NASENI, The Gambia partner to advance tech commercialisation, skills transfer - ITREALMS

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has initiated strategic moves to deepen technology development, TVET skills cooperation, and technology commercialisation with the Republic of The Gambia, reports ITREALMS.

Both entities have agreed to draft a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) spanning technical education, research, and indigenous technology transfer across West Africa.

MMS: Lagos nutrition stakeholders demand fast-tracking transfer of counterpart funding - ITREALMS

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The nutrition stakeholders in the Lagos State, have demanded for the fast-tracking of transfer for counterpart funding to facilitate timely release of the Multiple Micronutrition Supplement (MMS) and other nutritional aided medication to requisite health facilities in the state, reports ITREALMS.

This demand was made at a day policy dialogue on the MMS by the Lagos State Committee on Food and Nutrition in collaboration with Civil Society – Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) which brought together a diverse group of participants, including the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, government officials, representatives from civil society organizations, nutrition partners (Alive and Thrive, Nutrition International), healthcare professionals, media, representatives, and other key stakeholders.

CVR records 8,5m says INEC, 15m yearn transfer, replacement - ITREALMS

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The fresh registration in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) has hit 8,564,512, says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reports ITREALMS.

This is coming as some 15,071,668 applications were received as at 7am, Monday, April 25, 2022, by INEC for voter transfer, requests for replacement of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), update of voter information record to name a few.

Official! Western Union partners Liverpool Football Club

ITRealms:

The Western Union Company and Liverpool FC today announced a multi-year partnership that will see Western Union, a leader in global payment and money transfer services, become an Official Principal Partner and the Official Money Transfer Partner of Liverpool FC. They will also become the Club’s first-ever Official Shirt Sleeve Sponsor - with the Western Union logo appearing on LFC shirt sleeves.

As the official Money Transfer Partner of Liverpool FC, Western Union will use its global cross-border digital transfer and payments platform to provide money transfer capabilities to the club. Western Union will offer fast, easy digital payments and money transfers for Liverpool Football Club and its fans, linking them to their home communities or to virtually anywhere in the world.

“The businesses of Western Union and Liverpool FC are both driven by our passion for bringing communities together, whether that be through moving money or delivering the excitement of football experiences,” said Jean-Claude Farah, President of Global Payments at Western Union. “This partnership goes far beyond a badge on a shirt, as we will be bringing our digital money transfer expertise to better connect Liverpool FC and fans around the world.” 

Billy Hogan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director at Liverpool Football Club said: “Western Union is an instantly recognisable brand with a truly global footprint and we are absolutely delighted to welcome them as our first ever Shirt Sleeve Sponsor and official Principal Partner. We are very much looking forward to working with Western Union through this partnership to create new experiences and opportunities for our fans both in the UK and abroad.”

The two organizations mirror each other in their storied histories and truly global followings. Just as football powerfully transcends borders and brings people together, Western Union has a 160-year global brand history of connecting customers across more than 200 countries and territories. The 125-year-old Liverpool football club has more than 700 million active followers globally across television, social and traditional media.

“We are proud to celebrate a sport that unifies billions of people worldwide, and to work with a partner that so closely shares our values,” said Elizabeth G. Chambers, Chief Strategy, Product and Marketing Officer at Western Union. “Our customers are digitally-savvy and on-the-go, moving not just money but their human capital - their cultures, values and sporting allegiances. Like us, Liverpool FC has an active and diverse global following who want to be a part of something bigger and we can help them achieve this.”

Western Union continues to drive its ambitious digital expansion in countries across the world, and will harness its deep cross-border and fintech capabilities to improve the payments experience for the club as well as LFC fans, suppliers and business partners. Whether close to home or far afield, they can look to Western Union to help move money when, how and where they need it.

Western Union’s logo is the first to appear on the sleeve and sixth to appear on the shirt, since the inception of Liverpool FC.

The partnership will see Western Union benefit from a diverse range of LFC marketing and promotional rights, including digital and social media support, pitch side LED messaging, and branding across Anfield stadium, its fan lounge and the Club’s media channels. Also included are exclusive hospitality and conference opportunities, and access to International pre-season tours, Liverpool FC players and Legends.

To celebrate the launch of the partnership, Western Union will be offering Liverpool FC fans in the UK, Ireland, France, Denmark, Norway and Sweden a fee-free* money transfer promotion, running from August 10 through until the end of August.

The Western Union patch will be available free of charge to all LFC fans that have purchased a 2017-18 Liverpool FC shirt and will be available in-store and online from Sunday 27th August. Full details will follow on .

Bayo Banjo/GEE

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WorldRemit, Huawei partner on international money transfer

ITRealms:

Leading digital money transfer service WorldRemit and Huawei have announced a partnership making WorldRemit’s international money transfer service available to all partners of Huawei’s mobile money service platform across Africa.

