₦airaland Forum

http://itedgenews.ng/2019/06/05/signal-alliance-launches-cloudgo-managed-productivity-suite-smes/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews cloud, CloudGo, Microsoft, platform, Signal Alliance, system integrator

Signal Alliance, a system integrator, has launched a new product called CloudGo built on the Microsoft cloud platform and targeted at small and medium scale businesses.

CloudGo comprises of digital workplace tools bundled with managed support. The value delivered by this solution is the power to engage customers, reduced cost on IT infrastructure, enhanced collaboration and improved productivity.

According to Uchechi Nwaukwa, Chief Technology Officer, Signal Alliance, “Huge investment in IT Infrastructure, upgrade challenges, data protection and security, disaster recovery form the core of major challenges faced by SMEs. Hence, an efficient and secure solution that enhances the way employees communicate, collaborate and scale innovate solutions for the business, becomes an inevitable need.”

In addition, CloudGo users can benefit from Microsoft services, tools, methodologies to determine business direction and implement communication, collaboration, and data-based services that can change the way your employees work together.

Cloud migration, adoption and onboarding training, consumption analytics dashboard, managed support and cyber assessment are all managed support services bundled in CloudGo to provide a robust modern digital workplace for businesses.

Courtesy: Bob Koigi, Africa Tech News – www.africabusinesscommunities.com

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/17/allegro-ai-showcase-deep-learning-perception-platform-intel-partner-booth-inside-embedded-vision-summit/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

Deep learning computer vision startup allegro.ai is set to showcase its latest product offering, hosted at the Intel partner booth (booth #307), during the Embedded Vision Summit which will take place in Santa Clara, California on May 20-May 23, 2019.

Founded in 2016, allegro.ai offers the world’s first end-to-end deep learning lifecycle management solution suite focused on perception. The company’s platform and product suite simplify the process of developing and managing deep learning-powered perception solutions – such as for autonomous vehicles, medical imaging, drones, security, logistics and other use cases.

allegro.ai will showcase its solution suite which offers capabilities for experiment management, data management, quality control, continuous learning and more. The platform enables engineering and product managers to get the visibility and control they need, while research scientists focus their time on research and creative output. The result is meaningfully higher quality products, faster time-to-market, increased returns to scale, and materially lower costs.

allegro.ai was founded by seasoned technology veterans leading a team with extensive expertise in computer vision, deep learning, and embedded and high-performance computing. The company’s investors include Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH, Samsung Catalyst Fund, Hyundai Motor Company, and other venture funds.

In addition to the showcase at the Intel partner booth, Moses Guttmann, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of allegro.ai, will be a speaker at the summit. Guttmann, a 20-year technology veteran, is a computer vision and deep learning expert and visionary, with a track record in spearheading innovation in computer vision, perception and deep learning.

Guttmann will discuss Optimizing SSD Object Detection for low-power devices and will describe in detail a data-centric optimization approach to SSD. allegro.ai’s approach drastically lowers the number of priors (“anchors”) needed for the detection, and thus linearly decreases time spent on this costly part of the computation. As a result, specialized processors and custom hardware may be better utilized, yielding higher performance and lower latency regardless of the specific hardware used.

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/17/nordic-nigeria-connect-holds-lagos-focuses-innovating-change/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

The Nordic Embassies in Nigeria – Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark – are collaborating on the second edition of Nordic Days in Nigeria: Nordic Nigeria Connect – Innovating for Change. The event will take place at Radisson Blu, Victoria Island, Lagos, on 22-23 May 2019. The Vice-President H.E. Yemi Osinbajo has been invited to open the event on Wednesday 22 May.

Nordic-Nigeria Connect is a unique opportunity for partnership between Nordic and Nigerian actors to innovate for change. Target groups and beneficiaries of this initiative are Nordic and Nigerian companies, investors, government representatives and other interested organisations. In Lagos, world-class Nordic innovation culture meets the Lagosian thriving entrepreneurial scene with the largest number of tech hubs in Africa. More than 30 Nordic companies from several sectors, including education, transport and energy, are participating in the event.

During the past decades, the Nordic countries have developed a world-class innovation scene, in everything from industrial robots, education tools, transport solutions and energy efficiency to leadership and business models. With a total population of less than 30 million, the track record of the four countries is impressive. Finland has given birth to the world’s best (and free) education system. Sweden is home to innovations such as Bluetooth, Skype and Spotify, and its capital Stockholm is currently producing the highest number of so-called ‘unicorns’ (or billion-dollar tech companies) per capita after Silicon Valley. Norway is the home to one of the world’s largest funds – The Government Pension Fund Global (Oil Fund) – with stakes in more than 9 000 companies worldwide, including the likes of Apple, Microsoft and Samsung. Norway is also innovating technology for oceans industries with Equinor in the lead. Denmark is at the forefront with innovations in the food, agriculture and processing sector with companies like Arla Foods/Dano.

Nigeria is gradually emerging as a hotbed of innovations cutting across the financial services, agriculture, hospitality and entertainment. The efforts to diversify the Nigerian economy, job creation, rural and inclusive development requires innovative solutions. The power of collaboration and co-creation is key.

Nordic-Nigeria Connect seeks to combine the ideas and solutions from the Nordic countries and Nigeria, with participation by companies, innovation hubs and financing instruments during the two-day event.

The event will open on Wednesday 22 May. During the first day, best innovative practices in Nigeria and in Nordic countries will be shared. Thematic sessions will focus on Innovation in Learning and Innovation in Transportation. During Thursday 23 May, focus will be on sharing experiences within the theme Innovation in the Energy Sector, both in oil and gas as well as in renewable energy, and discussing Access to Finance from Nordic financing solutions. Full program attached.

As part of Nordic-Nigeria Connect, the Nordic Embassies will also host evening programs showcasing innovation within fashion and music. The Finnish fashion designer Marita Huurinainen and the Swedish music artists Sabina Ddumba and Kim Cesarion will collaborate with Nigerian talents in open sessions on Wednesday and Thursday evening respectively. The evening sessions are open to the public and will also take place at Radisson Blu, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The event is holding in close cooperation with Norwegian Energy Partners, Business Sweden, and Business Finland.

For more information and requests for interviews with Nordic ambassadors, please contact Alime Media at alimemedia.official@gmail.com

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/17/teracos-cloud-exchange-offers-direct-connection-multiple-leading-global-cloud-services-africa/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

Cloud investment into Africa has increased sharply as the continent sees the establishment of its first cloud regions. Through extensive investment by multiple international operators, cloud strategies are now becoming a key element within every enterprise’s infrastructure investment.

Teraco, Africa’s largest and most interconnected vendor neutral data centre, says its African cloud exchange, located in the Johannesburg and Cape Town data centre facilities, will ensure a low risk, direct entry point for clients wishing to connect to local and global cloud providers. This ‘on-ramp’ is a vital, secure connection service housed within data centres such as Teraco and provides direct connectivity to a host of cloud providers.

Since launching, Teraco’s Africa Cloud Exchange, services the sub Saharan Africa region and has become instrumental in keeping local traffic within the borders of Africa, as opposed to routing it via Europe and back again. Currently AWS Direct Connect, Microsoft Express Route and Google’s Cloud Platform are all available via the cloud exchange.

Andrew Owens, peering and interconnection specialist, Teraco, says the Africa Cloud Exchange is the neutral connectivity point where any enterprise, ISP, carrier or managed service provider can connect in Africa: “This investment into Africa will significantly impact the burgeoning cloud region. Aside from benefiting from the myriad of cloud connectivity options, there is also no limitation on capacity. Teraco purely charges a cross-connection fee and as a result, reduces the costs to connect.”

He says that access to multiple connectivity providers and business partners is an inevitable requirement of any modern enterprise: “Most enterprises want to avoid the public Internet due to potential latency and throughput issues. These challenges are addressed by private connect solutions. Through our cloud exchange we ensure a low risk, secure, direct, predictable connection to any client-selected cloud provider.”

By utilising cross-connections, Teraco’s Africa Cloud Exchange is a highly scalable, quick and cost-effective way to create a hybrid or multi-cloud IT environment: “It creates an ideal opportunity to move business critical workloads and latency-sensitive applications to the public cloud. Through this approach, less network hops, higher carrier diversity and interconnectivity are automatically a part of a resilient and scalable network,” says Owens.

In addition, Owens says that cloud operators can take advantage of direct access to African terrestrial fibre, satellite connectivity, submarine cables and an open market for interconnection.

Using the Africa Cloud Exchange, Owens says Teraco recently ran real world latency tests from the Teraco cross-connection directly to resources deployed in Western Europe and resources deployed in South Africa via Microsoft Express Route. As shown in the diagram below, the RTT (Round Trip Time) to resources deployed in the cloud from Teraco’s Africa Cloud Exchange has improved from an average of 171ms down to less than 2ms.

“Lower latency, and direct cloud connections are imperative for a cloud approach to thrive. Being able to assist clients within the enterprise to better serve their clients, providing not only interconnects, but also lower latency,” says Owens.

