NGE pushes for tax exemptions to save Nigerian media's watchdog role - ITREALMS

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The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has yet to secure a formal policy action or legal instrument on its request for corporate tax relief and VAT exemptions for the media industry, but President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has publicly "endorsed" and committed to "consider" the comprehensive proposals for fiscal incentives and other interventions, reports ITREALMS.

During the opening of the 21st All Nigerian Editors Conference (ANEC) in Abuja, NGE President Mr. Eze Anaba passionately pleaded for a 5–10 year tax holiday and VAT exemption on essential inputs to save the media’s struggling business model and ensure its constitutional watchdog function, noting that the inability to pay salaries due to soaring production costs, with newsprint alone rising to 1.3$ million to 1.4$ million per tonne, threatens the very existence of many newsrooms.

NOG: VivaJets underscores private aviation’s role in Africa’s Oil and Gas Industry - ITREALMS

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Innovative private aviation firm, VivaJets, has underscored the crucial role of private aviation in Africa’s oil and gas industry. 

The start-up aviation firm was a sponsor and exhibitor at the recently-concluded Nigerian Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week in Abuja, where its executives made a case for why private aviation must be viewed as an important enabler in Africa’s ongoing energy transformation.

ABoICT Awards 2025: Celebrating ICT’s role in Nigeria’s economic growth - ITREALMS

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The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in Nigeria has experienced tremendous growth over the past two decades, significantly contributing to the country's GDP and transforming various aspects of society.

The sector's impact on the economy, education, healthcare, and governance has been profound, with numerous organizations and individuals playing key roles in its development.

Natasha and Akpabio @odds: Social media role in search of standards, integrity, accountability - ITREALMS

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REMMY NWEKE in this episode of Telecoms Clinic examined the central role of social media in escalation of the feud between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio as the National Assembly searches for standards, integrity, accountability and mutual respect.

Preamble:
Recently, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio have been at odds. The tension between them escalated when Akpabio ordered Senator Natasha's removal from the Senate chamber due to her refusal to move to a new seat as part of a revised seating arrangement.

Eko Revenue Plus Summit 2024: Olatunji stresses role of data in unlocking IGR - ITREALMS

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The National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, has stressed the role of data protection in unlocking Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for Lagos State, the commercial centre of the nation, reports ITREALMS.

Olatunji in his goodwill message to the Eko Revenue Plus Summit 2024 in Lagos with the theme “Unlocking New Revenue Streams for Lagos State,” emphasised that Lagos State’s role as a commercial hub of Nigeria and indeed Africa with accompanying large population, thriving housing market, and robust education and healthcare infrastructure, has the potential to unlock its IGR.

UN representative demands increased role for women in shifting global geopolitics - ITREALMS

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The chairperson of the 12th anniversary Lecture of Realnews Magazine, Beatrice Eyong, has declared that Africa must positively improve the conditions and status of women and girls in order to take the rightful place in the world's shifting geopolitics, reports ITREALMS.

In her contribution to the theme: “Africa in World Shifting Geopolitics: Matters Arising on Demography, Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Natural Resources” held on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, Eyong, who is the UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, noted that the global economy will grow by trillions if women could equally participate in the economy and have equal pay.

VP Quaynor emphasizes crucial role of public-private partnerships for African development - ITREALMS

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African Development Bank Group Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure, and Industrialization, Solomon Quaynor, recently concluded a two-day visit to South Korea, with emphasized on the crucial role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in advancing African infrastructure development.

During his September 9-10 visit, Quaynor delivered a keynote address at the Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference (GICC) and engaged with leaders from Korean government agencies and the private sector. He encouraged them to explore the vast investment opportunities in Africa and highlighted the upcoming Africa Investment Forum, set to take place in Rabat, Morocco, from December 4-6.

Kyari emphasizes role of gas in driving industrialisation - ITREALMS

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The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) Mr. Mele Kyari, has reiterated the crucial role of natural gas in fueling economic growth and industrial development in Nigeria.

