Telecom
Globacom, Zinox, Phase 3 Emerge Sponsors of Wafict 2010
Telecommunications gaint, Globacom has emerged as the most distinguished sponsor of the West African Information Communications Technology (Wafict) Congress 2010. Globacom clinched the highest category, Platinum, thereby maintaining a feat it achieved last year when sponsored Wafict in the same category.
With this, the high calibre speakers, delegates and guests to the Congress and its sister W.Afri.Tel Exhibition both of which are holding simultaneously from June 1 – 3, 2010 at the ultra-modern Expo Centre of the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, would be treated to the splendour and grand orange green and white colours of the operator.
By this action, Globacom has once more exhibited its commitment to the growth and leadership role of the Nigerian sector for the West Africa sub-region and indeed the company’s and that of its Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr’s own vision to build Africa’s biggest and best telecommunications company.
Wafict Congress 2010 is organised by Africa’s foremost ICT magazine, IT & Telecom Digest, which is also the sole Nigeria Agent for W.Afri.Tel. as earlier announced, the Wafict Congress 2010 is expected to attract some of the most sophisticated line up of international speakers and participants from across the sub-region and other parts of the world. Wafict 2010 is being co-hosted with the London, UK-based Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO).
This year’s event is further strengthened with the collaborative arrangement between IT & Telecom Digest and the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) and it promises to be a first of its kind three-day discussion and interactive sessions on the theme: Moving West Africa Forward: Policy and Technology Imperatives – Trends, Potentials & Challenges.
Globacom tells a story about the African dream seeing that the company joined the race in Africa’s leading telecom market two years behind the first licensees had begun operations, and determined to make the difference, it launched out with innovative and life changing products and pricing method that has since then altered the face of the telecom industry not only in Nigeria but in the entire Black race; and it continues to sustain this tempo.
And to confirm this pan Africanist vision of its founder, Globacom has since deployed its services into other West African countries and is presently in the Republic of Benin, in Ghana and has commenced plans to change the face of competition in Cote d’Ivoire. And this drive is further given impetus with the company’s launch of its Glo 1 submarine cable system which is a first in the world by a private company.
Following on the steps of Globacom are two other Nigerian leading ICT companies and pride of Africa in their own sphere – Zinox Technologies, which is the Gold sponsor and Phase 3 Telecoms as Bronze category sponsor.
Zinox Technologies Limited, Nigeria’s IT identity and manufacturers of Nigeria’s First Internationally Certified Branded Computers, is presently rated the largest IT group in sub-Saharan African and its computer is rated the second largest selling computer brand in Nigeria (IDC Rating) and is the largest partner for both Intel and Microsoft in Sub Saharan Africa.
Recently, Zinox Computers launched a most robust E -Learning suite in Africa and rated number one by World e-Library with over 750,000 books, the company has been the promoter of Digital Knowledge Democracy Project across Africa, among other pioneering efforts at knowledge promotion.
Zinox recently deployed e -learning suite with 100 laptops and internet facility in each of the select 120 secondary schools in Nigeria in a major national e- project sponsored by the Universal Service Provision Fund, USPF.
Its Chairman, Chief Leo-Stan Ekeh, who is very passionate about ICT penetration, usage and uptake in Africa, was said to have welcome the opportunity to be a part of Wafict Congress 2010, promising to make a formal statement before the event. “We will storm Wafict and W.Afri.Tel this year, and I can assure you the story will never be the same again,” he was said to have briefly hinted.
On the other hand, Bronze category sponsor and leading provider of transmission and IP services Phase 3 in less than its six years in operation has proven that with a strong vision and passion, a Nigerian company can bring the West Africa sub-region under one umbrella, especially in the development of enduring ICT infrastructure.
Hence, Phase 3 under the direction of its chief executive, Mr. Stanley Jegede, has expanded its network to cover the Republic of Benin and Togo thus making its network the longest and first regional terrestrial fibre network provider, linking Nigeria to the Republic of Benin and Togo, with potential for connections to Ghana and Burkina Faso from Togo.
