Connect with us

E-Business

Smile Boosts First Consultants’ Telemedicine with SMiFi

Published

on

(L-r): Simbo Olatoregun, market development manager of Intel, Dr Dania Simpa, CEO Sabaoth Technologies, Dr Benjamin Ohiaeri, chief medical director, First Consultants Medical Center, Tobe Okigbo, chief corporate services officer, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Sarah Joseph, marketing officer and Uzoma Favour, field sales representative both of Smile Communications Nigeria Limited at the donation of Smile Router Wifi by Smile Communications Nigeria Limited to First Consultants Medical Center in Lagos
Kindly share this post

Smile Communications Nigeria Limited has provided First Consultants Medical Center (FCMC), Obalende, Lagos, with SMiFi routers, in ifurtherance of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.

 This latest donation by Smile is regarded as a huge boost to the highbrow hospital’s drive towards telemedicine practice.

FCMC was where Liberian-American and ECOWAS envoy Patrick Sawyer was admitted as the first Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) patient in Nigeria, after he fell sick upon his arrival to the country from Liberia.

In all, he infected 11 workers at the hospital including late Dr Stella Adadevoh and late Justina Ejelonu, a nurse. Consequently, the hospital was shutdown and some of its equipment discarded due to exposure to the virus.

Smile Communications Nigeria Limited has therefore joined forces with the Nigerian Telemedicine Network (NTN) and other donors to equip FCMC with an All-Purpose Medical Solution System (APMS) as the hospital ventures into telemedicine services.

Speaking at the event, Tobe Okigbo, chief corporate services officer for Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, assured that the company would provide the hospital with connectivity capacity of 6mbytes per second.

He noted that Smile appreciated the hospital’s effort in saving Nigeria from what could have been a major health catastrophe.

“Smile identifies with you on the incidents that happened, at the same time appreciating your efforts in rescuing the situation. Now you are going into telemedicine, Smile’s SMiFi is the network enabler to reckon with,” he said.

Explaining the products’ uniqueness, Okigbo noted that the donated Smile SMifi“will eliminate the usual slow connection available in Nigeria, because telemedicine is most times, about being able to share ideas and information accurately and promptly.

The service we are bringing will ensure HD quality; so it is like talking to someone next to you.

The SMiFi is mobile in nature and connects up to 10 users.

“The critical thing”, he avowed, “is that in this day and age of Internet of Things (IoT), everything has to be driven by the internet. Now, this hospital was great for Nigeria owing to what they went through. FCMC was ground zero in terms of ebola outbreak in Nigeria. Other establishments might have concealed the fact that the deadly disease had appeared at their doorstep, but FCMC showed unusual integrity and humanity by not only reporting the fact publicly, but also suffering serious financialand personal hardship to ensure containment of the outbreak. Integrity and humanity are values that are core to Smile’s DNA so it was an easy decision to support this project.

“Smile joins other well-meaning organizations, and indeed the country in thanking FCMC for their role during the crisis. Leveraging on another of Smile’s core values, innovation, we expect this project to greatly increase the hospital’s ability to deliver healthcare services to Nigerians in collaboration with their partners worldwide.”

Dr. Dania Simpa, chief executive officer and lead consultant, Health Informatics, Sabaoth Technologies Ltd and coordinator, Nigerian Telemedicine Network, and the coordinator of the All-Purpose Medical Solution System (APMS) CSR projects, collaborated Okigbo’s remarks, adding that the tools provided will showcase how technology has transformed healthcare across board.

“Our partners comprising Smile Communications, Intel, Microsoft and Debonia came up with the All-Purpose Medical Solution System (APMS) as a collective Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Our goal is to ensure even better productivity through efficient delivery of services,” he said.

While receiving Smile’s SMiFi devices, Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri, chief medical director of First Consultant Medical Centre, chronicled the incidents that led to the hospitals’resolve to embark on telemedicine.

He said, “You want to partner with us viz a viz telemedicine. It is like you preempted us. We are already looking at commencing telemedicine. For instance, we created a knowledge center which includes an e-library. Knowledge is the most important commodity in the world and our goal is to ensure that requisite knowledge is at our finger tips at all times.”

He noted that “Nigeria is a great country, but some of us do not appreciate what makes us great. What makes us great is not that we are on uniform. The key is: the good Lord has kept us together in a way and manner that if we would simply have mutual respect for one another and value lives and be able to say “Sorry” and “Thank you” when needed, then the sky is our limit. So, I am saying Thank you for this symbolic act of magnanimity’.  

Telemedicine involves the use of information and communication technologies to provide clinical health care remotely, eliminating the distance barriers.It can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in, not just distant, but also developing countries.

Smile Communications’ SMifi has invariably become pivotal in the quest for efficient communications services with the provision of superfast and super reliable internet access. The SMifi connects multiple users, comes in a pocket friendly size and has up to 10-hours battery life. More importantly, it can be used with any handset, laptop or device that is Wi-Fi enabled.


Kindly share this post

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

E-Business

NDPC Commits to Balancing Data Privacy, Protection Information

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), has expressed its commitment to balance information around data privacy and protection.

