22 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021 Why Nigeria needs 2% of GDP for research, innovation By Emmanuel Elebeke Minister of External Affairs, Geofrey Onyeama has said that the country needs to set aside two per cent of its Gross Domestic Product, GDP for research and innovation, if it must continue to get recognition in the global market. He said setting such amount aside would position the country for real development and guarantee production of problem-solving solutions such as COVID-19 vaccines which Nigeria clearly relies on other countries for supply. Onyeama spoke at the justconcluded 2021 Technology and Innovation Expo in Abuja. He, however, commended the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, for the passion and commitment he is showing on science and technology. Onyeama said: “If you look at all the developed and industrialised countries of the world, there is one common factor;- emphasis on investments on science and technology and innovation. “Today, no society can prosper and grow without science and innovation; we have to put in more into our research, innovation and an enabling environment for our research and innovation. It is important that the country should set aside at least two per cent of its GDP for research and innovation. “We have a global pandemic and we need vaccines and vaccination and one of these things is that countries that have invested on research and development and innovation are the ones producing the vaccines and we that have not invested resources on science, technology and innovation are now sitting down waiting for those countries to provide us with vaccines to keep our people alive. “If there is anything that suggests that we know the importance of research and development, it is this challenge of COVID-19 that we are in now.” Responding to the challenge, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Onu charged investors to take advantage of research findings displayed at the Expo to create jobs, wealth for citizens and for the entire nation. DIGITAL SWITCH OVER: Lagos ready to go digital —NBC •Hails StarTimes’ roles towards feat By Prince Osuagwu, Hi-Tech Editor Lagos State is exiting the analogue broadcasting April 29. From that day, broadcast signals will switch to digital and the nation will have successfully put the right steps to the second phase of the national digital switch over project. It is expected to terminate sometime in 2022. The journey practically began in 2016 with the pilot rollout in Jos. And a few years after, the country announced a phase two to the project. Although financial and technical issues have not allowed the phase to take shape until now, the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Prof Armstrong Idachaba says everything is now in place to hit the ground running. In addition to other supports, Idachaba said the Federal Government has released about N9.4billion to drive the project. Under phase two, Lagos, Port Harcourt and other cities will be switched on to digital TV and in preparation to that, the NBC came on an inspection tour of facilities necessary to give Lagos a drive to the digital broadcasting. Interestingly, Idachaba who led the NBC team confessed that Lagos was ready to go digital based on what is on ground. The inspection which began with a tour of digital transmitters at NTA Station, Channel 10, Tejuosho, left the NBC team in awe. After the tour, Idachaba said: “Nigeria has taken a decision to continue with the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting. This visit is in furtherance of this objective. We are glad that ITS Ltd has already installed DVB2 technology. We have seen that the installed capacity for DTT transmission is very high. I acknowledge the role of their partners, StarTimes, and I think, between NTA and StarTimes, there is a great combined effort to ensure that the rollout happens in Lagos and other cities in Nigeria quickly. “This inspection is reassuring. It means that we have the technical and infrastructural capabilities, and are ready to kick off in Lagos on April 29,” he added. He described the project as a capital intensive revolution which gulps a lot of money but expressed happiness that the government is assisting greatly. Meanwhile, seeing how viable the project is, the federal government has also decided it is self-sustained. Idachaba said the commission is hoping that some of the component players will be able to to generate their own funds to sustain the rollout even as the federal government recently approved N9.4billion for NBC to facilitate the DSO drive. Also speaking, Acting CEO, NTA- Star TV Network, Alex Jian, said the company’s technical team is ready to support the nation in transiting fully to digital TV. He said: “The NBC DG has a big strategy for DSO and NTA- StarTimes will cooperate very well with ITS Ltd to support this project. Our technical team is ready. We have already prepared ourselves for this switch over all over the country. “So we are providing affordable decoders and our bouquets are much more affordable. On our coverage, we have more than 60 base stations nationwide. In some base stations, we are losing money because there are a small population and few customers but we are still holding our position there. Our goal is to make everyone enjoy digital life. We have also created a pay-per-day module and we have implemented this for more than three years,” Alex said. ‘Why data protection must be taken seriously’ Stories by Juliet Umeh EO of Data Services Protection CLimited, DSPL, Mr. Tunde Balogun has advised Nigerians to protect their personal data from falling into wrong hands else they could be used to commit crimes and other online atrocities. Balogun, who is also the convener of the Association of Licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisations of Nigeria, ALDPCON, harped on the need for the public and private sectors to ensure that data in their possessions are secured. He stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria is aware of the need to protect the