Access Bank, others, take over Etisalat Nigeria- Here's what went wrong

Etisalat Nigeria, Nigeria’s fourth largest telecom operator, ran into trouble with the consortium of banks, led by Access Bank PLC, following its failure to meet its obligations in respect of a $1.72 billion (about N541.8 billion) loan facility it obtained in 2015.

The loan, which involved a foreign-backed guarantee bond, was for the mobile telephone operator to finance a major network rehabilitation and expansion of its operational base in Nigeria.

After the repayment of the loan failed in 2016, the consortium, with the backing of their foreign partners, threatened to take over the company and its asset across Nigeria.

The intervention of the NCC and the CBN persuaded the banks to give Etisalat a chance to renegotiate the loan repayment schedule.But, the company also reneged on the pledge to pay up by May 31, resulting in a final default note and enforcement notice issued on June 9, 2017.

EMTS has already announced the commencement of the process to unveil a new shareholding structure and new trading name for the company during the transition phase.

Etisalat Group, the parent company of Etisalat Nigeria, on Tuesday announced the changes to Etisalat Nigeria’s shareholding in a letter filed to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate.

UAE’s Etisalat (Etisalat Group), with a 45 per cent stake in the Nigerian arm, also said it had been ordered to transfer its shares to a loan trustee by June 23, after negotiations failed, Reuters reported. It added it was carrying the stake at nil value.

The Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Limited, also known as Etisalat Nigeria, has up to June 23, 2017 to complete the transfer of 100 per cent of the company’s shares in Etisalat Nigeria to the United Capital Trustees Limited, the legal representative of the consortium of 13 banks.

While assuring its subscribers that the latest development would not affect its normal operations and the continued delivery of quality services, Etisalat Nigeria Vice President, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs, Ibrahim Dikko, said the company would mobilise its workforce to build a stronger business.

The NCC has reassured the over 21 million telephone subscribers on the Etisalat Nigeria network that it is committed to exercising its full regulatory powers to guarantee stable and quality services by the operator.

“The Commission has taken proactive steps to cushion the impact of the takeover,” Mr. Ojobo said. “This is without prejudice to the ongoing effort between Etisalat and the banks toward negotiated settlement.

“In view of the recent development, NCC wishes to reassure all stakeholders in the telecommunications sector in particular the subscribers on the Etisalat Network that the Commission will ensure that the integrity of Etisalat Network is not compromised.”

He also drew the attention of the consortium of banks involved in the planned takeover of the terms and conditions that guided the award of an operational license to Etisalat Nigeria, indicating that they would need the permission of the NCC before the license is assigned or a new operator comes on board in compliance with the NCC Act 2003.

LONDON TERROR ATTACK- PRIVACY OR SURVEILLANCE?- The big debate

In the wake of the London terror attack, UK Prime Minister Theresa May has lambasted internet companies with accusations of providing a safe space for terrorism ideology.

A day after the London bridge and borough market attack, May accused the firms of giving "this ideology the safe space it needs to breed." She pressed for ‘international agreements that regulate cyberspace to prevent the spread of extremist and terrorism planning.’

Her statements have pivoted the argument between digital privacy and security to the fore, once again.

Tech companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter have denied these assertions, stating that they are already engaged in concrete steps to prevent and remove extremist content.  According to Facebook Director of Policy, Simon Milner ‘We want Facebook to be a hostile environment for terrorists. Using a combination of technology and human review, we work aggressively to remove terrorist content from our platform as soon as we become aware of it — and if we become aware of an emergency involving imminent harm to someone's safety, we notify law enforcement.’

Understandably, it is quite difficult for these online platforms to moderate all information uploaded on their site due to the sheer volume. Some critics have said that Theresa May's calls are dangerous, disproportionate, and "intellectually lazy."

According to Business Insider, Facebook already prohibits content that supports terrorist activity, letting users report potentially infringing material to human moderators. It also uses some technical solutions, like image-matching tech that checks new photos to see if they've already been banned from the platform for promoting terrorism. It also reaches out to law enforcement if it sees potential evidence of a forthcoming attack (or attempt at human harm more generally). Google removes links to illegal content once notified. YouTube also takes down inciting videos and bans accounts believed to be operated by agents of foreign terrorist organisations. Twitter suspended 376,890 accounts in the six months leading up to December 2016. 74% were detected via its internal tech, and just 2% came from government requests.

Despite these measures, there have also been recent calls by British Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, for tech companies to "limit the use of end-to-end encryption".

However, critics say disabling encryption in popular apps will not deter criminals as they could simply switch from one app to another, or create their own messaging apps or worse still go further into the dark web. Instead, there is no guarantee that if encryption is not removed, messages sent by law-abiding citizens would become easy picking for criminal minds to intercept.  Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web said, "Now I know that if you're trying to catch terrorists it's really tempting to demand to be able to break all that encryption but if you break that encryption then guess what - so could other people and guess what - they may end up getting better at it than you are’.

Encryption simply means messages can't be intercepted and decoded by anyone else en route from one platform to another, including the companies themselves and law enforcement. It's used in messaging services including Facebook's, WhatsApp and Apple's iMessage, among others

It may be difficult to decide whether to surrender your privacy in order for the government to conduct better surveillance and provide security. If that is the solution, perhaps welcome. But what’s the guarantee that it will succeed in rooting out terrorism and that the government and maybe criminals will not use it to spy on you? That’s the debate

Tell us what you think. Would you rather choose your phone privacy over surveillance and terrorism concerns?

