Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, on Monday reiterated the commitment of the PAP Office to provide quality empowerment packages for beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme. This, he says will reduce the ex-agitators’ dependence on the monthly N65,000 stipends and give them a decent and more sustainable means of livelihood.
This statement has become necessary due to the recent calls for the payment of non-statutory allowances such as the Transitional Safety Allowance (TSA).
A statement from the office of the Interim Administrator, signed by his SA Media, Nneotaobase Egbe explains that the TSA is not statutorily provided for and therefore, not captured in the budget provided by the Presidency.
The Transitional Safety Allowance was a direct payment made by the then Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, who got the approval from the Federal Executive Council to pay ex-agitators who had been disarmed, and on their way out of the disarmament centres.
This payment was made for the purpose of transportation, accommodation and to cushion the social effects at that time for the ex-agitators transitioning from the creeks to residences within and outside their respective communities.
This TSA payment was a one -off to all ex-agitators documented in batches in 2010, 2013 and 2014 and was not captured or documented as a recurrent annual payment.
The Interim Administrator has frowned at the incessant agitations to resume the TSA payment and is appealing to those agitating for these payments to instead refocus their energies to forming cooperatives for entrepreneurial purposes which he is willing to support.
It will be recalled that the Presidential Amnesty Programme was created to stabilize, consolidate and sustain security as well as fast-track development in the Niger Delta region through effective implementation of the total Amnesty Package, which includes reintegrating the ex-agitators back into the society by providing quality training and empowerment to help them become net contributors to the economic prosperity of the Niger Delta region and Nigeria as a whole.
Col. Dikio (rtd) has assured delegates that the Presidential Amnesty Programme is focused on actualizing its original mandate by directing available resources to achieve optimum results.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) today, 11 December 2020, decorated 16 Air Commodores and 31 Group Captains, who were recently promoted to their next higher ranks of Air Vice Marshal (AVM) and Air Commodore (Air Cdre) by the Air Force Council. The decoration ceremony, which took place at the NAF Officers’ Mess and Suites, Kado, Abuja was witnessed by a limited audience, with attendance strictly by invitation due to restrictions occasioned by COVID-19. While presiding over the ceremony, the Honourable Minister of Defence (HMOD), Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd), charged the newly promoted and decorated senior officers to rededicate themselves to the service of a better Nigeria as they prepare for higher challenges.
According to the HMOD, “Promotion, especially to air rank, is highly desirable and motivating. It is equally rewarding, albeit very demanding. It is demanding because, as officers of air rank, the Service has offered you all manners and levels of training required to stand on your own and lead from a more holistic or strategic point of view”. Having so equipped them, he said the Service, and indeed the entire Nation, now relies on them to bring to bear all the knowledge, wisdom, ingenuity and critical thinking capacity that they have garnered over the years to foster a greater Nigeria.
Major General Magashi (rtd) further stated that, as the newly-decorated senior officers are aware, not all of those presented for promotion were fortunate to be elevated. He therefore reminded them that, amidst the fanfare and jubilation, they must not lose sight of the ongoing fight against terrorism/banditry and other forms of criminality, as it is their mandate to preserve national security and territorial integrity. “Hence, it is expected that with your upliftment to the ranks of AVM and Air Cdre, you will continue to rededicate yourselves to the service of a better Nigeria”, he said.
Speaking further, the HMOD stated that the Federal Government, under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Buhari, has remained committed to supporting the Nigerian military. The Federal Government, according to him, is also poised to provide the Services, and indeed other security agencies, with the necessary wherewithal in pursuance of their collective mandate of securing the Nation. He noted that the Armed Forces expects the newly-promoted senior officers to contribute to the evolution of new strategies to contain the challenges facing the Nation in order to ensure safety and security of citizens. “The Government and good people of Nigeria are expecting nothing short of professionalism from you as you discharge your constitutional responsibility”, he remarked.
