Internet Governance: Creating Opportunities for All Nigerians

WinningEssaySeries@ITRealms:

1.0 Introduction

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) defined Internet Governance as “the development and application by Governments, the private sector, and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programs that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.’’¹

NCC, NiTDA drum support for 2016 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on IG4D, IPV6

ITRealms:

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have expressed support for the 2016 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) and Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable, reports ITRealms.

The Executive Director, Operations, DigitalSENSE Africa Media, the organisers of the two-day event, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke told ITRealms that the forum which is on its 8^th edition, would hold at Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), former NITEL Training School, Cappa-Oshodi in Lagos on June 2 and 3, this year.

According to her, the Executive Vice chairman (EVC) of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta and Acting Director-General of NITDA, Dr. Vincent Olatunji are expected to lead discussions on day 1 and 2 respectively.

She also revealed that the 2016 theme is on Day 1 IG4D is ‘Internet Governance: Creating Opportunities for All Nigerians’ scheduled for Thursday, June 2, 2016, while Day 2 is the Nigeria IPV6 Roundtable in commemoration of the World IPv6 Day with the theme ‘Creating Opportunities for Nigerians with IPv6’ on Friday, June 3, 2016.

She said that DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA) Media, an At-Large Structure (ALS) certified by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), has sustained the tempo since 2009 in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and beckon on other corporate Nigeria to join the queue in enlightening Nigerians on the positive use of the Internet for the good of all, especially the youth through creation of opportunities.

NCC, she explained is the apex telecom regulator in the country with over-arching role among others to assist communications industry stakeholders and practitioners with a view to the development of the industry, whereas NITDA’s mandate encompasses among other things the establishment of human and infrastructure development within the Information Technology (IT) industry and maximization of these nationwide.

These, opportunities, she said, when well assimilated could be translated into job and wealth creation, noting that the forum also known as Nigeria ICT4D event has been streamlined to act as a rallying point for Nigerian internet stakeholders in raising and addressing salient issues concerning the ICT sector.

“The two-day forum is aimed at encouraging positive usage of the Internet among the youths, women, students and offers product sellers and manufacturers in Nigeria the opportunity to engage, with global contest in mind,” she told ITRealms.

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DigitalSENSE Africa opens call for students’ essay contest 2016 on Internet Governance for Development

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The management of DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA) Media Group has announced call for students’ essay, especially those in the tertiary institutions across the country to send in entries for the 2016 contest on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D), reports ITRealms.
 

The Executive Director, Operations at DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA) Media Group, Nkemdilim Nweke, made this disclosure in Lagos, and said that this year’s theme is on ‘Internet Governance: Creating Opportunities for All Nigerians.’

This call, she also said, would close by April 18, 2016, stressing that the essay competition is aimed at encouraging creativity and discourse on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) by Nigerian youths.

She said that participating students who must be between 18 and 30 years, are expected to send in entries alongside prove of identification from their institutions, namely a letter of introduction from Head of Department or Students Affairs and clear scan copy of student ID.

She pointed out that the competition organised by DigitalSENSE Africa Media, the publishers of international award winning DigitalSENSE BusinessNews, ITRealms and NaijaAgroNet; as part of the annual Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on IG4D and annual Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable. 

Mrs Nweke explained that the essay which should not exceed 600 words and sent to; info@digitalsenseafrica.com.ng and copy remnekkv@gmail.com on or before April 18, 2016.

Each student, she said, is to submit an article on the aforementioned topic, adding that the winning essay to be adjudged the best by a team of expert panel of judges will be published in ITRealms Online and DigitalSENSE BusinessNews monthly magazine with profile of the winner. 

She emphasized that the essay must be an original work of the candidate for the sole purpose of this competition. While the protection of any intellectual property included in a candidate’s submission is the candidate's responsibility.

Judges, she said, made up of ICT industry veterans will examine the submitted entries for originality, clarity, grammar and presentation. 

The judges will independently award marks and choose a winner. The adjudged winner will be sponsored to forthcoming Nigeria Internet Governance Forum (NIGF).

 

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NCS president, Prof. Aderounmu to chair Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum 2016

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The national president of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Prof. Adesola Aderounmu, will preside over the two-day 2016 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) and Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable, slated to hold in June 2-3 at Welcome Centre Hotel, International Airport Road, Lagos, reports ITRealms.
 

