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Tag: ICT

  • Unleashing ICT potential in rural life

    Unleashing ICT potential in rural life

    Information communications technology (ICT) has changed the face of human existence. Aside dismantling the barriers of distance, human endeavours, such as medicine, agriculture, education and power supply, have been positively impacted. Some innovative solutions designed to improve rural pastoral nomadic lifestyle have been unveiled. How sustainable are the solutions? LUCAS AJANAKU asks.

    With the unprecedented downturn in the prices of crude oil, the Federal Government has intensified the talk about economic diversification. Experts have identified the information communications technology (ICT), agriculture and solid mineral sectors as holding the prospects to displace oil.

    President Muhammadu Buhari is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to shore up the declining oil revenue by exploring alternative revenue resources. One of the fundamental steps he has taken to appreciate the prime position of ICT in driving growth and fighting graft is the Single Treasury Account (TSA), which has fetched the Federal Government over N1trillion.

    Declaring open this year’s Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit, Buhari said: “The world is now a global village. This summit is, therefore, a great opportunity to link up with others for the benefit of both parties. Our natural partners are those with requisite skills and financial capabilities to invest.

    “Our major strength is farming and livestock. Two of the richest countries in the world namely New Zealand and Denmark built and developed their economies on these pillars. Properly harnessed, a combination of people with skills and money with those blessed with resources is a win-win partnership.”

    He called for cooperation and partnerships between the states and investors in view of the government’s drive to grow local content and increase exports for improved balance of trade with other countries.

    To develop the agric sector, ICT is central. For example, the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) stood out as a policy and pragmatic shift within existing fertiliser Market Stabilisation Programme, which put the resource that constrained farmers at its center through the provision of series of incentives to encourage critical  actors in the fertiliser value chain to work together to improve productivity, household food security and income of the farmer.

    The scheme, which was built around the mobile phone, targeted five million farmers each year for four years, that will receive GESS on their mobile phone directly, totaling 20 million at the end of four years. It also provided direct support to farmers to enable them procure agricultural inputs at affordable prices, at the right time and place, while there was increased productivity of farmers across the length and breadth of the country through increased use of fertiliser, which is 50kg/ha from 13kg/ha.

    It transformed the role of government from direct procurer and distributor of fertiliser to a facilitator of procurement, regulator of fertiliser quality and catalyst of active private sector participation in the fertiliser value chain.

    MTN CEO, Ferdi Moolman, said the telco is passionate about Nigeria, adding that there is huge growth potential in the country. “We see growth. We see huge potential. We want to be part of the economic renaissance now that oil prices are falling,” Moolman said.

    During the Katsina summit, MTN unveiled two solutions designed to improve rural lifestyle, socially and agriculturally. One is the Livestock tracking solution while the other is the smart electricity-the mobile electricity solution.

    MTN Executive, Amina Oyagbola, said the development of the solution underscored the telco’s support for expanding the ICT ecosystem and providing home-grown solutions to societal challenge. She said: “At MTN, we consider it a privilege to be a part of the positive change that is powered by ICT and believe that in every sector, there are ICT solutions for improving processes and empowering people. A case in point is the challenges with cattle grazing and the judicious use of available land. Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari had expressed his belief in our ability to devise a solution and we are pleased to say that we have done just that.

    “We are pleased to announce that MTN has indeed, developed the MTN Livestock Tracking Solution. This ICT solution can perform Location Tracking for cattle; geo-fencing for grazing areas; send panic or emergency alerts to the authorities in time of trouble and even automatic notifications based on programing. It makes use of GPS (Global Positioning System) technology and is solar-powered to ensure that you can always stay in touch with your cattle everywhere they go. This solution will help reduce the incidence of wandering cattle and provide electricity to entrepreneurs and rural dwellers.”

    The GPS is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the United States (U.S.) Department of Defence. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. There are no subscription fees or setup charges to use GPS and it works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, making it ideal for deployment in rural far north.

    Also unveiled was the mobile electricity solution launched in partnership with Nova-Lumos. It will bring clean, modern and affordable electricity to MTN customers in the rural areas.

    Oyegbola said: “We are also pleased to share with you yet another innovative product – our mobile electricity service in partnership with the world’s first distributed utility provider; Lumos, who are bringing clean, modern and affordable electricity to MTN customers in rural areas. Customers can, therefore, replace kerosene lanterns, candles and flashlights with solar electricity that can power phones, fans, radios, TVs, all at once.

    “Our customers in rural areas can, therefore, replace kerosene lanterns, candles and flashlights with electricity that can power phones, fans, radios, TVs all at once and this service is already running in Katsina State. We are truly excited about these products and their implications for accelerated socio-economic development across the country. Governor Masari has expressed his belief in our ability to devise a solution and we are pleased to say that we have done just that. This service is already up and running in the state.”

