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Tuesday, 22 November, 2016
Nigerian Tribune
with Bode Adewumi m:08055001765 e:bodekafi@yahoo.com
Airtel, HNI unveil 3-2-1 Service to provide free public service messages AIRTEL Nigeria has partnered with global development organisation, Human Network International (HNI), to unveil the 3-2-1 Service, a call-in system that provides free, on-demand information - ranging from healthcare to good governance to Nigerians, including those in rural communities. The 3-2-1 Service provides public service information on-demand, to mobile phone users in English as well as in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and Pidgin English. Using recorded messages by indigenous speakers, the 3-2-1 Service is convenient for all Nigerians, regardless of age, education and literacy. By dialing 321 on their Airtel prepaid lines, users will connect the caller to voice prompts in any of the afore said indigenous languages or in English. Speaking in Lagos at a formal ceremony to announce the call-in system, the Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, said Airtel is committed to creating platforms that will empower Nigerians as well as uplift telecoms consumers in the various communities where it operates. “As a major stakeholder, we are excited to partner with HNI to create a huge platform that offers a plethora of opportunities to enable millions of Nigerians across various communities to lead better and healthier lives.We are confident that the 321 initiative will help transform lives in many locations across the country,” said Mr Gbemiga Owolabi, HR Director, Airtel Nigeria, who represented Ogunsanya. “By turning simple mobile phones into search engines, Human Network International and Airtel are giving Nigerians an entirely new way to access information using technology they already own,” Said Mr Harriet Blest, HNIs Country Manager in Nigeria.
From left, Head, Public Relations, Mr Isreal Bolaji; Head, Marketing, Mr Dare Kafar, both of Startimes Nigeria; General Manager, NTA Channel 10, Mr Ajayi Ricky and Vice-President, Startimes Nigeria, Mr Justin Zhang, during the unveiling of Startimes Nigeria Integrated Digital Television, which took place in Lagos, last week. PHOTO: SYLVESTER OKORUWA.
ITU Telecom World 2016: How NCC, MainOne showcased Nigeria’s ICT opportunities Stories By Bode Adewumi
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HE Federal Government and the private sector have made an appeal to foreign investors at the just-concluded 2016 International Telecommunication Union conference, Telecoms World 2016, in Bangkok, Thailand, where they
presented the country’s developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) opportunities for future investment. Nigeria’s participation, which was put together by the telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) was led by the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Commission,
LG Electronics prepares for Yuletide with innovative products THE evolution of technology has reached a point where anything is available at the touch of a button; shopping, learning, working and entertainment, can all be accessed from the comfort of our homes with great connectivity. But it comes at a cost; and a relatively crucial one at this season of festivity, when consumers all
over the world are scrambling to replace their worn out electrical appliances with latest technology that is reasonably affordable for the comfort of their homes. The ability of latest innovative electronics technology to meet the needs of consumers has proven that meaningful time could be saved and channeled to something more pro-
Technology Times elevates Badaru to board chairman TECHNOLOGY Times Media Limited has announced that its Board of Directors has named its current Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Shina Badaru, as Chairman and member of the Board of Directors to take effect from December 31, 2016. Badaru is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Technology Times, which he founded in 2004. The company has grown to become the trusted provider of news and information on the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry in Nigeria. Badaru will stay till the end of 2016 when a new management team will be named to drive the growth of the Nigerian technology media or-
Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, the governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Nasir El-Rufai, Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu and MainOne’s Chief Executive Officer, Funke Opeke. Speaking during the panel session on, “Smart Communities as the key to a Digital Nigeria”, Danbatta spoke about the oppor-
ganisation into its second decade in delivering technology news and information to readers across Nigeria, Africa and beyond, the company said. Announcing the appointment, Mrs Adebola Adenekan, Head of Corporate Services at Technology Times said that the Board of Directors has also confirmed that the company will announce new talents to drive the consolidation of market leadership by the organisation and value innovation foray into new industry segements in the Nigerian technology market. “The Board has decided that in his new role as Chairman, Mr Badaru will help take Technology Times to the next growth phase by shap-
ing the direction of consolidation of market leadership and business foray into value innovation in new business segments straddling entertainment, payments, e-commerce, among others,” she said. Adenekan said the appointment of Mr Badaru as Chairman of Technology Times validates the Board and Management’s confidence in him to lead the organisation’s overarching strategic investments in new market segments that fosters the founding vision of the company. “Badaru is a key technology industry pioneer in Nigeria and as our nation stands at the cusp of a new vista, we are excited that he has been called upon again to lead us at this pivotal phase,” Adenekan said.
ductive. This is where LG’s unique portfolio of convenience enhancing electronics leaves the company well poised for success as holiday shoppers seek out the perfect gifts for their loved ones. As the shopping season begins in earnest the importance of online retail outlets continue to grow. Products are deliberately designed for this season to cater for the needs of consumers who are ever willing to take advantage of the various discounting offers that surrounds deals during the holiday season. During this season TVs plays a unifying role by creating the atmosphere for people to share meaningful experience and the technology’s ability to reach people all over the world is on the increase. It is expected that consumers would go for large UHD TVs to upgrade the visual capabilities of their respective homes, it is important to note that immersive high quality audio systems play a key role in achieving the perfect viewing experience. There is no doubt TVs are always in high demand during the holiday season with consumers trying to get the best deals up for grabs.
tunities for investment in Nigeria, aided by flexible regulatory policies. Buttressing his comments, the Chief Executive Officer of MainOne, Funke Opeke, described the Telecom Infrastructure gaps in the country and the opportunities available for investment. She highlighted as example, the government-assisted Infrastructure Company (Infraco) project, where MainOne is a licensee for Lagos State, which aims to expand broadband penetration from the current 20 per cent to over 30 per cent targeted in the National Broadband Plan for 2018. According to her, licensees for five other regions of the country are currently available for bid. Opeke highlighted the tremendous potentials Nigeria’s ICT industry offers to investment, underlining Nigeria 80 million internet users, the growing population of smartphone users, and the country’s over 100 per cent voice penetration. She noted that most regions of the country are still under-served in terms of ICT deployment and reiterated that commitment of the government to diversify the economy from oil will require greater ICT penetration to create jobs. “Availability of broadband infrastructure across all regions of Nigeria and the technology adoption this will facilitate will greatly accelerate the pace of development in Nigeria, facilitate increased non-oil trade, enhance the digital economy, improve public access to education, health and other social services and aid job creation,” Opeke said.