The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Ekweremadu, wife, doctor for sentencing May 5

    Ekweremadu, wife, doctor for sentencing May 5

    • Life jail is maximum punishment

    Sonia, the 25-year-old daughter of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, burst into tears yesterday after her parents were convicted by a British court.

    The 60-year-old senator, his 56-year-old spouse Beatrice and Dr. Obinna Obeta, 51, were convicted of conspiring to exploit David Nwamini.

    They will be sentenced on May 5 and could face up to 10 years in jail.

    The trio were found guilty by the United Kingdom (UK) Magistrate’s Court of trafficking Nwamini from Nigeria to Britain to provide a kidney for Ekweremadu’s 25-year-old daughter, Sonia, a statement from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said yesterday.

    Sonia was cleared of the same charge for which her parents and the Nigerian doctor were convicted.

    Sonia, who had declined to give evidence, broke into tears as she was cleared by the jury. 

    She tearfully hugged her father who was remanded into custody with the others ahead of the May 5 sentencing.

    The prosecution confirmed that the maximum sentence in the organ harvesting case is one of life.

    After the convictions, Chief Crown Prosecutor Joanne Jakymec, described the conspiracy as a horrific plot.

    She said: “This was a horrific plot to exploit a vulnerable victim by trafficking him to the UK for the purpose of transplanting his kidney.

    “The convicted defendants showed utter disregard for the victim’s welfare, health and well-being and used their considerable influence to a high degree of control throughout, with the victim having a limited understanding of what was really going on here.”

    The jury deliberated for nearly 14 hours to convict Ekweremadu, Beatrice and Obeta.

    A detective inspector with the Metropolitan Police, Esther Richardson, commended the victim for his bravery in speaking against the offenders.

    According to her, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and Human Tissue Authority teams “worked tirelessly” on the case, which is the first time that defendants have been convicted under the Modern Slavery Act of an organ-trafficking conspiracy.

    The Ekweremadus and Dr. Obeta denied the charges against them.

     Ekweremadu had been in custody since June 23, last year. His wife, who was arrested with him, was granted bail by a criminal court in London, shortly after their arrest.

    Nwamini, a street trader from Lagos, was taken to the UK last year to provide a kidney to Sonia in an £80,000 private transplant at the Royal Free Hospital in Camden, North London.

    He claimed he was told to pretend to be Sonia’s cousin to get the transplant approved.

    But a consultant working in the NHS hospital refused to remove the vital organ, having become suspicious because the volunteer kidney donor appeared initially ignorant of his mission.

    Nwamini reportedly told police investigators he had no idea his kidney was to be removed until he was taken to the Royal Free to meet the surgeon.

    He ran away, sleeping on the street for about three days, before walking into the Staines Police Station on May 5, 2022.

  • As Lagos consolidates on multimodal transportation

    As Lagos consolidates on multimodal transportation

    Lagos State left no one in doubt it would continue to consolidate its investment on transportation as its attention is primed on multi-modal option, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE

    LAGOS State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu practicalised what it meant to hit the ground running. Barely 24 hours after he was declared winner of the just-concluded gubernatorial election, he was on the road monitoring projects. For him, there is no better way to prove his appreciation than to set out for more hard work.

    He rolled up his sleeves last Monday, and toured the Red Line Rail corridor. By his assessment, the project was about 75 per cent completed. He promised to2 sign-off on it and hand it over to Lagosians before he begins his second term on May 29.

    Right optics

    He had just 65 more days to fulfill that dream. The Red Rail Line would be the best place for Sanwo-Olu, who just scaled the toughest political battle of his life, to begin the second phase of his tour of duty in Lagos.

    For stakeholders, it showed the governor’s commitment to the THEMES Agenda which placed transportation as the first critical pillar of concern for his government and for which he has given his undivided attention since 2019.

    The Red Line is the second venture of the Sanwo-Olu administration, in changing the transportation narrative from dependence on mono-modal transportation system to multimodal modes of transportation, where incidentally, the state has huge comparative advantage.

    He believes transportation planning would reduce the nightmare on the road and bring relief to motorists.

    Besides palliating, improving and expansion of critical roads among other initiatives, prime attention was given to the rail because of its mass transit potential. The first phase of the Blue line will account for about 250,000 passengers daily, and when the second phase is completed move about 1.5million passengers daily.

    The Red Line is projected to have the same capacity for passenger traffic. This undoubtedly will bring huge relief to a city where at least about 80 percent of its 22 million population rely daily, almost exclusively, on road transportation mode for much of its 56 years of its creation.

    On January 24, President Muhammadu Buhari, inaugurated the 13km first phase of the Blue Line rail, which runs from the Marina Interchange Terminal to Mile 2.