The partnership, which was announced at the GSMA’s Mobile 360 conference in Dar es Salaam, enables Huawei to add a ready-made solution for remittances - a growing mobile money product offering - to its existing suite of services. By enabling WorldRemit to connect to over 100 million mobile accounts currently using Huawei’s platform, the deal will improve access to mobile money remittance for millions of people.

WorldRemit is the first international remittance company to partner directly with Huawei. The deal is expected to accelerate WorldRemit’s technical integrations with new mobile money operators. Technical integration is frequently a barrier to offering international remittances for mobile network operators (MNO’s), according to the GSMA. Together, WorldRemit and Huawei are lowering that barrier, enabling all Huawei partners to swiftly switch on this service.

“International remittance is a very important mobile money service in Africa, and our partnership with WorldRemit will bring international remittances directly to Huawei’s customers across the continent,” said David Chen, VP of Huawei Southern Africa. “Huawei is committed to providing advanced mobile money platforms and technologies to global mobile money operators.”

Ismail Ahmed, Founder & CEO of WorldRemit, said: “We are delighted to add our remittance offering to Huawei’s extensive range of services for mobile money providers. By making it easier to connect to our service, our partnership will accelerate our ability to introduce our safe, fast and low-cost remittance service to millions of people.”

Ayo Midele/GEE
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iSON Technologies seeks skill transfer via PPP

ITRealms:

ISON Technologies, an arm of iSON Group Africa’s largest IT and ITeS company, with a presence in almost 25 countries in Africa is seeking greater public-private partnership in order to further boost growth and transfer of technology skills to Nigeraians, reports ITRealms.

The company a systems integrator, managed service provider and strategic outsourcing company provides end-to-end IT services and solutions across Africa. The company’s strong service offerings include consulting, systems integration, managed services and off-shore/on-shore services and cloud services.  We are among the leading pan-African partners for major companies such as AVAYA, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, Juniper and Riverbed.  

“At iSON Technologies, we are passionate about deploying tech services to our customers. Over the years, we have become the go-to technology provider for different verticals spanning technology, banking, government, healthcare, travel and hospitality, says, Rahul Srivasatav COO iSON Technologies.

“It helps that we have a strong delivery center and ready access to unique technological skills but also our constant search for improved service practices that can be utilized to better reach throughout our expanding customer base is also a unique strength. We are extremely excited about the future of technology, especially in a country like Nigeria, where technology inclusion is quite promising and of course we are firmly set to lead the revolution in this market.”

“Of course what could expand skill base even more is more public/private partnership in  order to build and transfer specific skill base,.” Srivastava concludes.

So far the company has been in the mainstream of driving technology inclusion within its markets with a number of key service offerings to some of the biggest organizations around the world.

iSON’s clients include MTN, Airtel, Etisalat, Standard Chartered Bank, AIICO, Multichoice, GT Bank and more.

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NCC endorses Visafone share transfer to MTN, not licence

ITRealms:

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCSS) has endorsed the transfer of 100 per cent shareholding in Visafone Communications Limited to MTN Communications Nigeria Limited, exclusive of “licence,” reports ITRealms.

NCC also said that decision on the possibility of Visafone license transfer to MTN is yet to be taken.  “What has been approved in the transaction is 100% shareholding not licence,” according the Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo.

He said this decision was taken by virtue of Section 38 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, explaining that Section 38 of the Act states inter alia “the grant of a licence shall be personal to the licencee and the licence shall not be operated by assigned, sub-licenced or transferred to any other party unless the prior written approval of the Commission has been granted.”

He said this is contrary to the speculation in a section of the media that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) the regulatory agency for telecommunication had foreclosed the release of the spectrum held by Visafone to MTN.

Pointing out that this clarification has become necessary in order to allay the fears in some quarters that the frequency had been withheld by the Commission.

“The Commission is yet to meet to take a decision on the application by Visafone to transfer its licence to MTN.  The NCC has only approved the shareholding structure by 100% and not transfer of licence,” Ojobo declared.

He further explained that Visafone Communications Limited with a Universal Access Service Licence (UASL) – deploying Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology applied to the NCC for an approval to effect a change in its shareholding structure by transferring 100% of its shares to MTN Nigeria.

According to him, having met all the preliminary requirements for grant of approval for change in shareholding structure, the NCC in line with its established procedure granted an Approval-In-Principle to Visafone Communications Limited, subject to fulfilment of conditions to transfer 100 per cent of its shares to MTN Nigeria.

“Having fulfilled the conditions stipulated in the “Approval-In-Principle”, the NCC, in line with its procedure granted a “Final-Approval” to Visafone for the change in its shareholding structure,” he said.

Pointing out that although Visafone applied for approval to transfer its licence to MTN, the Commission has written to Visafone, clearly stating that a decision was yet to be taken on the transfer of Visafone licence to MTN.

Chuks Egbune/GEE
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