Kyari, who was speaking at the public presentation of the book "The Rise of Gas: From Gaslink to the Decade of Gas" authored by Engr. Charles A. Osezua, the GCEO highlighted gas' global acceptance as a crucial energy source that sustains economic growth and drives industrial activities.

Kyari highlights energy security’s role in wealth creation - ITREALMS

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The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mr. Mele Kyari, has said that no public wealth creation endeavour could achieve any meaningful success without energy security.

A press statement by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd, Olufemi O. Soneye, quoted the GCEO stated this in a presentation at the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) Public Wealth Management Conference which held in Abuja on Tuesday.

ICT plays critical role in combating financial crimes says EVC Maida - ITREALMS

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The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has said that Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) play critical role in combating financial crimes, reports ITREALMS.

Speaking at the 11th annual lecture organised at the Lagos Sheraton, Ikeja on Tuesday by the RealNews Magazine & Publications Limited, as the guest of honour, Dr. Maida who dwelt on "Using ICT to fight illicit financial flows' posited that ICT has critical role to play beginning with the offering of the enabling real-time surveillance, regulatory compliance and secure data processing.

Mshelbila: Gas to play a significant role in Africa’s energy mix - ITREALMS

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Natural gas should and will play a significant role in Africa’s energy mix to meet the demands arising from rapid population growth and economic expansion, as well as the need for affordable access to clean energy and supply security for industrialisation, according to Dr. Philip Mshelbila, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG).

Dr. Mshelbila made these remarks during a strategic session at the recently concluded 2023 Gastech Exhibition and Conference in Singapore, where he discussed Africa’s role in increasing supply resilience in the energy transition context. He stated that African gas could enhance global energy security by increasing gas production, ensuring a steady supply source despite rising domestic consumption, and the growth of floating LNG, facilitating the rapid delivery of gas products to the market.

COP27: Role of digital technologies in achieving zero-carbon economy by Aveva - ITREALMS

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Global leader in industrial software, driving digital transformation and sustainability, AVEVA, will highlight how digital technologies can support public-private partnerships and unlock innovation to close the implementation gap on climate change at COP27.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference 2022 is being held on November 6-18 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. A sponsor of the parallel Climate Action Innovation Zone, AVEVA believes trusted data-led technologies are essential to decarbonization, driving responsible use of the world’s resources and delivering innovative, climate-forward products in the net-zero economy. 

WEETS 2022: NITDA explains role of women in digital economy - ITREALMS

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has explained that women's participation is crucial in the digital economy pursuit being championed by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

The Head of Servicom Unit at NITDA, Mrs. Tariundu Ndoni, who gave a goodwill message on behalf of the DG, Malam Kashifu Inuwa at the 2022 Nigerian Women Entrepreneurship & Executives In Tech Summit (WEETS) held in Lagos, noted that with women's participation in ICT below 24 per cent, it has become essential to empower and encourage them to consider studies and careers in ICT to bridge the existing technology gender gap.

Transformative role of technology in Africa - ITREALMS

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Transformative role of technology:
Digitalization’s importance for developing countries, including the 33 African least developed countries (LDCs) has become increasingly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the growing role of digital technologies since the onset of the pandemic, many African LDCs have not been able to fully benefit from the quick development of the digital economy due to existing barriers like weak skills development or a lack of necessary supportive infrastructure.

Ecuador joins GAC @ICANN62, insist ICANN has role in ensuring access - ITREALMS Online

ITREALMS:

Ecuador has joined the GovernmentAdvisory Committee (GAC) at the just concluded Policy Forum of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) held in Panama City, reports ITRealms.

With this, Ecuador as a new member of GAC, brings the number of GAC members to 177.

ITRealms notes that GAC provides advice to the ICANN Board on policy matters where there may be an interaction between ICANN’s policies and various laws, international agreements and public policy objectives.

GAC Advice is communicated to the ICANN Board through either a Communique or a formal piece of Correspondence.