NDPC Commits to Balancing Data Privacy, Protection Information

Dr. Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner, NDPC, stated this in Abuja, at the National Data Privacy Summit with the theme, “Privacy in the Era of Emerging Technologies,” organised by the commission.

Olatunji said the NDPC, at the moment, was looking at balancing information around data privacy and protection.

“What we are doing is just to look at how to balance information around privacy and protection, which is really important, because as we are innovating, at the same time, we have to consider issues around privacy and protection,” he stated.

He added that the commission has been very bold in taking risks that would bring about growth.

“Our starting point is growing at a very alarming rate, and we are not afraid of anything. We can take risks. And that is why a lot is happening in Nigeria, and this is the level of clarity,” he explained.

In his address, Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),  stated that Internet of Things holds promise for Nigeria’s economy.

The EVC, who was represented by Abraham Oshadami, executive commissioner, Technical Services (ECTS), noted that, “in an era in which digital assets, Internet of Things, future digital computing and other transformative technologies are key, and both a cornerstone of building trust for the adoption and a prerequisite for sustainable progress.

“Emerging technologies hold immense promise for Nigeria’s grand economy, but they also introduce complex risks to personal and individual rights.

“So, balancing innovation through post-ethical safeguards and public trust is the first step to ensuring that global digital advancement benefits all Nigerians without compromising their privacy or their security,” he added.

“As we just heard from the Nigeria Police, telecom operators have a vast amount of sensitive historical information daily, including connectivity apps and collaboration on privacy, security, and number protection, both to their and their inheritors,” he said.

Dr. Bako Shurkuk, commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Plateau State, who represented Caleb Mutfwang, Governor of Plateau State, said, emerging technologies can be harnessed to attain sustainable growth.

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

E-Business

OADC Lagos Reinforces Commitment to Local Data Hosting and Digital Transformation @ NDPC’s National Privacy Week Summit

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Open Access Data Centres (OADC) Lagos has reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s data protection and digital transformation agenda through its sponsorship and active participation in the Nigeria Data Protection Commission’s (NDPC) National Privacy Week Summit.

The National Privacy Week Summit, organised by the NDPC, convened policymakers, regulators, technology providers, and industry stakeholders to promote data privacy awareness, strengthen compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), and advance conversations around data security, sovereignty, and responsible data governance.

As a sponsor of the event, OADC Lagos demonstrated its continued support for the Federal Government’s drive toward local data hosting and data domiciliation, which are increasingly critical to safeguarding sensitive information, enhancing regulatory compliance, and building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.

Through its carrier-neutral, Tier III Design certified data centre in Lekki, Lagos, OADC provides secure, resilient, and compliant infrastructure that enables government institutions and private sector organisations to host and manage data locally while meeting international best practices.

Commenting on the engagement, Adesola Adesugba, Country Marketing Manager, Open Access Data Centres Nigeria, said: “We are proud to have supported the Nigeria Data Protection Commission through the National Privacy Week Summit and to stand alongside the government in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives.

“Strengthening local data hosting and domiciliation is fundamental to national data sovereignty, improved security, and sustainable digital growth, and OADC Lagos remains committed to enabling this future.”

OADC’s participation at National Privacy Week Summit underscores its role as a trusted digital infrastructure partner to government and enterprise, supporting secure cloud connectivity, regulatory compliance, and the long-term development of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Open Access Data Centres is part of the WIOCC Group and operates open-access, world-class data centres across Africa, serving cloud providers, network operators, enterprises, and public sector institutions.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

E-Business

Kaspersky Launches OT Calculator to Align Cybersecurity Investments with Business Goals

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Kaspersky’s new online tool has been specially developed for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs associated with insufficient operational technology (OT) security.

By offering detailed financial forecasts, the calculator empowers senior management to make well-informed decisions regarding security investments.

Industrial organisations increasingly depend on interconnected systems, elevating cybersecurity to a critical factor in business resilience and profitability.

According to VDC Research, over 60% of industrial companies last year reported that cybersecurity breaches had led to significant costs. Despite this, a persistent disconnect remains between security teams and executive leadership as security professionals focus on minimising risk, while executives must balance cybersecurity concerns with broader business objectives. This misalignment often results in competing priorities and underfunded security initiatives.

To bridge this gap, Kaspersky has launched the OT Cybersecurity Savings Calculator, an innovative online tool designed specifically for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs of inadequate operational technology (OT) security¹.

The primary aim of this tool is to translate cyber risks into tangible financial metrics and support strategic discussions around priorities and budget allocation. By entering details such as their sector, sub-sector, region, company size, breach history, and existing cybersecurity measures, organisations can estimate their potential cost savings and receive customised, actionable recommendations.

The calculator benchmarks performance against industry peers and highlights the company’s position within the current threat landscape.

“We believe this calculator is a powerful resource for transforming complex cyber risk data into straightforward financial insights. It enables OT leaders, security professionals, and executive teams to develop clear, data-driven business cases and recognise the value of cybersecurity investments. With actionable guidance, it promotes a comprehensive approach to resource management and strengthens overall organisational resilience,” comments Andrey Strelkov, Head of Industrial Cybersecurity Product line at Kaspersky.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending