News
Distinguished Speakers as NCS Int’l Conference “Akure 2015” Begins Today
The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has scheduled prominent IT/ICT experts as speakers at the 12th International Conference “Akure 2015.
The Conference which starts today is intended to provide a forum for Policy Makers, Public and Private Sector, Information Technology Practitioners and the Academia to keep up-to-date with technology trends and to discover opportunities for the private sector in the process of inclusive development and avenues for public-private partnerships towards realizing the IT objectives within the context of Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
The Conference will provide opportunities for the delegates to exchange new ideas, establish business or research relations, and find global partners for future collaborations.
However, confirmed speakers made of up of crème de crème of experts to make presentations on the topics and sub-topics include:
Dr. Anu A. Gokhale – USA
Anu has completed twenty years of university teaching and is currently a professor and coordinator of the computer systems technology program at Illinois State University.
She is Associate Director of the Center for Applied Information Sciences and Technology.
Originally from India, she has a master’s degree in physics‒electronics from the College of William & Mary, and a doctorate from Iowa State University.
Dr. Gokhale presents and publishes her peer-reviewed research, and pursues multi-year projects funded by agencies like the US Department of Education, US Department of State, and National Science Foundation.
The current NSF funded project is in Computing Education for the 21st century.
Dr. Gokhale recently authored a second edition of her book Introduction to Telecommunications, which also has an international edition in Chinese.
She was a Fulbright Scholar in 2001, and was recently honored with the 2011 University Outstanding Researcher Award.
Dr. Gokhale has been invited to speak at various conferences like the 7th International Conference on Information Technology held in Amman, Jordan in May 2015, 2014 International Conference on Control, Robotics, and Cybernetics in Singapore, 2013 International Conference on Advanced Computer Theory and Engineering in Maldives, 2012 International Conference on e-Education, e-Learning, e-Business and e-Technology in Mumbai, 2011 3rd International Conference on Information and Multimedia Technology in Dubai, and 2010 International Conference on Education, Technology and Computer in Shanghai.
She consults for businesses and industries and has delivered multiple workshops and training seminars.
Dr. Gokhale is an active volunteer in IEEE having served in various roles like R4 Educational Activities Chair, Women in Engineering Coordinator, Conference Chair of International Electro / Information Technology 2010 Conference, and MGA representative to the Educational Activities Board.
Her service was honored with the IEEE Third Millennium Medal.
Martin Eigbike – Accenture Development Partnerships (ADP)
Martin is currently the Accenture Development Partnership (ADP) Global Programs Lead for Nigeria & West Africa.
ADP represents a unique model through which Accenture provides its capabilities to support social impact projects in developing countries on a not-for-profit basis.
He is an experienced consultant with extensive international development and public sector experience. Martin’s experience spans health, agri-business, food and nutrition security, financial inclusion and public safety for developing economies.
He has functional expertise in organisational effectiveness for public institutions and has security and has worked on transformation and reform projects at government entities such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), the National Planning Commission, (NPC), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He has served on the planning committee of the annual Nigeria Economic Summit (NES) for the past three years.
In addition to his development and public sector experience, he has also advised businesses and institutions across energy, financial services and manufacturing on business strategy development and execution.
Austin Okere – Founder, Computer Warehouse Group (CWG)
Austin is the Founder & CEO, CWG Plc and Entrepreneur in Residence, Columbia Business School, New York.
He is a member of the World Economic Forum Business Council on Global Growth Companies, as well as Business Council on Innovation and Intrapreneurship.
He serves on the Board of the National Competiveness Council of Nigeria and Initiative for Global Development, a Washington based nonprofit organization that drives poverty reduction by catalyzing business growth and investment in the developing world.
Austin Okere was named ICT Personality of the year 2014 by the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS, of which he is a Fellow), ICT Man of the Decade by ICT Watch Africa Digital Network in 2012; ICT Personality of the year by Technology Africa in 2010; and most outstanding ICT Personality of the Decade by ICT Watch Africa in 2010. His interests include mentoring and inspiring young people to achieve their full potential.
His Company CWG Plc is a Pan-African Multination Systems Integrator with operations in Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Cameroon with annual turnover of about $130m and 650 employees across the Group.
The company provides technology solutions that enable growth with aspiration to be the number one platform service provider in Africa by 2020.
Tope S. Aladenusi – Partner, Deloitte Nigeria
Tope is currently a Partner at Deloitte Nigeria and has provided technology assurance and advisory services to over 30% of the companies quoted on The Nigerian Stock Exchange and 85% of the commercial banks in Nigeria.
He has served 75% of the GSM companies in Nigeria, several multinational manufacturing, oil and gas companies as well as government institutions.
He has worked in Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, South Africa and the UK and has also serviced clients in 16 countries.
Tope currently leads the largest team of cyber security consultants in Nigeria.
He is the President of Information Systems Audit & Control Association (ISACA) Lagos Nigeria, the local arm of ISACA which is established in over 80 countries.
Tope has published several technical papers on IT Governance and Cyber Security in the dailies and also delivered keynote addresses in 6 countries.
