Ekiti: Fayemi honours outstanding youths, gifts winners of JKF Essay Competition - ITREALMS

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Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has presented awards and letters of recognition to 13 outstanding Ekiti youths who have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields of endeavour, reports ITREALMS.

They include the 17 years old Master Idowu Jeremiah who made nine distinctions in this year’s May/June WAEC and had the highest score in the University Matriculation Examination (UME), held in May.

Omoya of DTeez Cakes: Nigerian bakers top-notch in evolving cake-world with unique difference - ITREALMS

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Chief Chef at DTeezCakes 'in' Events, Omoya Oluwatoyin Patience, spoke to ITREALMS' GBEMI OMOTOSO, says her signature is uniquely being herself and competing with no one, even as Nigerian bakers are top-notch in the evolving cake-world with a unique difference.

Excerpts:

How did you coin your brand name?
My name, hubby’s name & kids name all start with 'T'

Digital education: Airtel, UNICEF to connect 100,000 children in Nigeria - ITREALMS

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Leading telecommunications provider and mobile money services with a presence in 14 countries in Africa, Airtel, is set to roll out a digital learning initiative in Nigeria, in partnership with UNICEF that will connect 100,000 children to the Learning Passport, an online resource, over the next five years. With over 50 million subscribers, Nigeria is Airtel Africa’s biggest market.

Airtel Africa’s Group CEO, Segun Ogunsanya said that 100 schools will be connected annually in the country as part of the five-year, US$57 million partnership with UNICEF signed in October 2021.

CIBN commissions bankers hall endowed to Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa - ITREALMS

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The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has commissioned a bankers hall endowed to the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, reports ITREALMS.

Disclosing this, the Deputy Manager, Corporate Communications and Brand Management at CIBN, Olufolake Akintayo said the commissioning took place on Wednesday in Nasarawa.

ALeP beckons FG, NEMA, Soludo to help Awba-Ofemili flood victims - ITREALMS

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The Federal Government (FG) has been beckoned upon through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Anambra State government led by Prof. Chukwuma Soludo to urgently assist flood victims in Awba-Ofemili town among others.

Awba-Ofemili is a community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State and was heavily ravaged by the recent flood, sacking some villages including in Umuosite and some parts of Ege, Nkpuocha, Oka-akwu, Ngene Nkpumekwu communities to name a few.

BAT hails elder statesman Prince Tajudeen Olusi @85 - ITREALMS

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The All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has congratulated elder statesman and top member of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council, Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi, on attaining 85, reports ITREALMS.

He hailed the Lagos prince for his exemplary leadership and his continued contributions to the development of Lagos.

Gov. Sule, Ezekwe lead guest @GSSA world convention in Ebonyi - ITREALMS

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The Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule will be a guest speaker at the 2022 Home Coming and World Convention of Government Secondary School Afikpo (GSSA, Ebonyi State, while Ejiofor Ezekwe, retired Bank CEO, and a leading Asset and Leasing Consultant will be the keynote speaker, reports ITREALMS.

Chairman of the 2022 Home Coming and World Convention Planning Committee, Amaechi Ude Nkama, in memo to the school’s alumni members, said that the 4-day event has been scheduled between October 20 to 23, 2022 at Afikpo, Ebonyi State.

IXPN, NgNOG to host 2022 Nigeria Peering and Interconnection Forum - ITREALMS

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The Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) and the Nigerian Network Operators Group (NgNOG) will host the 2022 Nigeria Peering and Interconnection Forum (NgPIF), reports ITREALMS.

The NgPIF 2022 will bring together Telecom Operators, Internet Service Providers, Content Providers, Data Center Operators, Educational Institutions, Policy-Makers, Investors and all other Internet-related organizations to network, collaborate and share experiences in an effort to enhance Nigeria's internet ecosystem.

Appeal Court discharges Nnamdi Kanu - ITREALMS

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The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, could be walking to his freedom any moment from now following the triumph of his lawyers at the Appeal Court in Abuja, today, Thursday, October 13, 2022, reports ITREALMS.

This is coming after spending close to 18 months in the facilities of the Department of State Services (DSS) where he was detained since.

EPRON, SLOT partner on collection of small e-waste - ITREALMS

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The E-waste Producer Responsibility Organization of Nigeria (EPRON) is partnering SLOT offices in Lagos for a month-long collection scheme of small electronic waste in commemoration of 2022 international E-Waste Day (IEWD), reports ITREALMS.

The Executive Secretary, E-waste Producer Responsibility Organization of Nigeria (EPRON), Ibukun Faluyi, said Thursday in Lagos that they also plan to host stakeholders to a virtual session on Friday, October 14, 2022 by 11am.

