NCS inducts 1,289 new members @2025 confab, signifies growth in Nigeria's tech sector - ITREALMS

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The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has officially welcomed some 1,289 new members at a recent induction ceremony in Kano, as part of the NCS's 2025 International Conference, reports ITREALMS.

This event, ITREALMS gathered was a significant expansion of Nigeria's professional IT community, with the largest group of inductees being the 800 ordinary members, a category that includes a wide range of professionals, students, and enthusiasts.

NDSF@15: DigitalSENSE Africa hosts awards, inducts fellows into Hall of Fame - ITREALMS

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At the Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development (NDSF@15, a set of the stakeholders were recognised for both their corporate and individual efforts in deepening Internet penetration in the country. PhotoSpeaks@ITREALMS.

NIPR inducts Techeconomy’s editor, Peter Oluka, 604 others as members - ITREALMS

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Peter Oluka, the editor of Techeconomy, was among the 605 new members inducted into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) during its 60th anniversary celebration.

The induction ceremony, held as part of a week-long event culminating in an International Colloquium on June 20, 2024, took place in Garki, Abuja.

Forbes' council inducts Cybersafe founder, Staveley - ITREALMS

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Nigeria’s digital icon and founder of Cybersafe, Confidence Staveley, has been inducted into the famous Forbes Technology Council (FTC), reports ITREALMS.

With this, Staveley becomes the first Nigerian female to be inducted into the famed Forbes Technology Council.

MRA inducts CommTech into ‘FOI Hall of Shame’ - ITREALMS

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The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has inducted the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology into its “Freedom of Information (FOI) Hall of Shame”, accusing the Ministry of extremely poor performance in its implementation of the Act over the last seven years, reports ITREALMS.

MRA’s Programme Officer, Mr. Idowu Adewale, announced the selection of the Ministry as this week’s inductee in a statement issued in Lagos, saying “the Ministry’s overall performance in the implementation of the FOI Act since the enactment of the Law in 2011 has been extremely poor and certainly falls far short of what is required of public institutions covered by the Act”.

According to Mr. Adewale, MRA’s analysis of the Attorney-General of the Federation’s annual statutory reports to the National Assembly on the implementation of the FOI Act between 2011 and 2017, shows that out of the seven annual reports which the Ministry ought to have submitted to the Attorney-General under Section 29 of the Act as of February 1, 2018, the Ministry has only submitted one report for 2011 to date.

The Ministry, established in 2011, is charged, amongst other things, with the tasks of fostering a knowledge-based economy and information society in Nigeria; facilitating ICT as a key tool in the transformation agenda for Nigeria in the areas of job creation, economic growth and transparency of governance as well as creating and formulating policies that will propel the Nigerian economy to a digitized economy.

Explaining the reasons for the Ministry’s induction, Mr. Adewale said the institution was assessed based on its level of compliance with its duties and obligations in five areas of the FOI Act and the Attorney-General’s Guidelines on the Implementation of the Act, which are: its obligation to provide information to members of the public on request, its duty to submit annual implementation reports to the Attorney-General of the Federation, its proactive publications obligations; its duty to train its staff and officials on the public’s right of access to information as well as its obligation to designate an FOI Desk Officer and proactively publish the title and address of the official.

Noting that the Ministry performed woefully in most of the categories, he added that the failure of the institution to consistently submit its annual implementation reports to the Attorney-General of the Federation had also made it impossible to determine the number of applications for information that it has received, the number of such applications that it processed as well as the number of requests for information it has granted or denied over the years.

Mr. Adewale accused the Ministry of breaching section 2 of the FOI Act, which requires all public institutions to proactively publish some categories of information even without anyone making any request for such information as well as to update such information regularly and whenever changes occur.

Explaining the potential benefits of the Ministry complying with its proactive disclosure obligations, he stressed that if it fulfils this obligation, it would find that the pressure on it arising from receiving and having to process too many FOI requests would be considerably reduced.

He accused the Ministry of not having published either on any its website, or anywhere else, the 16 categories of information that it is required by the Act to publish and disseminate widely to members of the public through various means, including print, electronic and online.

