waived by NBET. The question is, why did NBET waive these requirements (GSA and GAT) for these two power plants?

Through letters, petitions, reports and press statements, civil society organisations and the media have brought the crisis at NBET to the attention of relevant authorities, including His Excellency, the Vice President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Chief of Staff to the President, the Hon Minister of Finance, the Hon Minister of Power, Works and Housing, the Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Director General, Department of State Services, the Ag. Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission, and the Director General, Bureau of Public Procurement, yet there appears to be no end in sight.

The crisis at NBET and by extension, the power sector, is one that needs to be addressed squarely. And the reason is simple. The power sector is central to the growth of the Nigerian economy. The corruption in the power sector is responsible for the inability of the government to solve the problem of poor electricity in the country and NBET, from available reports, is at the centre of the corruption in the sector.

The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc is a Federal Government-owned public liability company and was incorporated in July 2010 in line with the “Roadmap to Power Sector Reform” in fulfilment of EPSRA 2005 as a trading licensee holding a bulk purchase and resale license to engage in the purchase and resale of electrical power and ancillary services from Independent Power Producers and from the successor generation companies. The balance sheet of NBET at a point was in excess of N1 trillion.

The raging crisis at NBET has to do with the common practice of non-implementation of corporate governance rules in most of the country’s public institutions, lack of respect for the rule of law and extant regulations among others. The issues that have been thrown up against Dr. Marilyn Amobi, the CEO of NBET, include non-adherence to extant rules in running the company, ensuring that transactions not in line with the Procurement Act, financial regulations and those with regulatory risk are not passed for payment, unapproved payment to Mr. Achinaya, Azinge & Azinge and Aelex law firms, transfer of N326million from the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) account to Treasury Single Account (TSA) by diverting capital appropriation to unapproved recurrent expenditure without virement. There is more. Unfortunately, neither Dr. Amobi nor NERC, “the Regulator” has been able to address these concerns.

In June 2017, Messrs Bintube and Sambo wrote a petition to Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing whose Ministry supervises NBET, for his intervention in the current crisis. Mr. Fashola had intervened on several occasions within the first six months of assumption of office of Dr. Amobi. Before the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing came out with its position on the petition written by Messrs Bintube and Sambo, Dr. Amobi unilaterally stopped their salary and other emoluments effective December 2017. The emoluments suspended include National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Contributory Pension Scheme, Life Assurance and other perquisites attached to their offices. By the NBET Human Resources Policy Manual, it is only the Board of NBET or in the absence of the Board, the Hon Minister of Power, Works and Housing that can take decision on staff of the cadre of Messrs Bintube and Sambo in order to guarantee their independence.

In what appeared to be a reprieve, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing via letters in January, February and March 2018 absolved the petitioners of any wrongdoing and directed Dr Amobi to rescind her decision on the stoppage of salaries of Messrs Bintube and Sambo, but she refused to comply. The Ministry eventually reported the matter to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) in May 2018 with a follow-up letter in November 2018 but the OSGF—knowing full well that NBET has no Board—referred the Ministry to a non-existing Board to deal with the matter, thereby aggravating the suffering of the whistleblowers. The position of the OSGF seems to have emboldened Dr Amobi.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences (ICPC) was the first to commence investigation into the crisis at NBET in April 2018, followed by the DSS—after Messrs Waziri and Sambo were detained for 24 hours at the instance of Dr Amobi—and then the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The media (The Nation, Friday, April 12, 2019) has made public the outcome of the investigation by the ICPC. The report, which has since been submitted to the office of the vice president as requested, indicted Dr. Amobi. It noted that the ICPC will prosecute her and all those indicted for violating the law on procurement. That has yet to happen. It is also important, at least for the sake of showing genuine commitment to transparency and accountability, that the reports by the EFCC and DSS on the NBET crisis are made public.

In October 2018 when the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, visited the Human Rights Radio during its Brekete Programme, the allegations against Dr. Amobi were presented before him. Considering the implication for the power sector and electricity generation and distribution in the country, one would have expected that an investigation would have been conducted to get to the root of the problem and if there are any infractions, prosecute the perpetrators and end the harassment and suffering of the whistleblowers at NBET. Unfortunately, that has not happened.

Various NGOs have raised their voices calling for an end to the victimization of whsitleblowers at NBET. In December 2016, the Federal Government introduced a whistleblowing policy to enhance the work of anti-corruption agencies and create a community ownership of the anti-corruption war. Now is the time for the government to show good faith in handling what is a clear case of victimization of whistleblowers.

NERC, as a regulator, has failed in its responsibilities. Its whitewashing of the crisis at NERC through its so-called investigation and report leaves much to be desired. If it has been alive to its responsibilities as a regulator, NERC would not need whistleblowers—as important as their roles are. What we see at play at NERC is a cocktail of lack of competence and compromise. The N2billion monthly over-invoicing that benefits Olorunsogo and Omotosho Power Plants in violation of the PPA, Contract Activation Agreement and NERC directives is an additional burden on the final consumers of electricity—hapless Nigerians.

For a government that has fighting corruption as one of its core programmes, the crisis at NBET is a blot that should not be allowed to go on a day longer. Clearly, Mr. Babatunde Fashola is hamstrung concerning the crisis, not just at NBET but in the power sector. Late last year, Mr. Fashola sent a memo to President Muhammadu Buhari on how to deal with the crisis in the power sector. In the memo Mr. Fashola noted: “These coordinated interventions will, in due course, reset the power sector as intended, but the Distribution subsector (Discos), which has been privatized, remains an area of significant risk and concern at this moment. NBET must take concrete steps to collect the money Discos owe it, now over N890billion (almost ONE trillion naira. Emphasis mine); NERC must apply sanctions for violations of the conditions of the licenses it has issued; Bureau of Public Procurement (BPE) must invoke contractual remedies for the default of Shareholders and Performance Agreements, especially in view of the 5-year review that comes up in November 2018.”

