As part of activities lined up for the implementation of the Fifth Generation (5G) Technology Deployment Plan in the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to host a stakeholder engagement forum this week.
The forum will afford industry stakeholders the opportunity to discuss the draft Information Memorandum (IM) for the upcoming auction of the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum band.
Scheduled to hold at the Lagos Marriot Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, Thursday November 4, 2021 at 10:00 am prompt, the Commission has confirmed that the attendance at the event is open to all interested stakeholders in the telecoms sector and beyond.
The decision to host the stakeholder engagement is in keeping with the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 and NCC’s distinctive tradition of robust stakeholder consultation on all telecom regulation-related issues.
In June, the Commission inaugurated a committee to develop the IM for the auction of 3.5 GHz spectrum band, which will be utilized for early deployment of 5G technology services in the country.
The Information Memorandum (IM) is a comprehensive document, which defines the process emplaced by the Commission for the auctioning of the 3.5GHz spectrum band. It also provides information on the Nigerian telecommunications market, details of the spectrum to be made available, the pre-qualification process, the auction process as well as the indicative timetable.
The stakeholder engagement forum is, therefore, an important regulatory prerequisite for the planned auction of 3.5Ghz spectrum before the end of this year.
Accordingly, the Commissions has called on interested stakeholders and members of the public to participate and make contributions to discussions around this important draft document.
In line with the objectives of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria, and the positioning of Nigeria as an early adopter of digital technology as well as a major participant in the growing global digital economy, the successful and timely deployment of 5G is crucial for the country.
The 5G technology is expected to facilitate several emerging technologies, generate innovate new use cases, spur significant socio-economic growth and create jobs.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) has urged citizens and legal residents to complete their National Identity Number (NIN)-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data verification process before the end of the year 2021, as the Federal Government has extended the deadline for the exercise.
The decision to extend the deadline, according to him, was made further to appeals by the Mobile Network Operators and other industry stakeholders, soliciting for a further extension to ensure better compliance with government’s directive and to avoid widening the digital divide.
The extension, he noted, would also provide the enabling environment for the registration of Nigerians in remote areas, diaspora, schools, hospitals, worship centres, as well as foreigners, diplomatic missions, those in other areas that were hitherto unreachable, and increase enrolments in countries with a significant number of Nigerians.
The review of the progress of the exercise indicated that over 66 million unique National Identity Numbers (NIN) have been issued- an indication of progress achieved in the ongoing NIN-SIM linkage.
However, a significant part of the populace is yet to be registered into the National Identity Database (NIDB), which may be due to some challenges which the Federal Government has looked into and has made efforts to alleviate, hence the need to extend the deadline.
As of October 30, 2021, there were over 9,500 enrolment systems and over 8,000 NIN enrolment centres within and outside the country- this has significantly eased the NIN enrolment process and subsequent linkage of NIN to SIM.
The NIN-SIM verification process is supporting the Government’s drive to develop Nigeria’s digital economy, strengthen our ability to protect our cyberspace and support the security agencies.
“The administration of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has graciously approved the extension to accommodate the yearnings of the populace and make it easier for its citizens within and outside the country, and legal residents to obtain the NIN and link it with their SIM. The Federal Government will ensure that all innocent, law abiding citizens and residents will not lose access to the their phone lines as long as they obtain and link their NIN.
“Government will also continue to provide an enabling environment for investors in the telecommunications sector,” Pantami said.
The unique 66 million NIN enrolments, with an average of 3 to 4 SIMs linked to the NIN, is a testament to the commitment and dedication of the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), to ensure the success of the project.
With the creation of additional NIN enrolment centres within and outside the country, and many more coming up, the remaining citizens and legal residents living in the country and the diaspora should be able to obtain their NINs and link them with their SIMs before the end of the year.
Consequently, the Minister enjoins Nigerians and legal residents to make use of the opportunity of the extension to enrol for their NINs and link with their SIMs.
