Comercio partners eFortresses CloudeAssurance, HISPI for cyber security, cloud confab - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solution company, Comercio Limited, has advanced plans to host its maiden international cyber security and cloud conference in Lagos, reports ITREALMS.

This was disclosed by the Group Managing Director (GMD) Comercio Limited, Mrs. Aderonke Adeyegbe, in a chat with ITREALMS, saying the conference will be held in partnership with eFortresses CloudeAssurance & HISPI.

The Conference slated for Four Point by Sheraton, Oniru, Lagos on 4th October, 2019, she said, has the theme: The Business of Cyber Security & Cloud in 21st Century Nigeria, even as it has lined up speakers to make it memorable and educative.

The event will be anchored by Global Cyber Security expert and Founder​​ of eFortresses CloudeAssurance, HISPI, Mr. Taiye Lambo and former CISO of the City of Atlanta, Georgia, USA alongside seasoned leaders in the cyber security area of interest such as the CISO, CBN, Rakiya Mohammed; Founder/ CEO Interswitch, Mitchell Elegbe; Director Afenoids & Former CISO, Galaxy, Backbone, Opeyemi Onifade and the Managing Partner, Technology Advisors LLP, Basil Udotai.

Experts at the conference, ITREALMS gathered, would be speaking on varied business-related pain-points not limited to external threat to Nigeria businesses is cyber security, barrier to the adoption of public cloud in Nigeria is security and privacy concern.

Also, they are to touch on the instability of the Nigeria power and telco infrastructure makes the cost of operating on-premise servers is astronomical for both commercial and government sectors; and issues of sovereign integrity for sensitive information stored in public cloud needs to be addressed.

In addition, experts would speak to the commercial and public sector lagging behind from a technology standpoint; the human capital for cyber security and cloud is very limited in Nigeria as well as the Nigerian narrative and brand of Cyber criminals needs to be changed to that of ethical Cyberists.

She stressed that Comercio Limited is Nigeria’s’ leading enterprise in local cloud service provision and has been rated as first choice of Cloud Solutions and managed data services for local and Global businesses with great ambitions.

“We offer Information Technology as a service (Cloud services, Colocation, Managed solutions, Backup services, Disaster Recovery etc.), and support for diverse infrastructure need by providing Industry-specific Solutions.

“Our Company is based on the principle of developing and delivering top of the line Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) solutions to meet the need of our existing and prospective clients”, the GMD said.

Chuks Egbune/Editor

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National Identity Day: FG adopts September 16 - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Federal Government has adopted the observance of the National Identify Day as part of adherence to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.9 which calls for legal identity for all including birth registration by 2030, reports ITREALMS.

Nigeria, ITREALMS notes with this adoption, has become the first country in the world to declare September 16 as National Identity Day, despite difficulties in assessing the national ID card in the country.

This is coming as some Nigerians lamented that despite registration, some four years ago, they are yet to get the card which expires every four years.

Disclosing this development, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, in approval letter dated August 29, 2019, and addressed to the Director-General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Aliyu Aziz.

Reacting in a press statement made available to ITREALMS, Mr. Aziz said that NIMC has immediately lined up a number of activities to formally launch Nigeria’s Identity Day on September 16, 2019 as the maiden edition.

He also said that the programme is expected to take place in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, with stakeholders from both public and private sectors actively participating.

“Many important issues on the international development and human rights agenda have an observance day. For example, 10 December is Human Rights Day, while 20th of June is Refugee Day. Now is the time for identity to have a day of observance,” he declared.
ITREALMS recalls that this adoption was berthed as ID-Day campaign initiated at the 4th Annual Meeting of the ID4Africa Movement on 24 April 2018 in Abuja-Nigeria, as a global coalition calling for the recognition by the United Nations of September 16 – or 16.9 – as International Identity Day (ID Day) given that identity plays an increasingly important role worldwide in developed as well as developing economies.

“The purpose of International Identity Day is to raise awareness about the important role identity plays in empowering individuals to exercise their rights and responsibilities fairly and equitably in a modern society,” he said.

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

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Global transaction get easier with FirstBank's card - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

As in many developing countries, cash has been the most prevalent mode of payment in Nigeria until 2012 when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced the cashless policy with the aim of promoting the use of electronic payment channels instead of cash.