    She said the mobile electricity solution in partnership with Nova-Lumos will bring clean, modern and affordable electricity to MTN customers in the rural areas.

    The Nova-Lumos service is provided using a solar panel and an indoor unit that allows MTN custimers to subscribe to alternative electricity on demand using their mobile phone. With Nova-Lumos, customers can replace kerosene, candles, and flashlights with modern electricity that can power significant lights, cell phones, fans, PCs, laptops, radios, TVs and other small electronic devices all at once every day.

    “By paying for usage only in small payments, the same way our customers purchase air time and other mobile services, MTN and Nova-Lumos will offer an innovative and widely accessible service for all MTN customers. MTN is committed to investing in the future of mobile electricity to our customers across the country,” former CEO of MTN, Mike Ikpoki had said.

    CEO/Co-Founder, Nova-Lumos, David Vortman said affordability is one of the driving force of the solution. He said: “One of our guiding principle is that the Nova-Lumos service must be affordable and accessible to anyone in Nigeria to have a meaningful impact on the Nigerian electricity market.”

    The two firms had received funding form the Global System for Mobile Communication Association (GSMA’s) Mobile Enabled Community Services (MECS) Innovation Grant Fund with the support of the UK government. This grant is awarded to organisations developing innovations that improve access to energy and water among underserved communities by leveraging mobile technology and infrastructure. The MECS Innovation Fund has helped to highlight the demand for mobile-enabled services and the role that mobile can play in supporting access to basic utility services across rural and urban markets.

    Oyagbola also expressed MTN’s preparedness to support e-government objectives at all levels. “Our rationale for supporting this economic and investment summit is borne out of our commitment to driving economic growth in Nigeria by supporting initiatives that will truly place the country on the path of economic renaissance.  We believe ICT is the future and we are committed to supporting Nigeria to ensure preparedness and empowerment towards this future. The Katsina State Economic and Investment summit is another opportunity to demonstrate this commitment.

    “At MTN, we believe that we have a supportive role to play by partnering government to realise our collective goal of being among the top 20 economies by the year 2020. We are excited to be a part of the huge potential for improved processes and enhanced productivity across sectors of the economy through ICT and look forward to working with stakeholders in both public and private sectors for greater national and global competitiveness,” Oyagbola said.

    Sector analysts have lauded the innovative solutions, arguing that the time has come for Nigerians to look inwards, provide solutions to local problems thus broadening the local content horizon.

    They, however, hammered on sustainability and affordability for the solutions to continue to be relevant.

  • Sacking of senior military officers timely, says Army Chief

    Sacking of senior military officers timely, says Army Chief

    The Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) Lt. General Tukur Buratai on Monday said that the Army followed due process leading to the sacking of over 35 senior military officers last week, describing the action of the authority as timely and appropriate.

    “There is no better time than now because everything has been taken into consideration and procedures have been followed to ensure that we don’t pick the innocent ones. You can see it started with the enquiries first of all, then legal review and after the legal review, we forwarded the report and recommendations to the authority for consideration”, General Buratai said.

    The Army Chief made the clarification while fielding questions from newsmen during a courtesy call on the Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, in Abuja.

    Flanked by top military officers, Gen Buratai said the call on the minister was necessitated by the need for collaboration and partnership with the Ministry for the deployment of Information and Communication Technology, ICT,  equipment and facilities to achieve peace in the country.

    He also said the military high command is awaiting the outcome of the on-going dialogue between the federal government and other stakeholders on the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers to know the next line of action.

    Gen Buratai, however, added that whatever the outcome, the military has the responsibility and duty to maintain peace, law and order in the country.

    He said the military authority is not overwhelmed by the sudden upsurge of militant activities in the Niger Delta region in view of their commitments to route-out insurgents in the northeast.

    His words: “The Niger Delta issue did not come up yesterday or today,  we are already deployed to the Niger/Delta for a very long time. The operations there comprise the armed forces and other security agencies. It entails operations where you have the Army, Navy and Airforce, the Police, Civil Defence and other security agencies, so I don’t think it is overwhelming, it cannot overwhelm the army forces and we are responding appropriately and ensure that things take shape.

    “We are instruments of the political class so whatever decision that the government passes out to us, we want to assure you that we are waiting for whatever decision that will come out from their discussion, but our role is very clear we must ensure that the security of that place is attained. As we await the directive of the authority”, Gen Buratai said.

    On the sacking of the senior military officers, he said:” why not now, there is no better time than now because everything has been taken into consideration and procedures have been followed to ensure that we don’t pick the innocent ones. You can see it started with the enquiries first of all, legal review and after the legal review, we forwarded the report and recommendations to the authority for consideration.

    “So it takes time, it is just like a court process, so we follow our own process, our administrative process and legal review as well. It is the right time and no any other time than now,” Gen Buratai noted, adding that the military high command has also commenced the process of deradicalisation of insurgents and their victims in the northeast of the country.