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/15/nitda-begins-implementation-data-protection-regulation-offenders-risk-hefty-fines/

Posted By: ITEdgeNews

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has started implementing the ‘Nigeria Data Protection Regulation.’ Full implementation commenced last month 25th of April 2019, the government IT clearinghouse announced in a public statement released in Abuja today and signed by Its Director General/CEO, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.

Offenders risk paying between N2 million to N10 million naira, or between 1% and 2% of their annual gross revenue of the preceding year.

The agency explained that the Data Protection Regulation seeks among others: safeguard the rights of Nigerians to data privacy; ensure exchange of personal data is done safely and securely; prevent the manipulation of personal data; and ensure that Nigerian businesses remain competitive globally as Data Protection is a key requirement in ensuring confidence in business transactions.

“The agency, according to section 6 (c) of the NITDA Act of 2007, is mandated to develop regulations for electronic governance and monitor the use of electronic data interchange and other forms of electronic communication transactions among others. The Act also grants NITDA powers to enforce compliance and penalise defaulters.

“The penalty for breaching this Regulation in addition to any other liabilities include:

a) Payment of the fine of 2% of annual gross revenue of the preceding year or the sum of 10 million naira, whichever is greater in the case of a data controller dealing with more than ten thousand data subjects; and
b) In the case of a data controller dealing with less than 10,000 data subjects, payment of the fine of 1% of the annual gross revenue of the preceding year or the sum of 2 million naira, whichever is greater.
“NITDA as Nigeria’s information technology regulator notes with pleasure, the interest, input and efforts of many stakeholders in complying with the regulation and to further explore the economic and job creation potential the Regulation presents to Nigeria. We urge all Nigerians to support this initiative as your right to privacy is fundamental.”

Comprehensive information on the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation is accessible here: www.nitda.gov.ng

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/14/mtn-group-publishes-q12019-financials-ahead-listing-nigerian-stock-exchange/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

MTN Nigeria recently published its Q1:2019 earnings ahead of the finalisation of its listing by introduction on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). Below are highlights of the company’s Q1:2019 performance.

Click here to download the MTN Nigeria Q1:2019 Results.

MTN Nigeria Q1:2019

Operational Highlights

Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) improved by 1.1% Y-o-Y to N1,510 in Q1:2019
Total subscribers increased by 3.6% Y-o-Y to 60.3 million in Q1:2019
Data subscribers improved by 5.6 million Y-o-Y to 20.4 million in Q1:2019
Data is the fastest growing segment, with a revenue share of 26.0%
Industry Highlights

MTN Nigeria is the undisputed leader with market share by subscribers and value of 39.0% and 50.0% respectively
Financial Highlights

Revenue increased by 13.2% Y-o-Y to N282.0bn in Q1:2019, driven by voice (74.9%), data (16.6%), Fintech (2.9%) and Digital (1.0%) revenues. Other sources accounted for 4.5%.
EBITDA Margin improved to 53.3% in Q1:2019 from 41.8% in Q1:2018
PAT increased to N48.4bn in Q1:2019 from N32.2bn in Q1:2018, translating to a PAT margin of 17.2%
Effective Dividend pay-out is 80.0%
Prospects/Outlook

MTN Group plans to issue commercial paper worth an estimated N200.0bn in 2019
47m new mobile subscribers expected by 2023, with mobile penetration estimated at 91.8% for Nigeria
Smartphone penetration is expected to increase to 95.0% in 2023 from 47.0% in 2018
Low data penetration and 4G coverage presents opportunities for data revenue growth
Low level of banking penetration is expected to support Fintech revenue
Update on NSE Listing by Introduction

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc (MTN) announced on the 24th April 2019 that it had completed its conversion from a private company to a public liability company (Plc). The conversion is a legal requirement for MTN’s listing by introduction on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). In addition, MTN announced the successful completion of the registration of 20,354,513,050 (20.35 billion) ordinary shares of N0.02 each with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on 8th May 2019. We expect the listing by introduction on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) to be completed in the first half of 2019.

For brokerage transaction on the MTN Nigeria Plc deal, contact:

Adedoyin Allen: aallen@afrinvest.com 08097783100

Bolaji Fajenyo: bfajenyo@afrinvest.com 08121759032

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/14/landmark-conference-using-data-science-plan-africas-future-labor-market/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

The Rockefeller Foundation and the Dalberg Group are proud to announce a landmark convening focused on advancing initiatives that recognize the role of data science in addressing systemic challenges linked to unemployment and the future of work in Africa.

Africa is home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population with projections of more than 375 million young people in the job market by 2030. Within a few decades, this demographic dividend will increase the size of Africa’s workforce to more than a billion people, making it the largest in the world. However, the gap between the number of work seekers and the number of jobs available today is significant and requires deeper, more integrated solutions. Further, the skills required in today’s labor market may not be the skills required tomorrow.

At the same time, the proliferation of data, advances in data science and technological innovation offer tremendous opportunity. Across the continent, initiatives focused on building digital skills, jobs, and industries of the future are well underway.

As a way to capitalize on the rich innovation in data science across the continent, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Dalberg Group hosted the ‘Data Science for Improved Labor Markets in Africa’ event in Kigali, Rwanda, on 12-13 May 2019. The event preceded the Transform Africa Summit, which brings together leading policy makers and industry actors from across the continent and will focus on ‘boosting Africa’s Digital Economy’.

“Greater access to data and advancements in data science hold the potential to allow to more deeply understand the systemic challenges that drive unemployment. However, translating these advancements into viable solutions and positive impact at scale requires collaboration at the intersection of technologists, policy makers, industry, and civil society”, said Robin Miller, Partner and Global Digital Lead at Dalberg Advisors. “We are pleased to be partnering with the Rockefeller Foundation because we share the vision of not only advancing data science capacity to build digital solutions but, more importantly, bringing together the constellation of actors, influencers, and decisions-makers who will co-design these solutions, re-envision, and build the labor markets of the future.”

The Data Science for Labor Markets event brought together a distinctly curated group of 27 policy-makers, data scientists, funders, researchers, and industry actors from more than a dozen countries in order to build and enhance existing data science initiatives that tackle the deep systematic labor market challenges in Africa. The methodology of the two-day event included prototyping and pressure testing enhancements to existing solutions, facilitating connections that will position solutions for expansion and scale, and defining opportunities for broader and deeper cross-sectoral collaborations.

“Creating, testing, and integrating impactful data-driven solutions requires collaboration across government, the private sector, and civil society. We believe that data and technology hold the key to solving the world’s most challenging issues, including those facing Africa’s labor market,” said Zia Khan, Vice President of Innovation at The Rockefeller Foundation. “We are excited to work alongside Dalberg to provide an opportunity for data scientists and field experts to work together to craft solutions that address deep, underlying causes of problems-and ultimately, to deliver real results.”

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/14/ncc-organises-maiden-nigerian-telecom-leadership-summit-ntls-2019/

Posted By: ITEdgeNews

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is organising the maiden edition of Nigerian Telecom Leadership Summit (NTLS 2019) to hold in Lagos, Thursday, May 23, 2019.

The Summit’s theme: “Repositioning the Nigerian Telecom Industry for Future Challenges and Prospects”, according to the initiator –NCC– is in line with the Commission’s commitment to improving the investment climate of the Nigerian telecom industry. It is geared towards sustaining a robust collaborative regulatory environment in order to address current and future challenges of the sector.

As part of the programme of collaborative regulatory atmosphere, the summit presents a unique opportunity for NCC to interact with key stakeholders to discuss pertinent issues affecting the industry with a view to proffering solutions to address challenges. It is also designed to critically analyse the current state of the industry and to make profound recommendations for sustaining a healthy Nigerian telecom industry.

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, will be the special guest of honour, while the keynote will be delivered by Dr. Omobola Johnson, former Minister of Communications Technology, on the topic: “Best Fit Infrastructure Investment Choice for an Emerging Market.”

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, and the Minister of Communications, Honourable AbdurRaheem Adebayo Shittu are expected to address the gathering as guests. The Chairman NCC Board of Commissioners, Otunba Olabiyi Durojaiye will also attend the event alongside the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive (EVC/CE) of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who will present an overview of the status of the Industry as a prelude to the Keynote and Panel Discussions.

Eminent persons and other stakeholders participating in the Summit have been slated as panelists in a discourse focused on: “The Challenges Facing the Nigerian Telecoms Industry, Way Forward and the Role of the Regulator”. Further discussion will also take place on the topic: “Implications of Multiple Taxation on Telecom Investments in Nigeria” after a presentation on the subject by Dr. Doyin Salami of the Lagos Business School.

Among the panelists for the two segments are: Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Ms. Yewande Sadiku, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC); Mr. Abubakar Mahmood (SAN), immediate past President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA); and Mr. Joseph Tegbe, Senior Partner at KPMG. The President, Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola, and his counterpart at the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo are also on the panels, while Professor Fabian Ajogwu (SAN) will speak on: “The Role of the Mandatory Code of Corporate Governance in the Nigerian Telecom Industry.”

With investments estimated at over $70 Billion beginning, active lines in the voice segment standing at 173.7 million as at March 2019, a teledensity of 91% as at March 2019, and with 63 million broadband users representing 33.22% of Nigeria’s projected population of 190 million, Professor Danbatta affirms that the Nigerian telecommunications sector is “work in progress.”

