FINTRAK EASES FINANCIAL REPORTING WITH AN ADVANCED SOFTWARE

FINTRAK EASES FINANCIAL REPORTING WITH AN ADVANCED SOFTWARE

 

 

Covid 19 pandemic last year made a lot of disruptions in the global financial space, Nigeria included. The technique companies report their operations, financial condition, and cash flows during this crisis and after will be a little bit altered or rejigged. Having this in mind, Fintrak Software Limited, an indigenous financial technology (fintech) company is bringing to the knowledge of financial players like banks, insurance, mortgage institutions and other key players in the ecosystem their product known as FINSTAT. An innovative solution designed to ease the burden of financial reporting for the key players in the industry.

The use of technology in the automation of financial reporting eases consolidation and preparation of full set of annual financial statements according to the international financial reporting standards (IFRS). FINSTAT reporting solution is designed to be bespoke and fluid, this means that it is built to the specification of clients that desire a robust financial reporting tool. The solution has been described to meet and exceeds standard IFRS system requirements, as it is in compliance with the recent IFRS 9 s standard

The FinTrak Enterprise Performance Management consolidates finance processes using technology to resolve challenges faced by businesses in relation to Data integrity, delayed reporting, Relationship management, Back Office operations and Support, Cost allocation, External domiciled accounts and Transfer pricing. This solution has made it possible for organizations such as banks, insurance and mortgage houses to successfully reduce risks, increase efficiency, decrease cost of operations and free resources for more value-adding activities by business units. The solution presents the report such as Management Performance Reporting Solution, which is an analytical tool created for organizations’ supervisory, examination, and management purposes in a summarizing format making it easier to understand.

Speaking on the importance of the solution, The Group Managing Director, Bimbo Abioye said “FinTrak Enterprise Performance Management solution is a valuable tool for the business to empower Management with the right information to make critical business decision and inherently deliver business value (Revenue and profitability, customer retention and acquisition, operational efficiency), resource productivity, and IT effectiveness. Profitability based measurement can serve as a more robust and inclusive means to measure the performance by gauging the extent of operational efficiency as well as capturing the nuances of an organization’s diversifying earnings through non-interest income activities and management of their costs. Profitability-oriented performance management is necessary, both to know what a business can do to affect profits and to benchmark the effect of any such moves.”

He added that; The solution monitors the performance of the whole Organization as well as Individuals, Teams, Branches, Business units, and further compares actual with budgets, to evaluate productivity and profitability based on key standard performance metrics. Our solution communicates with your core business application, spools and analyzes all the required data, so you can have a holistic presentation of your business performance in one Executive dashboard. You are empowered with the ability to render full MPR reports on daily basis as the month progresses. The system presents a Multi-dimensional view of performance across Teams, Branch, Products and Individual’s income and Balance sheet statements. and also, all reports respond to changes in reporting lines, both current and past performance.

Having deployed in many countries of Africa such as Gambia, Ghana, Congo etc, the Fintech giant incorporated English and French in the solution making is easily untestable to French and English-speaking countries.  Loaded with features such as flexibility, the solution can handle complex transfer pricing based on your organization’s policy. The solution can also be customized to suit your unique business needs and sector. For executive on the go, the software has mobile versions that can be easily deployed in mobile devices. Other features such as Single and Multiple rate pool pricing, Risk based multiple pool pricing, Penal charges based on policy violations, Ability to handle relationship management tree, Cost breakdown showing details and sources of costs at all levels. With these features, the software has the ability to reduce significantly or remove human errors associated with reporting and at a reduced cost for the organizations

“Our software has the ability to empower users to control cost elements without sacrificing revenue. The ability to see how cost elements like depreciation, OPEX, CAPEX, Human Resource impact and can improve revenue potentials. Key users are able to understand what drives cost and value within their business segment. FinTrak Software will set up bespoke reports peculiar to the business to track profitability and performance of their Business Units and Segments. The system can extract codes from transaction description to allocate the expenses, drill down details available on all reporting lines both income and balance sheet items on click and get basis”, Ladi Ipaye, Executive Director, Business Development and Marketing Strategy concluded.