3 things to learn from the Phyno-Pia-Mia Song theft controversy

Background story

Phyno is much loved by Nigerians because of his unique style of music and creativity. His song ‘I’m a fan’ featuring Mr. Eazi and Decarlo released in 2016 as part of his “The Playmaker” album was an instant hit. I personally like the song.

That song has however become the source of much controversy recently. American singer and songwriter, Pia Mia released a version of the song in May 2017 featuring singer Jeremih. Due to the striking similarity in Phyno and Pia Mia’s version of the song, there have been allegations of infringement of copyright by Pia Mia. Nigerians have taken to troll the American singer on social media.

You can listen to both versions here. Phyno is yet to give details on this and reacting to reports that he co-produced the song with Pia-Mia's producer, has said his lawyers are involved.

Arguments on who produced it and whether it was a fall out of co-owners of the song aside, here are 3 things you should take away from the Phyno-PiaMia controversy.

Establish your content is original

Original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, sound recordings, films and broadcasts are entitled to copyright protection. Your content has to be original not a copy of someone else’s song or artistical work. Where sufficient effort has been expended on making the work to give it an original character, it becomes the sole property of the Owner. Only the Owner can transmit the work by testamentary disposition or by operation of law. The Owner has an exclusive right over the work and it is unlawful for any other person to reproduce, publish, translate, perform in public, make, rent, lease, hire, broadcast, adapt or tamper with the work without the Owner's licence or assignment.

It also has to have been fixed in a definite medium. You need not have registered it as copyright unlike other forms of intellectual property does not require registration for validity.

Protection Is Key- Contact your lawyer

Negotiation is the first course of action. Owners may demand compensation for use of their work and the immediate cessation of the infringement. They can also demand delivery of all original and copies of the infringed work or an agreement for use of their work in future.However, if the other person is unwilling to stop the infringement or withdraw the infringing material despite notice, you may need to get an injunction from the courts or sue for damages.

Because of our reciprocity agreements with other countries, copyright recognised in Nigeria can be enforced internationally and vice versa in countries signed up to certain international agreements

Also, while registration for copyright protection is not a condition for the validity of your copyright as it exists the moment the work was created, it may go a mile in helping protect it in the event of infringement due to these reasons.

You can register your work with the Nigerian Copyright Commission. You also need to realise that you have a right against everyone else to reap the benefit from your work as long as it suits the criteria above. Do not hesitate to seek adequate remuneration for use of your material and compensation for infringement of your copyrights.

You can co-own copyright with others

Where you co-authored a work with someone else, it is important to keep records of it as you might be co-owners

To be co-owners of a copyrighted work, each author must contribute copyright-able subject matter to the work. Each contribution must comply with the originality requirement and other and must not be simply ideas, refinements and suggestions.  There has to be intention, at the time the writing is done, that the parts be absorbed or combined into a single, whole unit.

Each co-owner has an independent right to use or license the use of the copyright in an independently created work without the need to obtain the consent of the other co-owners. He may however need to render account to his co-owner

In the Phyno-Pia-Mia case, they would need to determine if the song was intended to be co-owned in terms of their contributions to the production.

SUBMIT YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES FOR CHECKS, US VISA NOW REQUIRES

US Visa Applicants now will be required to submit their social media handles of the past five years and biographical information for the last 15 years. According to Reuters, the US government released a new questionnaire as a means of tightening vetting of visa applicants.

Consular officials are now empowered to request all prior passport numbers, five years' worth of social media handles, email addresses and phone numbers and 15 years of biographical information including addresses, employment and travel history. (bit.ly/2qBSrpv)

It is yet to be seen how this will directly affect Nigerians seeking to visit the US but according to the US State Department it will apply to visa applicants "who have been determined to warrant additional scrutiny in connection with terrorism or other national security-related visa ineligibilities."

The tighter vetting requirement received approval on May 23 by the Office of Management and Budget

RWANDAN ELECTION COMMISSION TO VET SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGES OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

The Rwandan Election Commission has ruled that it must pre-approve all of the social media updates of Rwanda’s presidential candidates.

"We are asking (candidates) to present us their messages, their drafts to verify that they are not against the law," electoral commission head Kalisa Mbanda told AFP on Monday.

Social media messages by the presidential candidates will have to be submitted to the seven election commissioners at least 48 hours before their publication.

"If the message is not accepted it cannot be published," said Mbanda.

Perhaps spurred by reactions to Donald Trump’s unconventional use of twitter before and after the US elections, the measure will go into effect on the start of the official campaign on July 14 and concerns "messages, photographs and other campaign material" published on social networks.

Mbanda said the goal was to "prevent declarations, words, acts that can lead the population to acts of insecurity that could divide the Rwandan population."

Already political opponents, diplomats and human rights organisations have criticised this directive as a move to stifle political oppositions and censorship of freedom of expression. It is yet to be seen if Kagame will also have his social media messages vetted before publication.

Kagame has been in charge since taking power at the head of a rebel army in 1994 and has already served two seven-year terms as president.