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/14/zoi-meet-launches-real-time-subtitling-software-international-business-professionals-2/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

The need to remove language barriers has never been greater. We live in a global economy in which 20% of people that are able to speak English expect the other 80% to have the same ability. Additionally, according to a 2018 survey by Successful Meetings, 49% of international business professionals identify “communications / language barriers” as the “most challenging aspect of doing business”

Creating a Better Platform

Companies know that expanding their operations and influence globally requires a workforce that can communicate effectively in multiple languages; however, roughly two-thirds of business executives surveyed by Forbes Insights said that less than half of their employees have professional proficiency in more than one language. So, having a multilingual team, while an ideal solution, is not always the most realistic for many companies operating globally. Meeting veterans clearly agree that language barriers are hugely challenging — and the resulting “cultural misunderstandings” can sabotage any change of an effective communication channel.

View the Zoi Meet demo video here

Kevin Oranje, CEO of Zoi Meet, says that his company is poised to ease the challenge of multi-language meetings and presentations: “We are offering real-time subtitling service, in up to 3 languages on one screen, and searchable multilingual transcriptions, all under one roof.”

With the help of the World’s best accelerator Techstars, on April 2, Zoi Meet has successfully launched the beta version of its AI-powered software and now working closely with a few major industry partners (BASF, HP, Singapore Airport Terminal, Asia Pacific Week and more) on its further deployment.

Translate and subtitle everything that is being said. Zoi Meet directly displays spoken text to subtitles on any screen or device using an automatic transcription in 12 languages. You can choose to display up to three languages at the same time.
Transcribe and share all notes in multiple languages. Zoi Meet stores all your meeting transcripts and makes sure they are archived in searchable text files. All transcripts are synced with your recorded audio and can be instantly translated to multiple languages.
Communicate with ease wherever you are. Zoi Meet can be used for conferences, in-person meetings, product presentations, calls or networking events.
These combined features serve to remove language barriers, create a shared knowledge center and save both time and misunderstandings for those looking to maximize their communication efficiency on the global stage.

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/14/making-access-credit-loan-repayment-pocket-money/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

Over the past few years, there has been a proliferation of new fintech models, offering alternative financial solutions to the conventional set-ups, more so in the lending sub-sector in Africa. New horizons in the African financial industry are evident with new trends gaining strong traction especially through peer-to-peer (P2P) models-allowing such distinct niches as consumers, SMEs and other borrowers who were hitherto ignored by conventional lenders to access loans more efficiently and expeditiously via digital lending technology.

Be that as it may, financial pundits lament that credit extension in Africa lags behind other regions, noting that while the ratio of credit is only 18 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa, comparable figures in South Asia and Latin America are 37 percent and 47 percent respectively.

However, hope is in the air though, with Pocket Money, a digital lending marketplace, determined to transform the financial fortunes of borrowers in Africa by pioneering a ‘cyclic’ lending system that will provide a breath of fresh air even to potential borrowers who had previously been ‘rejected’ by lenders within Pocket Money’s ecosystem.

To address this challenge, Pocket Money has come up with a marketplace that offers a multi-layered solution that ensures that the borrower is introduced to various potential lenders, offering more alternatives that provide the likelihood of a borrower to finally access the loan in the long run.

For instance, more often than not, a borrower may approach a lender for a microloan in cash, but the application, for one reason or another, is rejected, leaving the borrower with very few, or no options at all. The dilemma for the borrower becomes a nightmare especially if he’s a traveler in some regions of the world where access to an online lender is either limited or non-existent-a dire situation that means the end of the road for the borrower.

It is such a predicament that Pocket Money, which is now committed to officially stamp its footprint in Africa, is set to inhibit by developing a global marketplace in which the rejected loan applications are circulated and resubmitted to licensed lenders all over the world with a view to providing them with another chance of accessing the loan. Pocket Money’s ultimate aim is to make this technology available to everyone so that the echo of financial inclusion can resonate in every corner of the world, irrespective of geographic location. By doing so, it has created a marketplace for financial services that brings together financial service providers, customers, and investors into a single global stage.

According to CEO and Co-Founder of Pocket Money, Stefano Virgili, the new marketplace seeks to expand Africa’s financial ecosystem to have a real impact on financial inclusion on the continent.

“Through this unique system that links an array of potential lenders to borrowers, we are able to create a larger pool of clients who will in essence provide revenue sharing with lending businesses located across the world while the borrowers can connect with lenders around the world, breaking the barriers that prevented them from borrowing money from a competitive global marketplace”, says Stefano.

“Conversely”, adds, Stefano, “tech partners can connect to Pocket Money network and develop apps to integrate with fintech solutions while investors can participate in the Pocket Money fundraising as well as the backing of new loans”.

Stefano laments the challenges faced by borrowers in Africa including not having a credit history, therefore, rendering credit scoring almost impossible, loan application rejection partly due to the above or other criteria deficiencies, interests on loans that are prohibitively high, not having enough funds to repay loans, and not being able to borrow from someone abroad, while some lenders face the challenge of running out of cash to service borrowers.

“Pocket Money, therefore, offers solutions to these challenges by innovatively using technology, expanding the financial marketplace and strategic social engagement that reduces the risk of default. These solutions include creating a unique socially enabled Pocket Money Credit Profile that addresses the challenges of credit scoring which is a common criterion used to access borrowers’ repayment risk”, he adds.

Through the new technology, a borrower’s application is circulated through other lenders globally to increase the likelihood of getting a loan. The system ensures that the lender who wins the bid is the one offering the lowest interest, enabling borrowers to have access to competitive repayment rates.

The system, a new fintech technological phenomenon in Africa, is destined to be sweet music to borrowers in Africa for it will significantly attract and increase more aspiring borrowers, thus fostering financial inclusion on the continent.

Suffice it to say, Pocket Money is the easiest way to gain access to credit when rejected by a lender. However, lenders may also face the challenges that include risky borrowers’ profile which might expose financial service providers to uncertainty, unavailability of borrowers in certain markets and the risk posed by manual processes which might have an impact on time and quality of records.

These risks are nevertheless, mitigated by Pocket Money Credit Profile that provides hundreds of data points that give lenders a better risk analysis assessment. Through the marketplace too, lenders can bid on rejected applications anywhere in the world, ensuring there is no scarcity of potential borrowers.

Stefano explains that the Pocket Money ecosystem encompasses a strategic social engagement platform that enables participation with friends and families in surveys and micro tasks to earn loan credits that are particularly beneficial to cooperatives and groups like savings and credit societies as well as informal saving groups at places of work or among friends.

“Further, forex exchange rates in real-time used in this marketplace also facilitate a multi-currency wallet that allows sending money around the world in local currencies. This tool does not only service borrowers and lenders but also serves remittance payments in emerging economies”, says Stefano “in fact, it protects lenders by settling all the B2B transactions in USD.”

He adds that the marketplace is a multi-faceted platform that incorporates simple and intuitive lender dashboard developed by Pocket Money allowing for efficiency in saving processing time and ease of access to borrowers wherever they may be.

The marketplace also supports licensed lenders to ensure their sustainability by supporting some of their cash flow and liquidity challenges through loans made directly to borrowers, provision of third-party lenders and borrowers who use Pocket Money tools and borrowing money at low-interest rates and lending out at slightly higher rates for the service provided.

With Pocket Money, borrowers with high default risks are supported in paying back loans through social repay.

Depending on the country’s availability, Pocket Money users, whether they have borrowed or not, might receive micro-tasks, such as verifying that a billboard contains the poster that the advertiser has paid for, answering a survey, etc.

Such micro-tasks are paid for by brands through existing third-party apps. Each app might reward in a different digital currency, like Smiles for example. The currency can then be used in Pocket Money wallet to purchase USD vouchers that can be gifted to borrowers (i.e. family and friends) or purchased to offset your own loan.

All in All, Pocket Money not only benefits lenders, borrowers and investors; it also helps borrowers to pay back their loans through the use of innovative interoperability payment systems.

The marketplace uses today’s technology in a way that allows individual components of the financial services ecosystem to be open and connected to each other in such a way that was not possible before, creating solutions that are greater than the sum of the individual parts.

Partner lenders such as banks, financial services providers, telecommunication companies and governments who can act as underwriters for loan services will have an opportunity to operate in this marketplace with the advantage of having a larger market of customers locally, regionally and internationally.

Currently domiciled in Singapore, Pocket Money is now set on establishing its footprints in Africa, trailblazing what is destined to be a unique credit-lending marketplace that will undoubtedly transform the continent’s lending sub-sector.

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/13/nitda-launches-roadmap-nigerias-smart-economy/

A new policy framework to anchor innovation and digital inclusion in Nigeria has been launched by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

The “Nigeria Smart Initiative Policy Framework” (NSIPF) was officially presented to stakeholders in Abuja recently by the IT agency as a draft policy to open conversation and an all-stakeholders engagement on firming up NITDA’s plans to spur technology innovation and accelerate infusion of technology into public sector’s processes.According to the Director-General of NITDA, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, NSIPF will guide the country’s disposition to smart technologies and also help in leveraging technology to grow the economy across sectors. Equally important is that the framework captures the country’s vision to be among the global top economies, which is only viable through ensuring local high yields in IT.