According to him, although Section 13 of the FOI Act requires every government or public institution to ensure the provision of appropriate training for its officials on the public’s right of access to the information and records that it holds for the effective implementation of the Act, these there is no indication that the Ministry has fulfilled this obligation as there is no information available about its training of its staff on the Act.

On the Ministry’s obligation to designate an FOI Desk Officer, Mr. Adewale said although the Database of FOI Desk Officers available at the Federal Ministry of Justice, which is the oversight institution for the implementation of the FOI Act, shows that the Ministry has designated an official to whom requests for information should be made, the Ministry itself has failed to publish the title and address of the officer on its website or anywhere else, as required by Section 2(3)(f) of the Act.

He urged, the Ministry to make good use of its website to proactively publish those categories of information which the Act requires all public institutions to proactively disclose, adding that by so doing, the Ministry would not only put itself in a good stead as regards the implementation of the FOI Act, but would also lessen the burden of repeatedly processing individual requests for information from citizens touching on those issues.

Mr. Adewale called upon the Minister of Communication Technology, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, to take urgent steps to ensure the provision of appropriate training for the staff and officials of the Ministry so as to acquaint them with their duties and obligations under the FOI Act, which would hopefully lead to improved compliance with and implementation of the Act by the Ministry.

Launched in July 2017, the FOI “Hall of Shame” highlights public officials and institutions that are undermining the effectiveness of the FOI Act through their actions, inactions, utterances, and decisions.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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MRA inducts Eko Electricity disregards FOI Act, joins ‘Hall of Shame’

ITREALMS:

The MediaRights Agenda (MRA) has inducted the Eko Electricity Distribution Company(EKEDC) into the Freedom of Information (FOI) Hall of Shame for disregarding the FOI Act, reports ITRealms.

EKEDC, ITRealms gathered had demonstrated failure to comply with FOI Act’s obligations under the Act since it was passed into Law seven years ago.

MRA’s Programme Manager, Digital Rights, Ms. Eseohe Ojo, in a press statement made available to ITRealms, stated that as an institution charged with the provision of a critical public service such as electricity distribution, the EKEDC ought to understand the importance of accountability and public access to information and as such should not be found to be refusing to comply with its obligations under the FOI Act.

The Eko Electricity Distribution Company came into existence following the passage of the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Bill, which was signed into Law on March 11, 2005 by then President Olusegun Obasanjo. The company caters to the southern part of Lagos State and Agbara in Ogun State.

Although the company states that it has zero tolerance for any form of anti-customer practice by any staff and has empowered its Anti-corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) to thoroughly investigate all reported cases and apply appropriate sanctions where necessary, its actions demonstrate a lack of transparency, Ms Ojo said.

She pointed out that many of the challenges confronting the institution could have been avoided if the EKEDC complied with the provisions of the FOI Act and had chosen to uphold transparency and accountability principles.

Ms Ojo noted that an institution such as the EKEDC that has been plagued by protests in response to eight months of power outages in some areas; which has suffered up to N1 billion in losses in three years due to energy theft; has been castigated for its refusal to provide pre-paid meters to some of its customers; and has had to face an angry public response over alleged unfair and exorbitant estimated billing system should be more committed to upholding the values of responsibility, accountability and integrity.

She said for the seventh consecutive year, the EKEDC has failed to submit an annual FOI implementation report to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), adding that the institution’s failure to do so has made it difficult to determine the number of applications for access to information that the institution has received each year since 2011 and the number of such applications that it processed and granted for any particular year or overall, if any.

Ms Ojo called on the EKEDC to follow up on its promises of high standards of ethics and safety as well as responsibility towards the community and the environment by complying with provisions of the FOI Act such as proactively publishing the categories of information directed by Section 2(3) of the Act, which requires every public institution to proactively publish certain categories of information.

She commended the institution for taking a step in the right direction by publishing its financial reports for 2014, 2015 and 2016 and dedicating a page on its website to its operations.  She however noted that the EKEDC needed to publish the 16 categories of information required under the Act, contending that the institution had not even made a dent in the list.