    “The issue of indoctrination. it is one of the programmes that we have. We have a camp  in Gombe, which the Defence Headquater is handling, it involves  the de-radicalising of the insurgents and their victims especially those who would have been indoctrinated.

    “So the process of their de-radicalisation is ongoing and it is a good point that you raised. Please it is not only the government that should be doing this, we appeal to the clergymen , Imams and Pastors to use all those their fora in the Mosque and Churches to preach against this type of indoctrination and ideology that are contrary to the teachings of the holy books. so it is the press responsiblity also to sponsor articles in papers to bring this issue out and point out the dangers of indoctrination.”

    Responding to his remarks on areas of collaboration with Military, the Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu commended the military high command for putting the insurgents on the run in the northeast of the country.

    He said the Ministry was prepared to collaborate with the armed forces to ensure that modern technology and equipment for communications are deployed to achieve peace in the country, noting that without peace no meaningful development can take shape.

  • Fixing Nigeria’s ailing economy with ICT

    Fixing Nigeria’s ailing economy with ICT

    Nigeria’s economy has almost slipped into recession, no thanks to falling oil prices and long years of pillaging and mindless looting of the treasury. The resurgence of attacks on oil facilities by rampaging militants in the Niger Delta has complicated the nation’s economic woes. Experts advise the Federal Government to make the ICT sector its economic diversification option, LUCAS AJANAKU reports.

    Experts have said the Nigerian telecommunications sector has the potential to take the country’s economy back to recovery and reverse the downturn. This assertion has been an “old song”.  But what has always constituted a clog in the wheel is  lack of political will and policies to drive this potential to fruition.

    Regarded as the fastest growing sector of the economy, the telecoms industry has recorded over $32 billion investment, over 152 million subscribers and close to 100 million internet subscriptions, according to statistics from industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    Results of the 2014 rebasing of the economy indicated that the telecoms industry was contributing 10 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    The NCC is confident that the resultant broadband era will spur more than triple returns because broadband is a development enabler.

    Considering the present cash crunch faced by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, analysts have identified the information communications technology (ICT) sector as the strategic alternative to oil.

    President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Olusola Teniola, said Buhari should include the ICT sector as part of his strategic economic diversification agenda because digital transformation is about technology and globalisation.

    Teniola, who is also the MD of Internet Solutions, said the Federal Government could seek assistance from global financial institutions such as the World Bank to develop the broadband infrastructure that will take the country to the next level of development. He stressed that if well supported and managed properly, the ICT sector could create additional jobs and other value addition to stimulate the growth of the GDP.

    After a careful period of diligent search, Buhari appointed Adebayo Shittu, a lawyer, as Communications Technology minister. His chief task is consolidating the gains already made in the industry. The initial doubt about his background has given way to great optimism in the industry as the minister has displayed enthusiasm to leave an indelible mark.

    Shittu has visited telecoms operators’ facilities to have proper understanding of the sector, rallied round the players to identify issues and challenges confronting the industry with a view to designing ways of addressing them.

    This led to the 2016 Communications Sector Retreat in Ibadan where stakeholders were able to list ways for accelerated growth of the industry.

    The minister also unveiled the Telecoms Sector Roadmap as guidelines on government plans for the industry, while the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) unveiled an Eight-point Agenda for Telecoms Industry for the period 2016 – 2020, all aimed at ensuring that the Federal Government’s objective of tapping into the opportunities in the sector are achieved.

    He also embarked on some foreign trips to familiarise himself with how countries around the world have used ICT to develop and find a way of domesticating some of the models. Shittu was in China and South Korea. The trip brought about certain commitments from South Korean government to partner on Smart Nigeria initiative/governance, training of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well as other schemes.

    Industry stakeholders have lauded the minister for his dynamic steps and approaches in ensuring the ICT sector becomes the cash cow of the economy.

    Some players are of the view that he is on course to help rebuild collaboration among stakeholders and that he started on a good note by convening the Ibadan Retreat that brought all ICT stakeholders to pursue a common goal.

     

    Challenges

     

    For the country to fully tap into the enormous potential of the ICT sector, there is need to resolve challenges facing the industry.

    Immediate past president of ATCON, Lanre Ajayi, during a special forum hosted by the association in honour of the minister, identified some of the challenges to include the National Broadband Plan; e-Government, National Critical Infrastructure; Frequency Management; Secondary  Spectrum Market; Free Spectrum; Infraco; Numbering Plan; MTN fine; and NCC independence .

    Other concerns raised were on facilitating low-cost financing for the development and production of local ICT products; leveraging Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to accelerate infrastructure development; and reclaiming and releasing of unused spectrum for trading or re-farming, passage into law the Critical National Infrastructure Bill; implementation of the National Economic Council’s Resolution on Multiple Taxation, Levies and Charges on ICT infrastructure; review and amendment of the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act (Amendment) Order, 2015; implementation of the ‘Smart State Initiative’ in all the states of the federation in order to create sanity and properly streamline fees and levies chargeable from states and need to further educate the general public of the legal implications of sites lockup as stated under the Criminal Justice Provision Act 2004.

