Connect with us

News

Vodacom Advocates for Gender Equality for Women in ICT

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Vodacom Business Nigeria in its bid to address the gap between women and men in the ICT sector, where, according to the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics says that the ratio of Nigerian female workers to men in ICT was 3.3:1 in 2012; organized a one day ICT field trip for female students from Baptist Girls Academy, in Lagos to motivate girls to choose future careers in ICT.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the share of Nigerian females in the ICT workforce rose steadily from 19.02% in 2010 to 22.96% in 2012, with 78,757 Nigerian females employed in the sector at that time.

With companies like Vodacom who are actively accelerating gender equality in the workplace, it is expected that the number of Nigerian females in the ICT sector must have grown substantially between 2012 and now.

When it comes to gender equality in the workplace, Vodacom leads. Currently, 43% of Vodacom’s workforce is female. In the last year, promotions of female employees rose by 9%, while 17% of the executive workforce is female.

Vodacom’s working policies also allow women more flexibility around maternity leave and returning to work.

However, with the decline in the number of female candidates admitted into Engineering, Technology and ICT faculties between 2014 and 2015, it is important that more companies join in the promotion of females in ICT education in Nigeria.

Speaking at the Girls in ICT workshop organized by Vodacom Business Nigeria, Mrs. Funke Atanda, Senior Product Manager, of the company, said that “Gender equality remains a challenge, particularly in the ICT sector, and so we realize that we should do more to bridge the disparity between male and female in this sector. By supporting ICT skill acquisition for girls, bringing females into our organizations to learn about new technologies and helping them further develop their ideas, we are able to encourage more girls to choose courses and careers in ICT. This will help increase the number of women in the ICT sector in the near future”

According the National Bureau of Statistics, of the 564 candidates admitted into the Faculty of Engineering in Lagos State, in 2014, only 129 were female. The numbers declined in 2015 with only 84 females admitted of the 414 candidates admitted into the faculty of engineering in Lagos state. By providing donations, training and support to ICT driven programs, Vodacom Business Nigeria is accelerating the removal of barriers for girls and women in the ICT field.

Vodacom has created youth empowerment programs like the Power to You project and #ConnectedSheCan, a campaign that targets a broad spectrum of women who face a range of challenges around work.

Also, over the years, Vodacom Business Nigeria has supported Girls in ICT Day; an initiative of the ITU which aims to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of ICTs, enabling both girls and technology companies to reap the benefits of greater female participation in the ICT sector.

Atanda added that “Vodacom will continue to support and advocate for gender equality for women in and through ICT; this will strengthen their stance in the sector while continuing to improve lives of all around the world”.


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.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Comments

News

Transcorp Power Reports N67.86Bn Revenue

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Transcorp Power Plc, also known as Transcorp Power, reported N67.86 billion in revenue for the quarter that concluded on March 31, 2024, on Friday.

Transcorp Power Reports N67.86Bn Revenue

Peter Ikenga

The amount represents a notable 223 percent increase from the N21.04 billion reported in the first quarter of 2023.

This was disclosed in the electricity generating company’s unaudited financial report, which was made available in Lagos, for the period ending March 31.

Transcorp Power reported that its Profit Before Tax (PBT) increased to N28.77 billion in the first quarter of 2024 from N3.29 billion in the same period the previous year, a 775 percent increase.

In the first quarter of 2024, the company’s Profit After Tax (PAT) increased by 665% year over year to N20.1 billion, from N2.6 billion in the same period the previous year.

The total assets of the electricity-generating subsidiary increased as well, rising from N223.3 billion in the same period of 2023 to N276.2 billion in the first quarter of 2024.

Mr. Evans Okpogoro, chief fnancial officer, Transcorp Power, commented on the financial highlights, stating that the company’s first quarter results for this year showed a cost to income ratio of 70% and a gross margin of 51%.

According to Okpogoro, the company also reported a gross margin of 37%, an expense-to-income ratio of 87%, a net profit margin of 13%, and a net profit margin of 30% as of the first quarter of 2023.

He stated that this highlighted the remarkable operational efficiency gains of the company.

According to him, Transcorp Power has continued to grow its revenue aggressively and consistently over the last five years.

“We expect that by the end of the year 2024, we will see a similar growth trajectory recorded between 2022 and 2023 financial year.

Also, Mr Peter Ikenga, managing director/chief executive officer (CEO), Transcorp Power, expressed the company’s delight to report further robust financial performance, despite sectoral challenges such as gas supply issues and macroeconomic challenges.

Ikenga said the ability of the electricity subsidiary to sustain growth amidst the environment shows the resilience of its business model and the efficient execution of its strategic initiatives.