    The President also witnessed, same day, the take-off of the second phase of the project, with the signing of the contract between his host, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Chinese contractor, Messrs China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which would take the project from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko (on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway), thus completing the 27km Lagos Blue Line rail project.

    Test-running of passenger operations on the Blue Line began on February 10. The operation, LAMATA’s Communication Consultant Mr Kolawole Ojelabi, said will run for two months; during which passengers’ feedbacks will be collated (from all categories of Lagosians, who have ridden the Blue rail), process same, and come up with an operational template for the rail system in the state.

    Read Also:FEC okays N459.08bn for Transportation Ministry’s projects, NDLEA’s barracks

    Sanwo-Olu goes into history books as the governor that berthed the first electric rail by any subnational government not only in Nigeria, but Africa. Though its delivery shilly shallied for 11 years, stakeholders agreed the waiting was worth it.

    Sanwo-Olu’s tour of the Red Line came 96 hours after President Buhari signed an amendment bill moving the railway from the exclusive list (where it has domiciled for 68 years) to the concurrent route.

    Sanwo-Olu described granting more autonomy in key areas like electricity, railways, and the judiciary as just what the state needs to take charge of her own growth.

    “Like the autonomy granted electricity, the devolution of powers for railways under the constitution fifth alteration bill No 32 will help trigger local economic growth and development. It’ll open up investment opportunities and improve the mobility of goods and services,” the governor stated on his verified Twitter handle @jidesanwoolu last Wednesday.

    The amendment of the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act 1955, which had been before the National Assembly since 2005, removed the shackle that had held the railway development down for so long, as state governments can now invest in rail systems without undue interference from the centre.

    Lagos State, Africa’s first megacity leads in this regard. It has been on the burner since 1983, when the late Governor Lateef Kayode Jakande backed by World Bank funds had tried the metroline rail. Though derailed, the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu administration had revived the dream in 2002 and through dogged pursuit; the state, by May, would have two light rail systems to reset transit patterns in the state.

    The successes of the two systems, the Transportation Commissioner Dr Frederic Oladeinde said, would set the tone for the development of the rest. Lagos has five other colour-coded rail systems (Green, Brown, Purple, Yellow and Brown), a mono rail in the works. These are to complement the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) initiative which had been introduced since 2008, which has redefined road transit in Lagos.

    But experts said just as the Blue and Red lines have become rail flagship, the Green line should be developed. The Green Line is meant to link Lekki to Marina.

    They argued that the imminent take-off of the Lekki Free Trade (LFT), the Lagos State Airport (approved by the Federal Government last year), the Deep Blue Maritime Safety project and the Dangote Petroleum and Fertiliser Plant, along the Lekki corridor, it makes economic sense for the government to urgently commence work on the Green Line or attract private investors to off-take or redistribute anticipated traffic that would manifest around that area as a result of the massive developments envisaged there.

    place was built up, it would encounter a similar challenge being faced in other metropolises of the state.”

    For him, if motorists are already going through harrowing experiences right now with those developments not yet fully in place, one can imagine what that corridor could be turned into in the next five to 10 years, when all of the industrial entities are on stream and people begin to commute only on the available road that leads in and out of that axis.

    Waterways

    While the Sanwo-Olu administration has assured that the Lekki axis would not be left unattended, the government is also determined to increase its stakes in waterways commuting. On the waterways, the government is not only a regulator but a player, a development many private operators have condemned as skewed against fair competition.

    The Lagos State Waterways Authority’s (LASWA) General Manager Mr Damilola Emmanuel said Lagos waterways is the safest in the country, as a result of the initiatives the administration has injected to reposition it.

    Emmanuel said from an insignificant number when it took off in 2019, passenger count on Lagos waterways is hitting two million monthly, and efforts are on to increase the share of passenger traffic even further.

    He said besides procuring modern ferries which has increased passenger-confidence on water transit, the government last year inaugurated a fully digitalised central control centre at LASWA’s headquarters, where all activities on the state’s waterways could be viewed on closed monitors.

    Emmanuel disclosed that efforts are in place to further boost water transportation in the state as Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) France’s Development Agency is partnering with the state government to chart a new course in waterway transportation and develop a robust water transit and build riders/passengers’ confidence on the water.

    He said AFD, which has partnered the state government in developing the Marina and Mile 2 interchanges on the Blue line, is determined to partner the state in rewriting and repositioning water transit in Lagos and soon, passengers would have the opportunity to use Lagos waters for transit, tourism and leisure.

    Emmanuel said the government is working at channelling at least three jetties, and to replace wooden jetties with concrete ones in its bid to make waterways safer, especially for riverine dwellers.

    Opportunities

    Experts agreed the government got its priorities right, concentrating on transportation this time. Redistributing traffic to other modes, they insist, would help reduce pressure on the roads, a situation which would ensure roads last longer, but also reduces traffic related tension and stress.

