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Tag: ICT

  • SMEDAN to empower ICT entrepreneurs with grants

    Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has said it will provide grants and training for ICT entrepreneurs to enable them compete effectively in the global market.

    SMEDAN Director-General Dikko Radda disclosed this during a workshop titled: Commercialisation empowerment schemes for Knowledge-Based ICT entrepreneurs with innovation, held yesterday in Lagos

    Radda, represented by Friday Okpara of the Strategic Partnership and Liaison Department at SMEDAN, said the programme was designed to deliver hand-own commercialisation-based business development scheme to a number of selected entrepreneurs with innovative ICT ideas/products at various stages of development.

    The scheme, he said was demand-driven  and meant to enhance the capacities of these innovators to be able to fill market gaps with their products through sustainable ICT Value addition and wealth creation empowerment packages.

    “The programme has been scheduled to hold in Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt, where 30 entrepreneurs will be trained, empowered and their most viable products patented. The SMEDAN has been collaborating with Office for ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIIE) in the planning and implementation of the training and start-up empowerment components of the programme,” he said.

    He said SMEDAN has planned to collaborate with National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) and Patent Office of Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to file and obtain patents for innovative and viable products  that will emerge on day three of the exercise.

    He said the OIIE provided the platform used for the selection of these 30 entrepreneurs per location out of the numbers that responded to our call for status update.

    “It is our hope that entrepreneurs selected will demonstrate elementary commercial viability of their innovative products so as to merit further marked access, hand-holding business Development Services that will be deployed thereafter,” he said.

    “Identifying ways to successfully commercialize scientific discoveries is especially important in Nigeria where the gap between high levels of scientific performance and these discoveries’ present minimal contributions to industrial industrials competitiveness and new venture entrepreneurship appears particularly large,”he added.

    “One possible way of supporting technology innovators is to commercialize their products as well as support them through the provision of science parks, clusters and protect their intellectual property. The performance of a national economy in terms of innovation and productivity is not only the result of its basic research capabilities and inventions,” he said.

    Radda said SMEDAN will continue to strive for excellence and strategic growth through forming strong partnerships with reputable public and private institutions. This is in order to build and all-inclusive and conducive business-to-business and access to market environment.

    He added that the agency is one of the key partners in the implementation of the open air business clinics where all regulatory agencies are present to diagnose ad solve most of the teething problems that confront MSMEs in Nigeria.

  • INEC insists on transmitting Ekiti, Osun election results electronically 

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Monday insisted that it would transmit the results of this year’s Ekiti and Osun State governorship elections electronically.

    According to its commissioner Muhammed Mustafa Lecky, one of the innovations that the commission is adopting for the 2019 elections is the electronic transmission of results and it has “come to the conclusion that this will be done come Ekiti and Osun elections.”

    He made this disclosure at the roundtable of The Electoral Institute (TEI) in Abuja. The theme of discussion was “Anambra Governorship Election: A Post-Mortem and Lessons for Ekiti and Osun States Governorship Polls.”

    The chairman of the Institute, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, had asked the commissioner to give an update on the electronic transmission of results.

    Lecky noted that INEC has discussed with the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and all the telecom companies that have assured it of the feasibility of transmitting the results electronically.

    His words: “we have begun discussions with the Nigerian Communication Commission, and we have also discussed with MTN, Etisalat and all other telecommunication companies in Nigeria. We have been having meetings with them.”

    Lecky said from the last week Tuesday meeting, the telecom companies assured the commission in the successful electronic transmission of the results.

    The commission, he said, has taken steps to ensure the functionality of the card reader, stressing that “the aperture where you do the scanning of the finger has been enlarged.”

    He said that the smart card reader has been enhanced to function better in the two states elections, and measures are underway for the commission to improve on them in the 2019 elections.

    The chairman revealed that there are steps to “document the Voter Identification Number the Permanent Voters Cards to trace the phone numbers of the owners in order to send them text messages informing them where their PVCs are.”