This infrastructure targets existing regional telecommunication service providers currently operating in these countries, as well as the transmission needs of operators who plan to interconnect with operators in Togo and Benin. This also positions Phase3 as the infrastructure provider for the distribution of broadband services to various locations in these countries.
Phase3’s aerial infrastructure in Nigeria is deployed on the 330kV and 132kV high voltage lines; whilst aerial infrastructure in Togo and Benin are deployed on 161kV high voltage lines.
Reacting to these developmenst, Editor-in-Chief of IT & Telecom Digest, Mr. Mkpe Abang, applauded Globacom’s dedication and steadfast loyalty to national programmes which has further elevated the national pride. He pointed out that Globacom’s entry into the Nigerian telecommunications industry has not only altered the rate of growth of the industry but it has created and continue to create a new culture of patriotism.
According to Abang, this “company has continued to demonstrate its foresightedness, passion for the Nigerian dream and has made of no value the often talked about daunting challenges in doing business in the sub-region.”
He goes further to describe the three companies that have so far taken up sponsorship of WAFICT as: “These are companies that believe, like our magazine, that an African can be the best in the world in spite of the often unfavourable categorizations of the continent as a backward continent. Consistently, companies like these have given us hope to continue to attract the best in the world into our economy and that is what development and growth entails.”
He expressed the organisers’ appreciation of these three even as he was optimistic that more companies which have shown interest in the programme would join the train before the commencement of the events.
Airtel Africa said on Tuesday it has partnered with SpaceX to introduce Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite technology to all its 14 markets.
The satellite-to-mobile service will begin across Africa in 2026, with data for select applications and text messaging, Airtel Africa said in a statement.
Airtel Africa customers with compatible smartphones in regions without terrestrial coverage will have network connectivity through Starlink.
The deal also includes “support for Starlink’s first broadband Direct to Cell system, with next-generation satellites that will be capable of providing high-speed connectivity to smartphones with 20x improved data speed,” Airtel Africa said.
Last month, Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, became the first in Europe to launch Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite technology in a bid to keep millions connected amid wartime blackouts and disrupted infrastructure.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has blamed the actions of the National Oil and Gas Suppliers Association (NOGASA), for the recent telecom blackout experienced in the Abuja area.
NCC
A statement issued on Friday by the Head, Public Relations, NCC, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, while acknowledging the challenges and impact of the degraded Quality of Service (QoS) in the area on subscriber experience, stated: “The challenges are a result of the activities of the National Oil and Gas Suppliers Association (NOGASA), which disrupted diesel supplies to sites with the attendant telecommunications services outages in Abuja.”
She however disclosed that the telecommunications sector regulator is committed to ensuring restoration of seamless communication services to the affected area, and all Nigerians at large, and recognizes the importance of reliable power supply for the provision of optimal telecommunication services.
“The Commission is collaborating with major stakeholders and licensees to address these challenges, largely caused by disruption to diesel supply affecting IHS Nigeria Limited, the colocation provider responsible for powering Airtel and MTN base stations in the affected areas.
“The NCC is actively engaging with relevant stakeholders to address the diesel supply issues and explore sustainable solutions.
“The Commission urges all parties to work together to collaboratively resolve these challenges swiftly by removing the diesel supply bottlenecks affecting critical telecommunications infrastructure, arising from NOGASA’s actions.
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“In the face of these challenges, we reiterate our commitment to fostering a conducive environment for the growth and sustainability of telecommunications services in Nigeria.
“We are taking proactive steps to facilitate dialogues between the impacted service providers and other stakeholders to promptly resolve the diesel supply concerns that have negatively impacted service quality.”
While assuring that the Commission remains dedicated to effectively managing the situation and will keep the public updated on progress towards restoring full telecommunication services in Abuja, Mrs. Ukoha appreciated subscribers for their patience.