On behalf of the Honourable Minister, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, and the Director-General/CEO of NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Aziz, urge citizens and legal residents to take advantage of the window to complete the process of enrolment and verification before the the end of the year 2021.
Nigerian Breweries Plc, the foremost brewer and leading beverage company in Nigeria has announced its figures for the 3rd quarter of 2021, delivering N309.22 billion in revenues for the third quarter of the 2021 financial year.
The revenue represents an increase of 32.1% from N234.02billion recorded in the corresponding period in 2020.
Further breakdown of the audited result showed that profit for the company in the third quarter of the financial year also grew from N7.1billion to 8.47billion, representing a 20.1% rise.
Cost of Sales rose significantly by 37.9% from N144.1Billion in 2020 to N198.74billion in the period under review in 2021, while Marketing, Distribution, and Administration Expenses also grew by 27,2% from N67.86Billion in 2020 to N86.32Billon in 2021.
The board of directors of the company has approved an interim dividend of N3.23billion payable to shareholders at 40kobo each per ordinary share of 40k.
A statement signed by the Company Secretary/Legal Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Uaboi Agbebaku revealed that the company remains committed to its strategy to deliver improved growth as it continues to monitor the business environment and remain dynamic in its response to challenges confronting the business as well as that of the economy, particularly in the face of COVID-19 pandemic.
Agbebaku explained that the company would continue to deploy cost-efficient measures to keep the balance sheet strong and healthy while ensuring that the health, safety and welfare of its employees, customers and partners are protected.
The attention of all automakers, dealers and fans of sensational new vehicles is focused on the forthcoming SEMA, the biggest aftermarket show in the world holding November 2-5, 2021 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, United States.
Ahead of the event, Toyota has revealed the new BZ4X, a RAV4-sized electric crossover, which is the first of seven vehicles that will be added to Toyota’s BZ sub-brand for electric vehicles by 2025.
The new vehicle was revealed on Friday is a small crossover similar in size to the top-selling RAV4, and it is due in the showrooms around mid-2022 as a 2023 model.
According to Motor Authority, the crossover was previewed in April by the BZ4X concept and carries that name into production. A Subaru twin to be called the Solterra, is also coming.
The BZ4X rides on a newly developed platform, dubbed e-TNGA. It’s the first dedicated-EV platform for Toyota, and expected to come in multiple models from Toyota (and Lexus) in the coming years.
Toyota says it plans to have 15 zero-emission vehicles in its lineup by 2025, of which seven would be from the BZ sub-brand.
The BZ4X unveiled is the version for the Japanese market but similar specifications for the version are expected in the US and possibly other markets.
There’s a single battery with a capacity of 71.4 kilowatt-hours and buyers can choose from a front-wheel-drive powertrain with 201hp or an all-wheel-drive setup with 214hp.
A top speed wasn’t mentioned but 0-62 mph acceleration takes 8.4 seconds with FWD and 7.7 seconds with AWD.
In both cases, Motor Authority note that it will be close to 300 miles based on the WLTP test cycle used overseas. This figure will likely be lower when measured using the tougher EPA cycle.
Charging at up to 150 kilowatts is said to be possible, which will enable an 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes. A roof-mounted solar panel will also be available in some markets.
Toyota says it focuses on delivering reliable performance throughout the life of the vehicle. For example, the BZ4X’s range should remain consistent even in cold winters, and the battery should also retain about 90 per cent of its capacity after 10 years (based on a usage rate of 15,000 miles per year).
The interior is a modern place, featuring minimalist styling and a large central screen for infotainment. A smaller screen serves as the instrument gauge, with Toyota doing away with the traditional gauge hood to give a clearer view as well as give the cabin an open and airy feeling.
Toyota says most markets will have a traditional steering wheel; the Chinese market will feature a yoke-style steering wheel (shown below). Thanks to steer-by-wire technology, where the traditional mechanical connection between the steering wheel and tyres are replaced by electric systems, lock-to-lock with the yoke wheel is set at around 150 degrees, meaning just one hand is required for tight turns.