Nigeria issues guidelines on how to protect your system from global massive ransomware attack

Nigeria has issued an advisory on how to protect your computer from ransomware currently affecting over 99 countries globally. More than 45,000 attacks recorded in countries including the UK, Russia, India and China may have originated with theft of ‘cyber weapons’ from the NSA.

A ransomware cyber-attack that may have originated from the theft of “cyber weapons” from the National Security Agency (NSA) of the US government has been terrifying the globe. More than 45,000 attacks in 99 countries, including the UK, Russia, Ukraine, India, China, Italy, and Egypt were recorded. The attack has left devastating effects like crippling hospitals in England and major telecommunication companies like Telefónica in Spain.

Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts a user’s data, then demands payment in exchange for unlocking the data. In this incident, malicious software called “WanaCrypt0r 2.0” or WannaCry, that has the ability to exploit a weakness in Windows was used. Microsoft released a software update that fixes the problem (a patch) for the flaw in March, but computers that have not installed the security update remain vulnerable.

The malware was made available online on 14 April through a dump by A group called Shadow Brokers, claimed to have stolen a cache of “cyber weapons” from the National Security Agency (NSA) last year. This year they made it available online on April 14. The NSA was initially sceptical but has been criticised of acting too slow and for stockpiling these vulnerabilities instead of giving it to persons capable of fixing them. The attack is stated by cyber security experts not to target big institutions but ‘anyone that got it’

In Nigeria, the Director General, of NITDA, Ibrahim Pantami, issued guidelines on protection of personal and workplace computers from being affected by ransomware.

“Should your system be infected by ransomware, isolate the system from your network to prevent the threat from further spreading. In addition, the following actions can be taken immediately:

• Remove the system from Network.

• Do not use flash/pen drive, external drives on the System to copy files to other systems.

• Format the System completely and get fresh OS copy installed.

As a general precautionary measure, NITDA recommended that individuals and organisations should:

• Regularly update their operating systems with the latest patches.

• Regularly update their software applications with latest patches.

• Avoid downloading and opening unsolicited files and attachments.

• Adjust security software to scan compressed or archived files.

Avoid indiscriminate use of wireless connections, such as Bluetooth or infrared ports.

If in need of emergency assistance, contact NITDA Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT) on: 800-9988-7766- 5544 or e-mail: support@cerrt.ng.

UBER VS. TAXIFY – Mark Essien, Hotels.ng founder, believes Nigerians prefer lower prices over quality service? Tell us what you think

Mark Essien of hotels.ng recently predicted on his twitter page ‘Taxify will crush Uber in Nigeria. Uber cares about quality, but Nigerians care about price. Taxify is barely vetting cars, Uber is strongly.’ Its quite an interesting argument to make, because  while i love a good bargain, i definitely love quality too.

The genesis of the argument is the fact that Lagosians are not pleased with Uber, complaining about the quality of Uber’s pricing and service and comparing them to other competitors like Taxify and Oga Taxi. Even though some experts do not believe that other competitors can ever win Uber in the ride-sharing war, from other examples around the globe and based on peculiar industry issues. Read here

Uber recently tried to appease its customers by reducing its fares by 40% in Lagos. Uber’s price reduction was in response to the latest price rate slash by Taxify, an Estonian international transportation network company. According to Uber in a statement, “...you can now request a high-quality ride for the same price as small chops!”

So while still hoping Uber will set up shop in PH and let us into the mouth watering bargain, let’s find out what you think-  which would you rather choose in a ride, quality or low price?

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM A4AI NIGERIAN COALITION MEETING AND INTERNET FREEDOM FORUM (IFF) 2017

It was a great experience meeting, networking and deliberating with experts in ICT and Telecommunications on issues of internet access and affordability during the April 2017 edition of the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4ai) Nigerian coalition meeting. The meeting held on the 25th April in Lagos. Key persons in the industry were in attendance such as the Minister of Communications, Barr. Adebayo Shittu and past Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Engr. Ernest Ndukwe. I was able to repeat the full potpourri of emotions during the IFF held on the 26th and 27th April Asides from the joys of gathering in a room full of ICT experts, key takeaways for me are as follows-

Nigeria ranks 3^rd in Africa in A4ai affordability index- Nigeria ranked third in A4ai’s Africa Affordability Drivers Index, out of 27 countries. A4ai’s Africa Regional Coordinator, Onica Makwakwa, made the disclosure at the unveiling of the Africa Affordability Report 2017. The report examines the policy and regulatory framework that allows some countries to make internet more affordable, accessible and universal.  Mauritius topped the table with 61.70 per cent, followed by Morocco with 57.75 per cent. Nigeria came third with 56.58 per cent.

According to the report, only five out of the 27 African countries have affordable internet– they are Mauritius, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Sudan. Affordable internet according to A4ai is one Gigabyte (1GB) of mobile pre-paid data for two per cent or less of average monthly income. In Africa however, 1GB of data costs an average citizen nearly 18 per cent of their monthly income.

