The Nation Newspaper

Category: e-Business

  • NITDA urges standard in software testing

    The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called for standard in software testing in the country.

    Its Southwest Zonal Director, Mr Olayinka Adejuiba, made this call during a workshop in Lagos.

    He said if there is standard for software testing, it would guide software developers on how to go about software testing, create jobs for software testers and protect Nigerians who would be the end users.

    He noted that in ensuring software testing in the country, government can issue out policy that all software to be used in Nigeria must be tested.

    Mr Adejuiba said with software testing, software brought into the country will be correct, functional and can stand the test of time, especially in the era of cyber security issues.

    He said the issue of software has to do with basic decisions, nothing that using locally made software or the imported ones is a matter of preference.

    He said software developers are capable of developing software for use in the country, but noted that the most important things is to ensure that the quality of the software meets the required standards.

    “If we test our software appropriately, we will ensure that we do not have software failure, software would not be hacked, it would do what it is meant to do and we would be able to predict future happenings,” he said.

    NITDA Head of Standard, Guidelines and Regulations, Mr Lazarus Nikoti added that there is need for a framework for software testing in the country. He said a framework is needed because a lot of money is spent on buying and importing software into the country.

    “If the software is not properly tested, it will become a liability and would not fulfil its mandate. We need to put a framework in place to ensure that any software that is imported or developed in the country is tested. This would help us to know how they run on our systems, whether they will run well and if there is problem, it would be detected early enough. If the problem is detected late, it would cause a lot of hardship, loss of money, economic loss and would deny Nigerian developers of the necessary earning that they ought to have got from testing,” he said.

    Mr Nikoti said if we ensure software testing in Nigeria, there will be value for money, in that the software will perform the work it is meant for, it would be reliable and compatible with our system.

  • Fed Govt, ICT firms partner to create jobs

    Information Communication Technology (ICT) firms such as Airtel, Asus, Tecno, RLG, Intel, Dell, Lenovo, Microsoft, HP, and financial services provider, Diamond Bank, have partnered with the Federal Government to explore ways to create more jobs in the ICT sector.

    Speaking at a forum organised at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos with Driving Economic Growth and Employment in Nigeria through ICT as its theme, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Job creation and Youth Employment, Afolabi Imoukhuede urged the companies to create avenues for manufacturing products in the country, rather than assembling alone. He also urged the youths to build their skills to enable them become employable in an increasingly competitive job market.

    “Our industries are not catching up as fast as our population growth. We want to help our youths create jobs or enterprise. We have about eight to 10 million Nigerian youths out of job and it is not because there are no jobs; we have to deal with employability skills; technology plays the enabling role to achieve this. We must increase and deepen our internet penetration. We need to go beyond just assembling, we want more backward integration,” he said.

    An official of Diamond Bank pledged the support of the initiative, promising that it will continue to provide financial platforms for businesses to grow and for schools to train pupils in the use of technology.

    The companies urged Nigerians to partner with them as they collaborate to achieve a desired economy.

    Intel Regional President for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, Mrs Cigdem Ertem said the companies have come together to create a technology ecosystem that would create jobs and boost entrepreneur in the country.

    She said: “We are focusing on economic growth and development in Nigeria. Technology is the foundation to do anything in the world now, including advancing in global competition, growing businesses among others. People need technology to better their lives. We are talking about how we are going to achieve economic growth and grow employment in Nigeria through technology.”

    Mrs Ertem reiterated Intel’s commitment to making computers and internet more accessible and affordable to the population.

    She said the company is currently training 100, 000 teachers in ICT and expanding its ‘She will connect’ programme from its current reach of 800, 000 women in Africa being empowered in ICT, to five million.

  • Zinox advises Buhari on naira devaluation

    Zinox advises Buhari on naira devaluation

    Indigenous integrated Information Communication Technology (ICT) conglomerate, Zinox Group, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari  to resist the push for the naira’s devaluation.

    To its Chairman, Leo Stan Ekeh, it is too late to further tinker with the value of the naira. The prevailing fiscal and monetary framework align with developments in the global oil market, thus making devaluation uneccessary now, he said.

    Ekeh said since the beginning of the year, the country has been facing reduced government earnings from the sale of crude oil because of the dip in prices at the international market, stressing that the development had prompted the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to impose strict foreign exchange (forex) rules to save its reserves while battling the pressure from various quarters to devalue the naira.

