Community Radio: Stakeholders advocate free license, 2.5% exemption

Community radio stakeholders in the country have advocated for the exemption of 2.5 per cent remittance of their total annual turnover to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) as well as free license.

They also argued that this call has become important due to the fact that community radio stations’ operational philosophy is not profit oriented.

Participants at the recently concluded conference in Makurdi, under the aegis of the Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC), which dwelled on the theme: “Strengthening Advocacy, Re-energizing Community Capacity Building” advised the federal government to expeditiously adopt the draft of the reviewed National Communication Policy and the Community Radio Policy.

This, the Coalition said would pave the way for the government to also direct the regulatory body to license grassroots community radio stations nationwide, decrying that Nigeria is the only country in West Africa yet to have community radio structures, thus, not benefiting from the advantages of dialogue and popular participation which are important ingredients in democracy and development.

A communiqué made available to ICTRealms Online by the Coalition, urged NBC to come up with a framework through which other subsets of community radio could operate, just as it had done in the case of campus radio.

The group stressed that by exercising its powers under Section 20 of the National Broadcasting Commission Act No. 38 of 1992, as amended, NBC would make regulations to ensure that the provisions of the Act is upheld.

“Ensure that license for community radio is issued free of financial cost and that minimal charges are required for renewal and other administrative matters,” the group said.

Also, they canvassed for NBC to issue guidelines on equipment specification and standardization on community radio in line with the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Training Manual specifications and the principles set out by the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC).

They equally want NBC to allocate transmission wattage to community radio stations on the basis of need and as dictated by geographical conditions of coverage area.

Further, they said, NBC should liaise with campus radio operators, NCRC and other stakeholders, to work out effective and appropriate revenue generation processes.

Participants were unanimous that community radio, “because of its immediacy, simplicity, cheap and participatory nature, use of indigenous and other community languages, and ability to reach large audiences,” has become the most effective medium of mass communication for driving development projects such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Vision 2020 and the Seven-Point Agenda of the Federal Government.

They acknowledged positive actions of the government and NBC particularly in granting 27 licenses to campus communities, and for plans taken to institute appropriate policy framework in the broadcast communication sector.

The group lamented the slow pace in the overall process of allowing Nigerian grassroots communities to own community radio structures, outlining the benefits of community broadcasting to include its use for accelerating food security, conflict prevention and peace building, re-vitalization of cultural values which are needed to build a virile democratic society.

They noted that the three-day conference was part of the struggle which culminated in the formation in 2005 of what is now known as the Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC), stressing that the Coalition was formed to sensitize and mobilize stakeholders as well as heighten advocacy to address the yawning gaps in the Nigerian broadcasting landscape that were and are still undermining democratic participation and efforts at national development.

The conference, held last November between 23 and 25 in Makurdi was organised with the support of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, United Kingdom, but attended by participants drawn from Ministries, Departments and other agencies of Government, community leaders, academia, members of Nigeria Union of Journalists, campus radio operators, community development associations, advocates of community radio and development communication experts in addition to the its development partners, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) among other stakeholders.


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Wireless can make cities safe – Rogers

Director of the largest provider of Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Alvarion, Mr. Rick Rogers, has declared that WiMAX solution could add to making the cities safe.

Rogers who spoke recently, noted that large-scale metro area networks have become increasingly important tool in providing public services and ensuring public safety and security.

He also said that with over 250 commercial deployments around the globe, Alvarion is committed to growing the WiMAX market.

The company, he said, offers solutions for a wide range of frequency bands supporting a variety of business cases, citing an instance with its Open WiMAX strategy, superior Internet Protocol (IP) and Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple
Access (OFDMA) know-how, and proven ability to deploy end-to-end turnkey WiMAX projects, “Alvarion is shaping the new wireless broadband experience.”

He explained that OFDMA is a multi-user version of the popular Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing.

The Director, Alvarion also noted that responsible government agencies and municipalities around the world are leveraging the power of broadband connectivity to embrace the safe city approach, with centralised emergency response and management in the face of threats, attack, crime or industrial-scale accidents.

“Simply put, effective communications is the cornerstone of effective municipal management and crucial in saving lives and mitigating damage,” he declared.

According to him, safe city projects are municipal-level network deployments whose specific goal is to enhance civilian safety.

Once this network is deployed, Rogers said, the municipality could enjoy the added value of utilising it to drive economic development, increase educational excellence, attract business investment, provide municipal services and ultimately improve quality of life for residents.

Rogers equally explained that wireless broadband networks are an ideal solution for safe city projects as they could complement existing wired infrastructure, or even be used as the core access infrastructure for a safe city.