Disclosing this, the Executive Director, Operations, DigitalSENSE Africa Media, the organisers of forum, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke said they are delighted to work with the new president of NCS in exploring his agenda for the larger Nigerian society through the Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum series.

She noted that Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum series which began in 2009 has been sustained ever since as an annual rallying point for Internet stakeholders in the country, which this year has been slated for Thursday, June 2 and Friday June 3, 2016 .

DigitalSENSE Africa Media, she said, is an At-Large Structure certified by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and organizes this annual forum in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Galaxy Backbone and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) among others.

This year’s theme, she also said centres on ‘Internet Governance: Creating Opportunities for All Nigerians’ on day 1, while Day 2 is the Nigeria IPV6 Roundtable with the theme on ‘Creating Opportunities for Nigerians with IPv6’ in commemoration of the World IPv6 Day 2016.

Equally she said, DigitalSENSE Africa is a team of internationally reputed and award-winning Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry analysts and perception managers; professionally affiliated to African Regional At-Large Organisation (AFRALO) for shaping the future of the Internet, African Civil Society for the Information Society (ACSIS), as well as the media caucus of African Information Society Initiative (AISI) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) among others.

She recalled that Aderounmu is a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Fellow of Nigeria Computer Society, Registered Professional Engineer with Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).

Professor Aderounmu, she noted bagged his first degree in Computer Engineering and Masters in Computer Science from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in 1991 and 1997 respectively. 

According to her, Aderounmu became a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in 2008, seven years after he bagged his PhD. Degree in Computer Science from the same University.

She recalled that he was appointed Acting Head of Department of Computer Science & Engineering between 2004 and 2007, Deputy Director, Information Technology and Communications Unit, 2005 – 2008, Acting Director, Information Technology and Communications Unit, 2009 -2011 and Full Director, 2011 to date.

He is a member of the Screening and Monitoring sub-committee of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) research fund. He served as a member of curriculum development for National Open University of Nigeria, and member NUC accreditation team to various universities in Nigeria. He was Deputy President, NCS before his election as the President, Nigeria Computer Society.  

 

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Pix: Professor Sola Aderounmu FNCS – President NCS

Nicodemus Onah wins star prize @ 2015 DigitalSENSE essay on Internet Governance

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A 100 level undergraduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nicodemus Chidera Onah has emerged the overall winner in the 2015 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Students Essay on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D), reports ITRealms.

Confirming this, the Executive Director, Operations, DigitalSENSE Africa Media Limited, Mrs Nkemdilim Nweke, said that Nicodemus Chidera Onah was adjudged most outstanding by most of the judge faculty, hence his emergence.

She noted that the students essay was on this year’s main theme: Net Neutrality and Nigerian Internet Users, which must not exceed 600 words but must depict clear understanding of the subject matter by the essay writers.

She also disclosed that the first runner up, was another student from UNN also in Enugu State, by name Kizito Chijioke Onah who is a student of English and Literary studies, while the third place went to Ms Ekpobadarho Oghenetejiri Blessing from the Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State.

Mrs. Nweke also said that Nicodemus who scored highest from this year’s panel of judges is a student of Electronic Engineering, 100 level, and would be attending the 2015 edition of Nigeria Internet Governance Forum (NIGF) courtesy of Etisalat Nigeria, in addition to receiving the star prize of a laptop fully equipped with free data access for 12 months.

She noted that NIGF 2015 would take place at the nation’s capital, Abuja between July 20 and 21, with special interest in the youth forum as well as the plenary sessions.

According to her, the first and second runners up will be sponsored to Lagos where they will be presented their prizes of a tablet and a smart phone respectively.

She therefore, congratulated the winners of this year’s essay contest for their efforts.

Reacting, Nicodemus Onah, the star prize winner, described his emergence as ‘unbelievable’ when contacted with the news.

He also promised to focus on making more case for cybersecurity in Nigeria at the 2015 NIGF, though he decried that the awareness on Internet Governance is still below average, he advised Nigerian youths to take advantage of the Internet and get better education.

On the way forward, he said that there is need to enact user-driven internet policies in the country, that would keep the sanctity of the Internet.

