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MTN Launches N300m Media Innovation Programme

 

MTN Nigeria, has launched Media Innovation Programme to train 20 Nigerian media practitioners in Nigeria.

The training will focus on digital skills, improvement in writing and reporting skills through group presentations and sessions on PowerPoint tools for effective communication,the telecommunication firm said in a statement.

“The MIP fellows will engage in intensive sessions on courses covering creativity and innovation, entrepreneurship and management principles, subscription business, strategic planning skills, amongst others,” Karl Toriola, the CEO of MTN Nigeria, said at the launch of the programme on Wednesday, April 27 at the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos.

The six-month fully funded fellowship programme is in partnership with the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University, in Lagos.

The 20 Fellows will spend some time in accelerator labs and innovation centres, creating and incubating ideas, as well as a study visit to the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, adjudged one of the top universities in Africa in media training.

The Media Innovation Programme is coming at a time when media leaders from more than 50 countries across the world say lack of sufficient resources and skills are the major barriers to delivering innovation in their works, according to the ‘Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2022’ report published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, in January 2022.

The report revealed that around 51 per cent of 246 media leaders in 52 countries surveyed say they don’t have enough money to invest in innovation this year. A similar proportion says they struggle to hire or keep enough technical, design, or data staff to deliver solutions.

Through the MIP, MTN will be investing over N300 million in helping Nigerian journalists deliver innovation in their works and have a better understanding of media business and revenue models in a way that guarantees career and financial success.

By investing in media training for journalists in different beats, MTN continues its tradition of contributing significantly to educational growth in Nigeria.

“We are driven by our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected world inspired by the potential of Africa. The world is constantly evolving, with the media landscape changing at remarkable speed boosted by technology. Our motivation is to support the Nigerian media space with our infrastructure and enable capacity building initiatives to accelerate innovation in media practice.

 

admin by — May 5, 2022 in Brands&Marketing 0
Oyo, Centre To Train Students On Robotics, Drone Technology

Oyo state government has concluded plans to partner with the Media and Digital Skills Center Nigeria to train its public school students on coding, robotics, artificial intelligence and drone technology.

Its Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Barrister Rahman Abiodun Abdu-Raheem,explained that the initiative was aimed at bridging the craving gaps in the education sector in the state.

He described the pilot training programs for the three selected schools in the state as laudable and expressed optimism that the practical skills will be of tremendous benefits to the students and society.

He added that the approved pilot programs has been scheduled to commence in Bishop Phillips Academy, Iwo road Ibadan, CAC Grammar School, Aperin, and St.Annes School, Molete, from next Monday.

He emphasized that the state government was ready to immediately grant the request of the center, to further enhance the quality of education in the state.

The founder of Media and Digital Skills Center Nigeria, Engineer Ajibola Abiola, expressed the willingness of the center to collaborate with the state government to bridge education gaps in secondary schools.

He said the scheme will strengthen the education structures, improve learning through ‘Catch Them Young Philosophy and assist in engaging the students in real practical digital skills which will help in preparing them for entrepreneurship in the nearest future.

 

admin by — May 5, 2022 in Business 0
5G Network Licensees Commence Operation August

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has confirmed issuance of the final letters of award of the Fifth Generation (5G) Spectrum Licences to MTN and Mafab Communications, winners of the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum auction conducted by the Commission last December.

The licensees are expected to commence rollout of 5G services, effective from August 24, 2022.

Management of the Commission led by its Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, confirmed this to the Board of Commissioners at the Board’s Special Meeting, which took place recently.

The two-day meeting afforded the Board the opportunity to consider update from Management on the status of the spectrum auction.

A statement by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, NCC, explained that with the issuance of the final letters of awards of 5G spectrum and in line with the 5G auction’s Information Memorandum (IM), the two licensees are now expected to accelerate deployment of 5G network that will usher Nigeria into a more robust Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and a more digitised Nigerian economy among the comity of nations.

In line with the terms and conditions of the 5G licence, the licensees are expected to commence rollout of 5G services, effective from August 24, 2022,the statement said.

Adinde said the 5G network, when deployed, would bring a lot of benefits and opportunities that would engender accelerated growth and smart living in the country.

The technology is also expected to bring substantial network improvements, including higher connection speed, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities.

He said: “Following a transparent, diligent, fair and credible auction of 3.5GHz on December 13, 2021, the National Frequency Management Council (NFMC), chaired by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, had, on February 22, 2022, officially handed over the spectrum allocation for 5G deployment as well as Federal Government-approved National Policy on 5G to the Commission.

“Subsequently, the Commission, on February 24, 2022, confirmed the full payment of $273.6 million each by the two spectrum winners, in addition to spectrum assignment fee paid by MTN, for the 5G spectrum licence.

