CWG, confirmed data centre, cloud services player – EMP boss

ITRealms:

The Chief Executive Officer, Emerging Markets Payments Group (EMP), Mr. Murat Ozulku, has declared the Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) as a reputed brand in data centrea nd cloud services management sector in the country, reports ITRealms.

led a delegation of the Company’s executives on a working visit to the corporate head office of Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) Plc in Lagos. The visit aims at deepening the partnership between both firms.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, CWG Plc, Mr. Austin Okere, observed that in line with the firm’s cloud services under the new CWG2.0 business model, the group operates a data centre for her use, as well as the use of her customers. 

“The Data Centre is a state of the art category 3 facility manned by a complement of experienced and certified technical personnel,” he said.

In addition, he said, CWG adheres strictly to a Standard Operating Procedure and provides a checklist for all clients’ equipment to ensure that they meet best practices including dual power and network sources for all devices. 

“This is further complemented with Managed Services for Level 2 and level 3 technical support. With this facility, we have been able to offer EMP the platform they require to support their customers in Africa and the Middle East with unparalleled payment services” he said.

The visiting Chief Executive Officer, EMP Financial Payments Solutions, Mr. Murat Ozulku, remarked that they aimed at strengthening the relationship between the two companies and build upon mutual aspirations. 

“CWG is a recognized brand in the Data Centre and Cloud Services management sector, and a strong partner that has given us the technical backup we need to support the rapid growth in our clientele across Nigeria,” he said. Stressing that the visit would gives them the unique opportunity to discuss ways of collaboration and expand the range of innovative solutions, to engender fast growing payment industry in Africa and beyond. 

EMP delivers electronic payments services to more than 130 banks and 30,000 merchants across 45 countries. The company is committed to supporting the rapid and secure expansion of the payments industry in these fast growing markets. It is noteworthy that EMP was the first processing company to introduce cutting-edge Europay, Mastercard and Visa chip-and-pin technology to Africa and thus making the African payments industry more secure.

True to her mission of deploying technologies that enable growth, CWG boasts of technology innovation and services that have improved the operations of financial institutions in Nigeria. It will be recalled that CWG recently powered the migration of United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Associated Discount House (ADH) to the Finacle 10 banking solution. 

She also champions the course of financial inclusion in West Africa using her FinEdge Financial Platform to power products such as MTN XaaS in collaboration with MTN for Microfinance banking, and the Diamond Yello Account, in collaboration with Diamond Bank and MTN for Mobile Money applications.

 +ITRealms DSA +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +CWG Africa @EMP Nigeria

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Pix: L-R: Mr. James Agada, Group Chief Technology Officer, CWG Plc; Mr. Hany Fawzy, Chief Information Officer, EMP; Mr. Austin Okere, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, CWG Plc; and Mr. Adetoyese Oyerinde, Data Centre Manager, CWG Plc at the corporate head office of CWG Plc, in Lagos

Moroccan man dies in brother's suitcase

ITRealms:

A Moroccan man suffocated to death in a suitcase after his brother tried to smuggle him into Spain in the boot of his car, the Spanish government says, the BBC reports.

The report monitored by ITRealms showed that a 27-year-old Moroccan man was found dead in a suitcase was on board a ferry from Spain's north African enclave of Melilla to the mainland Spanish city of Almeria.

The surviving brother, who has a French passport, has since been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

On Sunday, four migrants died trying to swim to another Spanish enclave.

The men, from sub-Saharan Africa, were attempting to swim around a fence from Morocco to the enclave of Ceuta.

ITRealms recalls that BBC had recently proclaimed some three were rescued, according to Morocco's interior ministry, even as a boy from Ivory Coast was found alive in a suitcase in May

In May, an eight-year-old boy from Ivory Coast was discovered inside a suitcase as it passed through a security check point in Ceuta.

He was later reunited with his mother, who lives legally in Spain, after he was granted a temporary residence permit.

Human Rights Watch says at least 4,300 people entered Ceuta and Melilla illegally in 2013, compared to 2,804 the year before.

In February last year, hundreds of migrants stormed the fence in Melilla in one day, with around 100 managing to make it into the enclave.
 

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LAGBUS set to employ female drivers

ITRealms:

The LAGBUS Asset Management Company, the operators of Lagos metropolitan red buses, said it has concluded plans to employ more women as drivers, reports ITRealms.

The cheery news which was made public through the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),said the company is ready to train any lady or woman interested in driving the metropolitan bus.

The Managing Director of the company, Babatunde Disu, hinted that successful female drivers would be certified by the Lagos State Drivers Institute (LASDRI) before a bus would be allocated to them.

An accountant and a graduate from University of Lagos Abimbola Agbekola,a driver, urged females to join the programme and make a living from it, adding that “what a man can do, a woman can do better.”

Agbekola said driving articulated vehicles, such as the LAGBUS is a way of empowering the female gender. ”My husband saw the advert in a road show organized by the management and he told me when he got back home, and advised me to apply because he knows I have passion for driving.

”You may not have driving skill but management of LAGBUS will train you and you will be certified by LASDRI.This is an opportunity for female gender to empower themselves and make life better, instead of waiting for their husband to do everything for them,” ITRealms learnt.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

 
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ISPON wants Nigerian banks to invest in tech startups

ITRealms:

The Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), has called on banks in Nigeria to throw their weight on technology startups, reports ITRealms.

ISPON President, Chief Pius Okigbo, made this call and commended Nigerian banks for their foresights in funding various tech startups in the 1990s and 2000s such as Interswitch, ValuCard (Unified Payments Limited), ATMC, NIBSS, Credit Registry and CRC Credit Bureau, all financed by various consortia of Nigerian banks.

