Telecom
Ghanaian President is Set to Grace TD’s Celebrating You 2018 Edition
Anticipation and excitement is on the rise for the 2018 edition of Celebrating You, an annual year-end awards/dinner party organized by Technology Distributions Ltd. (TD), Sub-Saharan Africa’s foremost ICT distributors and unarguably one of the most eagerly-awaited celebratory events in Corporate Nigeria.
Tagged Glamorous, this year’s edition will potentially go down in history as one of the most high-profile ever, with the expected attendance of the Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo who will grace the occasion as the Special Guest of Honour.
In addition to a star-studded guest list including captains of industries, bank CEOs, dignitaries and other prominent representatives of the biggest brand names in Corporate Nigeria, the event will specially recognize and celebrate TD’s partner eco-system, namely a host of globally-renowned Original Equipment Manufacturers in the technology space and other channel partners.
Further expected to spice up the event is the entertainment fare, with a powerful line-up of A-list artistes and performers as well as a rich assortment of choice wines and food.
According to Mrs. Gozy Ijogun, Managing Director, TD Mobile and Chairman, Organizing Committee, Celebrating You 2018, “this year’s event will reach unprecedented heights in terms of the quality and calibre of acts, entertainment and attendance expected.
“For Celebrating You 2018, we are taking things a notch higher, as we have always done every year since it became an annual tradition of TD.
“We intend to celebrate our partners in a more special way this year for their patronage, support and loyalty to the TD brand.
“Apart from the mouth-watering delicacies on the menu, we have put together a strong cast of artistes, entertainers and performers to thrill our special guests who are expected to come from within and outside Nigeria.
“Furthermore, there will be an after-party hosted by one of Nigeria’s finest DJs – another way we intend to make it a memorable occasion for everyone,” she stated.
Celebrating You 2018 is an annual tradition aimed at bringing together employees, partners, suppliers and clients of Technology Distributions Ltd. in a fun and relaxing environment to mark the end of the calendar year on a positive note.
An avenue to unwind after the rigours of the current year and re-energize for the challenges of the coming year, Celebrating You is also an effective medium of showing appreciation and encouragement to outstanding individuals and corporate entities that have positively impacted TD’s performance during the year under review.
Telecom
FG Plans EO to Criminalise Fiber Cable Damage Costing Telcos Billions
Nigeria will criminalize the destruction of broadband fiber cables following repeated complaints by MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and other telecommunications companies that they are losing billions of naira, according to people familiar with the matter.
Federal ministry of works, which supervises federal road constructors, is finalizing the regulation that will be signed as an executive order by President Bola Tinubu, said the people, asking not to be identified as they weren’t authorized to comment.
While there are presently laws against vandalism, the authorities are aiming to regulate construction firms more closely.
The order will enforce stiff penalties on offenders, said the people, declining to provide more details or say when it will be signed.
“Telecom assets are critical backbone that supports the economy across sectors,” said Temitope Ajayi, a senior presidential aide, who noted that the Association of Telecommunications Companies (ATCON) has been demanding the classification for years.
New rules will provide “further assurance that the Nigerian government will protect their investments against vandals and criminal elements.”
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) estimates that the sector will make up more than a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product by the end of 2027, up from 13.5% in the third quarter of last year.
The move will help alleviate pressure on the telecoms sector, which is facing increased operating costs and sales pressures from a sharp depreciation in the currency and a threefold increase in energy prices.
Repairs and revenue losses from damaged cables is estimated to have cost the sector almost 27 billion naira ($23 million) last year alone, documents seen by Bloomberg show.
MTN Nigeria, the biggest wireless operator in Africa’s most-populous nation, and Airtel Africa Plc bore the brunt of the costs, the documents show.
MTN suffered more than 6,000 cuts on its fiber cable last year, the documents show. On Feb. 28, a cut on its network in three different locations by a road construction firm, an oil serving company and someone burning rubbish in a manhole meant customers faced more than five hours of data and voice outages.
The operator relocated 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) of vulnerable fiber cables between 2022 and 2023, at a cost of more than 11 billion naira – enough to build 870 kilometers of new fiber lines to areas without coverage.
A presidential order on the matter would be welcomed, said Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria.
“When it comes to communication infrastructure, they are destroyed at will, so we are eagerly awaiting the president’s order,” he said. “It would be a great boost to the industry, and it will also encourage investment.”
Telecom
Telegram Eyes 1Bn Users amidst Political Pressures
Telegram, the messaging giant founded by Pavel Durov and headquartered in Dubai, anticipates hitting a remarkable milestone of one billion active monthly users within the next year.
Durov’s departure from Russia in 2014, prompted by governmental pressures to stifle opposition communities on his VK social media platform, underscores Telegram’s commitment to neutrality despite geopolitical challenges.
With 900 million active users currently, Telegram stands as a beacon of free speech in the digital realm, particularly influential in former Soviet Union republics and pivotal during conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine standoff.
Durov’s staunch advocacy for freedom of expression and opposition to censorship by tech giants like Apple and Google reinforces Telegram’s status as a neutral platform.
Opting for the UAE as its base, Durov cites its neutrality and openness as conducive to Telegram’s ethos, serving both opposition groups and governments alike while maintaining impartiality.
In Durov’s vision, the pursuit of freedom eclipses material gain, shaping Telegram’s trajectory as a bastion of digital liberation.
Telecom
NITDA, NIMC Announce Collaboration To Strengthen Digital Economy
To further strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have announced a collaboration on National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to enhance and create synergy between digital identity, payment ecosystem, and secure & seemless data exchange capabilities for Nigeria.
During the meeting between the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and Director General of NIMC, Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, with some management staff of both organisations, they discussed various initiatives, which include building DPI stacks for a secured and seamless data exchange and forming partnerships to transform the national identity system.
This collaboration also aims to harness the potential of the innovative ecosystem and emphasise the use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to drive digital transformation in Nigeria.
To ensure a smooth implementation, a 12-man committee was set up. This committee will play a crucial role in kickstarting and harmonising the initiatives. It is expected to deliver a comprehensive implementation report within the next 4 weeks
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