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing implored President Buhari to take the following steps: “Approval of outstanding request to replace the management of NBET due to under performance and unwillingness to implement legitimate Ministerial policy directives; approval of outstanding request to reconstitute Boards of TCN and NBET and approval of outstanding request to appoint (2) persons to the management of NELMCO; directive to Ministries of Defense and Interior to require their formations nationwide to install prepaid, maximum demand or online meters that are verified locally and paid centrally; directive to all FGN MDAs that are not metered to procure meters within 6 months under the Meter Asset Provider Regulation.”

President Buhari needs to put in place a mechanism for a thorough inquiry that will reveal the depth of the crisis at NBET and the entire electricity value chain as a solution to the country’s power problem. And that needs to be done urgently.

*Chido Onumah is Coordinator, African Centre for Media & Information Literacy.
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FG committed to affordable digital financial services for unbanked - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Information, Communication and Technology [ICT], Lanre Osibona has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to bring affordable digital financial services closer to Nigerians who are un-banked or under-banked.

Osibodu made this assertion in his keynote address at the recently concluded Lagos Fintech Week that was held in Lagos.

Lagos Fintech Week is an invigorating week of distinct Fintech events that delivers exciting discussions, stimulating demos and insightful debates.

He said that digital financial services is critical to building a robust digital economy and government is determined in using it to make financial services affordable to everyone irrespective of their status and gender.

He added that part of the efforts by the government to embark on the digital financial services was the rollout of digital identity to register all Nigerians and legal residents with a digital identity – the National Identity Number (NIN).

“For those who have registered, they can verify their NIN by typing *346# from their registered phone number. We have inherited the record of five million registered Nigerians when we assumed office and we have grown the number to over 37 million registered Nigerians,” he said.

He also pointed that government has put in place a number of initiatives that include FEC’s approval of the Strategic Roadmap for Harmonisation of all silo identity agencies, developed Data Protection and Privacy Bill to ensure trust between the government and citizens.

He said the Federal Government was expected to have setup an independent Data Protection Agency. “This is currently in the National Assembly for final adoption before being signed into law,” he added.

The President’s senior adviser also mentioned that government is developing a robust cyber security framework on the outcome of the cyber security assessment initiative.

“We have upgraded the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) technology in order to scale the number of records it can hold and working with a number of stakeholders including the private sector to develop strategy for e-commerce in the digital economy.”

He stated that the country cannot afford to lose out in leveraging the opportunities that digital economy is bringing but must work together in developing policies and regulations that will address challenges of data sovereignty, data ownership and commercialisation of data.

Chuks Egbune/Editor

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Nigerian editors call for proactive protection of journalists - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called for more proactive protection for journalists before, during and after elections. This was the high point of a statement released by the Guild on the occasion of the 2019 World Press Freedom Day, reports ITREALMS.

The Guild said this year’s World Press Freedom Day with the theme: ‘Role of Media in Elections and Democracy’ provides an opportunity for stakeholders in the global democracy enterprise to re-examine the contributions of journalists to the propagation and sustenance of democracy.

The Guild specifically called on relevant authorities in Nigeria to begin to see journalists as partners in development and voice of the voiceless rather than treat them as meddlesome interlopers and enemies of the people.

Citing growing mortality among journalists including denial of their fundamental right to life in the course of discharging their duties, the Guild appealed to Nigerian security agencies to ensure the safety of all journalists especially during elections. The Guild said the media has the capacity to support peace and reconciliation processes among political actors hence should be allowed to play its constitutional role.

As is the tradition, this year’s World Press Freedom Day also examines the safety of journalists. According to the Guild, ensuring the safety of journalists is the primary way by which societies can foster the independence and freedom of the press, as crucial for democracy. This, the Guild said, will also ensure public access to information.

The Guild regretted that there is a clear and present threat to achieving that goal. The Editors’ body referenced global statistics to support its crusade for the protection of journalists.

The International Federation of Journalists noted that in 2018 alone, at least 94 journalists were killed across the world. The 2018 figure indicates an increase from the previous year which recorded 82 fatalities.

The press statement signed by NGE President, Funke Egbemode and Secretary General, Victoria Ibanga, the Guild echoed the concern of the United Nations which had earlier noted that journalists were undergoing too much stress which is ultimately undermining their ability to report accurately without fear of attack.

The UN had said: “Today, the contribution of free, pluralistic, independent and safe journalism to democracy is under unprecedented stress. Also, election outcomes and their aftermath are critically affected by political discourse and communications, including the role of the media in relation to the polling process.”

The Guild condemned modern day leaders who do nothing except denounce the media as biased to the extent that factual information reported by the Press is now termed ‘fake news’ to the detriment of the journalism profession.

Ayo Midele/Editor

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Experts explains how PSBs will become Nigeria challenger banks - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The possibilities of the planned Payment Service Banks (PSBs) revolutionizing the financial services in Nigeria as they usher in a new era of change in delivering innovative payment solutions to customers is huge, experts in the financial services industry have affirmed, reports ITREALMS.

Fintech experts who spoke at the just concluded Lagos Fintech Week (LFW) were also of the opinion that these new entities could become ‘challenger banks’ as they take on traditional banks in Nigeria.

The term challenger bank is used to describe any bank that is looking to challenge the big four in Britain: Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group (which includes Halifax, Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland), HSBC and RBS (which includes NatWest and Ulster Bank).

According to Olusegun Zaccheaus, Senior Manager, Management Consulting, KPMG Advisory Services, the key questions to be answered are: how will the emergence of PSBs impact financial inclusion in Nigeria? What is its market potential and how will this disrupt banking in Nigeria? What kind of bank will the PSB be? How can PSB leverage Fintech partnership in order to achieve their objectives and what are the levers for success in this business?

