The Nation Newspaper

Category: e-Business

  • Broadband: Yahsat, Service Partners Ready to Connect 300 Rural Schools

    UAE-based global satellite operator, Yahsat, has planned to bridge the gaps in the provision of ICT services across the un-served and under-served regions with the announcement of a new collaboration with its Service Partners Hyperia and Zeta-Web in Nigeria.

    Building on their past efforts to deliver reliable and cost-effective broadband services across Nigeria, YahClick and its service partners Hyperia and Zeta-Web will work shoulder to shoulder to support the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) in connecting more than 300 schools in rural Nigeria.

    Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) is the branch of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) tasked with fueling the expansion of telecom services in rural Nigeria. Working alongside Hyperia and Zeta-Web, Yahsat will extend YahClick broadband services to schools in rural Nigeria that have until now suffered from unreliable connectivity.

    The partnership will provide USPF with a dependable satellite-based broadband service that utilizes the Ka-band frequency. More affordable than the  Ku and C band frequencies, YahClick’s service will help these schools to overcome barriers to quality education  by maintaining consistent and reliable connectivity.

    “Through this partnership with Hyperia and Zeta-Web, we look forward to ushering in a nationwide revival of educational tools and resources that will help set thousands of children up for a brighter future,” says Farhad Khan, Chief Commercial Officer at Yahsat. “We are glad to work alongside like-minded partners who share our values and commitment to helping build a future generation that is fully equipped to strengthen the country’s economy,” he added.

    “Over the last decade, Hyperia has played an integral role in building a strong ICT infrastructure in Nigeria, and our alliance with Yahsat puts us on the right track to achieving our mission. This latest collaboration is a welcome development that will bring more digital opportunities to Nigeria, and ultimately lead to the growth of the nation,” commented Gabriel Bouzerdan, Managing Director of Hyperia

    “The large majority of schools in Nigeria’s outlying areas have had no or poor connection to broadband previously. We are proud that together with Yahsat we are able to bring a proper Internet access to these schools, enable richer learning experience amongst school children and overall make a positive impact on the education sector.” commented Gabriel Bouzerdan, Managing Director of Hyperia

    The news of this collaboration follows on Yahsat’s recent announcement of an agreement to establish a joint venture with Hughes Network Systems (HUGHES) to accelerate Yahsat’s commercial Ka-band services across Africa. Combining Hughes’ expertise as a global leader in broadband satellite networks and services with Yahsat’s knowledge as the leader in satellite broadband solutions in the region, the new joint venture will allow the companies to unlock the mass-market potential of satellite broadband solutions across the region.

    Yahsat launched its flagship service, YahClick, in Africa in 2012. It was the first operator to introduce HTS Ka-Band satellite broadband technology to the continent through Yahsat’s Al Yah 2 satellite. Following the successful launch earlier this year, and the recent commercial readiness of the company’s third satellite Al yah 3, YahClick’s footprint has extended to 19 additional markets in Africa. This collaboration is part of Yahsat’s commitment to deliver affordable, reliable and high-speed Internet connectivity to overlooked parts of the world.

  • Dell EMC Launches PowerEdge MX Server

    Dell EMC has announced the launch of PowerEdge MX, labelled by the company as a high-performance, modular infrastructure that is designed to support both traditional and emerging data-centre workloads.

    Touted by the company as being designed for the software-defined datacentre, Dell EMC said the PowerEdge MX is capable of supporting a combination of virtualisation, software-defined storage, software-defined networking, artificial intelligence, and big data projects.

    “While emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, IoT, and software-defined storage and networking offer competitive benefits, their workloads can be difficult to predict and pose new challenges for IT departments,” president and general manager of Dell EMC Server and Infrastructure Systems Ashley Gorakhpurwalla said.

    “PowerEdge MX enables a modular approach to flexibly build and combine compute, storage, and networking, so organisations can transform their IT in a way that optimises resources and offers investment protection for future generations of technological advances.”