Since then, banking services in Nigeria have shifted from physical and tangible distribution to technology-enabled, such as internet, automated teller machine (ATM), mobile phones, point of sale (POS) and mobile money channels.

African economies are also in support of driving cash out of the financial system and the introduction of digital payment solutions is in line with their cashless strategies.

It is also worthy of note that one of the prerequisites for the development of national economy is to encourage a payment system that is secure, convenient, and affordable. In this regard, developed countries of the world, to a large extent, have moved away from paper payment instruments toward electronic ones, especially payment cards.

Looking at data from the CBN official website on E-Payment transactions from 2012 to 2018, it is clear that there has been an exponential increase in the volume of transactions carried out through various channels.

For instance, the volume of ATM transactions carried out in 2012 was approximately at 375.5 million compared to 875.5 million recorded in 2018. Also, the volume of transactions recorded from the POS and Internet channels rose from 2.58 million to 295.89 million, and 2.27 million to 50.8 million in the review period respectively.

This suggests that, the e-payment channels, if well implemented will help achieve the CBN‘s objective of expanding, deepening and modernizing the payment system in Nigeria, and also galvanize the apex bank in ensuring that Nigeria ranks among the top 20 economies of the world in line with the nation‘s vision 2020 aspirations.

To this course, and in line with its pioneering strategy and focus at smartly improving payments infrastructures and greater usage of non-cash means in the country, First Bank of Nigeria Limited recently launched Visa Multi-Currency card, the first of its kind to be offered by any financial institution in the country.

This All-in One-Card has by all means added to the array of FirstBank’s card offerings: Naira MasterCard and Visa Gold card.

The FirstBank Naira MasterCard, a chip and PIN Debit Card, offers a convenient alternative to the use of cash, and cheques. It is a naira denominated card linked to customer’s current or savings account, and can be used to make purchases online, pay bills and access cash at ATMs point worldwide.

With it, cardholders go cashless, have zero need for Personal Travel Allowance (PTA) or Business Travel Allowance (BTA), and also have increased limits for international transactions up to $5000 monthly on all channels with a daily ATM cash withdrawal limit of $300.

While the FirstBank Visa Gold card, an international premium credit card, is a U.S. Dollar- denominated card, secured also by chip and PIN technology. Its higher daily spending limits on ATM, POS and Web are $1,000, $10,000 and $5,000 respectively, anywhere in the World.

However, in addressing challenges many Nigerians faced while travelling abroad, FirstBank has introduced the Visa Multi-Currency card with some unique features. Before now, the major pain points for travelers have been how to source different currencies with high and non-transparent exchange rates.

In today’s businesses where expectation is significantly increasing, consumers have to embrace innovative new technology made available, such as the FirstBank Visa Multi-Currency of card, for global transactions.

The newly launched FirstBank Visa Multi-Currency card is an enhancement to the existing Visa Debit Dual Currency card. Having other unique features, the card can be linked to either or all customer’s NAIRA, USD, EURO and GBP accounts. It is designed to enhance customer experience when transacting globally outside Nigeria, and to address challenges many Nigerians faced while travelling abroad thereby positioning the bank at meeting the needs of its increasingly global customer base.

Besides other benefits are POS and Online purchases, access to and use of ATMs worldwide, and no cash collateral requirement prior to its issuance.

It is an international card secured by Chip and PIN technology with a lifespan of 3 years, and it has additional protection for web-based transactions with “Verified by Visa” (VbV). In fact, it is a one card that enables access to funds throughout the world, providing maximum protection for all card users.

It has a daily withdrawal limit of N150,000 and $1,000 for local and International transactions on the ATM channel, and N1,000,000 and $6,250 for local and international on Web. While on POS, Current account cardholders have a withdrawal limit of N2,500,000 and Savings account cardholders N500,000 distinctively for local, but $2,500 parallel for International transactions.

In the words of Mr. Chuma Ezirim, Group Executive, e-Business & Retail Product, “FirstBank takes pride in pioneering the Visa Multi Currency Card in the country, as we remain committed to providing products and services that are designed to ensure the banking convenience of our customers regardless of their location.”

“This card is designed to make traveling fun for our customers and ensure they have a seamless transaction experience during their vacation, tourism and other business-related trips around the globe,” he added.

