The Nation Newspaper

Category: e-Business

  • Report: 4G has 4% users in Nigeria

    Despite the hype about the ubiquity of 4G connections by the telcos in the country, 44 per cent of mobile subscribers in the country are using 3G technology while only four per cent use 4G technology as compared to over 18 per cent 4G penetration in South Africa and 16 per cent in Angola, a new report, Jumia Mobile Report, unveiled has shown.

    According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country has more than 63million subscription on broadband while in the voice segment, there are 173million lines as at March this year which translates to 91 per cent teledensity.

    According to the report, the country will be the only one in Africa to contribute 700 million new global subscribers by 2025.

    Telecommunications and Information Services, a sub-sector of the Information Communications Technology (ICT), contributed 77 per cent of the entire sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP). Overall, the mobile telecoms sub-sector contributed 7.4 per cent to the country’s total GDP last year, compared to 5.5 per cent in 2017.

    Nigeria’s mobile broadband penetration is forecast to rise to 55 per cent of the population by 2025, with 70 per cent having 3G connectivity and 17 per cent having access to 4G networks.

    The report noted that 5G network with the 26 gigahertz (GHz), 38 GHz and 42 GHz spectrum bands will be rolled out by 2020 while some 700 million new mobile subscribers from various countries across the world will push the total number of global mobile subscribers to six billion between now and 2025.

    Interestingly, Nigeria has been identified among these countries, with others being India, China, Pakistan, Indonesia, United States (U.S.), and Brazil. “It is predicted that Nigeria will contribute four per cent of the estimated 700 million new global mobile subscribers, making it the only country in Africa marked with a significant contribution to increasing mobile penetration in the world. By this quota, it is expected that 28 million new mobile subscribers will emerge from Nigeria between 2019 and 2025, that is, an average of seven million new mobile subscribers annually, if the country is to meet its quota,” the report said.

    It said Asian brands have consistently enjoyed massive patronage because of their Africa-specific strategy of introducing lower price point smartphones into the Nigerian market. In 2018, Fero, Samsung, Nokia, Infinix and Tecno remained the customers’ favourites and the top-selling mobile brands on Jumia. “It is interesting that a one-time king of mobile phone, Nokia is gradually returning to the limelight, riding on its durability claim. Infinix continues to lead the pack, year on year. The average price of smartphones continues on a downward trajectory, as it dipped to $95 in 2018, from $117 in 2016, and $216 in 2014. This development is laudable as again, the major driver of this trend is attributed to the influx of Asian brands specifically targeted for the Nigerian market,” it added.

    During the period under review, across the globe, there were over five billion unique mobile subscribers, and 60 per cent of the connection was through smartphones. Internet users peaked at 3.6 billion, that is, almost half of the world population had mobile internet access.

    “In Nigeria, there were over 172 million mobile subscribers, accounting for a penetration rate of 87 per cent of the population. This figure represented a 6.4 per cent growth increase, compared to 162 million subscribers in 2017.

    “Over 112 million Nigerians had access to the internet in 2018, representing 56 per cent of the population. This accounted for an increase of 14.32 per cent year-on-year from 2017. The availability of lower price point phones still remains the major driver of smartphone penetration. At the end of 2018, there were over 36 million smartphone users, representing a penetration of 18.37 per cent. While the number of smartphone users might have increased year-on-year, its penetration is still very insignificant.

     

    “Internet connectivity and the availability of affordable smartphones continue to drive an increasing uptake of social media networks. The number of active social media users rose from 17 million in 2017 to 24 million at the end of 2018. This represents a 12 per cent penetration of the country’s population,” the Jumia Mobile Report said.

     

    In 2018, Chrome continued to lead the pack among the four major browsers Jumia customers use to access the website, taking up 43 per cent. The reason for this is simple: Chrome has higher system requirements, which make customers’ browsing experience faster. Eighteen per cent of Jumia customers accessing the website did so via Android Webview. Opera Mini on the other hand, is a lighter browser in terms of data usage and is popular among new mobile internet users who have lower incomes and can’t afford costly internet data packs; and took up 16% per cent. Other browsers used, accounted for 23 per cent.

    Notably, 57 per cent of Jumia customers visited the website via mobile web, 28% via the mobile App and 15 per cent via the Desktop in 2018.

     

    There is however, an increasing migration from shopping on the mobile web to the Jumia App. This shift, although gradual, is attributed to the fact that the App consumes less data, is more convenient and more affordable due to the frequent discounts offered. It is a commendable development, and a higher conversion is expected in 2019.

