TECH NEWS REELS

  Mr Austin Agbakor, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Computer Village Hub (CVHub), has expressed optimism that Nigerian youths would shape the future of technology in Nigeria. Agbakor spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos at the end of the CVHub’s one month advanced programming training for youths. He said that the training, which took place from Aug. 4 to Sept. 10, was contributing to developing a crop of youths who could help bridge the digital divide in the nation. The chief executive said that the CVHub was providing access to digital skills training and empowering individuals to shape their future to make a positive difference in the world. Agbakor said that the CVHub was on a mission to empower young Nigerians with coding skills. According to him, the empowerment started in 2018, with the goal of making coding accessible and affordable for all. He said that CVHub partnered with the Software Shop and David Olusegun Foundation to make the training happen. ‘”We b...

    The Pervasive and Mobile Computing Research Group (PMCRG) at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) has asked the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to release findings of a 2022 study on Nigeria’s telecommunications competition landscape. The group of researchers made the appeal in a statement signed by Prof. Adeniran Oluwaranti, the Coordinator, PMCRG Africa Centre of Excellence, OAU ICT-Driven Knowledge Park on Monday. The group said the request was made under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, which underscored PMCRG’s commitment to driving transparency and innovation in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving ICT sector. According to them, the NCC engaged the globally renowned consulting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), in 2022 to assess competition in the critical areas of collocation and infrastructure sharing (CIS) within the telecom industry. They, however, noted that despite  completion of the study, its findings had not yet been made public. The PMCRG said it soug...

UrbanID, a company providing software and services for identification has emphasised the crucial role of effective identity management in combating the pervasive problem of ghost workers in organisations. Mr Olatunji Durodola, Founder of  UrbanID, said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday. He said that asides tackling the issue of ghost workers, identity management could be used to solve leakage challenges in agencies and organisations. Durodola explained that in today’s globalised world, a country’s identity system, without a doubt, played a pivotal role in its continued sovereign existence, and was one of the most significant and valued national infrastructure. He explained that whether for security, humanitarian action, national economic planning or for international networking, a country’s identity system was the yardstick on which to tell its focus on development and humanitarian policies. “A robust identity ecosystem has been recognised as a key backbone ...

    By Funmilola Gboteku QNET, a lifestyle and wellness e-commerce company, on Wednesday said it has empowered millions of people in over 100 countries through its direct selling model.   Theodocia Quartey, Senior Legal Counsel, Sub Saharan Africa, QNET, said this during the company’s product exhibition in Lagos.   She said the company had helped people by providing opportunities for enterprise development and financial independence.   Quartey explained that the company understood the challenges associated with unemployment and the need for people to earn a living.   “So we impart knowledge and skills to people who in turn also pass what they have learnt to others to strengthen their entrepreneurial journey.   “Aside from empowering people with jobs, we have engaged in educational campaigns with several institutions.   “We currently have a running arrangement with the Federal Ministry of Employment and Labour, where we have educated some youths o...

  By Oluwatope Lawanson The Somolu Local Government Area (LGA) says 222 youths from the area have been trained with cutting-edge Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills to bridge the digital divide. Mr Abdulahmed Salawu, Chairman of Somolu LGA, made this known at a news conference on Wednesday, while unveiling series of initiatives under the Somolu Tech Initiative tagged “SoTech”. He said that 296 youths registered for the programme but only 222 actively participated. The chairman, who was represented by his Vice, Mr Ekiyemi Adekunle, explained that the inspiration behind the initiative came from Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES PLUS AGENDA. He noted that the initiative was aimed at harnessing the power of ICT to foster sustainable development and innovation. The LG boss said that his administration aimed to create digital literacy programmes for youths and adults, through SoTech. “We wish to establish community networks and digital hubs. We will support local startup...

  By Admin Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) says to  ensure full compliance of NIN-SIM linkage policy, it has directed all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to complete the mandatory verification and linkage of SIMs to NINs by September 14, 2024. This was disclosed in a statement signed by  Mr Reuben Muoka,  Director, Public Affairs at NCC on Wednesday. It said that the Nigerian Communications Commission was pleased to announce significant progress in the Federal Government’s 2020 policy to link all Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) to National Identity Numbers (NINs).  According to the statement, till date, over 153 million SIMs have been successfully linked to a NIN, reflecting an impressive compliance rate of 96 per cent, a substantial increase from 69.7 per cent in January 2024.   " As we approach the final phase of this critical process, the NCC seeks the continued cooperation of all Nigerians to achieve 100 per cent compliance.  The co...

  Source:Nairametrics The once-booming telecommunications sector in Nigeria has continued its downward spiral with a continuous decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate over the last one year. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the sector’s real GDP growth has steadily declined from 11.71% in the first quarter of 2023 to 5.17% by the second quarter of 2024. This significant drop is attributed to a challenging operating environment characterized by inflation and currency depreciation. While telecom operators are reporting revenue growth, the gains have been overshadowed by the broader economic challenges facing the sector. Industry stakeholders said the inability of these companies to adjust prices in line with the depreciating naira has eroded the real value of their earnings, limiting their overall growth. The forex debacle  Aside from other peculiar challenges in the industry telecommunications companies in Nigeria are now grappling with hea...