Toyota says this feature will be added to more models in the future, including those sold outside of China.
Facebook has changed its corporate name to Meta as part of a major rebrand.
The company said it would better “encompass” what it does, as it broadens its reach beyond social media into areas like virtual reality (VR).
The change does not apply to its individual platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, only the parent company that owns them.
The move follows a series of negative stories about Facebook, based on documents leaked by an ex-employee.
Frances Haugen has accused the company of putting “profits over safety”.
In 2015, Google restructured its company calling its parent firm Alphabet, however, the name has not caught on.
‘Reflects who we are’
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg announced the new name as he unveiled plans to build a “metaverse” – an online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment, often using VR headsets.
He said the existing brand could not “possibly represent everything that we’re doing today, let alone in the future”, and needed to change.
What is a metaverse?
“Over time, I hope that we are seen as a metaverse company and I want to anchor our work and our identity on what we’re building towards,” he told a virtual conference.
“We’re now looking at and reporting on our business as two different segments, one for our family of apps, and one for our work on future platforms.
“And as part of this, it is time for us to adopt a new company brand to encompass everything that we do, to reflect who we are and what we hope to build.”
The company also unveiled a new sign at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Thursday, replacing its thumbs-up “Like” logo with a blue infinity shape.
Mr Zuckerberg said the new name reflects that over time, users will not need to use Facebook to use the company’s other services.
The word “meta” comes from the Greek word meaning “beyond”.
People in a metaverse
To an outsider, a metaverse may look like a version of VR, but some people believe it could be the future of the internet.
Instead of being on a computer, people in a metaverse might use a headset to enter a virtual world connecting all sorts of digital environments.
It is hoped the virtual world could be used for practically anything from work, play and concerts, to socialising with friends and family.
Facebook said it intends to start trading it shares under the new stock ticker MVRS from 1 December.
My World of Bags, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation has announced the launch of Kafawa, a training initiative designed to bridge the skills gap in the leather and non-leather manufacturing industry.
My World of Bags, the parent company of FemiHandbags, one of Africa’s leading luxury accessory brands, is partnering with the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works upskill hundreds of Nigerian youths and connect them to work opportunities in the creative sector.
Kafawa, which means ‘establishment’ in Hausa, will kick-off its pilot edition in Oyo state, and will launch a series of intensive courses in hard and soft skills. The goal is to empower and establish a highly skilled generation of youth to enhance the quality of workmanship in Nigeria – and Africa’s leather and non-leather industries.
In a statement by the Program Director and Founder of My World of Bags/FemiHandbags, Mrs. Femi Olayebi, she said, “There is a breadth of potential in the leather and non-leather manufacturing industries in Nigeria, and yet, there is a lack of skilled hands to bring that potential to life. This partnership with the Mastercard Foundation is the perfect opportunity to achieve this, by not only equipping young Nigerians with the necessary skill sets to grow and expand the sector, but also to enhance their own economic outcomes. We are honoured to be driving this change, and we are committed to creating access for as many young people at the bottom-of-the-pyramid as possible. We truly believe that there is dignity in working your way to the top, no matter how low you start, and we hope to begin to change mindsets and create a chain reaction.”
Speaking at the Opening Ceremony, Chioma Nwagboso, Program Lead, MSME Finance at the Mastercard Foundation said, “The Mastercard Foundation is excited at the potential for Kafawa to create a new generation of young people with a changed mindset and new- found belief that production, tailoring and manufacturing can provide dignified and fulfilling work opportunities.”