    Speaking on the sideline of a reception organised to mark his 60th birthday at Lagos Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Stan-Ekeh said it was too late to devalue the naira as the move will only serve to further impoverish the masses and plunge the country into hyper-inflation.

    He said: “If devaluation happened mid-last year, it would have made sense and encouraged in-flows from investors but devaluing now would compound our already difficult situation and investors will only wait in anticipation of a further devaluation. It will rubbish our currency forever and strengthen the purchasing power of our trading partners.

    “If the government devalues the naira now, what do you think would happen to the already stretched wage earners? Would their salaries be adjusted to take care of inflation as is the standard globally? As I speak right now, a lot of states cannot pay the minimum wage and still owing workers their monthly salary.”

    The Zinox chief who lamented that his firm, like many other players in the economy, affected bythe forex scarcity because it has become increasingly difficult to meet foreign business commitments, said individuals and firms in the country have since adjusted to the realities of the hard times which he said has taught people to prioritise critical needs.

    He said: “It’s too late to devalue the naira now. I can see reason why President Buhari refused to consider devaluation. It is a move that will certainly erode the buying power of the middle class and push millions of Nigeria already living below the poverty line into abject penury.

    “The country is hugely dependent on imports as it were and with the status quo ante, any attempt to devalue the currency will only usher in inflation and leave the country at the mercy of the vested interests in the global economic set-up. They have been voluble and strident in their calls for devaluation.”

    Ekeh advised Buhari to explore other options to shore up the value of the naira and make the country less dependent on imports as it used to be in the past.

    “We should rather focus our collective energies on workable ideas and a sound framework on which to base the diversification of our present mono-economy to re-ignite the country’s long forgotten status as a continental exporter.

    “Again, this is the time to refurbish our school system and save forex from fees for the millions of Nigerians who do not have option than to school abroad. This is the time to create knowledge incubators around the country.

    ‘’This does not cost much as it will empower Nigerians to create digital wealth which has near zero-incubation period. It is the time to develop industrial clusters in major productive zones to supply the needs of Nigeria and reduce importation,” he said.

    Ekeh also predicted that if oil prices rebound to at least $50 per barrel, President Buhari will be one of the best placed in the history of the country to positively impact the lives of Nigerians.

    “At $50 per barrel, the quality of life of Nigerians today may be better than when oil prices reached record highs of $115 per barrel because Nigerians now have a new mind-set to live real and well which wasn’t the case until few months ago. If the prices inches to at least $50 per barrel, I am confident that President Buhari will be in a better position from a financial stand-point to positively impact the lives of Nigerians and guarantee rapid infrastructural development,”he said.

     

  • E-commerce space untapped, says Shopsmart chief

    The e-commerce space in Nigeria is still largely untapped in spite of the coming of several online malls, the Chief Channel Officer, shopsmartdiscount.com, Mr. John Ekwueme, has said.

    Speaking on the sideline during the launch of the online and offline platform in Lagos, he said e-commerce, a relatively new development in the country, if well developed, will promote  job creation and grow the national gross domestic product (GDP).

    He said the new platform just launched will deliver the promise of discount-wholesale and value-pricing to bulk buyers and consumers across the country, adding that the firm will take advantage of its indigenous partners to change the face of online shopping in the country.

    He said it is the first-of-its-kind in the industry as it offers discount-wholesale pricing model for bulk buyers and end-users of fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs), electronic and fashion accessories, among others, across Nigeria.

    He said: “Shopsmart is an online and offline discount-wholesale enterprise; with a business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) model designed to provide a discount-wholesale pricing regime in the retail space for value-pricing benefits to both bulk buyers and end-users of FMCGs, electronics and fashion accessories. To deliver on the promise of discount-wholesale pricing, we have invested in corporate distributorship relationships with manufacturers such as Dufil, May & Baker, Promasidor, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, LG, Samsung, Panasonic and others.

    “These strategic partnerships will strengthen Shopsmart’s position and boosts its capacity to provide deep discounts to all categories of customers. Our objective is to continuously deliver value pricing as a means to sustainable customer satisfaction.”

    According to him, the value offering of the platform include 90 per cent made-in-Nigeria goods and discount wholesale pricing.