Zaccheaus argued that PSB, if successful, has the potential to disrupt the banking market from several fronts. These include stealing of the “potential sweet spots in the 36.6 million unbanked and under-banked space, through payments and transactions, cannibalising the 39.7 million banked customer non-interest income revenue potential and increasing bargaining power over deposits”.

On how should banks response to the PSBs possible threats, Zaccheaus identified four ways. He advised the banks to consider accelerating to scale during PSB initial phase.

“I expect banks to leverage PSB initiating phase to drive rapid penetration into potential PSB sweet spots in payments and select rural locations. Banks that are desirous of sharing in the potential sweet spots should consider entering PSB space via holding companies and affiliates.

He, however, warned that direct play in the PSB space by traditional banks require a very strong business case.

In addition, he said that the banks can respond to PSB by driving digital adoption. They can do by leveraging digital platform and ecosystems to scale-up bank’s reach and distribution.

Besides, traditional banks can collaborate with PSBs, using their existing structure to assist with distribution footprint, regulation and compliance, FX servicing, government bonds, ATM operation and cash management.

On his part, Emmanuel Agha, the CEO of Innovectives said PSBs will deepen financial services but will not change the landscape significantly.

“The challenge with current providers is that they underestimate the BoP. Their needs may be simple but they are also varied. Their issues are not p2p transfer which PSB will major in.

“To bank the unbanked entail digitalization of basic transactional services that they are engaged in and the PSBs lack such capacity except they are owned and operated by Fintech,” he declared.

But, Deji Oguntonade, the divisional head, Fintech and Innovation at GTBank disagreed with Agha. Oguntonade said the PSBs are challenger banks.

“Yes they are, at least for the local money transfer arm of our business,” he quipped. He added that if these PSBs will operate strictly in rural, mostly unbanked locations, they may not pose a threat to the overall deposit business of commercial banks.

“Should their services be made available to all locations- rural and urban; then they may have a chance to disrupt the retail deposit business,” he declared.

According to the GTB executive, the safe conclusion of the various possibilities are that PSBs can become a challenger bank if they partner with the banks or the other financial service institutions allow them to issue loans, operate in urban locations, outside of rural areas and are able to provide their services without internet connection or at least payment for internet connection.

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Nigeria achieves 138,060 domains on dot gov.ng and mil.ng - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Nigeria has achieved 138,060 domains exclusively in .gov.ng and .mil.ng respectively in the past 10 years, just as reviewed policy has been presented to stakeholders, ITREALMS can authoritatively report.

This was disclosed in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the public presentation of toe reviewed .Gov.ng and .Mil.ng Policy to stakeholders, on Thursday, by the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.

ITREALMS gathered that the presentation attended by major stakeholders was held at NAF Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja.

"We are happy to see the growth trend of .gov.ng and .mil.ng in Nigeria in recent times. The total number of registered .ng domains from inception till date, stands at 138,060 as at April 29, 2019," he revealed.

Pantami also disclosed that from this figure, 2,274 were on dot gov.ng while 278 were on dot mil.ng.

He noted that the total number of gov.ng and mil.ng domains registered since inception till October 2016 when he took office was 1,856, stressing that between November 2016 and April 2019, that 418 new domains were registered, which signifies a percentage increase of 18.3 per cent.

This growth, he attributed to various drives embarked upon by the agency at ensuring the adoption of the .gov.ng and .mil.ng.

"NITDA has also put in place a 24-hour helpline where our technical team can offer assistance on issues relating to domain name service.," he said.

In addition, he said NITDA is interacting with various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) via its email channels through which they offer and were able to solve various problems, ranging from change in names server to re-activation of inactive government domains.

ITREALMS reports that NITDA among other mandates "Ensures Internet governance and supervision of the management of the country code top-level domain (ccTLD - ng) on behalf of all Nigerians."

Pointing out that the .ng string management has been delegated to the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) which left the government to now play a supervisory role in the administration of the domains.

Remmy Nweke/DoP

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Entries open for 2019 Nigeria Christian book of the year prize - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Nigeria Christian Book of the Year Award (NCBOY)  is calling for entries for the 2019 Book of the Year Award, reports ITREALMS.

According to the organisers, submission of entries must adhere to the following pattern. 

“Entries must be published after 1st of Jan 2017. There is no limit to the number of titles which a publisher may submit, entries are read and judged by a panel selected by the Judges. If, in the opinion of the judges, no entry meets the standards expected, no award will be made.”

Also, entries are judged with an eye to the: Literary Style – including suitability for the target audience, Original Nature of the Work., Design, layout, cover, text and illustrations; contribution that the book makes in meeting a need for Christian writing in the Nigerian situation and in the Nigerian Market, the organisers said.

It noted that Certificate of Award alongside Certificate of Achievement will also be given to all winners, free membership into the Association of Nigerian Christian Authors and Publishers, as well as free promotion/publicity of winning books online and in newspapers. “All winners are entitled to 1,000 Christian e-book pack.”

NCBOY Award which carries no monetary gift is given annually to an original book written by a Nigerian citizen normally resident in Nigeria and published by a Nigerian Publisher. The award recognises and encourages excellence in Nigerian Christian writing. The Call for Entries is also open to Christian Teen writers.

Uj. N. Dominic/Editor

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Nestlé Nigeria unveils Q1 2019 financial results - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Nestlé Nigeria Plc has unveiled its financial results for the first quarter of 2019 with a record of post-revenue of N71.0 billion, which is a growth of 5.2 per cent over previous year, reports ITREALMS.

The gross profit for the period, ITREALMS gathered, stood at N 31.5 billion, compared to N 25.8 billion during the previous year.