“Wireless networking technologies are more scalable and flexible, overcoming the limitations of wired broadband in large areas,” he said, stressing that the same muni-wireless networks that are ideal for safe city deployments offer compelling revenue-generating opportunities, such as traffic control, transportation security, automatic meter reading, e-services for citizens to name a few.

Mr. Rogers pointed out that deploying safe city-related wireless applications requires reliable network infrastructure with high capacity and low latency to ensure quality of video, data and voice applications, that existing wired networks, in many cases, are not designed to serve safe city bandwidth-savvy applications, multiple new connections of wide-scale deployment or deliver reliable mobility.

“The necessary applications to deploy a safe city approach include public safety alarm and alert systems, video surveillance, intelligent traffic control, transportation security and access,” he said.

Other applications that could enhance the quality of service a municipality provides, he said includes automatic meter reading, municipal access, mobile management of the city workforce, e-services and residential access.

Making a safe city work means spinning a delicate and vast web of independently mandated departments, from law enforcement agencies and first responder units to firefighters, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), hospitals, government agencies and civilian interfaces – with an even vaster array of devices, needs and security considerations.

Wireless technologies such as WiMAX address many of the requirements for safe city network deployments and applications because they can be deployed quickly and are very flexible.

He further explained that once a base station is operational, services could be provided in a coverage area of up to several dozen kilometers.

“Services are provided using Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) and all that is required is a power source. Peripheral equipment, such as video cameras, sensors, and computers are connected to CPEs and the data between them is easily transferred.

Wireless technologies make deployment changes and expansion very easy, such as installing new CPEs or changing CPE locations,” Rogers said.


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MAF ICT centre, CAI train 100 students

A total of 100 students have been trained by the Hon. Moruf Akinderu Fatai (MAF) Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Centre located at Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State in conjunction with the Computer Aid International (CAI).

The centre is part of the constituency project of Hon. Moruf Akinderu Fatai representing the Oshodi-Isolo 1 at the Federal House of Representatives, the lower house of the National Assembly. While, CAI, is a United Kingdom-based non-profit organization with specialty in deploying ICT solutions in reducing poverty among developing countries of the world.

Making this revelation recently in Lagos, while on a visit to the centre, the West Africa Programme Manager at Computer Aid International, Ms Anne Musyoki, said it was exciting to see what the centre was able to achieve within a space of time with the Personal Computers (PCs) provided by CAI.

According to her, the Hon. Moruf Akinderu Fatai centre has received two consignments from CAI, stressing that the consignments were received before last October and has been able to train 100 students in web designing and management, Peachtree Accounting and computer engineering.

This achievement, she said, would encourage CAI, which has shipped over 150,000 PCs to where they are mostly needed in over 100 countries of the world to be consistent in partnering with MAF, noting that the London office of Computer Aid International, there is a workshop to track, data-wipe, test and professionally refurbish each donated PC and laptops.

“These are then packed and shipped to educational and community organizations in developing countries,” she asserted.

Giving more insight on the training, the technical officer in charge of the MAF ICT centre, Mr. Yinka, commended Ms Musyoki for finding time to visit the centre, while on official visit to the Nigeria.

Yinka reaffirmed that the Constituency ICT training centre has passed out 100 students who performed creditably in computer appreciation for beginners, web designing and management, peachtree accounting and computer engineering.

In the computer appreciation for beginners, he said, the first set that pass-out were 60 students, web designing and management - 20, Peachtree Accounting – 10, even as the Computer Engineering course successfully passed out 10 students.

“The approach of teaching in Hon. MAF centre is to bridge the gap between theories and practical that is why we encourage one person to one computer,” he declared.

Yinka hinted that the second batch, which is ongoing, has since commenced examination and expected to pass-out another set of 100 students before the year ends.

He further explained that the second batch students include participants drawn from the Oshodi-Isolo community and made up of youths and the old.

Also speaking the Education Officer, New State Primary School, Oshodi, Lagos, V.O. Ibitola, said they were pleased to note the contribution of CAI, which has given them opportunity to equip pupils on the use of computer packages, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point.

“We are positive that these skills would give them a front line start when faced with computer tasks in college, their everyday life and the work place,” Ibitola said.

Some of these pupils, Ibitola pointed out, have never handled a computer system and are finding it fascinating and interesting.

“They almost never want to leave the computer laboratory,” Ibitola declared, stressing that the teaching staff have also found the use of some computer packages very handy especially when typing letters, saving files and preparing lecture notes.

“I wish other primary schools are able to enjoy this facility. Its introduction has brightened the future of the pupils in my school,” the educationist acknowledged and expressed gratitude to CAI for the progress thus far.


