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Strategic Plan for National Security, the Military & Emergency Management via Satellite (2 of 3)

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By Andrew Aroh

  • Satellite technology plays a pivotal role in National security as well as emergency management and will play an even greater role tomorrow
  • Many satellite companies are trying to establish new ties with Nation’s securities, or trying to expand ongoing relationships with existing clients in the form of partnership with agencies that function in that domain.
  • Others are watching for signs within States and Local Offices of EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT who are seeking Satellite solutions via various grants from the National Security and from the public health sector.
  • Although Budgets are tight and while the people who set the priorities and interests at the National Security departments may have satellite on their screen, they have not completed the complex process of transforming the corresponding agencies and their employees into a single unified organization.
  • Paying close attention to Broad Agency Announcement as well as announced contract opportunities will also help identify specific persons to speak to when it comes to considering Satellite service within the department.
  • Two of the biggest priorities at a typical Department of National Security are:
    • Uninterrupted communications
    • Ability and the capacity to acquire GEOSPATIAL IMAGERY and related tools.
  • In the science and technology directorate of such National security department, we identify SENSOR DEVELOPMENT as the number one priority for the following agents:
    • Biological
    • Chemical
    • Nuclear
    • Radiological
  • No one knows more about sensors that the satellite community
  • The people, industries and communities should look at the Satellite responsibilities in the following application areas:
    • Patrolling our borders and ports
    • Exchanging information with law enforcement
    • Helping a community plan, respond and recover from a natural disaster such as a flood, fire, etc.
  • The Satellite industry needs to work more closely with the military, Department of National Security and Emergency Agencies.
  • A long with technical support and consulting services in many instances, more partnering is necessary as these organizations forges a series of guidelines as opposed to pursuing adhoc approach.
  • On procurement activity, those to occur on the local government level, state level and National level must be spelt out. This will help prime contractors by identifying a niche, Skill or services that are not being pursued for a variety of reasons.
  • While these state and local orientation sessions are going on all the time, there is a sense that a more focused event would serve everyone’s interest.
  • The information and communications technology (ICT) revolution has changed the way business is transacted, government operates and national defense is conducted.
  • In mapping threats against vulnerabilities, ICT integration is clearly the initial priority along with establishing needed baseline telecommunications infrastructure to support those systems.
  • Currently, the military department of state security and the emergency agencies must be intensely focused on getting all information sharing systems seamlessly talking to each other.
  • Satellite may initially play an ancillary role as a result of the usual approach.
  • However, this is expected to change as new applications are being considered in areas requiring MOBILE BROADBAND COMMUNICATION for:
    • National Security
    • First Responders
    • Restoration Efforts
    • BUSINESS CONTINUITY/DISASTER RECOVERY
    • Border Security
  • As a result, commercial satcom will enjoy market share in supporting these applications.
  • Note that Inmarsat is a sound alternative which can be deployed as a tracking solution today without new Satellite
  • The key thing to keep in mind here is that the Satellite solutions in question must have the following features:
    • Easy to use
    • Transparent
    • Immediately familiar
  • The agencies cannot afford anything beyond the most abbreviated training at this point
  • As for the individual states, most must begin to include Satellite broadband communications in their emergency preparedness and response planning. This will make a lot of difference to States that have good ideas with respect to how Satellites fits into their overall approach to emergency preparedness.
  • You encounter different requirements at the state level because each state has unique criteria and a different mix of critical infrastructure, along with such things as various port and border issues.

A Central Satellite office for procurement with the National Security + the Military + Emergency Agency.

  • A unit needs to be created and funded to implement a commercial satcom National Security/Military/Emergency preparedness improvement program to procure and manage Satellite communications facilities and services necessary to increase the robustness of government communications.
  • A centralization of Satellite activities makes good sense. It is wildly thought that we must implement a consolidated approach to both procurement practices and the overall management of Satellite bandwidth
  • With a management authority, the unit could greatly benefit from the coordination that a centralized procurement office could provide.
  • By far, one of the most significant request coming from the commercial Satellite industry is a need for having a single agency development large-scale contracts for Satellite services, such as for transponder time. This kind of process would be fine as long as the individual service can procure the proper device or application without having to go through multiple complex procurement cycles.
  • Interoperability is also a key concern, and here again, the lack of a team focused on Satellite solutions alone means that interoperability is probably not having given the attention that it needs.
  • The unit needs to preserve interoperability, and this involves a flexible standard-based approach rather that embracing closed proprietary platform.
  • By adhering to interoperability standards, the required unit would not only benefit through interagency and inter program communications, but also benefits through increased buying power.
  • National security must not be viewed as simply a business proposition, but an urgent undertaking on a vast scale, which has the best interest of Nigerian Citizens in mind as it winds its ways to fruition.
  • We should think years, not months, and yet do not lose sight of the fact that requirements can change in a heartbeat.
  • Andrew Aroh is President SSPI Nigeria

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General News

Dangote Plans to Donate One-Third of Wealth to Charity as Legacy

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Aliko Dangote
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Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, plans to dedicate one-third of his wealth to charity as part of his succession plan, Halima Dangote, his daughter, has revealed.