“The Commission is optimistic that effective implementation of the National Policy on 5G will accelerate the actualisation of the national targets in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, as well as other sectoral policies designed to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation.

“While the licensees are expected to meet the timetable regarding their 5G network rollout obligations, the NCC requires collective efforts and support of the private-sector and government toward transforming every aspect of the nation’s economy through 5G, which will herald greater transformation than what the nation witnessed with the 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G.”

admin by — May 5, 2022 in Business 0
FG Sponsors 200 Youths To Israel, Morocco For Training In Crop Production, Animal Husbandry

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority(NALDA),says it is sending 200 young farmers to Israel and Morocco for capacity building in crop production and animal husbandry.

At the official handing over of travel documents to the beneficiaries in Abuja, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, explained that the programme is a continuation of the National Young Farmers Scheme,(NYFS) which was flagged-off by President Muhammadu Buhari sometime ago.

He disclosed that the programme was in line with President Buhari’s directive to ensure that these youths are actively involved in food production, especially after the launch the NYFS, shortly after his inauguration.

He explained that the initiatives taken in the agricultural sector by the present administration have saved Nigeria from food scarcity, due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

He reiterated that the aim of the programme was to make agriculture more attractive to the youth, as the training would expose and equip them on modern agricultural practices and agribusiness, which would in turn, lead to massive food production for Nigerians.

According to him, the initiative of sending 200 young farmers to Israel and Morocco was part of the new programme called “Aggressive Food Production” done in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education.

He also said the youths who are drawn from the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja would be in these countries for six days while they undergo intensive training in greenhouse farming and animal husbandry.

He spoke on the rationale for choosing Israel and Morocco, saying that the two countries have the expertise in these areas.

The Federal Government paid all expenses for the trip, adding that it was captured in NALDA’s budget.

He said after the training,the young farmers would be back to their localities to train other young people in NALDA’s integrated farm estates in their areas.

He said: “The Federal Government is sending through NALDA 200 young farmers. It is a continuation of the National Young Farmers Scheme, NYFS, programme that Mr President flagged-off.And these 200 youths will be engaged in the process of learning proper crop production and greenhouse management, and 100 youths will be engaged in animal husbandry, slaughtering processing of meat.

“So we are sending them to countries that we know have strong expertise on what we are doing; Israel and Morocco, and this is to enhance their knowledge and to expose them to modern day practice in crop production and animal husbandry.So when this people go and get exposed, the next question will be, how will they be engaged and integrated?

“We already have a platform like the institutional properties, the land from the schools, state governments and their communities, definitely, it makes it easier for them to be integrated. They will be trained on general crop production and greenhouse management.They will begin to teach others this is what we saw there, this is how to do it and we will get better yield.

“So, NALDA’s own will be much different and beneficial to the country because we have where they will be integrated when they come back from the training. So, that is what makes NALDA’s programme more sustainable and unique.”

On the criteria used in the selection of 200 beneficiaries, the NALDA boss, said “We sent out messages to stakeholders, and the stakeholders selected and sent their names, and we are making sure that all the 36 states in the Federation would participate in this train so that it makes it easier when they come back from this training they would be able to train the people within their states and their localities.

“No matter what it costs to send people to get training, the most important thing is that we are building a new generation of farmers that would drive Nigeria’s agriculture going forward.

 

 

admin by — May 5, 2022 in Agriculture 0
CBN: Bank Deposits Increase By N1.1trn In Three Months

The Central Bank of Nigeria, has said that banks’ demand deposits rose by N1.1tn in three months to N16.89tn as of the end of March.

The figure, which stood at N15.81tn as of the end of January, rose to N16.17tn as of the end of February,the apex bank said

It added that currency in circulation fell by N42.43bn between January and March.

The CBN disclosed in its data on the currency that the currencies, which stood at N3.29tn as of the end of January, fell to N3.25tn by the end of March.

The CBN stated that it employed the “accounting/statistical/withdrawals and deposits approach” to compute the currency in circulation in Nigeria.

This approach involves tracking the movements in currency in circulation on a transaction-by-transaction basis.

It said for every withdrawal made by a DMB at one of CBN’s branches, an increase in the CIC was recorded, adding that for every deposit made by a DMB at one of CBN’s branches, a decrease in the CIC was recorded.

The transactions are all recorded in the CBN’s CIC account, and the balance on the account at any point in time represents the country’s currency in circulation.

According to the apex bank, analysis of the currency in circulation showed that a large and increasing proportion of the Nigerian currency outside the commercial banking system was held by the general public hoarding a lot of the new banknotes..

admin by — May 5, 2022 in Banking&Finance 0
FCMB Disburses N59bn Digital Loans To Customers

The First City Monument Bank (FCMB)has disbursed N59 billion loans through its instant loan solution, FastCash.