     

    Nigeria’s largest commercial city, Lagos, had the highest number of mobile phone orders in 2018, followed by Abuja, Rivers (Port Harcourt), Edo, and Delta. The mobile phone category still remains one of the top selling categories on the Jumia website

     

  • NIMC begins U.S. dispora enrolment today

    The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) said it will begin the enrolment of Nigerians residing in the United States into its national data base today.

    The programme is currently going on in South Africa, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom (UK).

    The National Identity Number (NIN) enrolment which will involve the demographic & biometrics data capture, is in collaboration with Thebez Global Resources Ltd, Defcon Systems Limitedand National eAuthentication Limited (NeAL), indigenous firms licensed by the NIMC to serve as its agents, and carry out enrolment services across the globe with a view to ensuring best-in-class services and inclusivity.

    NIMC Director-General/CEO, Aliyu Aziz said the extension is in line with NIMC’s mandate to ensure that all the citizens of Nigeria, those in the diaspora and legal residents  are enrolled into the National Identity Database (NIDB)and issued the unique NIN to applicants upon successful enrolment.

    “The programme will make it easier for Nigerians in Diaspora to be identified, as the Federal Government of Nigeria has made the possession of NIN a mandatory requirement for elections, bank account opening, land transactions, access to legal/health services, acquisition/renewal of the International passport, driver’s licence and the ECOWAS travel document, amongst others,” EAziz said.

    The programme is scheduled to go live from today  in Washington DC  at 11900 Parklawn Drive, Suite 160 Rockville, MD 20852. Other locations and commencement dates across the U.S today are: 1001 Texas Avenue, Suite 5050  (Level 5) Houston, Texas;  9894 Bissonet Street, Suite 745 Houston, Texas, TX 77036; 370 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1505, New York, NY 10017, May 30, 2019; 336 West 37th Street Suit 500, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10018; and 918 Holcomb Bridge Road, Suite 204 Roswell, Atlanta, Georgia, GA 30076. May 31, 2019.

     

     

     

  • Mastercard, Samsung tackle digital identity headaches

    mastercard and Samsung have partnered  to explore and deliver a better way for people to conveniently and securely verify their digital identity on the mobile devices they use every day.

    The firms said people today are joggling multiple passwords and documents in an attempt to keep their data and money safe.  They have to repeatedly provide large amounts of personal information to numerous agents, and the more it is shared, the greater the risk.  They lack control over their personal identity data and where they do have rights, there is often little transparency.

    President, Cyber & Intelligence at Mastercard, Ajay Bhalla, said in a world of physical and digital convergence, there is need for a solution that takes this reality into consideration.

    He said: “Our digital and physical lives are merging and we need a digital identity solution that reflects this reality. Without control over how their data is used, people rely on outdated systems that can compromise their security. Our collaboration with Samsung advances a digital identity solution that is bound to a trusted device – the mobile phone – which is used by millions of people every day.”

    The two firms say people will soon be able to access a digital identity capability on their devices for interactions in both the physical and digital worlds. This will provide consumers with a more efficient way to interact with businesses and service providers, whether opening a bank account, accessing e-mail and social media, video streaming or shopping online.

    EVP and Head of Service Business office at Samsung Electronics Mobile Division, Yongje Kim, said: “At Samsung, we believe consumers should be in complete control of the privacy and security of their personal identity and we’re excited to work with Mastercard to bring the first digital identity solution to Samsung smartphones.”

    The collaboration with Samsung builds on Mastercard’s commitment to improve how people manage and use their digital identity, and follows the publication of the company’s model for digital identity in an increasingly connected world.

    The model is founded on user-centric principles such as data ownership, confidentiality, consent and transparency, embodies privacy-by-design and does not collect identity data.

  • Sanwo-Olu: technology is new economy

    Lagos State Governor-elect, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has described technology as the driver of the new economy. He said he is passionate about deploying technology to build a 21st Century economy in Lagos.

    The governor-elect, who attended the launch of Microsoft Africa Development Centre (ADC), Lagos, on Friday evening, said he was excited about the development.

    He reiterated the significance of technology in the 21st Century, stating that his excitement was borne out of his incoming government’s determination to use technology as a major driver of government activities.

    He said: “Congratulations to the Microsoft Nigeria team on the launch of the Microsoft Africa Development Centre in Lagos.

    “I am passionate about how technology will help us build a 21st Century economy, and ensuring an enabling environment for local and international partnerships will definitely be a priority.”

