Dangote Cement creates 50 agro-entrepreneurs - ITREALMS

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In support of the government's food security effort, the Dangote Cement Plc has launched a Farmers Empowerment Programme in Benue State, reports ITREALMS.

The initiative is aimed at enabling 50 farmers to produce subsistence and cash crops in commercial quantity from Benue State, considered to be the food basket of the nation.

50,000 poor families benefited from ADF rice distribution @Kebbi, Gombe States - ITREALMS

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As part of the 2025 Annual National Food Intervention Programme, the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), has distributed 50,000 bags of rice to poor and vulnerable families in Kebbi and Gombe States, reports ITREALMS.

The intervention which took place in Aliero Local Government Area of Kebbi State on Thursday, witnessed the Commissioner for Special Duties, Alhaji Zayyanu Aliero, saying the gesture was in line with the core values of the Foundation's founder, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
“This is commendable gesture, especially as it will improve the living conditions of the poor and most vulnerable people in the state.

FG to democratize software testing, targets 50,000 testers - ITREALMS

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The Federal Government (FG) has expressed determination to democratise software testing in the country with a target of 50,000 testers in the next three years, reports ITREALMS.

FG also disclosed readiness to collaborate with the Nigeria Software Testing Qualification Board (NGSTQB) in democratizing software testing; where licensed professionals would provide software testing services as the Board said it is working towards collaborating with major stakeholders in different sectors to train and certify 50,000 software testers in the next in the next years.

50,000 Nigerians now work in 127 construction sites says Fashola - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babajide Raji Fashola, has disclosed that over 50,000 Nigerians are now engaged in 77 works and 50 housing construction sites across the country while only 277 foreigners are working in the sites, reports ITREALMS.

This was disclosed Thursday in a speech entitled “Solid Infrastructural Backbone - A Catalyst for National and Sustainable Development” he delivered at Sheraton Hotels, Lagos during the 2018 Nigerian Infrastructure Development Awards (NIDA) Night and the unveiling of Nigerian Infrastructure Development Magazine.

Mr Fashola, who won the NIDA 2018 ‘Icon of National Infrastructure Development” Award, was represented at the occasion by Engr Funsho Adebiyi, Director of Highways South West.

According to him, the figures are contained in the ‘Inception Report’ the Ministry of Works, Power and Housing recently commissioned to ‘ascertain the number of foreigners employed on those sites and whether they have work permits for the work they are undertaking’.

‘The Ministry has now commissioned a more detailed audit of all sites and we await the results and findings’, he stated.

The Minister explained that ‘while Government welcomes foreigners and investors, we expect that like in all law abiding countries, foreigners can only work after obtaining work permit’

He explained further that while Nigeria took loans from overseas to execute some projects, ‘we did not sign away the rights of Nigerians to benefits from such projects’.

The Chairman of the occasion of the occasion, Otunba Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye who commended the organizers of NIDA Awards said in his speech that infrastructure development of Nigeria is very critical and an issue that should be of concern to all stating that ‘no nation develops above the level of infrastructural resources available to her.

He also called for vibrant private and public sector players to partner in driving infrastructural revolution in order to fast track development on the country.

‘We need more public budget investments, foreign capital and creative funding avenues to achieve this goal speedily as we cannot afford to be observers. As an emerging economy with growing population, we have to take the need to improve on our various infrastructure very seriously’ he added.

In his welcome remarks, the Chairman, Nigerian Infrastructural Awards (NIDA) and Managing Director of Prospers Strategy Limited, Mr Lanre Alabi, said the issue of Infrastructure is very vital to national development as the state of infrastructure is a key determinant to gauge the health of nation.

Mr Alabi explained that ‘’NIDA was established to honor corporate organisations, government agencies and individuals who have made huge and outstanding impact in the Nigerian infrastructural development sector over the years.

He added that with the debut of the first Nigerian Infrastructural Development focused magazine, a public platform to raise the bar on infrastructural awareness has been created. ‘The publication offers a credible avenue for both the public and private sector players to share ideas and to imbibe best practices that have helped other economies on infrastructure development’.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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Hard net neutrality rules take root in 50 countries - Report

ITRealms:

Hard net neutrality rules have taken root in some 50 countries even though soft rules are proven to work better to support investment and innovation, reports ITRealms.

The latest report by Strand Consult and made available to ITRealms suggested that there is a portrait of the fight for hard net neutrality regulation by ‘Save the Internet and other internet activists.’

The chief executive of Strand Consult, Mr. John Strand defined countries that use hard rules (legislation and regulation) have a lower rate of “edge provider” innovation created in the given country.

This, he told ITRealms, contradicts what supporters of net neutrality have claimed in making the rules, that an open internet is needed to support innovation from so-called “edge providers.”

“In countries with hard rules, the rate of local or native innovation declines once rules are put in place, but American internet companies such as Google and Netflix take a greater share of so-called edge innovation, crowding out locally made innovation,” he said.

In contrast, Mr. Strand noted that countries with soft rules or even no rules in some cases have a higher rate of locally-developed content and applications, stressing that it is an important point for countries that wish to support their native industries that hard net neutrality rules may be ill-advised. 

Strand Consult also shared knowledge and offers a free 40 page report detailing how sophisticated global coalitions such as Save the Internet have succeeded to overwhelm seemingly “independent” telecom regulators and implement hard rules.

The report equally noted that the following now upholds in the industry namely on “Why the sudden shift from soft to hard net neutrality regulation, Activism as an Industry, Digital Prostitution: The value proposition activists offer their funders and the tools and techniques of transnational activism.

In addition, the report underscored the franchise model of Save the Internet, how to capture regulators with automated emails and petitions, why telecom operators are losing the net neutrality battle.

ITRealms recalls that Strand Consult’s goal is to bring transparency to the net neutrality debate and to demonstrate how well-funded, sophisticated global campaigns have succeeded to make hard net neutrality rules in the United States, European Union, India, and other countries. 

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