African countries including Nigeria need room for improvement as we score less than five out of 10 in all policy areas

We need to be committed to more action and less talk- The honourable Minister emphasised on the need for his ministry to work with A4ai on the outcome and resolutions of the Nigerian coalition April meeting going forward. It also served as a call to action to me and other advocates for internet access and affordability to ensure that we make more concerted efforts to achieve our aims

The main barrier to access is locally relevant content and not affordability- From the Asia experience, the key challenge of ensuring internet access for all is the availability of locally relevant content and not affordability. This is a sign that we need to develop content appealing to the locals in order to encourage them to come online Access and affordability are equally important and should be advocated for simultaneously- While responding to an interesting question about whether we should push for access first before affordability, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe admitted that it was an interesting and valid proposal but that in reality for telecommunications and ICT, it may be impossible to have good access without making the internet affordable for most people. It is therefore imperative that we advocate for both to be achieved hand in hand Your voice on the internet doesn’t always lead to influence. We need to do more- We get caught up in the virtual world and discussions in online spaces about internet rights that we forget we may also need to respond offline to get make any real progress in campaigning for internet freedoms. Anriette Esterhunsen, Director of Alliance for Progressive Communications (APC) while revealing this at the IFF urged participants to be aware, Act, not get lost in the virtual world and to also use and enjoy the internet. It was also emphasised by a participant, Nnenna of Web Foundation that we need to also re-orientate people that internet freedoms is not about social media issues but includes issues of net neutrality and data protection Multi-stakeholder approach is important for effective ICT policy making – During the panel on policy and regulatory landscape at the IFF, it was concluded that we need an all inclusive multi-stakeholder approach to ICT policy making in Nigeria where relevant stakeholders are invited and consulted and issues taken to the grassroots to create awareness on how it affects them. Rather than presuming the locals are not interested and shutting them out, we should ask the locals s what kind of web they want We need sex disaggregated data to get a complete picture of ICT use- Gender disaggregated data is very important for a holistic picture of the gender divide and disparity in the use of the internet. We need to find out how internet shutdowns and monopolise in countries affect women and girls. We need to realise  Women also need to build their own army of supporters when they have issues

YAHOO ACCOUNTS HACKED - HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF

Over a billion accounts on popular mailing company Yahoo have been hacked . In a statement personally addressed to account users, Bob Lord, Chief Information Security Officer of the giant tech company disclosed that Yahoo recently discovered a data security issue that may involve users’ Yahoo account information. This is the 2nd breach Yahoo it is recording. Yahoo alerted users in September 2016 about a breach.

An unauthorized third party, in August 2013, stole data associated with a broader set of user accounts. They have been unable to identify the intrusion associated with this theft. Information stolen include names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, hashed passwords (using MD5) and, in some cases, encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers. The stolen information did not include passwords in clear text, payment card data, or bank account information. Yahoo is taking some measures to ensure users are not affected but in the mean time here is what you can do as a security measure- Change your passwords and security questions and answers for any other accounts on which you used the same or similar information used for your Yahoo account. Review all of your accounts for suspicious activity. Be cautious of any unsolicited communications that ask for your personal information or refer you to a web page asking for personal information. Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails. Yahoo also recommends using Yahoo Account Key, a simple authentication tool that eliminates the need to use a password on Yahoo altogether.

TRENDING- PANIC AS MMM FREEZES ACCOUNTS IN NIGERIA FOR ONE MONTH

Nigerians involved in the Ponzi Scheme, Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox (MMM) have been thrown into confusion as the alleged Ponzi scheme has frozen accounts of its participants in Nigeria for one month. This will last from December 12 to January 12. During that period, none of the participants who are due to get help will be able to. They will be unable to get their 'Mavro' ie withdraw funds deposited with the mandatory 30% interest. 

People have taken to social media to talk about this development, some laughing at partticipants

According to the operators of the scheme in a message sent to all subscribers, the measure was put in place due to the heavy workload being experienced by the system in the New Year. 

This comes after the MMM founder reportedly wrote an open letter to the FG. It may be too early for doubters to say 'I told you so' but it definitely should serve as a caution to new participants

Andela has new fellowship opportunities- For women only

Andela has announced a ‘one-of-a-kind opportunity’ for females in Nigeria to fellowship with the organisation. The Fellowship is a four-year, paid Technical Leadership Program designed to shape you into an exceptional software engineer. The Company wants to ensure the digital revolution gets not just to Lagos but to the female folk. All you need to have is an interest in technology, be detailed oriented and hardworking.  And of course be female (Sorry guys, this one not for you but you can inform the ladies) Prior experience or education in the field is not necessary.

The selected women will be taught the basics of software development by a team of experienced engineers and given the opportunity to work with top global companies. Application deadline is 30^th October 2016.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Stage 1: Application and Aptitude Assessment

First, you’ll complete an application, which lets us learn more about you. Once we receive your application, we’ll email you (within 2-days of your application) an online test that measures logical reasoning and personality fit.

Stage 2: Home Study

Next, you’ll need to complete an introduction to software development self-study course focused on Python. You can find the downloadable version of this course here. During the course, you’ll complete a Proctor test that will evaluate your knowledge of the content you’ve learned. You will also be invited to a Slack Community called “Open Andela” to help guide and encourage you throughout the process.

Stage 3: In-Person Interview

Based on performance on the Aptitude Assessment and Proctor test, we invite a select group of applicants to interview with Andela. If selected, you’ll receive an email one week prior to the interview stage, inviting you to a panel of interviews made up of staff members and fellows at an Andela Campus.

