₦airaland Forum

The Lagos State government has restated its plans to ensure the relocation of Computer Village from Otigba, Ikeja to Katangowa, another suburb of the state.

Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Wasiu Anifowoshe restate this in an official statement denying the state’s involvement with a construction firm, Master Realty International Concept Limited, allegedly claiming to have got approval to build an ICT specialized mall beside the new Ikeja Bus Terminal.

Anifowoshe said the state government had resolved to ensure the relocation of the Computer Village to free traffic and enhance the landscaping of that part of Ikeja.

“This information is false. The Lagos State government did not issue any permit to him because his plans are not in sync with the government’s regeneration plan. So, it is not possible for him to obtain approval from appropriate authorities,” said Anifowose.

“Government will not take it lightly with anyone caught attempting to disrupt the relocation plans of moving Computer Village from Ikeja to Katangowa,” added Anifowose even as he assured that officials of the state government had met with the executive members of Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN) of Computer Village to ensure all stakeholders are consulted in the relocation plans.”

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/19/no-going-back-relocation-ikeja-computer-village-lagos-state/

Nigeria’s Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has cautioned the aviation industry on over regulating the usage of drone technology in the country as it could stifle the growth of drones as game changers and also scare off foreign investors.

Osinbajo spoke during a courtesy visit paid him by a delegation of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), led by its President, Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliyu, ahead of the organisation’s symposium in Abuja.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika who was also in attendance at the meeting while answering newsmen said the ministry will focus on ways to tap into the advantages of drone technology to foster exponential development in the country.

“Prof. Osinbajo has a drone himself and has been flying it by himself. He is very much conscious and aware of how it works as well as the benefits that could be derived from it and he gave us the support and guidance that we need. He even warned that we should not over regulate so that we will not send people away,” said Hadi Sirika.

“We are not going to over-regulate but for sure we will regulate so that we will remain safe and secure and then make the industry much more efficient. We will tap from the good uses of drones. We have seen, that drones could be used to send blood samples, to rescue someone with a heart attack or to deliver pizza or to take an aerial photograph and so on. These are some of the benefits of unmanned vehicles,” Hadi Sirika added.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/19/nigerias-acting-president-osinbajo-cautions-aviation-industry-regulation-drone-usage/

The Senate Committee on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Cybercrime has expressed its disappointment over the slow pace of Nigeria’s broadband penetration and deployment.

The committee expressed their worries during a recent tour of MainOne’s Data Centre, MDXi in Lagos while commending the company for investing massively in connectivity and data warehousing infrastructures.

But the senators were disappointed that the country has not been able to leverage on the excess capacity of MainOne. Despite the fact that MainOne has bandwidth in excess of 10 terabyte capacity lying fallow at the country’s sea shores, Nigeria’s broadband penetration is still lamentably low.

Broadband penetration has been hindered mainly by lack of last mile infrastructure and the tough business climate in the country.

The Committee Chairman, Senator Buhari Abdulfatai, stated the committee’s readiness to work with relevant agencies to ensure that Nigeria meets its ICT objectives.

On MainOne’s submarine cable system and data centre, Abdulfatai said: “with this capacity already available in-country, there is no reason for the country’s broadband penetration rate to remain at the 21 per cent as reported by the Nigerian Communications Commission, given the booming demand for data and connectivity services in the country.”

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/19/senate-lauds-mainone-saddened-nigerias-poor-broadband-penetration/

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in partnership with Nasdaq has launched a new market surveillance technology powered by SMARTS, the Nasdaq’s flagship surveillance solution to curb market manipulation and supervise participants at the stock exchange floor as well as strengthen market integrity.

According to the NSE, the technology will help to proactively monitor market manipulation (including spoofing and layering), detect and deter manipulative tendencies, gather intelligence, carry out traders’ monitoring and analysis, conduct multi-asset and cross-market surveillance, and execute risk-based supervision of flagged participants.

The General Counsel and Head of Regulation, NSE, Tinuade Awe while speaking on the deployment of the new technology said with the increasing growth the market is witnessing at the moment , there will be need to detect anomalies that might occur while processing market information in real time.

“As we enter the growth phase of the development of our market, including the introduction of new asset classes such as derivatives, there will be the imperative of processing significant volumes of market information in real-time to detect anomalies,” she said.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/19/nse-deploys-nasdaqs-smarts-technology-surveillance-solution-strengthen-market-integrity/

Using its 9MobileNg ‏@9mobileng ; #9forlife #9mobileEtisalat, the cellco unveiled its new name and logo to its over 361, 000 followers and proclaimed: “We continue to extend your reach to access the world through innovative products & services. Here for you, Here for 9ja. #9forLife #9mobile”

A new management led by Boye Olusanya is charged with managing the debt burden and rebranding efforts to re-set the company to becoming profitable as even as its creditor banks and owner-stakeholders seek for new offshore investors.