True and true, FirstBank has shown itself to be a digital innovating bank since the craze of technological transformation in the financial sector, with various Awards, achievements and recognitions.

This Nigeria’s Bank of first choice was named the first financial institution in the country to achieve sustained alternative channels transaction volumes of 100 million transactions in December 2015 and May 2016.

In 2015, FirstBank won two awards in the eBusiness category: MasterCard Cardless Champion award for International acceptance across all POS channels; and MasterCard Cardless Champion award for Mobile POS (MPOS) merchant acquisition.

In 2016, it won three awards also in the eBusiness category, viz: Asian Banker award for Best Mobile Payment Product for West Africa; Asian Banker award for Credit Card of the Year for West Africa; and Global Finance Award for ‘Digital Bank of Distinction – Emerging Markets, Africa Category’.

For two consecutive years, 2016 and 2017, the bank was honoured with the Digital Bank of Distinction, Nigeria award in the Global Finance Best Digital Banks Awards.

While still counting, in 2017, FirstBank won the Cashless Champion Award of MasterCard International on POS International transactions acquiring, and same year won Interswitch awards on Fastest Mobile Penetration in Africa; Highest Card Transacting Bank in Nigeria; and Highest Verve Issuing Bank.

For FirstBank to sustain its relevance and be part of the banks of the future, it must continue to be proactive to customers’ goals, their ‘next big thing’, and invest heavily, rediscover and reassert its core role in society, while securing ongoing support of policymakers.

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NANTA to train travel agents nationwide free - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agency (NANTA) has advanced plans to host a nationwide training for IATA and Non-IATA registered travel agents in Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Abuja at no cost, reports ITREALMS.

Tagged as IATA EasyPay Workshop for IATA and Non-IATA Agents, President of NANTA Association says the purpose of this workshop is to enlighten Travel Agents on the IATA EasyPay (IEP) plan.

“IATA EasyPay (IEP) is a new payment method that is globally available to all IATA accredited travel agents for the issuance of tickets through IATA’s Billing Settlement Plan (BSP). IATA EasyPay is a secure, pay-as-you-go solution. It is an electronic wallet and is available to agents to use alongside the other payment methods in the BSP,” Mr. Bernard says.

The association says it will also use this opportunity to address certain issues and challenges it has been facing over the years. NANTA says it will also make use of this platform to set its house in proper order by encouraging unregistered NANTA agencies to come under the umbrella and thereby drastically reduce fraudulent practices in the travel market.

Mr. Bankole also adds that the benefits of the workshop for the travel agencies is that the IEP provides a greater level of flexibility for agents.

“The IEP will provide travel agents with more flexibility, it will also provide a failsafe, allowing travel agents to continue transacting in the BSP if they ever reach their Remittance Holding Capacity (RHC).”

The National Publicity Secretary for the Association, Mr. Yinka Ladipo disclosed that the workshop is scheduled to begin with the Port Harcourt Zone on September 10, 2019, at the Swiss Spirit Hotel followed by the Abuja Zone on September 12, 2019, at Nicon Luxury Hotel and then the Lagos Zone on October 3, 2019, at the Lagos Continental Hotel.

In another development the association has recently renewed her membership with the Universal Federation of Travel Agents Association (UFTAA) in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

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MTN board decries xenophobia, violence on Nigerians - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The Board of MTN Nigeria has added its voice in condemnation of the violence meted on Nigeria and other African in South Africa, reports ITREALMS.

"... Wishes to add its unequivocal condemnation of the xenophobia and violence against Nigerians and other nationalities in South Africa over the recent days, as well as the violent response to it in Nigeria.

“Violence cannot and must never be acceptable and we must reject it in the strongest terms possible,” official statement available to ITREALMS read.

ALSO READ: Xenophobic attacks: MTN Nigeria shutdown offices n...

Also, the board offered profound sympathies to all those affected and urge all stakeholders and communities in Nigeria, South Africa and other countries, to act with restraint, and to work collaboratively to address these issues.

“Our future as a continent will be built on enhanced connections and greater integration economically, culturally and politically. It is in all of our interests to work together,” the board advised.