    He however insisted that despite the effort, it remains the responsibility of the owners to collect them.

    He added that the commission is trying to make copies of the PVCs so that our registration area officers and other staff at the local government level and see how they can identify the owners for collection.

    The commission, according to him, is doing its best to ensure that the PVCs are collected, stressing that “the onus is still on the owners to collect his or her PVCs.”

    A discussant from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Stella Okunna, advised the INEC to avoid late arrival of election materials and prevent electoral officers from being induced.

    She charged the commission to ensure that its equipment would work and compel the operators of the ICT to function ethically during the Ekiti and Osun state governorship election.

    She recalled that voting buying took place under the nose of the police, INEC officers and others authorities unmolested during the last Anambra  State governorship election.

    She urged the government to deploy the army to arrest the situation if the police allow vote buying.

    Read Also: Osun Guber Poll: INEC releases timetable

  • FG to deploy ICT-based tracking system for policy, project implementation

    The Federal Government says it will soon deploy an ICT-based electronic monitoring and evaluation system to track programmes, policies and projects approved by the Executive Council.

    Mr Chuks Nwagu, the Assistant Director of Press in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

    Nwagu quoted Mr William Alo, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, in the office of the SGF, as saying the system was aimed at “immutable efficiency and high effectiveness’’ in monitoring implementation of government’s decisions.

    The permanent secretary spoke at a training programme for staff of Policy and Monitoring of Government Decisions Department (PIMGD) of the proposed system in Abuja.

    Represented by Mr John Idakwo, a deputy director in his office, Alo reportedly noted that over the years, the PIMGD had been carrying out its mandate manually.

    Data generated, he said, were stored in hard and soft copies making their preservation and retrieval difficult and cumbersome.

    He urged the staff engaged in the training to make the most effective use of the knowledge gained to enhance their productivity.

    NAN

  • ICT proficiency to be considered in judges’ promotion – CJN

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen has said that proficiency in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) will soon became an item in considering promotion of judicial officers.

    Onnghen urges judges and magistrates to enhance their knowledge of ICT usage and ensure they in continuous learning as the society, more than ever before, expects a smart and efficient judiciary.

    He urged judcial officers and magistrates to always be guided by their code of conduct to enable the Judiciary retain its integrity and confidence in the eyes of the public.

    The CJN spoke at the 2018 refresher course for magistrates, organised by the National Judicial Institute, Abuja. It has as its theme: “Promoting excellence in the administration of judtice in the lower courts.”

    Onnoghen said the course is intended to renew the culture of excellence and create avenue for magistrates from different jurisdictions to exchange ideas and enhance their professional skills.

    He said: “I urge you to ensure that you are proficient in the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

    “Indeed, I must inform you that e-proficiency will become a veritable pre-requisite for career advancement within our Judiciary in no distant future.

    “Therefore, it will be in your own interest to key in these reforms, in order not to be left behind like a fossil, while the rest of the Judiciary make the evolutionary leap into an automated Judiciary.

    “No doubt, technology has gradually transformed the manner in which activities in our courts are carried out, such as service of court processes, record keeping and retrieval of data and other operations.

    “I therefore urge you to embrace technology in discharging your judicial responsibilities within the ambit of the law.

    “Let me remind you that with the rapid growth of our population and advancement in technologies, the challenges of dispute resolution in the 21st Century are enormous.

    “We are therefore faced with an ever present clamour and demand for speedy, affordable and efficient administration of justice.

    “Our ability to respond to the growing demands of judicial services goes a long way in determining our credibility and integrity. “You will agree with me that we must continuously rise to the occasion in order to justify public confidence reposed in the Judiciary.

    “It is pertinent to remind you as magistrates, that you must be mindful of your professional duties as well as the ethical content of our Code of Conduct for Judicial officers.

    “It is an indispensible guide to the proper conduct and performance of your duties. The Code ode Conduct for judicial officers embodies the best ethical practices that we must adopt if we are to uphold our independence and respect for the rule of law.

