NCC, NDPC forge strategic alliance to fortify data privacy in Nigeria’s telecom sector - ITREALMS

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) have formalized a partnership to strengthen data privacy enforcement across the nation’s telecommunications industry, reports ITREALMS.

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishes a structured framework for both organizations to synchronize their regulatory efforts, ensuring that Nigeria’s digital ecosystem remains secure and trustworthy as it transitions deeper into the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Advancing Circular Economy: ITREALMS Media Joins PREVENT Alliance - ITREALMS

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ITREALMS Media group has officially joined the PREVENT Waste Alliance, a global network of organizations committed to minimizing waste, eliminating pollutants, and maximizing the reutilization of resources in the economy.

Anika Schumann on behalf of the global Secretariat of the PREVENT Waste Alliance based in Bonn, Germany, confirmed ITREALMS Media's membership via email, stating: "First of all, I would like to officially inform you that your membership has been confirmed by the Steering Committee and that your organisation is a member of the PREVENT Waste Alliance now. Welcome!"

Alliance outlines path to improve HPV vaccines - ITREALMS

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A new Gavi market shaping roadmap for Human Papilloma-Virus (HPV) vaccines showcases how partners, manufacturers and countries must work together to secure a sustainable supply over the next decade.

The action plan outlines how this can be achieved by improving the predictability of demand, a competitive supplier base, and closely monitoring and responding to countries’ needs.

ITU appoints Tijani to Alliance board - ITREALMS

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The International Telecommunication Union has named the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (MCIDE) Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani to the Digital Innovation Board of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development, reports ITREALMS.

The alliance was setup to bridge the global digital innovation divide and to support ITU members as they work towards an equitable digital future.

Anambra in strategic alliance with US high-tech firms - ITREALMS

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The United States Consulate General, Mr William Stevens at the weekend hosted the Anambra State Government's Executive Council delegation, led by the governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, to a strategic session, reports ITREALMS.

The session, ITREALMS gathered attracted some 26 influential leaders from renowned US high-tech companies.

Alliance demands gender equity, diversity in commissioners appointments - ITREALMS

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A civil society coalition, the Alliance for Deepening Democracy (A4DD), has called on newly elected State Governors to ensure gender equity in the constitution of the executive councils of their different States while also addressing other inclusion gaps through the appointment of representatives of marginalized groups such as youths and persons with disabilities as commissioners.

The Alliance also urged Governors that are yet to appoint their commissioners to take urgent steps to do so in the light of the deadline for the nomination of commissioners stipulated in Section 192(6) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which provides that “the nomination of any person to the office of a Commissioner for confirmation by the House of Assembly of a State shall be done within sixty days after the date the Governor has taken the oath of Office.”

Global vaccine alliance outlines roadmap to sustainable cholera vaccine supply - ITREALMS

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Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has published a roadmap outlining critical actions needed to ensure supply of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) is able to meet growing demand from countries.

Alliance4DD to track planning, conduct of 2023 Elections - ITREALMS

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The Alliance for Deepening Democracy (A4DD), a coalition of organizations from various sectors working collaboratively to engage critical aspects, stages and actors in the 2023 general elections in order to ensure that its outcome reflects the will of the people and contributes to the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria.

In a statement issued by the Chair of its Steering Committee, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, who is Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda; and its Vice Chair, Ms Hadiza Mrumun Garba, Communication Officer for the Women in Politics Forum, the Alliance said it intends to complement the work and activities of other coalitions and organizations engaging the electoral process and that its main focus would be to ensure that the 2023 elections are transparent, properly organized and conducted, secure, and credible, unlike the situation with many elections in the past.

CTO to inaugurate Ministerial Alliance in London - ITREALMS

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The Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation (CTO) has advanced plans to inaugurate the Ministerial Alliance that will be convened on 20th and 21st September 2022 in London United Kingdom, reports ITREALMS.

The CTO’s Ministerial Alliance, ITREALMS gathered was conceived to bring together Commonwealth government ministers responsible for telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICT) and leaders of technology companies.

Jobberman unveils Alliance for Better Work - ITREALMS

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The acclaimed single largest job placement website in sub-Saharan Africa, Jobberman, has unveiled its Alliance for Better Work initiative, as part of longstanding partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, reports ITREALMS.