Dr. Johnson Iyilade – Canada
Johnson is a researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada where he specializes in User Modeling and Personalization using Big Data and Predictive Analytics.
He is also the founder and CEO of Glomacs IT Solutions and Services Inc., a Canada-based IT Research and Development Corporation whose goal is to develop innovative data-driven software products and offer technical consulting services which empower individuals, businesses, organizations and government to leverage and generate value from Big Data and Cloud technologies.
Dr Iyilade obtained his BSc and MSc degrees in Computer Science from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria.
He also had a PhD in Computer Science with specialization in Cloud-based Services Provisioning from University of Zululand, South Africa.
Currently, he is rounding up a second Ph.D programme in the area of Big Data and Predictive Analytics at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
He is a sought-after speaker, technical contributor and consultant to businesses in North America in the areas of Big Data, User Modeling, Personalization, Business Intelligence, Predictive Analytics, Web Search, Online Recommendation, Cloud Computing and Data Privacy.
He currently resides in Canada with his wife and children.
Ogba Ogbaga, an Abuja-based lawyer, has said that he has been instructed to institute legal proceedings against MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, 9mobile and MultiChoice Nigeria, operators of DStv, over what he described as unfair consumer practices relating to expiring data bundles and television subscriptions.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Ogbaga said his law firm, GIMBG Legals, received instructions from its client, KAA, also known as KaaTruths, to challenge the companies’ subscription policies in court.
According to him, the proposed suit will question whether telecom operators and DStv’s subscription models comply with provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 and other applicable laws.
Ogbaga alleged that telecom providers operate internet data services that are unfair to consumers, claiming subscribers sometimes do not receive the services they paid for but still lose their subscriptions once the validity period expires.
He also criticised DStv’s subscription model, arguing that consumers lose paid viewing time due to factors such as power outages, adverse weather conditions and service interruptions, while subscriptions continue to count down regardless.
“Our clients have complained that MTN data services are unduly one-sided,” Ogbaga said, adding that the legal action would also extend to other telecommunications providers and DStv.
He said the court action would seek judicial determination on whether the companies’ subscription practices comply with consumer protection laws.
The lawyer also invited interested legal practitioners to collaborate on the case, saying his firm would provide updates as the matter progresses.
In a separate Facebook post on Wednesday, Ogbaga said previous policy discussions, town hall meetings and debates at the National Assembly had failed to address the concerns raised by consumers.
He argued that telecom operators regularly carry out maintenance and network upgrades that temporarily disrupt services without extending customers’ subscription periods, while DStv subscribers also lose viewing time because of electricity outages and weather-related disruptions.
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has commenced the issuance of new licence certificates to insurance companies that successfully met the industry’s new minimum capital requirements, marking the formal beginning of a new regulatory era aimed at strengthening the financial capacity, governance and global competitiveness of Nigeria’s insurance sector.
At a ceremony held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the Commissioner for Insurance, Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, presented the new licence certificates to compliant operators, describing the exercise as a major milestone in the industry’s recapitalisation programme.
According to the Commission, a total of 43 insurance companies declared compliant with the new capital requirements are expected to receive the new licence certificates in phases.
Omosehin congratulated the successful companies, saying the issuance of the new licences signals the beginning of a stronger regulatory framework anchored on improved capitalisation, sound corporate governance, innovation and sustainable growth.
He urged operators to leverage their enhanced capital base to develop innovative insurance products, improve operational efficiency and deepen insurance penetration across the country.
The Commissioner said the Commission expects the recapitalised companies to deliver stronger financial performance while maintaining high standards of professionalism and customer service.
He also announced that NAICOM’s next major regulatory initiative would be the implementation of the Risk-Based Capital (RBC) framework, under which insurers’ capital levels would be aligned with the risks inherent in their respective business portfolios.
According to him, the new framework will further strengthen the industry’s resilience by ensuring that insurers maintain capital commensurate with the risks they underwrite, thereby enhancing policyholder protection and boosting market confidence.
Omosehin reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to removing regulatory impediments where necessary while maintaining effective oversight to safeguard policyholders and strengthen confidence in the insurance market.
The issuance of the new licence certificates marks the commencement of a phased transition to higher capital standards aimed at improving the financial capacity, solvency and claims-paying ability of insurance companies operating in Nigeria.
Management of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek Media has withdrawn its publication titled “Adefolarin Ogunsanya and the Allegations of Shareholder Interference and Self-Dealing at Pan African Towers,” which was published on its platform.
The decision to retract the story follows an editorial review to ensure that the platform maintains the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and responsible journalism in reporting matters that are the subject of ongoing judicial proceedings.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek acknowledges that the issues raised in the publication remain before the courts and have not been finally determined.
Accordingly, the organisation has decided to remove the article from its platforms pending the conclusion of the legal processes or the availability of additional verified information.
The publication regrets any inconvenience or misunderstanding the report may have caused to readers or any individuals or organisations mentioned in the story.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek remains committed to the principles of balanced, factual and ethical journalism and will continue to uphold professional standards in its coverage of judicial and corporate governance matters.
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