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SAFER CYBERSPACE CATALYST FOR DIGITAL ECONOMY TRANSFORMATION — DG NITDA

SAFER CYBERSPACE CATALYST FOR DIGITAL ECONOMY TRANSFORMATION — DG NITDA

A secured cyberspace has been identified as a critical enabler that could catalyse the transformation of Nigeria into a leading digital economy that is capable of providing quality life for all.

The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE expressed this view today in a webinar organised by the Agency to commemorate the cyber security awareness month.

The webinar, which was part of the events lined up to create awareness on cyber security for the month addressed topics on ” Cyber Security Controls and Precautions for Parents and Kids; ” The Worth of Your Digital Identity”; and “Phishing: SMS and Email”.

Mallam Abdullahi who spoke through the Director, Information Technology Infrastructure Solutions, Dr Usman Abdullahi maintained that heightened use of digital platforms has critically enhanced productivity at all levels; be it individual, governments, organizations, multinationals, corporate entities and civil society groups hence the need to canvass for a secured cyberspace.

While noting that the efforts of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy at securing the cyberspace for Nigeria as enshrined in the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, Mallam Abdullahi declared that “ineffective cybersecurity coordination could lead to a devastating blow on the positives of the digital economy.”

He said the cardinal objective for this year’s programme therefore is to give Nigerians every available clue to avoid the tricks of the criminals, and where it inevitably occurs, report to appropriate authorities adding many Nigerians have fallen victims to cybercriminals largely due to lack of awareness on what to do and avoid, while on cyberspace.

Describing the webinar as apt, the DG stated that protection of digital presence in a highly connected world remains the greatest measure to ensure safety online. He advised Nigerians to keep their personally identifiable information a secret as is the first step in staying safe, and free from the unwholesome practices of the cybercriminals.

One of the panelists at webinar who is the founder of DIGISS LCC, Mr. Mobolaji Moyosore urged Nigerians to be wary of trust exploitation as it has been identified as one of the ways cyber criminals adopt to defraud unsuspecting victims.

While encouraging the use of strong password as first means to adopt in order to be saved online, Mr. Moyosore advised that people should ensure two or more factors authentication to ensure safety.
“No system or network is saved but people should first ensure adequate measures at protecting themselves. The usage of free WiFi for banking transaction should be discouraged,” he said.

In his closing remarks, the NITDA Director, Cyber Security Department, Dr Dimie Wariowei informed that the objective of the sensitization is to teach Nigerians what to do and what not to do online. He said, “The flair for online transaction and impact of COVID-19 have increased level of IT adoption which makes everyone prone to be a victim. We urged you to apply all the messages you received here and transmit to others because cyber security awareness is everyone function, he advised.

Relationship: Is the Waiting Worth It For Women ?

Relationship: Is the Waiting Worth It For Women ?

A woman is wired to wait, wait to be seen, wait to be approached to, wait to be proposed to, wait to be married to, it’s rather not so easy to wait.

Imagine! you see a cute guy you would have loved to marry because you’re a woman, you have to wait until he proposes marriage to you.

If you try to re-write the narratives by doing the proposing, the society calls you desperate, it’s really not easy to wait.

In Africa, a lot of people see it as a taboo for a lady to propose to a man, I commend some ladies who have to defile the norms by going for a man they like, it takes boldness to do so,but very few ladies among the majority have such courage, so it’s really not so easy to wait.

Sincerely, as a man, I think we have so many privileges the female folks don’t have, we go for any lady we like, we marry anytime we want, but for a second, can we understand it’s not so easy to be a woman?

You courted a lady for 2 years, she waits and hopes you marry her, if she had the power to marry you, she would have paid your groom price long ago (if there was anything of such) but she waits in patience only for you to disappoint her. Very bad💔💔😭😭

So many of us cannot even wait when a lady tells us to give her some time to think about our proposals, we hate to wait.

So, I say this, don’t let a lady wait in vain, don’t deceive a lady, time is a precious asset to them.

Most ladies have waited in vain💔💔, they would have been married long ago but faced a series of disappointment, most of them are now afraid of commitment, afraid of wasting their time waiting, they don’t have the veto power to initiate marriage, the only power they have is to pray for their men to do the right things, its really not so easy to be in that position.

My advise to you as a lady, don’t force the waiting period, don’t think you can use pregnancy to force the waiting period by making him marry you, don’t think to move to his house will force the process, don’t go diabolical trying to make him marry you

©️ Chris King

60 YEARS ON: FANI KAYODE GOES PRAYERFUL

60 YEARS ON: FANI KAYODE GOES PRAYERFUL

Though having issues with his marriage, that hasn’t deterred the former Minister of Aviation and a staunch PDP member and an opposition to the government from appreciating how far he has come in life. Kayode took to facebook and wrote….read him !

I am 60 years old today! I give thanks to the Lord for He has been good to me.

As is usually the case with me on my birthdays I shall spend most of the day quietly with a few members of my family, loved ones and household and, for the better part of the day until the afternoon, I shall be fasting and giving thanks to God for His love, grace, kindness and mercy.