    He explained that cooperative societies have been earmarked for special membership cards that will enable them receive benefits such as credit sale (buy now, pay later), discounts on select hotels and airlines and additional membership discounts.

    General Manager, Foods Division, May & Baker, Valentine Okelu, who spoke on the occasion said: “When the Shopsmart value proposition was presented to us, we were excited by its compelling nature.  It is new and innovative, and we want to be part of that story. As such the decision to partner with Shopsmart was an easy decision for us at May & Baker.”

  • Firm launches online oil prices platform

    Compare Energy Prices has launched its online platform; Compareenergy-prices.ng. The platform is designed to connect buyers and sellers of energy products, its founder, Ugonwa Okolo said in Lagos, during a press briefing to launch the online platform.

    She said the platform, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria, will focus on deregulated energy products including, cooking gas, diesel and aviation fuel. She added that the platform will provide options for dealers from which buyers can choose from while also exposing suppliers to prospective customers.

    She added that the company was founded to meet a need in the energy products market and help buyers find reputable dealers. She said the company will check what kind of products people are selling and ensure that there is standardisation in the industry.

    “Compareenergyprices.ng is an open online marketplace where prospective buyers can save money by comparing prices of energy products’ vendors, while keeping in mind other factors including, ratings, reviews, payment plans and delivery speed to mention a few. The platform will also enable buyers make their choices, save money and save time. It will serve as a monitoring platform for stakeholders to locate suppliers in Nigeria, get the best bargains and easily order for the products they need,” she said.

    Okolo noted that the goal of the platform is to redefine the purchase and supply of cooking gas, diesel and aviation fuel in the country, adding that most businesses and households use energy products at uncompetitive prices.

    She described the platform as a platform that provides a symbiotic opportunity for energy product vendors to engage buyers.

    “With Compareenergyprices.ng, people now have an array of distributors that they can choose from. The platform will also benefit suppliers because they will have a steady stream of prospective customers for their products. The website will continue to create awareness, so people can place orders and thereby increase market for dealers,” she said.

    Okolo urged Nigerians to take advantage of the platform for their energy needs in order to push their supply businesses forward.

    She added that the platform is safe, convenient and has been streamlined to ensure a seamless transaction for users. “All you need is an internet connection and from the comfort of your homes or office; you can engage buyers or suppliers,” she said.

    She assured users of the platform that only reputable dealers will be allowed on the platform, stressing that it will conduct stringent checks on prospective dealers to ensure only credible dealers are registered.

    “While we invite prospective dealers to register with the platform, we are going to be very stringent about the vendors we allow in and we will ensure that only credible and reputable businesses are on our online platform,” she said.

  • Jim Ovia chairs Digital Africa confab

    Founder of Visafone, renowned banker and entrepreneur, Mr. Jim Ovia, has been named as the chairman of this year’s edition of the Digital Africa Conference & Exhibition.

    In a statement, the Executive Chairman of Digital Africa Global Consult, Dr. Evans Woherem, expressed delight that Mr. Ovia accepted the invitation to chair the event and described the development as a big plus for the event that has become Africa’s version of Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

    “As an advocate for digital technology, and with the aim of promoting the adoption, diffusion, and active development of digital technology in Africa, Digital Africa Global Consult is delighted that Mr. Ovia, one of the biggest promoters of a technology-driven African continent has accepted to chair this year’s event holding in Abuja on June 1-to 3 without hesitation.

    “We are delighted to have him chair DA2016 because we share in common, the same objectives of making Africa an active participant in the creation and use of technology and facilitate the continued, responsible growth of the African economy through the development of the technology industry,” the statement said, adding that the theme of the conference is “Accelerated Development for Africa with IoE.”

  • NCC to IG: arrest vandals, others

    NCC to IG: arrest vandals, others

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged the Inspector- General of Police, Solomon Arase, to arrest and prosecute persons and agents of states who resort to sealing base transceiver stations (BTS), vandalise optic fibre cables and others, arguing that such persons are contravening the laws of the country.

    Its Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Prof Umar Danbatta, said these actions, aside being illegal, they violate Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, CAP C39, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. He said the resort to sealing of BTS also has its social implication which is that it cuts off subscribers from communicating.

    Danbatta, who led a team of NCC officials on a courtesy visit to the IGP in Abuja, lamented that in spite of the critical role the telecoms industry is playing in the socio-economic transformation of people’s lives, some persons, including organisations, communities, agencies of the federal, state and local government at times using law enforcement officers, to seal BTS.