    The latest offering can be customised with a PowerEdge MX7000 chassis, PowerEdge MX740c and MX840c compute sleds or a MX5016s storage sled, and PowerEdge MX Ethernet and Fibre Channel switching modules.

    “The PowerEdge MX ecosystem includes a newly designed chassis and precisely sized resource blocks of servers and storage that connect to the infrastructure through a smart I/O fabric,” the company wrote.

    “PowerEdge MX, with its kinetic infrastructure, is uniquely designed without a mid-plane, enabling support for multiple generations of technology releases — processor technologies, new storage types, and new connectivity innovations — well into the future.”

  • ATCON faults CBN over $8.1b refund order to MTN

    The Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has faulted  the order to refund $8.1billion handed to MTN Nigeria by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), saying the apex bank has no power to do so.

    Its President, Oulsola Teniola, in an email report, said the cash in question belongs to MTN in the first place, wondering what the CBN wants to achieve by its order.

    The CBN has accused MTN of untidy business transactions involving alleged repatriation of $8.1billion which it ordered the carrier to refund, while the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation has also issued demand notice of $2billion unpaid taxes over a 10-year period to the telco.

    Four local lenders alleged to have facilitated the repatriation were also sanctioned by the apex bank but MTN has strongly denied both allegations, adding that it had the clearance of the apex bank and a clean bill of record with the tax authorities.

    Teniola said the industry does not understand what the CBN intends to achieve by the directive to an operator on which it has no regulatory oversight.

    He said: “It is very important to note that the figure referred to has almost been fully paid by MTN and that the $8.1billion doesn’t belong to CBN but belongs to MTN. So, on this basis, it is hard to understand  what CBN seeks (to achieve) by its demands on MTN that it doesn’t have regulatory oversight over.”

    On how the logjam could be resolved, he said dialogue and transparency would do the magic.

    “Clarity, transparency and continued dialogue among  CBN, the banks and MTN to amicably resolve this matter in the interest of the wider stakeholder community, especially, potential investors closely watching developments on this issue.

    “At the moment, processing of CCIs (Certificate of Capital Importation) is shrouded in confusion in what should be a relatively straight forward process in between the banks and CBN their regulator.

    According to him, there is no likelihood that MTN refund such huge cash because of its timing.

    He said: “A refund is very unlikely. The size of the demand and timing is unreasonable and not in the interest of the country. After all, the Naira equivalent will have to be returned to MTN Nigeria. It is then an interesting situation that this seeks to redress events that occurred when CBN had full oversight and approved the transactions. How do they intend to do that?”

    According to Teniola, the matter should be between the banks and the apex bank and not necessarily the banks’ customers (MTN).

    “This I believe is a matter that should be in between the banks and CBN and not the client of the banks. NCC may decide to intervene if events unfold that threaten the survival of MTN and the telecom industry that they regulate. For now, it is too early to see which way this will take,” he said, adding, however, that he is not in an official capacity or position to quantify or qualify the impact of the development to corporate brand of the telco.

    “I fully believe MTN will continue to engage with the relevant authorities to resolve this latest setback,” Teniola said.

    CBN, had in a letter to MTN, said its investigation revealed that the shareholders of the telco invested $402,590,261.03 in the company from 2001 to 2006, which was carried out through the inflow of foreign currency cash transfers and equipment importation, as evidenced by the CCIs issued by Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), Citi Bank (CB) and Diamond Bank (DB);  and the CCIs issued at the time of the investment by the above banks to MTN for $402,590,261.03 showed that $59,436,923.44 was invested as shareholders’ loan and $343,153,339.56 as equity.

    “However, a review of your organisation’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2007 revealed that $399,594,146.00 was recorded/invested as shareholders’ loan and $2,996,117 as equity investment, in accordance with the shareholder’s agreement but contrary to the CCIs issued by the banks

  • Airtel committed to corporate philanthropy

    Airtel Nigeria said it would continue to promote corporate philanthropy in line with its vision of empowering and assisting underprivileged Nigerians.