Also, the company posted a net profit of N 12.8 billion as compared to N 8.6 billion during same period under review.

In the first quarter of the 2019, Nestlé Nigeria continued its emphasis on creating demand as well as strengthening brand loyalty programs to increase market penetration.

Also, the company continued to focus on Creating Shared Value for society and its shareholders by delivering high quality nutritious products to consumers and contributing to the growth of the local economy through local sourcing and increasing access to clean drinking water in the communities where it operates.

Reacting, Mr. Mauricio Alarcon, Managing Director & CEO of Nestlé Nigeria Plc said, “We are pleased with the sustained growth of our company, the loyalty of our consumers and the discipline and dedication of our people to provide tastier and healthier foods and beverages,”

Remmy Nweke/DoP

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Be proactive, creative, Fayemi tells appointees - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has charged his Commissioners, Special Advisers and Permanent Secretaries to be proactive and creative in sourcing for the resources required by the government to deliver on its promises to the people, reports ITREALMS.

Speaking at the opening session of a three -day retreat for commissioners, political appointees and permanent secretaries, Dr Fayemi said the government needs a lot of resources for the plethora of responsibilities on its shoulders; adding that all appointees must think outside the box and come up with creative ways to achieve set goals.

No fewer than 110 top government officials including commissioners, advisers, Permanent Secretaries and heads of agencies are in attendance at the retreat holding at the Royal Park Hotel, Iloko Ijesa, Osun State.

The government officials are, among other things, to reflect on the Fayemi administration of 2010- 2014; devise strategies for service delivery, induct new appointees on the pillars of the administration and to review policies of the administration, budget and programmes.

Governor Fayemi said the retreat, with the theme ; Restoring Ekiti Values: From Promise to Reality, was designed to get all heads of MDAs to buy into the development agenda of the administration.

He said: "At the end of this retreat, we will not be in any doubt as to what our own mandate is regarding the MDAs we preside over. What we will be in doubt about will be the resources that you will need in order to deliver on the mandate that we have assigned to you. So we will have a resource plan.

"Government is much more constrained than when we were here a couple of years ago in terms of resources and there are even more obligations to attend to not the least the issue of #30,000 minimum wage. That's why this requires more than just attending meetings, sitting in our offices, but creativity and innovation as to where these resources would come from", he said.

While telling the 110 participants that his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) would stand a chance to continue to rule the State beyond 2022 if his administration can successfully deliver the goodies of good governance to the people, the governor said a "comprehensive plan of the deliverables" will be handed over to them at the retreat after which they would all sign a performance agreement with him.

Dr Fayemi said the government will expect a certain level of competence and integrity from the appointees. He however charged that anyone of them who feel he is unable to cope with the level of competence, creativity and integrity is free to resign his or her appointment.

Fayemi who noted that the task ahead of his administration is surmountable, said his administration has plans which are measurable and targeted at improving the lot of Ekiti people.

The governor explained that the retreat was moved to Iloko because the state-owned resort, Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort which hosted a similar retreat in 2013 was in a state of disrepair having been abandoned by the previous administration.

In his keynote paper, remowned Public Administration scholar, and World Bank consultant, Prof. Ladipo Adamolekun said he was not surprised that Fayemi was already repositioning the State because the governor is toeing the path of late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Prof. Adamolekun said Fayemi had demonstrated that he's well prepared for governance by coming up with an 8-point agenda in 2010 and a 5- pillars of development in 2018.

"Overall, there were significant elements of Awo's good governance example during Fayemi's first administration. Strikingly, this finding was reflected in citizens' praise for results on the ground (notably roads, education and health services, and care for the elderly) during the 2012 State Peer Review Mechanism (SPRM) assessment", he said.

While concluding his paper, Adamolekun made four suggestions that could help the government ensure effective movement from promises to reality as regards good governance and quality service delivery.

These are Annual State Development Performance Reports which should be produced in Yoruba in order to enhance wider circulation among the grassroots, dissemination and implementation of Civil Service Transformation Strategy, insulation of the public service from political participation, and the establishment of an Institute of Governance.

Other speakers at the retreat include a former Governor of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; a former Sierra Leone Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Richard Konteh; renowned economist, Dr Ayo Teriba; Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, Dr Otive Igbuzor; Prof Bolaji Aluko and Mr Jaiye Opayemi.

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Danbatta to provide insights on policy direction @eWorld Forum - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Danbatta, would provide leading insight and policy direction on a number of topical issues, trending technologies and innovations, at the 10th edition of the eWorld Forum and Awards, reports ITREALMS.

This follows the NCC’s identification with the forum, which enters its 10th year.

ITREALMS gathered that NCC’s endorsement of the forum comes on the heel of a similar one from the Association of Licensed Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ALTON).

The forum has become a must attend as leading IT Expert, Mr Chris Uwaje and new President of Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NIRA), Mr. Muhammed Rudman have also signaled their approval to participate in the panel discussions that follow the lead papers. They join NCC’s Danbatta and ALTON’s Gbenga Adebayo.

Also to provide rich content and different perspectives to the discussions are Engr. Aremu Olajide, former Technical Head of Glo Mobile, and now CEO of ExpertTeam and Gbenga Sesan of Paradigm Initiatives. More speakers are expected to join the rich team of lead speakers and panelists at the event.

The theme of this year’s forum is: Nigeria’s Roadmap to Broadband Everywhere.

The 10th edition of eWorld Forum and Awards come up at 10 am on June 5, 2019 at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Victoria Island.

The eWorld Forum’s 10th edition is coming at a time when the Global Broadband Commission is calling on nations and agencies to make investment in digital infrastructure a top priority in order to achieve the goal of connecting the remaining half of the global population.