    He said over the years, the telecoms sector has grown and now formed the super structure of modern lifestyle, social and economic practices, lamenting that unless something was done urgently, the fortunes of the country may be reversed.

    “Virtually all the financial transactions, mobile money and mobile banking are made possible as a result of the infrastructure and platforms provided by the telecom industry; the vibrant social media industry that we are witnessing today is made possible by the platforms provided by the telecom industry. The telecom and ICT industry currently contributes about 10 per cent to the GDP (gross domestic product) of this country. It is, therefore, evident that telecoms impacts positively on our lives, our families, businesses, governance, security, and even our social lives, and even in our international relations,” he said.

    He said acts of wilful destruction of telecoms infrastructure, such as cutting of fibre optic cable and general vandalism, have become worrisome, adding that this had led to the clamour for the classification of telecoms infrastructure as critical national infrastructure.

    “While we seek your support for urgent actualisation of this law; we wish to implore you to see to the use of the current provisions of the law to ensure that individuals found to be engaged in willful destruction of telecoms infrastructure are timely prosecuted,” Danbatta pleaded.

    The NCC chief recalled that several arrests had been made over the past two years by a combined team of NCC officials and the police of people involved in either the use of pre-registered subscriber identity module (SIM) cards or those perpetrating other criminal acts through the telecoms infrastructure, lamenting that most of the cases were either thrown out for lack of proper investigation or lack of diligent prosecution.

    Arase lauded the role of telecoms in tackling national security challenges, such as kidnapping, an area where the role of GSM has been pronounced.

    While expressing the readiness of the Police to work with the Commission, he proposed the setting up of a special team drawn from the Police and the Commission to handle telecom-related cases.

    Both agencies of the government pledged to collaborate on issues concerning security of telecoms infrastructure and capacity build

  • ‘Internet disrupting digital marketing’

    Explosion in internet penetration in the country is disrupting the digital marketing framework, the Team Lead, Reach360, a creative digital marketing agency, Daniel Iyam, has said.

    Speaking during the digital marketing forum organised by the firm in Lagos at the weekend, he said recent statistics released at Digital Marketing Unboxed 1.0 showed that active internet users in Nigeria have moved to 98.1 million, representing a 54.7 per cent penetration rate.

    He said of these numbers, over 70million users regularly connect to the internet through mobile devices.

    “Brands and businesses cannot ignore the growth of mobile in their overall digital marketing strategy. Responsive is the new buzz word in digital marketing. If your website or email designs aren’t responsive across different mobile devices, you stand the chance of not getting the best out of your digital marketing effort,” Iyam said.

    According to him, the new Google algorithms have also reduced the search page ranking strength for websites that aren’t mobile responsive.

    Speaking further at the event, Iyam identified marketing through wearable technology as the next big thing in the digital mobile space.

  • How to bridge digital divide, by NCC chief

    How to bridge digital divide, by NCC chief

    The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has said the yawning digital divide in the country could only be bridged if the wide infrastructural gap is  reduced significantly.

    Its Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Prof Umar Dambatta, urged the international community in Barcelona, Spain during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) to come and invest in the provision of broadband infrastructure in the country, assuring them of huge returns on investment (RoI) and government’s support.

    He said pursuant to bridging the infrastructure divide, two infrastructure service providers (Infracos) have been licensed-one for Lagos and Northcentral zones including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja adding that the process for issuing licences for the other five zones has started.

    He said: “We want to bridge the digital divide by addressing infrastructure divide and we will be transparent and open about this.

    “The necessary regulatory framework has been put in place to ensure a transparent licensing process because we really want to bridge the digital divide.”

    With over 107 per cent teledensity achieved in the voice segment of telecoms industry, he assured the international community and potential investors that Nigeria remained a sure haven for investments in the information communication technology (ICT) space.

    Danbatta, who spoke during a panel discussion on: Is Closing the Digital Divide in sub-Saharan Africa Myth or Reality?, assured the international community that the NCC’s eight-point agenda unveiled last month was carefully packaged to take care of all aspects of investments, especially the nation transits to the next frontier of ICT revolution which is broadband for internet connectivity.

    The panel discussion was a part of the regional summit for sub-Saharan Africa at the MWC by GSM Association.