Etisalat Nigeria now re-branded as 9Mobile ran into trouble having failed to service over N541 billion debts owed a consortium of banks that include Access Bank PLC, Zenith Bank, GTBank, FirstBank and other foreign banks.

The intervention of Nigerian financial and telecoms regulatory authorities had helped to prevent a major stricture that could have erased jobs and the integrity of the two sectors.

Both the Central Bank of Nigeria and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said they are still studying the situation. The NCC has assured that there would be no negative impact on subscribers and on jobs.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/18/9mobile-unveils-new-name-logo/

That analogy may make it easier to understand why there is no clear definition of 5G, why ambiguity persists even amongst experts. What everyone can agree on is immense potential it holds for business, industry, society and individuals.

Exponential increases in speed, traffic, reliability and coverage, combined with reduced latency and as yet unimaginable flexibility. Seamless operation across multiple hybrid technologies, where wireless and wired are barely relevant distinctions. A technological platform supporting multiple industries and use cases, a dynamic, fully-configurable network. A network of the future where the real action takes place in the core, in the management and allocation of resources.

Because the promise of 5G lies in the slicing of the network, providing multiple users with exactly what they require, no more, not less, be it ultra-low latency,huge volume, high speed or all three, responding to individual needs in real-time. The best of all possible worlds for all of us, tailored, personalized, responsive and efficient.

5G is driven not just by a relentless quest for progress and technological innovation, but by two key factors: demand for video, and the billions of connected objects of the Internet of Things. Within these two categories, the consumer-oriented and the industrial, what Cisco’s Robert Pepper has described as “the two tales” of 5G, there are innumerable use cases – from virtual dedicated networks transforming vertical sectors such as media, health, energy and manufacturing, to multiple video applications such as holograms, synch viewing or HD 360 degree video. Instead of a killer app, there is a killer vision

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/18/revolution-ecosystem-ocean-5g-just-beginning/

OLX, Nigeria’s online classifieds site based in Lagos, has announced that users can now pay for its premium services, Do-It-For-Me and Top Ads using the Interswitch platform. The partnership with Interswitch,Nigeria’s foremost payment gateway to launch paid products, would be the first of its kind in the country.

The partnership is foistered on two watchwords: Trust and safety. OLX and Interswitch would ensure that OLX users can continue to trade safely on the site whilst making payments using the Interswitch secure platform.

Speaking at the event, Senior Manager, Business Development OLX, Mayokun Fadeyibi stated that “OLX is constantly re-inventing the wheel to ensure that OLX users can trade safely on the site and are able to use our services with minimal stress”.

He also added that OLX recently launched an escrow service for its users.

The escrow service will provide a safety nest for both the buyer and seller to ensure that they trade safely on the platform. The buyer will be able to pay the money into an OLX bank account while undergoing inspection and validity of the item before OLX transfers the funds to the seller once the item is approved by the buyer.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/18/olx-partners-interswitch-better-user-experience/

Netcom Africa is supporting Nigeria’s drive for data sovereignty with upgraded in-country data centre and co-location services that should keep critical data within the shores helping companies to save cost and ensure data fidelity.

The need to have critical information hosted locally has made many countries to look inward, Nigeria inclusive. Hosting sensitive data offshore can make any organization or country vulnerable to attacks. Mindful of this, Netcom Africa upgraded their existing data centre to assure Nigeria’s growing data market of robust in-country support. Netcom Africa, being one of the early hosting companies, has exhibited competency in meeting clients’ needs.

Information technology assets are critical to business. With an increasing sophisticated market, there is growing demand for data, connectivity and security thus widening the consumption map for scalable data centre and co-location service providers. To leverage on this rising needs, Netcom Africa has been investing considerably in human capacity, high skill set and infrastructures development. Netcom Africa has over a decade experience in managing services and communication infrastructure. Its upgraded Tier III centre is designed to give organisations best-in-class services and support.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/18/netcom-africa-supports-data-sovereignty-upgraded-data-centre-co-location-services/

Designed for the youths and young minded, Note 4 comes with a stylus pen called the Xpen. The device brings conventionality and modernity together. For the folks that still enjoy their writing, but hates carrying notepads around, Note 4 is the answer. Coming with the theme: ‘5 minutes charge 250 minutes talk time’ and a battery life of 4500MAH, Note 4 charges five times faster and is equipped with Xcharge 4.0.

Note 4 is available in pristine design and casing, and comes in two versions: Note 4 and Note 4 pro. Riding on the Infinix tradition to offer premium products at no rocket prices, Note 4 is relatively priced well. Buyers don’t have to dig a hole in their pocket to acquire any of the versions.

Note 4 and Note 4 pro have standard features such as 5.7FHD screen, 13MP AF back camera, 8MP-mega pixels front camera, Xpen, Octa-core 1.3GHz 64bits, 32GB ROM, with expandable storage space to 128gb and 3GB RAM, 4G enabled and XOS 2.3.