    Speaking at a media viewing of Episode 12 of Airtel Touching Lives Season 4 in Lagos at the weekend, its Director of Corporate Communications & CSR, Emeka Oparah, said it was part of the telco’s strategy to continue to give back to the communities where it operates and also encourage other corporate organisations and individuals to adopt the spirit of giving.

    According to Oparah, the Airtel Touching Lives, initiated four years ago, has positively impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Nigerians in areas, such as healthcare delivery, economic empowerment, water, environment and primary education.

    “You and I know that the government cannot provide all the basic needs, so as a socially responsible organisation, we elected to try and do this and in the past four years. I’m proud to say we’ve done a bit of our own to help out.

    “This initiative is spread across the country and it’s our way of giving back to the society. These stories are documented and shown to people. What we do is not to look good on TV but to inspire other people to contribute their own quota.

    “There are so many people out there who are suffering and we try to mitigate this; but how many can we do? That is why we showcase this so that people can key into it and be spurred to lend helping hands to the needy,” Oparah said.

    He also said the company will not rest on oars in terms of creating positive impact, noting that plans are in top gear to roll out a much more robust Touching Lives Season 5.

    At the media viewing, the Episode 12 of Touching Lives Season 4 was shown and it featured the story of Joy Musa who lost her husband, four children and her brother in a 2013 insurgent attack on Dogo Nahawa in Jos, Plateau State, and how Airtel came to the rescue of the forlorn widow.

  • ‘Partnership vital to broadband’s realisation’

    Partnership and strategic collaboration are key to the realisation of Federal Government’s National Broadband Policy (NBP), the United States (U.S.) and Backbone Connectivity Network (BCN) Limited of Nigeria have said.

    The U.S, through the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), is partnering  BCN to bridge broadband access gaps in the country, touching on how cost-effective technology and infrastructure can be deployed to accelerate and surpass the 30 per cent target set in the NBP.

    The deal was unveiled at a reception in Lagos in honour of participants of the November 2017 USTDA Reverse Trade Mission, by US Consul-General F. John Bray and visiting USTDA Country Manager for Nigeria, Ms. Shannon M. Roe.

    USTDA said the award of a USTDA-funded grant to BCN was  for the development of a feasibility study and business plan to support the deployment of a broadband fiber network across the Northwest region, including the building of a Tier III data centre in Kaduna State.

    BCN’s CEO, Mr. Ibrahim Dikko, expressed gratitude to the USTDA team for the support and stated that it was timely as it coincided with BCN’s corporate and broadband infrastructure network expansion and deepening of its product and services portfolio.

    The feasibility study and business plan being funded by USTDA would cover the assessment of the BCN-led Consortium’s plan to build about 10,000 km of fibre linking about 500 Points of Access (PoA) across the local government areas in the seven Northwestern States integrated with the Tier III Data and Co-location Centre deployment plan for Kaduna.This is in furtherance of the National Broadband Plan to increase broadband access in Nigeria from its present 22 per cent to over 30 per cent by end 2018.

    BCN is a leading unified data communication service provider that operates a metropolitan broadband network in Abuja and has deployed over 1,000 km of fiber in Northcentral and Northeastern Nigeria. BCN has a National Long-Distance Operator License, a National Metropolitan Operator License and an Internet Service Provider Licence, allowing it to provide client centric data management solutions. BCN provides high capacity scalable internet bandwidth, carrier connectivity services, MPLS solutions to enterprises, data center colocation, cloud-based services and tailor-made data management solutions to clients across the country.

    BCN is the lead in the consortium recently awarded Infraco licence for Northwest Nigeria by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to build fibre broadband infrastructure across the seven Northwest states of; Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.

    BCN was also selected by the Kaduna State government to build fibre metropolitan broadband communications networks in the three key economic zones of Kaduna, Zaria and Kafanchan, including Northern Nigeria’s first Tier III Data and Co-location Centre in Kaduna town.