    Also, former President of ATCON and member, Telecom Industry Advisory Council (TIAC), Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu during the inaugural meeting of the Council, called the industry stakeholders’ attention to certain policies and developments that required urgent intervention in order to consistently put the industry on the growth path.

    One of the documents, according to him, is the apparent wait-and-see attitude by industry players in the ICT industry while the second is about two documents, which are currently in public domain regarding the roadmap that the industry may travel under the current dispensation.

    The two documents are the communiqué of the 2016 Communications Sector Retreat in Ibadan and the EVC’s Eight-point Agenda for Telecommunication 2016 – 2020.

    The minister had on several occasions informed stakeholders of the Federal Government’s commitment to leverage ICT to achieve digital economy through creation of ICT University.

    “This government is committed to converting the Digital Bridge Institute in Lagos and other cities into a multi-campus ICT University, the first of its kind in Africa,” he said.

    He believes that if ICT is properly harnessed, it can create two million jobs in the next six months, adding that the time has come for Nigeria to shift its economic strength away from crude oil sale by diversifying its productive base.

    The slow growth of the ICT sector is a result of apathy towards indigenous products and services, the minister says, noting that this had undermined patronage of local players in the Nigerian ICT sector.

    The country is said to be losing about $2.8 billion yearly to the continued importation of ICT hardware and services as capital flights from the country.

    Addressing this challenge apparently necessitated a parastatal under the ministry, the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) to establish software testing laboratory as well as a scheme to train 1000 software testers across the country with plans to also come up with framework for local software standards.

    The industry under the present dispensation is striving to encourage international brands to establish factories in Nigeria or partner with local operators by buying components of their systems that are produced by local manufacturers as well as maintaining in-country research and development departments for the purpose of product conceptualisation, innovation, adaptation and design development.

    Shittu said this was to be part of measures to implement local content development policy to protect indigenous players in the industry, including the Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs).

    On the Smart Cities initiatives of the ministry, the government he said, was working with telcos to remove all the bottlenecks militating against deficiency in broadband penetration in Nigeria.

    He said: “Some countries like Rwanda have already embraced the smart city initiatives and they are already reaping its benefits. I would want to enjoin the remaining states to also key into the initiatives that would ultimately make their states smart.”

     

    Unsolicited messages, cold calls

     

    For so long, subscribers have suffered in silence over the menace of unsolicited messages and cold calls. Shittu has warned telcos to address customers’ complaints ranging from poor quality of services (QoS), network congestion, spam messages, billing for services never rendered, under declaration of tax and under payment of tax by companies which had impacted negatively on consumers’ satisfaction.

    About six months ago, he invited telcos to Abuja to address these issues else sanctions would be applied to make them do the right things. In response Value Added Services Providers Association of Nigeria (VASPAN) has urged their members to show some level of restraints.

    The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said while the growth in the telecoms industry has continued to drive further growth in the economy, especially in financial services and e-commerce, the commission has embarked on initiatives to further accelerate the growth into the future in addition to working with government at all levels to address the identified challenges facing the operators.

    He said the acknowledgement of the various challenges being faced by the industry has also informed the unveiling of a roadmap for the industry, adding that the industry would be regulated for the benefit of all the stakeholders.

  • ‘Investment in ICT ‘ll create jobs’

    Information Communication Technology (ICT) tool is capable of driving economic development and creating jobs in the country, Founder/ Chief Executive Officer, Society of Computers Professionals (SCP) Africa, Oluyemi Odeyinka  has said. He said if investment is targeted at the sector, it would create jobs and ease the social impact of unemployment, which has become a major challenge in the country.

    Speaking in Lagos at the launch of SCP Africa, a non-profit organisation, Odeyinka said the aim of the launch is to fight poverty in Africa by creating and providing jobs.

    He said the organisation will encourage and empower African professionals dealing with information technology, software development, cloud computing, networking, database, security and related fields, adding that it would also benefit African students taking computer related degrees.

    According to him, SCP Africa champions the computing industry, the IT field and related areas on the African continent, through education, training and skills development.

    He said the organisation is open to both IT and non-information technology professionals, including students of computer to provide support for career advancement.

    “We will be offering our members IT training, webinars and other customised solutions. We are committed to help the youths reach the height of their computing and IT careers through various initiatives like scholarships, provision of world-class computer laboratories for hands on training, membership discounts, regional, national and international conferences, recognition awards, local and international investment opportunities and business to business partnership among others,” he said.

