Feb 27, 2012 - Nigeria World News

Monday, February 27, 2012

Caverton Helicopters to commence int’l flight next month

12:47 AM News No Comments

Lagos – Caverton Helicopters, a leading provider of aviation services to the oil and gas sector in Nigeria, will from next month, expand its operational reach beyond the country when it commences a five-year contract with the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company, COTCO.
The contract was won through a competitive bidding process and is the first international contract to be applied for and won by the company. Caverton Helicopters is a Nigerian company that started an intra-city helicopter service in Lagos in 2004 but has grown steadily into a dominant player in the oil-and-gas aviation niche market.
Mr. Remi Makanjuola, chairman of Caverton Group said: “This is a major leap for our company and for Nigeria.
“As a company, it furthers our goal of becoming the premier offshore logistics service provider in sub-Saharan Africa. But it also shows increasing confidence in the competence of Nigerian companies and it aligns with the economic diplomacy advocacy of the Federal Government.”

Battle of Rwanda: Keshi strikes a balance

12:46 AM Sports No Comments

As at 6 pm yesterday, Dickson Etuhu was the only Europe-based player who had arrived the Eagles camp for the Nations Cup match against Rwanda in Kigali on Wednesday.
And they leave for the assignment tonight. Although some players were expected late in the night the Nigeria football Federation would have been scared stiff today if they had not joined hands with their technical crew to start the process of building a new national team with local players as the base.
But they leave tonight confident of the team that they will parade in Kigali. CAF moved the qualifiers from weekend to midweek and the Europe-based players had to play for their clubs before flying to Nigeria. Some would even arrive today and make the trip tonight. But Stephen Keshi and his crew have about 11 local players they believe can, on their own, stand the test of time in Kigali.
The team has worked so hard that the coaches believe in them and are passing words to Nigerians to equally believe in the new dawn to boost the confidence of the players and “make them give more.” The selection will likely be a combination of the local and Europe-based players, a shift from the past when they only trained and were decamped on the eve of matches. Even his invitation is 11-11.(11 pros and 11 home-based).
Will his selection be on that basis, too? 90 minutes in Rwanda will decide.

Oshiomhole tasks Dangote on Agenebode fertilizer plant

12:44 AM News No Comments

BENIN—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has appealed to the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, to fast-track his planned fertilizer company in Agenebode for people of Edo State to feel the positive impact of the group.
In a congratulatory letter to Dangote, Oshiomhole re-assured that the government and people of Edo State would give the group the necessary support in addition to other measures already taken to see that the plant became a reality.
He said: “I congratulate you on the completion and commissioning of your six million metric tons per annum cement factory at Ibese, Ogun State. We join other Nigerians to salute the sterling vision and unflinching commitment to development, which you have demonstrated in the execution of this gigantic project.
“I am particularly pleased and excited by the potential multiplier effect of this investment on the economy especially the employment of graduate professionals and the empowerment of several ancillary businesses.”

Pedro joins PDP’s secretaryship race

12:41 AM News, Politics No Comments

LAGOS – Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Otunba Femi Pedro, has declared his intention to contest the position of the National Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at the forth-coming national convention of the party.
Mr. Lanre Anjolaiya, Special Assistant on Media and Strategy to Pedro in a statement, said that the renowned banker, industrialist, politician was most qualified for the job, judging from his rich experience and sound pedigree in both the private and public sectors of national life.
Anjolaiya said his (Pedro) passion to serve the party in the capacity stemmed from a burning desire to team up with other members of the party to assist President Goodluck Jonathan actualise his transformation agenda for the country.

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Osaze vows to break goals record

12:39 AM Sports No Comments

Super Eagles and West Brom striker, Osaze Odemwingie believes he can match his season’s best tally of a 15-goal haul.
The 30-year-old bagged a brace in the 4-0 win over in-form Sunderland on Saturday and now has five goals in his last two outings for the Baggies.
“The most important thing for me is that we finally got a win at home for our fans,” Odemwingie told the club’s official website.
“It was very important to start well and get all the fans behind us right from the kick-off. I was very glad I could score an early goal and give confidence to the rest of the team.
“We didn’t over-celebrate our last victory and were very serious because it was the right time to turn things around at The Hawthorns and get three points.
“Hopefully we can win more games at home now.”
He added: “People have asked me if I can beat my record or get double figures.
“I said yes, if I have a good run, maybe it is possible. I’m happy it’s coming.”

