New Horizons debuts Mandarin-ICT integration, boosts global tech-employability - ITREALMS

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In a strategic move to align Nigerian tech talent with the shifting dynamics of the global digital economy, New Horizons Nigeria has announced the integration of Chinese Mandarin language training into its ICT curriculum, reports ITREALMS. 

This initiative makes New Horizons the first private ICT training institution in Nigeria to formally bridge the gap between linguistic proficiency and technical expertise, specifically targeting the vast opportunities within the Chinese-led global technology ecosystem.

Zinox shakes GITEX Nigeria'25 with ₦15m donation to NCS, CPN, boosts digital education - ITREALMS

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The 2025 edition of GITEX Nigeria ended on a remarkable note with a strong show of corporate philanthropy from Zinox Technologies, Nigeria’s foremost indigenous ICT company and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), reports ITREALMS.

At the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos, Zinox Chairman, Leo Stan Ekeh, stunned stakeholders when he announced a combined ₦15 million donation to two key professional bodies driving Nigeria’s digital ecosystem; the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and the Computer Professionals (Registration) Council of Nigeria (CPN).

PhotoSpeaks: Uplifting Youngsters cautions on illicit drugs, Inaolaji boosts community healthcare - ITREALMS

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PhotoSpeaks: Uplifting Youngsters cautions on illicit drugs, Inaolaji boosts community healthcare.

NCDMB boosts Odukpan's industrial park with state-of-the-art ICT facilities

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The Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has equipped its first oil and gas industrial park at Odukpan in Cross River State, with the state-of-the-art Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) facilities to boost adaptation, reports ITREALMS.

Disclosing this on Thursday, the General Manager, Corporate Communication and Zonal Coordination Division at NCDMB, Dr. Ginah O. Ginah, during a media tour of the park in Odukpani, Cross River State, noted that all needed facilities for investors to thrive in the park environment have been provided, especially for manufacturers.

IGR: Telecom sector boosts FG coffers by 594% - ITREALMS

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Telecommunications sector has increased its quarterly revenue generation to the coffers of the federal government of Nigeria by 594 per cent, reports ITREALMS.

Revealing this in a chat with some journalists at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, said recently that the telecom sector increased its quarterly revenue generation to the government from N51 billion to over N480 billion.

FirstBank boosts customers with bouquet offerings - ITREALMS

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First Bank of Nigeria Limited has announced its variety of retail products specifically designed to enhance the operations and sustenance of various businesses in the country. The products: Petroleum Dealership Finance (PDF), Operational Vehicle Finance (OVF) and Commercial Mortgage will strengthen the capacity of businesses to meet their immediate and long-term needs which are required to continually impact the socio-economic development of the country.



Commercial Mortgage (CM) is designed to meet the funding needs of established small and medium-scale enterprises in viable businesses to acquire Business/Office Premises. This product is structured to part finance the acquisition of business /office premises and warehouses as the building itself is collateral. With its competitive pricing entailing a tenor of 60 months, flexible repayment period as well as flexible collateral structure, the product is designed for SMEs across different sectors of the country including accounting, tech, legal and other specialised disciplines. To access the product, customers must have been in business for at least 5years and must have maintained an active account with either FirstBank or any reputable bank for a minimum of 6 months.



Operational Vehicle Finance (OVF) is intended to provide part finance to ease the acquisition of brand-new vehicle(s) essential for the day-to-day running of business activities. Its flexible tenure is in 2 variants, comprising 1 - 24 months and 2 – 36 months which is dependent on the brand of the vehicle. The product is also designed for SMEs as well as traders in all sectors of the economy with verifiable cash flow as they will be at an advantage in sustaining the distribution of goods from one location to another. To be eligible for the service, the customer must have been in business for at least 12 months and should have maintained a healthy and active bank account with either FirstBank for a minimum of 6 months or 12 months with other banks.



Petroleum Dealership Finance (PDF) is created to offer working capital finance to filling stations with a DPR licence for the purchase of kerosene (DPK), petrol (PMS), and diesel (AGO). This product facilitates access to financing opportunities to purchase products at competitive rates. A 12months facility tenor with a cash flow lending option up to N20M is also available. The product is packed with lots of exciting benefits including access to up to N20million without providing tangible collateral as it bridges the customers’ liquidity gap while also aiding the continuous replenishment of stock. The product also provides the opportunity to increase the volume of business as well as margins through consistent growth in turnover through credit financing.



To take advantage of the product, interested customer(s) must have a valid DPR license, and maintain an account relationship with FirstBank or any bank for at least 6 months. The dealer must have been in business for at least 24 months and the account must have been operated satisfactorily without a history of returned cheques or previous default on facility or facilities granted.



