Anambra Ohaneze urges INEC to extend CVR, fix operational failures - ITREALMS

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The Anambra State chapter of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has raised an alarm over the shameful and inexcusable failures characterizing the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise across the state, reports ITREALMS.

State Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Anambra State Chapter, Comrade Uzo Ekemezie Esq, in a press statement available to ITREALMS, lamented that what should have been a seamless civic process has become, in many communities, a deliberate scheme to disenfranchise Ndi Anambra.

Lagos CBOs extend outreach to private schools on ATM - ITREALMS

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Some Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) have started to extend their advocacy outreach for improved health sector to private schools in Lagos on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (ATM)-related, reports ITREALMS.

Confirming this to ITREALMS, after the October Coordinating Meeting of ATM in Lagos, the Lagos State Advocacy Team (SAT) lead, Mrs. Bunmi Tejumola said that some members of the team have in recently extended in the Isheri part of the state.

PaySend, Access Bank enter deal to extend African FinTech frontier

ITREALMS:

Reputed card-to-card payments disrupter, PaySend has entered a new partnership with Access Bank Nigeria Plc in furtherance of its new generation mode of money transfers to the African markets, reports ITRealms.

PaySend, ITRealms gathered is rapidly expanding business with footprint in over 60 countries and is boosting presence across Africa with the latest.

Affirming this, the Chief Executive Officer, PaySend, Ronald Millar, expressed delight over the partnership with Access Bank Nigeria.

“To have reached over 60 countries in such a short time is excellent and we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership. Nigeria is one of our first African partners, and we definitely see great potential in the region,” Millar said.

ITRealms gathered that Access Bank, which has over 368 branches and service outlets across Nigeria, sub Saharan Africa, the United Kingdom and Dubai, promises to deliver sustainable economic growth that is profitable, environmentally responsible and socially relevant.

Responding, the Executive Director at Access Bank Nigeria, Victor Etuokwu noted that accessibility is important in “our business and we see this partnership as vital to connecting our customers to their increasingly globalised network, whether they be business contacts, friends or family.”

At present, he said, PaySend’s technology works for all Visa, Mastercard and Verve cards issued by Access Bank in Nigeria, but the company wants to go further.

“We are working together with Access Bank to expand our coverage across the country, and into other African countries to develop a broader offering in the region” Millar further said.

The company has big plans for 2018, and is keen to build partnerships with local banks in all major African destinations.

ITRealms recalls that PaySend made its debut as a next generation money transfers company 12 months ago and has created a global network through the major card schemes, comprising Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, local domestic payment systems; thus allowing its customers to send money from card-to-card.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Nokia, China Mobile sign MoU to extend 5G for vertical markets

ITREALMS:

Nokia and China Mobile have signed an agreement to jointly investigate how China Mobile could extend its service offerings for vertical markets using the massive connectivity, ultra reliability and ultra-low latency capabilities of 5G, reports ITRealms.

 The research will focus on how industries could benefit from the growth of smart cities, smart transportation and intelligent video analytics.

With the deployment of 5G, China Mobile will be able to leverage network slicing to discretely support myriad new services and businesses simultaneously with differing service level requirements. Under the agreement, which extends Nokia and China Mobile's existing 5G collaboration, the companies will jointly research and trial use-cases leveraging Nokia 5G Future X network architecture as well as NB-IoT and MEC. 

The research, which will take place at China Mobile's 5G joint innovation lab, will aim to better understand:

• How industries can be integrated into the smart city ecosystem to take advantage of the massive new connectivity of people and things.
• How businesses such as logistics and car rental companies can benefit from the widespread introduction of 5G-connected automated vehicles. Nokia and China Mobile will also expand the existing Car2X trial ecosystem in Wuzhen to advance the use of automated vehicles, as well as technologies that improve vehicle safety.
• How to further enhance future network architecture security using intelligent network protection techniques.
• How China Mobile can access and benefit from embedded network intelligence and the Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) architecture to manage and orchestrate services with network resources, and improve service automation and network performance.

The signing of the agreement was witnessed by Shang Bing, Chairman of China Mobile, and Rajeev Suri, President and CEO of Nokia, at a ceremony in Barcelona, ahead of Mobile World Congress 2018.

Marc Rouanne, president of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: "Together with China Mobile we will leverage 5G to identify the applications that meet future industry needs. At Nokia, we are bringing our Reefchark chipsets, new advanced algorithms from our research teams from Nokia Bell Labs, as well as our Optics, IP and cloud compute technology to boost our end-to-end 5G Future X Network architecture. We are committed to delivering open architecture development to allow operators such as China Mobile to leverage network intelligence."