Why 2023 population census must be postponed by Michael Owhoko - ITREALMS

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Without prejudice to extent of preparations, has government genuinely evaluated reasons for dispute and rejection of previous census results in Nigeria before proceeding to organize another headcount? Results of census conducted in 1962, 1963, 1973, 1991 and 2006 were all marred by anomalies and controversies allegedly engendered by manipulation and falsification of figures.

Were there any lessons learnt from these disputes? So far, all contentious issues that diminished and undermined the credibility of the previous exercises together with emerging fresh challenges are still widespread. Distrust induced by ethnic dominance, religious supremacy, nepotism, inappropriate political structure, dishonesty, insecurity, corruption, poverty and socio-economic uncertainty are still staring at us as monsters. Preconceived notion of increased revenue and political representation as basis for census rather than national planning and development, is another matter.

2023: ECOWAS, WANEP decry Nigeria’s political instability, worried - ITREALMS

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The Economy Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) have raised concerns over Nigeria’s failing democracy and her incompetencies in leading the African continent politically

With insecurities ravaging the country and tensions, especially among political parties, Amb. Aderemi Ajibewa, Director, of Political Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, said elections have the potential of aggravating existing fault lines in societies; hence the need for stakeholders' engagement in electoral processes.

Nigeria hails US over Benin Bronzes' repatriation, to exhibit returned artworks - ITREALMS

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has commended the United States for the repatriation to Nigeria of 23 Benin Bronzes, part of the thousands of artifacts that were looted by the British during their invasion of Benin Kingdom in 1897.

The Minister gave the commendation at the Benin Bronzes' repatriation ceremony in Washington, DC, on Tuesday.

Danbatta @GOCOP confab'22: Telecom infrastructure critical to successful 2023 Elections - ITREALMS

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The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, has said telecom infrastructure is very critical to successful 2023 elections, therefore, every Nigerian in every community should join hands in protecting it for the benefit of the country, reports ITREALMS.

Danbatta, who was special guest at the 6th Edition of the Annual Conference of Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lagos at the weekend, with focus on the forthcoming election and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in attendance, said with the planned transmission of election data and results riding on telecom infrastructure, there was need to ensure the fidelity of the transmission systems to enhance the credibility of such data.

FirstBank: A triumphant Return to the Nigerian Banking Frontline - ITREALMS

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The story of corporate Nigeria in 2022, cannot be complete without a chapter on the incredible performance of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, which saw the hitherto encumbered bank now returning to the top of the ladder of the Nigerian banking industry, amid a harvest of international laurels, writes FESTUS AKANBI.

By December this year, Nigerian quoted companies will begin to upload their full year 2022 results in compliance with the dictates of the principle of disclosures to regulators, investors and customers as enshrined in the act of Corporate Governance.

Kalabash, Air Peace partner, launch 'Pay Small Small' to all destinations - ITREALMS

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Kalabash Technology Solutions Limited ("Kalabash"), a financial technology services firm based in Lagos, Nigeria that specialises in developing innovative payment solutions across multi sectors, announced today that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Air Peace, West and Central Africa’s largest airline, founded in 2014, to provide its innovative payment solution, Pay Small Small (PSS), to all the airline’s passengers.

Pay Small Small is a flexible payment plan that allows passengers to access great travel deals and lock down the best prices by paying as little as 25% of the total cost as down payment and splitting the balance into convenient instalments from 24hrs to 6 months, completing payment before travel.

6th Annual Conference of GOCOP: The Communique - ITREALMS

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The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) held its Annual Conference on Thursday, October 6, 2022 at Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos.

The theme of the conference was "2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome".

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, delivered the keynote address.

Awba-Ofemili community sacked by flood in Anambra State with casualty - ITREALMS

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The Awba-Ofemili community in Awka-North Local Government Area of Anambra State has been sacked by the flood, with at least a death has been recorded, reports ITREALMS.

Sources from the town, disclosed to ITREALMS that the agrarian town known for her rice production have been heavily affected with some villages now relocated, including Umuosite.

I never met Benjamin Joseph, my alleged blackmailer says Ekeh, Zinox boss - ITREALMS

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Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh has cautioned contemporary African entrepreneurs to guard against a rising wave of corporate blackmail, even as he disclosed that he has never met one Benjamin Joseph, a fellow Igbo and owner of Citadel Oracle Concepts, a small Ibadan-based retail firm who has been in the news recently as standing prosecution for allegedly falsely accusing Mr. Ekeh and others as well as one of Ekeh’s companies of a N170m fraud.