Note 4 and Note 4 pro climbs on the success of Note 3 to enhance best of user experience in the market. “The Note 3 was a huge success last year, which tells us we have passed the threshold of being a new brand to being a strong household name in this market, with the Infinix Note 4 we want to empower customers to take charge and make the needful change with their lifestyle,” said Bruno Li, regional country manager of Infinix Mobility.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/18/mobility-new-infinix-note-4/

Etisalat Nigeria has reportedly changed its brand name to 9Mobile. This decision was made today at the telecom’s management meeting in Lagos. Olusanya who was appointed as the chief executive officer of Etisalat Nigeria to oversee the transition of the company due to his experience in the smooth transition of Celtel to Airtel may have come with this new name, 9Mobile, considering the need for a re-brand, Vanguard reports.

Stay logged onto our site for more details later.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/13/breaking-news-etisalat-nigeria-dead-welcome-9mobile/

Bernard Chiira is business incubator manager at Strathmore University’s @iBizAfrica in Nairobi Kenya. With extensive experience in managing startups, Bernard holds a Master Degree in Mobile Telecommunication & Innovation and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and Information Technology from Strathmore University. One of the executives at AfriLabs Foundation, he shares with IT Edge News, his passion and commitment to promoting sustainable startup ecosystem on the continent – these were the thrusts of his presentation at Sahara Sparks 2017 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

What does Afrilab plan to achieve as a body?

Afrilabs aims to create valuable connections between innovation hubs in Africa. We also aim to help our member hubs leverage on opportunities for their hubs and the startups they support at a continental and global level. Through our annual gathering, we also aim to facilitate the meeting and discuss important matters in regards to innovation and technology in Africa between hubs and other key stakeholders such as investors, government, development partners, and entrepreneurs. This year Afrilabs Annual Gathering will take place in Cairo Egypt in October.

“Government not only has the mandate to create a friendly and favorable business environments but also to institute direct support to the innovation and startup ecosystem.”

Is it possible to build synergies among African hubs, labs and innovation centers with a view to engaging the global technology and investment markets via a common front – within the framework of Afrilab?

Yes. At the very core of the Afrilabs is the purpose of connecting hubs in Africa. Afrilabs provides a platform through which investors in the global tech markets can access information and deals on a single platform. Through our partners VC4Africa, we also provide any investor seeking out opportunities in Africa to meet startups seeking to raise funding across various fund rounds.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/07/bernard-chiira-startups-need-achieve-success/

He said: “It is our collective responsibility to respect the Nigeria internet service point in order to coordinate the activities of internet users in the country. Many illegal online radio and television stations that have sprung up today is due to non-utilization of this point. Most of these online radio and television stations are being abused, used to canvass for agitations and causing disunity in the country, he added.”

Also in the official release made available by NITDA’s Head, Corporate Affairs & External Relations, Mrs. Hadiza Umar, the agency’s boss called for service improvement on the part of the service providers. Pantami urged Galaxy Backbone to prevail on other service providers to adopt various policies of NITDA in the discharge of their services.

He said, “recently we got report from some Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) complaining of poor quality of service and as the regulator of IT in the country, I personally issued a press release on this and we are hoping that service would soon improve,”

“Charity they say begins at home. We are using this visit to also urge you to build on your achievements. We are proud of your recent achievement on the attainment of the ISO 2000 Certification. It is our collective success and I believe we can still do better because there is always room for improvement.

While advocating for the local hosting of data, Dr. Pantami said the recent event that made Microsoft establish a data centre in South Africa is regrettable adding that NITDA is working assiduously to forestall future occurrence of such an action.

“We are seriously putting in place a strong data protection policy that would put a stop to such actions. It will also aim at motivating service providers to host data locally. The issue of data sovereignty is also critical; we are talking with some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to bring back their data to Nigeria. Some of them have come to our office and we gave them the time frame to achieve this because it is secure, reliable and available for us to host our data locally,” he said.

read more on: http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/07/pantami-decries-non-utilization-nigerian-internet-service-point/

If you use the messaging app, you might want to know more about how you can make sure that your conversations are safe. Here are 5 WhatsApp privacy tips to make texting more secure.

Lock WhatsApp using a Pattern or Password

Probably the best way of stopping someone from opening WhatsApp is to lock it with a PIN, Password or Pattern lock. WhatsApp does not have any built-in app locking available, but getting it on Android is quite easy.

Some Android Phones have built in option to lock apps in App Drawer (the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 is a good example) However, if your phone does not have one, you can use AppLock to protect your WhatsApp chats.

Hide WhatsApp from App Drawer

If you don’t want anyone to know that you WhatsApp, a good way to do it is by hiding the icon completely from the App drawer of your Android Phone.

Again, some phones have built in options to hide apps from App Drawers, if your phone does not have one, you can install a custom launcher from Google Play Store like Apex Launcher

read more on: http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/07/can-whatsapp-private-5-tips/

Volume of Conversations

Brands want to see ALL conversations about them online and not just from Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. They also want to see mentions from forums, blog sites, Youtube.