    Odewunmi argued that Lagos roads are among the most ‘horrible’ in the world, in terms of user experience.

    For him, while road travels are supposed to be pleasant and pleasurable, such experiences are a ‘luxury’ in Lagos.

    This is one of the cardinal things the Sanwo-Olu administration had been working on these past four years and committed to change, he just might, given the limitless opportunities waiting to be tapped on all fronts leaving the local economy as the greatest beneficiary.

  • Tackling missing luggage menace

    Tackling missing luggage menace

    Passengers’ inability to retrieve luggage on arrival at destinations is becoming a nightmare for operators, players and regulators in the global travel space. Aside from mitigation efforts by concerned bodies, the ugly trend is not abating. A dramatic twist is emerging at the nation’s airports where airlines are becoming circumspect over passengers’ complaints pointing to a false alarm, writes KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR

    THE push to attain memorable travel experience is engaging the attention of aeronautical authorities and players in the global air transport space.

    Besides, efforts by the International Civil Aviation ( ICAO), International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airports Council International (ACI), Flight Safety Foundation(FSF), and other bodies to scale up the processes, procedures and protocols of air travel, local bodies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and consumer protection agencies, are not relenting in their desire in ensuring passengers have smooth facilitation using the airports.

    At various times, these organisations continue to invest in training, equipment and technology to make air travel safer, comfortable, convenient and stress free.

    IATA, on its part, has developed a protocol to reduce the menace of missing luggage.

    IATA’s Resolution 753, designed to address the issue, aims to reduce global baggage mishandling, increase efficiency in baggage operations and improve passenger experience. Resolution 753 require that airlines track a baggage at four key points in the baggage journey, including passenger handing over luggage to personnel, who are expected to load it into the aircraft.

    But, their efforts appear to be thwarted by the preponderance of either missing or delayed luggage, which is creating fresh headaches for airlines, airport authorities, ground handling companies and other players in the passenger facilitation value chain.

    IATA data reveals that 480 baggage are either lost, delayed or damaged for every 100,000 bags checked. Experts said it may not seem like a lot, but, in 2021 alone, more than 1.9 million bags were mishandled by US-based airlines.

    Nearly 220,000 bags were “mishandled” by U.S. airlines in April 2022. Such luggage were either lost, damaged, delayed or stolen, according to data by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

    The number of mishandled bags in April last year was more than double the 94,000 cases of mishandled luggage in April of the previous year, though slightly less than the tally in March 2022 and the level in April 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic set in.

    Besides the efforts of the trade association for global airlines, other groups continue to canvas initiatives that  will improve the travel experience in minimising the numbers of missing luggage.

    According to the Director-General, NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu, all hands are on deck to reduce the menace of missing luggage.

    Nuhu said last year  over 48,683 luggage belonging to passengers were either missing or delayed on arrival across the country’s airports.

    Citing statistics from the authority, Nuhu said passengers experienced more missing or delayed luggage on board international airlines than domestic carriers.

    According to him, international airlines recorded 48,234 missing or delayed luggage, while domestic airlines recorded 449 missing or delayed luggage in 2022.

    However, 41,435 of the missing or delayed luggage were later found, while the remaining 7,248 luggage were unaccounted for in the year.

    Read Also: Aviation unions sue minister over airports’concession

    NCAA data  revealed that at least 24  airlines that operate in Nigeria in 2022  were involved in the missing luggage.

    KLM recorded the highest number of missing luggage with 5,622 followed by Air France with 5,480; Delta Airline with 4,342; Egypt Air with 4,247; Qatar Air with 4,221; Royal Air Maroc with 3,766; Lufthansa 3,633; RwandAir 2,827; British Airways 2,814; and Virgin Atlantic 2,812.

    Other airlines include Turkish Airlines 1,657; Ethiopian Air 1,380; Africa World 1,300; United Airlines 841; Air Cote d’Ivoire 671; Asky Airline 879; South African Airways 622; Emirates 174; Kenyan Air 754; and Middle East Airline 69.

    But, local carriers are getting circumspect over complaints lodged by passengers on missing luggage.

    The carriers say some passengers are feeding the public with inaccurate information on the status of their luggage from the point of embarkation on the aircraft and arrival at destination.

    Only last week, drama played out at the Lagos Airport when a passenger engaged a local carrier on the status of his luggage, claiming that it could not be  retrieved on arrival.

    Worried over the trend, aviation authorities caused an investigation into the matter to unravel the reason for the alleged infraction.

    But, fresh facts at the disposal of aviation authorities reveal that the false alarm by the passenger  turned  out to be a ruse.