    He added that besides increasing the income of computing professionals and poverty eradication, SCP Africa is also focused on harnessing the power of computing, IT, communication and related fields towards driving a tangible change not just in the economic standing of the whole of Africa but also in the way the African people see themselves, especially the youths.

    The Chairman of the occasion, Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, described the initiative as a paradigm shift for youth empowerment in technological skills as a path to create monumental employment opportunities and prosperity for the nation.

    He noted that Nigeria is not short of the human capacity to rise to the challenge of the digital revolution era, but rather the local enabling infrastructure should be developed to support and promote the skill acquisition practice and application.

    He said the most potent strategy to fight poverty is to encourage the establishment of Technology Incubation Center (TIC) in each of the 74 local government areas in the country to train and promote investors and technology entrepreneurs.

    “The centres could also provide a start-up facility for new entrepreneurs before they migrate to the business environment. The Federal Government can complement the technological drive of the country by facilitating the establishment of the replica of Silicon Valley in the US or Huawei Technologies in China,” the royal father said.

  • Bridging ICT skills gap through youth development

    Bridging ICT skills gap through youth development

    With limitless opportunities and positive impact that Information Communication Technology (ICT) offers, it is imperative that conscious and deliberate efforts are made by policy makers and institutions to build human capacity and promote technological advancement, writes LUCAS AJANAKU.

    It is doubtful if sectors of the economy such as agriculture, commerce, healthcare, banking, education, governance, entertainment, hospitality and others can flourish without the tools of information communication technology (ICT).

    With ICT, e-commerce, e-governance, e-agriculture, telemedicine and others have done well. Welcome to the new global order called digital economy.

    Research Manager, Enterprise Infrastructure, IDC, Middle East and Africa, Swapna Subramani said in a digital economy, organisations adapt to changes in their ecosystem by leveraging digital technologies to create digitally enhanced, customer-centric business models. This allows for new customer experiences, improved operational efficiencies, generate new revenue streams and rapidly respond to changing conditions.

    Giving IT investment mapping in Nigeria, she said datacentre hardware accounted for 50 per cent of hardware spending; software infrasructure-41 per cent; while in services, 72 per cent accounted for implementation and support services.

    As Nigeria moves to join the digital economy, Communications Technology Minister, Adebayo Shittu said human capital development remains one of the challenges facing the sector.

    He said: “The country does not have a dedicated institution for ICT awarding degrees. It is the policy of this government to convert the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) in Lagos and other cities into a multi-campus ICT University, perhaps the first of its kind in Africa.”

    Sector analysts have also stressed the need to invest in the training of the requisite manpower that will drive the digital age. They lament that existing skill sets are not speaking to the job market. Though some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), technology firms and other oragnisations are making moves to address this issue, more still needs to be done.

    Accenture, a leading global professional services company, which provides a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital technology and operations, has made moves at inspiring creativity and encouraging youths towards ICT innovation and advancement.

    The firm believes that the myriad of socio-economic and political challenges facing the nation can be addressed using ICT.

    In 2008, the firm’s team forged an alliance with the Nigerian Computer Science Society (NCS) Ogun State Chapter to provide mentoring and knowledge exchange.  This led to the partnership with the National Conference of  Computer Science Students (NACOSS).

    Speaking during NACOSS 17th conference at the Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri, Country Manager, Accenture Nigeria, Mr. Niyi Yusuf, reiterated the need for the government to give priority to  the development of the  ICT sector.

    Speaking on: The Role of Youths in Sustainable Growth of the National Development through Information Technology,  he sought synergy between public and private sectors to build capacity and provide opportunity for youth in the ICT. He said the sector has the potential to create wealth and jobs and tackle insecurity. With the rise of the terrorist group, Boko Haram, homeland security has become a nightmare in the country.

    “A lot of challenges being faced in Nigeria today have been experienced by most advanced countries; these problems were addressed, using the ICT,” he said.

    According to him, problems such as weak economy, inequality, poverty, rapid urban expansion, insecurity, corruption and others are issues that simple ICT tools such as software can address if the necessary encouragment is given to the youth.

    Yusuf said Nigerians have the capacity to solve its problems using the ICT. He argued that what is required is proper synergy between the private and public sectors.

    He said: “Government should move beyond the design of dormant governments’ web sites and go into digital e-governance through partnership, research with the right bodies. Through e-governance, government can interface with the public and provide services that hitherto, looked very difficult.’’

    He noted that e-governance drives accountability, transparency, equitabilityand responsiveness in government. He added that consensus, rule of law and participatory/inclusive democracy, which are major characteristics of good governance, are also enhanced.

    Former President, Nigeria Internet Group, Bayo Banjo, said most of today’s greatest innovations have humble beginings. He cited Facebook and Google as some firms that started from the garrages. He urged government to invest in encouraging youths to take ICT seriously.