Dangote Plans to Donate One-Third of Wealth to Charity as Legacy

Aliko Dangote

Halima, a trustee of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, disclosed this in an interview with Bloomberg published on Tuesday, saying the billionaire had secured the support of his family to commit 33 per cent of his estate to philanthropy.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Dangote’s net worth is estimated at $35.1 billion, meaning one-third of his current wealth would be worth about $11.7 billion if his fortune remains at that level.

Halima explained that her father views philanthropy as a key part of his legacy and has incorporated it into the family’s long-term succession plans.

She said Dangote had structured his estate to ensure that charitable giving continues across generations, particularly in areas such as healthcare and education.

“He sort of put all the structure in place whereby we focus a lot on health and education. He actually donated 25 per cent to the foundation. If you look at it, it is what we call in Sharia Code in Islam; it means he has donated 33 per cent of his whole inheritance to his foundation,” she said.

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Halima added that Dangote believes giving back is central to the success of his businesses and the family’s values.

She said the billionaire asked her, her two sisters, and his mother to sign the agreement allowing 33 per cent of his inheritance to be dedicated to humanitarian causes.

The planned donation builds on Dangote’s longstanding philanthropic activities through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, which was established in 1994.

According to Halima, the foundation received an endowment of $1.25 billion about a decade ago and has since received an additional $700 million in funding.

She said about 70 per cent of the foundation’s spending goes to programmes in Nigeria, while 20 per cent supports projects across Africa, with the remaining funds directed to initiatives in other parts of the world.

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The foundation’s interventions focus on healthcare, education, nutrition, and humanitarian support, including partnerships that contributed to the eradication of wild poliovirus in Africa.

Dangote’s planned charitable commitment adds to increasing global attention on billionaire philanthropy.

Although the proposed 33 per cent allocation is below the 50 per cent commitment associated with the Giving Pledge, it would rank among the largest philanthropic commitments announced by an African billionaire.

Earlier this year, Dangote was named among the world’s most influential philanthropists by TIME magazine’s inaugural TIME100 Philanthropy list, recognising the impact of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, which reportedly spends more than ₦50 billion annually on programmes across Africa.

 

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General News

Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission Seeks Collaboration on Power Plants

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Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), has said that there are plans for Nigeria to begin to generate electricity from nuclear sources.

Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission Seeks Collaboration on Power Plants

Mr Anthony Godwin Ekedegwa, chief executive, NAEC stated this when he recently visited Mr Umar Yusuf Girei, acting managing director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA),in Abuja.

He was at NIWA’s office to solicit the support of NIWA in achieving the numerous advantages of using nuclear energy technology in the country.

According to him, the partnership of critical stakeholders in Nigeria will position the country well in developing and maintaining its nuclear power plant.

The NAEC chief said Nigeria intends to begin the generation of electricity from nuclear sources instead of fossil-based power plants and hydro-based power plants, stressing that for Nigeria to develop, there is a need for the country to diversify its energy needs.

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In his remarks, Mr Girei assured NAEC of his agency’s readiness to collaborate on the advancement of a nuclear power plant in Nigeria.

He promised the full support of NAEC for the success of a nuclear power plant in the country, saying that as the organisation saddled with the responsibility of regulating and developing Nigeria Inland Waterways, his entity is strategically positioned to play a critical role in the federal government’s quest for sustainable energy through the new technology.

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Pan-Africanism: Why Integration is Non-Negotiable for Africa’s Future

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In a powerful call for continental solidarity, Ralph Mupita, Group CEO of MTN, has asserted that the future of the African continent depends on the dismantling of xenophobic barriers.

Pan-Africanism: Why Integration is Non-Negotiable for Africa’s Future

Speaking at the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation (KMF) Winter Seminar, Mupita framed migration as a fundamental characteristic of the African identity, urging South Africa and other nations to embrace integration over exclusion.

He emphasised that the survival of African enterprises depends on a borderless approach to trade and talent. “The digital economy we’re fast moving to knows no borders.” Mupita declared, noting that the mindset of exclusion is an outdated relic that hinders the continent’s ability to compete globally.

He argued that for Africa to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the psychological barriers of xenophobia must be eradicated.

Providing a stark financial justification for this stance, Mupita highlighted MTN’s own operational reality as a blueprint for Pan-African success. “We earn about 80 to 82% of our earnings from outside South Africa,” he revealed, illustrating that the prosperity of South African-born entities is inextricably linked to their success across the rest of the continent. This figure underscores the interdependence of African economies and the danger of isolationist policies.

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Mupita’s stance was strong advocating for unity: “The future of Africa will not be determined by the borders that separate us, but by the economic opportunities that connect us. Governments must set predictable policy and regulations.

Businesses will follow and allocate resources and capital. Together, we can build a continent where opportunity is more evenly shared and prosperity is more widely created.”

Analysts observing the seminar noted that Mupita’s remarks come at a critical juncture where economic volatility often fuels nationalist rhetoric. By tying the fight against xenophobia to the balance sheet, MTN is positioning Pan-Africanism beyond the moral imperative to its function as a business necessity. The CEO stressed that “Migration is part of who we are,” suggesting that the movement of people is the primary engine for the movement of capital and innovation.

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