    Last week, a passenger, name and details withheld, travelling through the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2(MMA2) on Ibom Air flight QI0319 from Abuja to Lagos had been charged to court, convicted and fined for declaring a false baggage claim against the airline.

    According to the airline, on February 20, 2023, the passenger boarded the Ibom Air flight QI0319 from Abuja to Lagos on arrival, raising a concern, claiming that  his checked-in luggage was missing.

    The airline swung into action for proper tracking and it was confirmed that all bags were loaded onto the aircraft from Abuja.

    In a statement, the carrier said: “Due to the passenger’s complaint, constant calls, disturbance, verbal abuse and threat to the company about his alleged missing bag and valuables items , including designer brand shoes, clothes,  contained therein, we requested a replay of the CCTV footage of that day from Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, Managers of the Murtala Mohammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2) to ascertain what became of the bag.

    “From the CCTV footage, it was discovered that the bag the passenger claimed to be missing was his checked-in bag.

    “The CCTV footage showed when the passenger picked up the bag from the conveyor belt, with a bag tag on it, he proceeded to the restroom where he removed the tag to escape the waiting Ibom Air Security Baggage Reconciliation Team, who would have retrieved our baggage claim tag from him, and went straight to the Ibom Air counter, where he raised a false alarm about his alleged missing checked baggage.”

    The airline stated that when it was established that there was no missing bag and that the passenger was dubious in his claim, the case was reported to the terminal’s aviation security and police.

    The statement reads: “The passenger was, thereafter, invited to the office for further investigation and resolution of the issue. Upon his arrival, he stood his ground, and was handed over to the security agencies where he made his statement. When confronted with the CCTV footage, he broke down and confessed to the crime.”

    “He was charged to court for the offence punishable under section 168(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

    “He pleaded guilty to the charge and showed remorse for his actions and promised not to repeat them again. He was convicted with an option of fine.

    “This  development is becoming a dangerous trend, hence the reason we are going public about this to  deter unscrupulous elements who are hell-bent on tarnishing the image of Airline Operators while seeking illegitimate gain. We would further like to assure our highly valued passengers of our continuous strive for excellence and the safety and security of our passengers and their checked baggage in our care.”

    Experts and stakeholders in the sector have condemned the trend, saying it is eroding confidence in air travel.

    An analyst and Chief Executive Officer, Centurion Securities Limited, Group Captain John Ojikutu, said one of the ways to checkmate missing luggage is for airlines to carry out a pre-passenger profiling system to assess the intended traveller before selling tickets to them.

    He said: “What Ibom Air has witnessed of the passenger is surely not the first time of such behaviour. Airlines must have computer assessment pre-passenger screening like most foreign carriers do.”

  • Sanlam Pan Africa inducts Ojumah into Council of Elders

    Sanlam Pan Africa inducts Ojumah into Council of Elders

    Sanlam Pan Africa (SPA)  has inducted Valentine Ojumah into its Council of Elders.

    In a statement, the Senior Marketing Services Coordinator Sanlam Life Insurance Nigeria Limited, Bankole Banjo, said SPA is the business cluster for Sanlam Group’s operations in Africa, including Sanlam Nigeria.

    Ojumah, who is one of two first-ever inductees into the council, is the pioneer Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Sanlam Life Nigeria until he retired last year.

    With over 35 years’ experience in risk management, insurance broking, consultancy and training within the  industry, academics and research, Ojumah served Sanlam Nigeria for 12 years.

    Sanlam Pan Africa Life Chief Executive, Robert Dommisse said: “On behalf the SPA Life team, I am delighted to acknowledge Val as an inductee of the council.

    “He is a visionary and exemplary leader, who has led the business with verve and conviction since inception. True to his innovative leadership, Val has been awarded some top awards during his career at Sanlam. Most recently, these included: SPA Life CEO Award (2021), AfricaRe, CEO of the year in Africa (2020), Sanlam Group Chief Executive Officer award (2016).

    “As Val moves to enjoy the next chapter in his life, we are thrilled that he has accepted to serve on the SPA Life Council of Elders. We look forward to having the benefit of learning from his extensive leadership experience and fountain of knowledge to tackle challenges and opportunities for our business in the future.”

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Sanlam Life Insurance Nigeria Limited,Tunde Mimiko, congratulated Ojumah and commended his multi-disciplinary experience in building Sanlam Nigeria from inception into a successful business.

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Sanlam General Insurance, a subsidiary of Sanlam Life Insurance, Bode Opadokun, also lauded the industry legend, saying: “We are proud of you and look forward to many more years of contribution to the organisation as a member of the Council of Elders.”

    Ojumah urged  for the growth and development of the organisation.

