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ALTON, Medallion, CloudFlex Back NITRA’s Innovation Forum
More companies have indicated interest in partnering with the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA), as the national umbrella body of ICT reporters accelerates plans towards hosting its annual Innovation Forum in Lagos.
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Medallion Communication and CloudFlex have now joined the telecoms regulatory body, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Digital Encode as partners to the event scheduled to hold as a Webinar on October 15, 2020.
Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman ALTON, while accepting to support the event reiterated how telecommunications operators are helping in the realization of financial inclusion initiative of the central bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Engr. Adebayo, at the event, will also throw more light on other ways the sector is supporting organisations outside of ICT to reposition post pandemic.
The event will discuss the need for a fortified ICT sector after the COVID-19 era. It will also test the level of preparedness of ICT stakeholders to embrace the challenge of post-pandemic economy.
This year’s theme, “Multi-stakeholder Approach To National Recovery Post-Pandemic”, is in line with the annual event’s generic theme, ‘NITRA Innovative Tech Forum’, a contribution by NITRA to the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) innovations and policies in Nigeria.
The event will also offer participating companies opportunities to publicize some of their individual efforts at contributing to reacting a soft landing or lifeline for SMEs and other ancillary companies as the pandemic threatens their survival.
Remi Adejumo, managing director, CloudFlex, will share insight into how cloud computing could assist organizations to navigate through the business challenges that have arisen due to the pandemic.
According to him, “Cloud computing offers scalability and reliability that cannot be matched by a single enterprise. Scalability with regards to expanding of the infrastructure which can be done immediately while in most organisations, this would take a 4-12 weeks endeavour.
“You can scale up or down as required. It is more reliable as the infrastructure tends to be bigger with more redundancy and it has the ability to swap out faulty parts quicker or to move away from a faulty platform smoothly with no interruption.”
CloudFlex Computing Limited, formerly Comercio Cloud Limited is Nigeria’s’ leading Enterprise local cloud service Provider. The firm is one of the top choices for Cloud Solutions and managed data services for local and global businesses with great ambitions.
The company offers Information Technology as a service (Cloud services, Co-location, Managed solutions, Backup services, Disaster Recovery etc.), and support for diverse infrastructure need by providing Industry-specific Solutions.
Medallion Communications Limited, one of Nigeria’s Interconnect exchange clearinghouses and data center operator, offering telecommunications infrastructure development and Value Added Services in Mobile Banking, Number Portability and Emergency Communications Services, will also play a big role as it gives direction to the future at the Webinar event.
A statement from the company notes that while most interconnect operators focus on only transiting of calls, Medallion’s model offers full financial settlement and reconciliation of interconnect traffic. This, it says, greatly eliminates interconnect indebtedness in the industry and leads to accurate and timely processing of interconnect charges.
The company also deploys a robust and efficient billing and settlement infrastructure that is transparent in the resolution of interconnect related billing issues, which will be one of the needs as the country expects heavy traffic both in data and call services occasioned by the need to go digital and online following the pandemic effects.
The African Development Bank (AfDB), has disclosed plans to work with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), to boost the state’s transport system with the development of another rail line.
This was contained in a statement signed by, the Head, Corporate Communication, LAMATA, Mr. Kolawole Ojelabi in Lagos.
Ojelabi said that the AfDB Vice President, Private Sector Infrastructure and Industrialisation, Mr. Solomon Quaynor, gave the assurance during a visit to LAMATA.
He added that the bank was interested in partnering LAMATA to expand the capacity of the existing rail system.
“Quaynor was also in the company of the Non-Sovereign Operations and Private Sector Equity Specialist, Mr Mayowa Ayodele ahead of a visit of the technical team to assess the Purple line,” he said.
The Purple Line is a 60-kilometre railroad along the Redemption Camp in Ogun State, traversing Berger, Agege and Alimosho and terminate at Volkswagen to join the Blue Line.
“The visit follows a recent pitch for investment on 60-kilometre Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Purple Line at the African Development Bank forum in Morocco, where the Lagos delegation was led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“This is to further discuss collaboration on the project and other lines outlined in the Lagos Strategic Transport Master Plan. The delegation toured the LRMT Blue Line and expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Blue Line rail system,” he said.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has filed a lawsuit against the Nigerian government the 36 states over the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024.
SERAP is arguing that “the repressive use of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 by the government to criminalize legitimate expression violate the human rights of Nigerians, including activists, journalists, bloggers and social media users”.
In a statement on Sunday, Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, SERAP, explained that the suit was filed to stop the Tinubu administration and Nigeria’s 36 governors from using the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 to criminalize legitimate expression and punish Nigerians, including social media users.
He said: “Rather than using the amended legislation to make cyberspace and its users safer, Nigerian authorities are routinely weaponizing it to curb Nigerians’ human rights and media freedom.
“The suit no: ECW/CCJ/APP/03/2025 was filed last week before the ECOWAS Court in Abuja.”
Recall that Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court had on March 25, 2022, declared Section 24 of Nigeria’s original Cybercrimes Act 2015 as “arbitrary, vague, and repressive.”
The court ordered Nigeria to repeal the provision, citing non-compliance with human rights obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Although the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 repealed Section 24, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) argues that the reworded provisions still infringe upon freedom of expression and information.
SERAP’s concerns center around the ambiguity of “causing a breakdown of law and order” in Section 24(1)(b), which they believe threatens peaceful and legitimate expression and leaves room for abuse.
SERAP highlighted several instances where the law was allegedly misused to target government critics, including activist Dele Farotimi, journalist Agba Jalingo, and social media user Chioma Okoli.
The organization emphasized that the amended legislation has a chilling effect on human rights and media freedom.
SERAP stressed that the amended Act contravenes international human rights law, which requires restrictions on freedom of expression to serve a legitimate purpose and be strictly proportionate.
The organization seeks a declaration that Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 is unlawful and an order directing the government to repeal or amend the legislation in compliance with international standards.
However, a hearing date has not been set for the suit.
Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has applauded Mr. Monday Okpebholo, Edo State governor, for the appointment of Mr. Collins Edomaruse as his Special Adviser, International Development Partners (IDP).
Ms Maureen Chigbo, president of GOCOP and publisher of RealNews Online, described Edomaruse’s appointment as a welcomed development.
Chigbo in a press statement by Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, GOCOP Publicity Secretary, also congratulated Edomaruse for this appointment assuring of support from over 110 members of GOCOP in carrying out his duties.
Until his appointment, Edomaruse who is a founding member of GOCOP and the Secretary General of the body of reputed online publishers is also a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), among others.
Edomaruse doubles as the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of METROWATCH, and has held several senior editorial management positions in THISDAY, including Group News Editor, Group Politics Editor, Deputy Editor, Daily, Saturday and Sunday titles respectively, as well as the Editor, Nation’s Capital/Abuja Bureau.
Also known as ‘General’ because of his mastery of the Defence Beat, his records in THISDAY have remained unbeaten, where he ranked the best among the editors.
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