Hope rises for 5m sickle cell patients in Nigeria

ITRealms:

Hope is around the corner for over five million sickle cell patients across Nigeria and other African countries as the University of Ibadan (UI) in a partnership deal with the University of Illinois, Chicago, United States of America (USA) and University of Loyola, Chicago proclaims discovery of a permanent cure for the terminal disease, reports ITRealms.

According to Vanguard the cure of the deadly disease, as stated the Professor  of Medicine, and Director, Sickle Cell Centre, University of Illinois, Chicago, Victor Gordeuk, and his colleagues, Prof. Damiano Rondelli, also from the same university and Prof. Bamidele Tayo, University of Loyola, Chicago this new treatment is done through bone marrow transplant and that it is less risky.

The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan after a three-day brainstorming session with other experts in the teaching hospital, in an official communication revealed that unlike the other conventional method of stem cell transplant which exposes patients to radiation with possibility of causing cancer, first blood and marrow stem cell transplant, BMT, is much more effective.

The experts who were flanked by the Chief Medical Director, UCH, Prof. Temitope Alonge, Dr. Titilola Akingbola, an haematologist and Dr. Foluke Fasola, said this  stem cell transplant is a standard procedure for the treatment of many blood cancers in both adult and children.

He said: “With this chemotherapy-free transplant, we are curing adults with sickle cell disease, and we see that their quality of life improves fast within just one month of the transplant.
“About 90 per cent of the approximately 450 patients who have received stem cell transplants for sickle cell disease have been children. Chemotherapy has been considered too risky for adult patients, who are often more weakened than children by the disease.

“Adults with sickle cell disease can now be cured without chemotherapy — the main barrier that has stood in the way for them for so long. Our data provide more support that this therapy is safe and effective and prevents patients from living shortened lives, condemned to pain and progressive complications.”

“In the new procedure, patients receive immuno-suppressive drugs just before the transplant, along with a very low dose of total body irradiation, a treatment much less harsh and with fewer potentially serious side effects than chemotherapy.”

“ Donor cells from a healthy and tissue-matched sibling are transfused into the patient. Stem cells from the donor produce healthy new blood cells in the patient, eventually in sufficient quantity to eliminate symptoms. In many cases, sickle cells can no longer be detected. Patients must continue to take immunosuppressant drugs for at least a year.

The CMD, Prof. Alonge who called for support from government, philanthropists, donour agencies and corporate bodies like banks and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation for provision of equipment and completion of the sickle cell centre, described sickle cell as a disease of bone crisis which the patient suffers from head to toe.

He added that Sickle Cell Disease is a genetic disorder due to the presence of an abnormal form of haemoglobin in the red blood cells, called haemoglobin S (Hb S) instead of haemoglobin A (Hb A). Haemoglobin in the red blood cell is responsible for the transportation of oxygen in the body.
 

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Openmall targets 34m small scale businesses

ITRealms:

The Computer Warehouse Group (CWG), a leading provider of information and communication technology solutions has brought Openmall, an online shopping platform to the International Trade Fair Complex (ITFC) Lagos even as it targets 34 million small scale businesses, ITRealms reports.

The Chief Technology Officer, CWG, James Agada, said the intention of creating the platform is to provide online shop for small scale businesses to display their goods and services for prospective buyers, adding that it is designed to make them grow bigger than what they are currently. He also said that Openmall ensures about 20 per cent discount compared to what is bought in other e-commerce platforms because his company, unlike others, does not have its own products so there is no quest for profit maximization.

Agada who was speaking at the ITFC Openmalllaunch,Thursday, stated that Openmall will enhance job creation, saying that if eachof the 34 million small businesses can  employ one more person in their business, another 34 million jobs willhave been created, adding that the platform will put in value to the Nigerian economy disclosing that if this number of businesses came on board with a minimum of N10, 000 each, it will definitely inject billions of Naira into the nation’s economy.

He said Openmall has neither shop nor product to sell but operates a customer desk that interfaces between the buyers and sellers, saying that Openmall operates an escrow account system in which the platform ensures that both the buyer and seller honour their terms of agreement.