Ekeh made this submission while addressing participants at the end of his final virtual mentorship project for 2022 with the theme – The Last Card – involving a cross-section of budding African entrepreneurs and post graduate scholars drawn from select foreign universities last Thursday. He had altered the earlier listed case study – “The emerging corporate miracle” to “The Last Card” based on his current experience.

Nutritionist prescribes adequate diet for aged - ITREALMS

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Senior Nursing Officer, Public Health Department of the Ministry of Health, Ogun State, Mrs Grace Temitope Sobiye, has prescribed good dieting for the aged, reports ITREALMS.

Speaking at the maiden presentation of food items and cash to the aged in Ago-egun community hall, Isabo, Abeokuta by a non-governmental organisation, Inaolaji Humane Foundation tagged ‘caring for the aged’ she suggested a healthy ageing as a process of maintaining functional ability to enable total wellbeing in older age through good diet, routine medical check-up, sound sleep, exercise and healthy relationship with others to aids longevity.

Oluyemi Obadare accepted into Forbes Business Council - ITREALMS

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The Chief Executive Officer at Certification Partner Global, West Africa, Oluyemi Obadare, has been accepted into Forbes Business Council, the foremost growth and networking organization for successful business owners and leaders worldwide.

Oluyemi Obadare was vetted and selected by a review committee based on the depth and diversity of her experience. The criteria for acceptance include a track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics, as well as personal and professional achievements and honors.

ICT experts harp on critical infrastructure needs in Nigeria - ITREALMS

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Panelists at the just concluded NITRA ICT Growth Conference 2.0, have emphasized the need for an urgent review of Nigeria’s state of infrastructure so as to position the country to massively reap the benefits of a digital economy as obtained in some developed nations of the world.

Themed ‘Creating a Digital Ecosystem in Nigeria: The Hurdles, The Gains,’ the panelists drawn from both the public and private sector establishments, were of the consensus that infrastructure provisioning remained Nigeria’s surest pathway to building a robust digital economy.


At a second panel session during proceedings at the NITRA flagship technology conference held at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki Lagos, and moderated by Mr. Peter Oluka, Editor of TechEconomy.ng, the panelists agreed that efforts at building Nigeria’s digital economy cannot yield the much-desired fruit unless there is sustained commitment on the part of the government to prioritise the provision of infrastructure.


Seyi Olarenwaju, CFO of Medallion Data Centre said infrastructure is going to play a vital role in enhancing digital systems in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, noting that “if there is no infrastructure in place, there is nothing.”


He stated that since governance has now been replaced by electioneering campaigns in preparation for the 2023 general election, the incoming administration should be focused, identify a particular infrastructure, and fix it, and expressed the hope that if in this regard, power is given priority attention, a lot of things will follow suit.


Kelechukwu Nsofor of Rack Centre, a carrier-neutral Tier III data centre who spoke from a data centre provider’s perspective, said power is the key infrastructure that drives a data centre business, describing it as basically the livewire of any data centre.


According to Nsofor, “The key infrastructure that we rely on is power. Power is basically the livewire of any data centre. Unfortunately, if you go back to 1999 since we started the current democratic dispensation in the country, what has been the installed capacity in terms of power? 20 years down the line, where are we today in terms of power?


“At a point, we were generating 1600MW, today, it’s still hovering around 3000MW. Where does that leave us as an economy of over 200 million people? So, if you look at the population growth rate and try to compare it with what we are growing in terms of power, you see that there’s a total disconnect.”


He said that Nigeria is blessed with a rich reservoir of policies and knowledge expertise but expressed worries that this has not been translated to results in the country’s power industry.


“Now, tying that to Rack Centre and indeed the data centre space, we have been generating our own power in the last nine years that we have been operating. And we’ve been fully in control of generating that power now. As we look to expand, we are also looking at ways where we can continue to generate power or do it more cost-effectively.


“We would like a situation where the government will actually stop the lip service that goes into infrastructure like power and actually start showing serious commitment by playing a major role in the provisioning of power infrastructure,” he said.


Noting that the digital economy is all about using the internet basically to push economic activities, Nsofor stated that what is critical even with the efforts at bringing in foreign direct investment, all the marine cables sitting on the coast of Lagos, is how to work with the private sector and knowledge experts basically on how to get things like multiple taxations and right of way out of the road.


“Operators can now push that capacity where it is actually needed. This will help us increase internet penetration, increase the digital economy growth, and push the economy forward,” he concluded.


In his contribution to the discourse, Babalola Olalekan of Phase 3 Telecoms admitted that the government was doing enough to provide infrastructure but stated that there was a need for stronger synergy between the government and service providers.