According to Folake Ani-Mumuney, Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, FirstBank: “as a bank woven into the fabric of society, we are delighted with the indelible mark and role we have played in boosting businesses in the country, irrespective of the economic sector. Our Commercial Mortgage (CM), Operational Vehicle Finance (OVF) and Petroleum Dealership Finance (PDF) are integral to sustainably enhancing business operations while ensuring that our customers remain at an advantage in meeting their immediate and long-term business goals.”

Fayemi doles out N360m to 24 communities, boosts healthcare, water & sanitation - ITREALMS

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The Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi on Tuesday distributed cheques worth N360 million to 24 communities in the state as part of efforts to cushion the effect of Covid-19 pandemic on the poor and vulnerable as well as ensure reduction of poverty to the barest minimum in the state.

Dr. Fayemi, Who personally presented the cheques to representatives of the communities at the Oshuntokun Hall, Government House, Ado-Ekiti, said the fund would focus on three specific result areas: education, healthcare services, water and sanitation.

FG says border drill, boosts rice production, self-sufficiency - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the ongoing border drill has largely curbed foreign rice smuggling into Nigeria and boosted rice production while fast-tracking the country's quest to achieve rice self-sufficiency, reports ITREALMS.

The Minister stated this at a press conference he addressed after leading a media tour of integrated rice mills and rice clusters in Kano on Thursday.

Quoting statistics from the Rice Millers Association, he said over 200,000 bags of rice were occupying spaces in the warehouses of virtually every integrated rice miller before the border drill started in August, while many small scale rice holders or rice clusters had to abandon their small scale but valuable means of livelihood.

Alhaji Mohammed said farmers were even worst hit since the integrated rice millers, who were the off-takers, were already struggling to save their businesses by laying off staff and finding other means to pay

off their bank loans with mounting interest rates, hence were finding it hard to buy paddies from rice farmers.

“But the story changed in August this year, when the border drill drastically reduced smuggled rice, thus giving the entire rice production value chain a new lease of life. Gentlemen, within one week of the drill, every integrated rice miller exhausted the milled rice in their warehouses, recalled the staff that were laid off and resumed production. All the existing 34 rice mills that we have in the country are now producing at maximum capacity, 24 hours a day,” he said.

The Minister said currently, the integrated mills produce about 150,000 bags of rice every day, translating to over 35 million bags annually, adding that the 34 mills are expanding rapidly in order to increase capacity and meet the rising demands, while the small scale rice clusters in all parts of the country are now back on stream and feeding their local communities,

He said Nigeria's quest to achieve self sufficiency in rice production will be quickened by the increasing activities in the rice production value chain resulting from the border drill in four of the country's six geo-political zones.

''Achieving self sufficiency in rice production will also translate to more jobs for millions of our people as well as cheaper and more nutritious rice for all. I want to congratulate everyone in the value chain for cashing in on the opportunities provided by the border drill, which - like i said - has drastically reduced rice smuggling to the country,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

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Nigeria: German govt boosts quality education for conflict affected children - ITREALMS

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The German Government has announced a new contribution of 15 million euros to UNICEF Nigeria to support the provision of quality and equitable basic education and strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable communities, especially children, in Adamawa and Yobe states, reports ITREALMS.

Provided through the German Government’s Development Bank - Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), this new contribution will enable UNICEF to support the Government of Nigeria to provide 1,060,000 conflict-affected children and adolescents with increased access to quality education in a safe and healthy learning environment. It will also provide 8,200 teachers with increased capacity to deliver quality learning at pre-primary and primary levels and support 500 school-based management committees to plan and maintain a safe and healthy learning environment in schools, with increased community participation.

“All children, regardless of their situation, must be supported to access all their basic rights.

Investing in education is perhaps the best investment any nation can make for its children,” said UNICEF Representative Mohamed Fall. “This investment is timely, as it comes at a moment when we are redoubling our efforts to improve both access and quality of education for conflict-affected children.”

The KfW contribution will also support UNICEF’s work to link humanitarian needs and long-term development opportunities in target conflict-affected communities in north-east Nigeria.

The German Government is a long-standing partner of UNICEF Nigeria, having contributed over 21 million euros towards the humanitarian and development response in Nigeria since 2016.

Uj. N. Dominic/Editor

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Town Hall meeting boosts govt+citizen communication - ITREALMS

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The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has hailed his colleague in the Ministry of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for initiating the Town Hall Meeting Series which, he said, has revolutionized the way government communicates with its citizens.

Mr. Fashola made the remarks at the Special Town Hall meeting on infrastructure in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday.

“Let me commend the Honourable Minister of Information and Culture for inaugurating these series of town hall meetings that have been held across Nigeria over the past three years and the details have already been provided in his brief. This is the fourteenth (edition).

