Digital Lab unveils 'Innovations Map' - ITREALMS

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The Digital Lab, a Libyan initiative fostering innovation and digital transformation, has officially launched its highly anticipated innovations map platform, reports ITREALMS.

The user-friendly online tool, ITREALMS gathered will serve as a comprehensive resource, connecting innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors across the country.

Ogun State enters Smart City map with MainOne partnership

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The gateway state, Ogun State has entered the list of Nigerian states warming up for smart city with its latest partnership with MainOne, reports ITRealms.

MainOne, a communications service and network solutions company, ITRealms gathered, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ogun State government to build two hundred and fifty (250) kilometres of Optic Fibre cable to further enhance internet connectivity for service institutions in commercial areas of the state, with a view to becoming the smart city.

While signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Secretary to Ogun State Government, Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa, explained that technological infrastructure was part of the efforts of the government to take the State on the technological highway, and pave the path for Smart City development in Ogun State. According to Adeoluwa, MainOne would invest in building broadband infrastructure in Ogun State while Ogun State Government would enable ICT development by ensuring free Right of Way (RoW) to the company to ensure the success of the project.

The SSG who also hinted that the agreement would ensure the construction of data centre in Sagamu interchange said the target of the government was for Lagos to be feeding on Ogun. In his words, “We’ve been working hard and desperate to leave a system-driven environment. The MoU we have signed in the short term is for a 30-year tenure and that would tell you we’ve not done it for ourselves but for the benefit of Ogun State, our youths and children unborn.”

“Today, we are taking Ogun State to the next level, people still have no idea of what is erupting at the Business District but we what are doing now is in line with our resolve to deploy bigger infrastructure to support technological investors in the state. MainOne would be giving us points in 12 locations now; our model schools would be connected, the secretariat would be connected and other public buildings’’, Adeoluwa noted.

With this partnership with MainOne, Ogun State has joined the Smart City State train and is poised to enable its emergence as a leading technology hub in Nigeria, similar to MainOne’s initiatives in Yaba’s Innovation Hub. Experts believe this project will greatly improve quality of life for Ogun indigenes and accelerate the digital transformation of businesses across the state.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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What Google map will do to Nigerian economy

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Still wondering the benefits of Google map to the Nigerian economy, then listen to what the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said, leveraging on technology, particularly digital mapping, will boost tourism in Nigeria, reports ITRealms.

The Minister disclosed in Abuja on Friday at the launch of the Economic Value of Geospatial Services in Nigeria, stressing that the country looks forward becoming a major tourism destination in Africa, technologies such as Google Map, but more specifically Street View put forward by Google, will become increasingly important on that front.

“We hope to see even more value as increasing numbers of people use tools like Google Street View to explore Nigeria," he said.

A press statement by the Special Assistant to Hon Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi, made available to ITRealms, quoted Mohammed as saying, geospatial technology will not only benefit local users but that it is also a veritable tool that can also be incredibly powerful in drawing tourists to the country.

"We know this because we’ve seen the impact that StreetView has had in destinations around Africa. In South Africa, for instance, people can take a guided tour of Robben Island, the prison which held Nelson Mandela and many other South African freedom fighters during apartheid.

"In Kenya, meanwhile, users can take virtual treks through some of the country’s most famous game reserves. And in Tanzania, people can get up close and personal with the chimpanzees of Gombe National Park, thanks to a partnership between Google and the Jane Goodall foundation.

"These are all examples of how giving people a taste of a place they have not visited is a powerful incentive to get them to experience the real thing. We look forward to doing the same in Nigeria, as we show off our own natural and cultural heritage," he said.

The Minister said the interconnectedness between technology and tourism will assist in bringing in foreign capital as well as the growth of other industries including hospitality, retail and transport.

"It also promotes and encourages patronage of local agriculture and creative industries as well as manufactured products by operators in the tourism industry. That’s especially important as we look to cement our place as Africa’s largest economy," he said.

Also, Mohammed, who commended the laudable initiative by Google, said the ability to simply search for a location and get real-time directions there has made the lives of the people much more convenient.

"I’d like to say that events such as this one offer a powerful reminder of how impactful partnerships between government and private companies like Google can be - to grow our local businesses and strengthen our economy. If digital mapping services have made such a difference in the last five years, we can only imagine what the next five will bring. We look forward to growing this fruitful relationship in the coming years and seeing what Google comes up with next," he said.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE 

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Sportsbook MasterClass to map key principles for Gaming Africa

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The Course Director, Totally Gaming Academy Sportsbook Management course, Lee Richardson, has said that they are set to map key principles for Gaming Africa, reports ITRealms.

Lee, who is also is the Chief Executive and Founder of Gaming Economics, outlined the importance of training slated for October 24 and 25, and how some jurisdictions are placing greater importance on a well-trained gaming workforce.

 As said by him, each MasterClass deliver is tailored to suit audience which is exactly as what was packaged for the Latin American delegates who attended Juegos Miami earlier this year -- and this will be no different.

Whilst many of the principles of managing a sportsbook are similar throughout the world, aspects such as betting patterns, consumer behaviour, marketing regulations and licensing regimes are always different. The MasterClass reflects that, whilst ensuring the core sportsbook management principles are covered.

Essentially, he said, delegates will leave the MasterClass with a solid appreciation of five key elements of operating a successful sportsbook; perspective, profit, product, planning and people. It will give all delegates a reliable framework to adapt and adopt for their own operation, whether theirs is already established, developing or in start-up mode.

“I think it varies enormously around the world, with clear evidence that no ‘one size fits all’. This might mean very ‘light-touch’ from one regulator, through to others who want qualified individuals to hold Personal Operating Licenses, with all the due-diligence that should go alongside that ‘standard’ he said.

The scope of industry training able to deliver through specialist courses and associated MasterClasses, clearly helps with that degree of due-diligence, and should help raise standards.

Ogo Nebenanya/GEE 

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Facebook unveils population density map data

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Facebook has unveiled its Population Density Map data to the public, reports ITRealms.

In unveiling this, the Strategic Products Partnerships Manager, Facebook, Emeka Afigbo, noted that government policymakers, academics and local organisations will all benefit from access to this rich dataset.

According to him, the dataset comes with potential applications such as socio-economic research, infrastructure planning, and risk assessment for natural disasters.

"To start, Facebook has shared data sets for Malawi, South Africa, Ghana, Haiti, and Sri Lanka, and they can be found on the website of CIESIN at Columbia University. More countries will be added over the coming months," he said.

Meanwhile, the first FbStart Meetup in Africa held in South Africa with over 150 developers and entrepreneurs.

During this half-day event, ITRealms reports that attendees met the Facebook team, learnt about Facebook platform tools for developers, and saw how Facebook works with mobile app start-ups through the FbStart programme.

“It would not be possible for us to accomplish our mission of making the world more open and connected without the help of developers and other partners in our community,”  Afigbo said, stressing that they were delighted by the excellent turnout for the workshop and excited by the possibilities of the great ideas seen from the delegates at the FbStart event.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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