The Nation Newspaper

Tag: award

  • Firm wins award

    Firm wins award

    Computer Warehouse Group Plc (CWG) has been recognised as the Solution Provider of the Year and Renewals Partner for the Year in the West East and Central Africa (WECA) at the yearly VMware Channels awards held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    Organised by VMware, CWG’s Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partner, it is meant to recognise the dedication of her partners, acknowledged for outstanding achievements in sales, performance and customer satisfaction every year.

    In a statement, the company said: “The VMware Channels Award is to celebrate outstanding partners and the continual investment they make in developing their skills and capacity in order to better support VMware customers.”

    Head, Partner and General Business Lead, VMware, Mark Reynolds, said  the awards portrays that “VMware appreciates the critical role  partners play in helping its customers move to the cloud, embrace the software-defined Data centre and plot their path to the hybrid cloud”.

    CWG received the recognition alongside 16 other prominent firms across Africa. They include foremost global technology outfits IBM, Royalty OEM Partner of the Year (WECA);  HP, as Royalty OEM Partner of the Year (South Africa), Dell as the highest Revenue contributor of the year (South Africa), Ubuntu as the outstanding OEM reseller (South Africa) amongst others.

    CWG, however, is the only IT firm from Nigeria that was recognised.

  • Mo Ibrahim prize: Namibia President Pohamba gets $5m award

    The outgoing Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba has won the world’s most valuable individual award, the Mo Ibrahim prize for African leadership.
    The $5m (£3.2m) award is given each year to an elected leader who governed well, raised living standards and then left office. But the previous award was the fourth in five years to have gone unclaimed.
    Mr Pohamba, a former rebel who fought for his country’s independence, has served two terms as Namibian president.
    He was first elected in 2004, and again in 2009. He is due to be succeeded by President-elect, Hage Geingob.
    Salim Ahmed Salim, the chairman of the committee that awarded the prize, said that under Mr Pohamba, Namibia had cemented its reputation as “a well-governed, stable and inclusive democracy with strong media freedom and respect for human rights”.

  • Babalola bags University of London award

    Babalola bags University of London award

    Eminent lawyer Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) is to be conferred with the honourary Doctor of Law (LLD) by the University of London.

    Chief Babalola will be receiving his 12th honourary doctorate from the foremost British university at the Barbican Centre in London, March 11.

    The Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) gave the eminent lawyer his 11th honorary doctorate on December 20, last year.

    Chief Babalola has practised law for over 50 years, handling landmark cases at the Supreme Court . He is the first African to get the LLD of the London University in the 179 years of the institution.

    Former South African President Nelson Mandela was in 1996 conferred with honorary doctorate in Economics by the university. Archbishop Desmond Tutu also received a honorary doctorate in Divinity in celebration of the anniversary of the foundation of the university on December 2, 2008. Other past awardees include war hero Winston Churchill and the distinguished poet T.S. Eliot.

    However, unlike Tutu who had a close working relationship with the University of London and consequently served as Associate of King’s College and visiting professor in post-conflict societies in 2004, Chief Babalola simply stayed put in Africa building education institutions and investing his energy and resources in his homeland.

    A letter dated January 16 and signed by University of London Vice Chancellor Prof Adrian Smith, said the Collegiate Council of the university found Babalola deserving of the honour, which forms a part of the university’s international graduation ceremony.

    “Each year, the University of London International Academy is eligible to award honorary degrees on persons of eminence and distinction,” the letter said.

    According to Smith, a potential awardee must have met certain requirements, such as being ‘a person of conspicuous merit’, or one ‘who is outstanding in  a chosen field’, ‘commands international recognition’,  ‘has given exceptional service to the community’, and ‘has made important contributions to the university’.

    Interestingly, Babalola is a beneficiary of the opportunity offered by the University of London as external candidate of its examinations, which were first introduced in Africa in 1865.

    Reputed as the mother of British universities, the University of London has birthed numerous colleges in the United Kingdom as well as the Commonwealth countries, many of which later metamorphosed into autonomous universities. The University of London also nurtured Nigeria’s premier university – The University of Ibadan – which was established in 1948.

    Reacting to the award, Babalola said aside his “monumental” achievements in the legal profession, the strings of landmarks recorded by the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), an institution he established five years ago as a pacesetter in quality and functional education, also contributes to his new achievement.

  • Ambassador Heights wins property award

    Ambassador Heights, the luxury residential development rising adjacent to the Moevenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, was awarded an International Property Award.

    In its quest to discover the best developers in Africa, the International Property Awards in London pursued development companies to present their finest works. Entries were received from companies in 13 countries across the continent.  The judging committee chaired by three members of the House of Lords scrutinized hundreds of entries and Ambassador Heights won an African Property Award in the category of “Residential Development.”

    A host of Africa’s finest developers, architects, interior designers and real estate agents gathered in the Joharah Ballroom at the MadinatJumeirah in Dubai on Thursday, December 4. There, in the presence of the Earl of Caithness, chairman of the judges for development categories, the results of the African Property Awards were announced.

