General News
Fibre Optics Reduces Latency to 30% –Obioha
Phillip Obioha is the chief operating officer of Computer Warehouse Group and managing director of DCC Networks, Communications subsidiary of the group. He studied Electrical Electronic with options in Digital Electronics in the United States before coming to Nigeria. In his over two decades experience in Information and communications Technology industry, he worked with Inlaks as the Engineering Services manager and worked briefly with Spring Bank before joining CWG. He spoke to chike onwuegbuchi on how the plans of the group to revolutionize service delivery in the industry.
Zero Downtime in Banks
Yes, there can be zero downtime. As you are aware, anything that is of electronic component can go down at any point in time. The main issue is what is your response time and do you have a fault tolerance system around it? Again, the system we are building now, the MPLS network, is part of the advantages. When fibre is available, we will provide terrestrial connectivity to the site, then back it up with satellite so that if one goes down, the other would go up. The terrestrial network we are giving out is going to come with what we call traffic engineering. The whole idea is that if a fibre from a particular network gets cut, your network is up and running and for some we are going to have the satellite that was there to be a backup. By the time we finished the traffic engineering on our MPLS network, we will have zero downtime, because if one goes down, you have an alternative that will keep your network running. That is what we call a fault tolerant network and that is what we are building. We have 99.7 percent uptime on our networks but for anything that is electronically based, it has to go down at one point in time and that is why you have to build a fault tolerant system so that you can get zero percent downtime.
Affordability
We understand what the corporate environment is asking for, and what they are asking for is zero downtime systems and that is what we will give them. We would try to do that at a cost effective rate so we should be able to deliver this service to them at the same price they are already paying. It is something we have to make sure that they get.
Customer Support Services
You need to have a service desk, software driven tool where you have a number that people can reach you on when there is a problem. When they call, somebody picks the call, log it into the system and then from there try to solve the problem at the Network Operating Centre (NOC) immediately. If they do not fix it within a certain period of time, for instance 20 to 30 minutes, then a field engineer is dispatched. We have regional support offices so if you are to respond to a call from Sokoto, you do not start from Lagos here. We have a regional office up north where somebody would respond so that. We have Service Level Agreements (SLAs) signed with people and the SLAs says that if there is a problem, I must be there within a certain time and I must fix your fault within a certain time we adhere strictly to this. We have built up a service organization that makes sure we keep to those SLAs that we have signed, so it is managed that way. It is not that somebody calls you and if the SLA is two hours, you cannot be there in four or five hours. You have to create a service organization to make sure the service centre makes sure the SLAs are met by having regional support centres. If the problem is not solved remotely from the Network Operating Centre, an engineer is dispatched from wherever depending on where the fault is so that he can be there on time to meet up with the SLAs.
DCC Unique Value Proposition
The first thing that distinguishes DCC Networks, I would say is people. We have very dedicated staff because our environment and business is one that uses people. Our greatest assets are our staff. Of course we have tools, we have five satellite hubs and we made the investment so that we will be able to deliver services to corporates. We are focused on corporates and we made the correct investments to be able to deliver those services. We are not running up from hubs, there are some companies running from hubs abroad or sharing hubs with other people. We are a Nigerian company and we have made the necessary investments. Beyond those investments and tools that you give people, we pride the people themselves as one of our greatest assets. They are highly motivated, they are well trained so that they will be empowered to go out there and do their jobs and do it well.
Managing Different Partners
We have what is called the Strategic Business Unit and in some of the companies they have what they call Product Champions. There we have people that interface with the OEMs, who manage the OEM relationships. We also have people who manage customer relationships from the other angle. The companies are different and they run independently.
Computer Warehouse Group
Computer Warehouse Group is an ICT Group that covers the whole spectrum of ICT- communications, hardware and software infrastructure. We have three different subsidiaries that focus on these areas. I will start with ExpertEdge Software Systems which is a software subsidiary of the Group. At ExpertEdge, we provide banking applications. Our flagship product is called Finacle, being run by about 11 banks and processes 60 percent of the total banking transactions in Nigeria because it runs in two largest banks of the 24 largest banks in the country, which are UBA and Fist Bank. Apart from that, ExpertEdge also implements SAP and Oracle and also provides enterprise security solution from Actimize. For Finacle, ExpertEdge has Infosys as partner. It also has SAP and Oracle as its partner and Actimize as partner for card applications. That is for the software angle.
The second one is the hardware infrastructure company, CWL Systems, which is where we started a long time ago in 1992 and is seen as a parent company, though we have a group name now. It is a hardware infrastructure company that provides hardware infrastructure right from the client, which is the desktop system to enterprise system. For the desktop, we mainly do Dell and for enterprise, we do Sun, IBM and HP but predominantly Sun Microsystems. We are a very strong partner to Sun. Beyond hardware infrastructure; we also do Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). We have deployed about 3,000 ATMs in Nigeria. We also provide storage solutions from EMC and NetApp.