 

ANTHONY EMEKA NWOSU

The solution monitors the performance of the whole Organization as well as Individuals, Teams, Branches, Business units, and further compares actual with budgets, to evaluate productivity and profitability based on key standard performance metrics. Our solution communicates with your core business application, spools and analyzes all the required data, so you can have a holistic presentation of your business performance in one Executive dashboard. You are empowered with the ability to render full MPR reports on daily basis as the month progresses. The system presents a Multi-dimensional view of performance across Teams, Branch, Products and Individual’s income and Balance sheet statements. and also, all reports respond to changes in reporting lines, both current and past performance.

 

Danbatta Applauds Pantami’s Appointment as WISIS Chair

Danbatta Applauds Pantami’s Appointment as WISIS Chair

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has congratulated the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, on his appointment as the Chairman of the 2022 World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) Forum by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Danbatta described the choice of the Minister as chair of the Forum as a worthy recognition of Nigeria’s leadership role in the global digital economy ecosystem, noting that Nigeria has continued to hold a front-row seat in the promotion of information and communication technology (ICT) as a driving force for national development since the assumption of office of the Minister.

“On behalf of the Board, Management and Staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission, I want to express our profound delight and congratulations to the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, on his well-deserved appointment by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to chair this year’s WSIS Forum”, Danbatta stated.

“The appointment did not surprise us at NCC, given the important role the Hon. Minister has been playing in driving fundamental digital economy policies, being implemented by agencies under his supervision, in order to boost the diversification policy of the Federal Government,” the EVC said.

“We are, therefore, happy to associate with the Minister on this feat, as it means greater recognition for Nigeria. The appointment is an indication that the world has continued to take notice of the giant strides of Nigeria’s digital economy under the supervision of the Minister.

The NCC will continue to do everything within its regulatory mandate to further support the Federal Government’s drive for ubiquitous, affordable and accessible digital services across all nooks and crannies of the country,” Danbatta said.

Following consultations with various stakeholders, the ITU recently notified the Minister via a letter, of his appointment as the 2022 WSIS Chairman.

The ITU is orgainsing the WSIS 2022 Forum in collaboration with other agencies with the United Nations with a focus on “ICTs for Well-Being, Inclusion and Resilience: WSIS Cooperation for Accelerating Progress on the SDGs”.

As has been noted elsewhere, the appointment of Prof. Pantami has given Nigeria, and indeed, the African continent, the unique role of coordinating the activities of the WSIS in its 20th year, following the WSIS Phase I meeting which took place in 2003.

The WSIS Forum 2022, which will be attended by several high-level stakeholders, including Cabinet Ministers from ITU countries, will serve as a key platform to discuss the role of ICTs as a means to bolster the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals targets. The discourse will take place in the context of the mechanism for follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UNGA Resolution A/70/1).

The WSIS Forum also provides an opportunity to track the achievements of WSIS Action Lines in collaboration with the UN Agencies involved and provides information and analysis on the implementation of WSIS Action Lines since 2005. The Forum aims at enhancing cooperation, partnership, innovation, exchange of experiences and good practices in ICTs for sustainable development across the world.

XClub Appoints Iddy Brown as Country Team Manager for Nigeria

XClub Appoints Iddy Brown as Country Team Manager for Nigeria

XClub Nigeria has promoted and Appointed Iddy Brown to the position of Country Team Manager for Nigeria, effective from 26th April, 2022.

Iddy, who joined the company in April 2021, held the position of Business Development Manager (KOL Management), before his announcement as the new Country Team Manager for XClub App in Nigeria.

In his previous role, he led the onboarding and Management of Micro and Mid-tier Tech Influencers and Content Creators who majors on Creating Content reviews around Smartphones and tech innovations on the App.

He also spearheaded XTech Talk Show, an in-app tech show on XClub where the XClub tech influencers converge to dissect the latest innovations in the smartphone/tech industry, and other activities that have contributed immensely in retention of daily and monthly active users on the App.

Iddy’s Global Line Manager, Carolyn Du, speaking on Iddy’s new role said, ”Iddy is Accountable and passionate. He has been an invaluable asset to the team. I’m excited to have him playing a more important role in the team and making bigger achievements together with every member of the team and with XClub itself.”

Iddy, speaking on his new appointment said, ‘‘I am super excited about my promotion and new Leadership position. My goal is to intensify my effort along with my team members to build XClub App to become one of the leading tech Social Media Community Apps in Nigeria and by extension, Africa.

‘‘It’s an exciting time and I look forward to the journey ahead of me with strong passion and enthusiasm”. He said.

