The Nation Newspaper

Tag: global

  • Niger Delta Petroleum Resources wins Global Gas Flare Award

    The  Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Limited has been declared the winner of the “Global Gas Flare Reduction Excellence Award.”

    In a statement, the oil and gas industry regulator, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), expressed its appreciation on the recognition of the indigenous petroleum firm.

    It said the achievement was more remarkable as the Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Limited prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

    DPR said: “It is a further testimony of Nigeria’s progress in its effort to strengthen indigenous capacity in adhering to international best practices while exploiting our natural resource.

    ‘’We commend the relentless efforts of the management and staff of Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Limited in ensuring gas flare reduction in their Ogbele gas field project, in line with government’s flare down policy, which has led to this global recognition.

    “We rejoice with them and acknowledge their excellent achievements as being the first indigenous company with a fully integrated oil and gas operation across the entire value chain of the Nigerian oil and gas sector.’’

    It continued: “The Department of Petroleum Resources will continue to provide needed support and guidance to all operators in an effort to encourage optimal productivity of their respective assets in line with global standards, as this will ensure a positive economic growth in Nigeria and sustainable development in the sector.’’

    Niger Delta Petroleum Resources  would be conferred with the award by the Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership – a World Bank Group –  between September 9 and 10, 2015 in the Russian Federation.

  • Huawei makes Top 100 Global Brands list

    Huawei makes Top 100 Global Brands list

    Huawei has been named one of Brandz’s ‘Top 100 Global Brands’ for 2015, ranking 70 on the list.

    Marking Huawei’s debut on the BrandZ list, the achievement follows Huawei’s ranking on Interbrand’s ‘Top 100 Best Global Brands’ list last year.

    The BrandZ ‘Top 100 Global Brands’ list is developed by Millward Brown Optimor, a leading global research agency that operates under the world’s largest communications services group, WPP.

    The Global Head of BrandZ, Ms. Doreen Wang, said: “Huawei has made it onto a BrandZ list for the first time today. This is the result of Huawei’s solid carrier business and also its active expansion into the enterprise and consumer businesses. Huawei has invested in its global technology offering, demonstrated with two third of its revenue coming from markets outside of China. Ranking on the BrandZ list recognises Huawei’s real strengths.”

    Huawei’s brand value is estimated to be over $15 billion in the year and ranks 16th in the technology sector on BrandZ’s list.

    The Senior Marketing Manager, Consumer Business Group (BG) of the brand, Mr. Olaonipekun Okunowo, said: “This is a great joy to Huawei globally to be ranked on the BrandZ ‘Top 100 Global Brands’ list for 2015.”

  • Huawei emerges ‘top 100 global brands’

    Huawei emerges ‘top 100 global brands’

    Huawei has been named one of BrandZ’s ‘Top 100 Global Brands’ for 2015, ranking 70 on the list. Marking Huawei’s debut on the BrandZ list, the achievement follows Huawei’s ranking on Interbrand’s ‘Top 100 Best Global Brands’ list last year.

    Speaking on the development, Global Head of BrandZ, Doreen Wang said: “Huawei has made it onto a BrandZ list for the first time today. This is the result of Huawei’s solid carrier business and its active expansion into the enterprise and consumer businesses. Huawei has invested in its global technology offering, demonstrated with two-third of its revenue coming from markets outside China. Ranking on the BrandZ list recognises Huawei’s real strengths”.

    Huawei’s brand value is estimated to be over $15 billion this year and ranks 16th in the technology sector on BrandZ’s list.

    Senior Marketing Manager, Consumer Business Group (BG), Mr. Olaonipekun Okunowo said: “This is a great joy to Huawei globally to be ranked on the BrandZ ‘Top 100 Global Brands’ list for 2015. This proves Huawei has effectively established global brand recognition, which is one of the largest challenges for Chinese corporations when going global.

    “Huawei is committed to focusing on innovation and delivering the expectations of our customers to enhance the end-user experience”.