L-R: Oluwayemi Olukanni, Course Design Lead, Kafawa; Nkem Okocha, Founder, Mamamoni; Mrs. Femi Olayebi, CEO, My World of Bags Ltd; Sinmi Olayebi, Project Lead, Kafawa at the launch of My World of Bags Kafawa training program recently
Over the past five years, My World of Bags has been an active advocate for skill-building, through its annual training program for leather designers, in partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC); and for expanding access and creating a platform for visibility, through its annual Lagos Leather Fair. This partnership with the Mastercard Foundation enables the company to further expand its reach, intensify and broaden the training curricula and offer placement opportunities within the leather and non-leather manufacturing industry.
The first cohort of trainees, selected based on their passion, availability, and readiness to strive for better, have officially been on-boarded into the Kafawa Training Program and are very eager to begin a journey that will involve intensive training over a period of 3-4 months. Application for the next cohort will be open in March 2022.
In a bid to improve the lives of women across Lagos State, Nigeria; Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation has announced the launch of the second edition of its women empowerment programme themed ‘Catalyst for Change 2.0’ – an initiative funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation.
The press briefing had in attendance respectable members of the Nigerian media, the Coca-Cola System leadership and key stakeholders including Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, Director, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Uche Ogbonna, Senior Manager, Social Impact Strategy for Africa Operating Unit, the Coca-Cola Company, Ifeyinwa Ejindu, Communications Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Jerome Oyebanji, Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Nigerian Bottling Company, community heads and women leaders from the five project locations, alongside other corporate guests.
Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation is a non-profit organisation with a focus on empowering women and girls, especially those living in rural communities with no access to opportunities. Bukola Bamiduro, Founder/Program Director, Karis & Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation, emphasized the importance of the ‘Catalyst For Change 2.0’ project, stating its role in ensuring the empowerment of underserved women and youth in Nigeria.
She said: “We are proud to continue this impactful programme and make a meaningful contribution to the lives of more women and girls in the country. We extend our gratitude to The Coca-Cola Foundation who has remained steadfast in its commitment to this project”.
Ekuma Eze, Director, Public Affairs and Communications, Nigerian Bottling Company, represented at the press conference by Jerome Oyebanji, Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Nigerian Bottling Company, added:
“We are delighted to continue what has been a fruitful partnership with Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation. Poverty alleviation and women and youth empowerment remain key priorities for the Coca-Cola System in Nigeria. The Catalyst for Change programme was developed to ensure that these key areas are addressed in the communities we call home and we are truly proud of the results achieved so far”.
As part of plans for a successful edition, Catalyst for Change 2.0 will extend to women and youth in communities across Surulere, Alausa/Agidingbi, Ijora, Agege and Onigbongbo in Lagos state for a 10 month period starting October 4, 2021.
The program, aimed at reducing the harsh economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, seeks to reduce the migration of rural women to urban areas by empowering them with business and life skills that will elevate them from extreme poverty and encourage their migration back to their local communities.
“Empowering women to thrive is a global commitment for The Coca-Cola Foundation”, said Saadia Madsbjerg, President of The Coca-Cola Foundation.
“Our ultimate goal is to lift women out of poverty and into lives of self-sufficiency by focusing on those community programs offering education, skills training, financial literacy and mentoring, such as the Catalyst for Change 2.0 programme”.
The programme plan will adopt two training models which include hands-on training classes (such as baking, bagmaking, shoemaking, hairstyling, makeup artistry, tie & dye design and production of household cleaning items) and business classes which will provide training around the foundations of running a successful business; personal and product branding; accounting; bookkeeping and finance management; recruiting customers; leveraging social media; accessing loans and grants; gender-based violence and recycling.
During the inaugural programme in 2020 themed “Catalyst for Change”, Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation, funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation, successfully equipped 5,000 women and girls across five communities (Sangotedo, Oworonshoki, Ogijo, Iwaya and Magboro communities) with transformative vocational skills while 1,000 beneficiaries were presented with business start-up kits to kickstart their businesses and earn a living.
The success stories and testimonials recorded during the recently completed monitoring and evaluation exercise indicated a highly successful campaign, which contributed to the funding of the second edition of the programme by The Coca-Cola Foundation through a grant of $300,000 to empower yet another set of 5,000 women across five communities in Lagos State.