The NITDA is government’s IT clearinghouse. Oil is the economy of the past, said Pantami and it has now become exigent to leverage technology to build Nigeria’s present and future economy.

His words: “We are moving towards a data economy. Looking at our population, digital literacy level, and commitment to technology promotion and adoption, it is the best time to leverage on this smart initiative to ensure that we move to the next level. The idea is to automate all our activities and to ensure that the influence of human beings is minimal.

Technology has become critical to build and sustain the kind of economy that could feed Nigeria’s overwhelming and growing population, said Pantami. The NSIPF is conceived to provide a smart framework that could cut around all the impeding processes associated with public sector bureaucracy at policy formation and execution particularly as it concerns IT.

He assured that the new framework would provide a robust foundation to help the country quickly adopt digital solutions critical to national development. In addition, the framework is designed to support local innovators and provide solutions that could address the country’s unique challenges.

The NITDA’s boss said efforts have also been made to draw up a framework that could attract offshore investment and provide a rallying ground of support for local innovation all for the good of the national economy.

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/13/ringier-digital-marketing-gains-grounds-africa-frontline-digital-solutions/

Ringier Digital Marketing (RDM) is deepening its presence in Africa as its portfolio of services and clients grow across the continent. In a bid to continuously provide world class services to clients, the company has assembled a team of creative strategists – content creators, developers and managers, who update their skills and knowledge regularly with up-to-date industry trends and tools so as to offer top notch advisory and executions to clients.

Ringier Digital Marketing (rdm) is Ringier Africa’s complete digital partner, which combines media, marketing and technology to support businesses in their digital endeavours to be able to boost brand equity and provide them with 360 degree digital-first marketing and digital enterprise solutions.

The company, which physically operates in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal, provides a portfolio of 360 degree Digital Marketing Solutions and transformation with offerings such as Animation (2D & 3D), Content Strategy & Production, Creative Strategy, Corporate Training Classes, Display Advertising, Email Newsletter Marketing, Event Coverage, Graphic Designs, Paid Marketing, Public Relations & Communications, Web/Mobile/App Development, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimisation, SMS Management, Social Media Management, Video Scripting & Production.

On how they relate with the brands they service, Director of Account Management at Ringier Africa Digital Publishing, Temi Williams-Davies says, “Our services are tailored in a manner that ensures that digital solutions can be offered to every brand, regardless of the size or nature of the business. We provide a dedicated service to each of our clients, ensuring that they handle our clients like kings, like they are the ‘only’ ones we have”.

Shola Adegbuyi, Director of Operations at RADP said, “We see our clients’ brands as extensions of our own. That way, we ensure to pay attention to every intricate detail and create solutions to tackle their digital marketing needs. That is what drives us to give value to businesses as we do”.

Some of the brands they currently service include Heineken, Nigerian Breweries, Nestle Nigeria, British Council, Reckitt Benckiser, Samsung amongst others.

Ringier Digital Marketing (RDM) is a subsidiary of Ringier Africa Digital Publishing (RADP), which is owned by Ringier AG, a Swiss family-owned business with over 180 years of media experience, which entered the African market in 2011.

Posted By: ITEdgeNews

SpaceBridge™ the global market leader and supplier of broadband satellite communications systems technology, unveils its SatCloud Managed Services for Satellite Network Operators, Backhaulers, and Broadcasters. SatCloud is a Dynamic SCPC Bandwidth-on-Demand solution that uses cloud Scheduling and Orchestration services.​

SatCloud offers a Cloud-Orchestrated solution for service providers that want to provide managed high-bit rate occasional and on-demand end-to-end satellite solutions. “It is a pay-as-you-grow, OpEx-driven model for customers, which greatly reduces launch risk,” says Assaf Cohen, VP Marketing and Sales & General Manager of SpaceBridge.

“With SatCloud, you do not need to invest capital expenses in deploying a new platform, giving you a significant reduction in risk. You also avoid the start-up cost of training your engineering and support teams, and the need to maintain spares. At the same time, you gain unlimited warranty provisions on the hardware and free upgrades on the software for as long as you use the service. SpaceBridge has created a new first-of-its-kind service to help address these kinds of challenges. Pay only for what you need, when you need it, while gaining a complete.

We believe in partnership and driving each other’s business, and doing so by recognizing the strongest suits and empowering them. We’ve been crafting and tailoring satellite technologies for the past 30 years, thus it’s only natural for us to operate, maintain and support such solutions. SpaceBridge SatCloud allows the operator to focus on driving the business, rather than worrying about maintenance and operation of complexed satellite systems that need to constantly change in order to satisfy user experience” Cohen adds.

SpaceBridge will showcase its SatCloud and other solutions at the SATELLITE 2019 trade show, Booth 709, at the Washington, DC convention center.

Advantages and features of SatCloud include:

True Pay-as-You-Grow: buying by the Mbps and per satellite links, providing it all under a complete OPEX only umbrella.
Boundless Service Deployment: SpaceBridge™ Cloud Teleport hub functionalities, enable the user to deploy SatCloud and deliver service from any Teleport in the world, as long as it’s connected to the internet.
Managed Services: 24x7x365 customer support, Proactive Monitoring, Per-site link budget, and Advanced replacement RMA.
Cloud NMS: Control anything from anywhere. Oversee and control your global operations, from different Teleports, all from a one-stop-shop online cloud NMS.
Almost Gbps payload data rates Managed services provided through SpaceBridge Network Operation Centers.
SatCloud benefits all satellite network operators – service providers, backhaulers, broadcasters and satellite operators. It is a perfect fit for enterprise, IP trunking, backup solutions, oil & gas, energy, and maritime. It is deal for starter hubs, new service providers, pay-as-you-grow, new and/or gradual deployments models.
https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/09/spacebridge-debuts-satcloud-cloud-based-managed-services-satellite-2019/

4kings:
Hi technative, i like your website.

THANKS

MD/CEO MTN

Despite market hiccups and brushes with regulatory authorities, MTN Nigeria has recorded a service revenue increase of 13.4%; and voice revenue increase of 12.7%. Mobile subscribers increased by 2.1 million to raise its subscribers’ base to 60.3 million.

The telecom giant recorded upward growth in other service streams. Data revenue grew by 32.4%; digital revenue was 68.0%; and Fintech recorded a 22.9% increase.

Overall, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) grew by 11.5pp to 53.3% (IAS 17: 44.2%).

. “Our first quarter performance was in line with expectations, as service revenue remained resilient with double digit growth on the back of improvements in voice and data revenues. We connected a further 2.1 million people to our network, providing them access to worldwide communication services, while additional 1.7 million people are able to access the possibilities that the internet provides,” said CEO, MTN Nigeria, Ferdi Moolman.

The MTN Group also announced that its Nigeria operation leads the group’s earning with a 10% gain despite series of challenges in Africa’s largest economy.

The MTN said it had met its medium-term revenue growth target with a 10 per cent increase led by its operations in South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana.

According to Moolman, MTN Nigeria’s growth is built on “our focus on customer centric delivery and in particular on improved customer retention, our continuous focus on value for money propositions and further network roll-out and enhancement. Q1 2019 saw a significant increase in our capital expenditure programme, with focus on LTE services, where we rolled out 1,188 sites across our key focus cities. In addition, the successful transfer of our 800MHz spectrum from Visafone to MTN Nigeria will further enable improvements to network coverage and service quality.”

MTN recently announced meeting the entry conditions to become a publicly quoted company in Nigeria.

“We have made significant progress to list on The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) following the conversion of MTN Nigeria to a public company and the successful registration of our ordinary shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We are now engaging with the NSE to complete the listing process,” said Moolman.

“The business is on a sustainable growth path with service revenue increasing by 13.4% YoY, in line with our medium-term guidance of double-digit growth. This was led by a 32.4% increase in data revenue and a 12.7% increase in voice revenue, a general slowdown in economic activities during the election period, impacted voice revenue growth,” he added.


https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/09/mtn-nigeria-records-high-yields-unaudited-results-q1-2019/

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/09/firstbank-hits-n1-trillion-transactions-firstmonie/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

Nigeria’s premier financial services provider and bank of first choice, First Bank of Nigeria Limited has announced that its Firstmonie network has processed a cumulative transaction value of N1 trillion from its relaunch in January 2018. The network also achieved nationwide coverage in record time, enabling access to financial services for many locations that never had a way for its residents to access financial services. This is in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s objective of bringing banking services close to all Nigerians, irrespective of where they live.

FirstBank’s Firstmonie service provides financial/banking solutions to rural and semi-urban locations across the country, such as account opening, cash deposit, cash withdrawals, airtime purchase, bill payments and much more. Through this channel, the Bank is committed to providing convenient services that endears trust and provides ease of access to banking products, thereby saving time and travel costs for users of our network.