    Dikko further reiterated BCN’s commitment to its partnership with USTDA in promoting increased broadband network footprint and Internet penetration in Nigeria for improved socio-economic development across Northern Nigeria in particular and Nigeria in general.

  • ESET unveils enterprise security solutions

    ESET, the leader in cybersecurity research and a top European Union-based endpoint security firm, has introduced new line of enterprise security solutions to provide global enterprise sector with tools for prevention and management of cyber risks on a global scale.

    With offices in West Africa, it is raising its game with the introduction of ESET Dynamic Threat Defence, an off-premise cloud sandboxing solution providing almost instant analysis of zero-day and ransomware threats before they reach the network.

    As recently reported by Forrester1, buyers want an “endpoint security suite that consolidates capabilities and minimises complexity when possible.”ESET’s new line of cybersecurity solutions meets this demand and offers something extra.

    The new line of enterprise security solutions also welcomes the brand-new ESET Security Management Centre, a revamp of the renowned online console ESET Remote Administrator.

    ESET Chief Technology Officer, Juraj Malcho said the online console provides not only network visibility and full security management via one single pane of glass, but also  customisable reporting and single-click threat remediation, adding important complexity-minimising elements to the whole suite.

    He said: “We understand global enterprise increasingly requires cybersecurity solutions that are more tailored to their specific needs, because we cooperate with a large number of them at the country level. Get your hands on our latest offering and you’ll see how easily manageable an enterprise security solution can be.”

    He said the ESET Endpoint Protection solutions offer enterprises increased visibility of the alerts being sent to ESET LiveGrid – a platform made up of 110 million sensors worldwide and verified by ESET research & development centres. This allows customers to have the highest level of confidence when viewing data and reports within their consoles.

    ESET’s new enterprise products and services are designed to be deployed in parallel with the ESET enterprise offer.

    Speaking during the unveiling of the products in Lagos, ESET’s Country Manager, Mr. Olufemi Ake, said the West African market has access to upgrade or subscribe to the newly launched enterprise products and services.

    “These powerful new tools which fit into the Gartner CARTA framework helps organisations to prevent, detect, predict and resolve all forms of known and unknown threats.

    “This is based on our multi-layered technology with metadata from each of these layers processed to our ESET LiveGrid cloud systems, providing further intelligence to our machine learning algorithms. These automated systems, in combination with the expertise of our researchers and engineers, enable us to prevent these threats at the network level before they hit the network.

    “This solution is fully customisable, enabling customers to tailor the solution to their needs, and it provides vastly more visibility for prevention, detection and response against all types of cyber threats with continuous management, visibility and monitoring of all products and threats from a single pane of glass,” Ake said.

     

  • SIM card registration blues

    About two years ago, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) descended heavily on all carriers for failing to deactivate improperly registered subscriber identity module (SIM) cards on their networks. MTN was worst hit as it was initially slammed with a N1.04 trillion fine for keeping over five million of such SIMs on its network. The fine was reduced to N330 billion. LUCAS AJANAKU writes on the need for all to play by the rule.

    A civil servant who identified herself simply as Agnes has been restless. A particular mobile number has been pestering her. The caller would call any time of the day, including hours when she was in bed with her husband and kids.

    Each time she tried returning the calls, it was either it was left to ring out without being picked or it was rudely snapped off. So, she became really uncomfortable and sought advice from neighbours. Some people advised her to lodge complaints with the police. But she asked herself: What will be the basis of my report since I was never threatened through voice call or short message service (SMS)?

    Luck came her way when her daughter, Mercy, an undergraduate of Computer Science at Obafemi Awolowo University, IIe Ife, came home after the second semester examination. Agnes complained bitterly to her about the strange phone number that would not let her have peace.

    Mercy told her mom about the existence of an application that could show the full name of any caller whose subscriber identity module (SIM) has been registered by his or service provider.