It has attained a two-millionth loan disbursement that has helped customers to meet their urgent financial needs and achieve their short-term objectives,the bank said in a statement.

FastCash,it said,closes access to the finance gap in Nigeria and ensures the well-being of a Nigerian household.

Its Divisional Head, Personal Banking of FCMB, Mr Shamsideen Fashola said: “The amount of trust placed in FastCash by our customers is humbling. We will continue improving on this product to deliver an exceptional customer experience.”

FCMB said it also offers a Salary Plus Loan where its customers have access to short or medium-term funding before salaries to meet urgent needs.

“In vast numbers, Nigerians have adopted FastCash and SalaryPlus. Both products have proven to be excellent solutions for those in need of sudden cash during these challenging times, affirming FCMB’s commitment to products and services that close the access to credit gap for all strata of Nigerian society”

admin by — May 5, 2022 in Banking&Finance 0
Pastor Bags  Life Jail  For Defiling 12-Year- Old Twin Girls

..Judge Calls Him Serial Rapist,Irresponsible Pastor

A Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court sitting in Ikeja ,has sentenced a 54-year-old pastor, Michael Oliseh, to life imprisonment for defiling his friend’s 12-year-old twin daughters.

In her verdict on Wednesday,Justice Abiola Soladoye,described Oliseh, an assistant Pastor of the Anointed Chosen Vessel Ministry in Okota, Lagos,  as a “serial rapist” ,who took turns to defile his friend’s daughters.

The judge sentenced Oliseh to life imprisonment on the two-count charge bordering on defilement.

She said that the sentences should run concurrently, adding that should have his name entered in the Sex Offenders Register of the Lagos State Government.

She maintained that the prosecution had proved the charges of defilement against Oliseh beyond any reasonable doubt.

She  added:“The testimony of the defendant portrayed him as a serial rapist who took turns to defile the survivors.What a disloyal and untrustworthy pastor, who shamelessly and audaciously had sexual intercourse with his friend’s children who were entrusted in his care.

“His conduct is unbecoming of a pastor.Having been found guilty as charged with the two offences, the defendant is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment.’’

Soladoye also lampooned the parents of the survivors for lack of discipline by sending the survivors to stay with the convict.

She added:“Parents of the survivors lack discipline and ought not to have sent their children to go stay in Oliseh’s house.Children are not to be entrusted with rowdy adults. They should be kept in the hands of responsible adults who have their goodwill at heart.The need for responsible parenting cannot be overemphasized,” the judge said.

Five witnesses were invited by the court during  the trial and five exhibits were tendered.

The prosecution counsel, Mrs Olufunke Adegoke, had told the court committed the crimes sometimes in November 2017 in Ago, near Okota, a suburb of Lagos.

Adegoke said that the defendant raped the survivors after their father had entrusted them in his care and travelled to the village for a burial.

She said that Oliseh then threatened the victims  that their father would become jobless if they told anyone about the sexual encounter.

She also said that Oliseh was caught by one of the neighbours after he had chased one of the survivors in the compound and dragged her with her pant.

admin by — May 4, 2022 in Crime/Metro 0
US Mission Boosts Intellectual Property Rights in Nigeria

The US government has expressed its commitment to the promotion of public awareness of the importance of protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights (IPR) as a strategic resource for bolstering economic growth in Nigeria.

The mission partnered American Business Council and hosted the second edition of its intellectual property symposium on ‘Intellectual Property and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future’, the theme for World IP Day 2022.

The two-day symposium, led by the United States Department of Justice’s INL-funded Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT)’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Attorney Adviser (ICHIP), brought together key stakeholders in Nigeria’s IPR protection framework, including leading entertainment and creative industry leaders.

In her remarks during the opening ceremony of the symposium in Lagos, US Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard noted that the protection of intellectual property rights is critical for any economy that wants to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

She noted that strong intellectual property rights protection is essential to creating jobs and opening new markets for goods and services. She encouraged stakeholders in the intellectual property space to shore up Nigeria’s IPR legal framework and lay a solid foundation for youth to drive innovation and engender a more prosperous Nigeria.

“Nigerian youth are an incredible source of ingenuity and creativity,” Ambassador Leonard said. “A strong system of intellectual property rights assures inventors, industrial designers, musicians, and artists alike that their creative content will be protected and valued.”

The symposium featured a plenary session, thematic panel discussions, and exhibitions focusing on Nigeria’s burgeoning entertainment and creative industries. Participants discussed how intellectual property rights can support their goals, help transform ideas into reality, generate income, create jobs, and make a positive impact.

Leading industry, legal and academic speakers explored options for making Nigerian IP infrastructure work for innovative youth in Nigeria, on the one hand, while creative industry pioneers discussed negotiating opportunities for Nigeria’s creative industry.