According to Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, the Chief Executive Officer, First Bank of Nigeria Limited; “The Firstmonie scheme is supporting the Federal Government’s empowerment and job creation agenda as over 22,000 Nigerians, through this scheme, contribute to the increased economic activities of their neighborhoods. Our partner network is growing and we are particularly delighted about the progress we are making in actively driving nationwide Financial Inclusion, exposing communities to opportunities for growth, jobs, empowerment, and improved live conditions. Yet again, we are delighted to score another first in promoting financial inclusion in the country.”

“We appreciate our partner network and remain committed to working together to achieve even greater impact on the lives of Nigerians”, he concluded

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/09/tecno-mobile-announced-plans-google-io-2019-upgrade-android-q-beta-spark-3-pro/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

Global premier mobile phone brand TECNO Mobile has announced plans at Google IO 2019 which will see its SPARK 3 Pro running on Android™ P™ operating system upgrade to join Q Beta on May 7th.

Stephen HA, Vice President of TRANSSION and GM of TECNO Mobile, said: “We are delighted to announce our further expansion of cooperation with Google. This year, with upcoming Android™ Q system, TECNO SPARK 3 Pro will upgrade and provide the users with a faster Q upgrade. “

TECNO Mobile has presence in more than 60 countries across the globe. It is now one of the major players worldwide. Its SPARK 3 Pro is a 4G smartphone with AI Bright Camera and 32GB ROM + 2GB RAM. With Android™ optimized OS, it can offer consumers several benefits including:

Align user behaviors: Intelligent camera powered by AI Engine to be able to learn user behaviors including users’ habits, users’ intents…
Biological recognition features: SPARK 3 can recognize different face features and give the most suitable level of “re-touch” and “lighting” automatically to your photos;
Protect user privacy: Users will have more control over app access to location info, shared files and repositories like photos and videos. TECNO SPARK 3 Pro users can set up your personal APP “invisible” from your mobile phone desktop
AR stickers: by leveraging better connectivity and media capabilities, TECNO SPARK 3 Pro users can create AR stickers to enjoy fun communications
Dark Theme: One of our most requested features, Android Q now has a system-wide Dark Theme. Activate Dark Theme in Settings, or by turning on Battery Saver. Dark Theme also helps save battery.
Gesture Navigation: Introducing a new gesture-based navigation so you can fluidly move between tasks, and maximize the use of larger, edge to edge glass screens.
Suggested actions in notifications: Building off of Smart Reply in Android 9 Pie, you can now take action on messages with suggested actions in notification. For instance, adding an event to your Calendar from a text message.
Prioritized notifications: With Android Q, you can choose whether an app’s notifications are interruptive or gentle. Interruptive notifications will make noise, vibrate, and appear on your lock screen, whereas gentle ones will not. Android Q also introduces algorithms to automatically determine whether notifications should be interruptive.

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/07/zoi-meet-launches-real-time-subtitling-software-international-business-professionals/
Zoi Meet Launches Real-Time Subtitling Software For International Business Professionals
Posted By: ITEdgeNews 0
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Zoi Meet has launched real-time subtitling software for international business professionals. The AI communications platform can live transcribe and translate up to three languages simultaneously.

The need to remove language barriers has never been greater. We live in a global economy in which 20% of people that are able to speak English expect the other 80% to have the same ability. Additionally, according to a 2018 survey by Successful Meetings, 49% of international business professionals identify “communications / language barriers” as the “most challenging aspect of doing business”

Creating a Better Platform

Companies know that expanding their operations and influence globally requires a workforce that can communicate effectively in multiple languages; however, roughly two-thirds of business executives surveyed by Forbes Insights said that less than half of their employees have professional proficiency in more than one language. So, having a multilingual team, while an ideal solution, is not always the most realistic for many companies operating globally. Meeting veterans clearly agree that language barriers are hugely challenging — and the resulting “cultural misunderstandings” can sabotage any change of an effective communication channel.

Kevin Oranje, CEO of Zoi Meet, says that his company is poised to ease the challenge of multi-language meetings and presentations: “We are offering real-time subtitling service, in up to 3 languages on one screen, and searchable multilingual transcriptions, all under one roof.”

With the help of the World’s best accelerator Techstars, on April 2, Zoi Meet has successfully launched the beta version of its AI-powered software and now working closely with a few major industry partners (BASF, HP, Singapore Airport Terminal, Asia Pacific Week and more) on its further deployment.

Translate and subtitle everything that is being said. Zoi Meet directly displays spoken text to subtitles on any screen or device using an automatic transcription in 12 languages. You can choose to display up to three languages at the same time.
Transcribe and share all notes in multiple languages. Zoi Meet stores all your meeting transcripts and makes sure they are archived in searchable text files. All transcripts are synced with your recorded audio and can be instantly translated to multiple languages.
Communicate with ease wherever you are. Zoi Meet can be used for conferences, in-person meetings, product presentations, calls or networking events.
These combined features serve to remove language barriers, create a shared knowledge center and save both time and misunderstandings for those looking to maximize their communication efficiency on the global stage. Please visitwww.zoimeet.com for more information.

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/07/mtn-finally-goes-sec-20-billion-registered-shares/

Posted By: ITEdgeNews

Telecom giant, MTN Nigeria Communications (MTN) announced it has finally registered 20,354,513,050 ordinary shares of N0.02 each with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to now become MTN Nigeria Communications (MTN) Plc.

“I am excited we have achieved another milestone in our listing process and want to thank the SEC and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for supporting us through the process.

“We have now begun to engage with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) to complete the listing process,’’ said Moolman even as he added that the SEC’s listing opens a new chapter of growth for Nigeria’s largest telecom company with over 60 million subscribers.

MTN had recently altered its status as a private company to a public limited company as it gears up for listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) as a publicly quoted company.

MTN’s operations in Nigeria had recently come under scrutiny after brushes with both the country’s telecom and regulatory authorities. But its tax dispute appears over even as it finally rounds up on penalty payments after the telecom regulator fined it about a trillion naira for disregarding the rules on SIM registration.

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/05/07/manufacturers-not-adopting-industry-4-0-risk-falling-behind-curve-says-globaldata/

Posted By: ITEdgeNews

The fourth industrial revolution, dubbed Industry 4.0, holds a promise in addressing the inefficiencies in traditional manufacturing by the application of disruptive technologies, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Industry 4.0 is simply the next phase in the digital transformation of manufacturing through the use of data exchange techniques, advanced technologies and flexible automation for increased efficiency. It principally aims at enhanced human-machine interaction to drive interconnectivity, information transparency and autonomous decision making.

Kiran Raj, Disruptive Tech Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Industry 4.0 is increasingly gaining importance in manufacturing owing to its capability in marrying operational technology with information technology to build a cyber-physical production system that can deliver higher-quality products at lower costs.”

An analysis of GlobalData’s Disruptor Tech Database reveals five technologies in Industry 4.0 as crucial in transforming the industrial manufacturing: big data and analytics (BDA), industrial internet of things (IIoT), cloud computing, additive manufacturing (3D printing) and augmented reality (AR). Others include advanced robotics, digital twinning, simulation, cyber security, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain.

BDA plays a remarkable role in the manufacturing environment by collecting and analyzing huge volumes of data coming from management systems and sensors fitted to the production equipment. It allows free up humans with machines in tiresome and dangerous tasks, thereby increasing efficiency as well as safety.

Mining giant Rio Tinto leveraged BDA and avoided the unexpected break down of its production vehicles estimated to cost up to US$2m. Its so-called autonomous haulage system (AHS) has close to 200 sensors producing more than 4TB of valuable vehicle data per day, including exact location, speed and other real-time metrics, across the fleet of 900 AHS.

From product prototyping to mass production of custom tooling, the advancement in 3D printing is phenomenal and opened up numerous possibilities for production.

German carmaker Volkswagen became the first manufacturer ready to use the latest 3D printing technology for mass production in the automotive industry. The technology named HP Metal Jet has been tested to increase productivity up to 50 times compared to the existing 3D printing methods based on the component.

Raj continues: “Industry 4.0 can empower building what many refer to as ‘smart factory’ for a truly productive environment with benefits to manufacturers as well as consumers such as enhanced communication, real-time monitoring, advanced data analysis and self-diagnosis.”

Ideally, a smart factory is flexibly automated and self-monitoring where machines, materials and humans communicate with each other, sparing workers for other productive tasks and ultimately optimizing the design and production processes for elevated operational efficiency.

Beneath the layers, however, there are critical challenges for manufacturers such as data management, upskilling employees and cyber incidents for which fortunately there are steps and preventive measures without impacting production.

Raj concludes: “While incumbents, such as Bosch, GE and Siemens, have been muscling to capture a sizeable share of Industry 4.0, many manufacturers are yet to consider serious investments. Given the benefits over threats, a wait and watch stance may risk their competitive position in the future of manufacturing.”

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/04/18/new-cryptocurrency-facebook-alter-future-money-global-transactions/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

Facebook plans to launch its own cryptocurrency in a way that could significantly impact on the future of money as we know it now and how global transactions take place.

According to The New York Times, “the social networking giant has held conversations with cryptocurrency exchanges about selling the Facebook coin to consumers.” Facebook expects to launch its new currency later this year, 2019 to alter how the world uses and interacts with bitcoins.