    She collected the Android smartphone from her mom and downloaded the application. That proved to be the Talisman. With data on her phone, name of callers she had not saved on her phone showed but the full identity of her tormentor failed to show. What the application shown was ‘Lekan 1’.

    The experience of Agnes mirrors what a lot of people, including security agencies, are passing through due to shoddy handling of SIM card registration by telcos.

    It is not unusual to receive calls and discover that the name of the caller was registered only as Abubakar, Second Line, Ku, Church 2, Oko mi, Bello, and so many other strange names that would certainly lead to a dead end should the number be used to commit a crime and there arose the need to match the user with his or her name.

    This is just one example of what is going on with SIM card registration across the country. Determined to grab subscribers, the telcos and their agents have decided to throw caution to the winds, ignoring the laid down procedures for SIM card registration and unwittingly compromising the security situation in the country.

    The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, NCC, Prof Garba Dambatta said the regulator usually treats the data of SIMs registered and uploaded into the Commission’s data base.

    According to him, the data, as submitted by the telcos, are raw and would still be treated with specialised applications. Those found wanting would be returned to the telco that churned it in while those deserving of storage would be so treated.

    He said: “When SIM card registration is concluded, the data is usually uploaded into our dedicated database. Whatever is uploaded on SIM card registration into our database is still considered as raw data until treated as real data. There is a software that treats it and ascertain the credibility of the data. If after we apply the software, we identify anomalies, we must impute the data again or send them back for proper registration. SIM card registration is key to addressing national security and we must address it as such. Nigerians must stop selling pre-registered SIM cards because it is an act of illegality that undermines national security.”

    NCC’s SIM Registration Regulations set very clear requirements for subscriber registration:  Biometric Information-four fingerprints; clear facial image of the subscriber collected in accordance with the agreed Registration Specifications.

    Personal Information-full name;   mother’s maiden name; gender; date of birth;  Proof of Identity: any of the following must be sighted: National Identity Card, International Passport; Driver’s Licence; Letter of authentication by traditional ruler/community leader, affixed with passport photograph (in rural areas).

    Data quality: must be in accordance with registration specifications in digital Image Standards, Data Dictionary.

    In 2007, the NCC started SIM registration and finalised it four years later with the enactment of the SIM Registration Regulations.

    The key objectives of the exercise are to create a central database of telecoms services users in Nigeria, regardless of medium.

    Other objectives include facilitating know your customer (KYC) for adjacent sectors, such as the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    NCC’s actions were hinged on assisting law enforcement and security agencies to fight the growing level of insurgency (in the Northeast) and criminality (in the South), as some subscribers abused anonymity to embarrass, defraud or carry out illegitimate activities.

    Unregistered SIMs have been implicated in kidnapping, financial crimes (419) while registration/location information have been used successfully to track down criminals, such as the Osokogu case. SIMs can also be used to detonate improvises explosive devices (IEDs).

    At the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency, the telcos were given timeline to deactivate SIMs. NCC’s Head, Compliance and Monitoring Unit, Efosa Idehen, said 18.6 million SIMs’ data were returned to MTN; 7. 49 million to Airtel; 2.23 million to Globacom and 10.46 million to Etisalat.

    Some of the SIMs ordered deactivated by the regulator then were either unregistered, pre-registered or registered but had one defect or the other, including poor finger prints, poor facial information and other biometric hiccups.

    The matter led to a tussle between NCC and MTN Nigeria, for which a whopping N1.04 trillion fine was imposed on the telco.

    An agreement was later reached after eight months that MTN pay a reduced fine of N330 billion within three years in a staggered form, and be listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) as soon as it is commercially and legally possible.

    NCC said the fine would include the initial payment of N50 billion earlier made by MTN to the government.

    The balance would be paid in six tranches within three years. MTN will pay N30 billion into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), 30 days from the date of the agreement dated June 10, 2016.