In his new position, Iddy will be working closely with his Line Manager, Carolyn Du and the entire Nigerian team and global colleagues.

XClub App is a Social Media Community App for young people with the same interest to share Content, share daily stories and connect with friends and likeminds.

With over 100 million downloads on Google Playstore, you can stay updated with trends, news, follow hot topics in Tech, Music and Lifestyle Content on XClub App.

The App is powered by Infinix, the giant smartphone company founded by Transsion Holdings.

You can download XClub here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trassion.infinix.xclub&hl=en&gl=US

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Cable Equiano: Pantami, Danbatta Pledge Enabling Policy Environment for Wider Connectivity

Cable Equiano: Pantami, Danbatta Pledge Enabling Policy Environment for Wider Connectivity

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), and the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, have promised to continue to drive policy initiatives that promote investment in infrastructure in the Nigerian telecom industry in order to deepen connectivity to enhance the nation’s growth and development.

The duo stated this on the sideline of the reception marking the landing of the Equiano undersea Cable System in Nigeria at the Open Access Data Centre at Lekki in Lagos. Pantami and Danbatta commended Google LLC, the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), and other investors for bringing additional bandwidth capacity into the country to drive connectivity and growth.

While Pantami was represented at the event by NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Adeleke Adewolu, Danbatta was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services at NCC, Ubale Maska. Other senior management staff of the Commission at the event included the NCC’s Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Bako Wakil, and the Controller, NCC’s Ibadan Zonal Office, Yomi Arowosafe.

The Minister said the Federal Government, through the Ministry, will continue to drive the implementation of existing digital economy-oriented policies already put in place by the current administration. Pantami also promised an enabling environment that encourages foreign and local investment in infrastructure project such as the way Google and its co-investors have done.

Also commenting, Danbatta said the Commission’s expectations, initiatives, and vision towards increasing broadband penetration, quality of service, advancement of a digital economy, and commitment to improving national security through technological advancement, are on the priority list of its regulatory interventions.

Danbatta expressed delight that Equiano has joined the list of other submarine cables at the shores of Nigeria, including SAT3 cable, MainOne cable, Glo1 cable, ACE cable WACS cable, Dolphin by Natcom, and MTN respectively.

The EVC assured stakeholders of  Commission’s commitment towards ensuring that the huge bandwidth capacity from these cables at shore in Lagos would be transmitted to different part of the country to drive robust and ubiquitous infrastructure. This is in keeping with the provisions of the digital economy policy being implemented by government in collaboration with all stakeholders.

The EVC expressed optimism that Google’s investment in the subsea cable, Equiano, will be significant in driving NCC’s ongoing implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, which aims at increasing broadband penetration to 70 per cent by 2025.

“We are hopeful that Equiano, together with earlier undersea cables in the country, will have additional landing points in the hinterlands through collaborative efforts with NCC-licensed Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos). This will help to reduce retail data prices significantly and thereby complementing the Commission’s efforts at ensuring that affordable Internet services are available to boost Commission’s onbgoing broadband policy initiatives”. Danbatta stated and thereby helped to reiterate the objective linkages of policies and plans in the telecom ecosystem, and the national economic strategies.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who also witnessed the unveiling of the Google submarine cable, underscored its centrality to Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to boost job creation and contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), over the next three years.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WIOCC, Chris Wood, also described the landing of the submarine cables as a major investment in the Nigerian digital economy.

The new cable system is named after a Nigerian hero, Olaudah Equiano, who survived enslavement in the 18th century and went on to become a famous writer and anti-slavery activist. Besides, the triumph over challenges, which Equiano’s life symbolised, the landing of the cable in Nigeria is expected to underscore Nigeria’s leadership as a regional hub for connectivity, and thus, set to attract cloud operators, content providers, content distribution networks and their associated ecosystems.

Cryptocurrency scams are on the rise: How crypto cons work and how to protect yourself

Cryptocurrency scams are on the rise: How crypto cons work and how to protect yourself

The digital gold rush is here. As more people attempt to make money from cryptocurrencies, criminals and con artists aren’t far behind. Make sure you know how to recognise the biggest schemes that want to part you from your digital coins says Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO of ESET South Africa.

The world seems to have gone ‘crypto-mad’. Digital currencies like bitcoin, Monero, Ethereum, and even Dogecoin, are all over the internet. Their soaring value promises big wins for investors (if you’re “buying the dip”, that is). And the ‘fortunes’ to be made by mining for virtual money have echoes of gold rushes that formed the first mining towns in South Africa back in the 1800s. Or at least, that’s what many, including a long list of scammers, will have you believe.