The third company, which is the communications arm of the company, you know you need the hardware infrastructure and the software to run it and the equipment need to communicate with each other. The communications arm is called DCC Networks and was set up in 1998 as a Local Area Network (LAN) company before we went into enterprise networks using mainly satellite. We are very strong in satellite. We carry traffic for 21 out of the 24 banks on our satellite infrastructure. We also do systems integration mainly using Cisco products and we still do cabling and provide communications between sites or branches of banks using microwave technology. As for partners for DCC, we have Gilat Networks, we have Intelsat and others.
Agreement with Helios Towers
DCC is presently building a strong terrestrial network, I mean peerless network which is based on fibre at the backbone and the Wimax infrastructure for the last mile. That project is going on now and like I said we are strong in satellite, we are strong in the corporate environment. We provide services to banks, the manufacturing and the oil and gas. Satellite has its advantages and disadvantages. It is expensive and slow in terms of latency because of that, since fibre has become available, we went to NCC and we got the radio frequency license. With that, we are building terrestrial networks on which we are going to migrate our corporate customers to and then we will probably provide satellite as a back up. The advantage of fibre is the latency; it brings down the latency from 60 percent down under a few seconds to something less than 30 percent. We are also able to provide bigger pipes. Right now, everybody is talking about broadband; we would be talking about broadband in the true sense so that people would be able to do more. To build that infrastructure, we are partnering with Helios Towers, we are collocating our base stations which is why we had an agreement with Helios Towers. For the fibre, we are partnering with MTN, Multilinks and a couple of others.
Partnering with Underseas Cable Providers
The satellite we use is called VPN within a geographical area. We operate within the geographical area called Nigeria; we have nothing to do with the international gateway. We use fibre so that the connections can be more efficient. This is like a closed system- corporate connectivity so that banks’ applications, their SMS and emails would run through this network. For the international gateway, which is a pipe to the outside world, to the internet backbone, we have some services like paging that we provide based on some particular satellite infrastructure. If you want to connect them using fibre, terrestrial network, that is where SAT 3, MainOne, Glo 1, WACS come in. These pipes are bringing in connectivity to our international gateway. Now that MainOne has become available, what we are going to do is to complement the satellite because the internet we use in this office is from us but is coming in through satellite. Now that MainOne is available, we can also take it through MainOne and cut down on the latency because satellite has a higher latency. As part of the build up of our corporate connectivity, the next step is to distribute bandwidth to the masses, either through MainOne or Glo 1 to Nigerians. We are talking about broadband through those pipes; we are talking about making very high internet speed available through those pipes.
Group Vision
We want to become a Pan African company. Hopefully by next year, we should become a public company. We want to become a Pan African company with branches in many African countries. We already have a full fledged office in Ghana, we just opened an office in Uganda which will be officially opened next month but the office is open and running. We hope to go to many other African countries and eventually we would like to be listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Federal government said it is committed to the implementation of stricter, more organized drone regulations to balance innovation with national security.
This came as stakeholders at the 6th Dronetecx Conference and Exhibition in Lagos called for stronger regulation and a comprehensive national policy framework for unmanned aircraft systems as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) launched a Drone Portal.
Speaking at the conference, representatives of Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and NCAA, said Nigeria is intensifying efforts to balance innovation with national security as drone operations continue to expand across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, oil and gas, logistics, construction and security.
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser, represented by Commodore Oscar Mbanu, deputy director, Defence Affairs, said the federal government had adopted a strict but innovation-friendly regulatory framework requiring security clearance, end-user certification and operational approval before drones can be deployed.
He disclosed that a multi-agency drone task force involving the NCAA, security agencies and other relevant bodies had been established to strengthen monitoring, enforcement and accountability, while the End-User Certificate system would help track imported drones and prevent misuse.
Also speaking, Mahmud Kambari, permanent secretary, Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, represented by Mrs Rubiyatu Aliu, director of Air Safety and Administration in the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, announced the launch of a new digital drone registration portal and Flyer ID scheme introduced by the NCAA in partnership with Dronetecx to improve oversight and proper registration of operators.
She urged drone operators to comply with regulatory requirements, warning that innovation must operate within the law.
Captain Chris Najomo, director general of NCAA, said the Federal Government was moving from policy discussions to implementation with plans to establish a comprehensive national drone policy and roadmap approved by Mr Festus Keyamo, minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
He noted that the framework would complement existing aviation regulations and provide clearer direction for investors and operators in the rapidly growing industry.