Ms Ojo stressed that although the EKEDC says on its website that it runs as a regulated business, the FOI Act makes it clear under Section 2(7) that it is a public institutions, as it describes such institutions “as all authorities whether executive, legislative, or judicial, agencies, ministries, and extra-ministerial departments of the government, together with all corporations established by law and all companies in which government has a controlling interest, and private companies utilising public funds, providing public services or performing public functions.”

Identifying other acts of non-compliance with the FOI Act, she said the EKEDC has failed to publish the title and address of an appropriate officer to whom applications for information from members of the public should be sent as mandated by Section 2(3) (f) of the FOI Act.

Nenye Dom/ED, Ops

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FOI hall of shame inducts NAICOM

ITREALMS:

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has named the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) as the latest inductee into its “Freedom of Information (FOI) Hall of Shame” reports ITRealms.

This is coming as MRA warned that the pervasive culture of lack of compliance with the FOI Act is eroding public trust in the government and its agencies.

MRA’s Programme Officer, Mr. John Gbadamosi, told ITRealms that NAICOM’s selection by MRA’s Programme Team, was based on the Commission’s failure to live by its core values which include transparency, integrity and efficiency, having also failed to implement and comply with most of its obligations under the FOI Act while denying citizens the right to obtain information from it.

Mr. Gbadamosi said: “We are extremely concerned that there appears to be an endless stream of public institutions just waiting to be inducted into the Freedom of Information Hall Shame, a recognition that no self-respecting institution should desire.”

He noted that “It is particularly worrisome that a public institution like NAICOM, established to foster public trust and confidence in the insurance system, prefers to operate in secrecy and disregard a fundamental law of the land aimed at enabling the public to access information about government and its agencies.”

Mr. Gbadamosi argued that in the face of such a pervasive attitude among so many public institutions, it is difficult for citizens to believe that government bodies are actually conducting their business in the interest of the public and that citizens can trust them.

He said: “It is apparent the public cynicism towards the government is on the increase as public trust and confidence in the government is being eroded at an alarming rate. There is no doubt that the lack of transparency and accountability is largely responsible for this situation as many agencies of government are decidedly but unnecessarily being secretive about their affairs.”

NAICOM is an agency of the Federal Government established by the National Insurance Commission Act of 1997 andtasked with responsibility for ensuring the effective administration, supervision, regulation and control of insurance business in Nigeria.

Itemizing NAICOM’s breaches of the FOI Act and its transparency obligations, Mr. Gbadamosi noted that: “Although the Commission has published some of its operational guidelines along with other financial reports, it has not fulfilled the rest of its proactive disclosure obligations under Section 2 of the FOI Act as it has not published either on its website or anywhere else, other categories of information that are part of the 16 classes of information that the Act requires all public institutions to proactively publish and disseminate widely to members of the public through various means, including print, electronic and online sources”.

In particular, he pointed out that the Commission has not designated an officer to whom requests for information should be sent, and has also not proactively published the title and address of the officer either on its website or anywhere else, as required by Section 2(3)(f) of the Act and the FOI Implementation Guidelines issued by the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Mr. Gbadamosi also accused the Commission of failing to comply with its obligation under Section 29 of the Act by failing to submit any of the seven reports it ought to have submitted as of February 1, 2018 to the Attorney- General of the Federation on its implementation of the FOI Act since the enactment of the Law in 2011.

He cited information from the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), an Abuja-based non-governmental organisation, indicating that NAICOM has not consistently responded to requests for information.

For instance, Mr. Gbadamosi said, NAICOM did not respond to a request for information dated January 30, 2015, made by PPDC under the FOI Act in which the organization asked for details of the sums approved for the Commission as capital warrants in the first, second, third and fourth quarters of 2014.

He recounted that NAICOM also failed to respond to an FOI request made to it on August 16, 2016 by PPDC, which asked for the list of contracts awarded by it in the year 2015 and the procurement plan within its approval threshold for the year 2016.

He added that although PPDC sent a reminder about the request to NAICOM on September 5, 2016, there has been no response till date.