This is the way that I have marked my birthday for the last 9 years and I find it gratifying and fulfilling. I have so much to thank God for and more so this year than perhaps any other.

Throughout the year and indeed throughout my life He has been faithful and true to me despite my weaknesses, imperfections and shortcomings.

He has exalted my horn, enlarged my coast, caused me to increase, caused me to excel and prosper and met my every need. He has caused me to be a source of blessing to many and constantly worked the most extraordinary and amazing miracles in my life.

He has brought me joy, great memories and wonderful times and always lifted me up even when I am down. He has given me strength to go through the biggest challenges and betrayals that a man can ever face in his life and led me to react with restraint, decorum, self-respect and dignity. He has levelled mountains before me, made a way where there seems to be no way and made every crooked path straight.

I have witnessed the most terrible things that most only read about in books and I have been subjected to the greatest humiliation, suffering and pain from those closest to me yet I have counted it all as joy and borne it with stoicism, silence and dignity refusing to offer a word of explanation or complaint to anyone.

Yet God has been faithful. He has healed my wounds with the balm of Gilead, given me a sure word and given me the strength and power to forgive.

He has put my many enemies to shame, delivered me from death and infirmity, protected my children, strengthened my wife Regina, preserved my life, blessed me with faithful and loyal loved ones, met my every need and watched over me for good and not for evil.

He has delivered me from the wicked machinations and the premeditated, well-orchestrated, well-planned and diabolical plans of my enemies who hate me with a perfect hatred.

He has guided me in my life’s walk, counselled me even when I refused to listen and forgiven me where and when I got things wrong and disobeyed Him.

He has delivered me from every betrayal, exposed every lie, silenced every adversary, thwarted every conspiracy, strengthened my heart, emboldened my spirit, restrored my soul, helped me to love again and healed my deep wounds.

He has provided for me and mine, met our every need and delivered us from shame and defeat. He has destroyed the counsel of the ungodly and the agenda of the treacherous over our lives, confused their tongues, divided their ranks and brought us to a better place.

Like David who suffered no less, I thank Him for His love, grace, mercy, blessings, peace, joy, deliverance, promises, sure word and expected end.

I thank him for His loving kindness, for my loved ones and children and for all those who have supported me and stood with me and mine through thick and thin over the lady 60 years.

I thank Him for decreeing and determining the bitter end of those who wished me ill and those that have repaid my good with evil and for putting them to shame.

I thank Him for leading and guiding me in the dark places where I could not see and for seeing me through every raging storm.

I thank Him for the love and support that I have received over the years and particularly over the last few weeks and months from my wife Regina, my children, my sister in-law Pastor Claudia Tchapornu, my loved ones both near and afar, my friends, my associates, my colleagues, my political associates, my intercessors, my Pastors, senior members of the Clergy and the Body of Christ (including the President of CAN, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, Prophet T.B Joshua, Bishop David Oyedepo and so many others), Traditional Rulers, my mentees, my disciples and my numerous fans and supporters.

I thank Him because He delivered me from the hand of the enemy and His word over my life cannot be thwarted or aborted. I thank Him for, despite being unworthy, making me His beloved even as I have made Him my God.

I thank Him for our eternal covenant of love which will stand from generation to generation and till the end of time.

60 years today and many years to come. I boldly enter a new phase of life now and a new beginning. It is a phase of victory and a phase of abundance and blessing.

I trust God and I put behind me every setback and disappointment, forgiving and loving all, including those who hurt me, betrayed me, lied on me, repaid my good with evil and sought to destroy my life and that of my children and reduce me to nothing.

I have no enemies and I love and forgive even my darkest adversaries and foes.

I live for my calling and nothing else. I live for God’s purpose for my future and my life and all the lies, fabrications, misrepresentation, fake news and hate in the world cannot change that and neither can it resist His power or negate His extraordinary love for me.

Finally I thank God for the gift and privilege of life and good health and for all the love that I receive from those around me. Glory be to His holy name forever.

I have said it before and I will say it again, without Him I am nothing but with Him I am everything. I go forth boldly knowing that I am a warrior and a lion: I have no fear despite my many battles, afflictions, challenges and wounds.

I hold on to Him in the knowledge that as long as God is with me none can stand against me and, in the fulness of time, my enemies shall be made my footstool.

God bless my social media friends, fans, supporters and family too, particularly those that belong to the various FFK groups and that continue to believe in me and stand by me. I appreciate every single one of you.

Since my extraordinary and historic tour of the south there have been many distractions and acts of sabotage thrown our way but it changes nothing and one thing remains clear: we shall overcome and we shall prevail. God has said it and I believe it.

Darkness cannot overcome light and I urge you not to be moved by what you read, see and hear or the malevolent and malicious rantings and intrigues of the naysayers, the trolls, the enemy and his legion of emissaries and paid agents on social media.

As our Lord said of those that crucified Him, I say may the Lord forgive them for they know no better and they know not what they do.

On our part we despise the shame, remain focused as ever and forge ahead regardless with our heads held up high.

Your lion and champion is alive and well, the vision is for an appointed time and, though it may tarry, it shall surely come to pass.