Mr Fortune Edu, conference organiser and founder of Dronetecx, said Nigeria must urgently position itself as a leading player in Africa’s emerging drone economy or risk losing opportunities to countries already advancing in the sector.
He explained that the proposed national framework would support innovation, research, advanced air mobility and job creation while preparing the country for future drone applications including cargo delivery and passenger transportation.
Stakeholders at the conference expressed optimism that stronger collaboration between government agencies and industry operators would accelerate the safe growth of drone technology and support national development.
Dr. Olasupo Olusi, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Industry, has described the media as Nigeria’s most important development partner, noting that effective communication remains critical to national growth and institutional impact.
Speaking during an interactive session with media partners in Lagos, Olusi said journalists play a central role in shaping development outcomes by amplifying progress, accountability, and national aspirations.
“The media is the biggest agent of development anywhere,” he said. “Communicating what needs to be done and what has been done is critical in the journey of any development institution.”
Olusi used the engagement to unveil major milestones in BOI’s ongoing transformation agenda, which he said is focused on strengthening support for Nigeria’s private sector and driving inclusive economic growth.
On the BOI he met when he was appointed, Olusi said: “I inherited a very strong institution. The Bank of Industry was already one of the leading development finance institutions in Africa, and certainly a respected institution in Nigeria. I usually describe it as inheriting a Rolls-Royce.” He noted that the current leadership is innovating and repositioning the Bank to become even more effective in delivering long-term financing and developmental impact for Nigeria’s private sector.
“I came with the mindset of a development economist who truly believes in impact-making,” he said.
Olusi revealed that BOI has established an Impact Fund financed through a percentage of the Bank’s annual profits to support strategic national investments.
According to him, the Fund invested $15 million in the New Africa Medical Centre of Excellence in Abuja and N25 billion in the National Credit Guarantee Company (NCGC) to improve access to financing for MSMEs lacking collateral.
“The objective is to remove the long-standing barriers preventing small businesses from accessing finance,” he explained.
The BOI boss also announced plans to commence non-interest banking operations following final regulatory approvals from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
He said the initiative would provide inclusive financing options for Nigerians who prefer non-interest financial products.
In addition, Olusi disclosed that BOI has established more than 20 youth and skills hubs nationwide focused on ICT, agro-processing, fashion, printing, and entrepreneurship development.
“These hubs are designed to help young Nigerians learn, innovate, package products, and eventually establish sustainable businesses,” he stated.
Reaffirming BOI’s commitment to Nigeria’s economic transformation, Olusi said the Bank remains focused on creating measurable impact across communities and sectors nationwide.
“The opportunities for making a difference in Nigeria are enormous across all sectors and spheres of life,” he added.
Google’s annual I/O developer conference is a hub for exciting product updates. This year, “The Android Show: I/O Edition” offered an early preview of Android’s future. Packed with groundbreaking news, these updates will transform our Android interactions. Android, the world’s most popular OS with over 3 billion active devices, continues to innovate, bringing practical benefits and new possibilities.
For people in Nigeria, these advancements promise easier, safer, and more personal digital lives driven by Gemini Intelligence. From handing off your to-do list to unbreakable theft protection, dive into how Android’s 12 latest offerings will empower users across the continent:
1. Hand Off Your To-Do List with Gemini App Automation
Google is introducing Task Automation, allowing Gemini to navigate multi-step tasks across your apps so you can focus on other things. Instead of manually switching between apps and copying data, you can simply point your camera at a travel brochure in a hotel lobby and say, “Find a tour like this on Expedia for a group of six.” You can also long-press your power button over a grocery list in your notes app and ask Gemini to build a shopping cart with all the items for delivery. Gemini handles the logistics in the background while keeping you in complete control.
Availability: Already in beta on S26 and P10 Pro devices, and launching on Galaxy Fold8 and Pixel 11 later this year.
2. Speak Naturally with “Rambler” (Powered by Gemini)
Google is announcing Rambler, a revolutionary voice typing feature in Gboard that captures your underlying intent rather than just transcribing your exact words. Because we don’t always speak the way we want to write, Rambler lets you talk naturally—including self-corrections, repeats, and filler words like “ums” and “ahs”—and turns those raw thoughts into a polished, concise message. It is built for a global community and can seamlessly switch between multiple languages, like blending English and Hindi, within a single sentence.
Availability: Rolling out first to Pixel devices starting in Q3 2026.