    Sales Manager for the project, Robert Davis, commented: “Our team is honoured to win this coveted award which further validates Ambassador Heights’ position as the most exclusive and luxurious residential offering in Ghana.”

    When complete in the 4th quarter of 2015, Ambassador Heights will stand as the only true 5 Star mixed use project in West Africa.  Homeowners will enjoy unparalleled location within the city, world class build quality, attractive rental management options, and access to the amenities and services of the surrounding hotel.

    Ambassador Heights presents the opportunity for a select few to own within a globally recognized and award winning residential real estate development.

  • Southern Sun win Advisor award

    Southern Sun Ikoyi Hotel has  emerged winner of ‘Travellers Choice 2015’. The award  wasto  the hotel by the renowned international travel and online review website Trip Advisor. Trip Advisor selected Southern Sun Ikoyi as a winner in its 2015 Best Hotels Category  in Nigeria.

    Elated with the award, Southern Sun Ikoyi General Manager Mr. Mark Loxley, attributed the hotel’s success to “fantastic team effort, quality customer service and the dedication of staff and management in providing a continuous high level of superior guest service”. Mr Loxley continued that, the award will “further motivate staff and management to continue in efforts in maintaining the status of high quality service delivery at all times”.

    The award was developed to identify, highlight and reward excellence in global hospitality industry. Trip Advisor offers the most visible international platform for providing reviews of travel related content. The awards are judged by the vast number of guests who visit any named hotel, their comments and reviews about the hotel are posted onto the international travel website which is visible to millions of travellers from around the world. The Southern Sun Ikoyi hotel standard was appraised by guests on a whole range of hospitality disciplines namely; service delivery, cleanliness, efficiency, security, comfort, value for money, tasty menu, ambience amongst other points. The hotel’s particular warm response to all comments and queries posted onto the website earned them excellent ratings with guests.

  • Firm gets leadership award

    TEASY Mobile Money International has received the 2014 Nigerian Mobile Money Customer Value Leadership Award initiated by Frost& Sullivan. It led the other 3,000 mobile money agents operating in the country.

    Licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the firm provides a wide range of financial services, including, funds transfers, bill payments, airtime purchases and deposits and withdrawals, through the use of a mobile phone.

    Its product, Teasy Mobile Money, is an end-to-end mobile phone-based platform that allows users to have an electronic wallet (e-wallet).

    “Teasy International has built its position as a leader in the Nigerian mobile money industry, by introducing the first commercial NFC-based contactless payment solution in Nigeria. Teasy Tap and Pay has been considered as an electronic payment solution bridge between the world of microfinance and that of the traditional banking system.”

    John Weber, who spoke on behalf of the organiser, Frost & Sullivan, explained that the choice of Teasy International was based on the outcome of the report of the Frost & Sullivan analysts and industry experts which embarked on a global hunt for companies achieving dual excellence in two critical areas: Customer Value and Growth Success.

    According to the report, “Teasy International partnered with Verifone (a global provider of technology for electronic payment transactions and value-added services at the point of sale) to develop its own mobile money platform. To remain ahead of competitors, Teasy International added a new feature to its Teasy Tap and Pay solution, making it possible for it to be used as a mobile Point of Sale (mPoS) device.

    “It is a merchant payment service that allows customers to use their mobile phone to pay for goods and services at any PoS terminal, which accepts a NFC-enabled phone. It has converted Android and BlackBerry phones into mPoS devices through the Teasy Mobile Money App.

    “The Teasy Mobile Money solution also allows for the use of biometric data for secure user identification and authentication. This Biometric payment technology eliminates the need to carry cash, cheques or credit cards and removes any risk associated with theft, or a forgotten pin.

    “As an innovator, Teasy International is developing a new service as part of its platform called Cashless Campus. It has partnered with four universities in Nigeria to allow students to pay for their school fees and bus fares using the Teasy Tap and Pay App. Teasy International is in the process of partnering with every Nigerian university to extend this new service country wide.”

    At the beginning of last year, Teasy Tap and Pay accounted for an increase in customer’ satisfaction and has enabled the company to record a growth rate of 100 per cent as well as an increase in its customer base, through partnership with relevant stakeholders, including NURTW, which owns motor parks and bus stations in every state and village across Nigeria.

    These are used to place approximately 744 Teasy International Points of Sale (PoS).

    The Teasy Tap and Pay service also allows for fast payments from mobile wallets at the PoS, when an NFC-compatible mobile device is brought within a few centimetres of another NFC PoS-enabled device.

    In his remarks, Mr. Musa Ali Baba Managing Director of Teasy Money ascribed the feat to the cooperation between investors, board staff and alumni as well as business partners and boosters.

    He noted that decision of “Frost and Sullivan who found this obscure company and is bringing us to global attention,” will further help the company to grow its business.