  • Building entrepreneurs’ capacities

    Building entrepreneurs’ capacities

    Many organisations are working to drive the development of innovative businesses by young entrepreneurs. DANIEL ESSIET reports

    THE objective is to accelerate young entrepreneurs’business ventures through exposure to potential support and business linkages.

    For this reason, Mastercard Foundation has been supporting building of  institutional mechanisms to serve as the primary coordinator acrossl Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) development levers on  national levels in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

    There is Mastercard Foundation Fund for Rural Prosperity to boost to innovative credit, savings, and transaction-based products and services .

    Offered across Sub-Saharan Africa, the $50 million programme in the form of a Challenge Fund was established by the Mastercard Foundation in 2015 to grow the number of Africans actively participating in the continent’s financial systems. The programme supported a portfolio of 38 innovative private sector businesses to increase financial inclusion for people living in underserved, rural, or agricultural areas.

    “The initial target of the Fund was to support one million people but over the life of the programme, we saw 5.3 million people accessing it and using financial products and services provided by the participants working in the agribusiness and financial inclusion sectors,” said Mastercard Foundation Fund for Rural Prosperity Engagement Partner at KPMG East Africa, Smita Sanghrajka.

    Sighting the Fund’s impact report Ms. Sanghrajka explained that the participant businesses developed or scaled up over 171 new financial products or services due to Fund interventions, surpassing an initial target of 119 by 43 per cent. In the process, at least 5,000 jobs were created, with at least 38 per cent of them occupied by women and 78 per cent occupied by young people under 35. Also, actor[e] Ventures has launched a new venture studio targeting tech startups in Africa.

    Known as Delta40, the studio aims to increase incomes and tackle climate change in Africa by building and investing in technology ventures.

    Delta40 focuses on technology-driven energy, agriculture, and mobility ventures led by diverse, experienced founders. In addition to capital, Delta40 acts as a co-founder, providing fast, iterative product testing, technology brokering, early-stage commercialisation, and working side-by-side to increase the speed of venture building. Delta40 secured early funding and strategic support from Autodesk Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), a collective action platform partnered The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund, leading climate tech law firm Wilson Sonisi, as well as government, private sector, and finance institutions.

    Delta40 is led by Lyndsay Holley Handler who is the co-founder and Managing Partner. She brings two decades’ experience growing ventures in 15 countries across the continent.

    Holley Handler previously led clean energy company Fenix International through pan-African expansion with MTN, which was acquired in 2018 by ENGIE, the French multinational utility company. Through Delta40, she aims to use her considerable knowledge to help other entrepreneurs scale their ventures with organic growth or strategic corporate partnerships and acquisitions.

    “By 2100, 40 per cent of the world’s population will live in Africa. This presents an incredible opportunity – and imperative – to invest in entrepreneurs on the ground developing life-changing climate innovations.’’ Holley said. ‘’We are launching the Delta40 Venture Studio to connect African and female founders with the technology, talent, capital and leadership support they need to build successful companies and thrive. Together with our founders, we aim to build a portfolio of transformative ventures across this important continent that improve lives, amplify the entrepreneurial ecosystem and protect the planet for generations to come.”  she added.

    Delta40 benefits from the support of Factor[e] Ventures, an organization of venture builders and pre-seed investors. They collaborate on sourcing Founders, developing theses, brokering technology, and providing a post-investment support platform that adds value to portfolio companies as they grow.

    Delta40’s unique approach leverages the momentum of a record year for African tech startups, which raised a total of US$6.5B (+8% YoY). However, investment still lags in diverse Founders and key sectors such as energy, agriculture and mobility.  This gap creates a favourable investment environment that is further strengthened by untapped tech talent resources, an increasingly friendly regulatory environment, and exponential population growth.

    Delta40 is already building six ventures led by experienced Founders and is actively evaluating new Founders and venture ideas.

    “After building Pan-African ventures for two decades, we are confident that the venture studio model can dramatically increase the speed and success of innovation from idea to scale to exit.  We welcome entrepreneurs and other partners with a shared mission to build with us.” Holley said.

  • Samsung: Cutting-edge tech in devices vital to life

    Samsung: Cutting-edge tech in devices vital to life

    The deployment of cutting edge technology into the manufacturing of mobile devices has improved end-user experiences which have become an integral part of people’s lives, South Korea original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Samsung Electronics has said.

    President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, TM Roh, who spoke during the unveiling of Galaxy A54 5G and Galaxy A34 5G, two innovative smartphones that advance Samsung Galaxy’s commitment to designing awesome mobile experiences, said the company is committed to ensuring that more people globally could access the company’s innovative products.

    Roh said: “Cutting-edge mobile experiences are increasingly essential to everyday life. With continuous enhancements to the Galaxy A series, we’re ensuring that more people around the world can access our transformative innovations.”

