News
NCS @ NITMA 2013 Celebrates Outstanding Accomplishments
The 2013 National Information Technology Merit Award (NITMA) ceremony organized by the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) recognized and celebrated Information Technology (IT) achievers and visionaries for their exceptional accomplishments.
December 13, 2013 was a day of honour and festivity for the tech community.
Engineer Ibrahim Shehu Gusau, chairman, House Committee on ICT, and chairman of NITMA 2013 commended NCS for its consistency in organizing the event to celebrate excellence in the sector since 2009.
His remarks highlighted the importance of interacting and engaging with critical stakeholders such as NCS in carrying out the functions of the House Committee on ICT in the development of legislation relevant to ICT and in performing the committee’s oversight functions.
He used the opportunity to inform the gathering about the progress being made in the national assembly on the Cybersecuity bill.
Loaded with excitement and meaning, dignitaries at Nigeria’s most important and recognized IT award event included Mr. Emeka Ezekwesili, director, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) representing the Acting DG, NITDA, Elvis Alabegbe, special assistant to the DG, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) representing the DG, NIMC, Immediate Past President of the NCS, Sir Demola Aladekomo, Past Presidents of NCS, Dr. Chris Nwannena, Professor Charles Uwadia and Past Provost, College of Fellows, Alhaji Ladi Ogunneye.
Professor David Adewumi, NCS President, noted in his welcome address that NCS organizes NITMA annually to celebrate and reward outstanding achievement in Information Technology (IT) by corporate organizations and individuals.
According to Adewumi, “NITMA acknowledges their exceptional hard work, contributions and excellence in accelerating IT development in Nigeria”. He charged the audience to join NCS in celebrating those making the industry and profession proud.
Professional fellowships were conferred on eleven new fellows during the fellowship award process coordinated by the Past Provost of the College of Fellows, Alhaji Ladi Ogunneye and the NCS President. Fellow is the highest grade of the NCS professional cadre, which is conferred in recognition of the significant impact an NCS member has had in the IT field.
New NCS professional fellows (FNCS) are: Mr. Oso Olugbenga Ayoola, Special Assistant to the Governor, State of Osun on planning and development at the State Planning Commission, Professor (Mrs.) Stella Chinye Chiemeke, Director of ICTU/CRPU, University of Benin, Mr. Protus Etim Akpan Amah, Executive Director and Head, Sales and Marketing, Data Sciences Nigeria Limited, and Mr. Adeolu Benedict Okanlawon, SAP Support Manager for Shell Nigeria and Gabon.
Others are: Mrs. Adijat Temilola Okunade, an Information Technology professional and an academician, Olorogun James Ono Emadoye, Chairman/CEO of BSSL Technologies Limited, Mr. Lookman Kayode Oseni, Assistant Director/Head of Software section of Data Sciences Nigeria Limited, Mr. Adetunji Micheal Adedowole, Executive Director, Technical Services and Support department, Data Sciences Nigeria Limited, Mr. Adedeji Adekunle Daramola, MD/CEO of IT & Management Solutions Limited, Dr. O. Fabian Uzoh, first Acting Head of Computer Science Department of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) Imo State and Dr Akin Fapohunda, Executive Director of Digital Trust Ltd/Gte and Aflon Digital Institute.
INDUSTRY/ PERSONALITY AWARDS
Dr. Isaac O. Odeyemi, Managing Director, Debis Computers, was recognized for his commitment to the software profession and industry exemplified by his software leadership passion, investment in IT capacity building, youth innovation mentoring amongst other criteria and conferred with the award of “Best Software Entrepreneur of the Year 2013” by the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON). Federal University of Technology, Akure also won the ISPON National Software award for Tertiary Institutions.
Nominees for the IT Personality of the Year award were shortlisted and recognized for their industry, hard work, vision, values, ingenuity and tremendous accomplishments.
