News
MTN, Galaxy Backbone, Inq Digital, Remita, Others Partner eBusinesslife On Girls In ICT Campaign
As the date for the eBusinesslife International Girls in ICT Day draws near, more corporate organisations have come to align with the campaign geared at sensitising young girls to take up career paths that are related to ICT.
The event which is slated to hold at Oriental Hotel, Lagos on Thursday, April 22, 2021 has attracted support from MTN Nigeria, Galaxy Backbone, VDT Communications, Inq Digital, SystemSpecs and Caleb AyanwusiFoundation. The nation’s telecommunication regulatory body, the Nigerian communications Commission (NCC) has earlier taken the lead as a partner to the event.
With the theme, “Expand Horizons, Change Attitudes: Breaking Gender Norms in Career Choices”, the event is part of a global campaign to encourage young girls to delve into ICT as a profession and contribute their quota to the growth of the industry in Nigeria while also actualising self-development.
To be chaired by the Founder and Executive Director, Cybersafe Foundation, Constance Staveley, the eBusiness Life International Girls in ICT Day celebration, which is in its 10th edition, will see students from select secondary schools converge for seminar and competition. Also a roundtable discussion, interactive and motivational talk from renowned women ICT professionals, will be part of the events lined up for the day. It is expected that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr.Isa Ali Pantami and the Minister of Women Affairs and Social development, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, will be the Special Guests of Honour, with other government officials in support.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of eBusiness Life Communication and convener of the event, Mrs. UfuomaEmuophedaro, the need to sensitise young girls is premised on the fact that the society has unconsciously relegated the female gender and delegated careers in technical fields, especially in ICT, to their male counterparts.
She called on corporate bodies and the society at large to recommit to supporting every girl to develop her skills, enter the workforce on equal terms and reach her full potential. “We need to equip the girls with transferable and lifelong skills such as critical thinking, creativity and digital awareness. Having role models will also be critical, especially in the sciences and other fields where the presence of women is sparse.”
She further noted that efforts should be made to introduce young girls to career opportunities in technical fields in both the public and private sectors to help them have a wide range of options and contribute their quota in the industry.
Mrs Emuophedaro stated that pursuant of the International Girls in ICT Day celebration and subsequent campaign will further open up opportunities for girls in the ICT sector.
Speaking further, Mrs. Emuophedaro noted that supporting the global Girls in ICT movement empowers girls and young women, giving them the confidence to pursue ICT studies and careers. “Girls and young women have the potential not only to become ICT users, but also to become ICT creators. “
She had earlier called on corporate bodies and the society at large to recommit to supporting every girl to develop her skills, enter the workforce on equal terms and reach her full potential.
She said: “We need to equip the girls with transferable and lifelong skills such as critical thinking, creativity and digital awareness. Having role models will also be critical, especially in the sciences and other fields where the presence of women is sparse.”
She further noted that efforts should be made to introduce young girls to career opportunities in technical fields in both the public and private sectors to help them have a wide range of options and contribute their quota in the industry.
A statement from the organisers concerning the partners for the event indicates that they are socially responsible corporate organisations that have played well in their sectors.
MTN Nigeria, is one of Africa’s largest providers of communications services, connecting over 76.5 million people in communities across the country with each other and the world. Guided by a vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world, MTN Nigeria has been in the forefront of this campaign to build human capacity in Nigeria.
Systemspecs, with its flagship solution, Remita has been able to transform the epayment arena in Nigeria, becoming a top choice for remittance of funds both in the private and public sectors of the economy. The company’s support for the campaign is stemmed on its belief in global competitiveness through manpower development.
VDT Communications, which, aside its backbone and broadband service provision, operates a Modular Trainee Engineering Program through which it trains engineering graduates annually, says its quest to train young Nigerians is to increase their employability in the industry, especially young girls. The company had consistently partnered with the organisers on the campaign.