The GAC welcomed the efforts by all parts of the community to address the issue of access to nonpublic WHOIS data as well as the initiative taken by ICANN in proposing a framework to guide discussions on a new access model.

ICANN has an important role to play in ensuring that there is a clear and well-coordinated process in place. In the discussion, the GAC noted the negative impact that the lack of timely access to non-public WHOIS data is having on different user groups and expressed a desire to achieve more consistent and timely access.

The GAC expressed its commitment to working together with ICANN and the Community in this process and – in a first step – intends to provide detailed comments on the Unified Access Model as soon as possible after ICANN62. The GAC was of the opinion that solutions should be implemented as soon as they become available.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Broadband, playing increasing role in development – UN

ITRealms:

The United Nations (UN) Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development has released annual country-by-country data on state of broadband access worldwide, reports ITRealms.

Released ahead of the Commission's fall meeting in New York City on 17 September, and amid the UN General Assembly taking place 12-25 September, also in New York, UN noted that, broadband technologies are today driving substantial transformation in many development-related sectors including health, education, financial inclusion and food security, making them a key accelerator towards achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), says a new report released by the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development.

The report, entitled The State of Broadband 2017: Broadband Catalyzing Sustainable Development, comes with alongside annual State of Broadband report which is a unique global snapshot of broadband network access and affordability, with country-by-country data measuring broadband access against key advocacy targets set by the Commission in 2011.

"Broadband is crucial to connecting people to the resources needed to improve their livelihoods, and to the world achieving the Sustainable Development Goals," said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao, who serves as co-Vice Chair of the Commission with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. "The goals for education, gender equality and infrastructure include bold targets for information and communication technology.

The State of Broadband 2017 report, ITRealms gathered, outlined how broadband is already contributing to this and makes valuable recommendations for how it could increase this contribution into the future.

Also, the report examined global trends in broadband connectivity and technologies, reflects on policy and regulatory developments, as well as the applications of broadband for sustainable development. It also presents several policy recommendations.

ITRealms  equally gathered that promoting investment in broadband connectivity from a broad range of sectors, the report had noted, could help achieve the full potential of these technologies and bring the world closer to the goal of an inclusive digital society accessible by all.

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Cloud strategists brain storm in Mauritius, Oracle commends Africa’s role

ITRealms:

The exchange of best practices and gaining expert insights from top cloud strategists was the key focus for Oracle customers who took part in Oracle’s two day long ‘Africa Executive Summit’ that concluded at the weekend in Mauritius, reports ITRealms.

Oracle also used the opportunity to commend its role on the continent as far as cloud is concerned, saying that ‘Africa Executive Summit’ hosted in Mauritius drove awareness and highlighted the impact of Oracle Cloud Solutions for business growth.

Claire Alexander of Oracle Corporate Communications, informed ITRealms that dozens of customers gathered to understand various aspects of the cloud adoption process including capacity building, innovation, security and the ability to leverage Internet of Things (IoT) for driving business growth with Oracle cloud solutions.

The Vice President of the Russia, Africa and Central Europe at Oracle, Janusz Naklicki, said cloud adoption in Africa is growing at a rapid pace as organizations now realise that cloud offers them speed, value and better return on investment (ROI).

“Africa is a priority market for us and the Africa Executive Summit is in line with our commitment to further drive this interest and support our customers in Africa in their journey to the cloud” he said.

The two day summit, Alexander noted, included a host of information packed activities including panel discussions, customer testimonials and keynote addresses by top Oracle executives including Janusz Naklicki; Cherian Varghese, Cluster Leader, Sub Saharan Africa, Oracle and Deepak Mehra, Vice President – Cloud Architect, Oracle.

“Cloud technology will undoubtedly drive the next phase of growth for businesses in Africa and with our completely integrated cloud platform that spans all layers of the cloud, we are uniquely poised to help SMEs, large organisations and governments in Africa transition to the cloud” Cherian Varghese said.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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