Telecom
Human Capital Development Is Critical in Repositioning NASENI – Halilu
Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has stated that investing in human capital development and staff motivation remain the best ways of repositioning the Agency into a power-house of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) at the global scene.
In his keynote address, at the opening ceremony of a 5-Day training for Information, New Media and Protocol staff of the Agency, drawn from the Headquarters and Institutes, on New Media and Protocol Strategies for a Modern Government Agency in the 21st century, held on Monday at the Exclusive Serene Hotel, Wuye, Abuja, Mr. Halilu said that investing in staff training and development was vital for the success of any organization.
According to him, “We are building a new NASENI where one of the overarching goals is to have well trained employees with knowledge and requisite technical, vocational and management skills required for the Agency’s growth and technology advancement. He said this reorientation would equip us to bring to fruition the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed TinubuAdministration and also the Eight Priority Areas of the administration.”
Buttressing the mandate of the Agency, the NASENI boss noted that the Agency’s mission is to drive Nigeria’s rapid industrialization through the new three Cs of Collaboration, Creation and Commercialization.
He added that in the past four months since he took over the leadership of NASENI, the Agency has embarked on new partnerships and collaborations aimed at turning NASENI’s over 150 scientific and technological prototypes, products and intellectual properties rights (IPR) into finished products.
“We have signed multibillion dollars new Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) and revived old ones with international technical partners to establish coal-based fertilizer plant, Lithium processing and Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing plant, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Agric afforestation, smart solar irrigation, tractor repairs and crop traceability for food security,” he further explained.
He said that the 5-Day intensive training programme will enable information and Protocol staff of the Agency to catch-up with the current trends and international standards required for Mastering the Intricacies of New Media and Protocol Strategies that would take the Agency to greater heights.
“We have assembled about forty-one (41) staff responsible for information and protocol activities from ourHeadquarters and Institutes to benefit from this training. This training will upskill the crop of staffto communicate our new strategy and partnerships to different publics”, he stated.
He said that he was confident that by the end of the training, the staff of Information, Protocol and New Media Unit would be equipped with requisite skills to be at par with contemporaries in the public and private sectors as well as those in international sphere.
The Coordinating Director, Engineering Infrastructure, Prof. Bagudu Dansheu Gwadangaji who was ably represented by Engr. Dr. Olayode Olasupo urged the Information Staff to adapt to new media and protocol strategies to ensure the continued success and relevance of NASENI.
Encouraging the participants, he said, “Your presence at this training signifies not only personal and professional growth but also a collective effort to enhance our capabilities as a forward-thinking government agency.”
“I encourage you to actively engage in the sessions, collaborate with your peers, and absorb the wealth of knowledge that this training has to offer. The insights gained here will understandably contribute to your skills, allowing you to make valuable contributions to our ICT initiatives, he said.
Also, the Coordinating Director, Science Infrastructure, Prof Umar Ibrahim Gaya stated that the theme of the training was timely as it will equip participants with necessary skills and tools to combat fake news which can affect organizations negatively.
“When you talk about NASENI, so many things come to mind. As an Agency with first line charge from the Federation Account, there is likely to be fake news out there about us. Therefore, this training will help equip the participants to separate information from misinformation and misrepresentation. We hope your deliberations will help the EVC/CEO and Management to achieve the Agency’s mandate. Prof. Gaya added.
In his welcome address, the Director of Information, Protocol and New Media Unit, Mr. SegunAyeoyenikan commended the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Halilu for making staff motivation, development and productivity top priorities in his agenda since he assumed the position as EVC/CEO barely four Months ago.
He said in an era defined by rapid advancement, the training was a crucial step towards navigating the complexities of digital age, adding that the new slogan in the media profession and business world is “You either communicate or you are easily forgotten, because of the complexities or sophistication of the society wherein we live today”
Throwing more light on the training, he said the training for the Communication and Media arm of the Agency, the first of its kind in 33 years, was indeed timely with the wave of reforms currently sweeping across the Agency with the coming on board of a Techpreneur, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu.
“The Information, New Media and Protocol Department play a critical role of projecting the image, products, mission and vision of the Agencyamongst its technology end-users and critical stakeholders”, he said.
“The EVC/CEO has committed to building a 21st century institution built on the 3 core principles of Collaboration, Creation and Commercialization guided by a strategic corporate plan which ensures that NASENI’s human and material resources are optimally harnessed with a view to achieving the Federal Government’s Industrialization drive.
While welcoming the participants to the training, he pointed out that the training marked the beginning of a journey towards an enhanced popularization of digital skills communication and knowledge sharing within the NASENI Headquarters and Institutes’ Information and Protocol, more effectively.
Pointing out that the knowledge acquired from this training promised to reposition NASENI into one of the foremost agencies of the Federal Government, he called on all the participants to see the training as a call to duty and to ensure use of the opportunity and strive for excellence.
Seamfix, a global digital identity solutions provider, has secured $4.5 million from Alitheia IDF, a gender lens investing fund, in a private equity funding round.
Seamfix executives
The firm plans to use the new capital injection to scale its technology infrastructure that underpins its solutions, improve data flow crucial for continental trade and integration, and kickstart the expansion of its digital ID and credential services into five new African countries.
“We are thrilled to announce this new funding, which marks a significant milestone in our journey of shaping the future of digital ID verification in Africa and connecting Africa to the rest of the world.” Chimezie Emewulu, group CEO, and co-founder of Seamfix, said.
”Digital identity is a right – not a privilege – and this belief underpins our innovation and commitment to enabling individuals and businesses in Africa to access all the benefits that come with having verifiable identities. This investment not only validates our vision but also empowers us to expand our reach and innovate further.”