    The BrandZ ‘Top 100 Global Brands’ list is developed by Millward Brown Optimor, a leading global research agency that operates under the world’s largest communications services group, WPP.

  • Africa contributes 1.5% to global insurance premium

    African contribution to the world insurance gross premium is only 1.5 per cent, President, African Insurance Organiation (AIO), Jean-Baptistery Ntukamazina, has said.

    Speaking yesterday at the ongoing 42nd Conference and General Assembly of the African Insurance Organistion (AIO) in Tunisia, he said conflicts in Africa have cost continent billions of dollars.

    This year’s conference with over 1000 delegates in attendance has African insurance facing mass events as its theme.

    Ntukamazina lamented that a report by Oxfam compared African countries afflicted by conflict with those at peace, saying nations at war have, on the average, 50 per cent more infant mortality rate; 15 per cent more undernourished people and life expectancy reduced by five years while indirect deaths are 14 times higher than deaths in countries in combat.

    The research by Oxfam, Saferworld and the International Action Network on Small Arms, estimates that conflict shrinks economies by 15 per cent on average.

    The AIO chief said insurers are important actors of Africa’s economy.

    He said: “We all know that mass events are serious threat on economic activity; we know how wars and violent conflicts create inflation, increase debts, reduce investment, cause unemployment along with thousands of innocent victims. This serves to say this year’s theme of the conference is accurate and timely.

    “But, for our different economies to prosper, we need favourable political environment, security and good governance. That is why our political leaders should understand that the prosperity of their different nations is among their first responsibility. The promising Africa cannot arise without peace, security and good governance.”

    According to him, Africa attracts unusual interest from abroad, adding that the future is promising.

    He said resources boom and economic growth, industrialisation, infrastructure development, rapid urbanisation, rising employment levels, demographic, social change, technology, environmental change, regulatory change and hopefully political stability are factors that would drive the future of the continent.

    He said Africa has one-third of global mineral reserves and represents one tenth of the global oil reserves, two-thirds of the world’s diamonds produced

    He also said 27 per cent of the world’s arable lands is in Africa and 60 per cent of the world’s uncultivated arable lands is in the continent.

    Based on this scenario, he said insurers must take advantage of the opportunities and benefit from the growth in various sectors because the predicted positive changes of African economies will impact on healthcare services, housing and urban infrastructure, protection of assets and increased savings, among others.

    These are the opportunities we have to tap into by proposing new products, increasing insurance penetration, improving distribution techniques and cost-cutting. He said because the profession is risk-taking, professionals can boost, push and support other businesses by mitigating their risks and hence ameliorate the lives of our populations.

  • Nigerian leads global panel of health experts

    Nigerian leads global panel of health experts

    Laolu Osanyin, Nigerian, lawyer, has been appointed as the lead of the Global Panel of Health Law Experts by the American College of Legal Medicine.

    Osanyin’s appointment into the prestigious group was at the 55th Annual Conference of the American College of Legal Medicine at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas United States of America recently.

    Also appointed into the Global Panel of Health Law Experts was Prof Kate Diesfeld from New Zealand and Dr. Santosh kakade from India.

    Speaking as a guest speaker at the conference with the presentation of a paper titled: ‘The Development of Health Law in Nigeria- The Open Season of Malpractice Suits’, Osanyin opined that there is a new medicolegal environment in Nigeria, evidenced by the steady and consistent increase in petitions and litigations against Nigerian doctors.

    Some of the reasons alluded to this increase in patients awareness are the increase in literacy level amongst Nigerian patients and their families, medical tourism which allows patients to compare standards of treatment given in Nigeria with those rendered in other countries, the effectiveness of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, amongst other reasons.