“What is instructive first is that it has changed the way the government of Nigeria communicates with its citizens,” he said.

Mr. Fashola said unlike the way the government communicated with its citizens in the past, Alhaji Mohammed takes cabinet ministers to meet and share ideals with the people, a practice that provides a feedback mechanism.

“So how did government talk to you before? On NTA, that’s all, and then when election is coming. About three months to election, they rushed to town hall meetings. But what did Alhaji Lai Mohammed do? He said let’s go out communicating because we made promises to these people and we must brief them from time to time,” he said.

While reeling out the achievements of the government, particularly in the area of roads, Mr. Fashola said the present administration has 68 road contracts in the South West alone, and that 36 power projects are currently ongoing in the geo-political zone under the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

In his address of welcome, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the town hall meeting in Ibadan on infrastructure is the second in a series of special town hall meetings aimed at showcasing the achievements of the Buhari Administration.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Pix: From left: Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu; Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed; Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi; Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola and Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi at the Special Town Hall Meeting on Infrastructure in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday.

‘How Visa-On-Arrival boosts Nigeria’s tourism’ – ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the Federal Government's Visa-On-Arrival Policy has started yielding fruits, especially in the tourism sector which has been boosted by the policy, reports ITREALMS.

Receiving members of the Latin America Motorcyclists Association (LAMA) in Abuja, who were in Nigeria for a tour of heritage sites and other tourist attractions in the country, Alhaji Mohammed pointed out the efficacy of visa on arrival.

''All our visitors here today got visa on arrival. That shows that the Federal Government's visa-on-arrival policy is working,'' he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said the presence of the international bikers in Nigeria is a testimony to the fact that the Administration's quest to promote the country's cultural heritage and tourism sites is yielding fruits.

''As you tour Nigeria, under the 'Rediscover Heritage Bikers Tour of Nigeria', and visit historical heritage sites, you beam the searchlight on those sites for the world to see.

“You will see these heritage sites for yourselves as you travel through our culturally-rich and diverse nation. These sites include museums, monuments, homes of national heroes and other tourist sites,”
he said.

The Minister therefore enlisted the support of the bikers to become Nigeria's heritage ambassadors by spreading the news of the country's hidden treasures and their experiences while in the country.

In his remarks, the President of LAMA, Mr. Mario Nieves, said the group, which consists of members from 24 countries, is in Nigeria to rediscover the country’s culture and heritage as well as promote unity
among the human race.

“We are just a group of humble motorcyclists that decided to arrange and create some type of impact in our society. We believe that it is more important to be human than it is to be black or white or oriental
or Indian, because we belong to the human race and we believe that we are all one people,” he said.

Mr. Nieves said Nigeria has set a good example for them in humility, respect and hospitality, and that when they return to their respective countries, they will spread the good news about Nigeria.

While giving a background on the tour, the Acting Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Mr. Abdulkarim Kadiri, said the bikers, from Brazil, US and Mexico, among others, and their Nigerian counterparts will tour 11 states of the Federation in order to rediscover Nigeria and its rich cultural heritage.

Uj. N. Dominic/GEE

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Af Proxy Services relaunches, boosts .Africa resellership - ITREALMS Online

ITREALMS:

The AF Proxy Services Limited has declared its readiness to provision .africa domain names and grow the African digital economy with the relaunch of its resellership programme, reports ITRealms.

According to company, Registrars and/or Resellers (RaRs) that are not ICANN-accredited but wish to provision dotAfrica (.africa) domain names could now do so by simply becoming a reseller on the AF Proxy Domain Name Registration Platform.

ITRealms reports that African RaRs do not have to undergo the expensive and time-consuming ICANN accreditation process in order to sell dotAfrica domain names. 

Chief executive officer of AF Proxy Services Ltd Lucky Masilela, said, the registration services allows non ICANN-accredited RaR/Resellers to seamlessly integrate with its relaunched AF Proxy Services Ltd platform to provision .africa domain names and to participate in growing the African digital economy.

“AF Proxy Services Ltd is itself accredited by ICANN, making its relaunched proxy platform a true plug-and-play solution for African RaRs wanting a low-cost retail route without the need for complicated development work,” he said.

This exciting and enabling domain name registration outlet was relaunched at the Africa DNS Forum organised by AfTLD in Cotonou, Benin, this week. This is an annual forum attended by leading African domain name industry stakeholders.

“Our dynamic and intuitive registrar website and reseller-based administrative portal was developed/designed to improve the reseller experience,” Masilela said.

Delegates attending the DNS Forum in Cotonou also noted that the dotAfrica extension, which is Africa’s new home on the World Wide Web, recently passed the 16 000 domain name registration milestone.

