E-Business
Nigerian School, Teachers Among World’s Most Innovative-Microsoft
A school and three teachers from Nigeria were nominated amongst the world’s best as part of Microsoft’s 2014 class of Mentor Schools and the Inaugural Class of Expert Educators.
These exclusive one year programmes recognise visionary educators who are using technology to improve student outcomes, equip them with 21stcentury skills, and who are paving the way for other teachers by demonstrating the effective use of technology in learning.
“At Microsoft, we strongly believe in the role that well-prepared educators play in helping today’s youth overcome the emerging opportunity divide and guiding them toward the education, skills and opportunities they need to prosper in the hyper-connected era,” said Djam Bakhshandegi, director, Corporate Citizenship and Partners in Learning, West East, Central Africa & Indian Ocean Islands.
Currently, nearly one in three people in sub-Saharan Africa are between the ages of 10 and 24. By 2050, this number is projected to double, according to the World’s Youth 2013 Data Sheet. This is why it is essential now more than ever to invest in the education of youth in the region, which in turn, will improve the potential for economic growth and development.
The schools were chosen from over 250 global applicants in 80 countries and we are proud to announce that Government Secondary School Jabi, Abuja in Nigeria is one of them, whilst the Agha Khan Academy in Kenya, Gayaza High School in Uganda and SARM State Secondary School in Mauritius completes the quartet from Africa.
“To be selected, schools must demonstrate a commitment to innovation and take advantage of technology to enhance the delivery of their lessons in creative and inspiring ways,” said Djam.
“Over the years we’ve seen incredible advances in what educators are doing with technology. In the early years, using interactive whiteboards as a teaching tool was ground-breaking, now we are using 1:1 interactive, online education programs through mobile devices.”
Reacting to this announcement, Onimago Saheed Ibrahim, principal of Government Secondary School said, “This is by no means a small feat but undoubtedly a great milestone for our entire school community. I look forward to joining other distinguished school leaders in Barcelona next March to network and discuss with like-minded people the various ways we can harness the power of technology to transform teaching and learning in our school.”
Representing Nigeria, the three teachers out of eight from Africa were awarded Expert Educator status will attend the Microsoft in Education Global Forum in Barcelona, Spain, in March next year. This forum is a hallmark educator recognition initiative, often hailed by educators as one of the best professional development experiences of their careers.
“The goal is to showcase and celebrate amazing educators and schools who are positively impacting student learning,” said Djam.
Winners will be able to collaborate with other leaders and ultimately create a vision for their school community.
Veranique Obiakor, one of the teachers awarded with the Expert Educators status in a phone conversation said, “Our selection among the class of Microsoft’s Expert Educators is a welcome step towards our goal to bridge the digital divide in education between Africa and the western countries. It is a challenge that we have decided to carry, in bringing technology to that remotest part of our community in areas of education. And to present ICT as a 21st century tool to be used in accelerating and simplifying education for our fellow colleagues in education. And with all these in mind, we march onward towards making a difference in education come the Educational Global Forum in Barcelona, Spain next year.”
As part of the class of Expert Educators, teachers will also be heavily involved in advising Microsoft on innovation in education.
They will provide insights on new products and tools, and help the company understand how technology works – or doesn’t work – in real-life classrooms.
Microsoft has been offering educator and school programmes for 10 years under the company’s signature education initiative, Partners in Learning, which helps teachers and schools around the world improve students’ experiences and skills through technology.
With a firm conviction that every child deserves a quality education, and over $750 million dollars committed to date, Partners in Learning has already reached 12 million educators in 134 countries worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa over 13 million students have benefitted from the programme to date.
Partners in Learning falls under the Global YouthSpark initiative in addition to Imagine Cup, DigiGirlz, and DreamSpark, which all support Microsoft’s focus on the youth. The company has also signed an agreement with the University of the People to offer 1, 000 free scholarships to Africans as part of the 4Afrika Initiative. Launched in February this year, the Initiative is a new effort through which the company will actively engage in Africa’s economic development to improve its global competitiveness.
“At Microsoft we are deeply committed to doing whatever it takes to effect a holistic transformation of learning. This isn’t transformation for the sake of change. Rather, it’s about making a real impact on educational outcomes and offering young people – regardless of circumstance — a chance at a promising future.”
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
E-Business
Expert Urges FG to Harmonise NIN, BVN to Tackle Crimes
Noble Ajuonu, head, Sydani Technologies Ltd., has urged the Federal Government to harmonise National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) to tackle crimes and insecurity in the country.
Ajuonu made the call at a media roundtable, organised by Sydani Group in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the roundtable focuses on driving sustainability through a comprehensive analysis of Nigeria’s key development areas.