    “I urge you to always take charge of your courts in the discharge of your judicial functions.

    “You must remain diligent, conscientious and imbibe the fear of the Almighty God in the discharge of your duties,” Onnoghen said.

  • Vodacom: early exposure to ICT good for kids

    Vodacom Business Nigeria has stressed the need to  expose kids to new trends, such as Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the information communication technology (ICT).

    The firm organised a robotics training for 36 pupils of S.S. Peter & Paul Nursery and Primary School, Ikate, Elegushi, Lagos.

    The school is run by Loving Gaze, an independent non-profit organisation, which serves the underprivileged communities in the state. The pupils, aged between eight and 10, through a practical course on robotics, were given the opportunity to learn about the integration of IoT in robotics and its growing relevance in various areas of modern life.

    The pupils were taught how to build, programme and control robots, drones and other AI innovations. This demonstrated the essential nature of technology in various aspects of everyday life, including securing lives and property. As a practical demonstration of this, students were shown how drones could be used for a wide range of services in today’s world. This includes the delivery of medication and lifesaving supplies to remote locations in emergency situations, which is already happening in some locations around the world. They were also given a tour of the company’s facilities, exposing them to the importance of connectivity and telecommunications technology in today’s digital world.

    Senior Manager, Product Portfolio, Vodacom Business Nigeria, Abu Etu, said: “As part of our commitment to empower the next generation in Nigeria through ICT, Vodacom believes that it is important to promote training for pupils at the primary level of education. This will prepare them from the early stages of their lives for the post-digital age, which will demand technical knowledge and skills.”

    General Manager, Loving Gaze, Barbara Pepoli, said: “We are excited that our pupils had the opportunity to learn new things beyond the walls of the classroom. Getting children interested in technology is very important for our school and this field trip is a great way to make technology come to life for our pupils.”

  • Vodacom seeks early exposure of kids to ICT

    Vodacom Business Nigeria has stressed the need for kids  to be exposed early in life to  information communication technology (ICT).

    The firm which organised robotics training for 36 pupils of S.S. Peter & Paul Nursery and Primary School, Ikate, Elegushi, Lagos, said new trends such as Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are fast gaining global traction.

    Speaking on the occasion, its Senior Manager, Product Portfolio, Abu Etu, said: “As part of our commitment to empower the next generation in Nigeria through ICT, Vodacom believes that it is important to promote training for pupils at the primary level of education. This will prepare them from the early stages of their lives for the post-digital age, which will demand technical knowledge and skills.”

    Also speaking, the General Manager, Loving Gaze, Barbara Pepoli, said: “We are excited that our pupils had the opportunity to learn new things beyond the walls of the classroom.”

    Getting children interested in technology is very important for our school and this field trip is a great way to make technology come to life for our pupils.”

     

  • VC: OAU ICT Park’ll align skills with job market

    The Obafemi Awolowo University ICT Knowledge Park (OAK-Park), African Centre of Excellence (ACE), Ife, Nigeria was designed to address the dearth of information communication technology (ICT) personnel in the country, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede, has said.

    Speaking with The Nation on the sideline of a one-day forum tagged: Academia/Industry Engagement at Lagos Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, he said over the years, the skills available have not been speaking to available jobs in the market.

    According to him, the system has placed so much emphasis on the theoretical aspect of learning. He added that the ACE, backed with the World Bank, will bring about a paradigm shift as students would be exposed to practical aspect of engineering programmes.

    “Job creation is the crucial thing for us. What has been happening over the years is that we have been so theoretical in our approach. But the ACE programme, we are introducing the practical day-to-day aspects of engineering to our students. We are, through this project, sending our students to the industry for practical experience and we are also bringing in captains of industry to also talk to the students because we have laboratories where they have equipment to develop their own projects; we have incubators where they could stay and advance whatever they have developed before it will be commercialised. This is more of a deviation from the past and a movement towards practical exposure as opposed to the theoretical framework that people have been emphasising.