As part of the Transcorp Group’s implementation of its integrated power strategy, the managing director went on to say that the company’s strong performance is evidence of its strategic focus and effective execution.

Strategically investing in the power, hospitality, and energy sectors, Transcorp Power Plc is an electricity-generating subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc (Transcorp Group), one of Africa’s top listed companies.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

PIN, Pan-Atlantic University Partner to Empower Journalists with Digital Rights and Inclusion Knowledge and Skills

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Paradigm Initiative (PIN) and the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University (SMC, PAU) have sealed a partnership aimed at increasing knowledge and skills in reporting and responding to digital rights and inclusion issues in Africa.

This collaborative effort is aimed at equipping journalists with the expertise needed to effectively document and report on digital rights violations and advocate for inclusive digital spaces across Africa.

The partnership is part of PIN’s Digital Rights and Inclusion Media Programme (DRIMP) which encompasses media fellowships run collaboratively with academic institutions and sector experts. Through the programme, PIN partners with academic institutions and key digital rights experts to deliver capacity-building training sessions to early-career media practitioners and media students. DRIMP exposes relevant programme fellows to digital rights and inclusion, enhancing their ability to report and respond to any violations that may arise.

“Building a strong network of informed advocates and reporters is crucial for promoting and protecting digital rights in Africa and this collaboration marks a defining moment for the documentation of digital rights developments within Africa,” said Bridgette Ndlovu, PIN’s Partnerships and Engagements Officer. “Through this partnership with the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University, we will empower media students to hold governments and the private sector accountable for upholding digital rights standards,” she said.

Commenting on behalf of SMC, PAU, Senior Lecturer at the School of Media and Communication, Dr. Nwachukwu Egbunike highlighted that the partnership is in line with SMC’s commitment to providing industry relevant skill sets to her students. The partnership will foster experiential learning, which is one of the cardinal teaching objectives of Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos. .

“We are excited to partner with Paradigm Initiative. Equipping media students with the knowledge and skills to report on digital rights issues is essential for building a more just and equitable digital space in Africa,” Dr. Egbunike added.

The collaboration comes at a time when rapid digitalisation and adoption of digital policies is gaining traction in Africa. Through the partnership, PIN will provide technical facilitation on digital rights topics which include: Surveillance, data privacy and digital legislation in Nigeria and Africa. Media students at Pan-Atlantic University will publish research papers on digital rights and inclusion. PIN will also offer internship opportunities to a maximum of two interns to recommended outstanding students who are part of the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University programme per cohort. The Internship slots will allow student beneficiaries to learn from and contribute to PIN’s or any of its partners’ work.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

NELFUND Says UTME, NIN, BVN Mandatory for Student Loans

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has said that Nigerian students will need to present their Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination registration number (UTME); National Identification Number (NIN); and Bank Verification Number (BVN) to access student loans.

NELFUND Says UTME, NIN, BVN Mandatory for Student Loans

Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, managing director of NELFUND, assured that the body would ensure that those he called ‘ghost students’ would not have access to the soon-to-be-launched scheme.

The MD noted that NELFUND has put processes in place to ensure that all applicants and beneficiaries are traceable to prevent the loan from turning into a sort of national cake.

“We are using technology to run the system. The process of application is online and we are limiting human contact as much as possible. Once you have a Bank Verification Number, BVN and National Identification Number, NIN, which are parts of the requirements, we will have access to your data and all your accounts. This will also help us to know if you are qualified or not,” he explained.

He explained further that those who are already in school can apply for the loan at any level of their study, but must be at the beginning of each session. They would also have to provide their admission and matriculation details in addition to BVN and NIN.

According to the NELFUND boss, about 1.2 million Nigerian students in tertiary institutions and government-recognized skill acquisition centres would be among the first batch of beneficiaries. The number may increase as time goes on.

The programme, he noted, will be funded with one per cent of the total annual collectable revenue by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), which will amount to N194 billion if the agency meets its projection.

He explained that the loan would be paid in two segments. The first, he said, is the chargeable school fees which would be paid directly to the institutions while stipend would be paid into individual student’s account for day-to-day upkeep.

Mr. Sawyerr stated that the amount individual applicants will access will vary because of the course of study, school fees payable and geographical location of the institutions among others.

On the method of payback, he said, “You don’t start paying back the loan until two years after your National Youth Service Corps, NYSC Scheme and that is, if you have secured a job or business. A beneficiary can defer repayment if he has not secured a job, but if after due diligence, he defaulted, then he becomes a criminal and we will work with every agency that can help us get the money back, for example, EFCC, ICPC etc.”

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending