FRSC says ‘We’ve mandate to train drivers ‘ - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has maintained that it has mandate to train drivers, according to the Corps Commander, in charge of Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, reports ITREALMS.

He was reacting to a publication in the Punch Newspaper of Friday, 27 September 2019 titled, entitled “FRSC has no mandate to train Driver,” which was attributed to the Chairman, Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NIIT) Zaria, Olorogun John Onojeharho.

As said by him, the Chairman in the report, categorized FRSC amongst those he described as “quacks” in the training of drivers.

But reacting, FRSC unequivocally state that it is part of the responsibilities of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to ensure that drivers, motorists, and motorcyclists are properly trained on how to operate their vehicles before they apply for the National Drivers Licence and that there are certified driving schools that conduct such trainings with the Corps monitoring their activities to ensure compliance to standards.

He bemoaned the insinuation that the Corps is not mandated by law to train drivers as totally out of place, considering that the mandate is contained in Section 10 (3)c of the FRSC Establishment Act 2007 wherein it is stated that part of the mandate of the FRSC is: “to educate Drivers, Motorists and the members of the public generally on the proper use of the highways.”

“It is important to place the term training in proper perspective as education and training are not entirely devoid of one another. Going by the definition by Merriam Webster, Education is a field of study that deals mainly with the methods of teaching and learning, and it’s synonymic to training as training means a process by which someone is taught a skill that is needed for an art, profession, or job,” he explained.

Specifically, FRSC expressed concern with the safety of lives and property on the roads which has necessitated the organization to engage in training workshops to educate fleet operators on the minimum safety standards needed to operate.

The FRSC, he said, is saddled with the responsibility to regulate the establishment and certification of driving schools that are registered to train drivers on the operation of vehicles and the proper use of roads, and these driving schools are owned by private operators.

“We also wish to state that FRSC has on many occasions sent its personnel on training at the NITT, Zaria, and the knowledge gained from such trainings are of added values to the overall operations of the Corps,” he explained.

He quoted the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road safety Corps, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi as reiterating his regular stand that constructive opinions and criticisms that will aid the protection of lives and properties on the nation’s highway are always welcome, as road safety is a shared responsibility.

Further, Kazeem pointed out that the Corps however owes it as a responsibility to always correct any misperception that could lead to misunderstanding by members of the public.





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NITTA Hall of Fame: ATCON inducts Ajisebutu, Ndukwe, Ekuwem and Disu - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The third edition of the Nigeria Tech Innovation and Telecommunications Awards (NTITA) 2019 scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 28, 2019 at Ball Room, Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos which is put together by Instinct Wave, a UK base firm, in collaboration with the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) is poised to induct four leading figures in the Nigerian Telecom and ICT sector into hall of fame.

Executive Secretary, ATCON, Ajibola Olude, confirmed that these leading and extraordinary personalities include Mr. Wale Ajisebutu, Executive Chairman, 21st Century Technologies Limited, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, Board Chairman, MTN Nigeria, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, Secretary to the Government of Akwa Ibom State and Mr. Biodun Disu, Chairman, PPC Limited.

"As we all know that Hall of fame is reserved for people who have made indelible marks in the development of our sector, these distinguished personalities emerged after a rigorous selection exercise conducted by us," he said.

Nigeria Tech Innovation and Telecommunications Awards (NTITA), he also said, is the most celebrated industry awards which have grown to be the Oscars of the ICT and Telecoms Industry attracting the top decision makers and companies in the Nigerian Telecom and ICT Sector.

This particular edition is put together typically to showcase and reward individuals and corporate organizations that are changing the narrative of the Nigerian Telecom and ICT Sector positively.

Also, this year we have provided a veritable platform to recognize government institutions, FINTECH players and Individuals that have utilized technology to improve the lives of all citizens. The awards night provides an exceptional opportunity for stakeholders to network, entertain clients, and reinforce relationship with partners and reward staff with exceptional performance.

Further, ITREALMS gathered that this event is strictly by invitation, interested participant should kindly log on to www.ntitawards.com for details of participation.


Nenye Dom/Editor

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Photo: Ndukwe and Ekuwem

Facebook Accelerator London opens to African firms - ITREALMS.

ITREALMS:

Facebook has announced the third edition of its successful London accelerator program and, for the first time, is opening it up to startups across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), reports ITREALMS.

The program, called Facebook Accelerator London, is open to high-growth startups who are creating impact at scale using artificial intelligence (AI), virtual and augmented reality (AR/VR), blockchain or other Facebook products and technologies. The programme is open to startups that are harnessing the power of technology to have a positive impact on the world, including companies who are improving digital connectivity around the globe.

The 12-week program will launch in November, and startups will gain access to the knowledge and expertise of Facebook employees, which includes practical workshops in product, engineering, growth, impact, and bespoke mentorship.

Nicola Mendelsohn, VP of EMEA at Facebook, said: “Innovation is at the heart of Facebook and today we are opening up our London accelerator programme to applications from start-ups across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The selected start-ups will gain access to experts from across Facebook including those working in Augmented Reality, Blockchain and AI. We hope that through this programme we can help nurture a new cohort of businesses towards making a positive impact on the world.”

Matt Warman, Minister for Digital, said: “London is one of the world's great tech hubs. It attracts record levels of investment, boasts a business-friendly environment and has a long-standing reputation for innovation. I am delighted that Facebook Accelerator London will bring startups from around the world to the capital to learn from leaders in our hugely successful tech community. This programme will help these startups have a positive impact in communities across the world and I encourage all interested to apply."

Research from Facebook shows that more than 375 million people from around the world are connected to a small-to-medium business from the UK, with many of these companies excelling at technology. When looking at the top ten fastest growing British tech startups*, over half a million people are connected to them on Facebook, representing the important role Facebook plays for startups across in the UK, Europe, and beyond.

Hosted inside Facebook London’s tech office, the Facebook Accelerator London program will run in partnership with Founders Forum Group’s digital consultancy agency Founders Intelligence.

Startups looking to apply for the third edition of Facebook Accelerator London can visit https://facebookacceleratorlondon.splashthat.com/

Product managers, data scientists, marketers, recruitment specialists and engineers from Facebook will offer mentorship to the startups involved in the program, including Facebook Connectivity who will support companies building solutions to remove digital connectivity barriers such as bringing faster, cheaper and better connectivity and internet services to people, making information more readily available or improving digital literacy.

Brent Hoberman, Co-Founder of Founders Intelligence said: “We are very excited about the Founders Intelligence and Facebook Accelerator London partnership. Facebook has a huge amount to give to the Founder community and this programme will give impact focussed Founders unique exposure to their scale and exceptional talent. Founders Intelligence exists to help their partners have transformative, positive impact on industries and this programme has a genuine ambition to do just that.”


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ATCON set to evaluate 4yrs of Nigerian telecom industry - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has expressed its readiness to evaluate the last four years of Nigerian telecommunications industry, reports ITREALMS.

This, ATCON said is part of its mandate to continuously advocate for the development of the Nigerian telecom industry through research and innovation and pro-active engagement of both the regulators and operators in the industry.

Executive Secretary, ATCON, Mr. Ajibola Olude, confirmed to ITREALMS that the National Executive Council of ATCON has concluded plans to embark on an evaluation exercise of the Nigerian telecom industry, which comes as a book to cover between 2015 and 2019.

“It is important that we emphasize the fact that the Nigerian telecommunications sector has gone through a lot of structural changes since it was liberalized many years ago,” he said.

ATCON, he noted as a forward looking and proactive Association in this space, prides itself with the protection of the investment already made and we are working very hard to further increase the level of investment that is attracted to the industry through research and development.

He also listed some of the reasons that inform the evaluation of the Nigerian telecoms industry to include the need to showcase policy improvements and innovations during the period under review and its attendant results; to understudy the sector viz-a-viz challenges limiting the growth and development of the sector in the period under review.

In addition, he said, its part of ATCON concerted effort towards proffering sustainable solutions to all identified challenges; to work towards attaining the newly set broadband target; and to encourage further local and foreign investment into the sector by demonstrating untapped opportunities in the sector.

“This very important book is meant to validate and give credit to how vital the telecom and ICT sector is to the Nigerian economy. The book is planned to be launched during the GSMA World Congress 2020, in Barcelona, Spain and afterwards in Nigeria,” he disclosed.

Chuks Egbuna/

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eLearning Africa to host MoodleMoot - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Motivated by Moodle? In the mood for Moodle? Then MoodleMoot Africa 2019 is the place for you! eLearning Africa is proud to host the African annual MoodleMoot workshop at the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire on 23 October.

The theme of this year’s pan-African eLearning conference, dedicated to examining the potential for using new communications technology to spread educational opportunity, is “learnability and employability”.

Millions of young Africans, who collectively are the continent’s richest resource, must be empowered quickly to maximise the potential of digital technology in education and employment. However, connectivity, an essential element in the virtual world, is still a major issue in Africa.

Moodle, a very popular open-source course-management system, is a game-changing innovation that responds to these needs. A MoodleMoot is a conference dedicated to Moodle users, developers and administrators. Many of the over 150 million users of Moodle around the world are now in Africa.

“Technically, Moodle offers us exactly what we need,” says Dr Bruno Tran, the CIVA Vocational Training Expert from AfricaRice in Benin, which is part of the ‘One World, No Hunger’ initiative – funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development. “For us, it means we can reach a larger audience despite the limitations of internet connectivity in rural parts of the country.

MoodleMoot Africa 2019 will convene with a focus on encouraging collaboration and promotion of Moodle best practice. At the workshop, participants will engage in a full day of learning, practical dialogue, and sharing of ideas with Moodle experts and practitioners, including Moodle's CEO and Founder Martin Dougiamas. He sees many benefits in these gatherings: “MoodleMoots are the place to recharge your practice: discover the state of the art in online learning, meet peers using Moodle in other institutions, and share your discoveries in an open, inclusive environment”.

The highly interactive workshop will also provide Moodle users with a unique opportunity to share their personal Moodle stories with other enthusiastic members of this large global community.

Uj. N. Dominic/Editor

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N90bn Election Fund: Vanguard apologises to Osinbajo, retract story - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The management of Vanguard Newspapers has retracted its recent story on "N 90 Bn FIRS Election Fund: Osinbajo's problem, not 2023 politics" reports ITREALMS.

An apology and retraction released by the newspaper house, read "On our website publication of Monday, September 23, 2019 we published a story titled "N 90 Bn FIRS Election Fund: Osinbajo's problem, not 2023 politics.

"We have since discovered that the story lacks factual substance and we hereby retract it in its entirety.

"We tender our profound apology to Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on whom the story touches directly and the All Progressives Congress, A.P.C. for any inconvenience or embarrassment the publication has occasioned them.

"We hold Professor Osinbajo, S.A.N. in the highest esteem.

Ayo Midele/Editor

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Africa’s biggest fashion event gets November date - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

This November, industry leaders, style connoisseurs and fashion enthusiasts from across the globe will converge in Lagos, Nigeria for the 4th edition of the GTBank (https://www.GTBank.com/) Fashion Weekend. Holding on Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th of November 2019 at the GTCentre, Plot 1, Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, the 2-day event will put a spotlight on Africa’s emerging fashion industry whilst showcasing the talent and creativity of indigenous small businesses in the fashion space.

Since 2016, the GTBank Fashion Weekend has been at the forefront of promoting enterprise in Africa's rapidly growing fashion industry. Over the years, the event has brought together renowned fashion experts and personalities to interact with hundreds of thousands of young Africans passionate about fashion and entrepreneurship. This year, the GTBank Fashion Weekend, which is free to attend, will feature over 30 distinguished fashion leaders, designers and industry experts, whilst providing more than 130 indigenous small businesses with free stalls to showcase and sell Africa's finest ensemble of apparel and fashion accessories.

Attendees at the 2019 GTBank Fashion Weekend will be treated to an exciting repertoire of fashion moments, from fashion and entrepreneurial masterclasses facilitated by internationally renowned fashion experts to enthralling runway shows that will present the latest in fashion styles and design trends. There will also be pop-up stands where talented indigenous designers will display their works and interact with some of Africa’s most passionate fashionistas, an Arts & Crafts Village that showcases the beauty and dexterity of traditional African design.

Commenting on the 2019 GTBank Fashion Weekend, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, Segun Agbaje, said; “Africa is home to some of the most creative fashion talents on the planet, and we are delighted and proud to provide them with a global platform that connects them to the world. As we work towards the 4th edition of the biggest fashion showcase in Africa, our goal is to not only showcase the wealth of talent, innovation and enterprise that abound in Africa’s fashion space, but to also grow the continent's contribution to the global fashion industry by empowering budding entrepreneurs at home with everything they need to thrive on the world stage.

He further stated that “At the heart of the GTBank Fashion Weekend is our vision of promoting enterprise in industries where we believe that we can help small businesses grow and dominate. In fashion, as well as in food and the creative industry, we see not just the amazing talents and passion of our people, but how, by championing their entrepreneurial spirit, we can enrich millions of lives, uplift communities and grow our economy.”

GTBank has consistently played a leading role in Africa’s banking industry. The Bank is regarded by industry watchers as one of the best run financial institutions across its subsidiary countries and serves as a role model within the financial service industry due to its bias for world class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality and innovation. 

The Bank is also going beyond the traditional understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility as corporate philanthropy by intervening in key economic sectors through non-profit consumer focused fairs and capacity building initiatives for small businesses.