While congratulating the newly promoted senior officers on their well-deserved promotion, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, in his opening remarks, stated that promotion is a management tool that is used in virtually all organisations, including the military, to enhance productivity by recognizing hardwork, commitment and diligence. He said it equally motivates and inspires others to work harder. He further disclosed that, in the military, promotion is usually a painstaking procedure that involves the selection of the ‘best out of the best’ for elevation. “You have all therefore been found worthy of this advancement. As such, bear in mind that you don’t get promoted only for doing your job really well but also for demonstrating potentials to do more, especially at higher levels. I therefore enjoin you to see your promotion as the beginning of another phase of your career in the Service, with greater responsibilities. Thus, I am particularly elated because this ceremony is indicative that the NAF now has more strategic and analytical minds in our pool of manpower resource to bring to bear their knowledge and experience on how to tackle the security challenges facing the Nation”, he said. While thanking the C-in-C and HMOD for their support to the NAF, the CAS also assured them of the unalloyed loyalty of all personnel of the Service towards meeting the expectations of the Nigerian people.
Earlier in his welcome remarks while presenting the newly promoted senior officers for decoration, the Chief of Administration (COA), AVM Aliyu Pani, noted that every elevation comes with higher and added responsibilities. Accordingly, he said, it is incumbent on all of the celebrants not to betray the confidence reposed in them. He therefore enjoined them all to be more diligent, dedicated to duty, resourceful and selfless in service to the NAF and the Nation, as a whole.
Also present at the event were the Permanent Secretary MOD, Babangida Huseini; Representatives of the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs; Director Air Force Affairs MOD as well as other senior officers and family members of the newly promoted AVMs and Air Cdres.
IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA Air Vice Marshal Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force
Containers go missing all over the world and it usually takes months to find them assuming they are ever found. The combination of mobile computing, analytics, and cloud services, all of which are fuelled by the Internet of Things (IoT), is changing how delivery and asset management companies are conducting their operations.
The Disrupting Asset Tracking with IoT webinar, in conjunction with Connected Finland, was organized in July to shed more light on the challenges facing the asset management industry. The Asset Tracking webinar, the first of many IoT webinars, was a two-hour event with an audience of about 130 industry experts in attendance.
Asset tracking is the fastest-growing industrial IoT market worth $3.93 Billion by 2023. Delivery company DHL and tech giant Cisco estimated in 2015 that IoT technologies such as asset tracking solutions could have an impact of more than $1.9 trillion in the supply chain and logistics sector. Also, there will be 267 billion IoT asset tracking devices deployed in the global industry by 2027.
Knowing where things are at any given time can be critical to transforming business operations – reducing risk, saving money, improving efficiency, and potentially even driving new service revenue.
Now, the difference between LOST and FOUND can be as little as 12 BYTES.
“IoT Africa Networks Ltd, in partnership with Sigfox, enables you to observe your entire asset tracking network be it industrial, commercial, business, or residential in a convenient and budget-friendly manner. You might not be able to rely on electricity in Nigeria, but you can rely on Sigfox. This is because the Sigfox devices can be powered without electricity. Their battery life can last for more than four years on a single charge.” – Lare Ayoola
During the webinar, Lare Ayoola, the Executive Chairman of IoT Africa Networks Ltd, outlined the impact of IoT on the supply chain, and how IoT management will transform inventory, logistics, manufacturing, distribution, construction, insurance, security companies, and more.
Tom Lindblad, Founder, Connected Finland was on hand to shed more light on the challenges being faced in the asset tracking industry and how IoT is best positioned to revolutionize the operations of the asset tracking industry.
The IoT network, that Sigfox and IoT Africa provide, is enabling us to track things we never could have before thanks to new technologies and smaller form factors. Some of the potential Use Cases for the IoT Connectivity are tracking assets along the supply chain and receiving alerts on anomalies such as unauthorized trailer detachments, virtually fence and manage herds, intercontinental sea-freight tracking, recovery of stolen vehicles, monitor the logistic supply chain, track industrial assets, enable real-time tracking of consumer’s luggage worldwide.