The Commission is also asking that regulatory framework that encourages competition and innovation, generates investment and benefits consumers should be encouraged to give confidence and certainty for investment, while penetration, connectivity and convergence should be promoted

Aaron Ukodie, publisher of eWorldNews and CEO of Ajomedia, organisers of the event says, discussions at the forum are sure to focus, prominently, around the now trending talks on broadband and the 5G evolution and the various arguments and viewpoints that attend to the new technology platform.

Perspectives on Smart cities and hotspots everywhere vision would be given, and more light would be shed on the state of the Infracos and the last mile vision.

The role of spaced-based communication in the broadband era and in achieving broadband everywhere vision, and how are telcos meeting and plans to meet the Nigeria’s customers’ expectation and data connectivity would also attract interest of panelists.

By Nigeria’s broadband vision, as espoused by the Nigerian Communication Commission, seamless broadband ubiquity and affordability should be within reach in the next few years, beginning from 2020.

The NCC has put in place robust policies and strategies towards achieving Nigeria’s broadband ubiquity and digital ecosystem, but it continues to update them as technology and innovation in the global market changes.

The NCC is looking towards the Infracos to play key role, besides the irreplaceable roles already being played by the mobile networks, in pushing broadband to homes, public places, villages and cities and the regulator was perfecting its strategies to empower the Infracos to achieve that goal.

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TechEconomy.ng gets Enextgen’s support on 'Broadband RoundTable' series - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

TechEconomy.ng has started a 'Broadband RoundTable Thought Leadership Series'; an all-inclusive opportunity for the telecoms Subscribers/Consumer, Service Providers, Investors and the Regulator to bare their minds with regards broadband infrastructure deployment in the country.

Enextgen Wireless is also supporting the Thought Leadership Series which is open to telecom industry stakeholder to make factual submissions (thought leadership piece) aimed at proffering solutions to identified challenges in the industry.

Why are we doing this?
Speaking on the rationale behind the initiative, the Editor of TechEconomy.ng, Peter Oluka, said that broadband infrastructure is no longer a "nice-to-have" amenity for Nigerian cities rather an essential need.

Broadband access and adoption, he said, will help promote economic development and social equity while enabling public health (telemedicine), public safety (like smart transport), educational opportunities for Nigerians around the country, among other enormous gains.

In his words: “Talking about infrastructure, 5G telecommunications technology is coming (almost here) and will change the landscape.

The 5G (Fifth generation) wireless is the next mobile technology standard, based on the 3GPP Release 15 mobile wireless networking standard, that will be succeeding the current 4G/LTE technology.

5G is already being deployed in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, China, etc. Its large-scale deployment is expected to start in 2020.

“By 2021, the number of 5G connections is forecast to reach a figure of between 20 million and 100 million. Some estimates put the figure at 200 million. Spending on 5G mobile infrastructure for that same year is forecast to be at around 2.3 billion U.S. dollars.

“5G technology and related interoperability, government, access and security standards are all in a process of development across geographies, companies and standard-setting bodies.

“Presently, in Nigeria the telcos are faced with multifaceted challenges as they deploy 4G! The government through the industry regulator – Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has introduced a number of initiatives to ensure the all-important infrastructure is deployed, but the challenges keep increasing. So, we would like a situation where the regulator and the operators present the cases to public who will in-turn suggest how best to get these things done. Technological development is not waiting for us.

“We have read about cases where States and LGAs are making life miserable for these operators. What can be done?”

“The Regulator - Nigerian Communications Commission has received a lot of accolades for her interventional role to ensure some of these issues are removed for smooth deployment of services. Infact, NCC has developed some policy interventions to speedy deployment of services especially in the rural areas through the USPFund, InfraCo model, meetings with the Nigerian Governors' Forum, State Visits, Stakeholders engagement, etc. But, how long will it take to solve the problems? Will 4G ever be deployed across Nigeria? Why would the 'Government' grant NCC the powers to regulate the sector and at the same time, subtly challenge her authority over some jurisdictions like we have seen cases where sister agencies tend to usurp NCC’s authorities? What is the way forward?

“So, ‘Broadband RoundTable’ will be issue based and everybody is welcome for constructive engagement’, Oluka added.

Speaking on why Enextgen Wireless is supporting the Thought Leadership Series, the CEO, Engineer Remi Adeyeye, said, “The issues are numerous. The Operators are nearly paying with their blood to keep the Cell Sites up and running.

“On the other hand, what is the quality of the service (QoS) of the already deployed services? The consumer wants to know!

“So, we believe that ‘Broadband RoundTable’ will be one of its kind, because everybody would have a say in a respectful manner' and let's have a common ground to agree and move this sector forward”.

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Broadband Commissioners examine innovative partnership - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development held its 2019 Spring Meeting in Menlo Park, United States of America, 28-29 April, under the theme “Shaping the future of broadband for sustainable development" reports ITREALMS.

Broadband Commissioners – representing the broadband industry, governments, academia and United Nations agencies – reviewed the important work underway and the progress achieved by the Commission's Working Groups and discussed future trends and developments now that more than half of the global population is online. They discussed how collaborative approaches could contribute to faster digital transformation and how investment strategies and people-centred approaches enable people to get and remain online in an informed, inclusive, secured and sustainable manner.

The Commissioners also examined the use of innovative partnerships and business models to assist the expansion of broadband networks and foster secured uptake and the development of digital skills in remote and rural areas to ensure widespread access to the benefits of broadband.

The meeting hosted by Facebook, had President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Co-Chair of the Commission saying, “There is no valid reason to constrain basic freedoms or limit access to broadband. We simply need the means to enforce our laws and hold individuals accountable for what they do online, just as we do offline."

“Creating an attractive environment for investment in digital infrastructure must be one of our top priorities in order to achieve our goal of connecting the remaining half of the global population," said Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary-General. “Future networks like 5G and other emerging technologies are set to play a pivotal role in the digital economy. Our task is to ensure that they can benefit everyone, everywhere."