Starting in Nigeria, Seamfix provides identity creation, verification and transaction accreditation solutions for large organisations and government agencies across multiple African countries.
The new funding represents Seamfix’s first institutional investment, and it will enable the company to expand its services to Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Uganda.
Digital ID and verification systems are crucial to unlocking significant economic value across Africa’s growing and increasingly digital societies.
From financial participation and efficiency in government services to public health and job creation, digital ID and verification systems are a fundamental driver of economic growth on the continent. A recent report suggested that African countries that implement effective digital ID systems can boost their GDP by up to 13 percent.
Since the company was founded by Chimezie Emewulu and Chibuzor Onwurah, Seamfix has been at the cutting edge of delivering end-to-end digital ID and credentials solutions for connecting businesses and individuals to the disparate identity databases in Africa and across the world.
The company has delivered a wide range of solutions for organizations such as Veremark, Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission [NIMC], telcos (MTN, Glo, Airtel and 9 Mobile), financial institutions (United Bank for Africa, Interswitch and Union Bank) and more, enabling them and their customers globally to seamlessly create, verify and access trusted digital identities and services.
Seamfix’s key achievements include the successful development of a digital solution enabling widespread access to National Identification Numbers (NINs) for more than 100 million Nigerians.
Seamfix also supported Nigerian telecommunications services providers, to register and verify a database of over 200 million Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) to comply with Nigerian Communications Commission regulations.
Seamfix currently works with major telcos across Africa (Nigeria, Côte D’Ivoire, Liberia, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau and more) on their SIM registration, verification and linkage to national identities. Thousands of fintechs and SMEs rely on Seamfix’s verification APIs for KYC checks during customer onboarding and employee background checks.
Seamfix’s digital credential platform has also transformed the credential issuance and certification process for multiple universities across Africa, powering them to issue instantly verifiable credentials and transforming the process of certifying credentials such as student transcripts and other official documents from over 6 months to a matter of days.
This transformation has also been responsible for more than 2,000 per cent growth in internally generated revenue at these universities.
Telecom
MainOne Restates Commitment to Powering West Africa’s Digital Ecosystem, Repairs its Submarine Cable
MainOne, an Equinix Company, has concluded the repair of its submarine cable following an outage which occurred on Thursday, March 14, 2024.
Working closely with regional partners, maintenance providers, vessel owners, and permitting authorities, MainOne completed the necessary repairs to its submarine cable system, thanks to the diligent efforts of all stakeholders and has resumed regular operations with the utmost integrity of its submarine cable.
During this period, MainOne provided restoration capacity and rerouted traffic on its network to minimize the impact on its customers.
Funke Opeke, the Managing Director of MainOne, expressed gratitude to all stakeholders for their support through the incidence, “We are immensely grateful for the support and collaboration of our partners, the patience of our valued customers, and the unwavering commitment of our team during this outage”.
MainOne’s resilience in the face of the recent outage demonstrates the company’s commitment to its customers and the region’s digital transformation.
Federal government has said that it will fully utilise potentials of the satellite technology by harnessing its benefits to advance national development.
Mr Festus Keyamo, minister of Aviation and Aerospace Technology, stated this at the inauguration of the 28th Meeting of the AFI Satellite Network Management Committee (SNMC), recently in Abuja.
According to Keyamo, satellite technology offers myriad of solutions to address complex needs of the nation’s aviation sector from enhancing air traffic management systems to improving weather forecasting capabilities.
“By leveraging these capabilities; we can enhance safety, increase efficiency, and unlock new avenues for growth and prosperity. I stand before you with a deep appreciation for the transformative power of satellite technology.
“In a world that is increasingly interconnected, satellite networks serve as the backbone of modern aviation, enabling safer, more efficient and more sustainable air travel.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria has set for itself priority areas for the transformation of the nation. These priority areas are focused on improved livelihood, economic outcomes, harnessing human resources and fairer and safer playing field,” Keyamo said.
He said that aviation has been identified as an enabler of growth, considering its role as a catalyst for economic growth and security of the nation as regards its benefits.
The ministry, he said, launched an ambitious agenda to develop the aviation and aerospace sector in the country.
According to him, the ministry aims to create a safe, efficient, and sustainable aviation system that supports economic growth, job creation and national security.
“Our strategy includes – modernising our airports and air navigation infrastructure; developing a robust aviation safety and security framework, encouraging private sector investment in the sector, building a skilled workforce and promoting research and development.
“In order to achieve our goal, we have recognised the pivotal role satellite technology is to play. The ongoing AIS Automation project, that is to provide AMHS to our ATM system, relies on the VSAT network.
“Nigeria is also upgrading its multiplexers to NETPERFORMER in accordance with Conclusion 27/04 of the 27th SNMC meeting held in Accra in 2019″.
The minister said the effort was part of various projects aimed at improving safety and efficiency of aviation in the country that were highly dependent on satellite technologies.
According to him, the committee’s role is vital in promoting the development and use of satellite technology in the aviation sector to ensure safe and efficient management of satellite networks in the region.
“I urge you all to continue working together to harness the full potential of AFISNET. Let us collaborate by coming up with network concepts and topologies that will assist in achieving relevant ATM operational requirements;
“Also ensuring the continuous operation of AFISNET to meet the AFI and global CNS/ATM plans; addressing the challenges of spectrum management and interference; promoting international cooperation and knowledge sharing.
“Also by deciding on the type and level of service to be provided by the network,” he said.
Keyamo said commitment to harnessing the power of satellite networks was for convenience and a strategic imperative that underpinned collective aspirations for economic growth, social development, and global competitiveness.
He urged members of the committee to forge a cohesive and resilient satellite network ecosystem that would empower the aviation industry to soar to new heights.
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