Inq. Digital, which rebranded from Vodacom Business Nigeria, is a leading provider of total communication solutions that delivers reliability in bringing power of cloud to networking stacks. It is a leading pan-African corporate connectivity and telecommunications provider that has brought affordable and reliable connectivity to Africa.
Galaxy Backbone PLC is a public enterprise of the Federal Government of Nigeria incorporated in 2006 with the primary mandate of setting up and operating a unified ICT infrastructure platform that addresses the connectivity, transversal and other technology imperatives. Galaxy Backbone was established in 2006 by the Federal Government based on the need for Government to pursue a coordinated and harmonized approach to ICT acquisition, operation and use in the public sector.
International Girls’ in ICT Day is an initiative launched through an ITU Resolution with the idea of creating a global environment that will empower and encourage girls and young women to consider careers in the field of ICT.
In the past nine years, eBusiness Life had organised the event annually in Nigeria, gathering young girls from different schools, to educate and sensitize them on the opportunities inherent in professions in ICT, and providing a platform for organisations to synergise on complementary ways to further the cause. Also the girls had been made to go through hands-on training on various aspects of ICT and facility visits to ICT companies to get first-hand experience of the intricacies of the ICT firms.
Strict COVID-19 safety protocols will be observed at the venue of the event.
The Lagos State Governor, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu has commended Africa’s leading e-commerce platform, Jumia Nigeria, for its giant strides and in the growth of the country’s e-commerce sector, as well as its unique contributions to its economic development.
He said that Jumia has earned its place as a major brand, with its growth and trajectory in the country’s e-commerce ecosystem over the years which, he said, has made it a household name. He urged the company to not only strive to maintain its excellent service standards, but to also work towards improving them.
The Governor who was speaking during a courtesy visit by the management of Jumia Nigeria to the State House in Marina on Thursday March 27, reaffirmed the strategic importance of the company in the economic development of Lagos State and Nigeria, especially in job creation.
He restated his administration’s commitment in ensuring that Lagos State remains environmentally friendly for businesses to grow.
“Our administration has always prioritized creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. Through various initiatives, we have strengthened the ease of doing business, and fostered innovation to drive economic growth, and we will continue to support businesses and create opportunities that will aid in their growth”, Sanwo-Olu said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said that the Lagos State Government remains open to collaborations with the private sector to enhance service delivery, infrastructure development, and create opportunities for residents, with the aim of building a resilient and sustainable future.
He said the administration recognises the importance of working with the private sector to achieve its goals of improving the lives of its citizens.
Speaking also, the Chief Executive Officer of Jumia Nigeria, Sunil Natraj, thanked the governor for creating an enabling environment in the state for businesses like Jumia to grow. He stated Jumia’s commitment to contributing towards the growth and development of the state, and the country.
Natraj said the company has made tremendous strides from its early days as a tech start-up in Lagos and has grown to become the number one e-commerce platform in Nigeria, with a presence in nine African countries. He said the company presently employs hundreds of Nigerians directly, and thousands more indirectly as independent sales agents and partners.
He restated Jumia Nigeria’s commitment to providing excellent service, focusing on delivering exceptional value and fostering long-term relationships with its customers around the country.
Among other things, he said the company is actively working to enhance customer experience, aiming to simplify the e-commerce process, making it easier for customers to navigate and shop online.
According to him, Jumia aims to transform everyday life in Africa by making it easier for consumers to access goods and services conveniently and affordably, adding that the company is focused on expanding access to retail across the country.
Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has announced its readiness for the capital market with an Initial Public Offer (IPO) now in the final stage.
Mr. Olugbenga Oluwaniyi, chief finance and investor relations officer (CFIO), NNPC, stated this at a consultative meeting with partners at the NNPC Towers, Abuja, on Thursday.
He said the move aligned with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.
He said NNPCL was currently engaging with prospective partners in an exercise tagged: “NNPC Ltd. IPO Beauty Parade” in line with capital market regulations before the commencement of the IPO.