Trials, tribulations, malice, premeditated attempts to derail, distract and destroy, collaboration with ancient foes, conspiracies with deadly enemies, fake news, lies and betrayal and the hatred of those who know no better are are unwelcome yet necessary evils. They serve to refine us, make us stronger and prepare us for God’s ultimate purpose.

As Joseph said, what our detractors and those that engender and peddle these evil plans and intrigues against us meant for evil, God meant for good. And in the end He shall grant us victory, vindicate us and make all things beautiful whilst they bow their heads in shame. Glory and praise and honor be unto His holy name.

Thank you Father because you alone are my focus and my strength. Nothing else matters to me. You alone can and will bring me to an expected end.

You alone can and will reward me for the wickedness I have suffered in the hands of those that seek my destruction and make boast of it publicly and privately every day.

You alone can and will judge them for seeking to destroy and derail that which you have purposed.

He is faithful. I give Him praise. 60 years today! Many more to come! Thanks be to God!

#EndSARS Protest: Obiano, Sanwo-Olu and Wike Understand The Plight Of Youths In Their Various States

#EndSARS Protest: Obiano, Sanwo-Olu and Wike Understand The Plight Of Youths In Their Various States

Lagos, Rivers and Anambra State have supported the ongoing ENDSARS and police brutality campaign in their states. These states have many things in common though they differ in political leaning and ideologies. They are being governed by diverse political parties. Lagos is a core APC state, Rivers State is a PDP State while Anambra is APGA state and that is where the differences end. Now we are done with the differences can we look at the common grounds these states of the federation find themselves or what they share and have in common.

These states are located in Southern Nigeria, Lagos is in South Western part, while the River State is at the South-Southern part of Niger Delta Region while Anambra State is in Core South Eastern part of the country. These states have demonstrated efficiency and prudency in managing the affairs of their states. Building infrastructures, posting great reserves and also, they can be said to be the most progressive states in the region infrastructurally, educationally and security wise.

Wike Makes U-turn, Joins EndSARS Protest In Rivers - iReporter Online

The governors of these states understand that the workforce of their state are being powered by the youths and critical demography tilts towards the youths, they have shown commitment in building a youthful ecosystem that would enable the youths thrives especially in the areas of start-up ecosystem. They understand that youths are the future of the states and they must as a fact key into their ideologies as we have seen these states lending their voice to the ENDSARS campaign.

Unlike most governors in the region, the trio have shown that they understand the plight of their various states and what it means to have a thriving youth population devoid of harassment.  Speaking via their various social media handle they have physically and otherwise lent their voice in support and in tune with the protest. Sanwo Olu via his twitter twitted “I strongly condemn the attack of peaceful protesters by armed and unscrupulous elements trying to cause chaos in Alausa today.My government will never tolerate the attack of protesters. Security agents will immediately protect peaceful protesters from miscreants. I have received reports involving a bus in our state bus service. Our buses will never be involved in such activities and I have instructed the state team to get to the root of it. I will address our residents live today on developments.”

Sanwo-Olu says he supports #EndSARS protest, promises to secure the release of protesters - OYO Gist

He added” I understand the atmosphere of distrust in which things are happening and how rapidly the situation has escalated, but I need to let every Lagosian understand that our government believes firmly in democratic ideals and will continue to act in accordance with our belief.”

On the part of Wike, the governor of Rivers State, though he was of the opinion that the protest shouldn’t happen in his state but he later changed his mind and addressed the youth during the protest citing that he has been at the forefront of abolition of SARS officials in his state. In his words “If we do not reform the police, the same SARS officers will be deployed to other units of the force to continue their evil acts…SARS cannot and has never been our friend in Rivers State. They killed a lecturer at Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic without a cause and people kept quiet.”

EndSARS: Despite scrapping SARS, why are Nigerians still protesting? | Nairametrics

He added ““When we raised the alarm over the killings of Rivers people by SARS operatives, nobody listened to us as they said I was playing politics with it.No governor saw the need to speak out against that evil. That was because it was not happening in their states. Now the evil of SARS has touched them, they want everybody to join.”

On the part of Willie Obiano, the present Governor of Anambra State, he said “Today, I joined youths of our dear State to say #EndPoliceBrutality and I support them because they did not only vote and defend their votes in my 21-over-21 victory but all their requests are genuine and germane; and I oblige to honour them all.”

On the trigger-happy policeman called James Nwafor, the governor opined that “”James Nwafor, former OC SARS in Anambra State is sacked and will be prosecuted; I’ll ensure that the Presidency does the needful to ensure a better life for our youths, for us, ndi Anambra and for our nation.”

Southern Nigerians Are Protesting To EndSARS, Northerners Are Protesting For Something Else.

These three governors of the progressive states of the youths have shown that they understand the need for the security of lives and property and also put themselves in the shoes of the youths during this #EndSARS.

Anthony Emeka Nwosu

“Today, I joined youths of our dear State to say #EndPoliceBrutality and I support them because they did not only vote and defend their votes in my 21-over-21 victory but all their requests are genuine and germane; and I oblige to honour them all.”

Just Like Sanwo Olu, Willie Obiano Joins The #EndSars Protest In Anambra

Just Like Sanwo Olu, Willie Obiano Joins The #EndSars Protest In Anambra

Today, I joined youths of our dear State to say #EndPoliceBrutality and I support them because they did not only vote and defend their votes in my 21-over-21 victory but all their requests are genuine and germane; and I oblige to honour them all.

I felt honoured being in their midst to share in their feelings; and I made it clear that:

First, Federal Government has disbanded SARS but I will personally visit all SARS offices in Anambra State to ensure that anyone being held is released, immediately;

Second, James Nwafor, former OC SARS in Anambra State is sacked and will be prosecuted;

Third, I’ll ensure that the Presidency does the needful to ensure a better life for our youths, for us, ndi Anambra and for our nation.

Long Live Anambra Youths!
Aluta continua!

Willie Obiano posted

The African Security Culture

The African Security Culture

November 11, 2020. This date marks the return of the successful and virtual Africa Cyber Security Culture Conference, an event that explores cybersecurity culture in Africa and shares best practices for organisations and individuals on the continent. Hosted by cybersecurity awareness training organisation KnowBe4 Africa (KnowBe4.com) in collaboration with Cyber Security Africa, the half-day online event will feature speakers, leaders, analysts and decision makers sharing vital skills and knowledge around security, culture and the future.

The inaugural event, hosted in June 2020, saw more than 1,300 people from all over the world, register to attend. They engaged with industry experts from Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Norway, the USA and South Africa, and the event paid attention to key trends and topics relevant to cybersecurity on the African continent. The November conference is set to take the insights, engagement and expertise to the next level.

The speaker line-up for the November 11 event includes sterling talent and industry expertise. Attendees can expect to hear from: Jenny Radcliffe, Founder and Director of Human Factor Security;  Abdul-Hakeem Ajijola (AhA) Chair of African Union’s Cyber Security Expert Group; Yolanda Cornelius, Security Governance Officer at Discovery Limited; Christine Bennett, Manager: Cyber Security Awareness, CISO Office, Nedbank Ltd; Olasunkanmi James, Head of IT Security, Airtel Nigeria; Javvad Malik, Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4; and Sanjana Rathi, Lead: Stakeholder Engagement and Technology Policy at Technology Against Crime Africa.

The conference is focused on helping organisations embed security into their cultures, helping them to thrive in increasingly complex and uncertain times. This is a necessity highlighted by the 2020 Global Security Culture Report by KnowBe4 and CTLRe that emphasised the importance of compliance and security behaviour in ensuring that organisations remain vigilant and secure.

The speaker line-up for the November 11 event includes sterling talent and industry expertise

“The question that the report raises is simple – how can the organisation embed secure employee behaviour to minimise the risk and maximise protection?” asks Collard. “The answer is that security has to be management’s responsibility and needs to remain an ongoing priority. A few emails and posters about password hygiene aren’t going to cut it when a phishing email or ransomware breaks loose. And this can happen with just one accidental click of a mouse.”

Download the report from: bit.ly/2SUb0kg to find out more about how Africa leads the way in security culture and the areas that need to change in order for the continent to truly thrive in the future.

The virtual Africa Cyber Security Culture Conference will tackle these issues and other highly relevant topics over the course of a morning. Speakers will cover social engineering, mobile security, security culture programmes, and incentivised behavioural changes, among others. Held on 11 November 2020 at 9 a.m. GMT+2, attendees are invited to discuss key trends, to explore the development of a robust African security posture, and to walk away with practical tips and advice that can be implemented in their own organisations.

The event includes presentations across the following topics:

  • Security Culture Programmes — What has Worked and What Hasn’t?
  • Overcoming mobile security challenges in Africa
  • Carrot or the Stick? Driving Behaviour Change Through Incentives
  • Aligning Cybersecurity to your Organisation’s Greater Culture/Wellness Programme
  • Gender, Culture and ICT Use for Rural Development
  • Managing Security Cultures After COVID-19. How Do We Adapt? A panel discussion.

For more information about the event and to reserve your space, visit AfricaCyberSecCon.com

The Africa Cyber Security Culture Conference 2020 will play host to more than 15 distinguished panellists and speakers and will provide attendees with practical and proactive takeaways that they can implement in their organisations.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of KnowBe4.

Siemens Digital Industries and GIL Automation paving the way for Industry in Nigeria

Siemens Digital Industries and GIL Automation paving the way for Industry in Nigeria

In support and contribution to the development of industry in Africa, Siemens (Siemens.com) has revised its business approach for sustainable business development and competitiveness. The Siemens Approved Partner Program offers a comprehensive combination of Siemens products and value-add services. This is embedded in a distribution business model, which is and remains a vital pillar in our go-to-market strategy, through the globally mobilised Siemens Digital Industries (DI) Value Added Reseller Program.

We greatly value the partnership with GIL Automation as an extension to our Digital Industries business

GIL Automation, a long-standing partner to Siemens, has been appointed as a Value Added Reseller. GIL Automation has been sustainable to maintain this competitiveness, serving the market at the highest standards to drive quality, performance and growth, to the expectations of its clients.