    Mr. La-olu Osanyin is the Course Director of the Medicolegal Department of Medical Tutors Ltd which is accredited by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria as a Continuous Professional Development Provider.  He also serves on the Editorial Board of Medical Malpractice Law Report published under the authority of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

  • Citibank Nigeria marks ‘Global Money week’

    Citibank Nigeria marks ‘Global Money week’

    Citibank Nigeria Limited joined the rest of the world to commemorate the annual Global Money Week. The event, which held at Aunty Ayo Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Lagos, featured an interactive session on financial literacy, titled “Growing Your Money”.

    The programme, the bank said in a statement, focused on educating Nigerian youths on the economic environment and the importance of savings, entrepreneurship and financial value creation.

    The event was organised in partnership with Junior Achievements of Nigeria (JAN), a financial education non-governmental organisation.

    The bank’s Executive Director and Head of Global Subsidiaries Group, Mrs. Nneka Enwereji encouraged the students to be accountable for their financial health, and prioritise their needs over their wants.

    She also stressed the need for the students to be financially aware and empowered to save and make monetary decisions.

    JAN’s Programme Officer, Ms. Efe Adefulu, at the event, also reiterated the need for the students to cultivate savings culture. Ms. Adefulu expounded on the significance of financial literacy to the fiscal independence and economic sustainability of Nigeria.

    Global money week is a yearly celebration commemorated across the world in honour of empowering the youth to be involved in reshaping their finances and their future.

  • Undergraduate wins Global entrepreneurship award

    Undergraduate wins Global entrepreneurship award

    The Entrepreneurs’ Organisation (EO), a global network of over 10, 000 business owners acrosss 42 countries, with a combined US$565 billion in annual revenue, has honoured some Nigerian youths with the “Global Student Entrepreneurs Award” (GSEA).

    At the national final competition to round up its two-day seminar held in Lagos , the body declared Prince Joshua Oyeniyi, a student entrepreneur and radio producer/ presenter with the “Ambassador radio  show” on the Unilag FM, as the winner. Oyeniyi is a final year Mathematics student of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba.

    Accordingly, the winner will represent Nigeria at the 2015 EO GSEA which comes up in Washington DC between 15-17, April, 2015.

    The EO Nigeria President Mr. Anthony Okoye said EO GSEA supports student entrepreneurs through mentorship, recognition and connections to take their businesses to the next level.

    He also revealed that one of the key goals of GSEA is to reward and encourage the enterprise spirit of undergraduate Entrepreneurs all over the world.

    EO Nigeria GSEA 2015 featured 50 candidates from across the nation.  15 contestants emerged and contested at the national finals where they presented their business models and plans to a 16-man panel of judges made up of global EO officials, Lagos and Abuja Chapters officials as well as respected entrepreneurs.

    Oyeniyi’s  “Ambassadors Radio Show” concept which currently run on Unilag FM emerged the most exciting of the 15 different presentations by some of the brilliant Nigerian student entrepreneurs.

    Speaking on the winning concept, Oyeniyi  explained that because of his disadvantaged background, he was inspired get stories that will inspire people to become whatever they want to be.

    Ambassador radio show has hosted successful business leaders and entrepreneurs like Pat Utomi and other top notch Nigerians and international figures. He hopes to syndicate the programme on not fewer than 10 topnotch radio stations and anticipates setting up the largest online radio station in the world.

  • ‘Global economy on ‘sink or swim’ path’

    Let’s be blunt: The central banks have done all they can, and now it’s ‘sink or swim’ time for the global economy.

    This week the European Central Bank (ECB) unveiled a massive stimulus programme — worth $1.3 trillion — to lift the region out of its economic malaise.

    It was the latest in a long line of stimulus measures from central banks around the world. But it will only work if everybody else follows through.

    European politicians and policy makers must now make decisive moves to increase productivity, investment and growth, which can involve reforming labor market rules, promoting entrepreneurship and tweaking tax codes.

    “We all have a job to do,” said ECB member Benoit Coeure during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. “We have done our part. Others have to do their part.”

    The stimulus certainly buys more time for European governments to press ahead with economic reforms.

    But they had better move quickly! The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, told CNN that “inaction” is the biggest global risk.

