MainOne introduces Partner Advantage

Main One Cable Company has given a boost to its offering by introducing Partner Advantage Programme for customers on its platform.

Chief executive officer, Ms Funke Opeke said that the submarine network cable unveiled a new customer incentive plan, Partner Advantage Programme in Lagos, aimed at enabling existing and new customers to increase their broadband capacity subscriptions and provide benefits for incremental subscriptions.

She said the programme is also aimed at cultivating closer relationships between Main One and existing partners as well as service providers seeking to connect to the Main One network by collaborating together on business solutions for the customers of the partners.

Opeke noted that in continuous effort to lead the availability of uninterrupted high quality broadband capacity, her firm is pleased to introduce a new partner incentive platform to provide resellers in Nigeria with an opportunity to sell high quality broadband solutions which guarantee an increase in business opportunities for both Main One and its partners.

“The Partner Advantage Programme will give our partners the flexibility to target and simplify access to the resources required for new products and services,” she assured.

Further, Opeke said that demand for highly secure, high bandwidth network capacity from different categories of customers is motivating Main One to deploy additional service platforms and partner incentive programmes to encourage its partners to help push for better Internet penetration in Nigeria, which today stands at roughly 13 per cent.

However, she lamented the poor level of broadband internet access in Nigeria and called for closer collaboration between the government and service providers to bridge the gap.

She recommended the development of a national broadband strategy by the government with input by industry players as a way of charting a roadmap for sustainable broadband growth in Nigeria.

Before now, Main One had on July 2010, switched on its 1,920 Gbps, 7,000 kilometers long, submarine fiber optic cable system linking West Africa to Europe. The cable, which has landing stations in Nigeria and Ghana and branching units in Morocco, Canary Islands, Senegal and Ivory Coast, delivers unprecedented broadband capacity to West Africa, more than ten times what was available.

A wholly African and the first privately submarine cable, MainOne cable has landing stations in Nigeria, Ghana and Portugal.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Sachdev to speak @ WAFICT congress 2011

Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency, Mahesh Sachdev, has accepted to deliver a keynote paper at the West Africa’s leading ICT conference and exhibition, the West African ICT Congress (WAFICT) and the West African International Telecommunications exhibition (W.Afri.Tel).

Disclosing this, the chief organizer of WAFICT and W.AfriTel in Nigeria, Mr. Mkpe Abang, who doubles as the Editor-in-Chief of IT & Telecom Digest, said this was the outcome of a recent meeting with the high commissioner in his Abuja office.

Mr. Sachdev, was quoted as saying in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online that Nigeria’s enviable ranking as the fastest growing mobile phone market in Africa confers on the country leadership position that needs to be fully harnessed by all stakeholders.

He described WAFICT Congress and the W.Afri.Tel exhibition as contributing immensely to the development of the sub-region, the High Commissioner noted that India, as a partner to Nigeria, stands ready to support the aspirations of Nigeria especially as encapsulated in the Vision 20-2020 programme, saying telecommunications will continue to be a major driver in achieving the vision.

Mr. Sachdev, who inaugurated the Indian Pavilion, which made its debut at W.Afri.Tel last year and also remarked at the WAFICT Congress 2010, he would be glad to encourage as many Indian companies as possible to see the opportunities in Nigeria and findways of contributing to the growth of the Nigerian economy.

Incidentally, India’s Airtel, which is the world’s fifth leading telecommunications company, is platinum sponsor for WAFICT Congress 2011.

Briefing the High Commissioner on preparations for this year’s conference and exhibition, Mr. Abang stated that broadband will be at the core of discussions at the conference, while exhibitors and delegates will have rare opportunities to see latest technologies, value added services and products from telecom operators from across the world.