    He said these new additions to the popular Galaxy A series will help users shoot steady and crisp videos, see clearly even in bright conditions, and do more of the things they love with battery life that lasts more than two days.

    Roh said the Galaxy A54 5G and Galaxy A34 5G deliver stunning images with clear quality even in bright conditions, making use of Samsung Galaxy’s leading Nightography and AI capabilities. Whether users want to capture the perfect selfie or connect through super-smooth video calls, the Galaxy A54 offers astonishing detail thanks to its 32MP front camera.

    “The new smartphones produce video with amazing clarity, combatting shakiness and blur with improved optical image stabilization (OIS) and video digital image stabilization (VDIS). Even with unsteady hands or when filming on the go, users can be confident about capturing awesome content. For adventures after dark and in low light conditions, Night mode helps users to capture more detail by broadening the camera’s pixel size. Users can also now remove unwanted shadows and reflections for the first time in Galaxy A series, thanks to the enhanced editing tools,” Samsung explained in an explanatory note.

    Both devices feature immersive Super AMOLED displays, measuring 6.4-inch on the Galaxy A54 5G and 6.6-inch on the Galaxy A34 5G. Both displays have been upgraded for astounding outdoor visibility, even under bright sunlight. With the enhanced Vision Booster and a 120Hz refresh rate, the displays will keep up with users as they move between different lighting conditions.

    Galaxy A54 5G and Galaxy A34 5G also guarantee up to four generations of OS upgrades and five years of security updates. These features allow users to access the latest software and security to maximize the smartphone lifecycle.

    Enhanced mobile experiences rely on advanced security. With Samsung Knox, data is kept under lock and key with defence-grade mobile security. The Galaxy A54 5G and Galaxy A34 5G give users access to the Security and Privacy Dashboard, which makes it easy to see how apps are tracking data and enables simple ways to stop unwanted data collection. When users want to share important files that contain sensitive or personal information with the ultimate level of privacy and control, there’s Private Share.

    This, it said, enables users to share files only to designated recipients within time limits and with screenshots disabled.

    The Galaxy A54 5G and Galaxy A34 5G are also compatible with the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem to provide seamless connectivity between devices. Users can get 100GB of cloud storage and easily back up photos to OneDrive with a six month trial of Microsoft 365 Basic , accessible on the Galaxy A54 5G and Galaxy A34 5G.

    The Galaxy A54 5G will be available in three color options, including Awesome Lime, Awesome Graphite and Awesome White.

    The Galaxy A34 5G will be available in Three color options, including Awesome Lime, Awesome Graphite and Awesome Silver from March 2023.

  • UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, Google okay $3m for women startups

    UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, Google okay $3m for women startups

    The UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, a pillar of the UK government’s broader Digital Access Program (DAP), has collaborated with Google for Startups Africa. As part of this collaboration, the two entities will award $3 million in Google Cloud credits to women founders in Nigeria. This support will subsidise cloud technology-related costs for startups, allowing them to focus on innovation, customer acquisition, and growth.

    The joint effort by UK-Nigeria Tech Hub and Google for Startups Africa will help promote digital inclusion and jointly support technology businesses run by women founders.

    To commemorate International Women’s Day in March, the two organisations co-hosted an event in Lagos that brought together women founders, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders. The event was designed to help women founders understand the technology funding landscape and position themselves to secure funding for their startups.

    Country Director, UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, Justina Oha said: “We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Google for Startups, which comes at a time when the world is celebrating International Women’s Day.

    This partnership is a testament to our commitment to supporting women founders and helping them reach their full potential. Partnerships like this are one of the great ways that stakeholders can come together to advance Nigeria’s tech ecosystem at an accelerated pace.”

     Also, Head of Startup Ecosystem Google Africa, Folarin Aiyegbusi said: “We are excited to partner with the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub to empower women entrepreneurs in Nigeria. This collaboration is a unique opportunity to provide women founders with the support and resources they need to scale their businesses and contribute to the growth of Nigeria’s tech ecosystem.’’

    At Google for Startups, we are committed to supporting startups and entrepreneurs around the world, and we believe that empowering women founders is key to building a more diverse and inclusive tech industry.”

  • 5% telecom tax: Subscribers push for repeal of law

    5% telecom tax: Subscribers push for repeal of law

    The stoppage of the implementation of the five per cent excise duty on the telecom sector by the Federal Government has been commended by stakeholders in the industry. They, however, want the enabling law repealed to forestall its re-emergence under any form or guise again, LUCAS AJANAKU reports.

    TELCOMS subscribers have hailed the decision of the Federal Government to spare the telecoms sector the burden of another tax.

    According to them, the industry, as it is, is overtaxed as it is reeling under no fewer than 45 taxes, levies and others by state and non-state actors.