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NCC guides against dominance among operators

Telecomregulator, Nigerian Communications Commissions (NCC), has commenced measures to check dominance of some telecom operators against others, by putting in place a policy that will encourage competitive and versatile communication market environment in the country.

This came as telecom giants MTN Nigeria and Zain Nigeria refuted allegations of dominance leveled against them.

The Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, gave this hope of new policy against dominance last weekend in Abuja at a forum on “Dominance in selected telecommunication markets.”

He said that a fair competitive environment is sine qua non for an efficient and versatile communications market in Nigeria.

“To promote this desired environment, it is imperative to identify which operators are in dominant positions in the specified market, determine whether they are abusing such positions in the specified markets or not. Our findings will help us determine the direction we should take to remedy such situations,” he said.

Ndukwe also said the regulatory body had called for the forum given series of complaints sent to the commission by corporate organizations to investigate the matter stressing that as a step McCarthy Tetrault & Co., an evaluation consulting firm was invited to assist in carrying out an independent evaluation of the Nigerian telecoms market situation.

Senior Manager, MTN Nigeria, Ms. Oyeronke Oyetunde, at the consultative forum denied that MTN is using its infrastructural edge to controls the mobile market in Nigeria.

“MTN is not dominant. We believe that the market is effectively competitive enough.
The market is still in the growing rate,” she said, insisting that despite the current global meltdown, the new entrants into the market are doing well in the telecom market.

She called on the Federal Government to strengthen the telecommunication market in a way to make it more conducive for more investors to come in.

Equally speaking, Zain Nigeria Ltd, Manager, Government and Environment, Mr. Tobe Okigbo said that Zain has no capacity on its own nor the ability to collude with MTN or any other company in the same line of business to establish dominance in the industry.

“Everybody has been losing subscribers because of the new entrants, especially the reduction of rates from the new entrants. Because we have the highest number of subscribers does not mean we abuse dominance,” he noted.


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Glo excites visitors @ PH fair-09

National telecom operator, Globacom Limited, was a sight of excitement for visitors at the on-going Port Harcourt International Trade Fair, which is expected to come to a close today.

Visitors, who trooped to Glo pavilion at the fair ground, equally commended the company for its participation at this year’s event in addition to rewarding package it has for subscribers.

A press statement made available to ICTRealms Online by Globacom officials informed that the telco’s participation in this year’s edition of the fair to reach out to its numerous subscribers and also to sign on new ones to its network.

It was also gathered that the telecoms giant is offering thousands of freebies including tables, chairs, T-Shirts, caps, bandanas and biros to visitors to its stand.

“There is also a draw, during which Glo subscribers have been winning phones daily and scores of recharge cards,” part of the press statement read.

The Sales Director, Globacom, Mr. Ken Hall, was quoted as saying that the subscribers are at the heart of the telco’s business equation.

“We are constantly innovating to provide the services that will continually distinguish Glo as the network of choice for all who want the very best of affordable telecommunications services in this country”, he said.

Globacom in a statement also said visitors to its stand will have access to a wide array of Glo products and services. The company will also provide personalised services for its subscribers at the Fair as they can walk into the pavilion and have any issue attended to immediately by Glo staff,” he said.

Mr. Hall also said that Globacom has been at the forefront of introducing life and business enhancing packages for subscribers, including Glo Mobile Internet, Magic Plus, Telemetry Security Solutions, GPRS, Point to Point Connectivity over GPRS, Glo MMS, Glo M-Banking, Vehicle Tracking, post paid and pre-paid Blackberry, Voice SMS, 3G, Fleet Management and Glo Fax, just as it recently introduced prepaid 3G Plus modem to make faster internet available to all and sundry.

ICTRealms Online recalls that Globacom, a wholly Nigerian owned firm has been at the fore front of initiating activities that empower Nigerians to realize their fullest potentials by placing telecommunication services and other associative value adding services at their disposal at very affordable costs.


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NIPOST intercepts fake cheques worth N4bn

The Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST) has intercepted scam letters containing fake cheques in foreign currencies worth over N4 billion this year alone, just as it completed 65 out of the 81 post office projects awarded between 2008 and 2009, reports ADELANI ASHAMU.

The Postmaster General (PMG) of the Federation, Mallam Ibrahim Mori Baba made this revelation at the weekend in Abuja, while briefing newsmen on the activities of the agency for the end of the year 2009, said that the scam letters were intended to defraud unsuspecting foreign investors.

The briefing which centred on achievements of NIPOST between December 2008 and December 2009, he said, deserves commendation.