    Yusuf agreed with him. He said most of the defining innovations in the world were acheived through youths. “A lot of these inventions were made by young people, using technology. We are convinced that if young people outside Nigeria could create jobs and wealth, using the ICT, Nigerian youths, if supported, could equally make positive marks,” he said.

    Based on this belief, he said Accenture Nigeria supported the Tony Elumelu Foundation and other groups in building the capacity of youths in ICT.

    Through its partnerships with NACOSS and the NCS, Accenture said it has promoted ICT education with its sponsorship of the annual conference of the association. This  has translated into a significant improvement in the quality of attendance and an impressive increase in students’ participation.

    About 2,700 students have participated in series of NACOSS activities in various institutions across the country.  Institutions such as Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Federal University of Technology, (FUT) Minna, Covenant University and Bells University, Federal College of Education Osiele, Ogun State, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State, among others, have played host to these activities.

    The firm stressed the need for needs-based approach to its support by rewarding the conscientiousness of the most outstanding students in each ICT unit of the institutions with laptops, tablets and other IT gadgets/devices to make them work more efficiently.

    Some of the inventions created by the students are: My Supervisor & I- a project management system that allows student and supervisor relationship. It allows proper documentation of their final year projects. Through it, the project coordinator assigns registered students to supervisors. It creates a platform for supervisors to relate with students, upload their projects and make corrections.  It also has a chat platform that allows the supervisor to chat with the student.

    It was made from HTML file, CSS3 for client site and server side PHP and Ajax.

    Another one is the BizExpert-an  all-in-one business manager for local business organisation. It aims to make business environment paperless and enhance workforce productivity. It helps to keep record of daily transactions, stock level, debts, and credit. It helps with profit and loss analysis, product analysis, salesperson log, sending of balance sheet through email, restock text message alert. It is indigenous, easy to set up and use  compared to internationally developed business tools.

    Another invention is Near Me, a mobile application that makes life easier and more comfortable by giving an edge in finding the closest and necessary places around with detailed information for the user. It acts as a great navigation tool with which one can find one’s way in a city or location. Its interface has attractive icons with speed-dial locations such as automated teller machines (ATMs), banks, hospitals, hotels, universities, police, gas stations, airport, zoo, cinema, bar, shopping mall and others with a search bar where users can search any location. Each location is attached with full details including address, images, ratings, phone number, map direction, user review and distance, estimated time. The user can add any location to his favorite list. Google voice is available to support the application as well.

    The Slangz is another product from the students. It aims to promote the use of pidgin English (Wazobia) a common informal way of communicating among Nigerians. This software is a mobile app; it is a dictionary for words in the Wazobia language and for referencing purposes.  The user can add a new word or slang as it is commonly called and also improve on the meaning of existing words.

    Traffic Offence is a web and mobile database programme that makes it possible for traffic officers to record traffic offences committed by road users. It also helps road users to register their vehicles and drivers’ licenses online.

    Traffic Offence also gives them  information of amount payable for every traffic offence and access to the offence sheet of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC). The software also has an Android app that will only be used by the traffic officers to check vehicles and drivers’ information from any part of the country and also record offence, clear offences after payment have been made by the offender.

    Security Surveillance Software is a camera which detects sound and movement anywhere placed. If movement or sound occurs, it raises an alarm.

    This solution can be used in the bank vaults, premises or places with restricted movement.

    In the field of agriculture, Agrosol, is also a platform that could be put to use. It is designed to bring  farmers together and provide them  tips on how to manage their farms, lessons on seasons of planting and how, latest news, machinery training with video simulation. It also manages database for farmers as long as they register.  www.onecrier.com is an information portal, which registers online and chooses user’s area of interest. It automatically sends messages when there is any new information about user’s area of interest.

    As its further contribution to the development of ICT, Accenture said it is ready to explore the possibilities for mass deployment of these creations. To acheive this,  the firm said it would be partnering a third party to help in mentoring the students on how they can improve on the software and make them marketable through putting them in a technology hub programme.

    One of the ways to grow this initiative is by partnering NACOSS to host its Annual Software Competition in order to promote this initiative by taking over its sponsorship. It said it would help reshape the competition and ensure that there is continuation in the process of developing the best software. Apart from rewarding the best students with prizes, Accenture intends to help them with further development of their initiatives.

    This partnership between Accenture and NACOSS has, no doubt, motivated Nigerian students.

    The out-going president of NACOSS, Onwugbolu Tochukwu, said students have been more motivated and willing to put in more effort to develop software and participate in the programme.

    The long term vision for Accenture’s is to grow the skills acquisition and knowledge base of the participating students and use them as  end to end pipeline of breakthrough ideas that will be taken to the world market not just local; putting Nigeria on the global map of ICT development.

    This journey is intended to shape meaningful ideas that will lead to Nigeria’s recognition as a valuable technology hub with incubation programmes that nurture a wide spectrum of applications created by the students – a first step towards a digital future.