Uj. N. Dominic/Editor

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Privacy breaches: NITDA commences investigation on Truecaller - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has commenced investigations over the alleged privacy breaches by Truecaller services, reports ITREALMS.

The investigation, ITREALMS gathered was necessitated by alleged discovery that Truecaller’s privacy policy is not in compliance with global laws on data protection and that of the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).

NITDA also discovered that some 7 million Nigerians currently use the service but know little or nothing about privacy rights. 

The report of the findings notes that Truecaller privacy policy is made of two sets, one for those in the European Economic Area (EEA), and the other outside the EEA. Nigeria is said to fall under the latter category. Furthermore, every Nigerian user is contracting Truecaller India. The findings gathered that there has been breach of NDPR’s policy, that is different from EEA.

Article 1.1 of Truecallers’ privacy policy was quoted as an example. It states that Truecaller may supplement the information provided by you with the information from third parties and add it to the information provided by you.

The NITDA explained that it contravenes Article 2.1 (b) of the NDPR which requires data collection and processing to be accurate, and Article 1.3 (iii) which requires that valid consent must be specific. So by supplementing the personal information of Nigerians without specific consent and accuracy, they are susceptible to serious invasion of their privacy.

Another example quoted by NITDA is Article 1.2 of Truecaller’ policy, which states that when you install and use the services, Truecaller will collect personal information from you and any devices you may use in your interaction with our services.

The personal information may involve every data of your online activity. From IP address to device ID, to websites you have visited, to your outgoing calls and messages.

The probe finds these data collections to be excessive and invasive of personal data. It is also contrary to Article 2.3 (2)d of the NDPR, which states that when assessing whether consent is freely given, utmost account shall be taken of whether the performance of a contract, including the provision of a service, is conditional to one’s consent to the processing of personal data that is not necessary or excessive for the performance of that contract.

Another issue of concern noted in Truecallers’ privacy policy is the sharing of personal information with third party. The NITDA noted that it is global best practice for users to be reminded that there is data collection technique (like cookies) on the platform. Giving the user the opportunity to choose whether to use the webpage or not. That was also flouted by Truecaller as there are no such prompts or queries in their web platform.

The data information Agency expressed their disappointment over the highlighted issues, noting that it has exposed many Nigerians to identity theft. And many have been framed over issues they know nothing about. The Director General of NITDA, and the Chief Information Officer of Nigeria, Kashifu Abdullahi Inuwa, thus promised Nigerians that the Agency will act to protect their privacy and will continue to monitor the activities of digital service providers in Nigeria, to ensure ethical behavior.





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Why Keyamo’s was redeployed to Ministry of Labour - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Indications may have emerged that few days after assumption of office, a serious rift may have broken between the Minister of Niger Delta, Chief Godswill Akpabio and his junior minister, Mr. Festus Keyamo, reports ITREALMS.

This also led to the immediate redeployment of Keyamo with the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, an official letter of redeployment dated September 23, 2019, Buhari approved the immediate redeployment of Mr. Festus Keyamo from the Ministry of Niger Delta to Ministry of Labour as the Minister of State, reports ITREALMS.

Keyamo, ITREALMS gathered with this latest redeployment would be assisting the Labour Minister Dr. Chris Ngige.

A copy of the letter sighted by ITREALMS, Mr. Mustapha said the President directed the redeployment without any explanations.

Chuks Egbuna/Editor

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Pix: Keyamo and Akpabio

Ecobank appoints new senior Fintech Advisor

ITREALMS: 

Ecobank Group (https://Ecobank.com), the pan-African bank, is delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs. Aissatou Djiba Diallo, formerly of Microsoft, as its new Senior Fintech Advisor to strategically raise Ecobank’s support for the fintech sector.

In her new role Djiba will lead the Group’s fintech initiatives and advise senior management on the banking group’s fintech strategy. Her appointment is an important step in the ongoing implementation of the group’s broader digital strategy and demonstrates Ecobank’s commitment to playing a major and high-profile role in helping Africa’s innovative fintech sector to achieve significant global market share.

Prior to joining the Ecobank Group, Djiba was the Head of Innovations at Microsoft4Afrika, where she built the strategy to identify, support and attract key African fintech start-ups and partners to the Microsoft Cloud platform and oversaw 50 countries. Before that she was Marketing Manager and Partner and Strategy Program Lead for West and Central Africa, Microsoft.

Speaking on the appointment, Eddy Ogbogu, Group Executive, Operations and Technology, noted that “Djiba’s appointment represents an important step in the overall Ecobank Group’s fintech and digital agenda. The expertise, passion and innovation she brings to the role will allow us take the next crucial steps on our path to further cementing our position as Africa’s leading digital bank.”