The PMG explained that NIPOST in the month of October intercepted a total of 62 scam letters containing cheques for 6663,757.80 Pounds Sterling, 4,645,836 Euros and $2,394,570.70.

Also, he said, NIPOST got hold of 179 blank cheques, $4,500 suspected fake cash, 10 driver’s licenses, three international passports and three visa cards were equally intercepted by vigilant officials of the service.

In November this year, he said, NIPOST equally intercepted 167 scam letters with various fake and negotiable instruments meant to defraud unsuspecting investors.

“Items found in the letters were Pound 389,863.20, Euros 879,650.00 and $3,329,953.70 in addition to 24 blank cheques, fake cash of $10,100, 50 suspected fraudulent documents, four international passports and one fake drug,” Mori Baba said.

He pointed out that since the ‘419’ and yahoo boys are not relenting in their heinous crime, NIPOST has resolved to give them a run for their money because the network cannot be used as a conduit to defraud investors and give Nigeria a bad image.

The Postmaster General further said that as part of the effort to reposition the postal sector, the Federal Government may set up an independent regulator to standardize the sector.

Additionally, he disclosed that a bill sent to the National Assembly for consideration recommended the creation of an independent regulator for the postal sector.

While noting that the primary function of NIPOST was to deliver mail both within and outside Nigeria, he said that between 2008 and 2009, contracts for the rehabilitation of 81 major post offices spreading across the six geo-political zones of the country were awarded in compliance with due process guidelines.

“As at 10th of December 2009, 65 of these projects have been completed and taken over while the remaining 16 have reached about 85 per cent completion stage and would be commissioned in the new year,” he said.

He informed that NIPOST has 206 functional vehicles, 610 motor-cycles and 66 bicycles to carry out its services nationwide.


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Omatek has made strides – Seriki

The Group Managing Director, Omatek Ventures Plc, Mrs. Florence Seriki has said that in spite of the obvious economic challenges, the company has made some strides.

This is coming as Omatek now has presence in over 18 cities nationwide, while its office in Accra, Ghana is booming with activities.

Addressing shareholders at the 2009 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Omatek Ventures Plc in Lagos at the weekend, Mrs. Seriki said she was excited that despite the economic downturn, the company has continued to make steady pace.

“I am happy to report to you that your company has continued to make steady strides even in the face of the daunting challenges,” she said.

Mrs. Seriki also said that today, Omatek has sustained the purchase of its component parts from seasoned first class manufacturers that equally produces for other foreign brands.

She noted that the global financial crisis and the Nigerian growth dynamics have had due toll on the general business environment, hence a lot of share prices nose-dived days after Omatek got listed on the floor of the stock exchange.

Pointing out that based on the expansion initiative of the company, especially on management restructuring, a new organogram has been developed to encompass the new company structure.

“Some of the best brains in the industry have also been attracted to the company in line with the company’s growth strategy. And the establishment of committee of the group board commenced work immediately to assist the Group Managing Director in the new structure and in the shortlisting,” she asserted.

Within the year ended, Omatek, she said, has launched series of initiatives aimed at increasing the company’s turnover and to create more brand awareness.

She cited for instance, the launch of e-Xpress scheme, saying that it has been designed to ensure easy access to computer systems and other Omatek products without the challenges of affordability.

“The Omatek e-Xpress initiative is a flexible computer acquisition and payment scheme which enables beneficiaries to pay for any computer of their choice through a structured re-payment plan,” she said.

Therefore, the initiative affords Nigerians include civil servants, students, lecturers and professionals the rare opportunity of owning a personal computer of their choice within its scale of brand, through a flexible and convenient payment plan which spans between 12 and 24 months.

Omatek has commenced export to the West African countries beginning actively with Ghana market, where she said, the company has engaged the services of a Chief Operating Officer, who is resident in Ghana.


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ICT Broadcasters’ roundtable coming

Plans have been advanced for the holding of a one-day ICT Broadcasters Roundtable early next year.

Disclosing this, the Co-ordinator of the programme, Mr. Tayo Adewusi said the time is auspicious for stakeholders in the nation’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to speak with one voice.

Adewusi also said that the roundtable would have as sub-theme: What is the best option for Nigeria’s ICT sector going forward? Is it open and free access to all and every investor? Or is the best way to develop a strong local content policy?

“If there is any time that Nigeria’s ICT stakeholders need to come together and speak,” he said on free access to broadcasting and local content.

A press statement from the organisers, Nigeria ICT Broadcasters Network and made available to ICTRealms Online quoted Adewusi as saying that the success recorded in the telecoms sector in Nigeria has put the country in the global map as one of the countries with best regulatory environment.

