Telecom
Skool Media Reaffirms Commitment for Effective E-learning Services in Educational Sector
Skool Media an ICT solutions provider geared towards meeting the new demands of 21st Century education has reiterated its commitment to transform Nigeria’s educational sector using Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
Charles Dungor, Partnership Implementation Manager, Skool Media, stated this recently in an exclusive chat with Nigeria CommunicationsWeek Media in Lagos.
Dungor said that Skool media is passionate about changing the landscape of educational space with the adoption of technology to improve and reposition average Nigerian child for competitiveness in the global space.
According to him, “At skool media we are basically passionate about changing the landscape of the educational space in the country.
“For reasons of doubt, Skool media is an ICT organization that’s focused around changing the narrative on how the educational system functions in Nigeria.
“With the adoption of technology and the focus on e-learning aimed to improve or position the average Nigerian child for competitiveness in the global space”.
He added that they are currently offering e-learning services in twenty-three unity schools across the six geo political zones in the country.
Dungor stated that over the next coming months they will be dispersing educational materials like projector screens,laptops and software across these schools.
He explained that in these schools, they have what is called tech experience centers that serves as an ICT center where students and teachers can engage in critical thinking in order to bridge the gap between then and also to give student the opportunities and privilege to expand on their knowledge base by assessing e-learning materials.
He added that they have what is called skool media tablets with educational materials embedded inside it which they disperse around these schools to students that want to do further studies and engage themselves in further learning.
He also revealed that they have developed a platform called Edufirst.ng which is a digital learning platform that would address their engagements with private institutions and private schools.
In his words, “The Edufirst platform is suppose to address the gap in the educational space, part of what we are doing on the Edufirst platform is to create like a school portal management system that allows you to have good interactions, student teachers interactions, parent teachers interactions, stakeholders interactions as well.
“The platform is also useful for parents to access performance of their children in school and then have conversations with teachers on how happy or displeased they are with their children performance.
“Under that platform we also have what we would be tagging Edufirst blog, it’s a component under the platform.
“The blog is suppose to have conversation or narratives of treads occurring in the educational system both indigenous Nigeria and globally as well.
“So the platform is quite big and its meant to be all encompassing to all key participant provided you are an individual that has passion for one level of education, you get access to the blog.
“If it’s based on you being a proprietress you will get access to signing up on the platform to engage with it.
“We’re also trying to develop on that platform what we call scholarship schemes.
“So the portal will also help students to be able to access on the spot scholarships with certain partnerships we’ve built.
“So the partnerships will be for institutions, universities at this point, both indigenous and international institutions trying to get scholarships.
“This is supposed to be like a support scheme Edufirst is offering to the general public,”
He added that Skool media is a member of Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) and is in partnership with Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) to see how best they can advocate for improved quality education that will cut across Nigeria to ensure that e-learning is being adopted into the curriculum of schools.
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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