Stage 4: Two-Week Boot Camp

Successful applicants participate in a two-week, full-time Boot Camp at an Andela Campus led by our senior engineers. You’ll be expected to learn independently as well as work on a team to deliver a final project. We’re looking for determination, work ethic, passion, and teamwork. Boot camp runs from 1st December - 9th December

Stage 5: Acceptance

The highest performing participants are accepted into Andela’s four-year Technical Leadership Program.

Apply Here

AFTER THE EUPHORIA OF MARK ZUCKERBERG'S VISIT AND HIS LOVE FOR NIGERIAN JOLLOF - WHAT NEXT?

The visit of Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, last week to Nigeria is one thing that a lot of Nigerians will continue to remember for decades. Beyond the euphoria of his visit and the funny memes about his net worth, simplicity and his praises of the goodness of Nigerian jollof, we found out from Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), what young Nigerians and their country should take from this in terms of developing tech entrepreneurship.

Looking at Mark Zuckerberg’s visit, how can the young persons key into this and build the tech market in Nigeria?

Work is being done on that. The visit is important. Because Mark Zuckerberg is to tech what Beyonce is to music so its definitely significant. Work is being done already. The visit is a form of validation of what is going on in the tech ecosystem in Nigeria. What is critical is that beyond the euphoria of a billionaire coming to Nigeria and walking on the streets of Yaba, there is the importance of making sure we are also able to build businesses that make sense. When things like this happens is that everyone gets excited that Nigeria is under the spot light.

The spotlight is really important. The problem with the spotlight is that it lasts for just a short moment and what happens after is what matters most important. The question to ask is questions like Is it easy for a young person in Nigeria with an idea like Face book to build and become a global business, if not, what are the limitations? Is there limitation in terms of registration? If you look at the ease of doing business in Nigeria, it is an area we have trouble. Access to funding and to capital is also another problem. These are the critical issues to look at when the dust settles after the euphoria of this visit.

What should be done to help young people who want to become tech entrepreneurs even though there are young people defying the odds to get things done like Andela?

You will always have outliers, people who will get stuff done when its not popular, who will get stuff done when the tide is against them. The way to get this done is to ensure that success stories are celebrated in Nigeria by Nigeria and Nigerians. Right now what we have celebrated is when a politician who supposedly is a big man. If we put a technology rock star and a senator side by side in Nigeria, of course the senator will get more attention. And that is where the problem is. We pay more attention to politics than to innovation. Politics is important but innovation is equally important. I say tech rock stars is because one of the reasons why Silicon Valley is what Silicon Valley is, is that when you build a successful tech business you become celebrated. You literally become a celebrity for it.  We are just asking for recognition

The most important thing is ease of doing business. Today if you want to protect your ideas, if you want to register your business, you want to protect your idea, set up something for your start-up in terms of official docs it will take a long time. CAC says it can be done online but that process cannot be obviously completed online. We need to streamline all of these things

To go back to those who are in business and doing stuff, there is an operating tech ecosystem. The good thing about an eco system is that it offers support. People can see what others are building, people can see what is successful and what they can learn. My challenge to people is to get more involved and active so they you don’t build in a bubble. If you are not careful, you are going to build in a bubble and tell yourself that you have built the best thing since sliced bread

How much orientation can we put out there so that we can carry everyone along?

Our focus at PIN is on the schools and not the people out of school. The reason for focusing on people in schools is that my thinking is that for outliers, there will always be people who are successful

When you are out of school and paying bills you are not innovating, you are escaping from hunger. There is difference between when you are innovating and when you are escaping from hunger to pay bills. They are 2 different things entirely. It’s like someone 100m to win like Usain Bolt and a man who is running to save his life because a lion is chasing him. Of course, Usain Bolt will have nothing on him.

We need to begin early. Our work is to focus on the university, polytechnics and college of education and tertiary institutions generally, so students can start early. If you don’t start at the age of 13 , you can’t be a rock star or an expert at the age of 30. We need to go into the schools right now. We started our 1^st programme in 2012 and some of them will graduate this year. This is the first time we are having a set graduating. What we have seen is that what many of them built over the 5 year period, many of them are earning from it, many of them are using it for their final year project. When their friends are defending a 5000 word dissertation, they are showcasing a business and pitching a business. Who knows someone in the audience may be interested in it. That is where we need to start from. We can’t start from outside because those outside are already trying to pay bills but we need to start from inside so students understand that cram, pass and forget is not the best way

A lot of people don’t understand the benefits of ICT to Nigeria, to the economy and to their pockets. A lot of people are still focused on crude oil. What benefits will the ordinary Nigerian get from development of tech?

Tech is definitely not elitist. The only way to realise that is to see how the mobile phone has become very central to everyone’s life. You see someone on a motorbike making a call.

The interesting thing is that all the back end work to make sure the network is up, to make sure cell towers are working, you can leave that to the techies. But using the tools and using it to improve your process or life, is something that everyone is benefiting from. If you want to work in the office either in tech, medical science, or media, you need a laptop, a mobile device or a tablet and that is how tech is able to influence us. If you are home, and you want to get information across to someone else, you can make a call or if you don’t want to because you think it’s expensive, you can do voice over IP. These are the ways where it can be of help.