Despite the diverse and challenging obstacles in the sector, through NITMA NCS recognizes and celebrates these IT visionaries who have persevered and are breaking barriers and changing society – Andy Nwani – Managing Director, Dataflex Nigeria Limited, Austin Okere – Managing Director, Computer Warehouse Group, John Tani Obaro – Managing Director, Systemspecs Nigeria Limited and Yele Okeremi – Managing Director, Precise Financial Systems Limited.
A highlight and eagerly awaited moment therefore of the evening was the announcement by the Accenture representative of John Tan Obaro, Managing Director, SystemSpecs as the “2013 Information Technology Personality of Year” (the most outstanding IT contributor for 2013).
Also known as the President’s Award, NCS members voted online for their choice for IT’s most prestigious award. Accenture, acknowledged for its world class auditing services, confirmed the transparency and credibility of the entire voting process for the IT personality of the year award.
Other IT dignitaries who attended the event included: Mr. Chris Uwaje, President, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Dr. Abimbola Salako, former Provost, College of Fellows, Dr (Mrs) Adeola Ilechukwu, President, Nigerian Women In Information Technology (NIWIIT), Mr. Amos Emmanuel, First Vice President, Information Technology (Industry) Association of Nigeria (ITAN) and Sir Obi Okonkwo, Past Deputy Provost of NCS.
The event also witnessed the launching of the NCS Scholarship Fund and the NCS staff long service awards.
Jide Awe, chairman, Publicity, Events and Trade Services (NCS), NITMA beams a positive light on the IT sector to emphasize the important role IT practitioners and providers play in helping the nation attain developmental goals.
Promoting and supporting excellence strengthens the sector in particular, and the nation as a whole.
News
PalmPay, Jumia Reward Users in Festive Campaign
This holiday season just got a whole lot more exciting! PalmPay, one of Africa’s leading fintech platforms, operates Nigeria’s most used mobile wallet and has teamed up with Jumia, the continent’s e-commerce giant, to launch a festive campaign that’s all about convenience, rewards, and enhancing your shopping experience.
Running from December 11th to 28th, 2024, this holiday campaign is set to reward shoppers who use the new “Pay with PalmPay” feature on Jumia with cash prizes. Every purchase made using the direct payment method automatically enters participants into a draw, giving them a chance to win exciting cash rewards while enjoying the seamless shopping and payment process.
A Strategic Partnership To Enhance Digital Payments
The integration of the “Pay with PalmPay Wallet” feature on Jumia marks a major milestone in the partnership between the two industry leaders.
Speaking at the media announcement, Mr. Chika Nwosu, Managing Director of PalmPay, highlighted the broader mission driving this collaboration: “We are thrilled to join forces with Jumia to redefine convenience for shoppers. At PalmPay, our mission has always been to drive economic empowerment through accessible and user-friendly financial services. This partnership is a natural step forward in achieving that goal.”
Beyond the holidays, this partnership with Jumia m,k is a signal of bigger things to come. Mr. Chika added: “This is more than just about payments—it’s about creating value for our customers. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership will unlock in 2025, including campaigns and innovative initiatives that will further transform the online shopping landscape.”
Sunil Natraj, CEO of Jumia Nigeria, highlighted the shared vision between both companies, stating: “At Jumia, we are dedicated to creating value for our customers by ensuring a convenient, reliable, and secure shopping experience. This partnership with PalmPay strengthens our commitment to enhancing the digital payments within our platform. By integrating PalmPay, we are providing more options for customers to access affordable and quality goods with the convenience of cashless transactions.”
How to Join the Holiday Fun
Participating in the campaign is simple. When shopping on Jumia, select the “Pay with PalmPay” option at checkout, and your entry into the draw is automatic. It’s that easy!
Bonus Entry: Share a screenshot of your purchase on X (formerly Twitter) using the hashtag #PalmPayXJumia to increase your chances of winning. Additional winners will be selected from participants engaging with the campaign on Twitter.
Whether you are shopping for gifts, or gadgets this festive season, PalmPay and Jumia are making sure your experience is not only seamless but also rewarding.
