E-Business
Sign Digital Rights Bill Now, Paradigm Initiative Tells Buhari
Paradigm Initiative, an advocacy group, is currently mobilising Nigerians to mount pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, sign the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill into law without further delay.
The advocacy group is running an online campaign where it is collating signatures of Nigerians that would be sent to the president, which would best explain the people’s will and desire to have the bill signed into law.
The group vowed that the campaign would continue next Monday, and run daily until the bill is signed by the president.
They called on more Nigerians to participate in the online campaign that they said was already gaining momentum.
Giving reasons for the need to sign the Bill into law, the Chief Executive Officer of Paradigm Initiative, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, said: “After almost three years of legislative process, the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill was transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari on February 5 for presidential assent, and since then the president was yet to assert the bill.
“We are calling on the president to sign the bill into law, to protect human rights online and help energise digital innovation,” he said.
The Digital Rights Bill provides for the protection of human rights online, protect internet users from infringement of their fundamental freedoms and guarantee the application of human rights for digital platform users.
The bill seeks to guarantee human rights within the context of emerging innovative technologies, security concerns, increasing citizen participation in governance and democratic processes.
The Digital Rights Bill is an assemblage of conventional rights aimed at making online spaces rights-inclusive and is an attempt at balancing the friction between security and human rights in the digital age.
The bill also addresses the subject of hate speech in a way that ensures safeguards for both the accused and alleged victim and ensures that free speech does not suffer in the process.
The bill when passed into law, is expected to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from global technology companies, aside strengthen the Nigeria technology industry by ensuring there is a positive regulatory environment.
It provides a regulatory environment for lawful surveillance and interception thereby helping law enforcement to carry out their duty leveraging technology.
Technology experts also stated that the bill would strengthen users’ trust. The experts who lauded the bill and the initiative of the group, said the legislation was a step in the right direction because of the value it would bring to the digital economy and the rights of people of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Paradigm Initiative has commended the gesture by the Liberian President, George Weah, to sign into law, a Bill to decriminalise libel in Liberia through an Act to amend the Liberian Codes Revised Penal Law of 1978.
The advocacy group called on President Buhari to draw the spirit of true democracy from the the Liberian President.
The act named Kamara Abdullah Kamara (KAK) Act of Press Freedom is a major milestone within the human rights framework in Liberia. The proposed Act was earlier submitted to Liberia’s 53rd Legislature by the administration of former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. President Weah, however, proposed to the 54th Legislature that the name of the Act be changed to honour the late Abdullah Kamara, the former President of the Liberian Press Union.
E-Business
Expert Urges FG to Harmonise NIN, BVN to Tackle Crimes
Noble Ajuonu, head, Sydani Technologies Ltd., has urged the Federal Government to harmonise National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) to tackle crimes and insecurity in the country.
Ajuonu made the call at a media roundtable, organised by Sydani Group in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the roundtable focuses on driving sustainability through a comprehensive analysis of Nigeria’s key development areas.
Ajuonu said that Nigeria could overcome its security challenges and pave the way for a safer, more secure future for all Nigerians by embracing technology and implementing practical solutions,
“We need to harmonise data, prioritise seamless integration of databases like NIN, BVN, and security agency records, establish clear protocols for data sharing and access, with robust safeguards against misuse,’’ expert said.
According to him, the unified data pool will empower intelligence gathering and targeted operations.
He also called for investments in smart surveillance, intelligent video analytics software, training of personnel in data analysis, interpretation of data in real-time to combat crimes.
“There is need to implement a legal framework for call interception in criminal investigations, with strict oversight to prevent abuse, encourage community cohesion, training of tech savvy security personnel with tech-enabled tools.’’
Ajuonu also urged the government to address infrastructure deficit in technology, saying that technology was all encompassing to address insecurity.
“According to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), as of December 2023, only 104.2 million Nigerians had been enrolled for the National Identity Number (NIN).’’
Ajuonu added that over 122.2 million citizens left uncaptured for NIN were people in rural areas where enrolment centres, digital services were limited.
“Most crimes are being perpetuated from rural communities and this lack of comprehensive identification creates a gap where elements not captured in the national database can constitute public nuisance, crimes.
“There is the inadequacy in the integration of NIN, BVN and Voters Identification Number (VIN).
“Advanced call interception and analysis tools, used successfully in other countries, could provide invaluable insights into criminal networks and operations but infrastructure is lacking,’’ he said.
Also, Mr Godfrey Petgrave, the Agricultural Expert, Sydani Group, called for empowerment of smallholder farmers with access to finance and training to enhance productivity.
According to Petgrave, Nigeria requires policy reform and institutional strengthening to improve agricultural practices and embrace digital agriculture solutions to address food insecurity.
Mr Akolade Jimoh, another expert of the group on health, advocated for expanded community-based health insurance programmes for rural and underserved areas.
Jimoh added that the country needed to encourage Public Private Partnership to revolutionise products design and quality improvement on health services.
E-Business
Konga launches Infinix Brand Week with Incredible Deals
Konga, Nigeria’s leading composite e-commerce group, is thrilled to announce the launch of amazing deals at its Infinix Brand Week. Infinix, a leading global smartphone brand known for its innovative products and cutting-edge technology promises exclusive discounts and special offers on select smartphones, marking an exciting milestone in the realm of online shopping.
Shoppers can expect nothing short of extraordinary deals on a wide range of Infinix products, all available exclusively on the Konga online platform. With discounts of up to 30% off, this partnership between Konga and Infinix aims to redefine the shopping experience for tech enthusiasts across Nigeria.
Konga Brand Week has become synonymous with excitement and unbeatable deals, and this year’s edition is no exception. In addition to exclusive discounts on Infinix smartphones, shoppers can explore a diverse array of products across various categories, including electronics, fashion, home essentials, and more.
“At Konga, we are dedicated to providing our customers with the best shopping experience possible,” said Rita Ohaedoghasi, VP Marketing at Konga. “The Infinix Week during Konga Brand Week allows us to continue delivering on that promise by offering incredible discounts and special offers on some of the most sought-after smartphones in the market.”
To stay updated on the latest developments and exclusive deals during Konga Brand Week, shoppers are encouraged to connect with Konga across all platforms, including social media and the Konga website. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to score big savings and elevate your tech game with Infinix and Konga.
E-Business
Study Reveals Software Programmers to make Full Use of AI Code Assistants
Gartner predicts that by 2028, 75 percent of enterprise software engineers will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) code assistants, up from less than 10 percent, currently.
According to a Gartner poll of 598 global respondents conducted in the third quarter of 2023, 63 percent of organisations are now testing, deploying, or have previously implemented AI code assistants.
AI code assistants provide for more capabilities than only code development and completion, notes the research firm.
According to Gartner, the use of AI code assistants can lead to higher work satisfaction and retention, resulting in lower turnover costs.
Philip Walsh, senior principal analyst at Gartner, comments: “Software engineering leaders must determine ROI and build a business case as they scale their rollouts of AI code assistants.
“However, traditional ROI frameworks steer engineering leaders toward metrics centred on cost reduction. This narrow perspective fails to capture the full value of AI code assistants.”
Gartner notes that software engineering leaders must “reframe the ROI conversation from cost reduction to value generations”.
Walsh adds: “Calculating time savings on code generation is a good place to begin building a more robust value story. To convey the full enterprise value story for AI code assistants, software engineering leaders should connect value enablers to impacts, and then analyse the overall return to the organisation.”
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