In reality, if you’re interested in cryptocurrency today, you’re quite possibly at a major risk for fraud. In many respects, in this new unregulated world, bad actors often have the upper hand. In 2021, South African-based Africrypt was reportedly hacked, effectively wiping out a staggering R51 billion of investors’ money. While the apparent hack made global headlines, the founders of Africrypt vanished as international investigators scrambled to piece together what happened in what is now suspected to be a completely fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platform.

The good news is that normal rules of fraud prevention apply too.  Everything you read online should be carefully scrutinized and fact-checked. Don’t believe the hype, or buy into something that seems too good to be true, and you’ll stand a great chance of staying safe.

Why are cryptocurrency scams on the rise?

Fraudsters are masters at using current events and buzzy trends to trick their victims. And they don’t come much more “zeitgeist-y” than cryptocurrency. Headlines and social media posts are partly to blame, creating a feedback loop that only adds to the hysteria over virtual currencies.

  • There are few if any regulations governing the cryptocurrency market for investors, versus the traditional stock market
  • Huge media interest makes it a regular hook for phishing and scams
  • Soaring cryptocurrency prices attract consumers dreaming of getting rich quick
  • Social media helps to amplify the buzz, real or fictional
  • There’s also the lure of mining coins for money which phishers can use as a hook

What are the most common cryptocurrency scams?

If you have virtual money safely stored in a cryptocurrency exchange, it may be at risk from hackers. On numerous occasions threat actors have successfully managed to extract funds from these businesses, sometimes making off with hundreds of millions. However, usually the breached companies will promise to recompense their blameless customers. Unfortunately, there are no such assurances for the victims of crypto fraud. Fall for a scam and you may be out-of-pocket for a lot of money.

It pays to understand what these scams look like. Here are some of the most common:

Ponzi schemes: This is a type of investment scam where victims are tricked into investing in a non-existent company or a “get rich quick scheme,” which in fact is doing nothing but lining the pocket of the fraudster. Cryptocurrency is ideal for thisas fraudsters are always inventing new, unspecified ‘cutting edge’ technology to attract investors and generate larger virtual profits.Falsifying the data is easy when the currency is virtual anyway.

Pump and dump: Scammers encourage investors to buy shares in little-known cryptocurrency companies, based on false information. The share price subsequently rises and the fraudster sells their own shares, making a tidy profit and leaving the victim with worthless stocks or coins.

Fake celebrity endorsements: Scammers hijack celebrity social media accounts or create fake ones, and encourage followers to invest in fake schemes like the ones above. In one ploy, some $2m was lost to scammers who even name-dropped Elon Musk into a Bitcoin address in order to make the ruse more trustworthy.

Fake and copycat exchanges: Fraudsters send emails or post social media messages promising access to virtual cash stored in cryptocurrency exchanges. The only catch is the user must usually pay a small fee first. The exchange doesn’t exist and their money is lost forever. Copycat sites offer what appears to be legitimate wallet services. Users are encouraged to download wallets which then install malware on the user’s device. In these instances, iOS devices have been compromised where in the past the problem was limited to Android.

Impostor apps: Cybercriminals spoof legitimate cryptocurrency apps and upload them to app stores. If you install one it could steal your personal and financial details or implant malware on your device. Others may trick users into paying for non-existent services, or try to steal logins for your cryptocurrency wallet.

Phishing: Phishing is one of the most popular ways fraudsters operate. Emails, texts and social media messages are spoofed to appear as if sent from a legitimate, trusted source with an urgent request for payment in cryptocurrency.

How you can avoid falling victim

The best weapon to fight fraud is a healthy dose of scepticism. With that in mind, try the following to avoid getting scammed:

  • Never provide your personal details to an entity that makes unsolicited contact with you, via email, text, or social media. It may even appear to be your friend, but in reality could be a hacker who has hijacked their email or social account. Check with them separately via another contact method
  • If something is too good to be true it usually is. Take any investment scheme with a heavy pinch of salt
  • Switch on two-factor authentication for any cryptocurrency account you have
  • Dismiss any investment ‘opportunity’ which requires an up-front payment
  • Never use unofficial app stores
  • Download anti-malware software from a reputable provider to your PC and mobile devices

The world may have gone cryptocurrency-crazy. But you don’t need to join in. Keep a cool head and ride out the hype while making good returns

Why the cloud numbers don’t add up

Why the cloud numbers don’t add up

Cloud is a hot topic, with seemingly everyone making the change to cloud. But the numbers don’t add up. What’s happening behind the scenes?