Nonye Dom/GEE

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DMO: Nwankwo denies scheming to extend tenure

PR@ITRealms:

The Director-General of the Debt Management of (DMO), Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, has denied any scheming to extend his stay at the Agency when his second five-year tenure ends in June 2017, sources at DMO and the Vice President’s Office, which supervises DMO, said on Monday afternoon. 

The sources dismissed rumours making the rounds that Dr. Nwankwo is reluctant to leave at the expiration of his tenure and that his purported ambition to stay on is generating tension or uneasiness at DMO.

“The rumours are not only senseless but also entirely false and ridiculous,” one of the sources said.

Insisting that “there is no iota of truth in the rumours,” the source declared that Dr. Nwankwo has no reason to scheme to extend his tenure, adding that that it is not even possible to do so.

“The law is specific on the issue; no one can do more than two terms of five years each at DMO. So why should the DG, who is in the last lap of his second tenure, nurse the idea of extending his tenure? Those who cooked up and are spreading the rumours do not know Dr. Nwankwo at all. 

He is a principled man who has built DMO into a globally-respected institution that impacts greatly on Nigeria’s economic fortunes and is contented with the two terms of office allowed by law.”

Also dismissing the rumours, a source at the Vice President’s Office described those behind them as enemies of Nigeria. He warned them to desist from spreading rumours capable of destabilising the country’s economy “in which DMO is playing a pivotal role and contributing significantly to the efforts to pull the country out of recession.” , 

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Uber, Old Mutual to extend money course Nigeria, Ghana & Kenya

ITRealms:

A partnership between Uber and Old Mutual in commemoration of the Global Money Week, have agreed to extend its free money management course to its driver-partners in Accra-Ghana, Lagos-Nigeria and Nairobi-Kenya, reports ITRealms.

The course, which held in South Africa this year, ITRealms gathered, reflects Global Money Week’s theme with “Learn. Save. Earn.”

ITRealms reports that Driver-partners who attending the workshops this week, would be empowered with the skills to manage their finances in order to grow their income and save for the future.

In addition, ITRealms reports that drivers will receive an invitation via email to reserve their seat.

Driver-partners across Africa are extremely important to Uber and their own financial wellbeing is an ongoing priority. The technology and flexibility of the Uber app enables driver-partners to start, run and grow a small business on their own terms. By offering skills development in financial management, Uber can assist entrepreneurs in building sustainable businesses.

Recent statistics illustrate the contribution small and medium enterprises (SMEs) make to high growth economies on the African continent. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics notes that there are over 17 million SMEs registered in Kenya, with these businesses employing half of the Kenyan workforce. In Ghana, 92 per cent of companies registered are micro, small and medium enterprises and contribute 70 percent to the country’s GDP, while Nigeria has seen a 100% increase in small businesses in recent years.

Nonye Dom/GEE

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FG to extend TSA deployment @MDAs

ITRealms:

The Federal Government (FG) has expressed determination to extend the deployment of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the current fiscal year, 2017 reports ITRealms.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun on Tuesday disclosed this

in Abuja at the opening of a two-day retreat on the TSA, the Minister, who described the implementation of the policy as a success story, said the Federal Government would expand the programme and continue to persuade statutory agencies to come under the Treasury Single Account.

The Minister who disclosed that the Federal Government is already discussing with service providers, said Government would improve the implementation and functionality of the TSA because of its huge benefits.

She also stated that the Government would be reaching out to TSA service providers in order to allow other e-commerce and e-payment providers access the platform, which, according to her, is very important to make the TSA as competitive as possible, in terms of pricing.

“One of the challenges that we have is who should bear the cost of the TSA? Currently, it is being borne centrally but that is not sustainable. We are now working on how to stratify the various agencies. Those who should bear their own costs and costs that should be borne by the Government. This will be rolled out in this year,” the Minister stated.

Speaking to the broader benefits of the TSA, the Minister stated that the Federal Government, through the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, has issued Circulars to banks arising from revelations through the implementation of the whistleblower policy, that some banks have not fully remitted Government funds in their possession.

She stated, “There are still funds in commercial banks and we have written to the banks, giving them a window to come forward. Where in doubt, they have been asked to consult us. We also have an audit team that has started the process of checking the completeness of monies that were transferred into the TSA and already, they have been able to recover a significant amount of money". 

She stated that the TSA policy is here to stay, saying the policy, which she described as an important reform of the current administration, allows Government to reduce its borrowing costs.

 “The policy allows us to manage our treasury functions with far more accuracy than what we had in the past. There is still a long way to go but overall, we are very satisfied with the progress we have made and we look forward to it being extended and utilised far more as the year goes on,” the Minister stated.