The employer-centred initiative, ITREALMS gathered, is geared to radically bolster recruitment in Nigeria, with a focus on driving female hires and providing integrated end-to-end support on the easy to use online jobs platform.

Strategic alliance: AfDB, FAO target $100m agro investments - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have entered into a strategic alliance aimed at catalysing agriculture sector investments in Africa to end hunger and malnutrition and increase prosperity throughout the continent, reports ITREALMS.

In terms of the agreement, ITREALMS gathered included that AfDB and FAO are committed to raise up to $100 million over five years, to support joint partnership activities.

The new alliance precisely seeks to enhance the quality and impact of investment in food security, nutrition, social protection, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development.

AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina and FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva signed the agreement, which builds on a longstanding collaboration between their organizations, at the UN agency's Rome headquarters.

"FAO and the AfDB are deepening and broadening our partnership to assist African countries achieve the sustainable development goals. Leveraging investments in agriculture, including from the private sector, is key to lift millions of people from hunger and poverty in Africa and to ensure that enough food is produced and that enough rural jobs are created for the continent's growing population," said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva.

AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina said: "The signing of this supplementary agreement is a milestone moment in the relationship between the African Development Bank and FAO. It signals our joint commitment to accelerate the delivery of high quality programs and increased investment for public-private-partnerships in Africa's agriculture sector. This will help us achieve the vision of making agriculture a business, as enshrined in the Bank's Feed Africa strategy."

The Bank's Feed Africa strategy, launched in 2015, targets to invest $24 billion into African agriculture over a ten-year period. The aim is that of improving agricultural policies, markets, infrastructure and institutions to ensure that agricultural value chains are well developed and that improved technologies are made available to reach several millions farmers.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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Pix: FAO Director General Josè Graziano da Silva and Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, signing the Supplementary Cooperation Agreement between the two Institutions. Courtesy: FAO/Giulio Napolitano.

Wi-Fi Alliance, AT4 wireless sign MoU to test unlicensed LTE co-existence

ITRealms:

The Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Alliance and AT4 Wireless have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate the testing of unlicensed Long-Term Evolution co-existence on Wi-Fi, reports ITRealms.

Confirming this, the Marketing Manager, AT4 wireless, Belen Garcia, told ITRealms that with the MoU, they would provide testing services to assess fair co-existence of Wi-Fi and LTE in unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) devices in accordance with the Wi-Fi Alliance Coexistence Test Plan.

“The testing assesses whether commercially available LTE-U devices co-exist fairly with Wi-Fi in the same environment,” Garcia said.

The development and deployment of LTE-U devices which utilize 4G LTE radio communications technology in unlicensed spectrum, Garcia said, introduces the possibility of interference with Wi-Fi equipment operating in the same bands.

Small deviations in LTE-U design requirements, AT4 Wireless official said, may affect Wi-Fi performance when working in proximity and in the same frequency band, stressing AT4 wireless will conduct independent testing based on objective tests and an industry-approved methodology to verify that LTE-U products do not violate fairness indicators.

Wi-Fi Alliance, Garcia said, agreed to qualify AT4 wireless to provide testing services based on the Coexistence Test Plan, which is being developed by members of the Wi-Fi and LTE-U communities in Wi-Fi Alliance.

ITRealms gathered that the Performance Test Tool from AT4 wireless will collect the most relevant key performance indicators (KPIs), such as throughput, latency (one-way delay), and jitter (latency variation).

“Official testing will commence once Wi-Fi Alliance releases the final Coexistence Test Plan,” Garcia said.

The Managing Director at AT4 wireless, who doubles as the Market and Sales Vice President at DEKRA Product Testing and Certification SU, Fernando E. Hardasmal, said they are very proud to partner with Wi-Fi Alliance in radio coexistence testing in this case with LTE unlicensed devices.

“AT4 wireless a DEKRA company now, considers radio coexistence a very important issue that needs to be addressed properly given the growing number of radio technologies that can work in multiple environments including homes, cars, hospitals, cities, etc. The AT4 wireless services scope now includes radio coexistence and at the same time our test tools are evolving to address these new challenges. DEKRA is committed to be the Global Partner for a Safe World and coexistence can be very relevant to Safety”, Fernando E. Hardasmal.

For the president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance, Edgar Figueroa, the test is critical that LTE devices operating in unlicensed spectrum exhibit fair coexistence behavior with billions of Wi-Fi products in use around the world.