“When the buyer confirms interest in a particular goods or service he pays and the money enters Openmall account, the seller provides the item which is delivered to the buyer before the money is then released to the seller, all these within 24 hours,” Agada said.

He said the group is partnering with market associations, NGOs, market, leaders,currier service companies in case of distant customers and banks, adding that arrangement is on the way to work with the banks to provide soft loans to the small businesses in order to enable them stay on business. He said while the smallest online shop costs N2,500 a month, the biggest size goes for N10,000 a month.

The Business Development Manager, Openmall, Chidi Asiegbu, ITRealms gathered, said the society is changing with emerging technologies and people should embrace the change and advised business owners to own a website through Openmall platform, saying that the platform will remove logistics both on the part of the buyer and the seller, adding that the online shop also offers the seller platform for advertising his goods and services on his own shop which is embedded in Openmall.

Asiegbu informed guests that the company will be in the Complex for another five days to enable interested business owners to come and book their online shops.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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Ntel promises pure 4G LTE across Nigeria

ITRealms:

 

The Natcom Development and Investment Limited, trading as ntel has promised to launch into the Nigerian market, a pure play Fourth Generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile network commencing with Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, reports ITRealms. 

4G is an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) specification that is evolving for broadband mobile capabilities and enables Internet Protocol (IP)-based voice, data and streaming multimedia at higher speeds and available at least 100 Megabit per second (Mbit/s) with high mobility and up to 1 Gigabit (GBit/s) with low mobility also known as nomadic.

Chief Executive Officer, ntel, Mr. Kamar Abass gave this assurance at a median chat with senior editors in Lagos, in their scale of portfolio roll out that the company which took over the assets of former Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL) and its mobile arm, MTEL plans to launch a pure play 4G LTE mobile service that would offer high-speed data, high-definition voice and video.

“In its first phase ntel will launch international bandwidth services over SAT-3 and a 4G mobile network covering Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt,” he asserted.

According to him, in the first phase, ntel would deploy estimated 800 cell sites with the projected plan to increase this figure to 2,000 sites.

Abass assured that ntel would not join the league of 4G pretenders in the country, insisting that when the company decided to offer 4G, it was emphatic.

He also said that ntel would leverage its SAT-3 for international voice terminations, stressing that the SAT-3 partnerships would enable direct exchange of International Direct Dialing (IDD) traffic with 35 partners.

“Since July 2015, ntel has delivered 10 million IDD minutes to Nigeria,” he declared.

On the international bandwidth delivery, he said, with SAT-3/WASC, ntel provides connectivity from Lagos to Sesimbra, Portugal and Lagos towards Cape Town in South Africa and countries in between.

ntel, he further said provides international bandwidth cum Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity to carriers and major corporates between Nigeria and international destinations.

While on metro bandwidth, Mr. Abbas pointed out that with over 1,100 kilometres of ducts and over 4,000 kilometres of fibre route in almost all states in Nigeria, ntel is enabled to offer fibre capacity services to all across the nation.

On the Fixed services, ntel CEO said, would in the future provide fixed network services to homes and businesses where extant infrastructure could be leveraged at minimal incremental cost.

Also said explained why they are coming into market and still have high hopes for the Nigerian market is that they believe in technology based on broadband usage, which drives growth drawing its strength from 4G.

As said by him, broadband usage would spur telecommuting, facilitate forestry preservation from less paper with some new services paving the way for smart homes and grids.

People, he said, would be better connected because they would have better social relationships with improved education through electronic learning (e-learning) as well as impact on the gross domestic product (GDP) of the nation.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms)
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Pix: l-r:  Nik Ogbulie, Publisher BusinessWeek, Tokunbo Adedoja, Editor Sunday Thisday, Kamar Abass, CEO, ntel, Funke Egbemode, Managing Director, New Telegraph and Eric Osagie, Managing Director, Sun after an interactive media parley hosted by ntel for  media executives in Lagos on Wednesday and Thursday.

