Author: ITPulse

  Google hosted its second Google for Nigeria event where it made a number of big announcements aimed at helping more people in Nigeria, and across Africa, benefit from the opportunities the web has to offer. In a bid to make the internet more easily accessible to people in Nigeria, Google is launching Google Station for Nigeria: a program to provide high quality, high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots in partnership with 21st Century, one of the largest fibre network providers in Nigeria. “Google Station will be rolling out in 200 locations in five cities across Nigeria by the end of 2019, bringing…

  By Martin Ekpeke It does appear all doubts about meeting the 30 percent broadband penetration target by December 2018 are gradually being erased, as the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) announced it has hit a 22 percent threshold of the target. Nigeria had set an auspicious target to achieve 30 percent broadband penetration by the end of 2018 in line with the National Broadband Plan 2013-2018. “Despite teething challenges, I am happy to inform you that we have hit 22 percent threshold of the 30 percent broadband target,” the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta disclosed in a…

  The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it will continue to encourage knowledge-based economy as against resource-based economy, as it offers opportunities Nigerians, especially the youths to display their talents. The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta, while delivering a goodwill message at the just concluded Information Communications Technology and Telecommunications (ICTEL) Expo, 2018 organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Eko Hotel & Suites, argued that, a knowledge-based economy offers the use of cutting edge technologies that improve efficiency, effectiveness and competitiveness. “At NCC, we believe that a knowledge-based economy provides individuals…

  By Martin Ekpeke The President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Babatunde Paul Ruwase has given reasons why Nigeria in its present state must look to Information and Communications Technology in order to diversify its economy. Ruwase, while giving a welcome remark at the Information Communications Technology and Telecommunications (ICTEL) Expo, 2018 organised by the Chamber at the Eko Hotel two days, said ICT is strategy in driving productivity and efficiency in all sectors of the economy. “There is no better time to harness the benefits of ICT than now when the Nigerian economy is in…

  By Martin Ekpeke One of Nigeria’s leading pan-African corporate connectivity and telecommunications provider, Vodacom Business Nigeria has urged Nigerian government at all levels to leverage Internet of Things, which is commercially available today to create efficient services that would benefit every citizen. Vodacom’s Executive Head of Operations (Ag), Olumide Idowu, while speaking yesterday at the Information Communications Technology and Telecommunications (ICTEL) Expo, 2018 organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted that with IoT, a host of intelligently connected services such as efficient healthcare in rural communities will become possible a reality. “Leaders around the world are…

  As part of its resolution to establish Information and Communications technology Hub across the six geo-political zones in Nigeria, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) yesterday commissioned an ICT Innovation Hub in Katsina State, the home state of Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari. According to a statement signed by Mrs Hadiza Umar, Head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations Unit at NITDA, the federal government whose part of its mandates is to build capacity said it decided to start with Katsina because it is one of the most populous states in the North Western region of Nigeria. Apart from that,…

  By Martin Ekpeke The Osun State government is on the verge of unveiling a technology solution that will help tackle issues of security and ultimately forestall any attempt to attack the state from the rampaging herdsmen. The solution, according to the Honorable Commissioner for Innovation, Science & Technology, Engr. Oluremi Omowaiye will be an unmanned aerial vehicle that will interface with the call centre through a short code, which has been provided by the Nigerian Communications Commission. The Commissioner explained that the unmanned aerial vehicles, which are attached to camera will ensure all live-stocks will have an ID, allowing…

  By Martin Ekpeke The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), today said about 10 million Nigerians have activated the ‘Do-Not-Disturb (DND) 2442 short code. This is huge compared to less than a million before the campaign, where 2017 was declared as ‘year of the telecom consumer.’ “Since the declaration of 2017 as, ‘year of the telecom consumer’, the level of activation of the ‘Do-Not-Disturb (DND) 2442 short code by consumers has climbed from half a million before the campaign to almost ten million currently,” Professor Umar Garba Danbatta said while receiving African Organization of the Year 2018 Award from the organizers…

  Facebook’s data-privacy crisis that prompted Congressional hearings caused some Americans to re-evaluate social media’s importance in their lives. A study by tech research firm Techpinions found 35 percent were using Facebook less since the scandal and 9 percent deleted their accounts due to privacy concerns. The controversy spawned discussions about flaws in Facebook’s system and problems in general with various social media sites. People want to know how improvements can be made toward better security and functionality as new sites pop up. “Americans have only recently become concerned that their most personal data is being collected by Facebook, Instagram,…

The internet was meant to make the world a less centralised place, but the opposite has happened. Ludwig Siegele explains why it matters, and what can be done about it. Has the internet failed? Sitting in his office at Christ Church, an Oxford college, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world wide web, has his answer ready: “I wouldn’t say the internet has failed with a capital F, but it has failed to deliver the positive, constructive society many of us had hoped for.” Two decades ago, he would have scoffed at the idea that the internet and the web…