    They, however, urged the National Assembly to go a step further by repealing the sections of the law that gave birth to the tax ab initio.

    The subscribers, acting under the aegis of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers of Nigeria (NATCOMS) and Association of Telephone, Cable Tv and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS-Nigeria), said the lawmakers should go ahead and do the necessary amendment to the law.

    National President, NATCOMS, Deolu Ogunbanjo, commended the President Muhammadu Buhari and Communications and Digital Economy Minister, Prof Isa Pantami for stopping the implementation of the tax.

    Ogunbanjo said the development will bring stability to the industry and banish the fear of tariff hike by the mobile network operators (MNOs). In an interview, he said the industry is over taxed with over 40 various spurious taxes and levies by all the three tiers of government and other non-state actors.

    “But the tax was to be implemented under a law that has been passed by the National Assembly. Ipso facto, the process of getting the law amended to expunge the telecoms industry must begin immediately. This is to forestall a situation where anybody would wake up, cash-strapped, dust the law and implement that provision.

    “Focus should be on the other sectors of the economy for tax imposition,” he said, adding that the court matter the group instituted earlier is still pending and would be followed through to ensure that justice was served.

    ATCIS-Nigeria President, Sina Bilesanmi, agreed with Ogunbanjo. According to him, now that the matter seems to have been laid to rest, the attention of the MNOs should be focused on improving the end user experience of the subscribers on the network.

    “We are happy the government has changed its mind on the five per cent telecoms tax implementation. The MNOs should therefore take advantage of the government’s kind gesture to focus on improving service quality. Now they are no longer under any threat to pay any additional tax. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) should encourage the MNOs to keep expanding their infrastructure,” he said.

    Taiwo Oyedele, tax expert at PwC, had in tweets, explained the tax and its implications.

    “A new tax (excise duty) of five per cent has been introduced on telecommunications services in Nigeria including prepaid and postpaid plans.

    “The legal framework for the tax is the Finance Act 2020 which amended section 21 of the Customs and Excise Tariff Act by adding the subsection below as an item liable to excise duty:

    “Telecommunication services provided in Nigeria shall be charged with duties of excise at the rates specified under the duty column in the Schedule as the President may by Order prescribe pursuant to section 13 of this Act.”

    “The rate has been introduced via the 2022 Fiscal Policy Measures and Tariffs Amendments order approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria effective from April 1, 2022 with a grace period of 90 days hence the planned implementation of the tax from July 2022. Excise duty is a tax on production which is eventually passed on to consumers.

    “Given the 7.5 per cent VAT rate, the new tax will effectively increase the consumption tax on telecommunications services, including phone calls and internet data to 12.5per cent. Based on the revenue of N3.25trillion generated by the sector in 2021, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the growth rate recorded in 2022, the new tax is estimated to generate about N200 billion in the next one year.

    “There are questions regarding the timing of this new tax in view of the current economic challenges facing individuals and businesses, especially SMEs.

    “If Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory were to be developed today, telecom airtime and data could have been properly classified along with food and shelter as physiological needs hence the need to ensure that government is not excessively taxing basic needs,” Oyedele had explained.

    The Federal Government had announced the removal of excise duty for telecom sub-sector of Nigeria’s Digital Economy Industry in line with the recommendations of the Committee it had constituted to review the applicability of the Duty to the telecom sector which is considered already overburdened with taxation and sundry levies.

    Prof Pantami disclosed this last week  to provide updates on the status of the five per cent excise duty, which applicability to the telecom sector he had objected to in August 2022, following which President Buhari suspended its application to the telecom sector and set up a Presidential Review Committee on Excise Duty in the Digital Economy Sector.

    Pantami, who is the Chairman of the Committee, specifically set up for the purpose of reviewing the proposed excise duty in the telecom sector, said the Committee had carried out its national assignment and accordingly submitted its report to the President, justifying why the sector should be exempted.

    Pantami said the Committee’s submissions can be summed up in three arguments put forward to justify why additional burden in form of taxes or any level should not be imposed on the telecom sector to prevent a reversal of the important contribution the sector is making to the growth of the Nigerian economy.

    “Our justifications are based on three premises: First, is the fact that operators in the telecoms sub-sector of the digital economy industry currently pay no fewer than 41 different categories of taxes, levies and charges; secondly, that telecoms has continued to be a major contributor to Nigerian economy in terms of Gross Domestic Product Contribution (GDP).

    “The third ground for contesting the Excise Duty in telecom sector is the fact that, despite increase in the cost of all factors of production across sector, and naturally leading to increase in costs of products and services, telecom sector is the only sector where cost of service has been stable and in many cases continued to go down over the past years and therefore, adding more burden will destroy the sector,” the minister said.