In a recent survey by large-scale tech learning platform O’Reilly, 90% of respondents said their organisations are using cloud, and 30% said they’re fully cloud native. This makes it clear why ‘cloud’ is the buzzword on every IT leader’s lips. Seemingly, if you’re not getting on the cloud, you’re getting left behind.

But other insights reveal that the numbers just don’t add up. Cloud spend still accounts for just 6% of total IT spend, according to tech analyst IDC. And, while global cloud spend surged in the first quarter of 2021, the numbers dipped by 1.9% in Q2 – the first decline after seven quarters of spending growth since 2019.

The reasons

IDC proposes the dip in spending is due to the need for new infrastructure as a result of the pandemic. That may be the case, but it doesn’t explain why total cloud spend remains a small sliver of total IT spend – despite indicators of rapid growth and large-scale adoption, says Andrew Cruise, CEO of Routed.

“It could also be that cloud is, quite simply, cool. For years, decision makers have been told to go big on cloud or risk losing out to competitors. And while this is certainly true, the money doesn’t lie. What organisations are saying and what organisations are doing are quite different. And, until they do make the move, some might be bluffing for fear of sounding like they’re behind.” It might also be that IT leaders, for now, are facing challenges in their move to cloud, he adds.

“They want to make the move, they plan on making the move, but they’re not quite getting there yet. Eliminating traditional infrastructure is a major undertaking and it’s unlikely that every cloud provider is fit-for-purpose for every app. Migrating everything to cloud is a daunting task and, while companies are clearly migrating certain services or apps onto cloud, they’re still running their own datacentres.”

Getting there

“Cloud hype has progressed from the urgent ‘move to cloud!’ call of a decade ago, to ‘hybrid cloud rules’ five years ago, to the ‘multicloud or bust!’ message of today. Of course, each of these blanket statements has merit, but there is no magic silver bullet for a businesses’ infrastructure requirements,” says Cruise.

Multicloud environments have grown increasingly complex, with no comprehensive visibility. Organisations are running different services on the cloud provider that best meets their needs for the given application – with no overarching system to link all these siloes. “That is until you consider the virtual machine, like VMware, which is able to optimise applications independent of the cloud environment. And all the benefits of cloud are not just hype – it truly does increase agility, efficiency, longer-term hardware efficacy and even greater security,” adds Cruise. And decisionmakers are clearly aware of this – albeit that the predicted shift is happening slower than expected. All signs point to ever more adoption. IDC predicts that compute and storage spending for cloud infrastructure will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 12.4% for 2020-2025 before reaching $118.8bn in 2025. 

“Although the move to cloud has been slower than experts predicted, I believe that the multicloud story will be slightly more common than niche. There’s still a long road ahead, but the truth is that it’s not too late to start considering the cloud journey and benefit from the great savings and efficiency that virtual hosted environments offer. Using the right tech, and partnering with the right provider, can create the most efficient systems your organisation has seen to date.”

The Future of ERP is in the cloud

The Future of ERP is in the cloud

For faster, more scalable ERP solutions, CIOs are turning to the cloud in greater numbers to help streamline performance across key areas of operations. Marilyn Moodley, Country Leader for South Africa and WECA (West, East, Central Africa) at SoftwareONE, says the industry can expect another big shift to the cloud on the back of SAP customers moving their existing ECC to the cloud and then converting to S/4HANA. Aside from the SAP ECC support deadline in 2027, Moodley says it’s an exciting moment for the industry as businesses are taking full advantage of the time and money saving benefits of S/4HANA.

“Moving from an on-premise system, often with significant custom coding, to a cloud environment can be daunting which is why choosing the right cloud partner for the journey is vitally important. There are so many advantages to running an organisation’s ERP system in the cloud. Businesses can no longer adopt a wait-and-see approach as the time to start your ERP migration to cloud is now,” she says.

Moodley notes the most compelling benefits of moving ERP to the cloud:

Costs:  Your business can shift from a CAPEX to an OPEX model, scaling your infrastructure up or down based on peaks and troughs in demand, so you only pay for what you use, when you use it.