“There was a document released last year called Strategic Roadmap/Action Plan: A four-year plan 2021-2024. The key performance indices released in that document classified infrastructure in such categories as soft, service and hardware.


“When you look at the hardware infrastructure, we talk about how far we’ve gone in hardware infrastructure deployments like fibre cables. We talk of active devices and so on and so forth. But there’s something the government has put in place especially at the federal level by cutting down right-of-way charges all over the federation.


“Another area we have taken advantage of is the concession plan we call public-private partnership (PPP), where I expect the operators and players to key into and take advantage of our existing infrastructure, and opportunities.


“Another thing I will encourage we should be doing is a collaboration among players. All of us can only fight about a particular position or location. We can join hands on how to collaborate, leverage each other, and supply as a single network.


“So, I think the government is doing enough with policies. The onus is on us to tap into it, put more pressure on the government and be more up and doing in our collaborative efforts and take advantage of what is available to us through the government,” Olalekan said.

He said that going into the 2023 election, the most important thing to be focused on is security, stating that operators have many works to do out there in the field yet, they find it difficult to restore the network in the shortest possible time. “So, whatever government can do to make sure that our roads, our villages, our towns are secured, we will surely have a good general election.”


Chidi Okpala of Galaxy Backbone, in his intervention, acknowledged the fact that government understands the importance of infrastructure in growing the country’s digital economy, noting that one of the things the current administration holds dear to its heart, is infrastructure.


“Have they done all the things expected of them as government? Maybe not. But have they made some efforts in bridging the infrastructure gap? The answer is yes. But there is a whole lot of learning, a whole lot of training in trying to create that awareness, into fully understanding how this impacts the day-to-day living of everyone.


“As an organisation, what we are trying to do is to bridge that gap of understanding especially, people in leadership level in government; to let them understand this is what this infrastructure stands for, this is what it is all about. It is not just for sending emails but how it affects your life, your family, and the work that you do.


“We have done quite a lot together with some of the other organisations within the information technology space in the public sector. We are still doing a lot to raise that awareness of what this infrastructure means so that people can understand more and collaborate more.


“Collaboration is the key, talking about the benefits and not dwelling more on talking about the problems because sometimes when we do that, we cloud ourselves of the opportunities around us,” he said.


Okpala expressed the need for policymakers to be much more intentional about what the country is doing, how it the affects everyone, and how the efforts at building the country’s digital economy can be sustained.
The session, which was anchored by the Editor of TechEconomy, Mr. Peter Oluka, was unanimous with the position that infrastructure is the bedrock of ICT development and global competitiveness in Nigeria.

Tonye'll leverage industry experience to realign Rivers - ITREALMS

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Erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze says he remains optimistic that the candidate of the APC for the 2023 governorship poll in Rivers State, Pastor Tonye Cole will use the credit of his decades of industry experience to demonstrate competence in public service when he resumes office as Governor in 2023.

Speaking on the backdrop of Cole’s emergence as the Business man of the year in a keen contest amongst other top Nigerian trade and commerce experts with demonstrable results in the business world, put together by IgbereTV, Chief Eze said fate has once more presented before Rivers people the opportunity to make a choice between meritocracy and mediocrity and unless they close their eyes against fanciful rhetorics, bias and financial inducements and deploy the power of conscience, the state may continue to slide deeper into the pool of retrogression in all respects as is the case in the present where the state and her wealth has been annexed to the Governor’s estate.

CJN Ariwoola: Searching for Nigeria's Marshall - ITREALMS

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History is replete with judges who shaped their days and nations, judicial officials who imprinted their footprints in front pages of national archives. In uncertain times, the nation needs an activist reformer, a man ready to crusade for a transformative judiciary, issuing federalist corrective landmark rulings, focussing on unanimity in apex court decisions and deploying the bench as a weapon of national restructuring. Is Justice Olukayode Emmanuel Ariwoola that man to remake the judiciary for this sacred national tasks?

Bernard Schwartzt in his "Supreme Court Superstars: The Ten", listed John Marshall, Joseph Story, Roger Brooke Taney, Stephen J. Field, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Louis D. Brandeis, Charles Evans Hughes, Hugo Lafayette Black, Earl Warren and William J. Brennan, Jr as top judges in American history. Justice Marshall was my favourite as a student journalist especially as he was responsible for constructing and defending both the foundation of judicial power and the principles of American federalism. I read through many of his judgements. His erudition on the bench serviced federalist reform, united the apex court and consolidated the powers of the Supreme Court as a respected equal arm of Federal Government.