3. A Personal Browsing Assistant with Gemini in Chrome
Google is announcing a built-in personal browsing assistant for Chrome on Android, designed to help you research and understand web content without ever leaving the app. By tapping the Gemini icon on your toolbar, the assistant opens at the bottom of your display so you can ask specific questions about the webpage you are currently viewing. Whether you need a quick summary of a long article or a detailed explanation of a complex topic, this tool seamlessly enhances your mobile web experience.
Availability: Rolling out to select Android 12+ devices with 4GB+ of RAM in the U.S. starting at the end of June.
4. Instant Image Customization with Nano Banana
Google is introducing Nano Banana, an innovative feature that lets you instantly create and customize images directly within your Chrome browser. For example, if you are studying for an online exam, you can simply ask your browsing assistant to turn a text-heavy page into an informative infographic. Similarly, if you are scrolling through apartment listings, you can ask the assistant to alter a photo of an empty room to include modern living room essentials, allowing you to instantly visualize ideas on the go.
Availability: Available in Chrome for Android starting next month.
5. Share with Anyone Using Quick Share & AirDrop
Google is announcing a massive expansion to Quick Share, making it compatible with AirDrop to solve the universal hassle of sharing files between different phone brands. If you are at a family gathering and want to share a video with friends using iOS, you can simply use Quick Share on your Android phone to generate a QR code. Scanning this code lets you instantly share high-quality media across devices via the cloud, breaking down the barriers between operating systems.
Availability: Expanding to more partners including Samsung, OPPO, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi, and HONOR this year.
6. OSmosis: Wireless iOS-to-Android Transfer
Google is announcing OSmosis, a completely overhauled, wireless iOS-to-Android transfer process that makes switching phones easier than ever. You can now wirelessly migrate your passwords, photos, messages, favorite apps, contacts, and even your precise homescreen layout directly from your iPhone to your new Android device without needing a cable.
Availability: Launching first on new Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices later this year.
7. Pro-Grade Creator Tools Natively on Instagram
Google is announcing an expanded partnership with Meta to bring pro-level camera and editing features natively to the Instagram app on Android flagships. Android creators can now enjoy Ultra HDR capture for lifelike, vibrant colors, along with built-in video stabilization to keep footage smooth while walking or dancing. The update also includes deep Night Sight integrations, ensuring you can capture the perfect shot even in the dimmest settings.
Availability: Rolling out to flagship devices throughout Q3 and Q4 2026.
8. Reclaim Your Time with “Pause Point”
Google is introducing Pause Point, a new digital wellbeing tool designed to help you stop mindless, autopilot scrolling. When you try to open an app you have identified as distracting, Pause Point gives you a mandatory 10-second breather to ask yourself, “Why am I here?” During this pause, you can do a quick breathing exercise or set a strict timer for your app usage. To ensure you stick to your goals, turning the feature off completely requires you to restart your phone.
Availability: Available in Q4 2026 across all countries and languages.
9. Unbreakable Biometric Theft Protection
Google is announcing a powerful new anti-theft measure that enhances the “Mark as lost” feature with biometric authentication. If your device is snatched, you can now lock it using your fingerprint or face in addition to the standard passcode. This provides an immediate, unbreakable layer of security, meaning that even if a thief spied on your PIN before stealing your phone, they will not be able to turn off device tracking or re-access your personal data.
Availability: Rolling out as a built-in feature on devices running Android 17.
10. Express Yourself with Noto 3D Emoji
Google is announcing Noto 3D, a massive update to the way we express ourselves with nearly 4,000 newly designed emoji. Moving away from flat 2D icons, these new 3D emoji bring a touch of physicality and weight to your digital conversations. Whether you are sending a wrapped burrito or a joyful smile, this visually vibrant collection bridges the digital divide, representing the difference between a message simply being received and a true presence felt.
Availability: Available across Google platforms, starting with Pixel phones later this year.
11. Fill Out Forms in a Single Tap with Gemini Personal Intelligence
Google is announcing an evolution to Autofill with Google, powered by Gemini’s Personal Intelligence. This new feature allows Android to automatically fill in complex forms across your apps and Chrome browser. By securely pulling relevant information from your connected apps or saved photos—such as passport details or frequent flyer numbers—your device saves you from the universal hassle of typing out tiny text on a mobile screen.
Availability: Rolling out in Q2 2026 for phones, and Q4 2026 for laptops and tablets.
12. Build Custom Widgets with Gemini Intelligence
Google is introducing Create My Widget, taking the first step in generative UI to give you more ways to make your device truly yours. You can now build entirely custom widgets just by describing what you want using natural language. For example, a meal prepper can ask for a widget that suggests high-protein recipes every week, or a cyclist can create a weather dashboard that surfaces exact wind speed and rain stats right on the home screen.
Availability: Launching in Q3 2026 for phones, watches, laptops, and tablets.
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