New feat for McEnies, secures FCDO, UK Met deal on Nigeria’s flood control - ITREALMS

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The McEnies Global Communications has achieved a new feat with the sealing a contract with UK Met Office to develop improved communications practices on weather information and work out meaningful communication strategies to mitigate against perennial flooding in Nigeria, reports ITREALMS.

The project which is being sponsored by UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will bring together several relevant government agencies, like Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), etc while also engaging in some desk-based research and consultations.

WASSCE feat: Ikpeazu offers scholarship to 17 Abia students

ITRealms:

The Abia state Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has congratulated students and teachers in the state over the ranking of the state as the number one state in the May/June 2015 West African School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result as released by the West African Examination Council.

The Chief Press Secretary, Enyinnaya Appolos, said in a press statement available to ITRealms in recognition of the excellent  performance of the schools and students in the state's school system, said Ikpeazu has approved the award of tertiary education scholarship to the best students from each of the 17 local government areas of the state in any Nigerian tertiary institution.

Governor Ikpeazu has directed the Commissioner for Education, Professor Ikechi Mgboji, to forward to him the list of the best student from each LGA of the state in the 2015 WASSCE examination results to enable him.

The Governor also directed that, going forward, the best performing student in WASCE from each of the 17 LGAs will receive automatic tertiary education scholarship from the state government.

It will be recalled that West African Examination Council (WAEC) recently released details of the performance of students by state and Abia State came first as the best performing state, while 35 other states and Abuja queued behind.

Abia State has consistently maintained top position in the WASSCE performance chart in the past five years.

In results released for 2014 and 2013 Abia came second behind Anambra State but has now overtaken Anambra state as the overall best and 1st in the WASSCE performance chart for 2015 examinations. The State topped the chart with 33, 762 of its 52, 801 candidates, scoring 63.94 per cent.

The Governor is challenging the Commissioner, teachers and students in the state to ensure that the state maintains this top position, promising that he will do everything possible to ensure  much more improved students and teachers welfare that will enhance the performance of Abia students in future examinations.

Recall that Governor Ikpeazu recently donated 3 cars to the best primary teachers from each senatorial zone of the state.

Ikpeazu who was a University teacher prior to his emergence as Governor is also appealing to private individuals and organizations to support his "adopt a school" program and help his administration fast track infrastructural renewal in Abia Schools.

He is also committed to ensuring that the recently launched school feeding program, which the Abia State Government is doing in partnership with farmers in the state, is sustained.

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Galaxy Backbone achieves secure critical national ICT infrastructure

ITRealms:

*Ilukwe hands over to Kazaure

Leading Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services provider to the Federal Government, Galaxy Backbone Ltd, has achieved yet another feat in securing critical national ICT infrastructure, reports ITRealms.

This is coming as the outgoing Managing Director, Mr. Gerald Ilukwe has smoothly handed over to his successor, Mr. Yusuf Kazaure.

According to Mr. Franklyn Ginger-Eke of Stakeholder Management unit, Galaxy Backbone Ltd in a press statement made available to ITRealms, this achievement positions Galaxy as first public institution in Nigeria and sub-Sahara Africa to achieve certification with a newer version-ISO27001:2013 by the British Standard Institute (BSI).

ITRealms notes that Galaxy Backbone Ltd received the certificate for the newer version - ISO27001:2013 from the British Standard Institute this week, after undergoing Information and Security Management Systems (ISMS) verification and recertification audit exercise in June 2014.

He also revealed that Galaxy received the initial certification to ISO/IEC 27001:2005 in 2011, stressing that certification was valid for 3 years and expired on 5^th July 2014 and thus threw up the need for a fresh assessment for Galaxy to retain the certification.

Adducing reasons for the recertification of the initial version - ISO27001:2005 and transition to the newer version, Igoji Owoicho, Head of Internal Audit and driver of ISMS in Galaxy Backbone, pointed out that based on BSI rules, “companies already certified against the ISO/IEC 27001:2005 revision will have to transit to a newer version which came in to force in October 2013.”

Owoicho said that the company focused on the key objective of putting in place a globally accepted standard of information security management process that would guarantee the trustworthiness of its data centre services and Network Operations Centre.

“The certification has increased the confidence of our customers and key stakeholders to our commitment to benchmark international best practices in our business processes,” Owoicho said.

The certification, he further said, reinforces the important role of ICT as a major tool towards the attainment of a 21^st century economy and society.

“With the certification, Galaxy Backbone is well positioned to support Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the delivery of efficient and cost-effective services to Nigerians,” he said.

The outgoing Managing Director/Chief Executive, Galaxy Backbone, Gerald Ilukwe, said that the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification is an independent revalidation of our ability to protect information assets from all manner of threats.

Galaxy Backbone, Ilukwe said, they used the opportunity of the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification to raise stakeholder awareness on information security issues such as cyber security, information security, disaster recovery and business continuity planning and its implications for supporting the role of ICT in governance and national development.

Remmy Nweke:

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Pix: Yusuf Kazaure, MD/CE Galaxy Backbone Ltd in a congratulatory handshake with Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, SGF and Chairman, Board of Directors, Galaxy Backbone Ltd at a valedictory board meeting and formal presentation of handover notes by Gerald Chukwuka Ilukwe, outgoing MD.