    But as the ECB money starts sloshing around the financial system and flowing into other parts of the world, concerns have been raised about reckless risk taking and financial instability.

  • Global dearth of IT security personnel rises, says Cisco

    Global dearth of IT security personnel rises, says Cisco

    Globally, the skilled gap in the information communication technology (ICT) security sector continues to widen. This year alone, it reached more than one million, the United States (U.S) tech giants, Cisco has said.

    In the Cisco Annual Security Report presented in Lagos, the firm lamented that malicious traffic continues to grow at an unprecedented levels, adding that threats designed to take advantage of users’ trust in systems, applications and personal networks have now reached startling levels.

    The sophistication of the technology and tactics used by online criminals—and their non-stop attempts to breach networks and steal data—have outpaced the ability of information technology (IT) and security professionals to address these threats, it added, lamenting that many organisations do not have the people or the systems to continuously monitor extended networks and detect infiltrations, and then apply protections, in a timely and effective manner.

    General Manager, Cisco Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra-Leone, Dare Ogunlade, who unveiled the report with the firm’s System Engineer, Security, Adeola Kukoyi said the report’s findings offer a vivid picture of rapidly evolving security challenges facing businesses, IT departments and individuals.

    Ogunlade said attack methods include socially engineered theft of passwords and credentials, hide-in-plain-sight infiltrations, and exploitation of the trust required for economic transactions, government services and social interactions.

    He said: “Organisations across Africa must realise that it is no longer if they will be targeted by cyber-attacks, but rather when Chief Information Security Officers face growing pressure to protect terabytes of data on an increasingly porous network, manage information safely especially on the cloud, and evaluate the risks of working with third-party vendors for specialised solutions – all in the wake of shrinking budgets and leaner IT teams.”

    Ogunlade also noted increased sophistication and proliferation of the threat landscape, lamenting that simple attacks that caused containable damage have now given way to organised cybercrime operations that are sophisticated, well-funded, and capable of significant economic and reputational damage to public and private sector victims.

    Cisco also highlighted increased complexity of threats and solutions due to rapid growth in intelligent mobile devices’ adoption and cloud computing providing a greater attack surface than ever before, adding that new classes of devices and new infrastructure architectures offer attackers opportunities to exploit unanticipated weaknesses and inadequately defended assets.

    The tech firm said cybercriminals have learned that harnessing the power of internet infrastructure yields far more benefits than simply gaining access to individual computers or devices. These infrastructure-scale attacks seek to gain access to strategically positioned web hosting servers, name servers and data centers—with the goal of proliferating attacks across legions of individual assets served by these resources. By targeting Internet infrastructure, attackers undermine trust in everything connected to or enabled by it.

  • ‘Agric revolution in Africa could increase global carbon emissions’

    Productivity-boosting agricultural innovations in Africa could lead to an increase in global deforestation rates and carbon emissions, a Purdue University study finds.

    Historically, improvements in agricultural technology have conserved land and decreased carbon emissions at the global level: Gaining better yields in one area lessens the need to clear other areas for crops, sidestepping a land conversion process that can significantly raise the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.

    Agricultural advances in Africa, however, could have the reverse effect, increasing globally the amount of undeveloped land converted to cropland and raising greenhouse gas emissions, said Thomas Hertel, a distinguished professor of agricultural economics.

    “Increasing productivity in Africa – a carbon-rich region with low agricultural yields – could have negative effects on the environment, especially if agricultural markets are highly integrated,” he said. “This study highlights the importance of understanding the interplay between globalization and the environmental impacts of agricultural technology. They are deeply intertwined.”

    Debate surrounds the effects of agricultural innovation on the environment, Hertel noted. Some researchers suggest that increasing the profitability of farming will amplify its negative environmental effects, raising greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating tropical deforestation. Others argue that intensifying agricultural production is better for the environment overall because more land can be spared for nature if the same amount of crops can be produced using less land.

    “We set out to determine who was right,” Hertel said.