    “We already have 15 post-graduate programmes running including cybersecurity and other newer areas of ICT,” Prof Ogunbodede said.

    Also speaking, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, OAU, Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi said the ACE project is a World Bank sponsored initiative to rapidly build capacity in Africa in some identified domains of knowledge, adding that OAU is one of the 16 centres in Africa being supported by the global bank.

    He said the OAU ACE aims to create a regionally-recognised and acknowledged model that is driven by high quality postgraduate education for uptake and commercialisation of research and technology to advance the growth of ICT industry. The centre is actively providing launch pad for start-up companies borne out of university research activities, and collaboration with partnering ICT companies especially along Lagos axis, who will have the competitive advantage of proximity and direct access to the intellectual infrastructure and output of the university.

    “The ACE project is to develop a centre of excellence in ICT as a training hub in software engineering for   Nigeria and other countries in the sub-region; develop the next generation of scientists, researchers, teachers, entrepreneurs and product developers in the area of ICT through appropriate practice-anchored capacity building measures and enrolling new postgraduate students from Nigeria and the sub-region; stimulate creativity and excellence in research and innovation in ICT applicable to other fields and related to regional developmental objectives, in postgraduate students, with opportunities for industrial research uptake through the centre model; expand learning opportunities for postgraduate students in all the sectors, by deploying existing and new developments in ICT, for which OAU is leading in the sub-region, ,” he said.

    According to Dr Ogunbiyi, a major component of the project is the linkage between academia and industry hence this engagement, adding that the forum will stimulate a more robust engagement between the university and industry; and birth a new thinking in the relationship between university, industry and government.

    He said: “We want to create a platform where OAU and the industries here can jointly identify challenges plaguing our society and through well-grounded research provides solutions to the identified challenges. The intent here is that such solutions be innovative and can be commercialised.   There is an emerging OAU Knowledge Park from the Africa Centre of Excellence project. “

  • Paradigm Initiative Trained 667 Youths in 2017  

    Paradigm Initiative, a prominent social enterprise in the ICT sector, has revealed how it provided free training in ICT and entrepreneurship to 667 youths in 2017. This is contained in the 2017 Annual Report of the organization recently released to the public.

    The Lagos-based organisation operates three training centres in Ajegunle (Lagos), Aba (Abia) and Dakata (Kano) where it runs its LIFE program that is dedicated to empowering young people in under served communities with life-changing Life skills in ICT, Financial readiness and Entrepreneurship skills. The LIFE program, which took off in Ajegunle in 2007, has now trained over 5, 000 in its eleven years of existence.

    In 2017 alone, Paradigm Initiative graduated 248 trainees who successfully completed the 10-week intensive training program at its three centres. The organisation trained 96 persons through its newly-introduced LIFE@School program. Another 332 female beneficiaries participated in various digital readiness workshop organised by the organisation. This brought the total number of  beneficiaries of Paradigm Initiative’s digital inclusion efforts in 2017 to 667.

    Gbenga Sesan, the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, expressed his delight over the success of the programme.

    “While our focus is on impact and not numbers, we are glad to see that more under-served youth are getting connected to opportunities through our digital inclusion and digital rights programs.”

    Read Alone: Paradigm Initiative Commends Passage of Digital Rights Bill

    Besides the impressive numbers, the organisation also recorded definitive impact on its trainees. Tosin Abolaji, the organisation’s Digital Inclusion program manager, said, “For many of our trainees, the LIFE program is their first productive contact with a computer system. Within ten weeks, we introduce them to the use of computer, Office Suite, web and graphics design, and programming languages, among other things. They leave our centres with useful skills that have seen many alumni’s earning abilities improve significantly. We give them a solid foundation that could be leveraged for a career in the ICT sector or outside it.”

    “We don’t just provide free training, we also follow up with alumni to help them put their newly-acquired skill to use. For instance, 15 of our 2016 trainees got internship opportunities while 147 of them are now using their skills as employees or as entrepreneurs. This is the kind of impact we live for.”