The Catalyst for Change 2.0 programme will use education through skills acquisition as an agent of change in the lives of women in Nigeria. Education is recognised as the most effective tool to tackle large-scale poverty entrenched in various parts of the world and this project seeks to leverage education to help eliminate poverty and inequality, reduce unemployment, raise incomes, and improve standards of living.
Ikeja Electric Plc has said its customers need not to panic as the upgrade of the 132kv lines embarked upon by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN would not result into total blackout as the power outage would only be between 8am and 6pm for the eight-week period.
Head of Corporate Communications, Ikeja Electric, Felix Ofulue, while making the clarification, told Business Bells that the earlier report of blackout is a misinformation by some online blogs.
According to Ofulue, “It is not a blackout. Blackout don’t happen in the afternoon. The outage is between 8am – 6pm. In the evening power supply will be restored to customers between 6pm and 8am.”
Olajide Kumapayi, chief technical officer of the electricity distribution company (DisCo), had announced that the project will begin on October 11.
The areas to be affected include Oregun, Police Training College, Oba Akran, Oke Ira, Ogba, Magodo, Anifowoshe and Omole Phase One.
He noted that the outage became necessary because some of the 132Kv lines installed over 50 years ago had become obsolete and degraded due to time and usage.
“The TCN is currently embarking on the upgrade of the 132KV lines from Ikeja West to Ota and Alimosho in stages. This is the second stage.
“We will replace all the aluminium conductors with gap conductors which is more sophisticated to withstand heat and has more capacity to carry current.
“The implication of this is that from 8am to 6pm every day, the substations controlling these areas will be switched off which will affect the feeders connected to them,” Kumapayi said.
Also, Maximum Demand (MD) customers such as Ikeja City Mall, Police College, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and the Ikeja High Court will be affected by the project.
The chief technical officer disclosed that the TCN will also move to Alimosho and Agege axis in the next stage.
Silicon Valley techpreneur Mark Zuckerberg’s personal wealth has fallen by nearly $7 billion in a few hours, knocking him down a notch on the list of the world’s richest people, after a whistleblower came forward and outages took Facebook Inc.’s flagship products offline, Bloomberg reports.
Since 04:25pm on Monday, users visiting Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp have been confronted with error messages.
At least over three billion online users are frustrated and unable to connect all over the world due to the shutdown.
Chief Technology Officer at Facebook, Mike Schroepfe, tweeted, “Sincere apologies to everyone impacted by outages of Facebook powered services right now. We are experiencing networking issues and teams are working as fast as possible to debug and restore as fast as possible.”
According to Bloomberg, a selloff sent the social-media giant’s stock plummeting around 5% on Monday, adding to a drop of about 15% since mid-September.
The stock slide on Monday sent Zuckerberg’s worth down to $120.9 billion, dropping him below Bill Gates to No. 5 on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He’s lost about $19 billion of wealth since September 13, when he was worth nearly $140 billion, according to the index.
On September 13, the Wall Street Journal began publishing a series of stories based on a cache of internal documents, revealing that Facebook knew about a wide range of problems with its products — such as Instagram’s harm to teenage girls’ mental health and misinformation about the Jan. 6 Capitol riots — while downplaying the issues in public.
The reports have drawn the attention of government officials, and on Monday, the whistleblower revealed herself for the first time and accused the social media giant of putting “profit over safety” of its users.
In response, Facebook has emphasised that the issues facing its products, including political polarisation, are complex and not caused by technology alone.
Many social media users are currently on Twitter while the microblogging chief Jack Dorsey is asking how much it cost to buy Facebook’s domain name.
In the face of the effects of global COVID-19 pandemic, Wragby Business Solutions and Technologies Limited supported by its Partner Microsoft has recently taken the bull by the horns to equip women, young graduates with little or no technical knowledge in the 21st century on Data Analytics.
