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.

Why Tinubu must save the voices of truth - ITREALMS

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This is real. Let no one begin to think that it’s not a matter that calls for serious concern at this time.

That the continued repression of the critical press and voices of truth seeking to hold different shades of the country’s power holders accountable has continued under the Bola Tinubu administration is not in doubt. 

How to save African democracy by Adeleke - ITREALMS

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Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has rolled out four enabling actions elected leaders across Africa must take to save African democracy from ongoing regression and disruption.
 

The Governor represented by the Commissioner for Federal Affairs, Mrs Adenike Adeleke spoke in Abuja recently at the 45th anniversary of the Nigerian Society for International Law with the theme: 'International Law, Democracy and Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa'


According to the Governor, "We are gathered here at a trying time for democracy in Africa. The sustainability of democracy is being tested and it is safe to declare that democracy is on trial.


"As a sitting Governor, I hold some unorthodox positions among my colleagues. Survival of democracy is in the hands of elected leaders. We have huge responsibilities in this respect.


"How we wield state power, how we govern and how we handle state resources will either make or mar the democratic system. This is a fact in Nigeria as in other African countries.


"I have four recipes for sustaining democracy through rule of law in Africa. First, we must ensure free and fair elections. Voters must not be stripped of the right to vote and be voted for. Elected leaders should not deploy state apparatus to frustrate the will of the people.


"Secondly, we must deliver on good governance. The needs of our people are not much. We must serve the people and let them see and taste the dividends of democracy.


"Thirdly, we must adhere to the rule of law and due process. Democracy is rule based. We must govern with the fear of God within constitutional and legal provisions.


"Last but not the least, let us maintain the sanctity of the constitution with respect to term limits. Presidential term limits should not be tampered with.


"If we apply the above criteria, we will save our democracy from imminent threats. If we fail to observe the above four stipulations , we are setting the stage for further erosion of democracy in Africa", the Governor noted in his speech.


The event was attended by dignitaries from all walks of life.

Experts to demonstrate how TV tech helps save energy - ITREALMS

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The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will hold a demonstration featuring the latest advances in television broadcasting technology on Tuesday, 7 March 2023.

Technology to be displayed at the demo includes High Dynamic Range (HDR) broadcasting, Advanced Terrestrial Broadcasting (DVB-I) 5G broadcast capacities and Energy Aware Broadcasting.

Help save my life with N20m, kidney patient James Molehin cries out - ITREALMS

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The greatest wish of James Oloruntosin Molehin at this time is to have his life back and live a normal life. For that to happen, he needs you, kind hearted Nigerians and other well meaning members of the society to make it happen. He needs urgently the sum of N20 million to do a kidney transplant, in the next three months, else he becomes history.

Molehin, should be a man of means; in his late 50s, Molehin, who hailed from Ode-Erinje in Okitipupa LG Area of Ondo State, was a graduate of Accounting, from the University of Lagos, Unilag, and Fellow, Institute of Chartered Institute of Accountancy, ICAN, (FCA). He was a management staff of MDS, the logistics arm of UAC Plc, Lagos.

Wants to be a millionaire! Here’s 4 steps by Polaris save & win promo - ITREALMS

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Do you want to become a millionnaire? If yes, you have the option to explore the latest save and win promo by Polaris Bank, reports ITREALMS.

Polaris Bank, ITREALMS gathered, is giving away millions of Naira in cash prices and other special rewards in its ongoing Save & Win promo.

Inuwa: Enterprise content management'll save FG N4.5bn annually - ITREALMS

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The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa has said the implementation of the service-wide Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solution, organized by the Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation, will result in an annual saving of about N4.5 billion in Nigeria, reports ITREALMS.

Inuwa, who was represented by the Director, Information Technology Infrastructure Solutions (ITIS) Dr. Usman Gambo Abdullahi disclosed this while presenting a paper at the one-day ECM Service-Wide Round Table Workshop on ECM implementation with the topic "The Modalities of Software Clearance on ECM Solution for MDAs" at the Rotunda Hall, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.