Drogba becomes Chelsea’s fourth highest scorer

12:37 AM Sports No Comments

London - Didier Drogba became Chelsea’s fourth highest all-time scorer when he bagged the second goal in their 3-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Ivory Coast striker headed in a left-wing corner from Frank Lampard in the 61st minute to reach 151 goals for the Stamford Bridge club, one more than Peter Osgood and Roy Bentley.

Didier Drogba

Only Lampard, who also netted on Saturday to take his tally to 182, Kerry Dixon (193) and Bobby Tambling (202) have scored more goals for Chelsea.

US-based Nigerian Firm Wins Kenyan Oil Blocks

12:31 AM Business, News No Comments

US publicly listed oil exploration and development company, CAMAC Energy, has won three new oil exploration blocks in Kenya. The deal further enlarges the company’s operations in Africa.
Confirming this yesterday, Chairman/CEO of CAMAC, Dr. Kase Lawal, said an agreement has already been reached between the Kenyan government and CAMAC on award of three new oil blocks in the East African country, and that their leases are expected to be issued soon.
Earlier, a press statement issued in New York, disclosed that the US-based energy company “has entered into an agreement with the Kenyan Ministry of Energy for the award of three exploration blocks: l1A L1B, and L16 (the Blocks).”
Industry sources explain that inking “heads of agreement” deal is the last stage in the licensing process, and that once such an agreement was signed, the formal licenses would be issued.

Mimiko Marks Three Years In Office, Promises More Development

12:30 AM News, Politics No Comments

AKURE, the Ondo State capital, stood still at the weekend as the people from the 18 local government areas of the state and beyond converged in the city to celebrate three years of the administration of Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
Mimiko took the mantle of leadership when he was sworn-in on Tuesday, February 24, 2009, following the reclamation of his mandate through a judgement of the Court of Appeal, Benin, Edo State, affirming his earlier victory at the Justice Garba Nabaruma-led Election Petition Tribunal.
Addressing the crowd, Mimiko said rather than slow down, he would continue to work for the people and remain focused on delivering on his campaign promises.
The Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Arcade, venue of the Anniversary Parade and Star Performance, was filled on Friday to the brim with dignitaries from within and beyond Nigeria’s shores, Labour Party faithful, traditional rulers, professional and youth bodies, non-governmental organisations as well as top musicians and artistes.

State Pursues Agric-City Initiative

12:28 AM News No Comments

BRIEFS
THE Kwara State government is set to make the state the agriculture hub of the nation and beyond. To this end, the State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed inaugurated a committee in conjunction with Cornell University, New York and Bridge Education and Technology Institute LLC to develop a five-year master plan to turn the state to a top destination of choice for agro-business in Nigeria and the West African sub-region. The body comprises Prof. Ronnie Coffman, Peter Gregory, and Harold Van Es, from Cornell University as well as Prof. Funsho Oluleye, Prof. M. A Bilewu, Prof. Rasheed Na’Allah, and Dr. Fatimo Adekola. Governor Ahmed said the committee has assurance that the political will to sustain the initiative is in place, adding that the administration is determined to evolve an agro-driven economy for the state and the nation. The master plan, the governor said, is imperative in view of the state government’s desire to drive the economy through agriculture.
—Fabian Odum

Govt Cautions Residents On Lassa Fever
FOLLOWING the outbreak of Lassa fever in Nasarawa and Plateau States, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, the Borno State government has warned residents to take precautionary measures against the disease that has already claimed over 50 lives this year. Health Commissioner, Dr. Salamatu Anas-Kolo yesterday in Maiduguri said: “The outbreak of Lassa fever in neighbouring states is a health warnings to others to be on guard against contracting the virus.”
—Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri

N4b Fertilizer For Farmers
ZAMFARA State government has procured fertilizer worth N4b for distribution to farmers as loan during this year’s farming season, says state governor, Alhaji Abdul’aziz Yari Abubakar. The government has also threatened to withhold supply of the product to any local council that fails to make full remittance of last year’s sales within the next three weeks. Abdul’aziz Yari announced this on Friday at a press conference at Government House, Gusau. He disclosed that government is disturbed by the attitude of farmers who are unwilling to support government in its effort at reviving the agricultural sector in the state. “We cannot continue like this. So, I have told the committee members that it is no longer business as usual. We must be serious in all our affairs,” Yari said.
—Isah Ibrahim, Gusau

Shettima Appoints Gusau As Media Aide

BORNO State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, has approved the appointment of Isa Umar Gusau, the Assistant Editor of Media Trust, as Special Adviser on Media and Communications.
The appointment was made public in a statement signed by Commissioner of Information, Inuwa Bwala, yesterday in Maiduguri.
—Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri

ICT, future of Cross River: A case for Tinapa

12:27 AM Technology No Comments

WHERE lies the future of Cross River State within the context of national and global competitiveness and who is capable of delivering that future? This question may look complex to engage, evaluate and provide a responsively proactive solution.
However, on a closer look, we begin to understand that, though, it is a food for thought at this particular time in the history of the state, the answer to the above question comes handy and indeed very simple!
Worldwide IT spending forecast for 2011 was to crest at $3.67 trillion, a 7.1 per cent jump from the $3.42 trillion spent globally in 2010, according to figures compiled by researcher Gartner Inc. ICT has remained the single largest turnover index and economic development instrument for the past four decades!
The researcher forecast that global spending on computer hardware will run up by nearly 12 per cent in 2011 to some $419 billion, has come to pass. In similar vein, worldwide spending for enterprise software was expected to reach $268 billion in 2011 homing in a 9.5 per cent increase. In Gartner’s view, the lion’s share of IT spending in 2011 was generated by services, with some $846 billion, a 6.6 increase over 2010, and telecom at $2.1 trillion, for a 7 per cent bump from 2010 totals.

HP introduces new printer to Nigeria

12:26 AM Technology No Comments

HP Officejet Pro 8600 is a professional colour Multi Functional Printer (MFP). It offers much more than anyone could ask for from a printer. When it comes to paper handing, the Officejet Pro 8600 plus can do everything. It automatically duplexes printouts and copies two-sided-to-two-sided as well.
Setting up the Officejet Pro 8600 Plus is a breeze with any of the three supported interfaces: USB, ethernet, and Wi-Fi. The 4.3-inch LCD is great: It’s easy to enter passwords for wireless setups; the menus and settings are well-organised and you get access to HP’s numerous Web apps. For printing from smart phones, you get HP’s print-by-mail ePrint service, as well as direct printing from iOS and Android devices via HP applets. The contextually lit navigational controls (they remain dark until needed) that flank the LCD are less thrilling, as they require an unintuitive, annoyingly long touch before responding.
The Officejet Pro 8600 Plus’s print quality for office basics is quite good. Printing on Officejet Pro 8600 Plus is very fast and produces good printing quality on the overall. Colour photos on glossy paper using the printer are excellent. Also, the OfficeJet has the in-built ability to create PDFs and drop them in a network folder, so scanning can be done from the simple controls on the touch screen on the device.
Fast start-up. The printer falls into a sleep mode that uses little power but wakes up quickly when a print job is sent. The “first-page” delay is one of the printer statistics that is usually concealed because many fast printers require as long as 45-60 seconds to get the first page into the tray after being asleep.