Agility and efficiency: SAP in the cloud will provide you with scalability and access to the latest technologies to help you capitalise on emerging opportunities as they happen. On-premises infrastructure does not benefit from the level of automation and economies of scale available in the public cloud, adding more manual tasks to your workday and building up complexity you must deal with to keep your business running.

Resilience: Hyperscalers provide flexible and cost-effective options to ensure high availability with stringent SLAs and fail-safe disaster recovery so that your business can keep running, no matter what happens.

Innovation: The cloud also makes it easier to adopt emerging cloud trends, like ‘composable architecture’, which involves the breakdown of monolithic architecture into a modular approach. For example, you could have SAP at the centre of your architecture supported by best-of-breed technologies as building blocks. This drives ability to respond to changing environments faster.

Sustainability: Cloud computing is a more sustainable approach than reinvesting in new physical hardware unless you’re able to invest the same levels of environmentally friendly power and cooling systems that are supplied by the big hyperscale cloud providers.

FOR ME, SOCIAL MEDIA IS CRITICAL – SOLUDO

FOR ME, SOCIAL MEDIA IS CRITICAL – SOLUDO

The brand new governor of Anamabra state, one of the most progressing states in Nigeria has made his position known on social media. Coming from corporate background, Charles Soludo understands the important of information dissemination.

In his Facebook, the banker said “I read you!The social media is a critical infrastructure no serious leader should esteem lightly. Just like life itself, I spend considerable time to read the good, the bad and, if you like, the ugly on this space.”

About spreading fake news, Charles said” I have also observed the efforts by a few faceless persons who proliferate uncanny information with the intent to spread fear, disinform and distort the minds of uncritical readers. I call them “mind bugs”, and would like to propose to our people with some sort of strong following, to step into the gap to begin the process of “debugging” by standing up boldly to dispel shared ignorance. “

” What we consume online is of immense consequence to how we carry on with life on the physical space. There is a lot to leverage on this space, a lot to learn and much more to create from the depth of our limitless minds.”

He added that” Whatever be the case, I have found more reasons to deepen engagements here. Soon, the feedbacks would become more instant. I am also on Twitter and Instagram. “

Anthony Nwosu

Telecoms Infrastructure:NCC urges Nigerians to Protect Them 

Telecoms Infrastructure:NCC urges Nigerians to Protect Them 



The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has emphasised that telecommunications consumers in Nigeria have a major role to play in complementing efforts being put in place to ensure effective protection of telecommunications infrastructure. This is important to sustain and improve on the quality of service delivery by the service providers.

The Commission made this request and assertion recently at a sensitization programme it organized at Wannune, Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State.

According to the Commission, aside from the role of the law enforcement agencies in protecting telecom infrastructure, the consumers, who are the subscribers and ultimate users of telecom services, have an obligation to do everything to protect telecoms infrastructure in their environment. These include the base transceiver stations (BTS), the underground fibre optic cable, as well as associated infrastructure.

Addressing audience at the programme, the Director, Zonal Operations, NCC, Amina Shehu, decried the problem of vandalism caused to telecom infrastructure which often result in poor quality of service delivery to the end users.

“One of the major challenges to quality of service that operator provide to you, is vandalism of telecom infrastructure, such as Base Transceiver Stations (BTS). Others are theft, hostility from some host communities, which have continued to pose a major setback to the industry. Therefore, it is imperative for the public to regard telecom facilities as collectively-owned infrastructure that are crucial and essential for the provision of efficient and acceptable telecom services. The more reason these facilities need to be adequately protected,” she urged.

While imploring the indigenes of Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State to ensure that they protect telecom facilities in their community, Shehu, who was represented at the event by an Assistant Director, Zonal Operations, NCC, Abubakar Usman, further enjoined the consumers to always alert law enforcement agencies close to them once they suspect any act of vandalism, theft or other suspicious activities directed at telecom infrastructure because such nefarious activities have implications for quality of service delivery in the communities.

Shehu underscored the centrality of telecommunications sector to the economy and she also informed the audience that in the last 15 years, telecom has been a major contributor to the nation’s economic growth and development. The Director Zonal Operations said the Commission will continue to collaborate with relevant agencies and keep sensitising the consumers on their role in ensuring the security of telecom infrastructure.

One issue Shehu discussed in her speech was the misinformation about Electromagnetic Frequency (EMF) radiation emanating from telecommunications infrastructure which she asserted was not harmful according to studies conducted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).

