Telecom
NIPR Harps on Importance of Digital Skill Set in PR Space
Mr. Olusegun McMedal, Chairman, Lagos State Chapter, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has reiterated its commitment in helping its members acquire the right digital skill sets that will enable them operate in the PR space.
He stated this at the Third edition of Lagos Digital PR summit with the theme: ‘The future of the communication professional: Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Machine Learning and Data Driven Contents’ held recently in Lagos.
McMedal explained that the aim of the summit is to help their colleagues, especially senior practitioners in the industry to identify that digital media blossoming and the need for them to operate in the space.
According to him, “This summit is the third in the series and the idea behind this is for us to identify that digital media is blossoming and most of our colleagues’ especially senior practitioners are not actually using that space.
“We are also looking at the possibility of getting the younger people interested in using this medium for their practice.
“So we birthed the idea to have this annual digital PR summit where we will aggregate some knowledge from veterans in the digital space to sharpen the skill sets of practitioners, especially to be able to operate in that space.
He noted that PR practitioners are losing their businesses to non-professionals because of lack of adequate digital skill set.
He added that with this type of summit they hope to stem the tide and ensure that professional get back their businesses.
McMedal further revealed that most of their practitioners have started to sharpen their skill sets by going into digital space.
He said that the choice of this year’s theme is important because Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and machine learning have become the trend for most companies hence the need to let practitioner to know that Artificial Intelligence is not a bad thing but good for the practice.
Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, MD/CEO, CMC Connect, speaking at the event, said that digital skill is a tool in public relations, adding that it’s a platform that practitioners should embrace in achieving their goals.
He noted that we should reappraise the way conduct our traditional services so that we can engage digital.
He added that any vibrant organization that does not have a significant budget for digital will become irrelevant in the next few years.
Badejo-Okusanya also called on PR practitioners to start selling their services in sachets so that they will remain in business, adding that organizations do no longer call for pinch any longer.
He advised practitioners to focus on areas where they have core competence and give services in that area, instead of going for a full pinch.
He reeled out 10 plus 1 big things that will shape the future of public relations in the country as Technology and consumerism, Activism and Advocacy, Media Consumption Habit, Global business, Creativity and Innovation.
Others are Governance and nation state, Influencers and Culture Re-orientation, Value Determination, Business of Public Relations and Talent and Story Telling.
Telecom
FG Plans EO to Criminalise Fiber Cable Damage Costing Telcos Billions
Nigeria will criminalize the destruction of broadband fiber cables following repeated complaints by MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and other telecommunications companies that they are losing billions of naira, according to people familiar with the matter.
Federal ministry of works, which supervises federal road constructors, is finalizing the regulation that will be signed as an executive order by President Bola Tinubu, said the people, asking not to be identified as they weren’t authorized to comment.
While there are presently laws against vandalism, the authorities are aiming to regulate construction firms more closely.
The order will enforce stiff penalties on offenders, said the people, declining to provide more details or say when it will be signed.
“Telecom assets are critical backbone that supports the economy across sectors,” said Temitope Ajayi, a senior presidential aide, who noted that the Association of Telecommunications Companies (ATCON) has been demanding the classification for years.
New rules will provide “further assurance that the Nigerian government will protect their investments against vandals and criminal elements.”
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) estimates that the sector will make up more than a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product by the end of 2027, up from 13.5% in the third quarter of last year.
The move will help alleviate pressure on the telecoms sector, which is facing increased operating costs and sales pressures from a sharp depreciation in the currency and a threefold increase in energy prices.
Repairs and revenue losses from damaged cables is estimated to have cost the sector almost 27 billion naira ($23 million) last year alone, documents seen by Bloomberg show.
MTN Nigeria, the biggest wireless operator in Africa’s most-populous nation, and Airtel Africa Plc bore the brunt of the costs, the documents show.
MTN suffered more than 6,000 cuts on its fiber cable last year, the documents show. On Feb. 28, a cut on its network in three different locations by a road construction firm, an oil serving company and someone burning rubbish in a manhole meant customers faced more than five hours of data and voice outages.
The operator relocated 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) of vulnerable fiber cables between 2022 and 2023, at a cost of more than 11 billion naira – enough to build 870 kilometers of new fiber lines to areas without coverage.
A presidential order on the matter would be welcomed, said Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria.
“When it comes to communication infrastructure, they are destroyed at will, so we are eagerly awaiting the president’s order,” he said. “It would be a great boost to the industry, and it will also encourage investment.”
Telecom
Telegram Eyes 1Bn Users amidst Political Pressures
Telegram, the messaging giant founded by Pavel Durov and headquartered in Dubai, anticipates hitting a remarkable milestone of one billion active monthly users within the next year.
Durov’s departure from Russia in 2014, prompted by governmental pressures to stifle opposition communities on his VK social media platform, underscores Telegram’s commitment to neutrality despite geopolitical challenges.
With 900 million active users currently, Telegram stands as a beacon of free speech in the digital realm, particularly influential in former Soviet Union republics and pivotal during conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine standoff.
Durov’s staunch advocacy for freedom of expression and opposition to censorship by tech giants like Apple and Google reinforces Telegram’s status as a neutral platform.
Opting for the UAE as its base, Durov cites its neutrality and openness as conducive to Telegram’s ethos, serving both opposition groups and governments alike while maintaining impartiality.
In Durov’s vision, the pursuit of freedom eclipses material gain, shaping Telegram’s trajectory as a bastion of digital liberation.
Telecom
NITDA, NIMC Announce Collaboration To Strengthen Digital Economy
To further strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have announced a collaboration on National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to enhance and create synergy between digital identity, payment ecosystem, and secure & seemless data exchange capabilities for Nigeria.
During the meeting between the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and Director General of NIMC, Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, with some management staff of both organisations, they discussed various initiatives, which include building DPI stacks for a secured and seamless data exchange and forming partnerships to transform the national identity system.
This collaboration also aims to harness the potential of the innovative ecosystem and emphasise the use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to drive digital transformation in Nigeria.
To ensure a smooth implementation, a 12-man committee was set up. This committee will play a crucial role in kickstarting and harmonising the initiatives. It is expected to deliver a comprehensive implementation report within the next 4 weeks
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