ICT to save Nigeria N1.5trillion in foreign education – Adebayo Shittu

ITRealms:

The Minister of Communications, Alhaji. Adebayo Shittu has said that recent commitment of the Federal Government to the development of Information Communication Technology (ICT) could drastically reduce the huge amount of N1.5 trillion being spent on Nigerian students studying in foreign educational institutions, reports ITRealms.

He was optimistic that if the Federal Government succeeded in establishing the proposed ICT University of Nigeria, the country will not only develop world- class local capacity, but also reduce the strain on the Naira through reduction of foreign currency sourced for the training of citizens outside the country.

The minister said government is prepared to use ICT to foster youth empowerment and development through granting of loans, sponsorships and financial support among other innovative schemes to lucrative business ideas.

The minister made this disclosure at a lecture titled; Jobs Nowhere But Jobs Everywhere: ICT To The Rescue Of Unemployed Youths And Graduates at the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan at the weekend said about 20 million youths and graduates are currently unemployed.

Stating the acknowledgement of the Buhari’s administration to use ICT as a critical pillar to leverage on job and wealth creation as well as on economy and a critical tool in diversifying the Nigerian economy and recognising the role of ICT in making it a reality, he said, government established one form of ICT infrastructure or the other across the six geopolitical zones.

He disclosed that the plan to build a national ICT Park and Exhibition Centre in Abuja is part of the preparations for the 4^thIndustrial Revolution is on course. Similarly, and that a plan to “build a $1 billion-dollar ICT company” to boost indigenous technology has been articulated.

Elaborating on the planned ICT University, Shittu said,” We already have the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) which is for short term training programmes, in six locations across the country and we will transform this Institute into the ICT University of Nigeria. This unique University would by God’s grace take off effectively in September 2017 and would be run as a Public Private Partnership with the best business and entrepreneurship models.

“I have engaged with several stakeholders at the international level, Facebook, Motorola, Ericson and am still talking to many more stakeholders. We are encouraging them to come and adopt the respective university campuses as their own.

“I am happy to report that this project is receiving a global boost and endorsement. The committee set up has been working round the clock on the realization of this objective, and has indeed submitted its final report on Tuesday 18^th July 2017. A Vice Chancellor and other senior officials would soon be appointed.

“The ICT University will be a multi-campus institution of the present Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) located in Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Asaba and Yola.”

He said a recent World Bank report revealed that ICT is transforming the world of work, creating new job opportunities and making labour markets more innovative, inclusive and global and accordingly, ICT is influencing employment both as an industry that create jobs and as a tool that empowers workers to access new forms of works in new and more flexible ways. He added that the ICT sector alone contributed N500 billion into the nation’s economy in 2014 and created about 2.5 million jobs in 10 years. The statistics also show that the sector attracted about $30 billion of foreign investment from 2003 to 2014.

The minister, therefore urged Nigerian Universities to take a cue from what is happening in the Nigerian ICT ecosystem value chain and put their various faculties on the path of growth and prosperity by leveraging on ICT. He also promised that the government would provide the much needed infrastructure and favourable policies that would create the enabling environment for young people to innovate unhindered in the various start-ups and innovative centres across the country.

“The digital revolution that has the power to transform societies is already underway. Success belongs to those who innovate and seize available opportunities. I want to assure you that I will go talking with development partners home and abroad on the importance of investing in ICT today to leap-frog the nation’s growth for today and the future.

“If we must achieve the desired goal of placing Nigeria on the global ICT mark thereby using it as major tool for job creation, earmarking investment for ICT is not enough. More importantly, we have to decide that we are going to do it by developing and churning out fit-for-purpose youths from our institutions for the exceptional ICT market and opportunities at the global level”, he said.

Ayo Midele/GEE 

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