     

     

  • Firm to create 10,000 ICT jobs

    An e-commerce platform, Quickpromo.com, a brand of Vertrag International Limited, has promised to create over 10,000 jobs  this year.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Olubunmi Oluwadare said the e-commerce wholesale promotional products platform has over 1,000 factories across the globe, where promotional products are purchased online at factory prices.

    Speaking with our reporter in Lagos, Mr Oluwadare said the platform offers the largest selection on the web of the most innovative and cost effective promotional gifts for meetings and events, product branding, and trade shows.

    He said the site offers perfect promotional product for all marketing campaign needs.

    He said: “Our factory represents over 100,000 unique items and we are Africa first online promotional items production and branding factory. We offer items including, pen and pencils, electronics and technology items, custom flash drives, clothing, clocks and wretches, caps and hats, bags, automotive items and corporate gifts among others.

    “At Quickpromo.com, buyers can order promotional item in wholesale and the items would be delivered to their door step without buyers going to the factory. Our aim is to bridge the gap between the factory and the vendors.

    “Our online platform is built with an app which is compatible with any Android device. Our focus in Nigeria is to create over 10,000 jobs before the year ends.”

    He added that the online platform cut across every sector including, entertainment, events, school and religious organisations, saying the entrepreneurs on the platform would be trained to discover their area of strength to cover which sector.

  • Phase 3 Telecom push for gender equality in ICT

    Phase 3 Telecom push for gender equality in ICT

    Pan African aerial fibre network operator, Phase 3 Telecom has stressed the need to bridge existing gender gap in the information communication technology (ICT) sector so that women would play key roles in solving national problems.

    It said to achieve this requires doing more in the area of active engagement of girls in the ICT space, adding one way to do this is through partnership with local and international organisations that share in its dreams and visions.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Stanley Jegede who spoke during the 2016 International Girls in ICT Day, said championing great initiatives that open women and girls to great technological possibilities is not only key to Africa’s sustained development but are morally just platforms to ensuring that the girl child harnesses the right opportunities aimed at empowerment and growth.

    He said Phase3 will continue to support and drive programmes that encourage girls and young adult females to pull careers that will grow the IT/STEM sector and transform the world positively.

    He said: “To also eradicate poverty and solidify the role of women in nation building; the sustained representation of women in the world of technology is very key especially when they are encouraged early to see the advantages and dividends of the dynamic and fast-evolving-sector.”

    He added that this is the basis for Phase3 Telecom’s commitment to continue to support the International Girls in ICT day initiative and commended eBusiness Life consistent commitment to the annual initiative designed to mentor and support girls who have keen interest in walking the ICT career path whether in engineering, design, operations or research.

    The International Girls in ICT Day is a global celebrations and it is an initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to raise awareness on empowering and encouraging girls and young women to consider studies and careers in ICTs. To date over 177,000 girls and young women have taken a part in more than 5,300 events held in 150 countries worldwide.

  • Buhari to transform Nigeria with ICT – SGF

    Buhari to transform Nigeria with ICT – SGF

    President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to use Information and Communications Technology to drive the change agenda of his administration and diversify the nation’s economy, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Eng. Babachir Lawal, has said.

    According to him, the journey had started with the use of ICT and the digital platform to fight corruption and insecurity in the country.

    The SGF made the remarks Tuesday while declaring open the 14th Innovation Africa Digital Summit 2016 organised by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Galaxy Backbone Limited at Transcorp Hotel, Abuja.

    He told participants at the 2016 Summit, among whom were the Ministers of Communications from Ethopia, Lesotho, and Sierra Leone, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winiefred Ita-Oyo that the event was a new dawn for African countries to leverage on ICT and digital platforms to transform their socio-economic outlook.

    The SGF said besides other global issues such as climate change and insecurity, the Buhari administration remains committed to leverage on the opportunities in the ICT sector to ensure socio-economy transformation of the country through massive employment generation, fight against corruption, poverty and insecurity.

    He assured that the government would continue to support all efforts geared towards the diversification of the nation’s economic base to provide more opportunities for Nigerians and improve the wellbeing of the people.

    The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winiefred Ita-Oyo said henceforth human capacity development; examinations and assessments of civil servants for promotion would be digitally driven to curtail the problem of ghost workers in the service.

    She said it has become imperative for the nation’s public service to be part of the digital movement in that it would improve facts and records keeping in personnel and pay roll management system in the service and impact positive on service delivery in the country.

    The Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu described the summit as opportunity for the present administration to leverage the benefits of the digital revolution, innovation and convergance of technology to kickstart a new digitally smart Nigeria.

    He added that the government was partnering with the South-Korea government on e-government initiative, stressing that a roadmap would soon be unveiled by the government to usher in a digitally smart government with ripple effects on the Nigerian economy.