Improving workforce management with biometrics solution

12:25 AM Technology No Comments

WE don’t expect a business to remain the same (at all times) in terms of operations, processes, people and situations. There is a relative guarantee that a business will change irrespective of its current situation, this is also the case with the workforce. An organisation’s workforce will change at any level and to any extent. The ability of the management to manage the level and extent of change will determine its workforce success.
Over the years, there had been recurrent deliberations on tackling problem in workforce management. Two areas are widely discussed – Employee Absenteeism and Employee Lateness. These are potent dangers to organisation’s productivity, these two events have direct effect on organisational productivity. This is a factor to consider under workforce management. Failure to manage employee absenteeism results in reduced productivity. Your organisation will fall short of its targets stated under the business plan. There is the risk of losing your competitive advantage due to employees’ absence in critical sectors or positions. If absenteeism in not managed properly and effectively controlled, it can affect the entire workforce. It is contagious and can affect even good employees. Some people differentiate between absenteeism problems from attendance problems. However, both have similar effects. An attendance problem is a short-term disruptive event such as regular late arrivals at the workplace and unilaterally extending lunch breaks.

Airtel launches scheme to boost SMEs’ growth in Nigeria

12:24 AM Technology No Comments

IN a bid to empower Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with relevant and affordable telecommunications solutions, a telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria has introduced Club Business, a specific package aimed at boosting business productivity and profitability.
According to the Telco operator, the Club Business offering would enable owners of small and medium businesses to form a club of 20 members with their employees and thereby benefit from specialised discounts including free calls for the first 100 minutes and subsequent charge of 20k/sec for Airtel to Airtel calls, while SMS to club members would be at N1.
Chief Operating Officer/Executive Director, Airtel Nigeria, Deepak Srivastava said that the Airtel Club Business was specially designed to address the prevailing business environment in Nigeria, providing excellent opportunities for small business owners to adopt creative and strategic initiatives to survive the harsh business climate.

Vodacom introduces AfricaIPconnect solution to boost VSAT services

12:21 AM Technology No Comments

LEADING provider of pan-African corporate total communication solutions and telecommunications, Vodacom Business, has announced the introduction of its AfricaIPconnect solution, a product set to boost organisations’ experience when navigating the Internet space in Nigeria.
Vodacom Business’ AfricaIPconnect is a fully managed high speed Internet solution for large, medium and small size businesses located anywhere in Africa, using VSAT access technology.
Speaking on the product at the weekend in Lagos, Executive Head, Product and Services, Vodacom Business Nigeria, Wale Odeyemi said: “Africa remains an underserved region in terms of reliable terrestrial connectivity with the infrastructure largely in the deployment phase. A number of major towns and cities across Nigeria fall within land locked regions with little or no access to terrestrial Internet services. The Vodacom Business’ AfricaIPConnect solution is a highly reliable service built on premium C-band satellites to provide a direct connection to the Tier1 Internet backbone at speeds of up to 4Mbps/1Mbps for each of our

SMEs urged to adopt digital marketing to boost revenue

12:20 AM Technology No Comments

VCONNECT, Nigeria’s largest local search engine and leading information service provider, recently converged Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) owners in Lagos for a business forum on Digital Marketing.
The business forum with the theme “The Power of Digital Marketing” which was held in Lagos recently, was organised to help business owners achieve a paradigm shift from traditional marketing methodologies to digital marketing, which is more efficient and cost effective.
Speaking at the forum, the facilitator and Territory Sales Manager,
VConnect Global Services Limited, Mr. Wale Onibudo disclosed that digital marketing has great edge over traditional marketing in that it is focus targeting, cost effective and measureable in terms of Returns on Investment (ROI).
“Traditional marketing is costly, fragmented and difficult to measure.

Skye Bank adopts new technology for data centre management

12:19 AM Technology No Comments

SKYE Bank Plc has adopted the BankOne technology platform. This will enable the bank synchronise its e-channel and correspondent banking services to microfinance banks and also establish a direct link between BankOne’s datacentre and Skye Bank’s core IT infrastructure effectively making the bank a settlement bank for microfinance banks signed on to BankOne.
According to a statement from BankOne, Inter-bank transactions initiated on BankOne’s platform will ultimately boost respective MFB settlement accounts in Skye Bank and attract new clients to its value added services.
The technology platform will allow BankOne’s clients to perform everyday transactions and inter-bank transfers at Skye Bank branches while enjoying unrestricted access to the bank’s ATM services. The partnership between the two companies will extend the scope of microfinance banks beyond traditional outlets and geographical borders, especially as both companies will enjoy seamless interoperability.