     

  • Sterling Bank backs Social Media Award

    Sterling Bank backs Social Media Award

    Sterling Bank has reiterated its commitment to support social media projects. The bank, which sponsored Social Media Awards Africa holding in Lagos on Saturday, said the Chairman of the Award Advisory Board and founder, Social Media Week Toby Daniels has arrived in Lagos for the ceremony. Others include Fred Swaniker, Founder, African Leadership Academy and Eric Chinje, Chief Executive Officer, African Media Initiative (AMI).

    Other eminent members of the Jury & Advisory Board expected to come in on or before Friday are: Ken Banks, Founder, kiwanja.net; Hetal Shah, Director of Operations, Mara Group of Companies; Francis Ebuehi, Vice President VAS, Airtel Nigeria; Dr.Kasirim Nwuke; Louis Onyango Otieno, Director, Legal & Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Africa and the 45 prospective winners.

    The event which is a premier continental initiative seeks to recognize and reward creativity, excellence and impact the usage of social media across Africa. The event will bring together social media influencers, experts, enthusiasts and policy makers to explore and forge new developmental paths for social media in Africa.

    SMAA was unveiled at a closed event last September to a cross section of media professionals and social media influencers in Lagos, Nigeria. Nomination into the four categories opened on October 1, 2014 at www.smaafrica.com until midnight October 27, 2014.

    The voting phase, which was part of the process led to the emergence of 45 Finalists. A total of 923 nominations were received during the nomination period as follows: Personality Based (468), Platform Specific (266), Institutional (115) and Indigenous (74).

  • Don wins award

    Don wins award

    The International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance (ICHPER.SD) has honoured a senior academic staff of the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education in the Faculty of Education, UNILAG, Prof Grace Otinwa as the pioneer recipient of its Dong Ja Yang Award on Leadership.

    Prof Otinwa, who has served as the Regional Secretary of ICHPER.SD Africa for over 12 years received the award on December 18, 2014 during the 56th ICHPER.SD Anniversary World Congress and Exposition held in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.

    The International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation (ICHPER) was founded in 1958 in Rome, Italy and was renamed the ICHPER.SD at the World Congress held in 1993 in Japan. The body is committed to the promotion of professional and curriculum standards, scholarly pursuits and exchange of knowledge among professionals in health, physical education, recreation, sports and dance.

    Born on March 17, 1964 in Jos, Plateau State, Prof Otinwa nee Akintunde had her elementary education at St. Luke Primary School, Jos, Plateau State (1970 – 1974) and Baptist Day Primary School, Kaduna State (1974 – 1976). She attended the Women Teachers College, Zaria (1976 – 1981), and the Advanced Teachers College, Zaria where she obtained the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) in 1982.  She earned a first degree in Physical and Health Education from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1987.

    She studied for her Master of Education Degree and Doctorate Degree in Exercise Physiology at the University of Ibadan (1990 and 1998).

  • Graduate bags institute’s proficiency award

    Graduate bags institute’s proficiency award

    An Accounting graduate of Covenant University, Otta, Andikan Ibanga, has bagged the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM)-NYSC proficiency award.

    He emerged best candidate in the examination which held last year in various states of the federation.

    Penultimate week, in Lagos, he was rewarded in the presence of hundreds of ex-corps members, who at a programme were inducted as graduate members of the institute.

    He, like others, studied hard for the examination without inkling that there was a reward for hard work.

    “All I did was to put in my best and almost a year after the examination; I got to know I was the best. I wasn’t sceptical about serving in the north, though initially I never wanted to serve in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital. But on getting there, I was willing to stay back because then, I discovered that the state is peaceful.

    “It was fun living there for a year. Though it was very far from home, it helped me to learn to be independent,” the Akwa-Ibom-born graduate said.

    President and Chairman of Council of NIM, Dr Nelson Uwaga took the inductees through an interactive session where he counselled them on the values shared in the institute, after which he inducted them as graduate members and as NIM ambassadors having met all the criteria set for the admission.

    There was a motivational talk entitled “Youth Employment and Livelihood Strategies: A Successful Journey to Self-actualisation”, by Mr Bamidele Ayemibo. They were urged to have other values such as credibility; character and consistency of conduct; competence and relationship.

  • Belarussian league: Udoji nominated for Goal Of The Season Award

    Belarussian league: Udoji nominated for Goal Of The Season Award

    Chigozie Udoji’s strike in the 14th round of  matches in the Belarus top flight is one of the 15 goals that has been nominated for the Goal of the Season by the official website of Dynamo Minsk.

    The ex-Bulgaria youth international scored after 55 minutes at the Stadyen Traktar as the capital side defeated Shakhtyor 3-0 on June 22.

    To win the prestigious award, Udoji must see off competition from teammates Igor Stasevich, Artem Bykov, Dmitry Molosh, Adama Diomande and Nemanja Nikolic.

    Other nominees are Sergey Politevich, Sergey End, Nemanja Nikolic, Slobodan Simovic and Nenad Adamovich.

    Overall, Udoji chalked up 12 goals in all competitions over the course of last season, including four in the Europa