E-Business
Weco Systems Partners NNPC on Next Generation Data Centre
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is the National Oil Corporation through which the federal government of Nigeria regulates and participates in the country’s petroleum industry.
NNPC by law manages the joint venture between the Nigerian federal government and a number of foreign multinational corporations. Through collaboration with these companies, the Nigerian government conducts petroleum exploration and production.
Like many other large corporations, NNPC faces a changing set of business demands. These include the need to simplify operations, make better use of assets, and reduce costs, while also improving application performance and end user experience through increased availability, speed, and agility of services.
A technological evaluation of suitable network components prompted the question of an overall architecture that could help ensure the future value for NNPC’s data center.
NNPC’s existing infrastructure had served it for years, but was beginning to be challenged by the need to provide more bandwidth for applications while meeting the need to physically separate traffic for the various departments.
Within the data center, bundling links to increase bandwidth was a complicated operation demanding a lot of extra cabling.
Overall business agility was constrained by a shortage of maintenance windows.
User demand meant that there were only two weekend-long maintenance windows each year for major upgrades, and these had to be shared with other teams, such as those managing servers.
NNPC evaluated several proposals and selected the solution presented by Weco Systems, a Cisco Tier one GOLD partner.
Weco Systems investigated the technology options.
While it was possible to upgrade the existing infrastructure it became clear that a far better choice was to re-design the network using ADVANCED CISCO NEXUS SERIES SWITCHES.
This new platform has been specifically designed for data centers and is a major step forward in increasing availability, speed, and ease of operations.
The Cisco Nexus platform is a technology foundation and key enabler of Cisco Data Center Business Advantage, an architectural approach that provides tighter integration of servers, networks, and storage systems, which in turn helps to deliver new improvements in performance and cost efficiency.
With its Cisco and Network refresh, NNPC adopted an enterprise-class network to support increased demands from constituents. Since the solution was implemented, network stability issues have become a thing of the past and IT help desk incidents have declined. As a result, IT staff can make more efficient use of their budget and staff can spend time focusing on more strategic initiatives to improve customer service across departments.
During the commissioning of the state of the art Data Centre, the General Manager, ISD; Don Aholu while welcoming the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Engr. Andy Yakubu and other Chiefs within the corporate said that delivery of the Data Centre is one of the initiatives that IT has successfully undertaken within the last two and half years in a deliberate attempt to transform NNPC to a world class organization.
He explained that the Data Centre was built to host the most demanding and mission critical enterprise and line of business systems and solutions.
He further reiterated that hosting of NNPC mission critical business solutions in the Data Centre instead of with third parties is expected to yield savings of $5 million dollars per annum for the corporation.
He said that to ensure availability of business systems 24/7, the Data Centre will be supported by a state of the art Business Continuity centre that is nearing completion.
With the added Cisco security features, IT management benefits from tremendous oversight of who and what devices are on the network, whether wired or wireless.
IT can also better control the risks associated with that access for some numerous computers serving the large corporation. Weco Systems approach also ensures Web Security Appliance protects users from accessing malicious websites and prevents malware and virus infections.
IT administrators can now control access to online web applications and securely allow users to use social networking sites and other Web 2.0 sites for collaboration.
The prevalence of excellent local expertise for Cisco technology, including the skilled consulting and deployment provided by WECO SYSTEMS, allowed the IT department to achieve a swift, easier-than-expected implementation within critical timeframe.
NNPC can take full advantage of these local resources and the robust features of its new data centre to stay on track with new technologies as they emerge for years to come.
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Mastercard to enhance data protection in Nigeria.
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, commissioner, NDPC and Derek Ho,deputy chief privacy officer, Mastercard
The agreement was sealed during a workshop where 150 Data Protection Officers (DPOs) were trained on Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs).
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, commissioner, NDPC, said the event kicks off activities for the 8th NADPA conference, highlighting government efforts to train more certified DPOs.
Olatunji also disclosed the Federal Government’s commitment to increasing the number of certified DPOs with the required skills to manage data protection.
He noted that Nigeria’s digital-savvy youth are key to driving this agenda.
“Human capital is really key to us, and the ecosystem we are regulating is very special. It is still new, still emerging, and we need all we can to build the capacity of officers.
“We want to build the capacity of our people so we can be able to deliver on our mandate and fully deepen privacy in Nigeria.
“We are targeting to build the capacity of 250,000 DPOs annually, and we are working with partners like Mastercard to achieve that,” he said.