“Wi-Fi Alliance is leading a multi-industry effort to ensure LTE-U’s fair coexistence with Wi-Fi through testing.  Establishing independent test organizations to execute the coexistence test regimen is an important part of our effort,” Figueroa said.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Johnson to declare open A4AI-Nigeria Coalition Tuesday

 ITRealms:

The recently appointed Honorary Chairperson of Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI)-Nigeria Coalition and the immediate past Minister of Communication Technology, Dr Omobola Johnson, would on Tuesday, November 24, declare open (A4AI) stakeholders meeting in Lagos, ITRealms reports.

In a press release by the Communications Officer, World Wide Web Foundation, Lauran Potter, she said that the Internet and the access to information and services that comes with it has become a key component of everyday life in many countries.

Johnson spoke preparatory to her opening a meeting of stakeholders working to increase access to affordable Internet in Nigeria. The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI)-Nigeria Coalition will convene at the Victoria Crown Plaza Hotel to discuss ongoing efforts to reduce broadband prices in the country, and to deliberate best practices for overcoming key obstacles to improved affordability.

ITRealms  gathered that Dr Johnson who will be joined at the meeting by Dr Ernest Ndukwe, former Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian National Communications Commission (NCC), who currently serves as the National Coordinator for the A4AI-Nigeria Coalition, said, “the importance of expanding access to affordable broadband so that all Nigeria’s citizens can come online cannot be overstated. I look forward to working with the A4AI-Nigeria Coalition to ensure that we develop and advocate for the policies needed to ensure Internet for all.”

Low levels of affordability remain a significant barrier to Internet and broadband access in Nigeria, where just over 42 per cent of citizens are online. A recent study by A4AI – the world’s broadest technology sector coalition working to bring down the price of broadband – revealed that Nigeria does not meet the UN target of entry-level broadband priced at 5 per cent or less of average income for those living in poverty.  

The A4AI-Nigeria Coalition comprises over 100 stakeholders from across Nigeria’s public, private, and civil society sectors, who are working together to tackle barriers to affordability in Nigeria, including pricing transparency, infrastructure sharing, and consumer awareness. This meeting will mark the group’s third since the Coalition was formed in March 2014, and will be opened by DrOmobola Johnson, who was recently appointed Honorary Chairperson of A4AI, ITRealms learnt.

Ndukwe said, “The A4AI-Nigeria Coalition has been hard at work since March 2014 debating the primary barriers to increased Internet access and affordability in Nigeria and the best ways to overcome these challenges. We have worked with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Nigerian Communications Commission to monitor TV white spaces trials and develop appropriate policy recommendations; drafted a document that spells out the benefits of the Internet to sensitise users and non-users; and developed policy recommendations to improve infrastructure sharing and the use of open access across Nigeria.

“Yet much work remains to make affordable Internet across Nigeria a reality. This meeting will allow us the unique opportunity to assess our progress to date, and to determine priorities and next steps for our work going forward. We look forward to sharing our conclusions with you after the meeting, and to continuing our work toward the important goal of universal access,” he concluded.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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Onica to grace A4AI-Nigeria Coalition meeting in Lagos

ITRealms:

The new Africa Regional Coordinator, Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) Onica Makwakwa, has been confirmed to grace the next A4AI-Nigeria Coalition meeting, scheduled to take place in Lagos on Tuesday, November 24, 2015,ITRealms reports.

A press release on behalf of A4AI said Onica joined the organization from Consumer International where, as the Head of Regional Office for Africa, she was responsible for the strategic leadership and overall management of the Africa regional Office, including, but not limited to, building relations with members and other key stakeholders, overseeing the implementation of the strategic consumer initiatives in food security and safety, financial services, consumers in the digital age, and consumer justice.

According to the statement, it is hoped she will increase A4AI’s visibility on the continent, extend the networks and contribute to even deeper A4AI research findings.Onica has over twenty years professional experience in nonprofit management, project oversight, public policy and advocacy campaigns management, philanthropy and community relations, change and association management at director and executive levels in Africa and in the United States of America.

Onica who is based in Johannesburg at the moment, will make a telling contribution to the work the groupis doing in Africa. She will help improve the work of African based A4AI national coalitions and working groups, including those in Nigeria, increase visibility on the continent, extend networks and contribute to even deeper A4AI research findings.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

 
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