Brand Advocates

Brands want to see who their true brand advocates are. I am talking about fans that sincerely love the brand or are satisfied with their services. They may not have a huge following online but they are brand loyalists. These are the guys, brands want to engage with on a deeper level, probably reward them for their honest positive remarks about them.

Top Publishers

Brands want to see who their top publishers are. They might probably know most of their publishers, but most importantly, they want to see those that are fetching them the highest reach and spread. This isn’t impossible. I have worked with tools that can rank a brand’s top publishers based on their influence scores, Alexa ranking and the reach of their posts.

Negative Vs Positive mentions

Brands want to see when their negative mentions surpass their positive mentions. Usually, what we analysts see most times are brands having a greater percentage of neutral sentiment than any other sentiments. Now, the focus is on both positive and negative. If their negative mentions are more than positive, they want to know, and analysts/marketers should be ready to recommend a solution

read more on: http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/07/nigerian-brands-seek-social-media-monitoring-platforms/

We must never underestimate the amazing power of human imagination, the ability to envision a dramatically positive and dynamic future. Every great city, every monument, every historic feat, as it stands for all the world to see, was once pure thought, pure imagination acted upon and brought into reality.

To imagine is to dream, to dream is to tune in to the ever amazing possibilities of the future. And when we do dream, it must be big, because to dream small is to totally underestimate the amazing capabilities that lie within each and every one of us.

“How do we recapture the magic that is Nigeria and continue the momentum towards advanced progress? TECHNOLOGY IS THE SOLUTION. it is not the only solution.”

Our own country, Nigeria, from the Atlantic shoreline in the South, through the grasslands of the Middle-Belt, all the way to the rolling hills and bright blue skies of the North, Nigeria is truly a magnificent and blessed country. Yes, we have crude oil, yes, we have natural gas and a wide variety of raw materials, and yes, we have fertile soil that could be cultivated to feed hundreds of millions, but above all, what we have is our humanity, that magical inner spirit that glows from within, that magical inner spirit that makes us an integral and crucial part of the human civilization. And so, we must see ourselves not just as Nigerians, but as members of a global community, sharing constructive ideas, sharing inspirations, and together coming up with solutions for the betterment of humanity worldwide.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/04/must-recapture-magnificence-nigeria/

“Over the past few weeks, I’ve been meeting group admins across the country that are building meaningful communities on Facebook and will be at the summit.

“Two years ago, she founded a secret Facebook group called Female IN, or FIN,’’ Zuckerberg said.

Zuckerberg said FIN is “a no-judgment space where more than a million women come to talk about everything from marriage and sex to health issues and work problems’’

“It is helping to end the culture of silence that exists for women in some parts of the world.’’

He said for the past decade, Facebook had been focused on making the world more open and connected.

The Facebook founder expressed the willingness of the platform to continue to connect persons, adding that there was the need to do much more by bringing people closer together and build common understanding.

“One of the best ways to do that is by helping people build community, both in the physical world and online.

“I have written and talked about these themes throughout this year, especially in my community letter in February and at Harvard Commencement in May.

“The Chicago summit will be the next chapter and we’ll discuss more of what we’re building to empower community leaders to bring the world closer.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/06/07/mark-zuckerberg-meets-founder-nigerian-female-facebook-group-lola-omolola/

With new-generation services starting today in Benin, Cameroon, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Uganda, Konnect Africa (www.Konnect-Africa.com) is confirming its bold ambitions for Sub-Saharan Africa. The company’s innovative service offerings and products, included packaged offers inspired by ‘pay as you go’ models and Wi-Fi hotspots schemes, have already convinced a number of local operators, telecom companies and resellers. With products aligned with the preferences and habits of end-users, Konnect Africa is making a strong push with a double objective: to be a partner of choice on the continent and to demonstrate how satellite technology is today the most relevant solution for unlocking access to the Internet in Africa.
Konnect Africa’s first partners include a wide range of operators, each with its specific DNA:

· AfrikaNet GoSat, already active in the broadband-based internet telephone, VOIP options and provision of customer support and services in the satellite telecommunications industry in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire;

· Bentley Walker, known notably for designing efficient solutions for government and military customers with a Pan-African footprint;

· Bloosat, a leader in satellite services in Cameroon and Central Africa;

· China Telecom (Africa and Middle East), that is establishing communications link between the African continent and the Asia-Pacific region;

· Coollink, a leading player in Nigeria with a broad portfolio of services addressing enterprise and consumer needs;

· Global Broadband Solution, a leader in internet and data solutions in the Democratic Republic of Congo.;

· Ubora Systems, that focuses on IT solutions for government and administrations and business automation in Kenya;

· Terrace Projects, a managed satellite service solution provider in South Africa.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/06/06/konnect-africa-set-reshape-satellite-broadband-industry/

MDAs repeating expenses on IT goods and services every budget year because of the poor quality of earlier purchased software and hardware
IT service providers must adhere to terms of license acquisition, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and contracts with (MDAs) clients and customers
Government’s IT clearinghouse house, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has expressed concerns over poor standards of service delivery by foreign and local IT services providers to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), warning that poor standards impact negatively on ability of MDAs to meet their commitment to the citizens.