Union Bank unwraps new logo, stands on solid foundation

ITRealms:

Nigerian financial institutions are keying into the change mantra of the federal government as the Union Bank of Nigeria Plc (Union Bank) has unwrapped its latest brand identity at Onikan Stadium, Lagos, reports ITRealms.

The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Union Bank, Mr Emeka Emuwa said they believe that critical milestones have been achieved in the past three years which positions the bank in a solid foundation. 

He also said that the launch of this refreshed identity signals a new phase in Union Bank’s transformation strategy.

“As we set our sights on attracting a new base of customers while remaining focused on providing simple and smart banking solutions to all our customers,” he said.

Chairman, Union Bank, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma expressed happiness over the growth recorded by the bank in recent times.

"I am very proud of the strides the bank has made during my time as Chairman and I commend the Board, Management and Staff on their hard work over the years and I am sure the Bank continues to succeed as it embarks on a new phase with a refreshed brand identity,” he said.

ITRealms gathered that the highpoint of the event was the unveiling of a massive replica of Union Bank’s iconic white stallion in its new form and Union Bank’s new logo. 

In her remarks, the Head, Corporate Affairs & Corporate Communications, Ogochukwu Ekezie-Ekaidem noted Union Bank is one of the longest standing financial institutions in Nigeria.

“Our new identity pays homage to our past and carries with it our proposition for the future. In developing the new identity, remaining true to our brand proposition of simplicity was foremost in our minds. Our iconic white stallion, which represents strength and passion, is now in motion, cantering forward with energy and dynamism,” she said.

Pointing out that Union Bank with the new logo has introduced a modern typeface and updated the colour to a fresher and more vibrant blue. 

“Finally, we have included patterns to infuse a contemporary feel to the overall identity,”  Ekezie-Ekaidem declared.

ITRealms recalls that since 2012 under the leadership of Emuwa, the has redefined its business model, rebuilding its technology and physical infrastructure and reengineering the work force to include the deployment of Oracle FlexcubeUBS 12.0, and launching of Smarter Banking Centers targeted at the technology savvy customers looking for convenient banking service. 

Even as the bank has also built a state of the art data center and a new Central Processing Center to streamline its branch operations and enhance customer service.

+Remmy
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ITU grants standards for advanced audio broadcasting technology

ITRealms:

The membership of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has granted approval for open standards, in line with the recommendation ITU-R BS.2088-0, aimed at delivering advanced sound for broadcasting services that will create a listening experience that is closer to real life, reports ITRealms.

The new global standards will facilitate the production and exchange of advanced audio files by allowing a single file to carry a complete audio programme containing audio samples as well as metadata for any combination of object, channel and scene-based audio. The new file format was developed based on the existing and widely used Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) or Waveform Audio File Format (WAVE/WAV) Filename extension file format in order to facilitate its application and implementation.

ITRealms reports that sound have become an indispensable part of television and radio, just as in real life, experts say, man hear sound from all around; a bird above us, a car behind us, and a voice ahead of us. 

ITU in a press statement made available to ITRealms also noted that emulating this same experience in the media will be ‘immersive audio’. 

“Coupled with new high quality Ultra High Definition Television (UHDTV), which offers enhanced image rendition, immersive audio will lift the television experience to an entirely new level, further blurring the line between physical reality and virtual or digital simulation,” part of the press statement read.

Future technical capabilities for audio, ITU said, will allow viewers to select their own menu of services. “They will be able to decide on and adjust the level of immersive sound in their living rooms, creating dynamic sound imaging,”

ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao was quoted as saying that these features become possible with ‘object based coding’, which will allow viewers to personalize their viewing and listening experience ‘at the point of consumption’.

This, he said, could include setting language and dialogue levels and selecting different aspects or sections of programming, which could also bring added benefits for people with disabilities.

“The ITU global standard for immersive audio sets an important step for an exciting new age of ‘sound’ for broadcasting,” Zhao said stressing that the advanced audio systems will provide additional features and performance well beyond those available today.

For the Director, ITU Radiocommunication Bureau, François Rancy, the role that sound plays in the media is under-estimated, pointed out that “The work of ITU, along with other standards bodies, is creating a very exciting future for audio production, delivery and programming.”

+Remmy 

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