“No doubt, AF Proxy has opened up a whole new reseller market, which is expected to deliver more excellent results over the coming years following this most recent upgrade,” he said.

The benefits of the .africa domain name for brand owners and other .africa domain name holders include showcasing the brand and its commitment to the continent. In addition, .africa can help brands to establish a home for Africa-specific products and services while expanding the brand's regional influence. The acquisition of valuable online real-estate in a fast-growing and high-potential market can also be achieved with a .africa domain name.

Masilela added that the AF Proxy platform will also enable RaRs/Resellers to provision the ZAdotCity domain names of dotjoburg, dotcapetown and dotdurban.

 “All users of the AF Proxy service become resellers of AF Proxy Registrar which is a smart solution aimed at boosting new dotAfrica gTLD domain name registrations,” he submitted.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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IGF unveils BPF output on cybersecurity, boosts SDGs

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The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) has unveiled the final output of the 2017 Best Practice Forum (BPF) on Cybersecurity, just as it has potentials to boost the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reports ITRealms.

The IGF Consultant on BPF Cybersecurity, Wim Degezelle, confirmed this to ITRealms saying that he was excited to announce the final output which is now available on the IGF website.

Degezelle  also said that the 2017 BPF focused on the important role of good cybersecurity to enable Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Internet technologies to contribute to development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Equally, Degezelle said the BPF explored what security areas would benefit from further multistakeholder dialogue.

“On behalf of the BPF Coordinators, Markus Kummer and Olusegun Olugbile, and the BPF Lead-Expert, Maarten Van Horenbeeck, I’d like to thank all who contributed throughout the year to the BPF and enriched its discussions,” Degezelle said.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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TK boosts in-flight entertainment with designer headphones

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The Turkish Airlines popularly known in the industry as TK has introduced a specially designed headphones to boost its in-flight entertainment services, reports ITRealms.

The state-of-the-art Philips headphones in its business class, ITRealms gathered is part of the efforts aimed to make its passengers' flights into an unequalled experience.

The airline, in a statement, said it offers special headphones in the business class of international flights except intercontinental ones.

“These new high-end headphones, specially designed for long flight hours, will enable the passengers to experience a more comfortable journey along with the award-winning in-flight entertainment systems of the carrier. 

“By the end of May, the headphones, having such special features as breathable ear cushions, adjustable earpieces, compact folding and a powerful sound isolation, will be available on business class of Turkish Airlines’ international flights (except intercontinental routes) with an eco-friendly packaging,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines has restated commitment towards continuing to improve its in-flight offerings, as it strives to provide the world’s best passenger experience.

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TD Africa boosts market share with mobile app

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Top Information and Communication Technology (ICT) distributors in Sub-Saharan Africa, Technology Distributions Ltd, has given a boost to its market share by unveiling of TD mobile app, reports ITRealms.

Unveiling the mobile app at the weekend during the CEO’s forum with selected partners, the Managing Director (Marketing) at TD, Mrs. Chioma Chimere, said allows users to place product orders online in real time directly from their smartphones.

Apart from lending more ease and convenience to the business relationship between TD and its partners, the launch of the application also ensures that partners can take advantage of product auctions and special promotions such as ‘Were Deal as well as other discount sales and deals from Technology Distributions.

The new TD Africa mobile app is available for download on Google Play store @ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tdafrica.app and on Apple’s i-Store as well. Interested parties can also search with ‘TDAfrica’ on Play Store and i-Store to locate and download the app.

The company has also rolled out special discounts and other mouth-watering incentives for the first 100 partners to download the TD Africa mobile app and make online transactions up to N100,000 with the app. These partners, in addition to the special incentives lined up, will enjoy additional discount of up to 5% at the point of invoicing.

According to Managing Director (Marketing), Mrs. Chioma Chimere, the launch of the mobile app is a fulfilment of the promise made at the beginning of the new financial year to its partners.

“We made a promise to our partners at the commencement of our new financial year to serve them better by deploying technology to lend unmatched convenience and ease to our business relationship. Today, we have taken another big step towards the fulfilment of this promise.

“We are pleased to announce that the TD Africa mobile app is ready for download on Google Play store. The mobile app will also be available for download on Apple’s i-Store soon. With this app, you can now enjoy the added convenience of accessing TD’s wide product portfolio and placing orders from your mobile phone. With this app installed on your smartphone, you no longer have to get to the office or reach your laptop to take advantage of our special promotions such as ‘Were Deal.”

Since its establishment in 1999, TD has been in the fore-front of driving the diffusion of technology in Nigeria and the West African sub-region as a whole with its leadership and promotion of a structured, virile market which caters to the needs of its various players including Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), resellers and end-users.

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