Telecom
FG’s InfoTech Initiatives Will Minimize Impact of COVID19 on Digital Economy- NITDA DG Says
The proactiveness of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to come up with initiatives that are repositioning ICT to play a critical role in the diversification of the nation’s economy would reduce the negative impacts the novel Coronavirus (COVID 19) would have had on the digital economy.
This view was expressed by Mallam Kashifu InuwaAbdullahi, director general, National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, when he played host to the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Major General, Jamilu Sarharm and the management team of the Academy who were at the Agency to seek for collaboration and support.
MallamAbdullahi stated that Nigeria is lucky to have started putting out measures aimed at promoting Digital Economy.
He recalled that the redesignation of the Ministry of Communications to Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the unveiling of Digital Economy Strategies and Planning and the Digital Nigeria project which focuses on digital capacity building and digital literacy would go a long way in reshaping our Economy in post-pandemic era.
“These initiatives have helped because they are emerging globally and in Nigeria, what we have learnt from the pandemic or the crisis just made them profound and we are all embracing digital technologies.”
He stated further that, “a lot of things are going to change. We are not going to go back to normal life. In terms of businesses, some will close down and new opportunities will come.
“So we don’t want to be left behind. We want to be part of the people shaping the new normal we are currently facing.”
While admonishing that people should explore the opportunities the crisis has provided to accelerate the trend that will shape the digital economy, MallamAbdullahi reiterated the need for people to acquire requisite skills needed for digital economy.
He said “When we talk about digital economy, we are talking about knowledge economy which human capital is a key enabler because knowledge is what influences the digital economy.” Citing example of how 25 people became the richest people in the world made $255billion within two months of the global lockdown, the DG affirmed that that is the power of knowledge.
He said NITDA gives good attention to capacity building and collaborates with universities to produce the right skills needed for the digital world.
He added the MIT REAP project of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy identified five key stakeholders which the University is part of.
He said the idea is for the corporate to work with the University to produce the right skills needed for digital economy.
Earlier, Major General Sarharm has informed that the management that the Academy has resolved to approach NITDA for assistance in terms of e-learning and capacity building.
He said that the management thought there is need to pay a courtesy visit to the NITDA and seek collaboration in various areas notably in the area of ICT intervention for the Academy.
He said “the NDA has over 2000 cadets and things are changing and affecting modes of learning especially during the lockdown adding that the whole world is now driven by ICT, we want to engage in online training for our cadets.”
He said “we can’t wait any longer than to come around here basically to seek collaboration and more importantly seek for assistance and expertise.
In granting the prayers of the Academy, the DG assured that special consideration would be given to the requests.
He said “I have looked at your prayers even though you are not specific of what you really want from NITDA but you talked about e-learning, capacity building and ICT infrastructure, we do all these as interventions and we will see what we can do now and those we can plan for next year.
Telecom
NCC Advises Subscribers to Opt for Strong Passwords to Beat Hackers
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has advised telecommunications subscribers to opt for strong passwords to prevent unauthorized access to their mobile devices.
In a recent update on its official Facebook page, the NCC focused on how cyber-attacks could be prevented, emphasizing the importance of creating strong passwords to safeguard online accounts
The Commission urged subscribers to ensure that they have a password to log in securely.
The NCC wrote on its official Facebook page, “Protect your online accounts (such as banks and digital media) by using strong and complex passwords.”
It believes that by opting for strong passwords, individuals could defend themselves against cyber attacks.
Telecom
Starlink Users in SA to be Cut Off April 30
Starlink users in South Africa are facing a major setback as the satellite internet service provider has issued a warning that their services will be terminated by the end of the month.
In an email sent to many South African users, Starlink stated that their internet access will cease on April 30 due to violation of its terms and conditions.
The email emphasized that using Starlink kits outside of designated areas, as indicated on the Starlink Availability Map, is against their terms. Consequently, users will only be able to access their Starlink account for updates after the termination.
