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Interesting Developments in the Courier Sector

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Courier and postal services last year witnessed exponential growth in volume of services rendered to customers. There were also innovations in some areas which helped to notch up demand for services rendered by the sector. Information and Communication Technology still stands out as a great enabler that has helped to drive the new areas of opportunities being savored by the sector to deliver innovated, prompt and effective services to rising clientele of postal and courier services.
The fear was that the dawn of the information age would have a negative effect on the postal and courier sector as skeptics were of the view that the boom in ICT would lead to reduction in services rendered by the sector. But events were to prove skeptics wrong that instead of reducing the operations and opportunities available in the industry, ICT has actually enlarged the scope and areas of activities for the sector.  As an evolving phenomenon, ICT will continue to create more opportunities and even change manual and old ways of doing business in the sector in 2009 and beyond.
The postal and courier sector in 2009 will most likely continue to witness an upswing in terms of volume of services it renders. With a fiscal policy that tends towards reduction in government expenditure during the year, there is likelihood that there will be heightened demand for the services of the sector. Oversea travel for government personnel has been slashed and such a development is likely to lead to increase in courier and postal service exchanges during the year.
The introduction of new actors in the Ministry of Information and Communications  which saw Prof. Dora Akunyili replacing Mr. John Odey as minister,  and Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande being succeeded by ……. as minister for state for Information and Communications  , will actually change things  either for better or for worse.  But given the track record of Prof Dora Akunyili as former director general of National Agency For Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigerians are not in doubt that Akunyili is capable of delivering as an individual. However people  have continued to express their reservation that the Amazon is now being made to head a ministry where she lacks the  expertise to operate and  area different from her area of calling as a pharmacist where she has made her mark.
Other school of thought feels sad that Akunyili might rubbish whatever fame she had been able to garner for herself during her days as the director general of NAFDAC.
As Akunyili is settling down in the office, she needs to be reminded that there are issues   which he predecessor could not finalize before the recent hand over / takeover which are vital to the development of the information ministry.  One is the Postal Commission bill that is supposed to usher in an independent regulatory body for the postal and courier sector.  The postal and courier sector has showed much hope of being a money spinner for government and private operators but proper regulation of the industry has being a major drawback.
Akunyili will do well to take a closer look on the process of constituting the Postal Commission and know why it has been delayed.  Inputs into the draft Postal bill have been made by all stakeholders and same submitted to the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to vet and submit to the vice president who is the chairman of …..  She should find out the position with this document and possibly fast track it for approval by the presidency.
2009 will most probably usher in the much awaited Nigerian Postal Service commercialization.  The postmaster general of the federation, Mori Baba has argued that commercialization of the federal government parastatal will make the organization to be less dependent on government revenues. The process has brought in re-engineering into Nipost with an eye to unlimited areas of making profit for the organization.
Banks in Nigeria are also indicating their interests to pick courier licenses. In fact Union Bank plc has already picked one and operates under the name Union Express, while others are still undergoing preliminary screening by the Courier Regulatory Department. The implication is that the stake will now be higher when more banks begin to indulge in the express and logistics business. With many funds at their disposal, they will try to control the business but the multinational courier companies will prove a hard nut to crack in the new development as they have also the finance and expertise to give the banks a fair competition. 
In these developing scenarios, there is need to have a strong regulatory platform that will not be inclined to favoring any particular company. The worth of the market will be much higher than what it is at present and proper regulation of the industry will attract more foreign investors into the economy. Then  the arrangement where the Courier Regulatory Department (CRD), the organ saddled with the regulation of the postal sector which  is tied to the apron strings of Nipost , also a player in the industry will no longer be tenable .

 


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E-Business

FG Invests $40m in Intercept Technology, $583m in Surveillance-  S4C

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Nigeria has reportedly invested $40 million in intercept technology and $583 million on public surveillance, according to a new report by Spaces for Change (S4C), a civil society organization.

G Invests $40m in Intercept Technology, $583m in Surveillance-  S4C

So-called intercept technology and surveillance allow legally sanctioned official access to private communications, such as telephone calls or e-mail messages in a bid to enhance national security, prevent crime and aid criminal investigations.

Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, executive director of S4C, said that “The Nigerian government has allocated approximately $40m for intercept technologies and an estimated $583m on public surveillance projects with Chinese tech firms.”

Ibezim-Ohaeri, spoke at the West Africa Civil Society Week held in Abuja with the “Leveraging Technology for Civic Engagement and Social Change in West Africa”

At the event held in collaboration with Civic Space Resource Hub, West Africa Civil Society Institute and the Ford Foundation, Ibezim-Ohaeri stated that this expenditure prioritised security over essential public services like education and healthcare, raising questions about the government’s commitment to human rights.

With lawful interception (LI), law enforcement authorities, in response to a warrant from a judge, can perform interception, simply by applying a ‘tap’ on the telephone line of the target, making it possible for security agencies in Nigeria to listen to terrorist and criminal cell phone calls and gather communications intelligence on their dark activities.

But Ibezim-Ohaeri said her organization’s report emphasised the historical context of surveillance in Nigeria, linking colonial practices to modern state surveillance tactics.

Ibezim-Ohaeri noted, “Colonial authorities established a framework for surveillance that persists today, where security agencies continue to repress dissent and monitor civic actors.”

Key findings from the report indicated that the military regime significantly intensified state surveillance, enacting laws that curtailed press freedoms and facilitated the harassment of journalists and political activists.