Last December 2018, Bloomberg offered a peep on how Facebook is looking to develop a stablecoin for its WhatsApp users. There are reports that when Facebook eventually launches its cryptocurrency, it will be “backing every coin with a set number of dollars, euros and other national currencies held in Facebook bank accounts.”

Analysts Sarvesh Mathi writes in Medium recently on ‘A New Era of Money — Facebook Coin.’

Here’s excerpts of his viewpoints:

If the widely accepted and stable US dollar, and the revolutionary but volatile Bitcoin gave birth to a new currency, it would most likely be the one Facebook plans to introduce later this year.

The details on this secret cryptocurrency project are still scarce but here’s what we know: the digital currency will be a stablecoin and will be first made available for foreign remittances on WhatsApp. We do not yet know how much control Facebook is going to have over this currency and how does it plan on overcoming the regulatory and technological hurdles. We also do not have an official name, so I will refer to it as “Coin” for simplicity.

How is Coin different from Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies?

Let’s start with reach. Bitcoin currently has 23 million distinct wallet addresses and Ether has 60 million, but a single user usually has multiple addresses. With Facebook’s plan to integrate its three messaging services — Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram Direct — the potential reach of 2.7 billion users dwarfs the competitors. Even if Facebook manages to get 5 percent (135 million) of its users on-board, it will be far greater than all cryptocurrencies’ combined.

The next difference, the biggest one, is that Facebook’s product will be a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar or a basket of foreign currencies. This solves one of the main problems of Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies — the volatility.

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/04/18/huawei-expects-5g-bounceback/

Posted By: ITEdgeNews

Huawei predicted 5G will fuel a return to form at its carrier business this year, after annual revenue from the division fell for the first time during 2018.

In a keynote, rotating chairman Ken Hu (pictured), said he expects the business to rack up double-digit growth through 2019, with 5G network deployments the growth driver because operators now see clear business cases for the next-generation technology.

“Since the second half of last year, we’ve started to see a more pragmatic approach to 5G. We no longer need to find or discuss the business cases. People have stronger confidence in the business value”, which he said is the key driver of deployments.

He noted 5G has come much faster than expected, with 100,000 compatible base stations already deployed globally and 40 handset models developed.

So far, the company has signed 40 commercial 5G contracts and shipped 70,000 base stations, compared with the more than 30 contracts and 40,000 base stations it cited at end-February.

Huawei expects 5G to reach 500 million users in the space of three years, compared with five years for 4G and a decade for 3G. By 2025, the vendor forecasts 1.8 billion 5G users, 6.5 million base stations and 58 per cent global population coverage.

Despite bans on its 5G network gear in a few markets, Hu doesn’t expect any change in the geographic breakdown of sales this year from the past, noting it continues to supply 4G equipment to operators in Australia (which has essentially excluded Chinese vendors from 5G rollouts).

Trust
Hu turned to the topic of openness and collaboration, urging technology providers, industries and regulators to work together to improve transparancy across industries, noting this will help to build trust.

Because security comprises several elements, the telecoms industry can’t work in isolation or focus on a single vulnerability, he explained: “We need a more systematic, all-industry, full-society approach to build trust, and that includes establishing the standards for cybersecurity for all industries.”

“We believe that trust, or distrust, should be based on fact. And fact should be verifiable. We are glad to the EU has done a great job on this area.”

He said cybersecurity is less a political issue than a technical one, which is why frameworks are required.

Hu also commented on a report Huawei may sell 5G modem technology to Apple, insisting there is no change in its chipset strategy: it has no intention to make its silicon unit an independent business and has not held discussions with Apple over chip supply.

https://itedgenews.ng/2019/04/18/will-5g-really-mean/

Posted By: ITEdgeNews

Over the past few months, we have seen a storm of hype about 5G, the next evolution in mobile network technology. Handset manufacturers are starting to come to market with 5G-ready smartphones, while many mobile network operators worldwide looking to deploy 5G networks in 2019 and 2020. KT in Korea, Rain in South Africa and Swisscom in Switzerland are examples of operators that have already launched commercial 5G services.

So what’s all the fuss about? Let’s start with speed. The companies that make network equipment for the operators estimate that 5G could initially deliver connections that are 10 to 20 times faster than 4G in a real-world setting (as opposed to some of the theoretical numbers that get thrown about). These speeds could increase in the years to come as operators deploy standalone 5G networks running at higher frequencies.

This boost in speed will be welcome for mobile consumers who want to make use of applications such as ultrahigh definition video streaming and conferencing, virtual reality, and streaming of online games through services such as Google’s upcoming Stadia. It could also help to turn 5G into a serious alternative to fibre in selected areas where it is too difficult or expensive to roll out fixed-line infrastructure.

But it will not be a quick fix for rural networks because its transfer distance is shorter than 4G or 3G. While 5G will boost speeds, it does require multiple towers to be close together to perform to its potential. That means that urban South Africans will be the ones who benefit from it most, at least when it is initially launched.

Less lag and delay

5G will also deliver a significant improvement in network latency—the delay between the time it takes for a packet of data to travel between network points. Lower latency will improve your experience with services such as VOIP calls (less jitter, echoing and delays), online gaming (less of ‘lag’ between pushing a button and seeing a response on screen) and video (less glitching and jerkiness).

But the real game-changing potential lies in how the enhanced speed and latency of 5G could enable new services—including some that we have not yet envisioned. The networking standard will be the foundation in top of which organisations, cities and governments will build truly intelligent networks of cars, robots, drones, wearable computers, sensors and more.

These devices will be able to communicate and react in real time, bringing the full potential of the Internet of Things to life. For example, 5G will help autonomous (self-driving cars) vehicles to communicate with each other, read live map and traffic data, and use video vision to safely navigate the roads. That all lies a few years in the future.

A long road ahead

When it comes to South Africa, widespread commercial availability of 5G may be some way off. Most of the larger network operators have piloted 5G, but are appealing to the regulator, ICASA, for network spectrum so that they can deploy it more widely. It seems likely that the evolution to 5G will be a gradual one, as was the transition to LTE/4G and 3G before it.

We’ll see 5G networks appearing in the major cities, at first, followed by wider national rollouts. Initially, the technology may make a difference only to early adopters who are already trying out 4K video streaming and virtual reality. But in less than five years from now, 5G will become ubiquitous and many of us will take its speed and the applications it enables for granted.

http://itedgenews.ng/2019/04/05/future-risk-will-embraced-positive-business-ready/
Posted By: ITEdgenews

How will digital, new technologies, the global economy, politics, legislation, cyber security, ethics, and even climate change impact business and the Finance department? How ready is your business to change how you think about Risk? How can your business and board better exploit the opportunity implicit in risk and uncertainty to drive better business outcomes?

Self-assess how ready your organisation is:

0% Ready – Where to begin?

Unable to exploit strategic opportunities? Risk and risk management regularly features on the board agenda, irrespective of sector. It’s essential to place ‘risk’ in a positive context so your business can take the risks that lead to opportunities as well as mitigating the ones that bring losses. Never more so than today, when changing business environments present uncertainty and literature and regulatory requirements abound. Take action now by reading the ACCA (www.ACCAGlobal.com) report, ‘Risk and the strategic role of leadership’.

25% Ready – Made a good start?

You’ve made progress by conducting effective risk assessments and setting up the right reporting structures. These will enhance the governance capabilities of your board and help your organisation avoid deviating from its objectives. Now you need to discuss and decide on how strategy and risk interact in your business. Is it strategy first, risk management second, or do you integrate risk at the outset to inform the choice of strategy? Which model you choose will help define the future of your business.

50% Ready – Halfway there?

You’ve decided to integrate your strategy and risk decisions. Now you need to look beyond the board, because how it embeds risk in its decision-making will echo out into the wider organisational body. Are there lessons to be learnt from mishaps and failures? Use them as an opportunity to test the resilience of the risk framework and the appetite for risk of the company as a whole.

75% Ready – Feeling confident?

You’ve not only successfully managed significant risk events, but you’ve used them as opportunities to further improve your processes. Remember to communicate your risk management strategy across the company, but also keep an ear to the ground. Send your NEDs out into the business to socialise and build their qualitative understanding of the organisation’s cultural attitude toward risk.

100% Ready – So, what’s next?

Congratulations – you’ve build an integrated, dynamic risk management strategy. Its resilience is further enhanced by the fact that the board is open to constructive challenge, which prevents stagnation and complacency. However, a changing environment means even the best risk management may not remain adequate for long. In the meantime, don’t forget to share your success by teaming up with ACCA to promote best-practice across your industry.

At ACCA, we have always looked ahead to anticipate change and understand its impact on business, finance and the profession. We are working in partnership with employers around the world to help support them in preparing for that change. As part of a new initiative, we have looked at 10 major drivers of change and are inviting employers to explore just how ready their businesses are to cope with them.



Find out more on the ACCA website: www.ACCAglobal.com/Rea

http://itedgenews.ng/2019/04/03/innovation-support-network-isn-hubs-berths-support-entrepreneurship/
(Posted By: ITEdgeNews

Innovation hubs in Nigeria have formed a new body as rallying ground to muster local and international support to grow the technology innovation industry. The new body announced its plans recently in Lagos in an official statement.