“At Siemens we want all our customers to benefit from this expertise and reliability, wherever they are in the world. That is why we work closely with selected partners who make our comprehensive offerings available, even when we ourselves are not on site – with proven experts in their fields who also make your business projects a success. High performance, commitment, trust, and compliance are the basis for a strong partnership. This is why customer impact is at the core of everything we do,” states Sabine Dall’Omo, Chief Executive Officer for Siemens Southern & Eastern Africa.

“Nigerian customers need a global technology partner with local customer services, local inventory, systems upgrade and field services capabilities in order to aid their digitalization strategy and improved plant availability. This strengthened partnership with Siemens aims to meet these aspirations through innovative products and solutions from Siemens. At GIL Automation, we are committed to service excellence and with this reinforced collaboration with Siemens, we are fully empowered to serve the automation market with excellence, “explains Lawal Gbolahan, Managing Director at GIL Automation.

Siemens Digital Industries is an innovation and technology leader in industrial automation and digitalization. In close cooperation with its partners and customers, it is the driving force for the digital transformation in the discrete and process industries. In order to meet these growing needs for flexibility, speed and productivity – and to achieve greater environmental efficiency – intelligent production is a must.

Ralf Leinen, Senior Vice President for Siemens Digital Industries, Southern & Eastern Africa adds, “Together with our partners we provide a complete range of services in the field of automation and drive technology, ranging from the design and engineering of automation solutions, to the supply of products and components to repair and service. We greatly value the partnership with GIL Automation as an extension to our Digital Industries business, and we have full confidence that they will deliver on our joint market strategy, thereby attracting new business opportunities to further entrench industry in Nigeria. GIL will receive the necessary engineering support and service from the South African team to deliver on this expertise.”

FOCUS 9 CLOUD BASED SOFTWARE EASES PRODUCTIVITY FOR FIRMS – UVOMATA

FOCUS 9 CLOUD BASED SOFTWARE EASES PRODUCTIVITY FOR FIRMS – UVOMATA

In this interview, Moses Uvomata talks about Focus 9 server and cloud-based solution and how it can enhance the productivity of organizations from private sector to public. He also hinted on the need for hospitals to deploy robust eHealth and HMS softwares to enable quick and efficient management of facilities and patients. Anthony Nwosu captures all these in an exclusive interview.

Tell us about Focus solutions especially your flagship Focus 9?

Focus 9 is one software that is very amazing for organizations be it public or private sector. It is a full enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. This ERP can be deployed in the cloud as well as in-house and with AI integrated in it. If deployed as a cloud solution, it can work offline and syncs automatically when there is internet availability issue. As the world is tilting towards cloud computing, FOCUS 9 enables organizations to work seamlessly. With this software, the company has all it needs to work and enhance productivity. This is a full ERP solution that caters for everything that the organization does, you don’t need any other solution. It takes care of Procurement, Accounts Payable, Accounts receivable, Manufacturing, Contract costing, HR & Payroll etc. Our CRM can also be integrated with this world class solution. With Focus 9, we say “if you can think it, we can deliver it”.

We have to look at your pricing and is it designed for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)?

Well, to answer your question, FOCUS 9 software is targeted at medium and large enterprises or companies. ERP is enterprise resource planning and by with word “enterprise” we are looking at medium and big, but that doesn’t mean we are overlooking the small guys. We have ERP products that are designed for small and medium. You cannot use a hammer to kill a mosquito. For instance, we have FOCUS 6 and FOCUS RT that can meet the requirements of these small firms. We have FOCUS I for relatively big firms.  All our products are end to end, no matter the nature of business, be it manufacturing, services or public sector.

Is it possible to have a typical process flow in your ERP?

The whole objective of our deployment is to achieve a paperless environment.  Let us take procurement as a process.  What we do is to map the way you buy into the software including all the approvals within the process.  For instance you may start with requisition for the item to be purchased.  That requisition will be done in the software.  From requisition to purchase order, through the receipt of the item and filling of supplier invoice, everything is done in the system. And all the controls necessary are embedded in the mapping of the process to almost eliminate human intervention in the process except physical inspection of item supplied.

What is distinguishes Focus 9 from other tons of ERP solutions in the market?

The core thing that makes us unique not only Focus 9, but all focus products is that our solutions are user friendly. With our solutions you can handle a lot of things from the front without going through the backend. You can take full ownership unlike the others that you have to go through the backend. With the right investment in personnel, you do not need to pay for Annual Maintenance. Above all, our support is so robust that we make things very seamless for the user, we are a phone call away. We have offices worldwide with head office in Dubai. We don’t have a problem with support.

How can you describe Focus Nigeria as an IT firm?

Well, we are a software solution provider. We do not develop the software, we are just a branch. The bulk of development is done in India while we concentrate on understanding your challenges and mapping our product to deliver your requirements.  We also take into consideration local/country requirements like Nigerian tax.

As an eHealth solution provider, how has your solution been able to provide succor to hospitals during Covid 19 lockdown period?