“Just as the U.S. expanded surveillance post-9/11, Nigeria mirrored this response after the 2011 UN building bombing,” she remarked, referring to legislation that broadened surveillance powers under the guise of national security.

The report outlined how civic actors and opposition politicians are often the primary targets of these surveillance initiatives.

“Evidence shows that state governors have acquired surveillance technologies to monitor political rivals, demonstrating the pervasive nature of these tactics,” Ibezim-Ohaeri explained.

Furthermore, the report highlighted that most surveillance technologies used in Nigeria are imported from countries like Israel, China, and the United States, emphasizing the risks posed by dual-use technologies that can be repurposed for oppressive measures.

“The dual-use nature of these technologies significantly contributes to their unchecked proliferation, often leading to abuses by both state and non-state actors,” she stated.

Despite existing legal frameworks, the report criticised the inadequacy of regulatory controls over surveillance technologies.

 

“While laws exist to govern surveillance, their enforcement is weak, creating a fertile ground for abuse and misuse,” Ibezim-Ohaeri cautioned.

In light of these findings, the report called for urgent reforms, including improved regulatory oversight and transparency in the procurement processes for surveillance technologies.

“We need a commitment to human rights that begins at the production stage, ensuring that surveillance technologies do not infringe on civil liberties,” she said.

Llawful interception (LI), in response to a warrant from a judge, lawful interception is performed simply by applying a ‘tap’ on the telephone line of the target, making it possible for security agencies in Nigeria to listen to terrorist and criminal cell phone calls and gather communications intelligence on their dark activities.

 

 

 


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NCC Waxes Worriedly as Telcos Lose Billions to Vandalism, Theft

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Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said that telecommunications operators in Nigeria are currently facing immense challenges with frequent fibre cuts, vandalism, and theft of equipment costing them billions of Naira.

NCC Waxes Worriedly as Telcos Lose Billions to Vandalism, Theft

Maida stated this against the backdrop of the recent declaration of telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) by President Bola Tinubu through an Executive Order.

Delivering the keynote address at the launch of the CNII Protection and Resilience Workshop, organized by the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC) under the Office of the National Security Adviser, Maida said Nigeria is now set to address the challenge.

While noting that workshop series was to drive the urgent implementation of the CNII Executive Order as a major step towards securing Nigeria’s communications and digital infrastructure, the NCC boss said:

“The telecom industry faces significant challenges, including frequent fibre cuts, vandalism, and theft, which cost operators billions of Naira in revenue and billions of Naira in repair expenses.

“Additionally, restricted access to telecom facilities by property owners and government entities hampers network expansion efforts, limiting connectivity and impacting service quality.”

Over the years, stakeholders in the Nigerian ICT sector have been calling on the government to designate telecom infrastructure as a critical national asset to address the persistent attacks on the infrastructure across the country.


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E-Financial

SEC to Include Cybersecurity, AI in Curriculum Review – DG

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Dr Emomotimi Agama, director general, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has said that his commission is working to expand the capital market education curriculum for Nigerian universities to include topics on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, financial technology, and others.

SEC to Include Cybersecurity, AI in Curriculum Review - DG

Agama, made this statement during the inauguration of a committee tasked with reviewing the curriculum on securities and investment management.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has already approved the curriculum for Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions.

The committee will be chaired by Professor Uche Uwaleke of Capital Market Studies at Nasarawa State University

He said, “Due to new developments in fintech, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and others, there is a need to expand the curriculum to accommodate the new trends. It is an important time and we want to latch in to be able to teach Nigerians, especially the young people, about the capital market. In light of this, the commission has set up a committee to review and enrich the existing curriculum to reflect these advancements.

“It is sad that people do not have a full grasp of capital market issues. We must do everything to share knowledge and educate people. We want to be the best capital market among nations and that can only be possible due to the superiority of our knowledge. You are well placed to do this being in the Ivory Towers and I thank you for accepting to serve as we look forward to a robust discussion.”

Agama disclosed that the terms of reference of the committee included: a review of the NUC curriculum on securities and investment management to include the non-interest capital market, the commodities ecosystem, the derivatives market, sustainable finance; and capital Market regulations; expanding the ‘Introduction to Cryptocurrency’ section of the NUC curriculum to reflect current developments.; and developing a standard capital market studies curriculum to be used by Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions.

Members of the committee include Prof Augustine Agom of the Ahmadu Bello University; Prof. Seth Akutson of the Kaduna State University; Prof Chuke Nwude of the University of Nigeria Nsukka and Dr Akeem Oyewole of Marble Capital Ltd.

Others are Prof Oladele Akinyomi of the Mountain Top University;  Head of the Market Development Department of SEC, Mrs Ojone Kabir;  Head of Economic Research and Intelligence of SEC, Dr Hassan Suleiman and Mrs Jessica Ogwuche of the Financial Inclusion and Investor Education Department of SEC, who is the secretary of the committee.

In his remarks, Uwaleke, chairman of the committee, appreciated the management of the commission for finding members of the committee fit and trusted to carry out the assignment.

“We know that part of our challenge is because our retail investor base is shallow in relation to our population and one way to change the narrative is through capital market literacy. We as lecturers can attest to the fact that capital market literacy within the academic environment is low and I think tackling that is one low-hanging fruit.

“I am aware that the DG and others have been trying to increase the level of awareness with various programmes like quizzes, essays, investor clinics and others, but for us to make more impact, we need to focus on tertiary institutions and that is why I think what we are doing is very crucial,” he stated.

Uwaleke assured that the members would add value given their track record, saying that the objectives and terms of reference of the committee would be achieved.


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