    In preparation for the 2018 cycle of training, the organisation recently replaced all the desktop computers at the training centres with new, high-functioning laptops. The centres also received new power generating sets.  The organization said its investment in the new equipment is to ensure its students learn under the best of conditions.

    According to Favour Obiorah, an alumnus of the training program, “The LIFE program has made a very big difference in my life, because I can now design websites for business owners. I can now write out a business plan, map market strategies and how to target the market for me to succeed as an entrepreneur.”

    The organisation credited its ability to reach so many youths across three different states to the kind support of its partners especially “Intel Corporation, through its She Will Connect Initiative”.

  • Ondo Govt. distributes 362 ICT tablets

    Ondo Govt. distributes 362 ICT tablets

     

    Ondo State Government on Tuesday began the distribution of 362 data management tools known as clinipak tablets to health workers to enhance primary healthcare delivery across 18 local government areas of the state.

    The distribution was inaugurated by Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, who was represented by Dr Wahab Adegbenro, the state Commissioner for Health in Akure on Tuesday.

    He said that the state government decided to embark on the project to enhance effective management of health information data, which was key to the delivery of qualitative healthcare.

    According to him, health workers had earlier been trained on the use of the ICT tools.

    He added that the state procured the tablets while the technical partner, Instar Global Health Solution, designed and installed the Clinipak application.

    Read Also: SSG: Akeredolu’s govt will uplift Ondo

    The governor said that the tools had been tested and proven to be the ideal solution for data management.

    Akeredolu commended the state health workers for working tirelessly to put the state at the forefront in healthcare delivery.

    He urged them to hit the ground running as the tablets were meant to improve both their efficiency and effectiveness.

    In his remark, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on ICT, Mr Olumbe Akinkugbe, applauded the state Primary Healthcare Development Board for the initiative, which he said would enhance healthcare delivery.

    Akinkugbe expressed delight that the state was moving in the right direction using modern ICT tools in the management of health information data.

    Similarly, Mr Abiola Oshunniyi, Director, Business Development International, said that with the Clinipak application, health facilities in the state would move from just collecting and reporting patients data to leveraging on mobile solutions for improved decision from facility level to the policy making level.

    Oshunniyi added that the application was currently being used in some states in Nigeria, but that of Ondo State was the largest deployment.

    NAN

     

     

  • Edo partners NIGCOMSAT on deployment of e-learning facilities in schools

    Edo partners NIGCOMSAT on deployment of e-learning facilities in schools

    The Edo State Government has commenced negotiations with the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) for the provision of e-learning facilities in schools across the state.

    Commissioner for Science and Technology, Hon. Emmanuel Agbale, disclosed this in a chat with journalists shortly after a meeting between the state government officials and representatives of NIGCOMSAT, at the Government House, Benin City on Monday.

    Agbale said the state government was fine-tuning details of the partnership, adding, “Godwin Obaseki led-administration means business with the plan to deploy technology in enhancing teaching and learning in schools across the state.”

    According to him, “The state government is partnering with NIGCOMSAT because it has the capacity to provide solutions required for the deployment of technologies for teaching and learning in schools. NIGCOMSAT will also organise the training of teachers to manage the ICT facilities to be deployed in schools.

    “We have concluded arrangement for capacity building and development of science and Information and Communication Technology labs in schools across the state, already.”

    On his part, Executive Director, Marketing and Business Development, NIGCOMSAT, Mr. Samson Osagie, said NIGCOMSAT provides satellite services and solutions to improve teaching and learning in schools.

    He said, “NIGCOMSAT is ready to assist Governor Obaseki to develop science, technology and innovation to deliver effective governance in the state.”

    Osagie added that the partnership with Edo State Government was part of the pilot scheme of NIGCOMSAT to showcase its potential in providing seamless connectivity and satellite communication solutions, noting, “The deployment of e-learning facilities for teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools would raise the quality and standard of education in the state.”