“We thank telecommunications subscribers for their understanding and patience during this period and reaffirm our commitment to delivering high-quality telecommunications services nationwide,” she said.
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has called for a fundamental shift in Kano State’s economic strategy, urging stakeholders to embrace innovation, technology and collaboration as the drivers of growth in the 21st century.
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
This is contained in a press statement e-authored by the Director of Corporate Communications & External Relations at NITDA, Hajia Hadiza Umar.
Speaking at the Kano Startup Weekend, Mallam Abdullahi acknowledged Kano’s long-standing reputation as the commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria and the wider Sahelian region, noting that its history of trade, enterprise and human capital provided a solid foundation for future growth.
Abdullahi emphasised that while these strengths powered Kano’s success for centuries, the modern economy now offered even greater opportunities through innovation and technology.
He described innovation as the process of transforming ideas into impactful solutions through commercialization, stressing that when ideas were effectively deployed, they created value, solved societal challenges and generated sustainable economic growth.
He noted that Kano’s large market, strategic location and vibrant entrepreneurial culture placed it in a strong position to take advantage of innovation-driven opportunities.
According to him, “Innovation is the process of taking an idea from inception to impact. Invention on its own is a cost centre, but when you commercialise an idea, when you turn it into a product or service that solves a real problem and creates value, that is when you begin to drive economic growth and inclusion.”
He noted that the state hosted numerous degree-awarding institutions across federal, state and private ownership, providing a strong base for human capital development.
However, the NITDA DG expressed concern that these institutions often operated in isolation from industry, with research outputs rarely translating into commercial or industrial applications.
He explained that innovation did not happen in silos and stressed the need for a strong, interconnected ecosystem that brought together academia, industry, startups, entrepreneurs and government.
According to him, universities should conduct research informed by industry needs, industries should leverage research to improve productivity and competitiveness, and startups should serve as the bridge that converted ideas into market-ready solutions.
The NITDA boss further encouraged entrepreneurs to leverage technology to build businesses that could grow beyond local markets, explaining that innovation-driven enterprises had the power to scale rapidly, create jobs and position Kano competitively at both national and global levels.
According to him, digital platforms and emerging technologies now made it easier for startups to reach wider markets and develop solutions that were previously unimaginable.
“You can start your business here in Kano, but your thinking must be global from day one. Technology has removed barriers. With the right skills and platforms, a startup in Kano can build solutions that serve not just Nigeria, but the world,” he noted.
Highlighting NITDA’s ongoing interventions, its Director-General outlined the Agency’s commitment to building national innovation capacity through targeted human capital development programmes.
He cited the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative, which aimed to equip Nigerians across all segments of society with essential digital skills, and the 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT) programme, designed to produce a pipeline of globally competitive technical professionals in areas such as software development, data analysis and emerging technologies.
He said, “Through DL4ALL, we are ensuring that Nigerians at all levels have the basic digital skills needed to participate in the digital economy, while 3MTT is deliberately building a pipeline of globally competitive technical talents who can drive innovation, create jobs and attract investment.”
Abdullahi explained that these programmes were key pillars of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritised skills development, innovation, job creation and inclusive economic growth as pathways to national prosperity.
According to him, empowering Nigerians with digital and technical skills was essential for building a resilient economy capable of competing in the global digital landscape.
“President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is about investing in people, empowering them with relevant skills and creating opportunities for inclusive growth.
“At NITDA, we are using digital skills and innovation as tools to translate that vision into real economic impact for Nigerians,” he said.
The NITDA boss urged all stakeholders in Kano to work together to build a functional innovation ecosystem that could unlock the state’s vast potential and expressed confidence that with the right mindset, strong collaboration and sustained investment in digital skills and innovation, Kano could reclaim its historic leadership role and emerge as a major innovation and entrepreneurship hub in Nigeria and beyond.
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