Mr Carlos Slim, Co-Chair of the Commission in a message delivered on his behalf emphasized the need to have “a regulatory framework that encourages competition and innovation, generates investment and benefits consumers. It should have stable conditions to give confidence and certainty for investment. Penetration, connectivity and convergence should be promoted. He added, “the issues discussed by the Commission at this year's Spring meeting are crucial to shape the “Future of Broadband" in a way that it enhances the quality of life for everyone."

Kevin Martin, Facebook Vice president of Mobile and Global Access Policy said, “Facebook was honoured to host the Broadband Commission and support its important work to connect the unconnected so they can safely use and benefit from the Internet."

On Sunday, 28 April, Commissioners took part in onsite sessions of three Broadband Commission Working Groups on: Child Safety On-line, Digital Infrastructure Moonshot for Africa and Freedom of Expression and Tackling Online Disinformation. This was followed on Monday, 29 April, with the full-day annual Spring Meeting of the Commission which saw two new working groups being proposed, on AI for global health and on school connectivity. The meeting concluded with a visit to the Facebook campus.

Comprised of leaders from government, industry, international organizations and academia, the Broadband Commission was established in 2010 as a top-level advocacy body promoting broadband as an accelerator of global development. The Commission is chaired by President Kagame of Rwanda and Mexico's Carlos Slim Helú. In September 2015 it was re-named the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development with the specific purpose of working to help achieve, through the power of broadband connectivity, the Sustainable Development Goals.

Remmy Nweke/DoP

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Rudman, Obaniyi emerge President, VP @NIRA - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Mr. Muhammed Rudman has emerged the new president of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), reports ITREALMS.

Disclosing this to ITREALMS immediately after the election result was announced at the 11th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, the chairperson of the NIRA Election Committee 2019, and former President of the association, Mrs. Mary Nma Uduma, said that Mr. Rudman was returned unopposed.

She also said that Mr. Toba Obaniyi of WhoGoHost emerged the Vice President, while two other members were elected into the Executive Board of NIRA, namely Mr Lawrence Olawale-Roberts and Mr. Sola Akinsanya.

Congratulating them, she urged them to work closely with the incumbent EBoD members so as to take NIRA to a higher height.

Other members of EBoD comprised Mrs Nkem Nweke, Mr. Murtala Abdullahi, Dr. Eugene Ohu, Mr. Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, Jnr, Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani who is the Treasurer, and Mr. Biyi Oladipo, the Financial Secretary.

Equally speaking the chairman, Board of Trustees, Chief Chima Onyekwere, congratulated the new board and applauded the outgoing leadership of Rev. Sunday Folayan for their contributions.

Responding, the immediate past president, Rev. Sunday Folayan, expressed gratitude to God for the successes, over the progress that NIRA made during his tenure.

“It is my pleasure, to congratulate the new team that we elected to lead NIRA for the next 2 years.

“God will give you all the unction you need to function in the roles you have all been elected to. Amen.”

He assured the new leadership of “undivided loyalty and support for you and your team, as you pilot the affairs of our dear Association. May God give you grace, wisdom, courage and all other essentials to be successful.”

Remmy Nweke/DoP

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Pic: NiRA BoT and members of EBoD

Dell Technologies cloud accelerates customers’ multi-cloud journey - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Dell Technologies has unveiled Dell Technologies Cloud, a new set of cloud infrastructure solutions to make hybrid cloud environments simpler to deploy and manage. Combining the power of VMware and Dell EMC infrastructure, Dell Technologies Cloud removes cloud complexity by offering consistent infrastructure and operations for IT resources, across public and private clouds and the edge, regardless of location, reports ITREALMS.

According to IDC, more than 70% of companies are using multiple cloud environments, and the largest data center challenge most companies face is developing a successful multi-cloud strategy.2 Operating in multiple clouds has caused organizations to onboard many management consoles and disparate processes, which stifles innovation and adds complexity. The hybrid cloud approach is an ideal solution by offering a familiar management interface that extends across clouds for a simplified overall experience. With VMware research finding that 83 percent of cloud adopters are seeking consistent infrastructure and operations from the data center to the cloud3, the Dell Technologies Cloud is designed specifically to address this challenge.

“For many organizations, the increasingly diverse cloud landscape is resulting in an enormous amount of IT complexity, and no one is more qualified or capable to help customers solve this challenge than Dell Technologies,” said Jeff Clarke, vice chairman of products and operations, Dell Technologies. “Cloud is not a destination; it’s an operating model. With Dell Technologies Cloud and joint engineering between Dell EMC and VMware, we are offering a unified hybrid cloud experience. This provides consistent infrastructure and operations at every location the cloud resides—from on-premises data centers to public clouds and the emerging edge—allowing our customers to have greater control of their multi-cloud journey.”

The Dell Technologies Cloud portfolio consists of the new Dell Technologies Cloud Platformsand the new Data Center-as-a-Service offering, VMware Cloud on Dell EMC. These enable a flexible range of IT and management options with tight integration and a single vendor experience for purchasing, deployment, services and financing. Dell Technologies Cloud gives customers more control as the operational hub of their hybrid clouds, on premises, with consistent cloud infrastructure across all cloud types and a broad set of more than 4,200 VMware Cloud Provider Program providers and hyperscalers.

This hybrid cloud approach is delivered through a powerful integration of hardware, software, services and consumption options from Dell, Inc., the No. 1 global revenue leader in cloud IT infrastructure,4 and VMware, ranked No. 1 in revenue of cloud systems management software based on IDC’s latest research.5

The Dell Technologies Cloud complements this core technology with a broad set of value-added services, such as security, data protection and lifecycle management. It helps ensure success through consulting, infrastructure deployment, management, support and education services while offering public cloud-like consumption of IT infrastructure.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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CBN to regulate Fintech - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disclosed its putting in place a Collateral Management Regime (CMR) to regulate the activities of Fintech firms and startups in the country, reports ITREALMS.

