Weaponization of cyberspace makes ‘Office of ICT General’ inevitable

ITREALMS:

The weaponization of cyberspace has made the enthronement of the Office of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) General of the Federation, inevitable, reports ITRealms.

This position was canvassed by the former President of Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Mr. Chris Uwaje, during his presentation at the 4^th Nigeria Mobile Economic Summit & Expo (NiMES 2017) in Lagos, at the weekend.

Uwaje who dwelt on the theme “The Mobile Economy Impact in Nigeria, Policy Innovation and Investment Benefits and Content,” said that weaponization of the cyberspace has made it imperative for a national digital defense focus.

He called on the Senate Committee on Information and Communications Technology, to without further delay promote the enactment of a National ICT Framework Bill to harmonize all ICT Acts into one foundation under the institutional framework of “the Office of the ICT General of the Federation.”

Uwaje who doubles as the Director-General Delta State Innovation Hub (DSIHUB), said that the next steps for the country will be to refocus the nation’s ICT vision and mission on software engineering and innovation development.

This, he said, would ensure national ICT competitiveness and future survivability.

Also, it would encourage engagement of the challenges emanating from digital mindchange which could be classified as “Digital Regime-Change Revolution,” by invigorating digital local content strategic plans for national adoption.

In addition, Uwaje said the harmonization would accelerate the diffusion of mobile economy, while implementation of the National Broadband plan should intensified and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) would be encouraged to engage constructive IPv6 transition and migration.

He posited that the establishment of National and State Digital Mobile Taskforce Working groups as a “Train the Trainer” strategy is imperative.

Establishment of the National ICT Innovation Development Fund, he said, would fuel the acceleration of digital economy innovation hubs, and promote Start-up Hackathons at all levels.

“The knowledge Olympiad is the forth industrial revolution and Nigeria must not be left out of the success story,” he declared.

Nonye Dom/GEE

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

IEEE names Uwaje, Africa chair on publicity for IoT World 2016

ITRealms:

New York-based Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has named the immediate past president of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Chief Chris Uwaje as its chair on publicity and communication in Africa, for the forthcoming IEEE-Internet of Things (IoT) World Forum 2016, reports ITRealms.

Disclosing this, Mr. Uwaje in a press statement made available to ITRealms noted that the Internet of Things and Everything (IoTs/IoE) represents perhaps the last hope for Africa’s 21st Century knowledge, creativity and innovation renaissance.

This, he said, was in pursuant to resolutions at the last meeting of the IEEE-WFIoT 2016 Organising Committee held on 9th March, 2016, where “Chris Uwaje was appointed the Co-Chair for Publicity and Communications for Africa.”

Uwaje’s mandate, ITRealms gathered includes but not limited to promoting, propagating and advancing the aims and objective of the IEEE-World Forum on Internet of Things, but above all, to establish innovative programmes of ensuring the participation and contribution of the ICT Industry leadership, government policy makers, IT Professionals and stakeholders in Africa, to accelerate the diffusion, application and domestication of the promise and opportunities of IoTs.

He also said that the forum with the theme: “Internet of Things: Smart Innovation for Vibrant Ecosystem” he said, promises the assemblage of best brains and leaders in academia, innovation, corporate industry, technology business and government policy makers to discuss and map the way forward and codify future opportunities and benefits of Internet of Things and Everything (IoTs/IoE). 

He equally stressed the imperative and strategic of having Africa represented and actively contributes to the outcome of proceedings – as the continent stands to benefit immensely from the conference, pointing out that in order to achieve the quantum benefits from the emerging digital opportunity, his vision is to take charge of promoting and establishing the “Africa IoTs Pavilion” as strategic imperative for success at the WF-IoTs 2016 in the United States of America (USA).” 

He told ITRealms that the 2016 IEEE 3rd World Forum on Internet of Things (WF-IoT) – IoT: Smart Innovation for Vibrant Ecosystems is a unique event for industry leaders, academics and decision making government officials. IEEE WF-IOT 2016 will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, Virginia USA between 12 and 14 December, 2016. 