The IoT Africa Networks, Sigfox, Tranter IT, and Connected Finland partnerships are strategic and critical for development in Nigeria. The major drive for IoT in Nigeria is for Companies and Cities to CONNECT EVERYTHING and stay in control of their assets and business operations.
IoT Africa Networks Limited is the exclusive Sigfox operator in Nigeria and as such, is responsible for rolling out the first IoT nationwide network in Nigeria. The IoT Wireless Telemetry is a game-changing digital technology for the asset management industry in Nigeria.
Tranter IT is the exclusive distributor of many IoT Connected devices in Nigeria. Based on experience, knowledge, and technical background, we can deploy and execute projects relating to IoT in Nigeria.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Department of State Services, DSS, have pledged to deepen collaboration in a bid to fight all manners of graft in Nigeria.
The two agencies also agreed to strengthen support towards achieving the common objective of national safety and security.
The Ilorin Zonal Head of the EFCC, Oseni Oluwasina Kazeem, disclosed this on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 while playing host to the State Director, DSS, Patrick Ikenweine, at the Commission’s Office, Ilorin.
Kazeem, who decried the rate at which corruption had permeated every sector of Nigeria system noted that the cankerworm could only be tamed through collaborative efforts of all stakeholders, including the DSS.
He commended the DSS for being a good partner in the fight and called for more robust working relationship between the two agencies.
Earlier, the Director DSS, Ikenweine stated the essence of his visit which he said was to familiarise with critical stakeholders in the State.
“I’m here to familiarise with you in a bid towards building on the existing cordial relationship with your agency. The DSS and EFCC have a record of good working relationship, which I hope should be sustained.”
Ikenweine assured that his ageency was ready to give support in any area of need, especially in the area of sharing intelligence and training of personnel.
The DSS boss commended the EFCC for its remarkable efforts in riding the country of corruption. He urged its officers to remain dogged and not to be deterred by the antics of the corrupt elements.
FinTrak Software, a global Financial Technology (FinTech) organization based in Lagos, providing innovative technology and business solutions to financial institutions and enterprises across continents was recently recognized as The Fintech Company of The Year 2020 at the Nigerian Business Leadership Awards (NBLA) held at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island. The event brought together captains of industries from various sectors of the economy.
Winning in the category of Fintech Company of The Year. The award was a recognition of Fintrak’s strides in the financial ecosystem, deploying indigenous information technology (IT) solutions to banks and insurance firms in the country. Fintrak has significantly contributed and improved the way financial players do business by deploying enterprise software complaint with world-class standards especially the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Core systems offered by FinTrak Software include Core Banking System, Channels and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
Speaking at the award, Bimbo Abioye, the Group Managing Director said “We very much appreciate the organizers of the event (Business Day Newspapers) for the award. About 14 years ago, when we started, we reviewed foreign software that were already making waves in the country then for possibility of a partnership arrangement, but we found out that they really do not meet appreciably the needs of the Nigerian business environments. We decided to provide a solution by developing software that meet global standards and also meet local business needs and regulatory requirements.”
He added” Though Nigerians are naturally inclined to anything foreign inclusive of software, but as time goes on, we have been able to gain tremendous acceptance and also favorably competing with foreign options and has successfully deployed where other options have failed. We thank the organizers of this award for this recognition and dedicate it to our workforce that made it happen”
FinTrak Software has business offices in Nigeria, Ghana and Gambia. Over 130 staff inclusive of 100 Software Engineers based in Nigeria. The core management of the firm have competencies across banking, finance, audit, consulting, and software development. FinTrak Software has as it’s core mission to be the world’s No. 1 Enterprise Solution Providers.
“We very much appreciate the organizers of the event (Business Day Newspapers) for the award. About 14 years ago, when we started, we reviewed foreign software that were already making waves in the country then for possibility of a partnership arrangement, but we found out that they really do not meet appreciably the needs of the Nigerian business environments. We decided to provide a solution by developing software that meet global standards and also meet local business needs and regulatory requirements.”