To learn more about the campaign, stay tuned to the official X accounts (formerly Twitter) of @palmpay_ng and @JumiaNigeria. for updates, announcements, and more chances to win.
News
Corruption: ICPC Threatens Sanctions as 330 MDAs Fail Financial, Governance Tests
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), has revealed that none of the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), in the country complied fully with ethical standards, policies, and anti-corruption measures in the passing year.
This was following the findings from the Commission’s Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) for the MDAs.
The Commission warned that henceforth, non-compliant MDAs will face necessary actions, including enforcement, to ensure adherence to government directives.
According to the EICS scorecard released on Thursday in Abuja by Demola Bakare, ICPC spokesperson, no MDA out of 330 MDAs that were assessed through physical deployment by ICPC teams achieved full compliance.
The EICS serves as a preventive tool used to assess and enhance the compliance of MDAs with ethical standards, policies, and anti-corruption measures.
Findings from the report indicated that no MDA achieved full compliance, while 29.55 per cent of MDAs captured attained substantial compliance, and 51.62 per cent had partial compliance.
The report also observed that 15.91 per cent showed poor compliance, while 292 per cent were non-compliant.
According to the report, common gaps included a lack of whistle-blower policies, strategic plans, and effective stock verification units, adding that many MDAs failed to conduct any forms of system studies or render financial and audit reports.
Commenting on the report, Bakare noted: “This year, 2024, the tool covered 323 responsive MDAs, with 15 MDAs non-responsive and categorised as high corruption risk.
“It is imperative to inform you that this initiative has yielded some positive and value-driven impacts, and these are, but not limited to, increased awareness and compliance with anti-corruption measures, enhanced competition among MDAs to meet criteria, and improved procurement processes and data reliability.
“The Commission recognises the MDAs with substantial compliance and will continue deploying these tools to promote integrity and accountability.
“Non-compliant MDAs will face necessary actions, including enforcement, to ensure adherence to government directives. We are certain that these efforts will continue to underline ICPC’s dedication to enhancing good governance and preventing corruption.”
News
Dangote Refinery Denies Liquidity Challenges, Dismisses NNPCL’s $1Bn Loan Claim
Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) has dismissed claims that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) used a $1 billion loan secured through a crude forward sale agreement to support the refinery during a liquidity crisis.
In a statement on Wednesday, Anthony Chiejina, company’s chief branding and communications officer, said the NNPCL’s stance was a distortion of the facts.
“We would like to clarify that this is a misrepresentation of the situation as $1bn is just about 5% of the investment that went into building the Dangote Refinery,” Chiejina said.
Chiejina stated that the refinery’s decision to enter into a partnership with the NNPCL was based on the recognition of “their strategic position in the industry as the largest offtaker of Nigerian crude” and at the time, the sole supplier of petrol into Nigeria.
“We agreed on the sale of a 20% stake at a value of $2.76 billion. Of this, we agreed that they will only pay $1 billion while the balance will be recovered over a period of 5 years through deductions on crude oil that they supply to us and from dividends due to them,” Chiejina said.
“If we were struggling with liquidity challenges we wouldn’t have given them such generous payment terms. As at 2021 when the agreement was signed, the refinery was at the pre-commission stage.”
According to the statement, the agreement would have been cash-based rather than credit-driven if the refinery struggled with liquidity issues.
The refinery’s spokesman said the NNPCL was subsequently unable to supply the agreed 300,000 barrels a day of crude (bpd).
He stated that the shortfall was because the NNPPC “had committed a greater part of their crude cargoes to financiers with the expectation of higher production which they were unable to achieve”.
“We subsequently gave them a 12-month period for them to pay cash for the balance of their equity given their inability to supply the agreed crude oil volume,” he said.
“NNPCL failed to meet this deadline which expired on June 30th 2024. As a result, their equity share was revised down to 7.24%. These events have been widely reported by both parties,” he said.
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