EGOGA maiden reunion attracts Chikwe, Obi, Akeredolu, Ebi - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The former Aviation Minister, Ambassador (Dr) Mrs Kema Chikwe, former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, First Lady of Ondo State, Arabinrin, Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu, and former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Ernest Ebi, have been confirmed for the maiden Global Reunion of Egbu Girls Old Girls Association(EGOGA ) in Owerri, Imo State, reports ITREALMS.

The reunion slated for Saturday, December 21st would have most of the aforementioned as special guest speakers for the four-day event, which commences on Thursday, 19 through Sunday 22, December and would feature the inaugural Ms. Winifred Hubbard Lecture. Ms Hubbard is the first Principal of the school. There will also be Gala/Awards Night, a Medical Mission and Thanksgiving Service.

Coordinator for EGOGA, Mrs Ijeoma Enekwa, disclosed this in a press statement made avaialble to ITREALMS, saying that Ambassador Kema Chikwe would chair the inaugural lecture, while Mr. Peter Obi would be the Special Guest of honour, and Arabinrin Betty Akeredolu would equally deliver the keynote address on “Building The Next Generation of Female leaders: The Girl Child Education.”

The session will be moderated by renowned Publisher of The Source Magazine, Dame Comfort Obi. Both The First lady of Ondo State and Dame Obi are old girls of the school.

The Gala/ Awards Night, she said, would be chaired by Mr. Ernest Ebi, while the governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) would be the Special Guest of Honour. Whereas Sir Onyewuchi Asinobi would be the Father of the day with the Rt. Rev Geoffrey Okorafor, the Anglican Bishop of Egbu Diocese as the Chief Host.

Other guests expected at the Reunion activities include the Imo State Governor, The Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, the MD of Emzor, Dr Stella Okoli, Imo State Commissioner for Education, Hon. Prof. Viola Onwuliri, Chief Leo Stan Eke, Capt. Emmanuel Ihenacho, Hon. Chief Mrs Nkeiru Ibekwe, Rt. Rev, Prof. Emmanuel Iheagwam, former Bishop of Egbu, the Secretary to the Imo State Government, Hon. Uche Onyeagucha, and Hon Reginald Ihebuzor, Imo State Commissioner for budget and planning.

Aside from helping Old school mates reconnect, the reunion is majorly aimed at raising funds to rebuild the dilapidated school infrastructure. 

The Association plans to use this reunion and several others to give back to their Alma Mater which is why the reunion has been tagged “A time to give back”. As part of giving back to the school, four projects would be commissioned during the reunion: a new fence covering the dormitory area, a gate, two sets of six toilet and bath facilities and a kitchen.

ITREALMS recalls that Egbu Girls Secondary School was founded in 1962 as a mission school; it was taken over by government and returned to the Mission in 2010.

Uj. N. Dominic/Editor

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Pix: Kema Chikwe

Lagos attracts huge investment says Swiss Ambassador - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, Mr. George Steiner on Wednesday in Abuja said Lagos State with its huge market size provides a very good attraction for foreign investments, reports ITREALMS.

He made this declaration at a strategic visit to his office at the Swiss Embassy in Abuja by Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr. Steiner who noted that Switzerland as one of the leading countries in the world with the best financial service industry and strong tourism economy also added that top Swiss companies operating in Nigeria have their headquarters in Lagos.

He promised to work with Mr. Sanwo-Olu if elected as the governor to attract more Swiss investments to the state whilst he commended the APC candidate for his THEME development agenda.

“Lagos is a natural point of attraction for investment because of market size. If you won your election we will partner with you to improve quality of lives in Lagos with increased investments from Swiss companies. Our country and Nigeria enjoy very good bilateral relationship. With Lagos as the commercial centre of Nigeria we will strengthen that relationship. I have listened to you on your THEME priority programmes and I believe, if well implemented it will bring greater good to Lagos.” he said.

While expressing his appreciation to the Ambassador for Swiss government commitment to Nigeria and promise to work with Lagos State, Mr. Sanwo-Olu reiterated his campaign message of a greater Lagos and his commitment to ensure the private sector will remain a major driver of economic development.