As a managed service and cloud solution provider, are you in partnership with global renowned firms to deliver topnotch cloud solutions to Nigerians?
Yes, we have a partnership with the big tech company. We also leverage data centers’ infrastructure across multiple regions, allowing us to stay close to our customers. We leverage some of the most significant data center facilities in the world, cloud computing providers like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and more. We are deploying Cloud infrastructure and Datacenter locations in USA, Europe, Asia and Africa
Most Nigerians don’t understand the concept of latency, do you think its advisable to host locally?
Latency is significant for the website and other web applications; we are in the era of fast speed internet, and getting the right information to your consumers faster is a must.
I believe it is advisable to provide quality service for your customers no matter where the hosting server is. However, the business has to understand the urgency of keeping up with their competitors. If you have to host your website or application locally, I recommend that you consider the latency. If the contents take a longer time to deliver to the end-user, this can undermine the service quality. If you are hosting locally and there is high latency, I will suggest leveraging a CDN (content delivery network) to improve the performance. In Nigeria, latency is quite common, so some businesses are looking for better ways to improve their services by leveraging the best hosting solution.
Downtime and support services are what scare firms from hosting locally. How do you handle downtime?
If you run a critical application, e-commerce website, or any other website or application and requires high availability, the outcome of downtime can be very costly.We(AkolagTech) provide the best hosting platform that is resilient. Akolagtech hosting platform was engineered based on necessity. We need a robust platform to develop our web application, website and hosted software. We need technology that can scale as we grow, it must be secure, and fast. We build the hosting platform ourselves that addressed our needs: high availability, resiliency, and durability. In that aspect, we decided to provide the same platform to other businesses. Our hosting platform is managed by highly skilled IT staffs with more than 15 years of experience in cloud computing, hosting services, IT services, and support that have operated websites such as NYTimes www.nytimes.com with over 1M unique visits a month.
Tell us about your Virtualization and Cloud Computing Solutions?
How can government be supportive to indigenous IT firms like yours?
Provide regulation and tax credit for the companies to adopt the best technology. The government should make education is technology a priority. Support technology company like by encouraging companies to adapt and innovate in the latest technology
Do you think that our digital policies such as broadband etc are in tune with the global realities?
I think Nigeria’s digital policies regarding broadband by the Nigeria Communications Commission proposed in 2015 to transition the economy into a digital economy through investment in digital infrastructure have significantly improved the broadband infrastructure. We see the company utilizing high-speed broadband—however, the high-speed internet is costly, and only a few can afford it.There is still improvement to be done; Nigeria is still growing in broadband and accessibility compared to other countries.
Data sovereignty is one thing that many firms still don’t get. With a lot of big firms hosting overseas. What is your take?
My take on this is businesses are looking for ways to save costs, and sometimes hosting content locally can be expensive compare to hosting it overseas. I believe every business should take data protection and privacy very seriously, regardless of hosting locally or overseas. It is the responsibility of hosting providers to make sure their customer’s data are well protected. We make sure that data security is our top priority.
“Our staff hand holds the operation of transitioning your IT infrastructure into a virtualized and cloud environment. By simplifying our client infrastructure, we make it easy to scale. We help our client set up a private cloud on-premises with the best virtualization and cloud solutions. We also make the transition into the cloud seamlessly.”
§ Wins SAEMA 2020’s Emergency and Security Management Prize
The contributions of the the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to the fight against insecurity in the country has received global endorsement with the Commission bagging two prestigious international awards at the weekend.
Leading the pack is the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Golden World Awards (GWA) 2020 won by the Commission for its harmonized emergency number, 112 and the construction of Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs) in 36 states of the Federation and the FCT with 19 states already operational and additional 5 ready for activation.
The presentation of the IPRA Golden Global Awards (GGA) 2020 to the Commission had been scheduled to hold earlier this year in Germany but could not holdbecause of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NCC also received the African Public Relations Association’s (APRA) Certificate of Excellence for its efforts in “leveraging the emergency communication centres for national security.”