A large part of Djiba’s role will focus on growing the bank’s flagship annual fintech initiative – the Ecobank Fintech Challenge and Ecobank Fintech Fellowship – through which the Ecobank group has promoted Africa’s most promising fintech start-ups. The programme provides selected fintechs with the opportunity to fast-track their growth by gaining a commercial partnership and product integration with Ecobank’s pan-African platform and unified ecosystem. The Challenge and Fellowship has been run for two years (2017 and 2018) and is poised for an enhanced third edition in 2020.

Djiba, who has served as a Judge of the two previous editions of The Challenge and Fellowship, said “I am delighted to become a part of the vision of the Ecobank Group in supporting the development of African fintechs and further drive the continent’s economic development. Fintech is an important part of the Bank’s goal to vastly increase its customer numbers across its pan-African footprint of 33 countries and open up market access and integration for Africa’s fintech ecosystem.” She added that “In the past three years, the bank has significantly strengthened its partnerships with start-ups and I am excited that our Group CEO and senior management have prioritised new waves of initiatives to expand our work with fintechs and deliver a whole new level of win-win collaborations that will positively impact African lives and grow African fintech businesses.”

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Africa: LUKOIL says New Africa Energy Book Billions at play - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Leading African energy attorney NJ Ayuk does not believe in handouts as a long-term strategy for impoverished people or nations.

But he does think that the companies working on the continent have a responsibility to help their host nations build the infrastructure necessary to expand industrialization.

Bruce Falkenstein, Joint Operations Manager of License Management & Compliance for LUKOIL, agrees with that premise, which is the focus of chapter 10 in Ayuk’s new book, Billions at Play: The Future of African Energy.

Falkenstein has a 40-year career working in all facets of the international oil and gas industry. With regard to Africa, he has extensive experience managing offshore blocks in Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Cameroon, and Sierra Leone for LUKOIL and Vanco Exploration, and had great success in the exploration and development of oil fields in Egypt for Amoco (BP) in the 1980s and 90s.

“There is no getting around it: Africa is exporting raw materials it could be refining and processing, if it only had the capabilities, but not everyone is willing to admit that with the level of candor Ayuk does,” Falkenstein said. “What’s more, he has correctly linked infrastructure deficits to the lack of industrialization and describes workable solutions based on examples from around the world.”

Ayuk sees the irony in oil and gas produced in Africa being sent away to be refined, then returned as finished products that Africans pay a premium for. Roads, railways, and reliable electricity are key to building a manufacturing base in Africa, but they take resources—some of which should be provided by the international energy companies making millions on the continent, he argues.

“It is simply not ethical for American, French, Italian, and other companies to come here and not help lift people out of poverty,” Falkenstein said. “True, they employ indigenous workers and provide training, but one of the biggest benefits would be in committing to help build sustainable infrastructure and physical assets that will remain a plus for the people long after the companies have pulled up stakes and left Africa, and I will add that sustainability of the work force, also a key component of a venture’s ‘built assets’, is critical to the future industrial output of the nations and currently many of the work force assets are left behind without local supporting employment agencies after the stakes are pulled up. Sustainability is only achieved through alignment of the projects with both the real needs of the impacted communities and the spectrum of government stakeholders.

As Ayuk alludes to in chapter 9, Calling All Leaders! More on Good Governance, part of good governance requires that good leadership needs to be able to recognize the upfront additional cost to achieve sustainability results in reduced project risks and improved long-term project stability and economics.”




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Fire @CWG premises – ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

A part of the premises of the CWG Plc was gotten by fire on Monday morning, reports ITREALMS.

According to sources close the company, the fire outbreak was seen about 10:30am.

Confirming this to ITREALMS, Group Head, Brand and Marketing Communications, Anthonia Ehanmo said that on the morning of 23rd of September, 2019, a fire broke out within one of the premises of CWG Plc; located at Lekki Phase 1, around 10:30am. The building affected currently serves as a storage unit for the location; with few personnel operating there.

“Immediate action to contain the fire was undertaken, as staffs in adjoining premises were safely evacuated. The eventual containment of the fire was achieved when Officers of the Fire Service Units arrived at the scene, ensuring the confinement of same, to avoid damage to other surrounding structures.

“There was some level of material loss with the building; thankfully, no injury or loss of lives were recorded as a result of this incident.

“Whilst we wait on the official investigation to the cause of the fire, we wish to express our immense appreciation to our Staff, neighbouring community and indeed the dedicated men of the Fire Service Stations for their swift intervention and assistance in quelling the situation.