Women, most especially, are believed to have suffered the largest economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wragby Business Solutions and Technologies Limited, a technology company situated in Lekki recently announced the graduation of eight participants from the 2021 Microsoft LEAP program.
This 12-week intensive training was focused on Data Analytics and Engineering.
For the first week, participants were taken through soft skills like conflict resolutions, time management among others.
The next three weeks of the training covers Foundation data analytics, SQL, and Power BI.
The next 11 weeks see participants undergo training and development, in the acquisition of about three Microsoft certifications covering Azure cloud computing basics and associate level of data analysis with Power Bi.
In his words, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Wragby Business Solution and Technologies Limited, Dr. Yomi Alarape, mused that “this is in accordance with one of the company’s core values.
‘’The company has strongly demonstrated this with the support and sponsorship of Microsoft; the training is aimed at empowering young graduates with on-demands – technical and soft skills to create jobs in the technology industry for self-reliance and economic development.
This initiative would help them stand out among their counterparts.
This program prepares participants for positions in the technology industry and helps them become self-sufficient.’’
The General Manager, New Business, Partnership, Adewale Adeyemi also said, ‘’the LEAP programme has provided great opportunities for ladies to develop themselves into the Technology space. This is the second cohort Wragby has participated in and I can say that I have since not less than 15 ladies develop great skills in Software Engineering and Data Analytics. I have no doubt these ladies will turn out to be captains of this industry in the nearest future.
‘’Adewale further said, Wragby’s mission is to make the world a better place through technology. We believe this process starts with the young ones. Allowing them to express themselves through technology gives them opportunities beyond their foundational training.
Toyin while responding to question during the training session Wragby Business Solutions 1
Wragby’s Head of Datazone Department, Olanna Ogbenna, who was one of the trainers while describing the program and its impact on participants said, ‘’the program gives young women from all works of life just beginning their career in tech, the opportunity to learn and work with experienced professionals in the field that they have chosen.
‘’This has greatly impacted the participants who joined the team, I must confess; they have not only developed their skills in Analytics, but they have also gained real work experience which has given them independence in task delivery as well as the respect of co-workers.
‘’Olanna further said, ‘’the program is intentional about growth and development because this is also something I am committed to, I like that the participants took advantage of the opportunity, put in their very best, and are still working to be a better version every single day.’’
A cross section of the young graduates trained in Data Analytics by Wragby Business Solutions and Technologies Ltd 1
On the project executed by these young graduates, Olanna said, ‘’the team of participants with little supervision was able to deliver some BI products and services which is now available in the Microsoft Azure marketplace. This Power BI apps enable in-depth analytics for Retail, Manufacturing, and HR which are all offered on the Microsoft app source. We can only urge you to keep your fingers crossed because the team will soon be publishing our BI add-ins to AppSource for the Wragby’swBizManager product (an ERP for Corporates and SMEs).
‘’I am super proud of our achievements and look forward to doing more with this amazing Wragby team.’’
In a chat with Oluwakiite Koiki, one of the successful participants who now works as a Data Analyst with Wragby Business Solutions and Technologies Limited, she noted; ‘’Learning on the job has helped improve my mental framework for critical thinking and I can proffer solutions to issues much quicker than I could before the program”
Another participant, Rebecca Ogunyemi said, “This program has helped in building a cordial and good working relationship with brilliant mentors within the organization. It exposed me to multiple projects, learning platforms, and personal development workshops. It inculcated teamwork and a good work ethic.
Head, Software Engineering Dept at Wragby Business Solutions in a session with LEAP Participants
“I now have a great idea of (Software Testing/Quality Assurance) which has further built my technical skills in Test Strategy of User Products.
“I have four (4) Microsoft certifications which have elevated my career in Data Science. I now work with Wragby Business Solutions and Technologies Limited.’’
Interestingly, all participants have been offered jobs in the technology company as Data Analysts.