“We are pleased to announce the creation of Innovation Support Network (ISN) Hubs an organisation of 75 Hubs from across Nigeria that has begun its process of registration as a legal entity which welcomes all members of the growing community of Nigerian Hubs with the goal of promoting collaboration amongst hubs supporting entrepreneurship and innovation in Nigeria.

“The mission of ISN Hubs Mission is to foster collaboration, inspire and support Nigerian Hubs in building a diversified economy that promotes the development of technology, innovation and the early stage entrepreneurship ecosystem in Nigeria.

“The growth of the innovation sector in Nigeria over the last decade has been steady and is evident in the quality of start-ups, mentors, angel investors, innovation hubs and other stakeholders that are participating in the fast growing early stage entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Part of the objectives for ISN Hubs include: “To foster greater collaboration and knowledge sharing about providing services that support entrepreneurship, a group of hubs from across the country have come together to establish an organisation whose prime objective is to develop a community of best practices.



“To ensure that ISN Hubs is an organisation that operates with world class corporate governance, member hubs have elected 5 directors to run its affairs and report to an Executive Committee comprising each of the founding Hubs.”

The Directors each run five directorates of the organisation namely Corporate, Finance, Partnerships, Ecosystem and Marketing.

The Corporate Director, Abdulganiyu Yakub of DD Hubs, Kano commented that “ISN Hubs will be governed by a constitution written collectively by members and approved by the Executive Committee.”

The diverse nature of the organisations members is reflected in the board’s gender balance with two female board members and a female company secretary. The Directors are; Abdulganiyu Yakub, Digital Development Hub, Kano; Fayo Williams, Exponential Hub, Ikeja; Solape Agagu-Hammond, Impact Hub, Ikoyi; Hanson Johnson, Start Innovation Hub, Uyo; Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, GoDo.ng Hub, Ikeja while Christie Eze, Kedge Anchor Hub, Port Harcourt is the Company Secretary.

Fayo Williams, Partnerships Director, is of the opinion that “the diversity already shown in the board formation will guide future engagements that will ensure innovative women entrepreneurs will be given equal opportunities to succeed.”

ISN Hubs believes that with the right kind of collaboration and partnerships, innovation will become deeper entrenched in our entrepreneurs and add tremendous value to the growth of the Nigerian economy.



According to the Marketing Director, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr. ‘CFA’, “ISN Hubs is aiming to create a platform for increasing collaboration between hubs through the facilitation of the identification, exchange and use of commercial best practices by workspaces, incubators and accelerators in Nigeria.”

About ISN Hubs

Innovation Support Network (ISN) Hubs is a non-profit organisation comprising of 75 hubs with the goal of promoting collaboration amongst hubs, entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems.

The aims and objectives of the ISN Hubs include:

Providing capacity development programs that enable hub operators enhance their entrepreneurship support services.
Facilitating the identification, exchange and use of commercial best practices for workspaces, incubators and accelerators.
Providing access to funding and partnerships by presenting local and international development agencies with a unified aggregation of Nigerian Hubs.
Engaging with local, national and international policymakers on the role of Hubs in the support of job creating social and commercial ventures in the Nigerian economy.
) Hubs Berths To Support Entrepreneurship

http://itedgenews.ng/2019/04/02/nitda-ignite-kano-april-startup-friday/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

Register for StartUP Friday (SUF) Kano holding 12th of April, 2019: https:///2CMa0XM

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) through its special purpose vehicle, the Office for ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIIE), is hosting the 11th edition of StartUP Friday (SUF) in Kano State on the 12th of April, 2019.

The program, which is in collaboration with hubs and universities, is designed to ignite the ecosystem in Kano state as well as identify best startups to be further supported by the NITDA.

NITDA’s startups support framework is hinged on funding, mentorship, and global/local exposure among others.

Register via this link: https:///2CMa0XM to attend and get more information on the 11th edition of StartUP Friday taking place in Kano State on the 12th of April, 2019.

This edition will take place at Tahir Guest Inn, No 4, Ibrahim Natsugune Road, Kawo, Kano. The SUF helps the OIIE to close the gaps among startups, investors, mentors, buyers and other stakeholders in the ecosystem.

In Kano, invited startups are expected to go through a pitching session for possible early stage funding and other supports for the best selected startups. The SUF also offers opportunity for startups to leverage on networking for side pitching and positive exposures other interested stakeholders.

Ultimately, the SUF targets to put startups with commercially viable solutions products within range of potential investors and customers within and outside government as well as other interested parties seeking to invest or partner to take such solutions to market.

http://itedgenews.ng/2019/04/02/canon-partners-yaba-college-technology-push-careers-printing-industry/
posted by itedgenews

Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) a leader in imaging solutions, has signed a 3 year partnership agreement with Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech) to support students in their professional development by conducting print workshop training with Canon specialists.

The partnership with Yabatech is an extension of Canon’s Miraisha Sustainability Programme. The initiative, launched in late 2014, aims to build the capacity and talent of people in the African countries in which Canon operates by leveraging the company’s imaging heritage, advanced technological strengths and innovations.

The programme aims to improve the knowledge of digital printing and related technical skills of 80 Nigerian students specializing in this sector. The first activity to be run under this partnership is speciality training that will last one week and will be conducted by a professional print manager from Canon. The theme of this training will be colour management and will alternate between practical and theoretical courses. It will enable students to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and manage colour parameters in digital documents and printing, which will allow them to further improve the quality of printing and offer an ever more qualitative service to their future customers.

The main goal of this partnership is to support students in their training and facilitate their professional integration in the industry by offering access to professional machines and a space for meetings and experience with experts. With the third-largest youth population in the world and a median age standing at about 18 years, Nigeria’s development is dependent on its youth. Indeed, over 70 percent of the country’s population is under the age of 30 according United Nations (2015). It is important that students receive the necessary training to be able to succeed and support the economic development of the country.

Roman Troedthandl, Managing Director CCNA, said, “During our collaboration with the prestigious College, Yabatech, we will provide a platform to develop the printing skills and give new opportunities to students. This will be achieved by providing them with innovative tools, practices and modern – skills necessary for proactive participation in the economy. Indeed, the training workshop will offer unparalleled prospects for graduates to broaden their horizons and take advantage of employment opportunities that support this remarkable population growth. “

Dr. Adeyemi Kunle, the Dean of School of Arts, Design& Printing YABATECH added “I am very delighted that my students from the school of Arts, Design & Printing, Yaba College of Technology can benefit from training provided by Canon’s experts in the professional printing industry. It is an opportunity for the students to access enhanced training to develop their skills and interact with professionals who, in addition to a solid knowledge of the sector, have a clear idea of the industry needs in Nigeria. Canon is a trusted partner in the transformational growth of Africa. By investing in youth, creating tangible opportunities for career development and promoting the printing industry through innovative solutions, Canon creates a vibrant growth ecosystem in Nigeria and the Continent”

Through Canon’s corporate philosophy of `Kyosei,’ meaning ‘living and working together for the common good,’ the company continues to maintain its strong growth and prosperity in the region with new business initiatives while also promoting its CSR activities.

To date, through the Miraisha Sustainability Programme, Canon has trained more than 4,000 students on photography skills and upskilled over 20 printing businesses. We are also the proud recipient of a certificate of appreciation from the Kano State Professional Photographers Association in Nigeria (KASPPAN).

http://itedgenews.ng/2019/03/22/gtbank-builds-nigerias-first-digital-play-centre-children/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

Banks only build branches, or so the story goes. Except for Guaranty Trust Bank Plc; the foremost African financial institution, which has been at the forefront of several innovative products and services, recently completed and opened the first digital playground for children in Nigeria.

Located in Lekki, Lagos State, the GTBank Play Centre is equipped with a wide range of interactive games that will give kids a fun and immersive digital experience whilst aiding their mental and intellectual development. Open from 10am to 3pm on Weekdays, and 10am to 1pm on Saturdays, some of the features of the Play Centre include the Sketch Town, where kids can design cars, launch rockets, and bring all their sketches to life. At the playground, children can also use the wide range of bricks available to build whatever excites their curiosity and also express themselves creatively by scribbling, writing and drawing on a digital chalkboard.

GTBank is renowned for designing innovative and personalized products and services that are tailored to customers’ unique needs and which fit seamlessly with their lifestyles. Recently, the Bank launched Habari, a digital platform that gives customers unlimited access to local and international music, and at the same time, allows them to shop online, split bills with friends and take care of their everyday needs, in one place. Habari, like the GTBank Play Centre, is the first of its kind in Nigeria, reflecting the Bank’s digital drive as well as its focus on creating unique experiences for all segments of its customer base.

Commenting on the launch of the Play Centre, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, Mr Segun Agbaje said; “How and where children play contributes significantly to their cognitive and intellectual development, helping them build better communication and problem-solving skills. Our new Play Centre will give children a tension-free space to build these critical developmental skills, expose them to new and emerging digital technologies, and, most importantly, give them a wonderful time out.”