 Ayo Midele/GEE

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Glo subscribers urge extension of 4G LTE to hinterland

ITRealms:

Reports reaching our newsroom indicate that the Glo 4G LTE network has continued to generate more interest from impressed subscribers nationwide as the clamour for more coverage areas in the hinterlands by telecom subscribers is becoming unprecedented, reports ITRealms.

This is coming as the Christmas season draw nearer, even as ITRealms gathered that already, Globacom has rolled out the service in close to one hundred locations nationwide.

Some of these locations include Lagos (Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Ajah and Akoka), Port Harcourt (Aba Road, Trans Amadi, Diobu, Old GRA and UNIPort, Warri, Eket and Benin), Abuja (Maitama, Wuse, Asokoro, Garki/Central Business District and Airport Road), and Jos in North Central), Yola – ABTI (North East) and Zaria- ABU in North West.

A number of the Glo 4G LTE subscribers, who having experienced the speed of the service, described it as second to none in the country in terms of quality and coverage, and urged Globacom to rapidly spread the network to suburbs and villages.

One of the respondents, Titilayo Lawal, a fashion designer based in Adeniran Ogunsanya area of Surulere Lagos, praised the Glo 4G LTE service. Lawal who had ported to Glo from another network for reasons relating to poor data service said her experience so far on Glo network is remarkable and impressive. “It is good.  It is very fast no matter the amount of attachment you are sending.  I love the service.” She urged Globacom to extend the 4G LTE service to some other locations especially where she spends most of her time.

Stephen Obembe, who resides in Wuse 2, Abuja who also ported to Glo could not hide his excitement at the 4G LTE service. “It’s been great. Glo 4G has been good, very good. I use a lot of data for my business and I am really satisfied with the service. I am very happy I ported to the Glo network”, he said.

For Maniru Saminu, a Bureau De Change operator based in Zone 4, Wuse, Abuja, the Glo 4G LTE service is a new dawn in data and internet network in Nigeria. He enthused that Glo has become the network of choice for him.

“I really appreciate Glo 4G service. It is very fast. I am enjoying the internet service, I do not experience delays doing streaming and downloads. I also do my internet banking transactions with ease,” Saminu said. He explained that the clear difference he experienced spurred him to encourage his friends in the BDC business to subscribe to Glo 4G.

“I even gave my old Samsung S7 Edge phone to one of my friends to use and he has subscribed. The second person will soon subscribe. I want to urge Globacom to bring the service to Kano, my home state so we can enjoy it over there also,” he said.

Globacom in a statement encouraged Nigerians to switch to its 4G LTE network and begin to enjoy superior quality. “Glo LTE network is one of the very best you will find anywhere in the world. Apart from an expansive, nationwide state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure which our 4G LTE  network is predicated on, it is also riding on the much sought-after spectrum band 28. This gives it a strong edge,” Globacom explained.

Nenye Dom/GEE 

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Orange Business Services expands sales operations to Nigeria

ITRealms:

Business-to-Business (B2B) division of the Orange Group, the Orange Business Services, has extended its sales operations into the Nigeria’s market, reports ITRealms.

Confirming this in a press statement made available to ITRealms, Director, International Public Relations, Orange Business Services, Elizabeth Mayeri, said this expansion to Lagos, is a show of commitment to support enterprises in Africa with the expansion of its Lagos, Nigeria presence.

She also said that the establishment of a new sales office in addition to the existing customer support activities in the country, would assist senior IT decision makers with strategies to grasp the market opportunities being brought by digital transformation.

“The potential for businesses to expand in Nigeria is demonstrated by the size and rate of growth already achieved by existing Orange clients, especially in the financial sector,” she said.

Vice president, Africa at Orange Business Services, Giorgio Heiman, was quoted as saying, the expansion of Orange Business Services to Lagos would support the many Nigeria-based businesses who want to increase their business performance and profitability.

“We act as a trusted advisor to help our customers compete on an equal footing in what is rapidly becoming a global market. This includes competitive, high-quality IT services delivered in all countries in which they operate,” he said.

Stressing that Orange Business Services in Nigeria supports both Nigeria-based businesses, which are growing and transforming, thanks to digital technologies, and multinational companies from elsewhere on the continent and beyond, which are looking to expand within Africa.

“We place great emphasis on local presence in our markets. There are many growth opportunities in IT, particularly in high-growth markets like Nigeria and across West Africa, but these can only be harnessed if service providers have a local understanding of strategic, political and cultural sensitivities in a region. Orange delivers consistently reliable telecommunications across Africa, including hard-to-reach places and in jurisdictions where the regulatory environment is still developing,” Heiman said.

Remmy Nweke

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