On its part, the Federal Government has adopted the WAFICT Congress 2011 as the platform to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the telecom revolution in Nigeria. To this end, the Minister of Information and Communications, Mr. Labaran Maku, has issued a formal letter endorsing the WAFICT Congress and W.Afri.Tel exhibition and urged mobile companies, ISPs, government agencies and establishments, telecom operators as well as all other stakeholders, to support the events and join theministry in giving a voice to Nigeria’s achievements in telecom.

In the letter, entitled ‘To whom it may concern - Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Nigerian Telecom Revolution: Special West African ICT Congress 2011, by IT & Telecom Digest’, endorsing the two events, which run concurrently, from June 14-16, 2011, at the new Eko Expo Hall, Lagos.

“I am writing to confirm that the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications endorses and recommends IT & Telecom Digest Magazine to organise the West African ICT Congress 2011, as part of the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Nigerian Telecom Revolution.

“The publication will celebrate the progress that has been made during the past one decade in the Nigerian telecom industry. In doing so, IT & Telecom Digest will host the WAFICT Congress 2011, of which the Ministry is in full support and will participate fully. This is important to further open up our country to the rest of the world as the investment destination for telecom in Africa,” he said.

“In this regard, the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications officially endorses WAFICT Congress, which is being hosted alongside the 11th W.Afri.Tel Exhibition, in Eko Hotel, Lagos, June 14-16, 2011, and the Ministry hereby urges all businesses, companies, professionals, all stakeholders, government agencies, etc, to lend their support to the events and join us in celebrating this happy milestone: Ten Years of the Nigerian Telecom Revolution 2001 – 2011.”WAFICT Congress 2011, like last year’s edition, is being organised by IT & Telecom Digest, in conjunction with the UK-based Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), and has the theme: The Emerging New Frontier: – Opportunities and Potentials for Sustainable Growth in West Africa. WAFICT Congress 2001 will run alongside the 11th edition of the West African International Telecommunications exhibition (W.Afri.Tel), organised by EMS of South Africa, of which IT & Telecom Digest is also the Sole Nigeria Agent.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Covenant University certifies 283 on IT, honours Akano

A total of 283 students of Covenant University have been certified on Information Technology (ICT), even as the institute honoured the managing director of New Horizons, Mr. Tim Akano.

The public relations executive of New Horizons, Mr. Akinyemi Sokoya, who made these disclosures at the weekend, said that the journey of IT training partnership between New Horizons and Covenant University, began four years ago and has paid off afterwards.

He explained that this was consequent upon the completion of certificate presentation ceremony organized last week by the school.

Sokoya said that the university which became certified in CISCO certified Network Associate, CCNA; CISCO Certified Network Professional (CCNP); Project Management; EC-Council Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Web Multimedia.

He noted that after the partnership was sealed in 2007 with the mandate to integrate all its students into the international certification based training, irrespective of their discipline to better equip them for the challenges ahead.

The Vice Chancellor, Covenant University, Prof. (Mrs) Aize Obayan said in her address to the occasion that the feat being celebrated and the subsequent presentation of the international certificates to the 283 students was an affirmation of the entrepreneurial drive of the university to refocus Nigeria education system.

She pointed out that as an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) driven institution, the university is on a revolution mission aimed at bringing the desired change and transformation of Nigeria education system to the bare. Stressing that a change could place the Nigerian university graduates shoulder above their peers at the global arena.

“With these certifications the graduands are now better equipped and prepared to move into the world and drive enterprises for themselves and their Alma Mata, especially now that they are going into the over saturated labour market,” she said, adding that in Covenant University, they are committed to raising the bar for a betterment and future of Nigerian education systems.

“The solution we seek for Nigerian education system is right here with us, and now we can see that the beautiful ones are here in ICT revolution, ready to give India and China a fight for their edge in ICT advancement” she said, maintaining that the feat attained by the students’ as the product of the vision of the school and the beginning of a silent revolution going on in Nigeria.

Commenting after his award by the institute, the chief executive officer, New Horizons Nigeria, Mr. Tim Akano said that the importance of ICT in the 21^st century cannot be overemphasised and congratulated the students for their resilience and hard-work.