    Other dates of payments include: March 31, 2017(N30 billion); March 31, 2018-(N55 billion); December 31, 2018-(N55 billion); March 31, 2019(N55 billion) while the balance  will be paid in May 31, 2019.

    It was also agreed that MTN shall  apologise in line with the apology previously tendered in correspondences on the matter to the government of Nigeria and Nigerians within the one month of the execution of the agreement.

    The agreement, which was signed by both parties, also mandated MTN to subscribe to the voluntary observance of the Code of Corporate Governance for the industry and ensure compulsory compliance when the said Code is made mandatory for the industry.

    Both parties agreed that the terms of settlement cannot be altered, varied, annulled or modified in any respect, except by writing duly executed by both parties; and the terms of settlement constitute all the terms and conditions of the settlement and supersede and replace any previous offers, representations and terms.

    NCC reminded the carriers of the N200,000 penalty for selling one unregistered SIM card, warning that the commission had noticed the sale and use of pre-registered SIM cards.

    “Operators through their Dealers/Agents are still selling pre-registered SIM cards in several parts of the country. We wish to reiterate and draw attention to the following provisions:

    “Sections 19 and 20 of the Nigerian Communications Commission (Registration of Telephone Subscribers) Regulations, 2011 states:

    “Any licensee who fails to capture, register, deregister or transmit the details of any individual or corporate subscribers to the Central Database as specified in these Regulations or as may be stipulated from time to time by the Commission is liable to a penalty of N200,000 for each subscription medium.

    “A licensee, who activates any Subscription Medium without capturing, registering and transmitting the personal information to the Central Database commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine of N200, 000 for each unregistered activated Subscription Medium.

    “Any licensee who activates or fails to deactivate a subscription medium in violation of any provision of these Regulations is liable to pay a penalty of N200,000 for each unregistered but activated subscription medium.

    “Where the Commission is satisfied that a body corporate is culpable, the Director, Chief Executive Officer, Manager or Secretary shall also be liable to pay a fine of N200, 000 unless, having regard to the nature of his functions in that capacity and to all the surrounding circumstances, he proves that- the offence was committed without his knowledge, consent or connivance; and he took all reasonable precautions and exercised due diligence to prevent the Commission of the breach,” NCC said.

    NCC warned operators and their dealers to desist from pre-registering SIM cards and selling same in the open market or face sanctions.

    “The public is also notified to stop purchasing pre-registered SIM cards and insist on being registered personally for any new SIM card purchased.

    “All violators will face stiff sanctions as the NCC will enlist the assistance of law enforcement agencies to address and curb this menace.”

  • TSTV: Our struggles drained us financially

    Indigenous pay TV service provider TSTV has lamented the huge challenges hindering it from rolling out services as promised.

    Its MD/CEO, Bright Echefu, expressed appreciation to Nigerians for their concern, lamenting that the battle started right from the day the announcement about the brand was made.

    He said: “From the date we announced TSTV, it has been fight all the way. I doubt if a week passed without us quenching one fire or the other. We didn’t anticipate that there would be war. We were also not trained to fight in the arena we were pushed into. The kinds of weapons our enemies would later contend us with, showed they had stocked their armoury, waiting for a time like now. We may not have their kind of money, neither their kinds of weapons, ”connections” and networks but one thing I sure know we had more than them was a determined spirit and a steadfast God.

    “It has not been easy one bit. Our struggles drained us financially and pitched us against all good meaning Nigerians, subscribers and dealers that believed in us. We were wrestled even down to our satellite providers but our God is ever faithful.”

    Echefu said TSTV is back. He said with the successful acquisition of five units of 35.5megahertz (MHz) transponders on NigComSat through its collaboration with Intertel, Federal Ministry of Communications and NigComSat, TSTV can now offer Nigerians the true meaning of video entertainment.

    “Our TSTV has successfully migrated to Nigeria Communication Satellite. All channels in full HD. No one does that. More channels are being added daily.