The symposium featured a spirited secondary school debate on the relevance of IPR protection for Nigeria’s better future, as well as thought-provoking art performances to spotlight the place of creativity.

Through economic diplomacy overseas, the United States encourages host-nation governments to establish predictable legal regimes to ensure intellectual property rights can be secured.

OPDAT’s ICHIP Attorney at the US Embassy in Abuja serves as the sub-Saharan African regional hub for developing and administering technical and developmental assistance programmes designed to enhance the capabilities of foreign justice sector institutions and law enforcement to prevent and combat intellectual property offences and cybercrimes.

admin by — May 4, 2022 in News 0
Nigeria Needs N60bn Yearly To Import Palm Oil -CBN

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says the country needs about N60 billion annually for the importation of palm oil to meet domestic consumption.

A total sum of over N45.03 billion had hitherthoo been disbursed to stakeholders in the oil palm industry to aid the cultivation of about 31, 442 hectares to further grow the commodity,the bank’s Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has said.

He explained that the apex bank’s intervention would help unleash the potential of the oil palm value chain with requisite support for the economic diversification plan as well as the industrialisation aspiration of the country.

He added that the importation demand was expected to cover both the Technical Palm Oil (TPO) used in industry and Special Palm Oil (SPO) used by households.

He added that Nigeria’s palm oil production per annum is currently estimated at 1,250,000 million metric tons (MT) with demand valued at 2,500,00 MT per annum.

The apex bank also said, for the country to achieve 50 per cent import substitution through production upgrade within the next 10 years, there was need to bridge demand deficits for domestic production of fresh fruit bunches from 8.5 million MT in 2010 to about 10 million MT.

According to the fourth quarter 2021 trade statistics by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), crude palm oil imports from China totaled N20.28 billion and N16.49 billion from Malaysia as well as palm olein worth N31.43 billion imported from Malaysia.

admin by — May 4, 2022 in Agriculture 0
GSM Operators Plan 40% Tariff Increase

 

The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria has  advocated  a 40 per cent increase in the cost of calls, SMS, and data to the Nigerian Communications Commission on account  of the rising cost of running a business in the nation.

The price floor of calls will increase from N6.4 to N8.95 while the price cap of SMS will increase from N4 to N5.61,they said in a letter addressed the commission,which was titled,‘Impact of the Economic and Security Issues on the Telecommunications Sector’

The telecom companies said there had been a 40 per cent increase in the cost of doing business in the nation.

They also lamented that the telecommunication industry has been financially impacted following the nation’s economic recession in 2020 and the effect of the ongoing Ukraine/Russia crisis,adding that  this had resulted in an increase in energy costs, increasing their operating expenses by 35 per cent.

According to the operators,the introduction of the recent excise duty of five per cent on telecom services had further increased the burden of multiple taxes and levies on the industry.

“As the commission may be aware, the power sector under the supervision of its Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission of the power sector in November 2020 undertook a review of electricity tariffs to cater for the economic headwinds reported above.

“In view of the foregoing, ALTON considers it expedient for the telecommunications sector to undergo periodic cost adjustments through the commission’s intervention in order to minimise the impact of the challenging economic issues faced by our members. Details are hereunder:

“Upward review of the price determination for voice and data and SMS. Given the state of the economy and the circa 40 per cent increase in the cost of doing business, we wish to request for an interim administrative review of the mobile (voice) termination rate for voice; administrative data floor price, and cost of SMS as reflected in extant instruments.

“With respect to voice an SMS cost, ALTON respectfully requests the commission to consider a mark-up approach to address the upward price adjustment desirable for the industry. We have enclosed herein and marked as ‘Annexure 1’our proposal in that regard.

“For data services, we wish to request that the commission implements the recommendations in the August 2020 KPMG report on the determination of cost-based pricing for wholesale and retail broadband service in Nigeria. Excerpts from the report, are attached and marked ‘Annexure 2’ to provide a further illustration.

“In implementing the said recommendations, however, we recommend that the 40 per cent increase in the cost of doing business be factored in to arrive at a cost price per GB in view of the current economic situation.”

They added that to further help telcos during economic crisis, the commission should explore and provide other means of penalising operators rather than punitive monetary sanctions; extend the payment timeline of relevant regulatory levies and fees; prevail on the Federal Government to sign the executive order declaring telecoms infrastructure as a critical national infrastructure to mitigate cost spent replacing damaged and stolen infrastructures, among other things.

They said:“For large operators, new interim MTR of N5.46 from N3.90 reflecting 40 per cent increase in the cost of business.For small operators, new interim MTR of N6.58 from N4.70 reflecting 40 per cent increase in the cost of business.”

admin by — May 4, 2022 in Business 0