Chuks Egbune/Editor

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Nigerian, Ipadeola, selected for International Writing Program - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

Award-winning Nigerian poet, essayist, translator and author of short stories, Mr. Tade Ipadeola, has been selected to participate in the International Writing Program (IWP) Fall Residency at the University of Iowa, courtesy of the United States Department of State, reports ITREALMS.

From September 1 to November 16, 2019, Ipadeola, the 2013 winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literature, joins 28 other accomplished writers from across the globe in the world’s oldest and largest multinational writing residency.

Over the course of 11 weeks, Ipadeola and the other participants will give readings and lectures that share their work and cultures, collaborate with artists from other genres and art forms, and travel to interact with audiences and literary communities across the United States.

In addition, the residency will provide the writers a one-of-a-kind inter-cultural opportunity to forge productive relationships with colleagues and translators, and take part in the vibrant social and academic life of the University of Iowa as well as the larger American literary scene.

United States Consulate Public Affairs Officer Russell Brooks congratulated the Nigerian writer on his acceptance into the residency program. According to him, the goal of the IWP Fall Residency is to provide outstanding writers with a platform for cultural exchange and collaboration.

“The International Writing Program Fall Residency is a unique experience for rising stars and established writers who have achieved literary distinction and have shown interest in contributing to the creative writing culture in their home countries.

“This program will enable Ipadeola to present his works and Nigeria’s literary culture to a wider audience. He will in turn learn more about U.S. society, culture, and the American people,” Brooks said.

Ipadeola has three published works, including The Sahara Testament, a poetry collection, which won the Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2013 and has been translated into Dutch, French, Spanish and Xhosa.  In 2009, he won the Delphic Laurel in Poetry for his Yoruba poem Songbird at the Delphic Games in Jeju, South Korea. In 2012, he translated Paid on Both Sides, the first dramatic work of renowned Anglo-American poet, W.H. Auden, into Yoruba as Lamilami.

To date, 34 Nigerian literary figures have participated in the IWP Fall Residency. Notable among them are Elechi Amadi (1973), Cyprian Ekwensi (1974), Ola Rotimi (1980), Femi Osofisan (1986), Niyi Osundare (1988), Festus Iyayi (1990), Lola Shoneyin (1999), Obari Gomba (2016).

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100 days of Emeka Ihedioha by Chris Uruakpa - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS:

Today, Friday, 6th September, 2019 marks Gov. Emeka Ihedioha's first 100 days in office.

The Governor is a well polished gentleman, a visionary realist, a man that promises what is reasonable and realisable. A friend once told me that when Ihedioha makes a promise, you can take it to the bank.

One thing is crystal clear, since he came into office, he has been working tirelessly to restore the battered image of the state. Ihedioha has matched his words with actions, so as to give his administration a human face.

In a bid to correct the anomalies of the past administration, a committee was constituted to investigate the status of the newly established tertiary institutions.

An interim committee was constituted for Adapalm (Nigeria) Ltd; Traffic Congestion and illegal motor parks.

Within his first 100 days in office, he declared a state of emergency on infrastructure and approved #49 million for rehabilitation of Otamiri Water Scheme, Owerri. The approval followed recommendation by the State Executive Council.

On 5th June, 2019, Imo State participated in the annual world environment day, part of the day's activities: tree planting at the Government House, Owerri, visit to refuse disposal site at Relief Market, Owerri, visit to erosion sites and was concluded with world environment day speech at Concorde Hotel, Owerri by the Governor.

In showing the friendliness nature of Ihedioha's administration, environmental sanitation holds on every last Saturday of each month with strict compliance.

Looking at the appointments made by the previous administration and infested with many ills, Ihedioha set up an interim committee to review appointments, recruitments etc in line with the resolution of Imo State House of Assembly. On the importance of a board of internal revenue, he approved the appointment of the Chairman. Still on appointments, not overlooking their importance, he swore in the Chairman and Commissioners of the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) as well as the Board of the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC), appointments also made into the Imo State Universal Basic Education Board (IMSUBEB).

Within 100 days in office, he has approved the road rehabilitation and reconstruction in the areas mapped out. As part of the priority of government to safeguard the lives of the people, he flagged off the Ezemazu Urualla Gully Erosion Control Project at Urualla, Ideato North LGA.