“Our campaign is hinged on a comprehensive development agenda  which we tagged THEME, Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and environment, Education and technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy and Entertainment and Tourism. The role of private sector investments is critical to our agenda. We welcome more investments from Swiss companies and I can assure that they will have a worthy partner in the government and people of Lagos.”

Ayo Midele/GEE

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Pix: Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu presents his THEME development agenda to the Switzerland Ambassador Nigeria, Mr. George Steiner at the Swiss Embassy in Abuja during a strategic engagement on Wednesday.

Black Friday: Yudala attracts massive turn-out, sells out @Festac, Trade Fair

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Saturday November 11th witnessed a massive turn-out in Sara Stadium, Festac and Trade Fair Complex at Ojo Alaba as Yudala made it a weekend to remember for scores of enthusiastic shoppers who took advantage of the amazing deals in its Mega Black Friday promotion tagged 11/11-12/12.

Determined to ensure that the unreached and under-served members of the public get a chance to enjoy the 11/11-12/12 Mega Black Friday deals, Yudala had stormed both locations by 9am with truck-loads of genuine products from various categories including Home Appliances, Computing, Electronics, Mobile phones, Lifestyle/Consumer Goods, Power Solutions, Food, Wines/Spirits, among others.

It turned out to be an opportunity of a lifetime for thousands of residents in Festac, Satellite Town, Amuwo-Odofin, Agboju, Alakija, Ojo Alaba and environs to shop genuine products at best prices unmatched in the marketplace.

For Mrs. Toyin Moroundiya, a lecturer at the Lagos State University, it was a dream come true.

“In fact, I didn’t believe it at first when I heard about it. I just rushed over and actually it is real. The TV set I had in mind to buy was available here and it’s actually half the price. This is awesome. I think everybody should take advantage of it. Yudala is real,” she gushed.

Another shopper, Arinze Obi, could not hide his excitement after grabbing a number of bargain deals on various items.

“Honestly speaking, I am so excited. At first, I was planning to go to the market to get some items at home and my budget was about N300,000. At the end of the day, I spent just over N150,000 here and I was able to get virtually all I wanted to go out and buy in the market. Left to me, if I am the President of Nigeria, I will find a way to encourage Yudala because they are the only company giving the community what they want at very affordable prices and most importantly, what they sell is very good products, original products.”

He urged other shoppers to follow his footsteps in shopping wisely this season.

“My fellow Nigerians, what I will say to you is: get yourself prepared. Go to Yudala and get whatever you need for yourself at very affordable prices,” he concluded.

Also speaking after experiencing the Yudala 11/11-12/12 Offline Mega Black Friday train, Mrs. Philomena Mbah was effusive in her praises and prayers for Yudala.

“I was directed here by a friend. I was just prepared to get a phone but I just decided to try and see what Yudala is doing, so I drove down here. I was really surprised that Yudala could slash their prices. In fact, Yudala is the best. I had only wanted to shop for an iPhone but ended up buying so many lovely items from them and I am highly impressed. I’m so happy. I just wish they can keep on coming here and making people smile and happy. God will bless the company.”

Next Saturday November 18th 2017, it will be the turn of Agege and Ita Ilewa, Ikorodu to enjoy the Yudala 11/11-12/12 deals galore, with plans already finalized to storm both locations with a mobile store, two 40-feet trucks and buses loaded with eye-catching products and accompanied by dancers, music and digital entertainment.

The Yudala 11/11-12/12 Mega Black Friday which kicked off on Saturday November 11th will run until Tuesday December 12th 2017 online @ www.yudala.com and in every Yudala store nationwide.

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Indo-Africa ICT Expo excites Shittu, attracts industry players

ITRealms:

The forthcoming Indo-Africa conference on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has drawn the excitement of the Honourable Minister of Communication, Barrister Abdul-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, reports ITRealms.

Reacting to the recent endorsement of the conference by his Indian counterpart, Shittu promised Nigeria’s cooperation and participation to ensure a successful and worthwhile event for the good of India and Nigeria as well as the ICT industry in general.

“We are delighted about the idea of this event, and from Nigeria we will put in our best to ensure the programme comes out very well,” he declared, stressing that India and Nigeria share a lot in common, and ICT currently being very topical globally, it is in the interest of both countries to pool resources to deliver results for their common peoples.