We have Insta/Practo, this is a hospital management software not an eHealth software but an HMS. This software is designed to manage physical hospitals no matter how big or small they are. It can also manage a facility with multiple branches. This feature makes it good for Ministries of health in countries and commissioners of health in various states. With this software, a commissioner can have a look at the inventory, patience records and all the daily activities going on in various hospitals from one solution. This software is fully encrypted with various levels of security and controls.

How is this different from the other solutions deployed in the medical sector?

We do not allow you to do things half measures like other solutions. We want you to achieve full electronic medical record (EMR). That local file you carry, we ensure that you achieve this in the system and can be accessed anywhere in the world. Let us take for instance, a patient is sick in Germany and the hospital wants the medical history of the patient from the Nigerian hospital, what the software does is to transfer the medical record of this patient from the Nigerian hospital to the German counterparts in a matter of minutes. This saves life and time that would be used to guess things. During the lockdown, many high net worth individuals were not visiting hospitals, they just call up the hospital and the doctor attends to them, the doctors of some of our hospital sit at home, log into the software and see his case file, as he is talking to the man, he is making prescription and once he clicks okay, the pharmacist sees the prescription and delivers the medication via courier. As you can see this software limited the high level of visitation to hospitals, whether or patients or staff.

Are public hospitals open to these solutions?

Yes, I think they are open to it, just that they do not have enough knowledge of what they should be deploying. Many of the heads of these hospitals are not so computer literate. I suggest that they employ project managers to drive their software acquisition process. This would help them get good solutions. We have a client, Imo State Government during the time of Governor Rochas Okorocha, the government built a world-class hospital in a place called Ikeduru. The government of Imo state gave it to expatriate consultants to build the hospital and manage it and this is showing. The expatriates interviewed us online without us knowing them and we won the bid. The government was not in their way and if you go there today, the hospital is world class, the whites managing the hospital demonstrated professionalism. Three years after implementation, I ran into Rochas and thanked him for it, I never met Okorochas ab initio and I recommend states should emulate this way of doing things.

What are hospitals doing to digitize their processes?

Well, I think it is left for the media, we can give you knowledge so that you tell them. If we tell them, they will look at it as a form of marketing, but if you go electronic, you minimize waste. You can know what happened to drugs and where these drugs are going to. You cannot render service without collecting appropriate fee, etc. With software like ours we can help them reduce cost of operation, e.g. printing cost, and help reduce corruption generally.

As people are getting used to working from home, this last quarter will see many organizations having few staff, do you think that FOCUS 9 can bridge this gap?

This last quarter, we are going to concentrate and push FOCUS 9 to the fore. As we are emerging in a post Covid 19 economy, people are working from home and many organizations are embarrassed that their people are not able to work from home. So, what we are doing is that we want them to know that Focus 9 can enable you to work from any part of the world. Anybody can work from home and deepen the productivity of their organizations. Focus 9 tries to bridge this gap efficiently. With or without internet, one can work anywhere and the server synchronizes your work later.

Apart from the one in Imo State, have you deployed in other public hospitals?

Afe Babalola Multisystems Hospital also managed by expatriates, is a 400 bed teaching hospital using our software. Another fully equipped facility that can handle any case.  No need to fly people abroad anymore.

About the End – to – End solution of Focus can 9 may we know the gaps you are managing?

Our major challenge in this market is the issue of appreciation of what an ERP is. Most people who are looking to automate their processes confuse ERP with accounting software. Accounting software is as the name is.  Just accounting.  Meaning that you still have to do your business manually and post into the software, whereas, you do your business with the ERP.  There is nothing like posting in an ERP environment.

I suggest that they employ project managers to drive their software acquisition process. This would help them get good solutions. We have a client, Imo State Government during the time of Governor Rochas Okorocha, the government built a world-class hospital in a place called Ikeduru. The government of Imo state gave it to expatriate consultants to build the hospital and manage it and this is showing. The expatriates interviewed us online without us knowing them and we won the bid.

AURA to join top start-ups at 2020 Africa Early Stage Investor Summit

AURA to join top start-ups at 2020 Africa Early Stage Investor Summit

Leading security and safety platform, AURA has been selected to participate in the virtual edition of the prestigious African Early Stage Investment Summit (AESIS) and Venture Showcase on 3 and 4 November 2020. 

Hosted by VC4A, AESIS is an annual event, which last year gathered more than 350 Africa-focused investors active on the continent. This year, AURA is among Africa’s top 10 start-ups to present its security technology platform to investors and key ecosystem stakeholders.

AURA was shortlisted for the 2020 Venture Showcase, VC4A’s flagship program for entrepreneurs, from thousands of applicants. The programme aims to showcase the best African start-ups and ensure they have access to growth capital in addition to webinars, consultations with industry experts, and ample opportunity for peer-to-peer learning. Building off extensive involvement of the Africa-focused investment community, and integrated into the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit, the Venture Showcase ensures both visibility and connections for participating entrepreneurs.

Founded in 2016, AURA partners with reputable independent armed reaction and medical response service companies in South Africa. 

The company focuses on ensuring consumers get the fastest response to an emergency, anywhere, anytime, while also ensuring its security and medical partners are able to provide the most efficient and effective services possible.