Mr. Gbadamosi said NAICOM also refused to respond to another application for information made on January 25, 2017 by PPDC, requesting records of payment for capital projects released to it in 2016, the list of contracts awarded by NAICOM in 2016 and the procurement plan within its approval threshold for the year 2017.

He contended that since the requested information did not fall under any of the exemptions in the Act, it can be deduced that the only logical reason why the Commission refused to provide the information or respond to the request is its total disregard for the FOI Act and other laws of Nigeria, adding that “the information should ordinarily have been proactively published both under the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and Section 2 of the FOI Act”

Mr. Gbadamosi noted that NAICOM has also failed to comply with Section 13 of the FOI Act, which requires all public institutions to train their officials on the public’s right of access to information and to equip relevant officials with the skills to ensure the effective implementation of the Act.

MRA called on the management of NAICOM to take urgent measures to improve the image of the Commission by putting systems in place to ensure that it complies with all its obligations under the FOI Act and the guidelines issued by the Attorney-General of the Federation.

It also urged the Attorney-General of the Federation to step up his efforts at ensuring the effective implementation of the FOI Act by ensuring that NAICOM and other public institutions to which the Act applies comply with and implement its provisions.

Launched on July 3, 2017, the FOI Hall of Shame focuses attention on public officials and institutions that are undermining the effectiveness of the FOI Act through their actions, inactions, utterances and decisions.

Nonye Dom/GEE

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MRA inducts Federal Ministry of Agriculture into ‘FOI Hall of Shame’

ITRealms:

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has inducted the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) into its Freedom of Information (FOI) Hall of Shame, reports ITRealms.

FMARD, ITRealms gathered was indicted for failure to implement the FOI Act 2011 and its “unjustifiable assault on the rights of citizens to demand information from public institutions.”

MRA’s Legal Officer, Ms Chioma Nwaodike informed ITRealms, that the Ministry was not only in complete breach of all its obligations under the FOI Act, but had also exhibited an inexcusable intolerance for the rights of citizens and civic groups to hold public institutions accountable in accordance with the Law.

FMARD, ITRealms reports, is charged with performing regulatory functions in the areas of agricultural research, agriculture and natural resources, forestry and veterinary research all over Nigeria, thus the supervisory ministry for some 46 Federal parastatals across the country, made up of 13 agencies, 17 agricultural research institutes and 16 Federal Colleges of Agricultural Education.

“The question that comes to mind is how a regulatory institution, primarily funded by the Federal Government, which claims to focus on measures to maximize the full participation of stakeholders in its activities, including farmer’s associations, cooperatives, NGOs, CBOs, CSOs, development partners and the private sector, canwillfully and persistently refuse to comply with its statutory duties and obligations under the FOI Act, a key instrument that can facilitate and enhance such stakeholder participation and inclusiveness,” she said.

Nwaodike observed that despite the Ministry’s admission that it is primarily funded by the Federal Government, it is not known to have responded positively to any FOI request made to it, including a number of requests by civil society organizations such as the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) and the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC).

On the contrary Ms Nwaodike recounted, on July 24, 2016, the Ministry, through the office of its Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh, launched an unwarranted and scathing public attack against the CSJ for exercising its rights under the FOI Act.

The CSJ had written to the Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh, under the FOI Act, asking him to release details and a copy of a N25 billion egg production contract he signed with Tuns Farms Nigeria Limited, information on how Tuns Farms Nigeria Limited was selected for the contract, and if the contract was advertised in any newspaper in compliance with the provisions of Public Procurement Act, a request which was ignored.

Following the Minister’s refusal to respond to the request or provide the information sought by CSJ, the organization filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, in accordance with the provisions of the FOI Act, seeking to compel the Minister to provide it with the information requested.

The Minister’s office thereupon issued a statement on July 24, 2016, evidencing its contempt for the rights of citizens to seek information under the FOI Act, asking Nigerians to disregard the “outbursts of a group acting under the pretext of fighting in public interest by trying to sue the Honourable Minister.”