‘Video to dominate 70 per cent of mobile data by 2016’

12:13 AM Technology No Comments

WORLDWIDE mobile data traffic will increase 18-fold over the next five years and reach 10.8 exabytes (EB) per month by 2016, with mobile video accounting for over two-thirds of it, according to statistics from Cisco’s latest Visual Networking Index.
This huge wave of extra mobile data is attributed chiefly to a surge in the number of mobile web-connected devices, which are predicted to reach over 10 billion (including machine-to-machine modules) by 2016 – more than the number of people expected to be on earth at that time (7.3 billion, according to UN estimates).
Other factors include, more streamed content, with mobile cloud traffic growing ten-fold from 2011 to 2016, increasingly powerful processing chips for mobile devices, which in turn means more advanced applications that require more data (tablets are expected to see a 62-fold increase in traffic generated over the forecast period); faster mobile speeds, with average speeds expected to increase nine-fold by 2016 and more mobile video, which will comprise 71 per cent of all mobile data traffic by 2016.

Report tasks businesses on data explosion, capacity glut

12:12 AM Technology No Comments

AN Oracle report entitled: Next Generation Data Centre Index Cycle II reveals that many businesses seem to have been caught off guard by the boom in ‘Big Data.’
The findings also suggest data has become an issue for boardroom consideration, while sustainability is back on the agenda.
The report follows Cycle 1 of the Next Generation Data Centre Index, announced in May 2011, which established that many businesses are lagging behind in their use of innovative technology in data centres, making them less able to meet industry demands and respond to change quickly, adding that, many were also found to be lagging in terms of managing spiraling energy costs.
But, the new research - Cycle 2 shows there has been improvement in the general performance of many

ALTON assures on telecommunications masts, others

12:11 AM Technology No Comments

THE Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has assured Lagosians on the safety of the over 4,000 telecoms towers in the state.
ALTON’s Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, who stated this in Lagos at the weekend, while reacting to the February 13, 2012 rainstorm, which destroyed lives and properties, including telecoms masts, said it became necessary to reaffirm the integrity of telecoms installations and infrastructure in Lagos State.
Adebayo, who commiserated with individuals and businesses affected by the storm, said the association was distressed to note that in addition to several billboards, structures and trees felled by the storm, two masts belonging to telecoms companies were destroyed, causing damage to adjoining properties.
According to him, the integrity of telecoms installations was not compromised in the state, adding that ALTON members would continue to ensure that telecoms infrastructure was built to withstand the highest level of anticipated environmental stress.

Gartner puts smartphone sales at 58 per cent in 2011

12:10 AM Technology No Comments

GARTNERhas published its mobile device numbers for the final quarter of 2011, reporting that 1.8 billion units were sold to end-users across the year, up 11.1 per cent on 2010.
It noted that smartphones accounted for 31 per cent of all device sales with 472 million units sold, up 58 per cent year on year.
The analyst firm’s findings chime with those released earlier this year by Strategy Analytics. Apple has displaced Samsung as the leading smartphone vendor in the field, with a 23.8 per cent share of the high-end handset market in the fourth quarter of last year, and 19 per cent across the whole 12 months. Apple sold 35.5 million iPhones in the last three months, Gartner said.
And there’s little to surprise in the firm’s assessment that competition from the chasing pack is doing little to trouble the top two in the smartphone space. Sony Ericsson, Motorola and RIM were all described as disappointing, failing to challenge the leaders while looking increasingly vulnerable to the low-end threat from the likes of Huawei and ZTE.
The report revealed that Samsung continues to close in on Nokia’s overall lead in the handset space, although the Finnish firm’s ability to execute and deliver on the Lumia WP7 products did offer a glimmer of hope. Nokia will have to price aggressively to stay in the game, Gartner said.