“CWG Plc is dedicated to safeguarding the health and safety of its employees in all the locations/Countries we operate in and will ensure we maintain the highest standards of same in this regard.

“We appreciate everyone who reached out to us during the incident,” she said.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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Broadband Commission laments fall of global internet growth - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The traditional approaches toward driving internet network roll-out and uptake are failing to reach the remaining half of the global population still lacking online access, according to a new report issued in New York today by the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, ITREALMS.

To counter slowing global growth, the report advocates for new collaborative strategies to drive the concept of 'meaningful universal connectivity' through greater emphasis on resource sharing and a more holistic approach that treats broadband as a basic public utility and vital enabler of global development.

The notion of 'meaningful universal connectivity' encompasses broadband that is available, accessible, relevant and affordable, but also that is safe, trusted, user-empowering and leads to positive impact. The report advocates for this new concept to underpin policy makers' new digital strategies, as governments seek to find new ways to finance network roll-out and reach unconnected populations.

The State of Broadband 2019: Broadband as Foundation for Sustainable Development reveals that global growth in the percentage of households connected to the internet is slowing, rising only slightly to 54.8% from 53.1% last year. In low-income countries, household internet adoption improved by a mere 0.8% on average.

Data on individuals using the internet also indicated slowing global growth in 2018, as well as a slowing growth in developing countries, which are home to the vast majority of the estimated 3.7 billion still unconnected.

"Our collective ownership to implement the Commission's recommendations will necessitate all of us to provide resources – both financial and technical know-how – to create the much-needed impact of our work," noted H.E. Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation, Republic of Rwanda, representing President Paul Kagame, who Co-Chairs the Commission.

"Connecting the world's population to the internet is about collaboration, collective approaches and partnerships – among different stakeholders, across different sectors and across borders," said fellow Commission Co-Chair Carlos Slim. "It is about understanding the needs of people in terms of connectivity, literacy, access to content in different formats and languages, and services. It is about bringing the costs of services and devices down. And it is about empowering people who lack standard basic ICT skills with the means to participate in the digital ecosystem"...

Chuks Egbuna/Editor

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Pix: The opening session of the Fall Meeting of the Broadband Commissioner for Sustainable Development at the Yale Club in New York, where Commissioners met today to discuss and develop effective international strategies to drive universal meaningful connectivity to broadband technology. Photo credit: © ITU/ A. Vozar

Renewable energy investments to attract USD 750bn - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) published ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, reports ITREALMS.

IRENA also said it’s possible to limit climate change but investments in renewables must more than double to around USD 750 billion per year by 2030.

Public and private sector leaders are being urged to double annual investments in renewable energy to keep the world well below 2°C of warming, says a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) published ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit in New York.

With just 11 years left for action to limit the effects of climate change, annual investments of USD 4.3 trillion in the energy sector until 2030 is the world’s most practical and readily available climate solution.

Annual renewable energy investments for the next decade need to double from around USD 330 billion to nearly USD 750 billion per year until 2030.

The findings form part of a new climate investment report by IRENA that highlights how cumulative global energy investments must pivot overwhelmingly towards low-carbon technologies including renewables. More than USD 18.6 trillion of planned fossil-fuel investments by 2050 need to be redirected to hold the line called for by the Paris Agreement and reaffirmed by the recent special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Despite the urgency, current investment patterns show a stark mismatch with the pathway necessary to ensure a climate-safe future. Together, renewable energy and energy efficiency, along with deeper electrification, can deliver 90 per cent of the energy-related emission cuts needed under the Paris Agreement.

“It’s possible to limit climate change and meet the world’s growing energy demand by rapidly accelerating the speed at which we deploy renewable energy," said IRENA’s Director-General Francesco La Camera. “Only an energy transformation driven by renewables will allow us to meet the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement. Renewables are the only ready and available instrument we have to hold the 1.5°C line over the next 11 years.”

"In meeting climate goals, we can also boost economic growth and deliver on sustainable development with renewables,” continued Mr. La Camera. “But there is an urgent need to rethink long-term energy investment decisions to ensure they lead us to the sustainable future we need. Doubling investments in renewables offers us a tremendous opportunity to improve health, create jobs, deliver economic opportunity and tackle climate change. No other solution is as plausible.”

Transforming the energy system with renewables offers a more cost-effective path than climate inaction. Every dollar invested in the energy transition will offer returns of up to three to seven times in improved human health, lower climate related expenditure and reduced subsidies.