Shehu stated that the overall objective of the event is to sensitize members of the public on the need to protect telecommunication infrastructure, and more importantly, to correct the misconception people have on the effect of radio magnetic waves on human health. “So, the Commission is saying again to you that there is no scientific evidence yet that shows that radiation from telecom masts constitute health hazards to human and we want you to help spread this information to those that are not here,” she said.

During the event, participants were also enlightened on the illegality of pre-registered Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards, the imperatives of proper SIM registration, the importance of National Identification Number,NIN-SIM linkage exercise. The consumers were also informed about facilities provided by the Commission which they can use to improve their telecom experience and quality of life in general. These include the NCC Toll-free Number (622); the 112 National Emergency Number; and the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) 2442 short code for managing cases of unsolicited text messages, amongst others.

Meanwhile, the Paramount Ruler of Wannune, Chief Gandeorun Orokaa, who attended the event, thanked the Commission on behalf of the participants for bringing the sensitization programme to the Community to educate the consumers on sensitive consumer-related issues as well as correcting wrong notions and clarifying misconceptions. He also called on the indigenes to support NCC in protecting telecoms infrastructure so as to ensure that quality of service improves in the areas.

The event ended with an audience session, where questions and answers were asked, and observations and recommendations were also made on many aspects of telecom services. In attendance at the event were Local Government workers, Village Heads, Community leaders, Students, Women leaders, Staff of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

NIN-SIM LINK: IS STOPPING OVER 70 MILLION NIGERIANS THEIR ABILITY TO MAKE CALLS WORTH IT?

NIN-SIM LINK: IS STOPPING OVER 70 MILLION NIGERIANS THEIR ABILITY TO MAKE CALLS WORTH IT?

The recently “concluded” National Identity Numbers (NIN) registration for Nigerians is one thing or exercise that is very important. It is said that it will bring down crime, identify real Nigerians and people have argued that it is duplicity but the issue of banning over 72 million of Nigerians from making basic uses of their phones such as making calls via their mobile phones is a bleeding the economy.

Many have argued that, with SIM registrations where Nigerians queued up in various Telecommunication centers to register to their bank verification Numbers (BVN) where Nigerians line up again for that so that they can get their numbers to enable them bank. Nigerians lined up again for voters’ card, driver’s license, passports etc, all these are forms of valid ways of identifying us Nigerians then NIMC came to town with theirs. Nigerians were of the opinion that they have escaped these now they realized that they cannot make calls again due to NIN number! That is the quagmire of about 72 million of Nigerians as of today.

Being run by National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), this agency has put a deadline on the registration and syncing of these numbers with their mobile phones till March 31st. Today about 50% of Nigerians mobile phone or GSM users have been barred from making calls till they get their NIN numbers synced with their devices. This has already rendered these Nigerians incommunicado!

Some of these Nigerians like the average mechanic can’t even call the parts seller to supply him parts, the lady that is baking cakes can’t order for flour, the boy going to school can’t call the parents to come pick him up! The driver can’t call the boss to inform him of the necessary repairs in his car. These set of Nigerians are in crossroads or quagmire and these are the artisans that drive the economy! These are the over 50% of phone users mentioned ab initio!

Do we blame the regulator of the telecoms space for sitting down and watch the industry loose about 40% of their revenue through calls being lost? I do not blame the NCC to an extent, I do not think they should be blamed here, think that the blame should be on the government and NIMC! The NCC are just acting according to directives in my own view, the NCC is one of the foremost regulators that knows their onions and they are not happy that the telecom industry is bleeding! If Nigerians can’t make calls, the industry loses money, and if the industry loses money, NCC will be sad and unhappy but MIMC doesn’t care because their do not play in the telecommunication ecosystem, and also if Nigerians do not make calls, the government loses money from tax and interconnect, termination rates!

Do NIMC know these basic principles of telecommunications, I doubt that they do, if they do, they can’t stop over 70 million of Nigerians from making calls. We are talking billion lost weekly here as revenue! That is the clearer picture and folks must start smelling the coffee and know how are cookies are crumbling in such a perilous economy. From the above deductions, one can understand that NCC might not and will not be happy seeing the telecom ecosystem bleed!