He further stated that “At GTBank we are passionate about building the bank of the future, and for us, this means constantly leveraging the best of technology to create amazing digital experiences for all of our customers, in a way that adds real value to their lives.”

Guaranty Trust Bank is one of the best run African financial institutions and serves as a role model within the financial service industry due to its bias for world class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality and innovation. The Bank is also renowned for driving youth empowerment initiatives alongside its business, as seen with the GTCrea8 Account package, which doubles up as a platform for empowering young undergraduates with the resources and networking that they need to develop their skills and talents and build capacity in their careers of choice.

http://itedgenews.ng/2019/03/22/outlook-mdas-extremely-poor-4-7-use-technology-effectively-says-nitda/
IT Outlook For MDAs Extremely Poor – Only 4.7% Use Technology Effectively, Says NITDA
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

The IT outlook for most federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) is extremely poor as only 4.7 per cent of federal institutions use IT “in somewhat effective manner,” says the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

The IT regulatory authority summed that MDAs have an extremely low integration of IT into their processes which significantly impacts on their ability to deliver on their goals and government’s overall national development objectives. The agency said about 66 per cent of MDAs are at the “emerging stage” of IT utilisation, maintaining only websites “offering basic information online”.

While the existence of technology-powered processes such as the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS), Government Information Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Bank Verification Number (BVN), e-Taxation, e-Passport and e-Wallet system for farmers may underscore some level of appreciable adoption, but in the larger sense, most MDAs are still far from the starting point of IT integration and utilisation.

Director General of NITDA, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, said in Abuja during the official launch of the Indigenous IT Companies’ Portal (IICP) – https://iicp.nitda.gov.ng) and a stakeholders engagement on ‘Nigerian Government Enterprise Architecture (NGEA),’ that NITDA was already working on changing the situation for good.




The NGEA is framework is designed to assist MDAs achieve optimum compliance of IT integration into government workings said Pantami as he asked for stakeholders support stressing: “public institutions for a big critical enterprise that must be managed efficiently to ensure its resources including IT are maximized to create value for stakeholders given the prevailing political, legal and administrative contexts.”

According to Pantami, the technology compliance challenges in the public sector include inefficient IT environment, poor interoperability of IT systems, poor information sharing across agencies, maintenance of unnecessary multiple sites and unstandardized communication channels .Others are high cost of IT investments and poor sustainability of IT projects by host institutions.

All of these have connived to make IT penetration and utilization level in MDAs extremely insignificant and impacting negatively on their ability to deliver on government’s goals.

His words: “In addition to the previous challenges mentioned, ICT adoption and implementation in Nigeria naturally faces a lot of challenges ranging from inadequate basic infrastructure such as electricity, broadband and other digital technologies to insufficient human capital and the required skills in the public sector effectively implement and utilise ICT solutions.

Director General of NITDA, Dr Pantami and stakeholders at public engagement on NGEA)
Director General of NITDA, Dr Pantami and stakeholders at public engagement on NGEA
“We also have unfriendly and weak institutions; inadequacy of finance for ICT projects as a result of competing demands and inability to properly align government businesses and ICT deployment, among others.”

Consequently:“ This has prevented IT, to some extent, from becoming an asset shaping strategic future opportunities of public institutions and the government as a whole,” added Pantami.

The adoption of the NGEA and harmonisation of IT processes across MDAs would help government to reduce costs in IT investment, said an expert, Mr. Soji Adegunwa of Goldberry Systems Ltd during a presentation at the stakeholders’ engagement on the NGEA draft.

Director General of NITDA, Dr Pantami and stakeholders at public engagement on NGEA)
Director General of NITDA, Dr Pantami and director of e-Government Development and Regulation, Dr Olatunji the at public engagement on NGEA
The stakeholders’ engagement on NGEA was anchored by NITDA’s director of e-Government Development and Regulation, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, on behalf of director general of the IT government clearinghouse, Dr Pantami.

http://itedgenews.ng/2019/03/21/10-key-drivers-changing-business-processes-people-services/

Posted By: ITEdgeNews

A new initiative by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) the global accountancy body, has highlighted 10 key drivers that are already changing business processes, people and services.

The report also addresses how the finance function within those businesses will need to prepare and adapt to meet transformative challenges.

Thomas Isibor, head of ACCA Nigeria said: ‘Few sectors are going to experience the impact of new tech more than Finance and Accountancy. He said “Preparing now for the inevitability of change is even more vital for these functions, and forward-thinking should be every business” strategic priority.

Isibor continued: “Challenges such as digital, risk, the global economy, politics, legislation, cyber security, ethics, even climate change – are all set to impact business and the Finance department in potentially unimagined ways.”

Technology – more than just Automation and AI – is already creating the most seismic impact on the Finance, Audit and Accountancy functions. The industry is in a race for future relevance.

The ACCA has identified four broad imperatives for any CFO or partner looking to optimise how technology can add – and not detract – value from their organisation:

To understand how to use the information available to them to provide strategic insight in real time;
To think forwards not backwards and maximise the use of technology to do this;
To ensure they have in place effective and efficient processes that satisfy the overall business requirements of finance, and
To capture, measure, report and predict future performance in a much more agile manner to support better and quicker decision making.
“Preparation and readiness now is key.No technology has ever made an impact without first being adopted by people. The sooner we recast this challenge as one of people and processes, the sooner we’ll make progress. We have to be ready for what lies ahead,” added Isibor added.

http://itedgenews.ng/2019/03/21/shall-criminalize-non-adherence-local-content-regulations/
Posted By: ITEdgeNews

Faced with the questions of how to foster and patronize homegrown ICT solutions from indigenous companies, Nigerian government and stakeholders are often caught napping.

Despite series of policy thrusts and direct interventions by past governments and the present one, the challenge of making local content a prominent part of the ICT ecosystem has remained unsolved. Many are calling for decriminalization of non-adherence to local content regulations.

Nigeria has a greedy and infamous palate for foreign goods; and the country often lacks the patience and long suffering vision to tolerate its indigenous ICT companies in such a way as to encourage its growth as lessons from Japan and recently, China have shown.

“NITDA has particularly adopted an aggressive posture in ensuring compliance to the local content policy in a way that has served as a wake up calls for several MDAs. But it is left for other stakeholders to join NITDA”
Even though, in the last four years, there is an appreciable level of acceptance for local ICT solutions whether hardware or software, many believe government can do more to further raise the stakes in favour of local indigenous ICT companies.

Stakeholders want a stronger implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010 within the ICT realm to make it enforceable in such a way that ICT goods and services by local companies will enjoy top priority before offshore companies in the oil and gas sector as well as across all government(s) ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

Still, many want a legislative approach that will fully criminalize non-adherence to local content polices. They want individuals and corporate entities that ignore local content laws to face criminal prosecution as economic saboteurs.

Many local ICT companies are angry. Angry that of all the billions spent on ICT in the local market in the last four years, not up to ten percent of that money has gone into indigenous ICT companies.

“Nigeria has a greedy and infamous palate for foreign goods; and the country often lacks the patience and longsuffering vision to tolerate its indigenous ICT companies.”
As one stakeholder puts it: “How do you develop the local market without patronizing the market? It may not surprise you to know that only one of the four major software being used in Nigeria today to run government processes is written by a Nigerian company. The software is ‘Remita.’

“All the other software used by government including the one for payroll are foreign. As a matter of fact, the one that is being used by the ministry of finance is sourced from Estonia, a country of less than 1.5 million people. Why on earth should a country as rich with mineral resources and talented people not source solution from her own people? Why are you buying such valuable product from other countries?”

“Of all the billions spent on ICT in the local market in the last four years, not up to ten percent of that money has gone into indigenous ICT companies.”
For another stakeholder, Nigeria and Nigerians are yet to imbibe the psychology and mindset to development in a way that instinctively make them predispose to patronizing local ICT solutions.

What this means is that not only policies and laws are require to enforce local content. Nigerians need a mind reset! We need to rework our sense of ethics and orientation to foreign locations, services, and products. Not all foreign are superior and not all local are inferior. To win this mind battle, all stakeholders need to come together to address all the segments of challenges across the broad spectrum of what truly is local content.

It is commendable that regulatory institutions such as the National Office for Technology Acquisition (NOTAP) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) are in the forefront of ensuring compliance to series of executive orders, policies and regulations on ICT local content.

“Criminalization of non-adherence to local content regulations might help to thicken the acceptance for local ICT companies, but it will not guaranty them sustainable future.”
NITDA has particularly adopted an aggressive posture in ensuring compliance to the local content policy in a way that has served as a wake up calls for several MDAs. But it is left for other stakeholders to join NITDA in ensuring that other legs of the compliance are adhered to. These include whether local companies, on their own, make efforts to ensure the quality integrity of their products and services; and whether they have an after-sales support that make the total cost of ownership (TCO) of those services or products worthwhile in the context of their foreign competitors.

Criminalization of non-adherence to local content regulations might help to thicken the acceptance for local ICT companies, but it will not guaranty them sustainable future. Their sustainability lies not necessarily in the law but in their ability to provide competitive products and services. The law can only safeguard them against predatory competitors.