“ICT should be taken more seriously now than ever before, as it has proven to be the highest paying profession in the world,” he said.

Akano recalled that it took him 18 months to convince the management of the university on the importance of ICT to its students, but expressed satisfaction that once the partnership agreement was signed, the efforts did yield positive results with Covenant University attaining the best ICT university award for three years consecutively.

He urged the students to take ICT with seriously, particularly now that the rest of the century is going to be dominated by ICT.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

ATCON endorses IPV6 Roundtable

The Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ALTON) has endorsed the Nigeria Internet Protocol Version Six (IPV6) Roundtable 2011, just as it harps on broadband roadmap for the country.

ATCON is a professional, non-profit umbrella organisation of all telecommunication companies in Nigeria, which was founded since December 10, 1993, as a national trade organisation, with membership drawn from Nigerian and multi-national companies which provide telecommunications and information technology products and services in across the country.

Whereas the forthcoming Nigeria IPV6 Roundtable was initiated by the DigitalSENSE Africa as part of its Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum series in commemoration the World IPV6 Day, which has been slated for Thursday, June 2, at the Planet One, Mary Land Lagos.

The global World IPV6 Day has been scheduled for Wednesday, June 8, this year by the Internet Society (ISOC), the organisational home for the groups responsible for Internet infrastructure standards, including the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Internet Architecture Board (IAB).

The acting Executive Secretary, Mr. Ajibola Olude in a letter of endorsement addressed to the Executive Director, DigitalSENSE Africa Media, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke, acknowledged the support of ATCON

“I am pleased to convey approval of the National Executive Council,” he declared.

Some of the condiments, according to him, include the use of the fact that ATCON endorsed the event on all the conference materials.

While promising that ATCON would broadcast the event to all its members, the President of ATCON, Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu has planned to give a goodwill message to the occasion.

“ATCON will support the event with some mementos,” he added.

Meanwhile, ATCON leadership has reiterated its position on broadband roadmap for the country.

ATCON president, Mr. Omo-Ettu reaffirmed the group’s position in a chat with newsmen.

As said by him, the broadband roadmap for Nigeria actually covers the other two, stressing that the first phase involves the plans to prepare a roadmap document on broadband with some key stakeholders like Nigerian ICT Forum of Partnership Institutions and Fantsuam Foundation.

‘Yes we have commenced implementation of the first phase of our plans. Don’t forget that last year, our Association collaborated with the Nigerian ICT Forum of Partnership Institutions and Fantsuam Foundation to prepare a roadmap document and to invite Nigerians to endorse it. The document, as endorsed, has gone to government and our own component of the implementation is what I said has commenced,” he said.

Specifically ATCON, he said, shall further a campaign, create awareness in businesses that are available to do and motivate investments all aiming at getting Nigeria on the road to the Promised Land.

“Whoever comes to us with a collaboration proposal that seeks to join the train will receive our embrace,” he asserted, saying that the good thing is that in all of these: campaign, awareness, investments and building infrastructure and services, there is a business to do and ATCON shall motivate whoever comes.

For starters, CEOs and top executives and investors will discuss at a Business/Investment Summit by end of July and a few who already have viable solutions will exhibit them for 2 days.

It is a collaboration proposal that came from BusinessWorld Communications Ltd. It is not a typical talk-show but a focused Investment Possibilities Session for very top decision makers. It is an international event.

“At the Summit, we will also present a purpose-built publication to guide investors on what is available in Nigeria for them to do. Every delegate to the Summit will go away with a copy of the publication,” he said.

Thereafter, he said, other collaboration projects will come one after the other and each with specific focus and audience.

“The campaign aspect is to jolt the government, you and I to ask questions just in case they are too busy to be at the sessions,” he said, stressing that the good thing in all of these, I repeat, is that it is win-win for everybody.

“This first phase may last a few years, of course,” he declared.

Remmy Nweke

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D