    “TSTV management in appreciation to everyone has decided that 45 TSTV premium HD channels will be available for free for another one month as we don’t intend to encrypt the channels now. You can use any dish at all, including the ones you are using for other operators to track NigComSat today and enjoy premium entertainment together.

    “We are now a true Nigerian brand and we all should support ours. Monitor our progress by tracking your dish to 42.5oE, Frequency 12589, Symbol Rate: 30,000. Polarization: Horizontal. I sincerely appreciate all your concerns and prayers for our darling TSTV,” Echefu said.

  • Music star Davido is Infinix brand ambassador

    Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Infinix Mobility, said it has signed one of Africa’s most prolific music artiste, Davido as its brand ambassador. The firm said it is a demonstration of its commitment to further bridge the gap between itself as a smartphone brand and its youthful target audience,

    The OEM, in a statement, said both brands cater to a young audience and are trendsetters, adding that both brands also draw inspiration from their fans and inspire the future, a dream partnership structured to propel both brands to new heights.

    The story of Infinix and Davido coming together can be likened to a story of a wunderkind whom after global acknowledgement of his potentials is expected to fail but it doesn’t just seem to happen.

    “We have all heard of different ways brand ambassadors have shown their commitment and loyalty to a brand’s course such as wearing branded outfits, attending events orchestrated by the brand and others which are mostly stated in clauses within the contractual agreement between both parties but how about taking it to the extreme such as resuming a 9-5 fulltime job at the brand’s head office?

    “What we termed as impossible has come to fruition as what seemed like a normal day at 3C HUB on July 25, 2018 turned out to be the fateful day unsuspecting fans would see Davido casually walk into the store, move to the Infinix Mobility stand and purchase a brand new Infinix Note 5 device.

    “The sheer astonishment of that sight delighted staff and fans as they all watched Davido carefully unbox a brand-new Note 5 smartphone, power it on and speak on all the unique features of the “Beyond Intelligent” smartphone which range from the 18:9 Infinity display screen, 4500mAh battery that can last 3 days on a single charge to the A.I Camera and Google A.I Voice Assistant that performs tasks seamlessly,” the firm explained in a statement.

    Davido, it said, then proceeded to take selfies with the fans present and in a seemingly hilarious fashion assured everyone that he would be a regular face at the store even though most might have doubted the genuineness of his comments.

    “While we may not be able validate if truly superstar music artiste, Davido has resumed a fulltime job reporting at Infinix Mobility authorised retail store every weekday or the modalities that surround Davido’s supposed work related habitual appearances.

  • MTN mPulse unveiled

    MTN Nigeria has unveiled a new proposition it said it is designed for tweens and teens (ages nine-15). It said it will enable them to learn and gain useful skills while having fun.

    During the launch, MTN transformed the venue into an impressive wonderland tagged “mPulse Planet,” providing attendees with lots of memorable attractions and activities.

    This included a Virtual Reality masterclass facilitated by a 13-year-old, JSS3 student, Obaloluwa Odelana and the youngest hyper-realism artist in Africa, Kareem Waris Olamilekan of Waspa Art both of whom inspired children at the event.

    Speaking at the launch, General Manager, Consumer Marketing, Oluwole Rawa said: “We always seek to proffer innovative and relevant solutions that enable our customers connect with their tomorrow. This platform does precisely that, providing a controlled environment where our youngsters can explore and learn more, and have fun while doing it.

    “MTN is a community of people from across the country, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters some of who are parents themselves. We all have family connections and like you, are dedicated to protecting and nurturing a brighter future.”

    The mPulse package comes with a voice plan and a fun, educative website which hosts a wide variety of courses and study aids to help children from Primary 1 to SS3 excel. The portal also provides a bouquet of single and multiplayer games as well as life skill videos. From computer programming, fashion designing, medicine and blogging to engineering, writing, data science and motivational speaking and others there is something for every interest.

    The portal has built-in parental controls. Once a child is signed up, the registered parent/guardian can track and control what the child is accessing on the Internet.