    Danbatta told the panel which was moderated by Nigeria’s Shola Taylor who is also the Secretary-General, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) that NCC has put in place the agenda to encourage investors.

    “Two of the prominent goals of the eight-point agenda are related to deployment of infrastructure for broadband and efficient utilisation of spectrum to benefit all Nigerians in all the regions,” he added.

    His audience included Secretary General of African Telecommunications Union (ATU), Mr. Abdoukarim Soumaila, Deputy Minister, Telecoms and Postal Services for South Africa, Prof. (Ms) Nlengiwe Mkhize, Meg. Charles-Horn (Africa mobile Networks), Shiletsi Makhofane (Ericsson sub-Saharan Africa), Mr. Mortimer Hope, Director Africa for GSMA, Alan Marcus (World Economic Forum) and Nkateko Nyoka of Vodacom Group among others, that the NCC will keep fate with the National Broadband Plans and in line with this, the country now has seven zones and each zone will have one operator which will deploy broadband services to every part of that zone.

    Earlier in his presentation, Soumaila bemoaned the general poor connectivity of African continent despite huge investments so far by the 46-member nations of ATU.

    Chief Officer, Regulatory Affairs, Vodacom, Nkateko Nyoka said to bridge the digital divide, emphasis has shifted from voice to data and “we need skills to run sustainable businesses.”  He advised regulators to make clear goals in terms of spectrum allocation.

    For Makhafane, despite the seeming digital divide, there are more mobile phones than TV sets but admitted that “we can reach more people through mobile broadband.”

     

  • Huawei urges global partnership on 5G

    Chinese original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Huawei, says with global momentum moving towards fifth generation or 5G era across all information communication technology (ICT) industries, it is seeking global partnership to build and expand the mobile industry ecosystem to become more resilient and ensure the success of the technology.

    According to the tech giant, as a driving force to lead 5G innovation, Huawei has extended its global partnership initiatives with more than 20 carriers, including CMCC, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, NTT DOCOMO, Telefonica, TeliaSonera and Etisalat, and 10 industry partners, spanning continents in Asia, Europe, and North America.

    The firm said it believes strongly that customers’ innovative orientation with open partnership is the foundation to create the next generation of wireless technologies, adding that over the past years, it has established joint innovation programmes with leading operators and conducted lab tests and field trials with a broad spectrum of 5G enabling technologies.

    During the last Mobile World Congress (MWC 2016) in Barcelona, Spain, Huawei had in partnership with foremost tech firms, showcased technologies such as 5G New Radio Access Technologies (5G New RAT) in a large scale field trial with NTT DOCOMO; 5G Full Duplex Radio Technology with China Mobile; 5G mobile architecture for the Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) applications with Vodafone; and extreme fast 5G mmWave technology at 70Gbps transmission speed, and end-to-end network slicing technologies with Deutsche Telekom.

    Commenting on these milestones, Huawei Fellow Wen Tong, said:  “We will continue to focus our effort to 5G technology innovation. In the spirit of joint innovations with entire ecosystem, we will strive to bring the 5G technologies into maturity and to deliver value to our customer and end users, we are addressing some of the most challenging areas in 5G technologies, namely, the new air-interface with capability to meet all the requirement for the 5G applications, the programmable application-driven-network architecture built on the cloud-native platform and a holistic set of the new capabilities to enable the vertical applications for emerging 5G services and applications.

    “In addition, we are excited to participate the recent announcement of a series China 5G technologies field trial to contribute our effort to commercial 5G launch in 2020”

    In addition to what was showcased at MWC, Huawei collaborated with equipment vendor partners to validate 5G technologies such as Rohde Schwarz to demonstrate the 5G new waveform technologies.

    Huawei said it also collaborated and with Aeroflex, a Cobham Company, to demonstrate the 5G grant free access technologies at MWC 2016, adding that it also launched a number of programmes with vertical industries to explore the 5G-enabled machine type of communications such as massive sensors connectivity, URLLC with applications of self-drive-car and cloud controlled-robot.

    “Industry-wide collaboration and partnership is a proven path to create a successful next generation wireless technologies, as an ICT industry leader, Huawei is expanding the global 5G innovation footprint; Huawei is making effort to leverage the early stage technology innovations and partnership to contribute the global standard,” the tech giant said.