Ajuonu said that Nigeria could overcome its security challenges and pave the way for a safer, more secure future for all Nigerians by embracing technology and implementing practical solutions,
“We need to harmonise data, prioritise seamless integration of databases like NIN, BVN, and security agency records, establish clear protocols for data sharing and access, with robust safeguards against misuse,’’ expert said.
According to him, the unified data pool will empower intelligence gathering and targeted operations.
He also called for investments in smart surveillance, intelligent video analytics software, training of personnel in data analysis, interpretation of data in real-time to combat crimes.
“There is need to implement a legal framework for call interception in criminal investigations, with strict oversight to prevent abuse, encourage community cohesion, training of tech savvy security personnel with tech-enabled tools.’’
Ajuonu also urged the government to address infrastructure deficit in technology, saying that technology was all encompassing to address insecurity.
“According to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), as of December 2023, only 104.2 million Nigerians had been enrolled for the National Identity Number (NIN).’’
Ajuonu added that over 122.2 million citizens left uncaptured for NIN were people in rural areas where enrolment centres, digital services were limited.
“Most crimes are being perpetuated from rural communities and this lack of comprehensive identification creates a gap where elements not captured in the national database can constitute public nuisance, crimes.
“There is the inadequacy in the integration of NIN, BVN and Voters Identification Number (VIN).
“Advanced call interception and analysis tools, used successfully in other countries, could provide invaluable insights into criminal networks and operations but infrastructure is lacking,’’ he said.
Also, Mr Godfrey Petgrave, the Agricultural Expert, Sydani Group, called for empowerment of smallholder farmers with access to finance and training to enhance productivity.
According to Petgrave, Nigeria requires policy reform and institutional strengthening to improve agricultural practices and embrace digital agriculture solutions to address food insecurity.
Mr Akolade Jimoh, another expert of the group on health, advocated for expanded community-based health insurance programmes for rural and underserved areas.
Jimoh added that the country needed to encourage Public Private Partnership to revolutionise products design and quality improvement on health services.
E-Business
Konga launches Infinix Brand Week with Incredible Deals
Konga, Nigeria’s leading composite e-commerce group, is thrilled to announce the launch of amazing deals at its Infinix Brand Week. Infinix, a leading global smartphone brand known for its innovative products and cutting-edge technology promises exclusive discounts and special offers on select smartphones, marking an exciting milestone in the realm of online shopping.
Shoppers can expect nothing short of extraordinary deals on a wide range of Infinix products, all available exclusively on the Konga online platform. With discounts of up to 30% off, this partnership between Konga and Infinix aims to redefine the shopping experience for tech enthusiasts across Nigeria.
Konga Brand Week has become synonymous with excitement and unbeatable deals, and this year’s edition is no exception. In addition to exclusive discounts on Infinix smartphones, shoppers can explore a diverse array of products across various categories, including electronics, fashion, home essentials, and more.
“At Konga, we are dedicated to providing our customers with the best shopping experience possible,” said Rita Ohaedoghasi, VP Marketing at Konga. “The Infinix Week during Konga Brand Week allows us to continue delivering on that promise by offering incredible discounts and special offers on some of the most sought-after smartphones in the market.”
To stay updated on the latest developments and exclusive deals during Konga Brand Week, shoppers are encouraged to connect with Konga across all platforms, including social media and the Konga website. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to score big savings and elevate your tech game with Infinix and Konga.
E-Business
Study Reveals Software Programmers to make Full Use of AI Code Assistants
Gartner predicts that by 2028, 75 percent of enterprise software engineers will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) code assistants, up from less than 10 percent, currently.
According to a Gartner poll of 598 global respondents conducted in the third quarter of 2023, 63 percent of organisations are now testing, deploying, or have previously implemented AI code assistants.
AI code assistants provide for more capabilities than only code development and completion, notes the research firm.
According to Gartner, the use of AI code assistants can lead to higher work satisfaction and retention, resulting in lower turnover costs.
Philip Walsh, senior principal analyst at Gartner, comments: “Software engineering leaders must determine ROI and build a business case as they scale their rollouts of AI code assistants.
“However, traditional ROI frameworks steer engineering leaders toward metrics centred on cost reduction. This narrow perspective fails to capture the full value of AI code assistants.”
Gartner notes that software engineering leaders must “reframe the ROI conversation from cost reduction to value generations”.
Walsh adds: “Calculating time savings on code generation is a good place to begin building a more robust value story. To convey the full enterprise value story for AI code assistants, software engineering leaders should connect value enablers to impacts, and then analyse the overall return to the organisation.”
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