Says AURA founder and CEO Warren Myers, “We are thrilled to be selected to be part of VC4A’s Venture Showcase and the African Early Stage Investment Summit and look forward to playing an even bigger role in delivering innovation into the rest of the continent.” 

PROF. UMAR GARBA DANBATTA ADDRESSES THE NATIONAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REPORTERS ASSOCIATION (NITRA)

PROF. UMAR GARBA DANBATTA ADDRESSES THE NATIONAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REPORTERS ASSOCIATION (NITRA)

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

Welcome to the 2020 National Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) Virtual Innovative Tech Webinar. I feel honored to be invited as a keynote speaker at this webinar, which is being attended by experts in the field of storytelling.

I must commend the members of NITRA from across the country for their continuous coverage and reportage of the Commission’s activities. This innovative Tech Forum is another avenue for us to intimate your members and the general public about the NCC’s plans for an economic reboot following disruptions caused by the global Covid-19 pandemic.
I am indeed delighted to be in the midst of ladies and gentlemen who possess the skills for reporting, interpreting and translating our activities into a language that our stakeholders appreciate. More importantly, your role has been critical in informing the public about the various policies implemented by the Commission that subsequently prepared the industry for such an unpredictable pandemic.
I will be speaking on the topic: “Multi-Stakeholder Approach to National Recovery Post-Pandemic”, and there is no better time than now to talk about NCC’s preparedness in addressing the prevailing situation.

The first human cases of COVID-19 were initially reported in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019, and subsequently the Nigerian Government through the Federal Ministry of Health confirmed its first positive case of COVID-19 in Lagos on February 27, 2020.

The Coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage global economies like a wild bush fire, incapacitating local businesses, upsetting the workforce and rendering governments numb as the search for a long-term credible solution continues.

The pandemic has had widespread impact across different countries in varying degrees, exposing the frailties of even the most advanced nations. I must emphasize that Africa, and Nigeria in particular, is really lucky to have escaped the devastation and loss of human lives that have been recorded in developed countries like China, Spain, UK, Italy and even the United States as a result of the pandemic.
I would like to share some perspectives with you on my Strategic Vision Plan (The 8-point agenda) on assumption of office as the Chief Executive/CEO in 2015, was the beginning of our roadmap into preparing Nigeria’s ICT industry for turbulent times and mitigating the adverse effects of any unforeseen developments on the Nigerian economy. We did so, mindful of the role that that the telecommunications sector plays in the development of our economy, and since then we have guided our regulatory efforts to ensure the sustained growth of the sector.
It became imperative for the Commission to introduce drastic measures aimed at providing proper regulatory framework for the industry and also to ensure that Nigerian subscribers receive value for money. We set out to license Infrastructure companies (INFRACOs) with the sole purpose of bridging these existing gaps.

In line with our determination to drive broadband access, we have six (6) licensed INFRACOs, with one in each geo-political zone of the country. Lagos State receives special recognition and possesses its own license because of its commercial centrality to the country. The seventh license for the North-Central region is being processed.

The NCC is in the process of executing the counterpart Funding Agreements with licensed INFRACOs to facilitate increase in fibre deployment around the country to enhance the digital transformation agenda of the Federal Government. These timely measures have been very instrumental to the survival of SMEs that have had to ride on the backbone of Telecoms infrastructure in order to survive the pandemic.

As a fall out of the pandemic many of us have been forced to work from home; government services have moved to online portals; our kids now attend virtual classes; lectures and conferences are now virtual; e-commerce has seen a significant boom globally; online payment for goods and services have now increased threefold; logistics and delivery businesses have seen huge surge in demand for their services. All of the above require reliable means of connectivity and the NCC has continued to work vigorously with industry partners and stakeholders in ensuring that the nation’s ICT infrastructure is able to meet increasing demand for connectivity.

Achieving rapid connectivity means that we must engage with stakeholders to facilitate infrastructure deployment in the sector. To this end, the Commission has intensified its engagement, collectively with Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and individually with state governors to push the National Economic Council’s resolutions on multiple taxation, multiple regulations and minimum uniform Right of Way (RoW) charges, as well as address other issues impeding telecoms infrastructure deployment in some states.

Furthermore, we are working with the Nigeria Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council (critical Infrastructure Sub-Committee) under the auspices of the Vice President on various initiatives towards identifying and implementing initiatives aimed at improving broadband penetration in the country.

As important as all these are, the safety of our cyberspace remains critical as businesses, governments and individuals rely more intensely on ICT for their day-to-day activities following the pandemic. The re-direction of human traffic to online portals for major transactions as a result of social distancing also meant that cybercriminals have a larger audience and a much bigger playground to unleash malicious attacks.

In the post-pandemic era, cyber threats are likely to become the most effective way to attack an organization or a country, and the trends indicate that cyber criminals are finding even more sophisticated ways of carrying out their nefarious activities. It is instructive to note that NCC adheres strictly with ITU guidelines for the global telecoms industry and has been actively in support of initiatives to propagate a safe online community.

The NCC, CBN, major financial institutions and Security Agencies have been working diligently at ensuring that Nigeria’s ICT space is safe and secure, particularly as the economy migrates to significant online and electronic financial transactions.