The agency said it was already setting mechanism in place to monitor compliance to good standard of service delivery and would facilitate the blacklisting of perennial defaulters, prosecute them and ensure remedy for consumers in an official release quoting the NITDA’s Director General/CEO, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.

The statement released in Abuja by Head of Corporate Affairs and External Relations, Hajiya Hadiza Umar, NITDA said the agency has been receiving complaints from MDAs, other government establishments, the organised private sector and individual consumers of IT goods and services on the poor quality of services being rendered by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Electronic Commerce platforms, Software vendors, IT enabled service providers such as Financial Technology Service Providers (FTSPs), Payment Terminal Service Providers (PTSPs), Payment Solutions Service Providers (PSSPs), Business Process Outsourcing Service Providers (BPOSPs) and other IT goods and service providers.

An assessment carried out by the agency confirms that such complaints are largely true. While NITDA is working with critical stakeholders to ensure an excellent working environment for both indigenous and foreign IT goods and service providers, the Agency is also making efforts to ensure that Nigerians are satisfied with IT goods and services consumed. The Agency, therefore, will do all it can to enforce the rights of consumers who are being underserved by the substandard services they receive from such providers.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/03/nitda-cautions-service-providers-poor-standards-service-delivery/

To aid technology uptake among non-profit/government organizations (NGOs), Microsoft has announced plans to empower 1000 Nigerian NGOs with the requisite technology to allow them access more creative ways in bringing solutions to the numerous challenges that plague humanity.

This was made known at Microsoft Technology for Good (Tech4Good) event that held recently at Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos. According to Microsoft, the Tech4Good programme is borne out of the need to empower every non-profit to achieve more, bearing in mind the limited resources non-profits around the globe have and difficult decisionsthey have to make between investing in IT infrastructure and investing in programmes to support the communities that they serve.

The computer giant also announced at the event that it will be giving $5,000 worth of Microsoft Azure cloud credit to registered NGOs in Nigeria, and organise a Cloud Immersion Experience session on how to use all the services and products donated.

With over 80 Non-profits in attendance at the event, the Philanthropies Lead for Microsoft Nigeria, Olusola Amusan while speaking noted that Microsoft is investing assets to drive greater inclusion and empowerment of people who do not have access to technology and the opportunities it offers.

“Microsoft has built a foundation of giving and seeking new ways to achieve greater outcomes for a broader segment of the world’s population for over 30 years. In Nigeria, through our software donation programme, we have donated over $2 million of software in the past five years with over $500,000 in the past year alone. In cash grants, we have donated more than $500,000 for youth related projects and NGO events. Over the next two years we want to give access to 1,000 NGOs in Nigeria,” said Amusan.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/02/microsoft-empower-1000-nigerian-ngos-technology-

CEO of Precise Financial System (PFS), Mr. Yele Okeremi has tasked the government on expediting the adoption and implementation of local content policy. Okeremi said proactive actions not talks were needed to push home the urgency and strategic importance of the ICT local content policy.

Okeremi while speaking with IT Edge News recently in Lagos said local content ought to be ingrained in the country’s policy thinking and implementation as is the case in other developed countries.

According to him, local content development and adoption is hinged on the willpower of a focused government where local content promotion is pursued aggressively without just necessarily talking about it alone.

“The thing about local content, people are talking about it, but ordinarily, in some responsible and sane climes, people go about it and do it without even talking about it. It is usually ingrained in the system .Today, you hear Trump talking about America first, but to some people, he might not be making sense, but that is what any responsible government should do,” he said

“Local content can be implemented as a policy without necessarily mouthing it. At the level Nigeria is today, local content should be part of the fabric for national planning without having to publicly say it. It should have been our way to support indigenous firms,” he added.

While commending the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) for increasingly demonstrating a sense of commitment towards ICT local content, he said industry stakeholders also need to build a strong common front to put government to task and ensure the sector enjoys the crucial level of support to grow.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/07/02/pfs-boss-yele-okeremi-tasks-government-local-content-policy-implementation/

Phase3 is intensifying efforts to achieve its promise of re-defining West Africa’s telecommunications landscape, Chief Executive of West Africa’s largest independent fibre optic infrastructure and telecommunications services provider, Stanley Jegede has said.

Jegede said more planned projects in the country’s south-west and north-east zones by Phase3 are developments geared towards bridging a challenging digital divide and fostering scalable solutions that will see more people and businesses enjoy global standard connectivity solutions.

In assuring newsmen of the company’s unwavering commitment; Jegede reiterated that the country’s current economic clime is not a deterrent to increasing its contributions to rising global ICT initiatives targeted at making the internet accessible to all especially in the West African sub region. As internet connectivity is credited with providing far-reaching economic and social benefits as well as changing the lives of individuals with access to it – for the better.

He added that telecom providers can also start to push back at environmental and market limitations by proffering innovative, affordable and scalable solutions that allow more of the unconnected – who also live largely on the African continent – access internet connectivity. That Africa must start to leverage the dividends of connectivity on a far higher scale than it currently does which heavily impedes earning capacity and economic growth of individuals, institutions, industries and several other businesses thus producing low level of economic contributions on the continent in comparison to other global economies.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/06/06/scalable-solutions-key-closing-digital-divide-says-jegede-phase3/

Hussein Dewji had one thing in mind when he established Zudua (http://www.zudua.com/); to make online shopping for the rising number of Tanzania’s ecommerce community stress-free and friendly. Zudua is a 24/7 service that allows customers enjoy peaceful shopping in the comfort of their homes. Dewaji brought Zudua to the Sahara Sparks event. He shares with IT Edge News, Segun Oruame, his experience at managing an online shop and plans to enter other jurisdictions on the continent.

What are the shopping attitudes, culture that Zudua is changing and improving on inside Tanzania – what’s disruptive about Zudua?

The Tanzanian lifestyle has changed drastically over the last decade, in additional to our cultural shift like the rest of Africa we have been leapfrogging when it comes to implementation and use of technologies. For example, Many Tanzanians never saw landlines in their houses but are now having mobile phones. Most households have both the couples working and rarely get time to buy things they need, so they have to end up compromising with products that are only within their reach. At Zudua our main aim is to make shopping easy, fun and to make products accessible to all Tanzanians. Our platform allows all Tanzanians to shop 24/7 and expect delivery within 1 to 3 days.

What challenges do you face as a startup?

As a startup you have very limited resources. So you are always at a dilemma with prioritizing and juggling between the hundreds of things that are on your table. That said, when you look back at the many hurdles that you have to cross to reach this stage, it motivates you to do so much more.

An e-commerce platform is not just Tech, there are many factors at play including;

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/06/06/zudua-hurdles-motivations-says-founder-dewji/

President of the Association of Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ATCON), Olusola Teniola, has called for the creation of a Competition and Market Authority (CAMA), a competition czar across all sectors that will be required to address the issues of competition and other anomalies in the industry.

Teniola who spoke at the recent Businessday Media Broadband Summit that held in Lagos said Nigeria market despite successes in terms of growth is marked by distortions that may erode the gains of the industry.

Also in a chat with IT Edge News, the ATCON’s president said it had become expedient to have an “independent body that governs mergers and acquisition, unfair competition in markets and ensures pricing and consumer choices are treated independently of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This is the basis of CAMA – the Competition and Market Association in other jurisdictions.”

Teniola said it would be the duty of the competition and policy department inside the NCC to coordinate with an independent competition czar, so that issues of competition as they concern the telecom sector can be addressed independently by the competition czar.

Many stakeholders believe that the NCA Act 2003 and the Competition Practices Regulations addendum 2007 are blurred and do not reflect market realities with the industry dynamics.

House passes bill on Federal Competition Commission

Earlier in March this year, the House of Representatives deliberated on two bills on market competition and consumers’ rights. They include: “A Bill for an Act to Establish the Federal Competition Commission sponsored by Hon. Yakubu Dogara; and “A Bill for an Act to repeal the Consumer Protection Commission Act, Cap L25, LFN, 2004; and Establish the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal for the development and promotion of fair, efficient and competitive markets in Nigerian economy, facilitate access by all citizens to safe products, secure the protection of rights for all consumers in Nigeria, sponsored by Hon Uzoma Nkem-Abonta.”

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/06/06/nigeria-needs-competition-czar-now-atcons-president-teniola/

Most of the websites by MDAs not in conformity with published standards and guidelines for government websites.
Most of the websites do not have feedback and information necessary to facilitate ease of doing business.
Only 25% and 37% of the websites have reachable phone numbers and email addresses
Some websites do not have complete list of website links to the agencies under their supervision
Many websites are hardly updated; contents are outdated

Destination Nigeria! NITDA to ensure public sector compliance to presidential order on ease of doing business as it relates to the use of ICT for efficiency.
Most websites of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are not in conformity with published standards and guidelines for government websites; and do not meet the basic requirements for transparency and promotion of ease of business, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has declared after it recently conducted a business friendly assessment of the websites of federal MDAs.

NITDA, the IT clearinghouse for government, said the exercise was conducted as an initial step to e-readiness and compliance with the Executive Order signed by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo on the Promotion of Transparency and Efficiency in the Business Environment designed to facilitate the ease of doing business in Nigeria as it relates to the use of ICT for efficiency service delivery.

“The assessment revealed that most of the websites are not in conformity with published standards and guidelines for government websites. Most of the websites do not have feedback and information necessary to facilitate ease of doing business. For instance, only 25% and 37% of the websites have reachable phone numbers and email addresses respectively. In addition, some of the websites do not have complete list of website links of the Agencies under their supervision and the content outdated,” said am official statement by the NITDA in Abuja signed by its Director General/CEO, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.

“We therefore call on MDAs and other stakeholders in the IT sector to support the Agency in ensuring compliance to the standards and guidelines for government websites as this will assist in facilitating ease of doing business and e-governance adoption and penetration for effective, transparent, accessible, and responsive service delivery,” said NITDA’s Dr Pantami.

According to agency’s findings, “some ministries either have no active websites or are not registered on .GOV.NG. Businesses and citizens expect more transparent, accessible, and responsive services from government agencies and it is essential that Federal Ministries take the lead in ensuring that information provided on their websites meets such expectations.

“We therefore call on federal ministries, especially those affected, to ensure that on their websites:

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/06/05/nitda-facilitate-compliance-mdas-presidential-order-ease-business/

Sahara Sparks is more than just an event or conference; it is a series of activities that looks at bringing ecosystem players together. Sahara Sparks 2017 saw more activities building up to the main event for the period of one month. From Sahara VR Sessions, Sahara Impact Week (At The Universities), Sahara Google Cloud Next Event, Sahara Header File Event for Developers, Sahara Entrepreneurship Week, Sahara FinTech RoundTable Event, Sahara Investor Pitch and finally Sahara Sparks main event. The vision is to have these series of activities rolled out across the continent as an effort to build up startup ecosystem in Africa. Even if our partners don’t have enough resources to implement Sahara Sparks main event then we can allow them to replicate some of these activities and help them to organize. We are looking to create far large impact in the continent than what we are creating now.
Describe Sahara Sparks?
Sahara Sparks is the Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship event, which promotes early stage companies by providing them with the opportunity to be exposed, pitch and exhibit their products and services, to find investors and potential partners. Sahara Sparks activities include Exhibitions, Product launching, Pitching Sessions, Talks, Panel discussions and much more.

“We are developing digital entrepreneurship contents for the African market to expose the ecosystem to the global investor community to come and invest in the continent.”

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/06/03/mtambalike-africas-technology-entrepreneurs-matter/

“We are delighted to bring the Nokia 3310 phone to our consumers in Nigeria. Nokia has been one of the most iconic and recognizable phone brands in our country for decades. HMD has received an incredible reception from our partners so far; it seems everyone shares our excitement for this next chapter,” said General Manger, HMD Global for West, East and Central Africa, Joseph Umunakwe at the launch ceremony in Lagos.

“Our consumers are more discerning and demanding than ever before and for us, they will always come first. We’ve worked really hard with our teams around the world to bring together world-class manufacturers, operating systems, and technology partners, enabling us to proudly start sales of our the Nokia 3310, a classic reimagined,” he added.

The device which is available in dual SIM variants and also in four distinctive colours of Warm Red and Yellow; both endowed with a glossy case finishing, and Dark Blue and Grey; both endowed also with a matte design case finishing is priced in the market at 18,000 Naira.


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Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook met with Nigeria’s Lola Omolola, founder of the Facebook group called ‘Female In Nigeria’ (FIN) on Tuesday.
In 2015, when Omolola created FIN, she had just one goal in mind which was to have up 10 1000 members in the group. However, the group exceeded its target as it recently hit a whopping 1 million members.

According to Zuckerberg’s Facebook page, he will be meeting with Lola and a few hundred of other top Facebook group admins in Chicago later in the month for the first ever Facebook Communities Summit.

Continue Reading: https://itedgenews.ng/2017/06/07/mark-zuckerberg-meets-founder-nigerian-female-facebook-group-lola-omolola/

Korean tech giant, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd has launched its newest flagship smartphones; Galaxy S8 and S8+ into the Nigerian Market.

Speaking at the launch of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ which feature polished metal casings covered with curved Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back in Lagos, the Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Paul Lee, said the launch of the new smartphone series emphasize the beginning of a new era of smartphones without edges or limits.

“Samsung consistently pushes the boundaries of possibilities with a focus of unlocking value by delivering products that are, not only stunning to look at but, also comfortable to hold,” he said.

“The launch of these smartphones marks the beginning of a new era of smartphone devices without edges or limits. This is a new way for our consumers to experience the world, capture every moment and share every memory through a device that is sleek and small enough to fit into their hands, but big enough to contain everything needed for work and play,” he added.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/05/21/samsung-s8-devices-arrives-nigeria/

The Director General of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Seidu Mohammed said the nanosatellites will go into orbit from the launch base at Miami, Florida, US.

“Nanosatellite” or “nanosat” is an artificial satellite with a wet mass between 1 and 10 kg (2.2 and 22.0 lb). A successful launch will be consolidating Nigeria’s position as Africa’s major satellite powerhouse with billions of US dollars already invested in its satellite industry including setting up of offshore and in-shore infrastructures as well as the buildup of a large pool of human capacity in the high-skill satellite industry.