    Sanwo-Olu recalled how his campaign team jumped on the opportunity to provide free Wi-Fi to some identified locations in Lagos including shopping malls and higher institutions and how the free service has been well utilised by the beneficiary communities.

    REad also: Lekki Peninsula residents pledge support to Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat

    The governor-elect thanked Microsoft group for considering siting of the centre in Lagos, which is a technology hub in sub Saharan Africa.

    The global tech giant, Microsoft Corp, will invest $100 million to open its first ADC with sites in Nigeria and Kenya over the next five years.

    The ADC would serve as a premier centre of engineering for Microsoft, where world-class African talent can create solutions for local and global impact.

    “The ADC will be unlike any other existing investment on the continent. It will help us better listen to our customers, develop locally and scale for global impact. Beyond that, it’s an opportunity to engage further with partners, academia, governments and developers – driving impact in sectors important to the continent, such as FinTech, AgriTech and OffGrid energy.

    “The ADC supports Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and organisation on the planet to achieve more.

    “The ADC is the first Global Development Centre in Africa with a combined expected investment of $100 million over the first five years of operation.

    “At Microsoft, we’re very fortunate to have played a part in realising this potential, building strong partnerships to accelerate digital transformation and create sustained societal impact. A big milestone for this investment came earlier this year, as we opened Africa’s first hyper-scale datacentres in South Africa, promoting business innovation in the cloud,” Microsoft said in a statement.

    Sanwo-Olu promised the tech giant that his administration, when it comes on stream will partner organisations such as theirs to bring about effective realisation of his technology-driven THEME agenda.

  • Osinbajo, Ambode, others for Telecom Leadership Summit

    Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Governor Akinwumi Ambode, former Communications Technology Minister, Dr. (Mrs.) Omobola Johnson, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Garba Dambatta, NCC Board Chairman, Senator Olubiyi Durojaye and others are expected at the maiden edition of Nigerian Telecom Leadership Summit (NTLS 2019) scheduled for the Grand Ball Room, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on, May 23.

    With: Repositioning the Nigerian Telecom Industry for future challenges and Prospects as its theme, the NCC said it is in line with its commitment to improving the investment climate of the telecom industry.

    It is geared towards sustaining a robust collaborative regulatory environment where current and future challenges are addressed.

    Prof Osinbajo is expected as Special Guest of honour, while Dr. (Mrs.) Johnson will keynote the summit with: Best Fit Infrastructure Investment Choice for an emerging Market.

    Governor Ambode is expected as a guest. Sen Durojaiye and Prof Danbatta, who will present an overview of the status of the industry as a prelude to the keynote and panel discussions will also be present.

    Panelists will discuss: “The Challenges Facing the Nigerian Telecoms Industry: Way Forward and The Role of the Regulator  and  Implications of Multiple Taxation on Telecom Investments in Nigeria.

  • How to secure enterprises, by ITANDT, others

    Enterprise security expert, ITANDT with its partners, IBM has identified five key ways to secure enterprises from data breaches by cybercrooks.

    Speaking at 2019  Secure Forum in Lagos, they said though cyber- attacks continue to expand with vanishing network perimeters, they warned against too much reliance on compliance because compliance and security are two different things. They said doing the minimum-what regulators demand-is not enough, as regulators come and go but the criminals remain.  Arguing that not all data of value is regulated data, compliance must be a continuous process, and act as a catalyst for improved data security overall.

    Data security must be holistic and integrated with cloud, multi-cloud, hybrid cloud and enterprise-wide, on premises IT platforms, while protection must be extended beyond Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and network security, to prioritising and addressing exposed critical data.

    Enterprises must avoid diffusion of responsibilities across infromation technology (IT), Database Administrators (DBAs), security compliance,   line-of-business (LoB) as this could lead to lack of accountability enterprise-wide; every data set needs owners as well as curators, just as your organisation may need a data protection officer.

    Patch vulnerabilities and make sure  track of all assets and data sources that need patching, including production and test environments that contain sensitive data are kept. Scan to assess vulnerabilities frequently, automatically, and look for results that are prioritised by urgency.

    REad also: IBM, firm deploy AI, blockchain in agric digital wallet

    Monitor everything and create a data deluge, but find automated classification, vulnerability assessments, and file and databases activity monitoring tools with ; what-if’ analytics to uncover your key risks and unusual behaviours.

    IBM Technical Specialist,  Khalid Shaban, said  mobile malware is growing and that at any given time, malicious code is infecting mobile devices, as 97 and 87 per cent of top paid android and IOS apps have been hacked.