Phase3 telecoms to expand fibre optic network to Ghana, Ivory Coast

12:09 AM Technology No Comments

A TELECOMMUNICATIONS infrastructure provider in the country, Phase3 telecoms, has concluded plans to extend its aerial fibre optic network in Nigeria to Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal.
The company has already commenced connection of fibre optic network in Republic of Benin, Togo and Niger Republic.
Head, Corporate Administration & Marketing Strategy at Phase3 telecom Ltd, Mr. Mark Chiazor who disclosed this recently in Abuja said that the company was selected by the then Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in 2005 as one of the preferred company to extend and operate the fibre optic network on PHCN power lines in the Western half of Nigeria adding that the firm had deployed over 4,000km of optic fibre on the PHCN power line in Nigeria.
Chiazor noted that Phase3 telecom had since 2005 installed and commissioned several points of presence at sites located in the cities being served together with last mile connectivity for the fibre optic network.
He observed that this network covers cities in the western half of the country including Lagos, Ibadan, Benin, Abeokuta, Ilorin, Abuja, Kaduna, Akure, Kano and others.

Mobile money: Consumers’ awareness stirs new challenge

12:08 AM Technology No Comments

The mobile money industry is expected to record a lot of activities this year following various synergies among operators both from the financial and telecommunications sectors. But the issue of consumer awareness and education may pose a stumbling block to faster and deeper penetration. ADEYEMI ADEPETUN writes.
NIGERIA has seen remarkable gains on mobile phone service uses as there had been rapid uptake of various services, key among them is the mobile phone based solution for money transfer, better known as mobile money.
According to analysts, high mobile phone penetration and limited branch network of commercial banks and micro-lenders are expected to drive the growth of mobile money in the emerging markets of Middle East, Asia and Africa, where it is hoped to cross one billion user-base, growing into a $22 billion industry across Africa by 2015.
A recent report by McKinsey, stated that in the emerging markets, formal banking reaches a mere 37 per cent of the population, compared with the more than 50 per cent penetration rate for mobile phones.
Indeed, in Nigeria, there are over 90 million mobile phones, compared to about 22 million bank accounts holders in the country, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
This scheme, which assists in money transfer and information sharing, frees up consumer from the traditional banking system, as payment services are operated under financial regulation and perform from or via a mobile device.
However, creating a functional mobile-money model can be complicated, especially in a country like Nigeria, which is just embracing the initiative through a bank-led model.
The process calls for collaboration from two distinct domains, telephony and banking, as well as, for partnerships with a variety of players such as agents, some unfamiliar, to manage cash collections and disbursements and promote adoption.

Africa4IT canvasses adoption of enterprise solution, application development

12:06 AM Technology No Comments

ORGANISERS of the two-day Africa4IT conference, scheduled to hold in March, have said that the forum would be proffering measures that would reduce challenges encountered by enterprise solution providers and application developers in Nigeria.
According to the organisers, as Nigeria and many other African countries are gradually embracing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to deliver real value in their personal lives, the way they conduct businesses, communicate, educate and operate small and large scale services, must be redefined to meet global standards.
Speaking in Lagos recently on the event, the programme coordinator, Mr. Jide Sowade said that the time had

Oscar buzz grips Hollywood as ‘Artist’ eyes prize

12:00 AM Entertainment No Comments

HOLLYWOOD (AFP) – Hollywood is set for its biggest night of the year Sunday, as two odes to film-making — silent movie “The Artist” and Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” — vie for Oscars glory at the 84th Academy Awards.
After months of campaigning and a flurry of lesser prizes, Tinseltown’s annual awards season reaches its high point with the most prestigious honors of them all, the coveted golden statuettes.

Hundreds of millions around the globe will tune in for the ceremony hosted once again by veteran Billy Crystal, after A-listers strut their stuff down the most-watched red carpet in the world.
“Added excitement for #Oscars. One envelope will contain a live scorpion!” Crystal, who has done the job eight times before, joked in a Twitter message ahead of the greatest show in Hollywood.

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