 

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Pix: Nicodemus Chidera Onah, winner of NDSF Students essay 2015

NDSF 2015 opens, as Gusau charges regulators on net neutrality study

ITRealms:

The two-day annual Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) and IPv6 Roundtable kicked off in Lagos with the chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Hon. Dr. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau, calling for an industry-based study on Net Neutrality in Nigeria, reports ITRealms.

Gusau who also led high level delegates at the event to declare the forum open, beckoned on industry regulators within the ICT sector like the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to initate a policy study on this begging issue of net neutrality with the trend on how it could affect Nigerians, especially the Internet, so as to have a defined reasonable traffic management policy dealing on all the associated concerns arising from net neutrality with its attendant usurping of services to end-users in the country.

While reassuring on readiness of the National Assembly, especially the House of Representatives to do all their power to encourage a level playing ground, the Committee chairman expressed hope on the forthcoming 8^th session to even thrive to achieve more than the outgoing 7^th session.

Gusau also commended the role being played by DigitalSENSE Africa Media Limited in annually staging the forum, which he described as significant role endeared to multistakeholderism in its role to ensure Nigerians are enlightened enough to be able to key into the global competitive of the Internet.

According to him, by successfully organizing the Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development for the past seven years, shows commitment in leveraging the values of ICT to enlightenment and education across board and multistakeholderism approach.

“The Forum by God’s grace has become a sin qua non, in other words an essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary for internet community in Nigeria as industry stakeholders-based  approach to gather annually to jaw-jaw on latest issues on Internet and Internet-related matters for individuals, groups and national growth and development,” he said.

Gusau, who also presided over the forum opening session, noted that the signing of the Cyber Bill into Law by the immediate-past President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on May 15, 2015, was a plus for the National Assembly.

“I think Mr. President and indeed the National Assembly deserve an applause, and we will continue to do more in that regard,” he said.

Recalling that in 2011, at a forum by DigitalSENSE Africa Media Limited at the Golden Gate Ikoyi Lagos, I promised Nigerians that Cyber Security Act will come into play before the end of 7^th session of the National Assembly and by signing this into law by former President Jonathan; that promise has come to fulfillment.

However, he said that the theme: ‘Net Neutrality and Nigerian Internet Users’ passes for the network neutrality, Internet neutrality, or net equality principle that Internet service providers or government should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favouring or blocking particular products or websites.

Further, he said, this principle applies to the ISPs and governments to treat all data on the Internet equally, not discriminating or charging differentially by user, content, site, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or mode of communication. 

The term was coined by Columbia University media law professor Tim Wu in 2003, as an extension of the longstanding concept of a common carrier.

Some of the agitations arising from the debate on net neutrality, he pointed to include bandwidth throttling; data discrimination; deep packet inspection, End-to-end principle; Internet Protocol (IP); Net bias, Net Neutrality law; Search neutrality and Tiered Internet to name a few.

Of course, more than ever before the House of Representatives and at large the National Assembly, is aware of the need to enact most germane and enabling laws that are meant to induce more competition, innovation, local content as well as checkmate excesses especially in the social media through cyber laws, so that population of netizens in Nigeria will continue to swell positively.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) 

 

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Pix: Captions for NDSF Day-1:
1. Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on IG4D 2015 ... L-R: Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), Mr. Gbenga Sesan, Country Manager, OLX Nigeria, Lola Masha, and Head, Legal and Regulatory Service at Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mrs Yetunde Akinloye, at a two-day Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum Series 2015 on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) with theme "Net Neutrality and Nigeria Internet Users" held at Welcome Center Hotels Ikeja-Lagos, yesterday 4th June, 2015.
2. L-R: Head, Legal and Regulatory Service at Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mrs Yetunde Akinloye, Representative of Director-General,  National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Preye Itonyo, Executive Director, Operations, DigitalSENSE Africa Mrs Nkemdilim Nweke, Country Manager, OLX Nigeria, Lola Masha, Chairman, House Committee on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Federal House of Representatives (FHR) Hon. Dr. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau (Forum Chairman), Group Executive Editor, ITRealms, Mr Remmy Nweke, during a two-day Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum Series 2015 on "Net Neutrality and Nigeria Internet Users" at Welcome Center Hotels Ikeja-Lagos, yesterday 4th June, 2015.