At a time when most of the governors that came into office same as Ihedioha are yet to appoint Commissioners, Ihedioha who understands the need for Commissioners considering their importance, tidied up that aspect with attachment of portfolios & sworn them in accordingly. Ihedioha reduced the ministries from 31 - 18. In line with the edict of 1976, he constituted the Board of Imo State Housing Corporation.

For the football loving fans of Imo State, the board to run the affairs of Heartland Football Club was constituted and I will urge members of the board to make sure that the team shows the flashes expected for excellence.

On the drive to efficiently improve on the process of revenue generation and collection in the state, and to ensure proper accountability and transparency in all government accrued revenues, the state commenced the operation of Treasury Single Account. A move to help the government address the challenges previously faced with the operation of the multiple account system. Imo State has now joined Lagos and Kaduna states in adopting the TSA.

Talk about a man who understands the welfare of the people, the pension verification exercise has commenced in all the LGAs in the state.

On law and order, Ihedioha is not leaving any stone unturned all in a bid to make the people carry out their different endeavors without any fear of molestation. Ihedioha also set up interim committee on recovery of movable assets of government. One of the terms of reference that was given to the committee: to ascertain and document all movable properties belonging to Imo State Government which are presently held by unauthorized persons, including past government officials.

Rochas Okorocha ran Imo State aground & Ihedioha has been trying to correct many of the dirty deals spotted. I will encourage him to remain focused.

For me, 100 days in office by any standard goes beyond rolling out the drums, but a means to address the political dynamics that will shape the development of the state. It is a time of intense engagement & also an avenue to decide how to tackle the cumbersome politics that shapes the political terrain.

Lastly, the plans of Gov. Emeka Ihedioha are indeed encouraging based on his mission to rebuild Imo State through quality leadership.

In his goal to make Imo State a prosperous state and to be the pride of Ndi Imo, i wish Emeka Ihedioha all the best & praying to the good Lord to give him the grace & strength to meet up with his promises.

*Contributed by Chris Uruakpa from Lagos

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Gaming bans in Uganda and Kenya: A sign of things to come? - ITREALMS

Sports@ITREALMS:

The burgeoning African gaming market has been spearheaded by a number of countries in recent years with South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania widely deemed as the leading markets on the continent.

Thanks to a concoction of budding technological hubs, increasing online access and digital penetrations rates, as well as viable payment solutions being in place for a mostly unbanked population, the conditions have been ripe to support an online market. In Kenya, mobile operators cover almost 90% of the population with over 46 million people having access to the digital space.

These conditions, intertwined with a youthful and growing middle class that has a ferocious passion for sports, has made the 2nd most populous continent on the globe an attractive opportunity for gaming operators looking to expand beyond existing mainstream and, often, saturated markets.

However, after consistent year on year growth in a number of markets in the sub-Saharan region, the problems affecting their European counterparts have emerged in the promising market.

With betting activity sweeping across the continent, and East Africa in particular, Uganda was the first nation to act in 2019. According to local media, State Minister for Finance David Bahati “received a directive from President [Yoweri] Museveni to stop licensing sports betting, gaming and gambling companies.” In addition, for those already registered, there would be “no renewal of licenses when they expire”. As well as wanting to divert the attention of the youth away from sports betting and its harmful social impact, President Museveni specifically referenced foreign-owned companies repatriating profits rather than re-investing them in Uganda as a reason for the ban – a cause that has resonated with neighbouring jurisdictions.

Gaming powerhouse Kenya was the next significant market to act, albeit not to the extent of banning new and future licenses. Instead, the Kenyan Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) mirrored similar moves being made in Europe, most notably in Italy, by focusing on the widespread levels of advertising. According to a statement released by the BCL, “outdoor advertising of gambling, advertising of gambling on all social media platforms, advertising gambling between 6am and 10pm, [and] endorsement of gambling operations by celebrities” would be banned.

While the Kenyan ban has been temporarily suspended, legislators are currently considering policy amendments which would overhaul current state gambling laws by imposing significantly higher costs on licensed operators. In addition, the Ugandan ruling remains in place. With these actions, both jurisdictions have set a precedent that threatens to spread across and bring to a halt the great signs of promise demonstrated by the continents gaming industry.

However, the moves from two of the significant sub-Saharan markets have led to many in the industry questioning both the severity and, more importantly, the effectiveness of the rulings. With regulated gaming prohibited, there is a high risk that white markets will be replaced by grey and black jurisdictions, threatening even greater risks to the punter.