I’d give a good example for those who think tech is sophisticated. There’s a difference between reading a newspaper on Tuesday to find which job is available before you can apply and getting an email from someone and sending your CV by email. The difference between the 2 is that they are both looking for jobs. By the time you read the newspaper, the job is taken because its too late. By the time you post your application letter, it is already too late. But the guy who is able to get the information on social media is able to act faster

The beauty of tech is that It gives you access to info, it helps you act fast so you don’t loose opportunities and whatever, your process is, it helps you improve it. It is not about elitist, its about everyday use and everyone can take advantage of it

For other cities outside Lagos, what should be done to develop tech and ICT?

One thing that is clear right now is that we have seen the disadvantage of oil in the sense that we have depended heavily on it and right now we are seeing that we need to diversify. We have an opportunity where state governments can build an environment, to attract tech heads. Let Kwara State, Ondo State, Zamfara compete with Lagos to attract young techies.

How will they do that?

What do you need as a young tech entrepreneur? You need a place to work, a place to lay your head and internet access. If those governments are able to use existing facilities eg there are so many buildings by government that are not being used. If you open those up and tell them go and work there for one year. If after a year you haven’t been able to do anything, we would kick you out but if you achieve, we will have a stake in whatever you are doing or have a kind of arrangement. The basic idea is attract people. Talk to people who have hostels and have an arrangement so that people can go there and have access to the internet and give tax waivers for 3 years.

If a state is able to reduce the cost of living and the cost of internet access, it will only take a few months for people to gravitate to the state but of course, the state must be safe and must have access to the market. This is a good time for us to begin to compete among the states in Nigeria.

Lagos is an established tech hub right now in Nigeria and there are millions who will need a place to rest their head in the next 2 years and work from, who will need the right environment to get work done and it doesn’t have to be free.

Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) is a social enterprise that connects under-served Nigerian youth with ICT-enabled opportunities

NIGERIA IS ONE OF THE COUNTRIES WITH THE BEST PROGRAMMERS IN THE WORLD

According to Hacker Rank, Nigeria is currently ranked nos 48 country with the best developers in the world.

Interestingly it is not the US home to the silicon valley and some of the greatest tech gurus like Bill Gates that came tops. China and Russia according to the study were the two best countries. Poland took a close third. The US is 28^th position even though they have more programmers and developers participating in the challenges than other countries.

Hacker Rank is a programming site that regularly posts tens of thousands of new coding challenges for developers from around the world to participate and improve their coding skills. Developers are scored and ranked based on a combination of their accuracy and speed. Hacker Rank got this result by analysing the countries that perform best at its programming challenges.

For a country like Nigeria, this is definitely hope that young people can excel in tech and ICT despite all of the challenges back home and minimal support compared to some of the higher ranked countries in this study.

STEPHEN KESHI PASSED AWAY TODAY- SURPRISINGLY, IT IS NOT TRENDING ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS MUCH AS IT SHOULD

Stephen Keshi, former Super Eagles coach died today, at the age of 54. This made him the 2^nd sports legend to pass away between Saturday and today. The other was boxing legend Mohammed Ali.

Stephen Keshi’s death did not however trend on social media in Nigeria as much as Mohammed Ali’s did. While there were a lot of headlines on it and papers were awash with stories of Keshi, most television and radio stations continued their regular programming with just a passing comment on Keshi’s death. Foreigners and foreign news outlets seemed to even celebrate it better. Even stranger was that i wasn’t seeing his pictures on blackberry DPs or PMs.  On Saturday when Mohammed Ali died, the first thing that greeted me that morning were his pictures awash on most of my blackberry contacts. Glowing tributes were paid to him on twitter, instagram and facebook by Nigerians, some of whom barely knew him. Today, that same social media is eeringly silent. No one is trying to compare both sport giants but it is really sad that one of the greatest players and coaches of the greatest sport Nigerians love did not receive the celebration he deserved

Is it that we don’t know how to celebrate our own? Do we have more value for foreign celebrities than local ones? Do we lack records and data for quotes, record clips and commentaries of Keshi’s most fantastic moments? Is there something wrong with our media’s reportage?

Whatever the case may be, its definitely double standards for Nigerian social media to stand still for Ali and leave a deafening silence for Stephen Keshi. We need to look inward and learn how to celebrate our own.

RIP Keshi

Nigeria has the 7th biggest mobile subscription in Africa, Chinese smartphones top sales in Africa - Study

Nigeria is now the 7^th country with the largest mobile subscription. This means, more people are using phones to stay connected. Nigeria’s biggest online retailer, Jumia, revealed this in its second white paper on African Mobile Trends 2016 released on 25^th May 2016. Egypt  is ranked 11^th and South Africa is 14^th, all within the top 15 of the top countries in the world for number of mobile subscriptions

The study also shows that Asian brands are leading the pack in smartphone sales in Africa. Chinese brand Infinix is the biggest smartphone seller on Jumia in Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Ivory Coast and Egypt. Other big sellers are Samsung and Xtouch in Egypt, InnJoo and Wiko in Kenya, Samsung in Morocco, Itel and Samsung in Ivory Coast and InnJoo in Nigeria. Even offline, Samsung remains the top smartphone brand sold in those 5 markets, monopolizing more than 50% of each market.

So for those of you who yab ‘chinco’ phones as being 2^nd class, you need to think again.  It seems they have brought variety and diversity thus making smart phones affordable in Africa. 