    He said government would bank on industry analyst’s suggestion that the ICT tools and devices, softwares solution, IT outsourcing and the e-commerce sector could employ over 40 million Nigerians and contribute billions of dollars to the economy to open channels of growth and development of the sector.

    The Minister said: “It is worthy to note that government is also fast tracking initiatives to expidite the penetration of reliable and affordable broadband plan for a robust internet services available in the country. This is aimed at improved economic development and several business growth.

    “I am working and looking forward to having a country with strong, diversified, sustainable and competitive economy that effectively harnesses the talents and energies of its people and responsibly exploits its natural endowments and ICT potential so as to guarantee a high standard of living and quality of life to our citizens.”

  • Lagos laws now available online – Attorney General

    Lagos laws now available online – Attorney General

    Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, says the state has floated an online platform for all its laws.

    The platform is www.laws.lagosstate.gov.ng.

    The initiative, according to him, is to create easy access to the laws, thereby promoting accountability on the part of the state government and also enhance citizens’ responsibility.

    “The project is one of the commitments of the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration to drive governance and administration of justice in the state through ICT.

    “This digital platform is the first of its kind, and another eloquent testimony to the `tradition of excellence’ for which Lagos is known.

    “It enables everyone to search, view and download the laws anywhere in the world by just the click of a button,’’ Kazeem said in statement.

    A copy of the statement, signed by Mrs. Bola Akingbade, Deputy Director, Public Affairs, in the ministry, was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said the publication of the laws is in line with the directive of the governor towards ensuring that the recently launched 2015 Revised Laws of Lagos State are accessible by the public.

    NAN also reports that Ambode had on Dec. 8, 2015, announced that hard copies of the laws would be complemented with an online digital version.

    The attorney-general said debit cards — Mastercard, Visa, Verve — and the Interswitch had been integrated into the online platform.

    He urged encouraged lawyers and the public to visit the site and make their purchases.

     

  • ICT tool for poverty eradication, says NCC chief

    ICT tool for poverty eradication, says NCC chief

    The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Dmabatta has identified the deployment of information communication technology (ICT) tool as a veritable weapon against mass poverty in the country.

    Dambatta, who addressed participants of the Senior Executive Course No 38 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, said the ICT industry is the next frontier for poverty eradication, especially now that the fortunes of oil and gas have crashed.

    “The poverty level in Nigeria is not a true reflection of our population size, natural and envionmental endowments. This is because the poverty level in the country contradicts the country’s immense wealth.

    “The challenge encountered by developing nations is no longer poverty in its traditional sense, but a lack of access to ICT tools and the vast potential derivable from ICT. ICTs have the potential to combat poverty, be it rural or urban poverty,’’ he was quoted to have said in a statement endorsed at the weekend by the Special Assistant (Media) to the EVC, Yakubu Musa.

    The NCC chief said one of the major challenges for the poor is inability to access information due to inadequate infrastructure, ignorance or illiteracy, lamenting that the nation currently has a broadband penetration level of about seven per cent.

    “For most developing countries, particularly those with large populations, inadequate infrastructure has made it difficult to participate as equal partners in the worldwide enterprise of knowledge production and dissemination,” he said, arguing that the effects are: “unequal distribution of access to resources and opportunities in the new economy.”

    Dambatta added: “In Nigeria, ICT must be considered a critical key driver for social development and economic growth. To stimulate the economy particularly in production, agriculture and intellectual property, we should aim to improve ICT penetration in both mobile telephony and broadband services to all parts of the country no matter how remote.”

    He further maintained that ICT interaction and usage in critical sectors such as agriculture, health, trade, finance, insurance and transport should be increased since it would automatically affect the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), improve quality of life, reduce dependency on forex and improve the value of naira.

     

     

     

    He, however, noted that, ICTs are not simply a connection between people, but a link in the chain of the development process; and its contribution to socio-economic development cannot be over-emphasised. “It goes without saying that ICTs have the potential to combat poverty, be it rural or urban poverty. It will also foster sustainable development if appropriately deployed and made to address the diverse discrepancy in the ICT needs of people of all locations, age group and economic status,” he said.

    He said investment in ICT alone was not enough for development to occur and be sustained or for poverty to be eradicated, noting that successful ICT poverty reduction interventions could only be achieved with an enabling environment, participation of the private sector and non-governmental organisations, free flow of information, access to ICT by women and youths, and capacity building.

    “Consequently, ICTs may be regarded as an enabler of other developmental efforts and infrastructure required for sustainable development. Only a banquet of strategies duly implemented can attempt to resolve the global menace of poverty.

    “For most developing countries, particularly those with large populations inadequate infrastructure has made it difficult to participate as equal partners in the worldwide enterprise of knowledge production and dissemination.”

    Danbatta argued that ICTs are critical resource in the promotion of socio-economic development, with a potency to alleviate poverty which is caused as a result of lack of access to ICT tools and know-how.