According to the CFIO, the aim of the IPO Beauty Parade is to assess potential partners and determine in what ways they could be of support to the company.
He listed the areas of partnership required to include Investor Relations, IPO Readiness Advisors, and Investment Bank Partners.
He said the company with the best offer in terms of project partnership would be selected for each of the three categories.
The PIA provides for NNPCL to list its shares in the capital market in line with the provisions of the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 1990.
Federal High Court in the Bwari Judicial Division has thrown out a case of fraud filed against the Chairman of Zinox Technologies, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, his wife, Chioma Ekeh, and 11 others.
Femi Falana and Leo Stan Ekeh
This is the umpteenth time.
The latest is the dismissal of the suit by Justice Akpan Okon Ebong of the FCT High Court, who struck out the case filed by Mr. Femi Falana SAN, purporting to act on a fiat donated to him by Mr. Lateef Fagbemi SAN, attorney general and minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, against Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, chairman of Zinox Technologies, and 12 others.
The other defendants are Mr. Chris Eze Ozims, Oyebode Folashade, Charles Adigwe, Obilo Onuoha, Agartha Ukoha, Anya O. Anya, Femi Dosumu, Nnenna Kalu, Admas Digital Technologies Limited, Technology Distributions Limited and Zinox Technologies Limited.
In the suit No. FCT/HC/CR/985/24 filed in November 2024, Falana, on behalf of his client, Benjamin Joseph, the CEO of Citadel Oracle Concept Limited, an Ibadan-based computer firm, filed charges against Ekeh, 9 other individuals and 3 companies before the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly diverting N162,247,513.80 being payment for laptop supply contract at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Headquarters which Technology Distribution Ltd (now TD Africa), the biggest tech equipment distributor in sub-Saharan Africa supplied on behalf of Citadel in 2012.
However, in the certified true copy of the judgment dated March 20, 2025, Justice Ebong ruled as follows: “It is my conclusion based on the foregoing that this charge (No. FCT/HC/CR/985/2024, Federal Republic of Nigeria v Leo Stan Ekeh and 12 ORS) constitutes a gross abuse of court process and is liable to dismissal. I accordingly hereby dismiss it.”
Before arriving at his judgment, which has put the final nail in the coffin of a case that other courts had also dismissed in the past as dead on arrival, Justice Ebong considered the outcome of previous cases and petitions filed by Mr. Joseph, none of which was in his favour.
Justice Ebong said: “One intriguing aspect of this matter is that none of the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation of the nominal complainant’s (Mr. Joseph) numerous petitions has found merit in any of his allegations against the defendants. When called upon before Senchi J. (Justice Danlami Z. Senchi) to prove his said allegations to the court, he failed to turn up in court. One then wonders on what premise he wants to maintain this campaign of persecution against the defendants.”
Previous judgments on the matter had established that rather than being the culprit, Ekeh and the 12 others were actually the victims of a failed money diversion scheme plotted by Mr. Joseph and Citadel.
When contacted, one of the defendants, Mr. Chris Eze Ozims, a lawyer, said: “This ruling truly reflects our consistent position on the allegations, and it is good that we have been vindicated, once more, by a competent high court.”
He asserted that the judgment of Justice Ebong was consistent with the position of the defendants and in tandem with the rulings of other judges who had previously adjudicated on the same matter.
Mr. Matthew Burkaa SAN, chief counsel to the defendants, described the judgment as a victory for integrity and the rule of law.
Court papers showed that Falana’s suit was based on the same claims that various courts had dismissed in the past as falsehood and baseless. The case arose from a contract between Citadel and Technology Distributions Limited over the supply of computers to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), a project fully funded by Technology Distributions and has no bearing whatsoever with Zinox and its promoter, Mr Leo Stan Ekeh.
It will be recalled that Mr. Joseph had lost the case and its adjunct suits at different courts in the past. In his petition to the police in 2013, police authorities discovered that Mr. Joseph provided false information to the police, prompting the Inspector General of Police to charge him for false information in charge no.CR/216/16.