However, at the Security and Emergency Management Award (SAEMA) 2020, where the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Malam Mukhtar Sirajo, handed over the coveted trophies to the Director, Public Affairs of the Commission, Dr. Ikechukwu, the NCC was declared Winner of ‘Emergency Management Security and Emergency Management Award.
The NIPR President commended the NCC for a culture of professionalism in the management of its corporate communications and public relations, noting that ‘this has been largely responsible its enviable corporate image and the many awards it had attracted over the years.’
In the same vein, the NCC was also presented with a Certificate of Excellence for ‘Outstanding Accomplishments in Category of Emergency Management’ at the award.
Speaking at the event, Malam Yusheu Shuaibu of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, lauded the NCC for launching an impressive campaign on its emergency communications project.
“The ECCs were activated as a one-stop shop for receiving distress calls from the public and dispatching same to appropriate Emergency Response Agencies (ERAs) for timely response and resolution of the distress.
“The ECC project had been in limbo until a new management under the leadership of Danbatta, embarked on the construction and operationalisation of the ECCs across states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) till date,” he explained.
At the maiden edition in 2019, the Executive Vice Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta was recognised as ‘Nigeria’s Goodwill Ambassador for Security and Emergency Management in Nigeria’ while the NCC, as a corporate organisation, was given with the ‘Corporate Social responsibility Award in Security and Emergency Management in the country.’
#FixPolitics, a citizens’ movement recently launched to fix politics in Nigeria and ultimately Africa, has appointed Anthony Ubani as its Executive Director. Ubani will lead the implementation of the Triangular Pillars of Democracy, which uniquely identify the tripod focus of the #FixPolitics initiative on emerging an empowered and engaged electorate, building a new value-based political class and demanding constitutional, political and electoral change.
As a Richard von Weizacker Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin Germany, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili focused her research on #FixPolitics to develop a deeper understanding of the nexus between the quality of politics and the economic progress or decline of countries in Africa, with a particular focus on Nigeria. The findings of the research subsequently informed the composition of a 125-member Work Study Group – of Nigerians from diverse endeavours and regions. The WSG, chaired by Ezekwesili, work collaboratively to design and implement a systemic structural change agenda for the politics of Nigeria with the aim of raising the quality of our democracy and governance and improve the wellbeing of citizens.
In a statement on Tuesday, the group’s Publicist and Spokesperson, Mr. Ozioma Ubabukoh, stated that Ubani would resume duties in January 2021.
Ubabukoh explained that the “incoming executive director is expected to bring his practical political experience to bear in the realisation of the objectives of #FixPolitics.” Part of the statement read, “Ubani’s mandate is to ensure the emergence of an empowered and engaged electorate; a new values-based political class; and a reformed constitutional, political and electoral environment as the three cardinal pillars of #FixPolitics.”
Before his appointment, Ubani was the President/Chief Executive Officer of Women Leadership Institute. He has held various executive positions, including Acting Country Director, Mississippi Consortium for International Development; and Director General, Peoples Democratic Institute. Some of his recent researches include ‘Leadership Recession in Nigeria and the Perennial Predicament of Deferred Development’; ‘Deconstructing Professionalism in the Context of Economic Recession in Nigeria: A Fresh Perspective’ and ‘Partisan Politics, Civil Societies and the Consolidation of Institutions in Africa’.
Digital money will help stimulate the economy says Ukheshe
There is growing appreciation of financial inclusion and its role in economic development. Tied closely to this is the role of mobile money and its contribution to promoting financial inclusion and development. According to Clayton Hayward, CEO and co-founder of Ukheshe, a SMME digital banking platform provider, South Africa remains highly regulated with licensed banks being the only institutions that can offer e-money services. This creates a major hurdle, limiting roll-out not only locally, but also in West Africa.