    Today’s threats are real, and no one is immune, Shaban said, adding that malware threats are no longer the most prevalent but the scourge of phishing links. In every 20 seconds, a new phishing site is registered, as over 45 per cent of organisations have had devices encounter crypto jacking attacks.

    Chief Information Security Officer, Central  Bank of Nigeria CBN, Rakiya Mohammed, said most mobile IT landscape risks arise from poor governance, data loss, weak infrastructure, impersonation and loss or stole devices.

  • CIPN seeks investment in digital infrastructure

    The Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria (CIPN) has advised the Federal Government to invest in digital infrastructure to grow the economy.

    Its Registrar/Secretary to Council, Allwell C. Achumba, who spoke in Lagos yesterday ahead of the group’s 2019  IT Assembly scheduled for between June 26 and 27  at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja, said the availability of digital infrastructure will promote businesses and boost the nation’s groos domestic product (GDP).

    He said: “We need as a nation to create wealth and sustain our prosperity through digital infrastructures by giving more people the knowledge and skills to compete, collaborate and connect in a way that drives our country forward.  Digital knowledge and skills have become the global currency of the 21st- Century economies. In this digital economy, there is no central bank that prints this currency. The thing that will keep you moving forward is always what you bring to the table yourself: your knowledge and skills.

    “Since Information Technology (IT) is the fulcrum of any thriving economy which cannot be ignored by the players in that economy, Council has chosen to focus on this invaluable tool that will propel our economy and prepare our industries for global competitiveness. CPN as an agency of government that regulates and controls the practice of IT practice in Nigeria is taking the bull by the horns.”

    Achumba said the theme of the conference is: Digital Infrastructure: Defining the Next Step.

    He said CPN was established through Act No 49 of 1993 gazetted on August 9  same year. It is a corporate entity that is charged with the regulation, control and supervision of the computing profession and practice in the country in line with Section 1 (2) of the Act. The Council is under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education, with the National Assembly having/performing oversight functions over it.

    The Act 49 of 1993, referred to above, makes it mandatory for all persons and organisations seeking to engage, or engaged in IT training/Education, sale and/or use of computing facilities, and the provision of professional services in computational or related computational machinery in Nigeria to be registered by the Council and licensed to carry out such activities.

  • Visa acquires Earthport

    Visa said it has acquired control of Earthport, a firm that provides cross-border payment services to banks, money transfer service providers and businesses via the world’s largest independent ACH network.

    Currently, Visa enables payments to be sent to or from Visa cards. The acquisition will make it possible for Visa clients to enable individuals, businesses and governments to utilise Visa to send and/or receive money through bank accounts around the world. With the acquisition of Earthport, Visa expects to be able to reach the vast majority of the world’s banked population and allow them to easily, quickly and securely move money worldwide.

    Nearly $80 trillion is sent via a wire transfer or bank account globally today , but the process is harder and more complex than it should be. Money can take days to arrive because of outdated, inefficient and costly methods.

    This transaction can solve for many use cases including payroll and international person-to-person and business-to-business remittances. Take the example of a global marketplace that employs contractors globally who have to get paid in their local currencies. Today, that company may be paying its workforce using inefficient, expensive wire transfers that can take days to arrive. With the combined capabilities of Visa and Earthport, Visa can be the single network for these payments, helping to pay contractors and employees around the world, quickly and safely.

    Head, Global Push Payments at Visa, Bill Sheley, said: “Visa is modernising the way we move money by making it quicker, safer and easier to pay and be paid than ever before. The acquisition of Earthport unleashes the power of Visa by taking us ‘beyond the card,’ empowering us to enable our clients to make payments through bank accounts around the world.”

  • HMD Global hits GSM Market with Nokia 3.2

    HMD Global has confirmed Nokia 3.2 is in Nigeria.

    According to the General Manager, West, East and Central Africa HMD Global, Joseph Umunakwe the latest smartphone which was officially released recently has been distributed by accredited dealers nationwide.

    Umunakwe confirmed that the device features stating that its HD+ display screen, two-day battery life and Android IoS 9 Pie experience give the device uncommon spec in the market.

    “Owning an affordable smartphone shouldn’t lock you out of exciting features and the latest trends. We know how important a great display and two-day battery life is to many smartphone users, so we made sure we delivered on these qualities for the Nokia 3.2.

    And we didn’t stop there. We have put everything you expect from the latest smartphone into an affordable package, all in a bid to ensure your smartphone gets better with time. From biometric face unlock and AI-powered features Adaptive Battery to a more modern and personal way to interact with your smartphone through Google Assistant, which the Nokia 3.2 has a dedicated easy access button for,” he said.