But accelerating renewable energy deployment requires policies that create an enabling environment to unlock investment and encourage economic development, the new report concludes. IRENA will work closer to the ground, facilitating projects and assisting countries in building attractive investment frameworks for renewables. The Agency will also enhance cooperation with the private sector, international financial institutions and multilateral organisations.

In support of the UN Secretary General’s call for decisive climate action, IRENA has launched a campaign that underpins renewable energy as a practical climate action solution. In co-operation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Agency’s “Lead the change. It’s possible with renewables” campaign aims to inform about the potential of renewable energy technologies and in turn encourage concrete climate action.

Nonye Dom/Editor

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Konga identifies firms leverage digital procurement, sae cost, increase profit -ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Organisations must embrace digital procurement strategies in order to save cost and improve their margins. This will go a long way in helping companies navigate the current harsh business climate and position them for survival and subsequent viability.

The foregoing was disclosed in a report released by the Research and Strategic Business Development Unit of e-commerce giants, Konga.

The report revealed that companies operating in the Third World must embrace modern procurement dynamics to save time and money. Furthermore, Konga affirmed that the slow pace associated with the procurement process in Nigeria requires creative strategies to ensure that spiraling costs/losses are minimized.

“…It takes an average of two weeks for an SME to buy a simple Toner cartridge for a laser or Ink jet printer. Likewise, it takes multinationals over four weeks from the time of request for quotes from vendors through the process of selection, issuance of Local Purchase Order (LPO) until time of final supply by the vendor.

“This is even in cases where the SME or multinational is lucky to select a quality vendor.”

Additionally, the Konga research report affirmed that procuring companies end up with fake products at exorbitant prices as a result of the failure to embrace cutting-edge, digital procurement practices.

“Even with these transparent and competing procurement processes, best prices and genuine products are not guaranteed. Therefore, why go through these processes and end up losing money?”

Subsequently, Konga has challenged small business owners, SMEs, corporate organisations, multinationals and agencies in the public sector to upgrade to the global best practices in their procurement processes.

“In this era of thinning profits, companies should embrace digital procurement strategy. In other words, procurement has left the analogue stage and gone online. Online procurement is the way to survive as competition in the Third World gets more intense. Aligned to this is the cost of fund which continues to go higher and vendors have no choice but to incorporate these in final cost to the consumer.”

The well-researched report further advised firms to shop smartly and save money by shopping through reliable E-commerce platforms such as Konga.com which hosts a number of merchants. In addition, the presence of competing merchants ensures the availability of price-sensitive genuine products who deliver reliably within hours, irrespective of the locations in the country.

“Today, with an improved digital payment system in Nigeria, SMEs and big firms can open e-wallets through which they can take advantage of stocked multiple warehouses nationwide and take delivery of their products same day or on the next, at the most.

“Konga has an example of such through Konga Pay, a secure Central bank of Nigeria-licensed payment platform. On Konga.com, prices are open, delivery costs are known as merchants compete to sell, thereby saving corporates a lot of money and time to focus on their core businesses. This also enhances transparency in the procurement process.

“Most successful companies and even families abroad have embraced this digital procurement process to buy smart, save money and time and increase profit. It is as simple as ABC. Before you buy, you can check prices on Konga.com and you will appreciate the savings. Also, Konga takes absolute responsibility for all products on its platform, no matter the quantity.

“Likewise, Konga has nationwide storage and delivery capacity to store products for firms who would order large quantities and take delivery gradually. And with robust technologies, partners can view their products in the warehouses, irrespective of the location of the warehouses in Nigeria.”

In conclusion, the report noted that a number of profitable companies in Nigeria have tested and already transitioned to the Konga corporate digital procurement platform. Benefits of the transition, described as unquantifiable, are expected to grow by over 65% by the year 2023.

Nonye Dom/Editor

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Fayemi advocates review of education curriculum - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has called for a review of the country’s education curriculum so that it can meet international standards and adequately respond to the challenges the nation is facing, reports ITREALMS.

Speaking at a lecture commemorating 110th Founder’s Day of King’s College, Lagos, the Governor said there should be a shift from the curriculum which is aimed at producing certificated individuals rather than individuals who can contribute practically to the development of the country.

Dr.Fayemi whose keynote address was titled ‘The Promise of Kings College and the Development of Nigeria: Stakeholders in Partnership with Government for Better outcomes in the Education sector” also called for the restoration of merit over quota system in the admission of students into legacy schools across the country.

In attendance at the lecture were prominent Nigerians and old boys of the school, including the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Mohammadu Sanusi II.