In a 2019 report, GSMA said that globally registered mobile-money services rose from just one in 2001 to 290 in 2019 and that total registered users globally topped the 1-billion mark in 2019. Of the transaction value totalling R469 million, Southern Africa accounts for only 2% and in 2020, GSMA says that there are still 800 million people in the region that remain disconnected to mobile internet.
“Closing the digital divide has never been more important. It is vital for the longevity of an economy that has been placed under tremendous strain due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Africa needs technology and mobile money innovations to help bridge this gap and connect the disconnected,” says Hayward.
Financial inclusion is not a silver bullet according to Hayward. He says that internet access and mobile wallets will not magically create a sustainable economy: “It is up to industry and government to stimulate small business development, which can then be supported by digital money propositions.”
Hayward believes that Covid-19 will ultimately result in a long term shift to contactless and digital payment solutions making the digital divide a significant issue: “Over the past year, we have seen immense growth in the uptake of cashless systems and we anticipate that the trend will continue, if not gain more momentum. But that said, there remains no doubt that the market needs to address the divide with a greater sense of urgency if the economies are to survive and then thrive.”
Immersion Group says the Covid-19 pandemic has birthed a renewed need for brand trust
Gaining brand trust has taken on a much deeper meaning since the Covid-19 Pandemic ordeal when consumers experienced firsthand which companies could provide evidence of their legitimate concern for customers. It has become very clear that trust goes way beyond just the idea of a brand and is now much more focused on showing and not simply telling.
Reynhardt Uys, Chief Experience Officer, Immersion Group, says that as a result of the trust-led consumer demands, 2021 will see a greater focus placed on gaining deeper insights into the customer and a better understanding of what their needs look like post the Pandemic panic. The year ahead will also emphasize that the customer experience journey stems from a great employee experience, all of which has to be digitally lead: “The reality is that the Pandemic will continue to impact customer experience in 2021, if not more so, based on the desire for an increased sense of trust. This will be coupled with consumers wanting more in-person experiences but only from brands they trust.”
Forrester, in a recent survey, found that trust in business was low, but the drive for more in-person contact was growing. This places greater pressure on organisations to ensure that they focus on developing a trust-based customer experience (CX). According to Uys, having a robust understanding of the customer will become a fundamental business requirement: “There is a vital need to deeply understand who your customers are and what drives them. A genuine care for the customer has to be evident as services go beyond functionality and consistency, to form an emotional connection with customers.”
He says that to achieve this requires a CX focused strategy with a dedicated team who research and focus on gaining a deeper understanding of the customer. This team will look at the products and services offered from a human perspective and consider how to make it a more connected, emotional journey for both parties.
“Differentiating your brand will also come from a smarter use of technology such as Artificial Intelligence. Businesses need to consider what technologies and processes will enable them to better understand the customer, but also, what of these tools will make the journey easier for customers? It will also be important for employees to know what technologies will help them interact better. Of course, measuring the impact of the programmes implemented is vital, making analytics and other CX software important to capture feedback in an ongoing and meaningful way,” says Uys.
Locally, good CX journeys are starting to feature more prominently in sectors such as financial services, telecommunications and often within the general ICT market. Uys says that an explosion of CX campaigns is expected in the retail sector, while the medical profession has started to realise the benefits of a technology-driven CX approach: “The timeframes are not the same which means that sectors are all at different stages of CX adoption. The speed at which each market reacts also differs but the macro-trend of increased CX remains bilateral.”
While a global trend of ‘zero UI’ continues building within connected homes, Uys says that South Africa is not close yet. With much more pressing issues to address, establishing connected homes remains cost prohibitive aside from being infrastructurally difficult: “The telco sector will play a leading role in the adoption of connected homes, and if they move to develop these people may start to engage. Research in the United States tells us that 16% of Americans own a smart speaker, while 4 % own a Google home product. This tells us that smart home functionality is on the rise and in the minds of a large proportion of the population. South Africa is a long way from this scenario, but we have no doubt that one day this will become our reality too.”
