Telecom
Airtel Releases Code as Nomination for Airtel Touching Lives Season 4 Begins
By peter oluka
If you know an individual who requires help or a community in urgent need of assistance, now is the time to put in a nomination as leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, is calling for nomination for its ground-breaking CSR initiative, Airtel Touching Lives.
According to the telco, you can nominate individuals, communities and groups by dialling 367 or sending an SMS to the Shortcode – 367 before the nomination window closes on 5th of January, 2018.
Airtel Nigeria recently launched the fourth edition of its flagship CSR initiative, Touching Lives, designed to uplift the downtrodden and offer practical support to indigent Nigerians across the country.
Speaking at the press launch of the initiative, in Lagos, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, managing director and chief executive officer of Airtel Nigeria, said the company is committed to helping the less privileged in the society.
“While the Government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) cannot do it all, we have a responsibility to contribute our quota in making Nigeria a better place.
“As we commence the fourth edition, we are calling on well-meaning Nigerians to nominate causes and persons who require help. The process is simple; once you nominate an individual or cause, our team will review and assess the situation and determine if a follow-up visit will be required”, Mr. Ogunsanya said.
“Nominations are open to everyone via the 367 Shortcode. Also emails can be sent to [email protected]
“Together, we all can make our society a better place if we join hands and collaborate to uplift the downtrodden around us”, he stated.
Previous seasons of Airtel Touching Lives have not only addressed a wide spectrum of issues but also strived to inculcate in Nigerians the spirit of giving in order to contribute to the wellbeing of their fellow Nigerians.
One of the memorable episodes in Season 3 was the story of Olusegun Aina family, who recently gave birth to a set of twins (a boy and a girl) after losing three children to an inferno and rendered homeless. Airtel built and donated a multi-million Naira, ultra-modern 2-bedroom apartment to the family and also paid for all outstanding medical bills incurred while undergoing treatment of injuries sustained in the fire.
Other highlights of the last edition also include the donation of laptops, digital voice recorder and other gadgets to Bethesda Home and School for the blind; procurement of prosthetic leg for Emmanuel Onyeka and Scholarship for his University education. A 9-year-old cancer patient, Pillar Egona also received N3m for her chemotherapy treatment.
The Touching Lives CSR initiative has impacted lives of thousands of Nigerians. The company, over the years, has provided potable water for several starved communities, built maternal and health centres for remote communities, built and renovated schools to provide quality education to the less privileged.
Telecom
FG Plans EO to Criminalise Fiber Cable Damage Costing Telcos Billions
Nigeria will criminalize the destruction of broadband fiber cables following repeated complaints by MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and other telecommunications companies that they are losing billions of naira, according to people familiar with the matter.
Federal ministry of works, which supervises federal road constructors, is finalizing the regulation that will be signed as an executive order by President Bola Tinubu, said the people, asking not to be identified as they weren’t authorized to comment.
While there are presently laws against vandalism, the authorities are aiming to regulate construction firms more closely.
The order will enforce stiff penalties on offenders, said the people, declining to provide more details or say when it will be signed.
“Telecom assets are critical backbone that supports the economy across sectors,” said Temitope Ajayi, a senior presidential aide, who noted that the Association of Telecommunications Companies (ATCON) has been demanding the classification for years.
New rules will provide “further assurance that the Nigerian government will protect their investments against vandals and criminal elements.”
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) estimates that the sector will make up more than a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product by the end of 2027, up from 13.5% in the third quarter of last year.
The move will help alleviate pressure on the telecoms sector, which is facing increased operating costs and sales pressures from a sharp depreciation in the currency and a threefold increase in energy prices.
Repairs and revenue losses from damaged cables is estimated to have cost the sector almost 27 billion naira ($23 million) last year alone, documents seen by Bloomberg show.
MTN Nigeria, the biggest wireless operator in Africa’s most-populous nation, and Airtel Africa Plc bore the brunt of the costs, the documents show.
MTN suffered more than 6,000 cuts on its fiber cable last year, the documents show. On Feb. 28, a cut on its network in three different locations by a road construction firm, an oil serving company and someone burning rubbish in a manhole meant customers faced more than five hours of data and voice outages.
The operator relocated 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) of vulnerable fiber cables between 2022 and 2023, at a cost of more than 11 billion naira – enough to build 870 kilometers of new fiber lines to areas without coverage.
A presidential order on the matter would be welcomed, said Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria.
“When it comes to communication infrastructure, they are destroyed at will, so we are eagerly awaiting the president’s order,” he said. “It would be a great boost to the industry, and it will also encourage investment.”
Telecom
Telegram Eyes 1Bn Users amidst Political Pressures
Telegram, the messaging giant founded by Pavel Durov and headquartered in Dubai, anticipates hitting a remarkable milestone of one billion active monthly users within the next year.
Durov’s departure from Russia in 2014, prompted by governmental pressures to stifle opposition communities on his VK social media platform, underscores Telegram’s commitment to neutrality despite geopolitical challenges.
With 900 million active users currently, Telegram stands as a beacon of free speech in the digital realm, particularly influential in former Soviet Union republics and pivotal during conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine standoff.
Durov’s staunch advocacy for freedom of expression and opposition to censorship by tech giants like Apple and Google reinforces Telegram’s status as a neutral platform.
Opting for the UAE as its base, Durov cites its neutrality and openness as conducive to Telegram’s ethos, serving both opposition groups and governments alike while maintaining impartiality.
In Durov’s vision, the pursuit of freedom eclipses material gain, shaping Telegram’s trajectory as a bastion of digital liberation.
Telecom
NITDA, NIMC Announce Collaboration To Strengthen Digital Economy
To further strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have announced a collaboration on National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to enhance and create synergy between digital identity, payment ecosystem, and secure & seemless data exchange capabilities for Nigeria.
During the meeting between the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and Director General of NIMC, Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, with some management staff of both organisations, they discussed various initiatives, which include building DPI stacks for a secured and seamless data exchange and forming partnerships to transform the national identity system.
This collaboration also aims to harness the potential of the innovative ecosystem and emphasise the use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to drive digital transformation in Nigeria.
To ensure a smooth implementation, a 12-man committee was set up. This committee will play a crucial role in kickstarting and harmonising the initiatives. It is expected to deliver a comprehensive implementation report within the next 4 weeks
- Telecom3 days ago
Starlink Users in SA to be Cut Off April 30
- Broadcasting3 days ago
Canal+ Offer for MultiChoice Gains Shareholders’ Support
- Telecom3 days ago
NCC Advises Subscribers to Opt for Strong Passwords to Beat Hackers
- Telecom2 days ago
Imperative of Upholding Nigeria’s Telecoms Lifeline
- News2 days ago
Kaspersky Warns of Data Stealers Hunting for User Credentials
- E-Business3 days ago
Expert Urges FG to Harmonise NIN, BVN to Tackle Crimes
- E-Financial3 days ago
Fidelity Bank Reports N124.3Bn Pre-Tax Profit for 2023
- E-Financial2 days ago
Hydrogen, CCHub Partner to Encourage Fintech Startup Success