     

    Industry-leading display, better performance and two-day battery

    Taking a holistic view of battery life, Nokia 3.2 combines a larger battery than many premium smartphones with efficient hardware and software ingenuity. To squeeze every last drop out of the huge battery, the Adaptive Battery feature introduced in Android 9 Pie manages background applications using AI, learning from user behaviour to know when to throttle or increase power to specific apps or processes. It even has enough power to go two days with the largest display we’ve ever put in a smartphone. The Nokia 3.2 features an impressive 6.26” HD+ display so you’ll never struggle and strain to see more of your favourite movies, TV shows and streams.

     

    Powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 429 mobile platform and available with up to 3/32GB memory configuration, the Nokia 3.2 will get through tasks with ease and it is also among the first Nokia smartphones to include a notification light – the power button comes to life to alert you of notifications so you know when to unlock your phone and check your apps.

     

    Personalised experience: learns as you use

    Premiering the Google Assistant button, the Nokia 3.2 will revolutionise the way you interact with your smartphone. Simply press once for instant access to the Google Assistant to get directions, make calls, listen to music and get answers to your questions faster than ever before. You can double press to receive a visual overview of your day from the Assistant with intelligent suggestions and personalised information, including transport info, bills that need paying and what you have in your calendar to make sure you never miss a meeting again.  By long pressing the button, you will activate a walkie-talkie mode, which lets the Google Assistant listen to you until you release it for long sentence queries.

     

    Many of the premium features on the Nokia 3.2 are powered by AI, including face unlock to give you a quick, handsfree way to unlock your smartphone or exclusive Google Assistant actions to open apps quicker, including launching the camera app. The Nokia 3.2 also lets you access your Google Assistant without unlocking your phone, after opting-in through your settings, you’ll be able to perform basic tasks like setting a timer, scheduling reminders, playing music or asking it questions.

     

    Pure, secure, and up-to-date, Android™ 9 Pie reinforced with Android One

    The Nokia 3.2 launches with Android 9 Pie out of the box. It joins the comprehensive line-up of Nokia smartphones in the Android One family, which means it delivers the latest Android innovations and software experiences. Nokia smartphones with Android One offer great storage and battery life right out of the box and come with three years of monthly security patches and two major OS updates.

     

    Android 9 Pie includes AI-powered features to make your device smarter, faster and adapt to your behaviour as you use it, so your smartphone experience gets better with time. The Adaptive Battery feature limits battery usage from apps you don’t use often, and App Actions predicts what you’re about to do so you can get to your next action quickly. These features further streamline your device’s functionality and your overall Android experience.

     

    The Nokia 3.2 will receive three years of monthly security patches and two major OS updates, as guaranteed in the Android One program. In addition, Google Play Protect scans over 50 billion apps per day to keep your phone safe from malware, making the Nokia 3.2 among the most secure phones on the market. It also comes with easy access to helpful innovative services including the Google Assistant, which helps you get things done throughout the day, as well as Google Photos with free unlimited high-quality photo storage. The Nokia 3.2 3GB/32GB variant is great for professionals as it is validated by the Android Enterprise Recommended program and comes with a fingerprint sensor at the back of the device for secure access.

     

  • ‘Smart city critical for growth’

    National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Director-General, Dr Isa Pantami, said  Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa cannot afford to be left behind in the adoption of the Smart City initiative for economic transformation.

    According to him, African governments, especially Nigeria as a regional leader, would need to do something about the new economy and its policy challenges in preparing for the disruption and pressure it brings to societies  in jobs and economic opportunities.

    He spoke in Abuja during the presentation of the Draft Nigeria Smart Initiatives Policy Framework, (NSIPF), stressing the need to key into the Smart City Initiative to address the country’s socio-economic challenges such as insecurity, unemployment, terrorism and kidnapping, corruption, governance and democracy.

    He said economic diversification, inefficient resource management, environmental and societal sustainability as well as climate change are other areas the Smart Initiatives would uplift the standard of living of the people.

    He regretted that Africa does not have a strong foothold for now on the drive for Smart Cities at “a time the world is moving into internet economy, a hyper-connected world where data is most valuable asset”.

    “This poses a significant threat to oil-based economy like Nigeria and other economies that depend largely on natural resources.

    “The new digital economy fueled by technology innovation with advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Internet of Things, (IoTs) and Internet of Everything (IoE) promises to leave no sector untouched but only those who adapt very quickly to technological changes will derive the benefits that come with it,” Pantami said.