ITRealms gathered from the organisers, the Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC) that the event would include a key highlight by ICT Ministers’ Roundtable Meeting scheduled for September 6, on the theme ‘Digital Vision of the Developing Nations.”

This, ITRealms further gathered from the organisers, would be a platform for ministers to present and share the ICT visions of their countries over the next five years, thereby showcasing partnership opportunities that such vision would bring to the industry at large for the two regions.

TEPC is working in conjunction with the National Association of Software and Service Companies, (NASSCOM), which is the premier trade body and the chamber of commerce of the IT-BPM industries in India. NASSCOM is a global trade body with more than 1800+ members, which include both Indian and multinational companies that have a presence in India.

Also TEPC is partnering with industry associations in Nigeria, including the Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN), Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) as well as the Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN) to make the event a full industry-focused programme.

ITAN President, Mr. Tayo Adeniyi, ALTON Chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, ATCON President, Engr. Olusola Teniola, among others, have so far been listed to speak at the event, while more are to be confirmed as the days go by.

Nonye Dom/GEE 

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MTN, Lumos partnership attracts $80m Y’ello Box investment to Nigeria

ITRealms:

In partnership with MTN Nigeria and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation of the United States (US) Government, Lumos said it has committed $80M to deployment electricity in Nigeria, otherwise known as Y’ello Box, reports ITRealms.

Half of the $80m, ITRealms gathered, has already been invested in a new solar electricity service culminating in the employment of some 450 people under Nigeria Lumos, including technicians, engineers and a large sales force.

Revealing these, Yuri Tsitrinbaum, the CEO of the Lumos Mobile Electricity Service, told ITRealms that there are ambitious plans to grow and provide power to 1m Nigerians by the end of 2017.

ITRealms reports that Y’ello Box is a solar electricity system that officially launched earlier this year and allows families and business owners to harness the power of the sun cheaply and efficiently, in a way we’ve never seen before.

According to Yuri, in homes, clinics, schools and businesses across Nigeria, people are running fans, charging phones, watching TVs and lighting rooms, all using affordable, reliable, clean electricity.

“The Y’ello Box is already powering the lives and businesses of more than one hundred thousand Nigerians,” the CEO said.

Designed and operated by Lumos Mobile Electricity Service, the Y’ello Box provides electricity to customers 24 hours a day, which people pay for using their MTN mobile phone.

“People don’t have access to the power they need. Fuel is very expensive and other services are unreliable. The Y’ello Box saves customers money all while providing better and more reliable electricity. As Nigeria modernizes, our demand for power increases. It’s time we did more to harness the power of the sun. That is why the Y’ello Box is changing so many lives. It is affordable, it is reliable and paying by mobile phone makes it easy,” Tsitrinbaum said.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Nigeria’s telecoms sector attracts $68b investment

ITRealms:

In spite of the economic recession in Nigeria, the nation was able to attract investments in the telecommunications sector worth $68 billion as at end of July 2016, reports ITRealms.

Out of the $68 billion, the sum of $35 billion, ITRealms gathered was garnered from the Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs).

A press statement made available to ITRealms by the Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo, made this disclosure.

The immediate past Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Dr. Hamadoun Toure as keynote speaker at the Nigerian Telecoms Investment Forum at the just concluded ITU Telecom World 2016, Bangkok, Thailand said these figures recorded so far in Nigeria point to the fact that “the country is certainly a preferred destination for telecommunications investors in Africa”. 

Toure told participants including Communications Minister, Barr. Adebayo Shittu, Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar G. Danbatta,  members of the Diplomatic Corps, Chief Executives of agencies under the Ministry of Communications and major telecommunications companies from Nigeria, Thailand, Senators and Members of the National Assembly among others that Nigeria is the place to invest because the population is large, there is political stability and a very robust telecommunications regulatory regime.

He explained that within 15 years when Nigeria opened its telecoms sector to the global community, investments have grown in leaps and from a paltry 400,000 connected lines in 2001, the country now has over 150m connected lines and a teledensity of 107 per cent.

“The next growth for voice communication is in Quality of Service. The new oil in Nigeria is ICT and data transmission is the way to go,” he declared.