The Director, Payments System Management Department (PSMD), Sam Okojere, who represented the Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, disclosed in his keynote address at the inaugural Lagos Fintech Week in Lagos, that the “CMR is being developed in line with on-going efforts to evolve a robust collateral management regime which will be proportionate to transactional level of participants within the payment system”.

Lagos Fintech Week (LFW) is an invigorating week of distinct Fintech events that delivers exciting discussions, stimulating demos and insightful debates.

According to him, the consequences of the new regime are that both incumbents and new entrants will operate without unnecessary collateral burden.

A fintech lawyer and partner, Private Equity Capital at the chambers of Aluko & Oyebode, Oludare Sembore who also spoke at the event said: “The Nigerian approach to fintech regulation is somewhat similar to the United States and South Africa. Fintech in these countries are not governed by any specific legal framework, as the regulators are currently taking steps to understand the concept”.

He also said that the current Fintech landscape in Nigeria is largely regulated by circulars and guidelines published by the CBN and a host of existing regulations that apply to “traditional financial service institutions”, he said.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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CGN warns Buhari over appointing unpopular CommTech Minister - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Computer Guild of Nigeria (CGN) has warned President Muhammadu Buhari to be very mindful in selecting who becomes the next Communication Technology Minister for the country, reports ITREALMS.

Rising from his meeting on Sunday in Lagos, CGN said this has become expedient due to the experience the industry had in the last four years under the Barr. Adebayo Shittu leadership, which is not comparably near the good work the pioneer Minister, Dr. Mrs. Mobolaji Johnson did.

This was contained in a press release issued and signed by the President of the Computer Guild of Nigeria (CGN), Wole Adedoyin in Lagos, they also said “The first term tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari had nothing good to write home about in the area of Information Communication and Technology when compared to the impact made during the regime of President Goodluck Jonathan when Dr. Mrs. Mobolaji Johnson headed the Information Communication and Technology Ministry”.

“President Buhari should stop playing politics with the Ministry of Communication Technology," CGN declared, wondering how a Barrister of law will be appointed to head such fragile ministry, "has the ministry turned to Law Chamber? We want competent, skilled, proficient, capable and an achiever who has contributed enormously to the development of the country’s Information Communication and Technology (ICT) rather than making another irrelevant professional to head the Ministry.”

Buhari, CGN insisted, should know that Barrister Adebayo Shittu is a failed experiment. "Such experiment shouldn’t happen again. The country’s ICT performance is not improving when compared to the foreign and other African communication ministries. Barrister Shittu is a wrong peg in a right hole and we hope this type of mistake committed by President Muhammadu Buhari won't happened again.”

Computer Guild of Nigeria finally commended other ICT stakeholders in the country for their competency, professional conducts and patient to withstand the current problems facing the country’s communication ministry.

Chuks Egbune/Editor

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Ecobank reaffirms technology lead to corporate sustainability - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Ecobank is leading the way as technology changes the traditional bank model with the reaffirmation to corporate sustainability.

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (“Ecobank”), parent of the Ecobank Group, the leading pan-African bank with operations in 36 countries across the continent, concluded its 31st Annual General Meeting in Lomé, Togo, today.

Ecobank Group Chairman Emmanuel Ikazoboh said: “Over the last few years we have taken strong measures to ‘Secure the Foundations’ of Ecobank and the Board is confident that our strategy, and the actions that we have taken so far, have positioned the company for sustainable future growth with a return on equity above the cost of equity.”

Ade Ayeyemi, Group Chief Executive of Ecobank Group, said: “It is the long-term financial success of the company that remains paramount. As such, we will continue to build on and enhance the technology platforms that enable us to engage with more customers and partners and deploy a robust digital communications strategy. The traditional bank model that we all know is rapidly changing with technology and we must continue to position ourselves effectively to succeed in this technological journey of transformation.”

The 31st AGM also provided a platform for the bank to demonstrate its commitment to promoting positive environmental and social change, with the launch of the Ecobank Group Chairman Sustainability Award, which encourages all Ecobank affiliates and employees to develop sustainable projects and transactions that will have beneficial impacts on issues such as health, education, financial inclusion.

Shareholders welcomed Ecobank’s profit for the year to 31 December 2018 as they approved all the resolutions at the AGM, which included the ratification of the co-option of Mrs. Aichatou Agne Pouye, Ms. Arunma Oteh and Dr. Aasim Ahmad Qureshi as Directors. Mrs. Pouye and Ms. Oteh are Independent Directors and Dr. Qureshi is a nominee of Qatar National Bank. Shareholders also voted to renew the mandates for three years of Mr. Ade Ayeyemi, Dr. Catherine Ngahu and Mr. Mfundo Nkuhlu (a nominee of Nedbank Group Limited) who had completed their three-year terms of office as Directors.

The firms Deloitte & Touche, Nigeria, and Grant Thornton, Côte d’Ivoire, were re-appointed as Joint Auditors for a one-year term.

Chuks Egbune/DoP

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MainOne to build data centre in Cote D’ivoire by October - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

MainOne has confirmed resolve to build data centre in Cote D'Ivoire by October this years, reports ITREALMS.

This follows the issuance of a submarine cable landing license to MainOne by the government of Cote D’Ivoire, the company has announced that it is on schedule to land the cable and launch services in Abidjan by October 2019. 

ITREALMS gathered that MainOne has made significant progress in the project implementation process. All critical surveys have been completed, and work is ongoing at the Cable Landing Station and Data Centre in Abidjan.