“As Ernest Chukwuka Ndukwe the agent of this success story is set to leave the apex telecoms regulatory body, concern is to what becomes of the industry are coming up and there are other questions regarding the sustenance of the growth and surpassing the gains recorded in the past eight years,” he said stressing that these questions must be provided answers to.

The event organizers expressed the belief that bringing important stakeholders together to a discussion would indeed raise the bar in the discussion on the best way forward and this could help the government in arriving at the best policy option.

He pointed out that with the tremendous strides achieved in the sector in the last 10 years, many industry stakeholders had involved themselves in the evolving debate on how best to move forward.

To some, he said, Nigeria should continue to leave its doors open to investors in the sector who could own their businesses 100 percent, get tax holidays and repatriate their profits back to their countries 100 percent.

Equally, he said, there are those who hold the opinion that foreign involvement and investment in Nigeria’s ICT sector is becoming oppressive and destabilising local efforts.

This school of thoughts believe that having opened the doors to all manners of foreigners, whether Africans or otherwise, who had taken advantage of such opportunities to the detriment of the nation, the time has now come for Nigeria to evolve and more appropriate policy suitable to the current realities with a sight to a local content.

“Such a policy should also take into consideration the expertise of Nigerians in the field as opposed to what the case was between 1999 and 2000,” he declared.


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MTN rewards customers on Bounty promo

MTN Nigeria over the weekend commenced the reward of its customers across the country for their loyalty and patronage in a specially packaged event which was held simultaneously in various locations across the country.

A press statement made available to ICTRealms Online said the programme tagged ‘MTN Bounty promo’ was conceived to celebrate numerous customers of the telecom company and to show that MTN cares for their individual needs.

The statement also quoted the telco’s Customer Loyalty and Retention Manager, Mr. Kenechukwu Okonkwo as saying that the package was another way MTN enriches lives

The event which held at Fine Time Gardens, Kano, saw several MTN subscribers leaving with various categories of gifts such as bags of rice, vegetable oil tins, HP Laptops and motorcycles.

One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Halliru Isah expressed appreciation to MTN for the gesture, adding that there was no better way to recognise a customer.

“I feel elated for this recognition; it cannot be likened to any other promo. I have been an MTN subscriber for only two years and I am already being rewarded for using the network,” he said.

In the Nigerian telecoms sector, MTN Nigeria is widely recognised for its emphasis on services and activities that promote the well-being of subscribers. Its products and services have significant potential for beneficial influence on the lives of millions of people within and outside the borders of the country. This exceptional attribute lies in the company’s top-level experience and its long-standing position of improving lives.


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‘GBB is determined on Edu-Connect ‘

The public sector-based Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and services company, Galaxy BackBone (GBB) Plc, has expressed determination to fully connect Nigerian institutions of learning through private and public partnerships (PPP).

Chief Education, Development & States Services Group at Galaxy Backbone, Mr. Yusuf Z. Kazaure, expressed this resolve at the launch of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Connect during the recently ended Lagos Higher Education Connectivity Project seminar at Akoka-Lagos.

He reiterated the strength of mind by Galaxy to fully connect Nigerian institutions through sector partnerships.

Speaking at the seminar, Mr. Kazaure noted that the participants of Galaxy Backbone’s precedents in the Nigerian ICT industry and its determination to create a platform where pervasive ICT solutions can be fully utilized by Nigeria’s burgeoning higher educational network.

He allayed the fears that Galaxy Backbone’s operational mandate assured the company had been set up by the mandate of the Federal Government, it is still as private sector oriented entity and as such had every desire to maintain and increase operational capacity within its target sectors.

Pointing out that Galaxy Backbone, is a limited liability company set up by the Federal Government to provide ICT infrastructure and services that addresses the connectivity, transversal and other technology imperatives for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Stressing that Galaxy Backbone offers a full range and enhanced quality of ICT solutions designed to meet the challenges facing the various sectors-public and private of the Nigerian economy.

Kazaure emphasized that through its nationwide network backbone, the company facilitates the digital inclusion of underserved areas and rural communities within the country.

The seminar which was officially opened by the President, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and Director, University of Lagos Centre for Information Technology Systems (CITS), Prof. Charles Uwadia, also had other speakers including Dr. Aminu Ibrahim, Nigerian ICT Forum of Partnership Institutions, chief executive officer, Internet eXchange Point of Nigeria, Mr. Mohammed Rudman, Director Datasphir Solutions, Mr. Owen Iyoha, Head, NIS, ICT Directorate, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Mr. Adewale Adedokun among others.


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