The NCC is responding to the challenge of new financial technologies and electronic innovations in the financial systems riding on telecommunications networks as the nation’s economy seeks to reboot post pandemic. These innovations are driven by the availability of a robust communications infrastructure made possible by the Commission’s continuous quest for investment in the sector.

In this regard, collaborative partnership between the NCC and the CBN has been very effective, leading to the emergence of various brands of electronic transaction models which have totally reformed banking in Nigeria making it possible for instant cash transfers which have cut out waiting times at banking halls and simplified online transactions.

Between 2015 and 2020, much has been done to put Nigeria on the global map of nations that are electronically driven while delivering financial intermediation. Together with our stakeholders from the banking sector, the NCC is actively involved in the application of various electronic portals that continue to drive transactions off banking floor and onto handheld devices or personal computers.


The Commission’s interventions have continued to lift the Nigerian economy and create hope for financial inclusion based on the seamless implementation of the Commissions Strategic Vision Plan.
It is pertinent to note that NCCs Emergency Communications Centers (ECC) have been crucial in the Federal Government’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 1,209 COVID-19 related calls made between March and June 2020 from the 19 ECCs across the country. This pro-active step by the Commission to introduce ECCs across the nation was borne out of the need to safeguard all Nigerians irrespective of their geographical locations.

We hope to reap the rewards of the SVP in the coming years and provide Nigerians the comfort of new innovations and new ways of living. It is a future in which Broadband penetration would be ubiquitous, QoS will be assured and available spectrum would be optimized with full benefits. Moreover, there would be more investment opportunities in the industry, greater strategic collaborations and partnerships, enhanced consumer protection and empowerment, as well as an environment of fair competition and inclusive growth.

The next thing I want to talk about is 5G technology. We are all aware of the controversies surrounding COVID-19 and 5G technology. It is normal for the emergence of new technologies to be followed by such disagreements and the debate is mostly useful. However, and more importantly, we at the Commission are inevitably committed to examining the pros and cons.

The socio-economic benefits of the expansion in telecommunications capabilities embarked upon by the Commission would be of immense benefit to the country, especially with the roll out of the 5G technology, which currently is being test run in about 40 countries. This will be a significant upgrade for networks and will be the backbone for the ICT industry post-pandemic recovery.

According to the ITU, 5G technology is expected to connect people, things, data, applications, transport systems and cities in smart networked communications environments. 5G is meant to seamlessly connect a massive number of embedded sensors in virtually everything through the ability to scale down in data rates, power, and mobility – providing extremely lean and low-cost connectivity solutions.
The Commission is vigorously working to establish a policy for 5G with multi-sector Stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), The Academia, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Industry Consultative Advisory Forum (ICAF) and a host of others.

Our goal is that when the Federal Government is able to establish a policy that will drive 5G, all the benefits of 5G will be properly harnessed by Nigerians. The Commission is also working to ensure the safety of 5G networks in Nigeria by having multi-stakeholder approach in environmental impact analysis on the use of 5G and the Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) impact on humans in Nigeria. Once this is done, Nigerians can safely utilize 5G and reap all the economic, human and material benefits of 5G.

The economic benefits to 5G to Nigeria post corona virus pandemic will be huge, especially as almost all businesses and activities of government are migrating and offering their services online. 5G will enable a new kind of network for Nigerians designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices. It will usher in the era of Internet of Things and faster innovation in Artificial Intelligence applications.

Nigeria’s vibrant youth population stands to benefit immensely from the deployment of 5G as it will offer technopreneurs, technology enthusiasts, SMEs and Tech-startups the platform to expand and network with other global players on a scale that has never been witnessed before.

With high speeds, superior reliability and negligible latency, 5G will expand the mobile ecosystem into new realms. 5G promises to impact every industry, creating safer transporting systems, improving access to healthcare for our rural populace, increasing output from the agriculture sector, and digitized logistics among others.

According to a landmark economy study conducted by QUALCOMM, 5G will affect the global economy and drive growth exponentially. 5G’s full economic effect will likely be realized across the globe by 2035 – supporting a wide range of industries and potentially enabling up to $13.2 Trillion worth of goods and services. This impact is much greater than previous network generations.


5G promises to provide increased speed and bandwidth as well as providing deeper coverage to reach people in rural or challenging locations. In addition, 5G will provide strong security for the various sectors of government and private organizations.

Due to its sheer scale and scope, the ITU predicts 5G will accelerate the achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) from affordable and clean energy to zero hunger.


Ladies and Gentlemen, I am delighted to share all this information with our stakeholders from NITRA, and want to re-assure you that we are passionate partners in the journey to reposition Nigeria’s telecom industry. This symbiotic relationship between the Commission and NITRA must be sustained in order for Nigeria to come out stronger from the Covid-19 global pandemic.


The socio-economic benefits of the expansion in telecommunications capabilities embarked upon by the Commission would be of immense benefit to the country, especially with the roll out of the 5G technology, which currently is being test run in about 40 countries. This will be a significant upgrade for networks and will be the backbone for the ICT industry post-pandemic recovery.