Derek Ho,deputy chief privacy officer, Mastercard, also stressed the need for collaboration to build trust in the digital economy and urged participants to embrace training as data protection keeps evolving.
Central Securities Clearing System PLC (CSCS) has announced the launch of *7270#, its Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) code service, set to go live on May 8th, 2025.
The USSD code service is an innovative solution designed to enhance the ease and accessibility of investment services for all users.
Also, this service leverages the network capabilities of MTN Nigeria to bring unparalleled convenience to investors.
Driven by a relentless commitment to innovation, CSCS aims to revolutionize information access within the Nigerian capital market through this USSD code service.
As the Central Securities Depository (CSD), CSCS focuses on enhancing investor experiences and providing deeper market insights with unparalleled convenience.
The CSCS USSD code service offers seamless access to essential market information directly from mobile phones, eliminating the need for internet connectivity or specialized trading platforms.
Investors can now effortlessly retrieve Clearing House Number (CHN), check Direct Cash Settlement (DCS) status, view stock positions, account balances, and account status confirmations.
Haruna Jalo-Waziri, managing director/chief executive officer of CSCS, said ” We are excited to launch the *7270# USSD code service, a significant step in leveraging mobile technology to democratize access to account and portfolio information.
“This service empowers every investor, regardless of their location or resources, to stay informed about their investments. At CSCS, we believe that financial inclusivity is key to driving economic growth.
“Our partnership with MTN Nigeria on this project represents a significant leap toward a more inclusive financial landscape, leveraging the spread of the MTN network.
“This collaboration enhances the investing experience, reinforcing our shared commitment to empowering individuals with the tools they need to manage their financial futures effectively.” he added.
The CSCS USSD code service will initially be available to MTN users only. However, CSCS plans to expand this service to other networks soon.
This innovative service offers investors streamlined and secure access to critical market information at their fingertips.
Aisha Umar Mumuni, chief digital officer of MTN Nigeria, said, “This collaboration with CSCS on the *7270# USSD service underscores MTN’s commitment to harnessing the power of mobile technology to simplify complex processes for our users.
“By making critical investment information available at the touch of a button, we are helping to democratize access to the capital markets and, in the process, enhance investor engagement and market transparency,” she said.
CSCS continues to lead the way in technological advancements, reinforcing its position as a pivotal player in the Nigerian capital market ecosystem.
This initiative underscores our dedication to enhancing market efficiency and empowering investors with the tools they need for informed decision-making.
The need to maximise local digital assets, amid dwindling Oil revenues and a struggling economy, has been reiterated by the Chief Executive Officer of Quomodo Systems Africa, Oluwole Asalu, who maintained this measure remains the path to prosperity.
Asalu, while addressing the press in Lagos, recently asserted that global shift towards digital economies, presents a pivotal opportunity for Nigeria at this time to mobilise sufficient resources towards effective governance.
He emphasised harnessing the burgeoning local digital economy to expedite national diversification goals, while break away from overdependence on oil output.
Asalu, boasted further that Nigeria’s tech-savvy, youthful population and increasing recognition from global tech giants already position its digital sector as a driver of inclusive growth and job creation.
“Nigeria’s overreliance on oil is no longer tenable. As global markets shift towards renewable energy, the urgency to diversify has never been greater. Technology stands out as the most promising avenue, not merely as a sector, but as an enabler of growth across all facets of the economy,” he explained.
According to him, Nigeria’s tech talent remains the new oil, a renewable resource with the potential for significant returns, if strategically harnessed.
Like India’s successes in information technology services, Asalu want Nigeria to tap into lucrative outsourcing industry to draw foreign investment.
“Foreign investment in Nigeria’s tech sector is rising. Programmes like Digital Explorers have led European firms such as Telesoft to establish operations in Nigeria. Tech giants like Microsoft and Facebook have followed suit, injecting capital and creating jobs,” he stated.
He again pointed to the emergence of three unicorns within Nigeria’s tech ecosystem as a breakthrough and sign of maturity.
“Nigeria’s tech ecosystem is already showing signs of maturity, with three unicorns emerging from its soil. These success stories, powered by local innovation, underscore the viability of a home-grown, world-class tech sector,” he affirmed.
He however emphasized urgent need to close existing gap in skills and infrastructure, in addition to embracing governance and collaboration to fully harness digital potential cum future.
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