Describing the CSJ, which is a registered and highly respected civil society organization in Nigeria, as “the self-styled civil rights group, that addressed itself as Centre for Social Justice”, the Minister’s office said “the group, acting on mere imagination and insinuation, without any fact check, is seeking to ask the Minister to release details and copy of the N25bn contract he signed with Tuns Farms Nigeria Limited.”

For its audacity in exercising its right to seek information under the FOI Act, the Minister’s office described the CSJ as “a mechanism for distraction to bring discontent against the laudable initiative of the Honourable Minister who understands the problems of the poultry sector and has come up with a private sector-led solution to increasing egg production in Nigeria.”

Also, Ms Nwaodike observed that over the last six years, the Ministry has failed to perform one of its key obligations under the FOI Act, which is to proactively publish information relating to the receipt or expenditure of public or other funds of the institution, information containing applications for any contracts made by or between the institution and another public institution, as well as the names, salaries, title and dates of employment of all employees and officers of the institution; and other information which it is required to disclose in accordance with Section 2 of the Act.

She also noted that “in the six years since the enactment of the FOI Act, the Ministry had failed woefully in complying with the provisions of Section 29 of the Act, which requires the Ministry, like all other public institutions, to on or before February 1 of each year, submit to the Attorney-General of the Federation a report of its implementation of the FOI Act covering the preceding fiscal year.”

“Despite the provisions of Section 13 of the FOI Act, there is also no indication that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has at any time in the last six years provided the required training for its officials on the public’s right of access to information or to equip relevant officials with the skills to ensure the effective implementation of the Act,” she said.

Besides, Ms Nwaodike said, the Ministry has not complied with Section 2(3)(f) of the FOI Act, which requires the agency, as a public institution, to designate an appropriate officer to whom applications for information under the Act should be sent and to proactively publish the title and address of the officer.

Launched on July 3, 2017, the FOI Hall of Shame focuses attention on public officials and institutions that are undermining the effectiveness of the FOI Act through their actions, inactions, utterances and decisions. 

Ogochukwu Nebenanya/GEE 

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Lagos Archdiocese inducts CAMPAN, Osu charges members on selflessness

ITRealms:

The Archdiocese of Lagos has inducted members of the Catholic Media Practitioners of Nigeria (CAMPAN), reports ITRealms.

Performing the ceremony at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Northern Foreshore, Lekki in Lagos, the host and Director, Social Communications Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Monsignor Gabriel Osu said that as Catholics, particularly media practitioners, noting that CAMPAN operates under his office and its also operational in all diocese and archdioceses across the country with the blessing of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria.

He admonished CAMPAN members as Catholic Communicators to be selfless in their support for their church at all times.

“You are expected to give your time, talent and treasures for the advancement of the gospel,” he declared.

Osu also urged members to pull their resources together by bringing their respective expertise and resources towards achieving greatness.

He assured CAMPAN of necessary support from the Church and His Grace, Most. Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins, provided they abide by the norms of the Mother Church, insisting that they must strive to be truly professionals in all they do so as to bring glory to God.

He recalled that CAMPAN has been in existence in the country over three decades now before fatigue crept in, he expressed delight that finally CAMPAN has come back to life, under Mr. Tony Agbugba as President.

Earlier in his welcome address after the induction ceremony cum mass, Mr. Agbugba said that Communication is at the heart of the Church’s activities, urging CAMPAN members to see themselves as selected few called to utilize their talents, tools of trade and strategic positions to evangelize and defend the Church at all times.

“In doing this, we are invariably taking part in the priestly office of teaching,” he declared.

Agbugba said that under the umbrella of Signis, CAMPAN is a better organized body poised to take its pride of place among the most vibrant lay organisations in the Church.

“We are working also assiduously to partner with other bodies within and outside the Church to ensure the promotion of godly values in our society. By God’s grace, we shall lead while others follow,” he assured.

In addition, he implored other lay organisations and stakeholders in the Church to support CAMPAN to enable the group effectively communicate Christ in tandem with its motto, pointing out that task ahead are enormous, “so also the rewards that comes from the Almighty.”

Over 30 members drawn from various parishes in Lagos Archdiocese participated in the first induction exercise.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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