Here are President Buhari’s “ achievements” after one year in office according to the Presidency

The News Agency of Nigeria published a list of the President’s achievement. Once again, technology and ICT has been shelved to the sidelines. *sad* Here is the list and tell us if you agree.

SECURITY:

• The relocation of the Nigerian Military Command Centre to Maiduguri, since May 2015, contributed to the success in the fight against insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country.
• As at February 2016, the total number of persons rescued by the Nigerian troops during the ongoing operations in the North East came to 11,595
• Since December 2015, the well-motivated and rejuvenated Nigerian Military have regained all Nigerian territories previously under Boko Haram control.
• Prioritized regional cooperation in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency and violent extremism, through the operations of the 8,500 strong Multi-National Joint Task Force in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, currently headed by a Nigeria military general.
• Nigeria has provided $21million USD to the Task Force since June 2015 and is committed to an additional $79 million USD, bringing the total of Nigeria’s commitment to the Task Force to 100 million USD.
• Cohesive international support in the fight against terrorism and assistance to victims and communities affected by terrorism, following President Buhari’s meeting with G7 leaders and other world powers.
• In May 2016, Nigeria hosted a Regional Security Summit to boost military operations against Boko Haram and forge a global support for the rehabilitation of the IDPs and rebuilding of the North East.
• In June 2015, the United States announced a 5-million-dollar support for the fight against the terrorists in the sub-region.
• In April 2016, during the visit to Ms Samantha Power, the U.S Ambassador to the UN to Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, the U.S Government further announced an additional $40 million USD for humanitarian assistance in the sub-region
• Recruitment of additional 10,000 persons into the Nigeria Police Force is ongoing. The recruitment will address the manpower gap which currently exists in the Nigeria Police
• Overhaul of the dysfunctional topmost hierarchy of the Nigerian military which resulted in optimal result and degradation of the Boko Haram elements.
• Was able to bring back our hitherto military allies; which saw the United States and UK governments commit their resources to the fight against the insurgents after previously backing out of negotiations with the previous administration. The Israeli government has also indicated interest in the fight against insurgency.
• Introduction of the motor cycle battalion (This is so that the Nigerian Army can travel to remote areas that were not accessible to cars/trucks)
• Realigned our partnership with regional allies by embarking on foreign visits which resulted in bilateral and multilateral agreements to tackle insecurity back home.
• No more roadblocks and curfews, which normally impeded free flow of movement.
• Continuous monitoring of activities in the region of war through the use of satellite images and geographical information system is helping in fighting insurgency and strategizing against the enemy.
• The trips to our neighbouring countries showed the resolve of the President to push Boko Haram elements out of existence by going for the jugular of the group, cutting their arms, food supply routes. Support has thus been mobilized through the Multinational Joint Task Force.
• Another major stride is the Trans National Organized Crime (TNOC) where the president got partnership with regional allies in the fight against the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
• As part of the reconfigured military partnership, the United States donated 24 mine-resistant armoured vehicles (MRAP) which had protected the Nigerian troops from the menace of Improvised Explosive Devices. Today we have less causalities.
• Reached out to the G7 countries and achieved the following: intelligence sharing; technical military training; arms deals/donations
• Overhauling of NIMASA. A reversed policy of the past administration where national infrastructural assets were given to militia leaders to protect as against established bodies like the Nigerian Navy was stopped.
• The President Buhari government has drafted the army to partner with other security agencies in ensuring the security of our national infrastructure and this is already yielding the desired results.
• A major ring of pipeline vandals in Lagos state were captured recently in a joint operation by security forces led by the army.
• The government has renewed its fight against oil bunkering
• The Nigerian Navy has recorded tremendous success lately in apprehending vessels used by oil thieves. This operation has improved security on our water ways and it has also helped improve the revenue of government.
• Deployment of sophisticated weapons to ensure vandalism is contained by setting up a pipeline security force in stamping out the menace.
• Effective Management of the Separatist Biafran Movement
• Improving the technical capacity of Nigerian Police Force. We now have a forensic lab and GSM tracking device. We now have a more IT integrated Police force.
• Restructuring of Nigerian Immigration to stop cross border crimes.
• NSCDC has become more proactive in the prevention of pipeline vandalization, with arrest of several pipeline vandals.
• Joint operations involving various security outfits in curbing the menace of the herdsmen in the country has been set up.
• The use of surveys and updated mappings across the country as strategies for preventing threats among ethnic groups in Nigeria.

CORRUPTION

• Right from the moment he won the Presidential Election in 2015, the impression of the President as a ‘‘no nonsense and incorruptible leader’’ sent a signal to looters of public funds, with many of them returning funds that had been stolen under the previous administration.
• To create a frame work for prosecuting the war against corruption and institutionalize probity, President Buhari set up an Advisory Committee on War Against Corruption.
• The anti-corruption battle is gaining ground with several high profile cases already in the courts. The administration is being guided by the rule of law in the prosecution of corruption cases.
• President Buhari enlisted the support of multilateral institutions like the World Bank and IMF, security agencies, Western countries and other friendly nations to locate and repatriate stolen assets.
• At a London summit on anti-corruption, President Buhari announced that Nigeria will begin the full implementation of the principles of the OPEN contracting data standards.
• In the first quarter of 2016, President Buhari embarked on trips to the Middle East to sensitize the governments on the need to repatriate stolen assets and hand over the looters for trial in Nigeria. In January, Nigeria and UAE signed Judicial Agreements on Extradition, Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters.
• In March 2016, the Federal Government and the Swiss Government signed a Letter of Intent On the Restitution of Illegally-Acquired Assets forfeited in Switzerland. Under the agreement, Switzerland will repatriate $ 321 million USD illicitly acquired by the Gen. Sani Abacha family.
• In March 2016, the Presidential Committee set up to probe contracts awarded by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) from 2011 to 2015 announced the recovery of over N7 billion from indicted companies and individuals.