According to him, as technology startups increasingly penetrate traditional banking segments, including payments, wealth management and billing, major global banking giants are not sitting on the sidelines. Six major American banks - Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo - have made strategic investments in 30 technology companies since 2009, according to CB Insights data.

ISPON suggested that a second wave of investments in tech startups would require the establishment of Special Purpose Vehicles [SPVs] following global precedents, as was the case with Citi Bank that incorporated Citigroup Venture Capital business  through which it invested in i-Flex Solutions Limited,  driving the "FLEXCUBE' suite of products to adoption by more than 100 financial institutions in over 40 countries. 

Okigbo also said the six major American banks have invested in 30 tech companies since 2009, according to CB Insights data. 

Out of the six banks, he said, Citigroup has been the most active primarily through its Citi Ventures, which has invested in tech startups ranging from Betterment, Jumio and Square. Goldman Sachs has already ventured into financial tech startup with thematic investments across payments technology and big data finance.

Therefore, ISPON urged the banks to study how Deutsche Bank is building a strong ecosystem for innovations and take a lesson from it. Deutsche Bank would open three innovation laboratories in Berlin, London and Silicon Valley, as part of a EUR1 billion spend on digital initiatives over the next five years.

The giant German bank, Okigbo pointed, would help the organisation to develop new products and services from three global tech hubs, strengthening its ability to innovate and deepening relationships with smart tech startups. 

“Nigerian banks should take advantage of the huge innovation awakening that is sweeping across Africa and particularly Nigeria to refocus their plans and place their bets on fintech startups. It is particularly sad that no bank is participating in DEMO Africa, a flagship launch pad for emerging technology and trend hosted in Lagos in 2014.  Many venture capitalists from around the world were present”, Okigbo said.

+ITRealms DSA +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +DEMO Africa 

 

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Benue boys, Plateau girls emerge in U-17 Airtel Rising Stars

ITRealms:

The season five of the Under-17 Airtel Rising Stars (ARS) football tournament at the weekend saw the male team from Benue State and female counterpart from Plateau State emerging winners of the Abuja Regional Championship, reports ITRealms.

This means that both teams which emerged at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja, ITRealms reports would now represent the North Region at the national finals holding in Lagos.

The Abuja tournament which kicked off on Thursday 30^th of July came to a successful conclusion on Saturday 1^st August at the Old Parade Ground, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

In the final matches of both male and female categories, the Benue boys defeated their Nasarawa counterparts by 3 goals to nil, while the Plateau State girls beat their Kaduna counterparts 7 – 6 through penalties after a gruelling encounter that ended goalless.

In the third place matches, the boys from Kaduna defeated team FCT by 2 goals to 1, whilst the Abuja girls clinched the third place medals at a match that was also decided by penalties where they beat the girls from Kano by 4 goals to 1.  

A huge crowd of soccer loving youths defied the early morning showers to be at the venue to watch the final matches. The highly elated winners celebrated joyously as the trophies were presented to them by Airtel’s Regional Operations Director, North, Wole Abu who was in company of the Zonal Business Manager, North Central, Lynda Umeh; Regional Trade Marketing Manager, North, Nasihu Abdulmajid and ex-Super Eagles International and technical adviser in the ARS 5, Garba Lawal.

Speaking shortly after presenting the medals and trophies to the teams, Mr. Abu noted that the Telco remains committed to its laudable contribution towards the development of youths and sport in Nigeria and has been consistent in supporting football talents to achieve their potentials.

“From Season 1 to the current Season 5, we have seen improvement in terms of organisation and officiating. Airtel Nigeria is convinced that this platform will continue to discover and produce football talents that will move on to professional football as we have seen from the testimonies of those that have been discovered. Airtel is interested in the success of youths in Nigeria,” he noted.  

Coach of the Benue State Team, Ernest Patrick, was full of delight at the victory of his team and expressed readiness to represent the North in the National Finals. “We feel proud and excited to have seen the result of our efforts. We worked hard but we will also work on our lapses. We played a good game and the other teams played well too. By God’s grace we will lift the trophy in Lagos. More is expected of us as we move to the National finals. We hope to make impact and win the competition.”

Salisu Nakande, Coach of the Plateau girls, who was a member of the Golden Eaglets squad to China ’85, said the victory at the regional championship is not new to him, but the task is for the team to lift the trophy at the national finals in Lagos.

“I am used to the terrain and I am not new to the National Finals. In the Airtel Rising Star Season 4, my boys made it to the finals but we lost to Kwara State. This time around, I foresee a very strong final and we will work hard to put in our best so we can win the National Finals in Lagos,” he said.

Meanwhile, four outstanding players were identified and honoured during the Abuja Regional Finals.

Rita Sunday, who plays for Plateau, won the Female Highest Goals Scorer award with a total of 6 goals, while Stephen Friday of Team Abuja won the Male Highest Goals Scorer award with total of 3 goals. The female Most Valuable Player award went to the skilful 15 year old Chinwe Akabike of Kaduna girls, while the male Most Valuable Player award went to Sanusi Usman,16, who plays for Benue State.

The next leg of the Regional Championship will be played in Port Harcourt at Liberation Stadium, PH between the 6^th and 8^th August. Thereafter, Lagos will host the last leg of regional championship at Legacy Pitch, National Stadium, Surulere, starting from 14^th to 16^th of August 2015. 

+ITRealms DSA +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +Airtel Nigeria +Airtel Uganda +airtel India 

 

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Pix: L-R, Airtel’s Regional Operations Director, North, Wole Abu; Benue State Team Captain, Sunday Ugor; Zonal Business Manager, North Central, Lynda Umeh with ex-Super Eagles International and Technical Adviser in the ARS Season 5, Garba Lawal during the presentation of trophy to Benue State male team after emerging winner in the Abuja Regional Championship on Saturday.