Starlink, a company owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, operates a fleet of low earth orbit satellites that offer high-speed internet globally. Despite its potential to revolutionize connectivity, Starlink has been unable to obtain a license to operate in South Africa from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa).
Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) requirements mandate that any applicant must have 30% ownership from historically disadvantaged groups to be considered for a license.
However, many in South Africa resorted to creative methods to access Starlink services, including purchasing roaming packages from countries where Starlink is licensed.
However, ICASA. clarified in a government gazette last November that using Starlink in this manner is illegal.
Additionally, Starlink itself stated in the recent email to users that the ‘Mobile – Regional’ plans are meant for temporary travel and transit, not permanent use in a location. Continuous use of these plans outside the country where service was ordered will result in service restriction.
Starlink advised those interested in making its services available in their region to contact local authorities.
Telecom
9mobile Clinches 2 Trophies at the Prestigious SABRE Awards 2024
Organizers of the SABRE awards have adjudged 9mobile winner in two distinct categories – The SABRE Award for Superior Achievement in Reputation Management and Special Event/Sponsorship based on the telco’s innovative and transformative campaign titled The Hack, Expand Your Hustle.
The SABRE Awards, organized by PRovoke Media, is the world’s most prestigious Public Relations awards programme dedicated to benchmarking the best PR works across the globe.
It recognizes exceptional campaigns, by brands, and agencies that exhibit the highest levels of strategic planning, creativity, integrity, effectiveness, and business results across Europe, North America, Asia and Africa.
9mobile carted home these awards based on its recognition of the importance of SMEs in driving the economic growth of Nigeria, thus positioning itself as an SME-friendly company to support their development and success to thrive and scale their businesses.
This drive to see SMEs succeed led the telco to launch a novel entrepreneurship programme – The Hack, an Enterprise Business Growth Series designed to empower entrepreneurs by giving them the knowledge, technology, and access to the market required to help them grow, with imprints in various Nigerian cities and university campuses.
With the Hack, 9mobile showed the endless opportunities in the SME sector while addressing challenges that business owners confront, assisting them in expanding their enterprises and overcoming obstacles, taking them through the hacks the SMEs need for business growth.
Expressing her delight at this global recognition, Saidat Lawal Mohammed, Director, Marketing Communications said: “It gives us great joy to see our work recognized by such a prestigious and globally respected organization such as PRovoke Media, organizers of the SABRE Awards.
“We know that this is a highly sought-after award and based on other projects we beat to clinch these awards, we are super delighted to be recognized on a global stage. What is key for us are the results we achieved and the impact we made which has served as an elevation for this recognition”, she said.
She went on to thank the management of 9mobile for their support of the Hack initiative, and the marketing communications team for the synergy in driving the campaign.
Lawal Mohammed affirmed that through this project, 9mobile burnished its reputation as Nigeria’s SME friendly telecommunications company, adding that “in the end we reached over 23.7 million people online, had over 20,000 knowledge participants, 382 entrepreneurs exhibit and over N10 million in Grants to budding entrepreneurs. The journey of the Hack has been fun and equally impactful”.
The SABRE Awards for Superior Achievement in Reputation Management recognizes public relations work that has played a central role in corporate strategy, positioning and messaging.
In its submissions 9mobile demonstrated that its PR professionals took a lead role in creating and developing a corporate reputation platform and explain how that platform shifted perceptions, built stronger stakeholders’ relationships, and ultimately contributed to corporate performance.
The Special Event/Sponsorship category recognizes the creative spark and execution by brands and agencies in how to bring to life their ideas and strategy and propel their campaigns into the target audience consciousness, raising brand exposure and providing a competitive advantage.
9mobile had previously won Certificates of Excellence under the Corporate Social Responsibility category for its Health Talk Series and Health Workers Appreciation as well as Future CEO Initiative under the Technology category.
The 2024 Awards for Superior Achievement in Branding Reputation and Engagement (SABRE) will be held on May 16 in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, on the sidelines of the annual Conference of the African Public Relations Association (APRA).
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