MainOne’s Regional Executive, Kazeem Oladepo, made this known during the company’s Annual General Meeting in Abidjan, where members of the Board of Directors of the Group visited the VITIB location to observe the on-going construction of the data centre and the cable landing station.

The data centre and landing station will provide the necessary infrastructure to support the growth of the broadband ecosystem in Cote D’Ivoire and the Francophone region, improve Internet access in the region, reduce bandwidth prices and make digital services more accessible. “By investing in this infrastructure, we hope to bring meaningful and much-needed technology solutions to businesses and enable them in their quest for improved productivity and efficiency through dedicated and reliable connectivity services. We are prepared to collaborate with operators to expand capacity in Cote D’Ivoire and neighbouring countries to enhance regional integration and global access,” he continued.

The strategic location of the datacenter in the Grand-Bassam technology free trade zone, VITIB, will further strengthen the digital ecosystem in the zone, and attract more businesses and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the region.

MainOne is committed to deepening broadband access across West Africa via fibre infrastructure and data centres. With service delivery in 10 countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Cameroun, Benin, Niger, Senegal and Chad, MainOne operates up to 10 Terabytes per second (Tbps)  international submarine cable system which guarantees highly reliable connectivity to support the growing demand for Internet access and bandwidth-intensive applications such as eCommerce, Content providers, OTT players and electronic banking and payment services.

Remmy Nweke/DoP

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DRIF19: Participants want renewed action to protect Africa’s digital space - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Participants at the 2019 Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum have expressed concern at the spate of violation of human rights online on the African continent, reports ITREALMS.

The delegates who spoke at the closing session of the 3-day Forum held in Lagos, from April 23-25 welcomed participants and speakers from across Africa and beyond. The Forum provides a platform for conversations on efforts to ensure human rights online are not violated and that more people in Africa are connected to the internet.

Anriette Esterhuysen, the former executive director of the Association for Progressive Communications, in her submission, argued that the internet has to be protected and remain open as “it is the usually the only means of expression for some minority groups to access information on issues that are not openly discussed.”

Grace Githaiga, the co-convener of KICKTANET said, despite the challenges facing the digital rights space on the continent including internet shutdown, harassment of internet users and online journalists, and lack of data protection laws in many countries, “advocates should celebrate the positive- good laws, initiatives, and partners that allow us to meet and remaining optimistic of a better future.”

This came on the backdrop of conversation on internet censorship that has rocked the continent over the last few years. Africa now leads with the highest number of countries shutting down the internet or restricting service. In Chad, for example, social media has been shut down by the government for over a year now. In 2019 alone, Chad, Sudan, Zimbabwe and DR Congo have either shut down the internet or restricted access to services.

Speaking on the challenges facing efforts to improve internet penetration, Funke Opeke, the chief executive of MainOne Cable, emphasised the need for government to partner the private sector instead of constituting itself as a stumbling block to expand internet access. She said governments in other climes “create the right incentives and structures to facilitate access to the internet especially in the rural areas. Dr Ernest Ndukwe, a former chief executive of the Nigerian Communication Commission, also urged civil society and active citizens “to focus more attention on what government can do to ensure people have access.”

The Forum also explored the state data protection and privacy laws on the continent. Ephraim Kenyanito of Article 19 and Morisola Alaba of Media Rights Agenda, while speaking on the new 5G technology, said there was an urgent need to have data privacy legislation as the technology made its way to the continent, saying the technical capabilities of 5G could allow for greater surveillance capacities for repressive governments.

The Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, ‘Gbenga Sesan urged delegates to go back to their countries with a renewed energy to contribute to efforts to keep the internet safe and open to all users, saying “Digital rights advocates are in the business of not minding our businesses. We have no choice but to be involved in efforts that help protect the internet, and to resist action that endangers human rights online."

#DRIF19 is the seventh edition of the Forum which is convened annually to provide an “important platform where conversations on digital policy in Africa are shaped, and policy directions forged.” The Forum, organised by Paradigm Initiative and supported by Google, Ford Foundation, and Heinrich Böll Stiftung, welcomed delegates from various countries and background.

Nenye  Dom/Editor

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UNHCR evacuates hundreds of detained refugees in Libya to safety - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has evacuated some 325 refugees from the Qaser Ben Gasheer detention centre in southern Tripoli amid deteriorating security and escalating violence. The relocation was carried out together with IOM, reports ITREALMS.

“The dangers for refugees and migrants in Tripoli have never been greater than they are at present,” said Matthew Brook, UNHCR Deputy Chief of Mission in Libya. “It is vital that refugees in danger can be released and evacuated to safety.”

The refugees have been transferred to the Azzawya detention centre, where they are at reduced risk of being caught up in the hostilities. Upon arrival, they were provided with key aid items and medical care by UNHCR and its partner the International Medical Corps. The most vulnerable, including women and children, are being identified and will be taken to UNHCR’s Gathering and Departure Facility.

The relocation is the fourth UNHCR-organized transfer since the recent escalation of the conflict in Libya as our teams endeavour to get detainees out of harm’s way. UNHCR has relocated more than 825 refugees from the Ain Zara, Abu Salim, Qaser Ben Gasheer, Tajoura and Zintan detention centres in the past two weeks alone.

UNHCR remains concerned for some 3,000 refugees and migrants who remain in detention centres in Tripoli. The deteriorating security situation means it is imperative that refugees and migrants are immediately released and provided a pathway to safety. While the violence continues, UNHCR and humanitarian agencies’ teams have restricted access to detention centres to provide vital lifesaving aid and assistance.

Current conditions in Libya continue to underline the fact that it is a dangerous and unsuitable place for refugees and migrants. UNHCR reiterates that no effort should be spared to prevent those rescued at sea from being returned to Libya.

Remmy Nweke/DoP

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