ECONOMY

• Implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has provided greater visibility of government revenues and cash flows. Between June 2015 and April 2016, the Federal Government TSA collection clocked N3trillion.
• To further instill fiscal discipline, President Buhari directed the closure of all multiple accounts in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government, thereby plugging loopholes for leakages with new technology.
• The opaque accounting structure of the NNPC has been reconstructed to be more transparent with the closure of more than 40 accounts. As a corporate entity, NNPC is now accountable and more transparent in operations, publishing its monthly financial reports.
• The President also resolved the lingering shadowy oil swap deals that had cost the country billions of dollars and left it at the mercy of a few rich Nigerians.
• To alleviate the suffering of Nigerians in September 2015, President Buhari directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to disburse N689.5 billion as bailout to 27 states of the federation to pay salaries.
• To stimulate the economy and reduce poverty, in April, 2016, President Buhari approved deferment in the payment of the bailout as states were still reeling under the burden of the fall in commodity prices.
• Records of more than 34,000 ghost workers draining the nation’s resources were expunged from the Federal Civil Service, saving N2.29 billion monthly.
• In 2015, President Buhari ruled out the appointment of a government delegation for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. By this decision, the government saved about one million U.S dollars and N30m of local expenses
• Enforcement of the Bank Verification Number: Also the BVN has ensured that the menace of “ghost workers” are being identified and dealt with, while looters with multiple accounts can no longer hide their loot undetected.
• Social Protection: Groundwork for social intervention/palliatives for the poor is being put in place as data is being collated by the economic planning office of the VP in conjunction with the World Bank.
• Reorganization/restructuring of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) into a focused, accountable and transparent institution with autonomous Units (Upstream; Downstream, Gas & Power; Refineries; Ventures and lean Group Headquarters)
• Reduction of operational deficits in NNPC by over 50% as at March 2016 as a result of Increased Transparency and Commercial focus
• Conduct of NNPC outstanding Annual Audits from 2011 to 2014, and the publication of Monthly Financial and Operations Reports to ensure transparency
• Introduction of third party financing in order to eliminate direct funding of cash calls by the Federal Government
• Renegotiation of existing service contracts under Joint Venture and Production sharing contracts (PSC) Operations by about 30% leading to operational efficiency improvements and cost reductions
• Elimination of the Offshore Processing Agreement (OPA) through the introduction of the Direct Sales and Direct Purchase (DSDP) scheme with reputable off-shore refineries thereby yielding annual savings of US$1 billion
• Resuscitation of Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries presently producing about 7 million litres of products per/day
• Repair of products pipe lines and the resuscitation of supply of products from Atlas Cove-Mosimi- Ibadan- Ilorin after a six year lull
• Repairs of Escravos/ Warri and Bonny/Port Harcourt crude oil pipe lines
• Introduction of a Price Modulation framework for downstream petroleum product pricing to encourage responsiveness to market dynamics
• Guided deregulation of the downstream sector to allow market forces determine product price and eliminate subsidy payments
• Introduction of the initiative on refinery co-location to increase domestic refining capacity and minimize the drain on scarce foreign exchange for product importation
• Commenced policy reforms for gas monetization, flare out and infrastructure development, to fast track power supply and economic diversification.

POWER

• Under President Buhari, the Federal Government agreed to a 50 million Euro (about N11.15 billion) loan agreement with French government for capacity-building and upgrade of power training facilities in Nigeria.
• Nigeria signed a $237 million agreement with World Bank to improve power.
• Chinese solar power manufacturers agreed with the Federal Government to set up solar panel manufacturing business in Nigeria.
• President Buhari has signed an agreement with the Chinese government to improve Nigeria’s power infrastructure

ENVIRONMENT

• Presidential approval for the Implementation of United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report 2010 for the clean-up of Ogoniland with regards to oil pollution and inclusion of stakeholders in the process of implementation.
• Continuation of the implementation of the Great Green Wall project to fight and contain desertification in Northern Nigeria initiated by past administration.

JUDICIARY

• Since assumption of office, President Buhari has maintained a clear stance on the rule of law and respect for separation of
  powers.
• The President has focused on the strengthening of institutions with key appointment of professionals.
• Appointment of 30 new Federal High Court Justices

NATIONAL IMAGE

• On assumption of office, the President undertook some foreign trips both within and outside Africa to re-establish Nigeria’s position in the global arena and solicit support for Nigeria and Africa.
• President Buhari has continually pushed the agenda for enhancing Nigeria’s global image by always demonstrating Nigeria’s credentials in the 2015 general elections, which saw the country scoring high on peaceful transition.
• President Buhari strongly supported the emergence of a Nigerian, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, as President of the Africa Development Bank. (NAN)