    The minister also informed the gathering that the President, having looked into the arguments put forward by the Committee and relying on the provision of the Section 5 of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution, as amended, has therefore, exempted telecom sector from the list of sectors to pay the excise duty as stated in Finance Act of 2021 and other subsidiary legislations, all of which are not as superior as the Constitution which permits the President to grant such waiver.

    “I am happy to report to you that President Muhammadu Buhari, has approved the exemption of the digital economy sector from the five percent excise duty to be paid and this is because of the strength of the argument presented to him by the Committee that additional burden on telecom sector will increase the sufferings of Nigerians and that other sectors that are not making as much contribution to the economy should be challenged to do more and pay the five per cent excise duty,” he had said.

    He assured telecom consumers that the presidential exemption given to the telecom sector shall be sustained by the incoming administration as “the decision by the President is not about any political party or any administration but about Nigeria and welfare of Nigerian citizens.”

    He further noted that the Digital Economy Sector has continued to contribute significantly to the growth of the economy, having contributed 14.07 per cent to the GDP in the first quarter of 2020; 17.79 per cent in the second quarter of 2021; and 18.44 per cent in the second quarter of 2022.

    He said the sector has also increased its quarterly revenue generation for government from N51 billion to over N480 billion, representing a growth of 594 per cent; while the cost of buying data has also reduced from N1,200 in 2019 to N350 presently, despite the increase in the cost of operations, including the energy challenge that has caused mobile network operators to power base stations with over 32,000 power generating to provide seamless services to their teeming consumers.

  • Insurance industry needs to commit to phasing out fossil fuels

    Insurance industry needs to commit to phasing out fossil fuels

    Large insurers continue to insure and invest in projects related to the extraction and burning of fossil fuels, contributing to the main cause of global warming.

    Senior Energy Finance Campaigner with Rainforest Action Network (RAN), Elana Sulakshana, explained: “There’s a massive gap between words and action – and the Net Zero Insurance Alliance does not appear to be stepping into bold leadership to close that gap.

    “This is why we need insurance industry regulators to step in and safeguard the public good.”

    Although 32 insurers have made commitments to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions as members of the Net Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA), none have committed to phasing out fossil fuel underwriting in line with plans to prevent a global temperature rise of more than 1.5C.

    As our briefing highlighted, we cannot rely on insurers’ voluntary initiatives. Now is the time to include crucial sustainability measures in the Solvency II Directive.

    “The latest UN climate report delivers a ‘final warning’ to humanity about the impact of climate change, but the insurance industry is still funding and underwriting fossil fuel companies. Policymakers need to step in.’’

    ” Better regulation of the insurance industry is needed to protect our planet and its people and to safeguard the industry itself.A s losses related to climate change are expected to increase we need stronger insurance companies – and that means safer levels of capital requirements.

    “Higher capital requirements for fossil fuel investments would also make these investments more expensive, pushing insurers to divert and divest from these sector – with a positive environmental effect for us all.N o matter how technical the topic of ‘capital requirements’ sounds, it boils down to a clear political question – do we want more, or less, burning of fossil fuels?

    “The European parliament is in the middle of heated negotiations to review the EU insurance legislation Solvency II. The EU supervisor for insurers and pension funds has been consulting stakeholders, in view of recommending changes to insurers’ capital requirements to take climate risk into account.

    • Culled from ShareAction

  • AIICO, Leadway, others among Top 100 insurance companies in Africa

    AIICO, Leadway, others among Top 100 insurance companies in Africa

    AIICO Insurance Plc, Leadway Assurance Limited, Custodian and Allied Insurance are the top three indigenous insurance companies that made it to the Top 100 insurance companies in Africa in 2021, a report has shown.

    The report released by Atlas Magazine and obtained by The Nation shows that Axa Mansard Insurance Plc and Mutual Benefit Assurance as among the Top Five companies in Nigeria that made it to the Top 100 in Africa.

    This was followed by NEM Insurance Plc, which made it as top five companies in the category under review.

    AN analysis of the report showed that AIICO made it into the top 50 insurance companies in Africa as it stood at number 46 on the list.

    Similarly, Leadway emerges as number 48, Custodian and Allied 49, Axa Mansard 52, Mutual Benefit 91 and NEM 96.

    It is worthy of note that the Top Five insurance companies in Africa are from South Africa with Sanlam as number one; Old Mutual Life as number two; Liberty as number three; Santam as number four and MML Group Limited as number five.

    Meanwhile, the top category, Wafa Assurance of Morocco emerge as number six; Guardrisk Insurance of South Africa as number seven; RMA of Morocco as number eight; The Hollard Insurance of South Africa as number nine; and Old Mutual Insure of South Africa as number 10.

    The companies ranking was evaluated based on 2020 and 2021 turnover in local currency.