While this is a trend that has potential to catch on, with player demand increasing and regulated markets offering significant economic benefits for local economies, can countries afford to lose such high revenue potential to the black market?

While this remains unclear, one thing is for certain; for a sustainable and investment friendly gaming ecosystem to develop in Africa, the industry must learn from the tough lessons that more mature markets in Europe and the rest of the world are already experienced.

Amongst the others issues that need tackling, problem gaming and excessive advertising must be made a high priority. More effective Know Your Customer (KYC) checks, age restriction procedures and education should be in place to prevent youthful punters from chasing unrealistic high yield accumulators. And lastly, regulation and tax frameworks should be clearer, modernised and more consistent to benefit both local economies and the foreign-companies operating in African jurisdictions.

With the ICE brand having already made its mark in Africa in 2018, October 2019 will see gaming’s only B2B pan-African event return at a critical time for the industry. With issues surrounding regulation, operation and perception of gaming, ICE Africa 2019 will once again provide a forum for the industry to tackle these challenges and set a path for future stability and success that is capable of fulfilling the exciting markets massive potential.

*Contributed by Daniel Tyler, Conference Producer at ICE Africa.
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BREAKING: Jim Ovia protests Xenophobia, withdraws from World Economic Forum - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Following the hypersensitivity of the issues surrounding the lives and well-being of Nigerian citizens living in South Africa and to contribute his voice against the poor state of security regarding foreign nationals living in Africa, the Founder/Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Jim Ovia has withdrawn from further activities at the World Economic Forum Africa 2019, taking place in Cape Town, South Africa, reports ITREALMS.

Before taking his exit, Mr. Ovia stressed the need for youth empowerment and better government policies to curb continual attacks on persons living within and outside Africa.

He belaboured that until positive change towards collective growth happens on this front, the continent would not reach its potential.

Mr. Ovia also said that full support should be rendered in vocational education of the young persons living in not just Nigeria but Africa. 

According to him, the Jim Ovia Foundation has taken up a stance on this issue, having empowered over 3,500 students and entrepreneurs since its inception. 

He equally called on other members of the private sector to join hands and solve this menace plaguing the African continent.

Chuks Egbune/Editor
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Now PMB acted accordingly, can Nigerians stop Xenophotic attacks on Nigerians? - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS: 

Gentlemen, our own President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) did very well and swiftly in condemning the senseless violence against Nigerians and other foreign nationals resident in South Africa.

PMB government rose in defense of Nigeria and all actions taken so far by the Buhari administration including issuing of travel alert, boycotting World Economic Forum in Cape Town, recalling our ambassador to South Africa etc are highly commendable. These and more are expectations of Nigerians from our government and leadership across board.

Sadly, some of our private business men and women attended the World Economic Forum in Cape Town despite our government position. That's not morally right.

Back home in Lagos in 2015, Oba Akiolu of Lagos threaten to push some people into lagoon if they fail to vote for Ambode. This is xenophobic attack on Nigerians in Nigeria by Nigerians.

Some northern youths gave quit notice on several occasions to fellow Nigerians. This is local xenophobia.

Some rampaging fulani herdsmen are terrorizing every part of Nigeria day in day out. These and many more have made the life of Nigeria worthless before the international community.

While South African president, Cyril Ramophosa and government have condemned the attacks on foreigners and have even arrested 80 persons or entities suspected to have taken part in the xenophobic nonsense, President Ramophosa-led South Africa govt must do more to protect legal residents in South Africa.

Above that our own governments from local, State and federal must do all that matters to make Nigeria work again and conducive for those resident here and those intending to come back home.

Our infrastructural decays must be addressed, security guaranteed and economic changes seen to make Nigeria an investment destination.

Then can the world take us more serious with high regards.

All forms of tribalism, nepotism, religious exploitation, making religion state laws and all such are local xenophobia.

While we commend PMB for acting fast on this current situation, we appeal to Nigeria to stop attacking South Africa companies in Nigeria as the ultimate victims remain our citizens that earn their livelihoods therein.

And again let's stop local xenophobia on Nigerians by we Nigerians in Nigeria.

*Contributed by Chukwudi Nwankwor writing through Chukwudinwankwor@gmail.com

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