Chad to host first-ever Pan African summit on digital economy, SDGs

ITRealms:

Plans have been advanced for the hosting of the first-ever Pan African summit on digital economy and sustainability development goals (SDGs) in Ndjamena, Chadian capital, reports ITRealms.

Confirming this to ITRealms at the weekend after a courtesy visit by the president, African Civil Society on the Information Society (ACSIS-SCASI) Dr. Cissé Kane to Chad President, Mr. Idriss Deby Itno, said that his office received a nod from Chad presidency for the event in 2017.

According to him, His Excellency Mr. Idriss Déby Itno, President of the Republic of Chad, and chairman of African Union (AU) on Friday, gave his agreement to hold the 1st Pan-African Summit on the Digital Economy and Sustainable Growth in N'djamena by first quarter of next year.

The audience during the visit includes Mr. Mahamat Allahou Taher, Chad Minister of Posts and New Information and Communication Technologies and Mr. Bedoumra Kordjé, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic of Chad.

Dr. Kane also congratulated President Idriss Déby Itno for his vision and pan-African leadership and for having the bright idea of setting up the African Center for Information Technologies (CATI), recalling that he had proposed the organization of such a summit at the WSIS Forum 2016 in Geneva (Switzerland), which received the support of several African ministers, Ambassadors and personalities present in Geneva at the occasion.

ACSIS President pointed out that the Summit will respond to three major questions, namely on “How to make African countries benefit from resources generated by the ICT/telecom sector in Africa? What concrete financial mechanisms to put in place to get there? How to finance sustainable digital development in Africa?; How to make Africa moving from a consumer status to a real and sustainable actor of the digital economy status?;  What are the priorities for digital resources generated by Africa to be used as leverage for the development of Africa?”

Dr. Kane also emphasized that summit was inspired by four major repositories comprising the African Union 2063 Agenda; Addis Ababa Agenda of Action (2015); the WSIS recommendations, particularly the WSIS +10 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

ITRealms  further recollects that the Pan African organization, the Africa Civil Society on the Information Society (ACSIS) was formed in June 2003, during the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva, to promote open and inclusive information society in Africa.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Pix: ACSIS president, Dr. Cise Kane and Chad president, Idriss Deby during the visit.

Passion to Empire Campaign winners gets N3.5million- Microsoft

ITRealms:

Winners of the Microsoft Mobile Devices and Services Entrepreneurship Initiative, “Passion to Empire Campaign” at the prize presentation ceremony at Intercontinental Hotel Lagos, smiles home with N3.5million each, including skills and acquisition training sessions at the Enterprise Development Center (EDC) in Pan African University, ITRealms reports.

ITRealms gathered that the 5 winners, Daniel Isa, Emmanuel Ugwueke, Emmanuel Okena, Godwin Benson and Jessica Yahaya, all made it through the top 15 contestants, whose business ideas the judges could not push aside.

The judges, ITRealms gathered, made up of top Nigerian beauty entrepreneur, Tara Fela-Durotoye, CEO Chocolate City Group, Audu Maikori and Co-founder, Jobberman, Opeyemi Awoyemi, had an uphill task short listing for the Top 30.

Mrs. Tara spoke to ITRealms on behalf of the Judges, “Lots of the ideas came from technology, but we also saw ideas from the Agriculture sector and services industry. Initially, the idea was to select the Top 15 to pitch their ideas; however, there were some good ones we could not push aside. The truth is that, Nigeria has a bright future with the kind of minds that we interacted with during the campaign.” She said.

ITRealms also gathered that General Manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices & Services, Mr. Joseph Umunakwe, expressed satisfaction at the successful completion of the event, noting that the campaign is a demonstration of Microsoft’s commitment to helping Entrepreneurs translate their business ideas into reality.

“At the core of Microsoft is productivity. We are continually investing in building devices that enhance productivity to better lives. We are passionate about helping Entrepreneurs build capacity that sets them apart from their peers. Though, these five contestants won the prize money with the crop of young creative minds that entered for the competition and the wonderful ideas shared so far, the future is bright and I must say they are all winners in their own right.” He said.

He further stressed that, aside the prize money presented and the training program at the EDC of the Pan Atlantic University in Lagos, Microsoft under the ‘Cloudprenuer’ project would be offering Top 1000 technology business the opportunity of taking advantage of its cloud service at no cost.

Some of the winners who expressed their joy to ITRealms said that the cash prize would go a long way in helping them actualize their life time goals.

ITRealms learnt that seven of the 1^st runners-up were also rewarded with training sessions at the Centre.

Daniel Nsolibe/GEE

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