In another case filed by the EFCC in his instance against his partner, Princess Kama, in charge no. FCT/HC/CR/244/2018, Honorable Justice Danlami Z. Senchi of the FCT High Court (as he then was) dismissed as false all the allegations made by Benjamin Joseph, and imposed the sum of N20 million as damages against him for false petitioning in relation to these same allegations.
Earlier court papers showed that Joseph, in his statement on oath in suit No:LD/4335/2014 in the High Court of Justice, Lagos State, dated June 28, 2019, averred that his company, Citadel, did not execute any contract with FIRS and that he was not aware that a contract had been awarded to Citadel.
In his deposition under oath, Joseph claimed that Citadel “did not at any time execute any contract for the FIRS and neither did the 2nd defendant (Princess O. Kama) who is its agent in respect of the contract it bid for with the FIRS deliver/release any documents to the Claimant (Citadel) indicating that the contract it bid for, or any other contract was awarded to it by the FIRS or any other body.”
However, a letter from the FIRS addressed to the chamber of Afe Babalola & Co dated February 11, 2014 (FIRS/PD/GDS/2559) and signed by one Idrissa Kogo, Head Legal Department, stated: “Contrary to your client’s claim that they knew nothing about the execution of the contract awarded to them and that they did not receive any payment for the execution of the contract, our record reveals otherwise.
“Your client instructed FIRS through a letter dated December 13, 2012, to deal with Princess O. Kama (Your client’s agent) in relation to the contract. Through three separate letters dated December 20, 2012, your client instructed FIRS to pay to the client’s account with Access Bank plc. Please note that FIRS acted in compliance with your client’s instruction and with due diligence,” the FIRS letter stated.
The FIRS letter was a response to inquiry by Afe Babalola Chamber, lawyers to Citadel Oracle Concept Ltd and its MD, Mr. Benjamin Joseph, at that time.
The current charges filed by Falana on the basis of a fiat from the Attorney General is the third in a row as Mr Joseph had earlier filed charge no.CR/469/2022, which was struck out by Honorable Justice C. O. Oba of the FCT High Court, by an order dated November 8, 2022.
Determined to push through with his case, Mr Joseph filed the same charges before Honorable Justice A. S. Adepoju of the FCT High Court, and the charges were, once again, struck out by the Honorable Court on March 19, 2024, with Honorable Justice Adepoju holding that: “This matter was brought in dead, extinct and should be confined into the dustbin of history…I hold that the instant suit is an abuse of the process of court, and it is hereby struck out accordingly.”
SERAP Asks National Assembly to Drop Bill to Jail Nigerians who Fail to Vote
Nigeria Gets Fresh $500m World Bank Loan for Economic Stimulus Programme
Uninsured Depositors of Heritage Bank to Receive Liquidation Dividends In April – NDIC
SystemSpecs’s Subsidiary Deelaa Becomes Whatadeal
MTN, Lynk Global Make Africa’s First Satellite-to-Mobile Call
Telecom2 days agoIHS Nigeria Hosts Telecom Industry Stakeholders to Discuss Protection of Critical National Infrastructure in Lagos State
E-Financial2 days agoTitan Trust Bank Selects Oracle FSS for Core and Digital Banking Technology
General News2 days agoNCS to Launch Electronic System for Cash Declarations at Airports
News2 days agoSanwo-Olu Hails Jumia for Giant Strides in Growing Nigeria’s E-Commerce Sector
Telecom2 days agoMTN Champs Continental Relays: Over 1,000 Athletes Gear Up for Lagos Showcase
E-Financial2 days agoIMF Appoints Elumelu, Nigerian Businessman to Advisory Council
General News2 days agoAquaterra Energy Secures Multi-million-dollar well Intervention Contract with Intrepid Energy in Nigeria
Telecom8 hours agoSmart Treasure Investment Team’s Initiatives Eradicate Poverty, Says Aminu