Toure was particularly excited that while he served as Secretary General of ITU, Nigeria occupied the number one position as the fastest growing telecoms sector for five consecutive years. Stressing that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has done a very good job with the way in managing regulatory activities transparently and by the fact that law makers from Nigeria were also part of the audience he spoke to at the venue, underscored the importance Nigeria attaches to this sector.

The former scribe who declared being more Nigerian than his native, Mali, because Nigeria has always led the way, urging Nigeria to share its experience with other African countries.

Speaking on behalf of Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Communications, Barr. Adebayo Shittu, said since Nigeria was now navigating from resource-based to knowledge-based economy, the government encouraged participating investors to renew their confidence in most populous black nation.

“Feel free to come to Nigeria and if visa is an issue let us know. Our doors are open and the ease of doing business in Nigeria is being improved upon,” he assured.

Governor El-Rufai, who served as panelist at the forum alongside Prof. Danbatta, EVC of NCC, Ms. Funke Opeke of MainOne Cable, Mr. Ibrahim Dikko of Etisalat said technology as an enabler has helped Kaduna State to reduce land fraud and tax payments are now done online thus reducing incidents of leakages.

El-Rufai, a former Minister of Federal Capital Territory told the audience that Kaduna will soon launch Smart Kaduna initiative and has contacted a major Smart phone manufacturer to introduce pocket-friendly smart phones to Kaduna to boost the smart Kaduna Initiative.

NCC boss, Danbatta said that the regulator has begun digital transformation through the National Broadband Plan (NBP 2013–2018), pointing out that since broadband is the catalyst for social and economic transformation, “we have come to let the global community know that investments are welcome in this area.”

He said, the target is 30 per cent growth by 2018 according to the NBP 2013 – 2018, emphasizing that though Nigeria has hit 21 percent so far, investments will be needed for 3G, 4G and to take services to underserved and unserved regions of Nigeria.

“And we need to deploy infrastructure to those areas that have no services, we understand that and the strategy to address them hence we came out with the 8-point agenda to address this” he said.

Danbatta further said, Nigeria has a very flexible regulatory environment and “we are fare, firm and forthright in our activities”.

CEO of MainOne Cable Company, Ms. Funke Opeke said MainOne Cable has keyed into the National Broadband Plan and hence investments in the Infrastructure Company (Infraco) licence for Lagos to take broadband services to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), corporate organisations through metropolitan fibre optic links.

According to her, “We are building over 1,000km of fibre optic in Lagos and this is part of the building block to encourage broadband penetration”.

Dikko whose company, Etisalat, has over 20 million subscriber base said that Etisalat is encouraged to invest in Nigeria because “laws are very clear, policy is good because the NCC hears us out all the time.”

Remmy Nweke/ED, Ops

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IBB Golf Junior Open Championship 2016 attracts 126 youngsters

ITRealms Sport:

Estimated 126 youngsters have stormed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja for the 2016 Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) Golf Club Junior Open Championship which opens today, reports ITRealms Sport.

The tournament, ITRealms Sport gathered is meant to introduce young golfers to the proper way of playing golf, help them develop their skills particularly now that the game of golf has been included at the Olympics.

Hosted by the prestigious IBB Golf and Country Club Abuja, the event is open to young golfers between the ages of five and 19, already 126 young golfers from 21 golf clubs and 14 states of the federation have registered for the championship scheduled to open, today August 18.

The kids will be coached by registered professional golfers from different part of the Nigeria and Lady Captain Lami Ahmed says it is important to introduce the game of golf to children at an early age if they are to make it to the professional level.

“The ladies section have different programmes targeted at the children, for example in May we had over 70 children here at the club to celebrate the children’s day and just last week we concluded a three weeks intensive summer training for young golfers focusing on age five to 19. Today we are starting the junior open golf championship targeted at helping the young golfers develop their games, particularly now that the game of golf has been included in the Olympics” Lami said.

The Junior Championship is one of the developmental programmes instituted by the Ladies Section of the IBB Golf and Country Club aimed at producing future Olympians for Nigeria.

Lami who became the clubs Lady Captain in May says her ultimate aim is to eventually bring golf closer to Nigerians.

Several trophies and other gifts will be won by the kids at the end of the two day championship. 

Banji Boye/GEE
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