There is no place in the world that the greater part of citizenry is stopped from communicating just because of they didn’t have their national identity numbers, this is akin to disrupting the greater public their freedom of speech and communication. And the Nigerian government through their agency NIMC have successfully denied Nigerians of this crucial right to speech and communication via this fiasco of mandating NCC to stop their communication while the telecoms industry loses billions daily due to this ill-conceived fact.
Stopping people from communication is very bad way of ensuring that people register up, this NIN numbers of a thing can be likened to social security numbers of many countries, unfortunately, we Nigerians are copycats but bad ones for that matter.

Having a full data base of citizens is crucial, we are thinking that b now NIMC would have been creative by ensuring their online platform is robust where people abroad and diaspora can have their registration done seamlessly. A lot of Nigerians have been in diaspora for many years like three years upwards, they make use of their numbers to transacts businesses at home, they roam these lines and how do you expect them not to make calls due to the singular fact that they do not have NIN numbers our own version of social security numbers. Doing this have successfully cut off these set of Nigerians out! This means the scarce forex we are looking for is cut off! This is cutting the nose to spite the face!

NIMC should be creative, you can’t just wake up one morning and cut of Nigerians! What about those in incarceration? What those in prisons? What about the Nigerians in mental asylums or sanatoriums? what about those Nigerians that have been in admission at various hospitals for months that were unable to do their NIN registrations? Are we saying that because they are incapacitated, they shouldn’t reach out to their family and friends to get support especially those in the health facilities, we understand that those in prisons “cannot make calls”, but what about others? Are they less Nigerians?

There is various way to catch a monkey, you can use a banana or you can use other fruits to catch the monkey, that is a popular saying, what this means is that NIMC should be able to find a middle ground in dealing with this errant and erratic Nigerians that have (un)willingly refused to be captured or counted. Many of their grouse is that they are tired of the government data policies and inconstancies. They have many valid arguments and they are right, what they haven’t thought of is doing a class action against NIMC demanding billions in terms of damages due to loss of revenue from their inability to make calls. Some have questioned the constitution and its position of stopping their fundamental rights of freedom of speech by NIMC? They have asked if NIMC was mandated to take this right away from them? But they are yet to think of class action or any ambitious legal luminary taking up these cases.

In sane climes and nations, there are majors that are taken to ensure that folks get social security Numbers such as inability to get a decent job, inability to get good medical service. Let me break it down, the SSN which is known as the social security number is composed of three parts the first three digits are known as area number, then group number which is two digits while the last is serial numbers. We are yet to understand how NIN grouped their numbers and what they are doing about the dead Nigerians that have NIN. What are criminal elements that will the numbers of the dead to do crazy things like SIM card registrations? Is this nit what NIMC is trying to avoid? What if people get the NIN of dead Nigerians and use it to buy SIM cards and get it registered? Is there a mechanism that is in place to counter this? Did NIMC think of this? Did NCC think of this? Did the telecoms stakeholders such as ALTON, ATCON etc think of this? they ought to know by now that Nigerians are some of the smartest bunches on the face of earth and what are they doing to be in tandem with these “smartness” or bunch of smart Aleks hovering around in our ecosystem?

To ensure about 95% compliance NIMC must devise ways to ensure that Nigerians comply not tampering with their devices. Stopping their devices from communicating is a wrong devise. In other countries as mentioned they have devised ingenious means to ensure that people have their SSN that even make people que for them without even compelled to. The USA government created theirs about 1936 to track how much Americans make during their lifetime and calculate their social benefits. Do NIMC have any form of social benefits for Nigerians after unblocking or unbarring our ability to call ourselves?

With the Social Security Number, you need to have it to collect government benefits, get a job and use for identification. So, in this case where do we place NIN numbers? It is of the opinion that NIMC should harmonize their data as the topmost identity protection agency, they are what CBN is to bank and what NCC is to telecoms, they should harmonize various agencies from CBN, NCC, INEC, FRSC, IMMIGRATION and others that collect identities and sync them with their own data to give Nigerians their unique identities without having to go through making Nigerians que and then for those that didn’t que get the Easter present of not calling their loved ones to wish them Happy Easter. NIMC must start looking at how to deploy robust technology, rejig their IT infrastructure and build world-class capacity that can mandate above mentioned agencies to sync their data in their highly secured tier IV data center and cloud. This sync will make creating of national identity number seamless for many Nigerians without queuing under the sun or loosing ability to make calls. A simple artificial intelligence (AI) solution can get this done.

Anthony Emeka Nwosu