Nigeria kicked off its forage into the satellite industry in 2003 with the launch into space of NigeriaSat-1, a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite for weather reports and other phenomena. It was built for NASRDA by the UK-based satellite technology company, Surrey Space Technology Limited. In 2007, it launched two more LEOs: NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X.

A communication satellite Nigcomsat-1 was launched in 2004 with the help of Chinese government. Nigcomsat-1 is deemed to be Africa’s first communication satellite. It would later be replaced with Nigcomsat-1R in 2011 after Nigcomsat-1 satellite failed in space after losing power on 11 November 2008.

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Facebook’s Regional Head, Africa for Express Wifi, Uche Ofodile shared the company’s experiences working with carriers to jointly make infrastructure investments and highlighted its initiatives in Uganda, where it is working with Airtel to deploy fiber backhaul, but noted that demand and favorable regulatory environments informed their decisions to invest. The need to go beyond mobile infrastructure was also highlighted by the CEO of Liquid Telecom, Nic Rudnick, whose company just completed its acquisition of South African operator, Neotel for $429million. “As consumers in Africa start to use the internet for content, TV and on-demand services, mobile will have its limitations, not just in terms of technology, but also in price. We need to look at other technologies to achieve cost effectiveness”.

The panelists’ assessment of data center growth in Africa also indicated that uptake is not as rapid as experienced in other parts of the world and that most of the content consumed in Africa is hosted in Europe. Data center operators, MainOne and Liquid shared their experience that initial demand on the continent has been driven by Enterprises and financial institutions as against other geographies where OTT players are the biggest data center, players. “We do not see any of these OTTs hosting their services from Africa. We are not seeing meaningful investments coming into Africa (from OTT players) and with the sizeable population of the continent, we need to see them play a larger role in the African ecosystem”, the panel concluded.

read more http://itedgenews.ng/2017/05/21/mainone-canvasses-greater-investments-drive-data-explosion-africa/

For the youth of Africa to be able to benefit from a cognitive future there needs to be a much higher level of digital literacy. At the top of the skills pyramid are developers, who need to know how to create solutions that can leverage the power of cognitive, and entrepreneurs who are aware of the potential. IBM Digital – Nation Africa is designed to help raise overall digital literacy, increase the number of skilled developers able to tap into cognitive engines and enable entrepreneurs and would be entrepreneurs grow businesses around the new solutions.

Through a free, cloud-based online learning environment delivered on IBM Bluemix, the premier cloud platform for business, the initiative will provide a range of programs from basic IT literacy to highly sought-after advanced IT skills including social engagement, digital privacy, and cyber protection. [To benefit, participating partners must have on-ground facilities on which IBM can deploy its trainings, resource persons, and kits]

Advanced users will be able to explore career-oriented IT topics including programming, cybersecurity, data science and agile methodologies, as well as important business skills like critical thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The initiative aims to empower African citizens, entrepreneurs, and communities with the knowledge and tools to design, develop, and launch their own digital solutions.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/05/21/ibm-launches-digital-nation-africa-with-70-million-investments/

Furthermore, Dr Pantami is an unrepentant believer in the immense potential Nigeria is blessed with, and what change it could bring if properly explored and guided, and he is steadily making that change. Employing legitimate strategies to empower Nigerians especially young talented ones, youths, women and even children, through institutions and organizations, dedicated innovative programmes and projects designed for that specific goal. “To place Nigeria on a globally competitive pedestal, we must empower the populace. Expose our talents to knowledge transfer environments and give policy direction to encourage investments here at home”. When faced with a challenge, the conflict resolution expert would device ingenious ways to forge ahead rather than give up.

At the peak of the recession, the Agency’s ability to fulfill its responsibilities to its NITDEF scholars in some of the best universities around the world was threatened. It would be unheard of that an Agency of NITDA’s status, led by a man of his reputation, failed to deliver on one of its key mandates. Supported by his able Management team, a most brilliant, mutually beneficial idea was hatched and today, the Agency is in strategic partnerships with some institutions of global repute, which allows Nigerian scholars acquire the desired knowledge enabled by a novel, cost effective arrangement which also includes gaining hands on, practical experience in their various fields of study. That is the attitude we must adopt in the quest for national advancement, for where there is a will, there is a way.

Beyond the four walls of the Agency, the implementation strategy is gaining momentum nationwide in critical aspects of the economy. Dr Pantami is pushing beyond the barriers of mere talk. At the moment, the Agency is providing technical support to JAMB and a few other key institutions around the country and many more are reaching out for partnerships and collaborations in that regard. A practical personality, his actions are backed by law as the Agency’s Act of 2007 empowers it to also enforce compliance and where and when necessary, penalize by fine and or, imprisonment for up to three years.

read more on http://itedgenews.ng/2017/05/17/the-pantami-agenda-for-local-content-development-capacity-building/