data of Nigerians and so put facilities in place to ensure compliance with this directive. According to him, the FG through the National Information Technology Agency, NITDA, has been going about sensitising ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, state governments and the private sector on the need to comply with data protection. Conscious of the concerns around privacy and protection of personal data and the grave consequences of leaving personal data processing unregulated, the NITDA in 2019 issued the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). Nigeria’s principal data protection legislation is the NDPR issued by the NITDA on 25 January 2019 pursuant to Section 32 of the NITDA Act 2007 as subsidiary legislation to the NITDA Act 2007. B us-hailing company, Plentywaka, application has announced a new investment from an American global platform for investment and innovation, Techstars, to gain funding, mentorship and access to experts. This is as the startup currently sets its sights on global expansion after one year of moving over 300,000 riders in Nigeria. It will also join nine other startups in the Techstars Toronto accelerator programme, Class of 2021. In another development, the company has launched its city-tocity service for Nigerians, where commuters travelling from one state to another within the country can now purchase discounted bus tickets from its mobile app. With this added feature, commuters have the luxury of According to Balogun, “the good thing is that some of our people are beginning to understand why data must be protected in all ramifications. A good example is the government of Oyo State where we are currently implementing data protection services for about eight ministries, departments and agencies as part of the first phase of the scheme. “It is still going to all other ministries but we started with these eight MDAs because they handle more data than most other MDAs and it even goes beyond mere putting facilities in place to enforce compliance with data protection. “This is where we are shoulder high than other DCOs. Many people think data protection is only about data auditing but it goes beyond that because we provide other deliverables. In our case, we do auditing, we train staff, organise lectures, we ensure full privacy and arrange workshops to drive home the point,” he explained. He stated that data collection is the most resourceful enterprise in the world and that most successful companies in the world are not in the oil & gas, banking or insurance but in the collection of data. He said this was why government is insisting on protection of data of Nigerians in both public and private sectors of the country. Balogun said data protection is part of the larger layers of strategies being in place by governments all over the world to checkmate cybercrimes, which he said had attracted the concern of wellmeaning human beings. Plentywaka set for global expansion with Techstars new investment … Launches city-to-city service for Nigerians choosing their preferred bus transportation company from the list of partners listed on the company’s app from the comfort of their homes. To kick-start the service, it would be partnering with some major bus travel companies in Nigeria including Libra Motors with over 300 buses in their fleet along with four other players with a capacity of more than 2000 buses plying over 100 routes across Nigeria. Co-Founder and CEO of Plentywaka, Onyeka Akumah, said: “We are very excited about this new investment to partner with Techstars. This is the second time a startup I founded will go through a Techstars accelerator program and we are truly happy they have believed in our ability again to execute. Samsung approves sales discount for Tech Experience Centre customers By Juliet Umeh amsung Nigeria says it is Simpressed with the opportunity sales outlet, Tech Experience Centre has afforded customers to experience the latest technological transformational devices on display in the Tech Experience Centre, which was opened by TD Africa last October. The commendation coincides with the company’s decision to give its customers discounts on some of its products. The Tech Experience Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, is home to latest global technological devices manufactured by Original Equipment Manufacturers, OEMs, like Samsung Nigeria. The centre offers visitors a first-hand experience of new devices, gadgets, solutions and infrastructure that were previously alien to the industry and customers in Nigeria. Head, Marketing, Samsung Nigeria, Iretiogo Oke, said: “The Tech Centre provides customers an array of our latest premium technological devices and gadgets on a consistent basis. It is like a daily technological exhibition of some sort and it is open to customers for a long period of time daily. We are glad to be part of this remarkable arrangement which enables us to reach our customers in a whole new level and avail consumers with ultramodern home and office appliances,” she added. On the discounts, Head, Consumer Electronics, Samsung Nigeria, Oluwaremilekun Ogunsan, said “We are very happy to announce that Consumers can enjoy up to 20 percent discount on a range of home appliances such as Refrigerators and Washing Machines. This offer is our own way of assisting our customers who would love to celebrate their mothers with a special gift and we thought it wise to help them achieve it.” Mother’s Day celebration has become a huge part of us in Nigeria and it is an opportunity for Mothers to receive pleasant gifts of appreciation from their Children, she added. Head of the Tech Experience Centre, Chidalu Ekeh, says that aside from reducing the decisionmaking cycle for Chief Executive Officers, CEOs, Chief Information Officers CIOs, Chief Technology Officers, CTOs, as well as other technology consumers, the Centre serves as a training centre for young Nigerians on the latest technology.
Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021 — 23 C M Y K
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