Uwaje further said this event is designed to examine key critical innovations across technologies which will alter the research and application space of the future. 

“The Internet of Things envisions a highly networked future, where every object is integrated to interact with each other, allowing for communications between objects, as well as between humans and objects, which enables the control of intelligent systems in our daily lives. My appointment as Africa Chair - Publicity and Communications for the 3rd World Forum on IoTs 2016 is a great challenge,” he said.

Uwaje, therefore solicited supports to deliver on this mandate of reaching out to 500 Africa Universities and 1000 IT Industry leaders cum players for submission of 2000 papers for consideration. 

“I am sure that a well-researched paper from African knowledge network has the pedigree for final selection. This will put Nigeria and Africa in the Internet Protocol (IP) forefront of IoTs the digital World,” he submitted.

 

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Mobile App on Ebola debuts

ITRealms:

A new mobile application known as Ebola nationwide report centre has made a debut, ITRealms reveals.

The proponent of this latest application and immediate past president of Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN) and chief executive officer of Connect Technologies, Chief Chris Uwaje said the app is coming at very auspicious time because no one knows who will be the next victim of Ebola, hence the need to help Nigerians aggregate reports around the Ebola epidemic.

He also said that as concerned Information Technology (IT) citizens of Nigeria, his organisation is worried over the epidemic.

“We are collectively challenged and should now be counted and step forward to deploy our IT expertise and skills to engage and curtail the Ebola pandemic,” he told ITRealms.

According to him, in response, the Connect Technology team has created an Ebola: Database-Engine.

“It is an App to capture Ebola Report Online Nationwide,” he said.

This app, he further said, is accessible free of charge, at the Ebola nationwide report centre, urging information managers to feel free to access it and revert.

He equally enjoined Nigerians to log on, spread the word and let’s avert the waiting catastrophe by building on relevant key information together.

The mobile app, he pointed out is a mobile software solutions developed for health and fitness and is compatible with some of the mobile smart devices in the market as well as in use today, especially in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, ITRealms gaathered that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has declared the control and containment of the Ebola virus in Nigeria, a national emergency.

He therefore directed the Federal Ministry of Health to work in collaboration with the State Ministries of Health, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) among other relevant agencies to ensure this disease is contained.

Remmy Nweke:

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Pix: Chris Uwaje

Okigbo jnr takes over at ISPON, promises dialogue, continuity

ITRealms:

Newly elected president of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) Mr. Pius Okigbo Jnr has promised to continue his leadership from where the erstwhile president, Chief Chris Uwaje may have stopped, reports ITRealms.

This is coming as he lamented the exclusion of the Nigerian Information Technology (IT) in the ongoing National Conference, which commence a few weeks ago.

Speaking to ITRealms exclusively he expressed confidence in dialogue and promised to continue to do his best in improving the local content and local software precisely.

He also told ITRealms that his leadership will engage the government to ensure that his desire to improve on the lots of the upcoming software start-ups in the country.

ITRealms recalls that his emergence was the outcome of the recent Annual General Meeting of ISPON.

Okigbo Jnr, who is the chairman, Infosoft Group was a former first vice president of ISPON equally lamented the inconsistency in the curriculum of tertiary institutions in the country to align with the demand of the industry.

For him it is not acceptable that students would spend four years in the universities only to graduate and expected to be retrained by the private sector.

Further, he described the exclusion of IT professionals in the national conference as unfortunate, even though it’s a position well deserved.

Okigbo Jnr who was accompanied by immediate past president of ISPON and some other members of the National Executive Council (NEC), Chief Chris Uwaje, the press conference signals the formal handover between himself and Uwaje, promises to carry the members of ISPON along.

Speaking earlier, Chief Uwaje commended ISPON members and industry stakeholders for supporting him and the organisation during his tenure.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Pix; Uwaje signing the handover note while Pius Okigbo Jnr watches