The Governor commended the legacy schools, especially King’s College, for “ producing leaders who are contributing to national development”, He also called on all stakeholders to work together to re-invent the days when the nation’s education system produced men and women who are truly worthy in character and learning.

“I can only imagine the immense pressure on school authorities during admission cycles. It is during such times that we see different lists of people seeking admission. This is a reflection of the decay in our society and the gradual relegation of meritocracy in favour of other considerations.

“It is possible for the King’s College community to show leadership by leading the country back to the path of meritocracy, where your admission is solely a function of your performance in an entrance examination ranked amongst your peers.

“We must bring back the days that every common citizen could access such institutions as King’s College without knowing anybody. If you don’t qualify to enter a school, simply apply to the next available school. While the promotion of the federal quota system is not out of place for a diversified country as Nigeria, merit should not be sacrificed on the altar of such arrangements”, he said.

While urging stakeholders to examine the role of the school in national development, Dr Fayemi said government at all levels must build more schools to cater for the rising number of students and curb overloading existing schools beyond their capacity.

The governor said the current challenges facing the nation’s education sector must be surmounted now in order to provide the “required solutions for Nigeria’s development in all ramifications – generation after generation”.

He said government, school authorities and other stakeholders must be proactive and strategize in order to reposition the nation’s education system.

Earlier, the President of Kings College Old Boys Association, Alhaji Ibrahim Kashim-Imam had said the plummeting education system was responsible for the lecture marking the school’s 110th founder’s day celebration.

Uj. N. Dominic

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PIC: L-R: Trustee King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA), Olorogun (Dr) Sunny Kuku: Vice President KCOBA/ Emir of kano, HRM Mohammadu Sanusi; Guest Speaker/Governor of  Ekiti State; Dr. Kayode Fayemi and President, KCOBA,  Alhaji Ibrahim Kashim -Imam during  the College’s 110^th Founder’s Day lecture in Lagos…on Friday..

NITDA, DBI Partner eBusiness Life On ICT Career Fair 2019 - ITREALMS

Campus Pavilion ITREALMS: 

Education is nothing if not directed at solving a social challenge or helping the educated attain a level of passion-fulfillment in society.

Bearing this in mind, eBusiness Life Communication Limited has set things in place towards hosting stakeholders in all sectors of the economy to a one-day Career Fair holding in Lagos in November 2019.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) have indicated interest in partnering with eBusiness Life in this maiden edition of the Fair.



The one-day eBusiness Life ICT Career Fair 2019 presents an opportunity for companies to showcase what products and services they have that are geared towards enhancing career prospects of Nigerians. It will be an avenue for participating organisations to show their alignment towards developing skills in Nigeria.

According to the convener and Chief Executive Officer, eBusiness Life, Mrs. Ufuoma Emuophedaro, this event seeks to bring together stakeholders that are involved in shaping and encouraging professionalism in the ICT industry. These will include both government and private sector agencies and companies. Participation will also transverse Recruitment Agencies, ICT Training Institutes, ICT service users, among others.

It will further have a session for an exhibition of products and services by participating organisations. Programme for the event will also include a seminar on entrepreneurship opportunities.

The Fair with the theme: “ICT Career: Laying The Blocks For The Future”, will be an open Fair for students, individuals planning on changing careers to ICT or those trying to understand more of ICT.



NITDA, the country’s Information Technology (IT) regulatory agency as we know, has a mandate to enter into strategic alliance with the private sector as well as international organizations for the actualization of the IT vision and also the development of human capital with emphasis on creating and supporting a knowledge-based economy. A role NITDA has performed very well.

In the same vein, DBI has a mandate to promote the development of human resources capacity by training personnel in the telecoms and ICT sectors of the economy, as well as educating future leaders in technology industries of all kinds. A role DBI has performed very well and is still performing to date.



According to Mrs. Emuophedaro, the partnership with the two bodies further buttresses the fact that there are still companies and individuals who are ready to help others develop their skill sets and further align with a career that will not only help them achieve self-development but also contribute in the growth of the nation’s economy.

“We appreciate their ability to support and help raise the standard of our Telecoms and ICT skills set in Nigeria,” she stated.



e-Business Life Communication Limited publishes a monthly Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Magazine incorporated to bring better information that would link users and service providers as well as enable Nigeria to take its pride of place among the comity of nations in the new global economy.



The mission at e-Business Life Magazine is to inform and educate ICT users on trends and developments both locally and internationally; to provide a platform on which to build ICTs in Nigeria and also to be a voice for ICT consumers in the country. Also, the company is poised to create a world where Nigerian youths have a better understanding of modern technologies and can easily deploy these technologies in developing their communities.


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