Communication
Responsible journalism is key to success of democracy- Pantami
Dr Isa Pantami, Minister for Communications and Digital Economy at the Digital Skills training for ICT Reporters in Abuja.
Mr Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of NITDA said that ICT was a sure way of escaping the COVID-19 pandemic and the training was important towards achieving digital economy.
Total telecommunications solutions provider, Globacom, has said that its new product offering, Glo Prime, would help businesses grow by keeping them connected and running no matter the time of day. It is also meant to ensure customers get more value for the money they spend on the Glo network.
Glo Prime, a portfolio of call and data plans is designed principally for high networth individual and corporate customers, especially those who operate their businesses locally and need to be in touch with other clients globally both during the day and at night.
According to a statement by Globacom, it comes in four different plans – N1,500, N3,000, N5,000 and N10,000 packages. Whichever of these plans the customer chooses, he or she is assured of tremendous value to the business and other customers.
For instance, the Prime N1,500 plan gives the customer 45 minutes of calls and 4GB of data, while Prime N3,000 plan has 100 minutes of calls and 12GB of data. For the Prime N5,000, the subscriber gets 300 minutes of calls and 25GB data, while Prime N10,000 plan offers 750 minutes of calls and a huge 60GB of data.
“In a highly dynamic environment, there is need for constant innovation to offer more value to our new and existing customers. The Glo Prime is, therefore, a portfolio of new plans designed to surpass similar products in the market in terms of flexibility, ease of use and value”, the company said.
Globacom which marked 20 years of operations in August is reputed for providing its subscribers innovative Voice and Data solutions at the most competitive prices. It recently won two awards at the “Consumer Value Awards” for its commitment to excellent service delivery and innovative offering to subscribers.
Some of the biggest banks on the continent to digitize and utilize the latest technology. According to McKinsey, cash is still used in more than 90% of all transactions in Africa. One of the key reasons for this is access to smartphones.
Sim Tshabalala, the CEO of South Africa’s largest bank Standard Bank Group speaks about this issue and how it is changing, “Progress is continuing with more internet connectivity, more fibre being rolled out by the cell phone companies on the African continent. The consequence of that is that the African continent is in a position to leapfrog. And banks operating on the continent are using that capability and that connectivity to meet the needs of their clients, to pay, to move money around, to invest, and indeed to create wealth and pass it on to future generations. So, to put it differently, now is a time that is most exciting for the banking industry.”
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is opening new opportunities for businesses and individuals across the continent. Tshabalala explains, “The African Continental Free Trade Area is going to be a game changer for our continent. Firstly, it’s going to reduce poverty. It’s going to increase incomes, it’s going to increase the ability of people, ideas, knowledge, and capital to move between countries, and therefore it’s going to increase economic activity.”
Looking ahead to the future, Tshabalala says he is excited for Africa’s potential, “The regions that are really exciting on the continent, to be frank, are all of them. Here in southern Africa our business is growing very, very fast, it’s growing in double digits. The Mediterranean-facing countries, as they increasingly integrate themselves into the African continent, provide massive opportunities for financial institutions. And I’m hoping you get a sense from me, as a pan-Africanist, that this’ll be the African century, it is incredibly exciting.”
The development of the financial system in Africa is crucial for economic growth and reduces financial volatility by encouraging long-term investment. FirstRand Group Chief Operations Officer Mary Vilakazi speaks about how fintech companies are changing the banking landscape, “If you look back 10 years ago, there were about two digital banks, and now there are about 21 on the continent. So, competition is fierce. And certainly, the need and demand is there. So, we are still very excited about waking up and understanding the needs of our customers across all the markets and coming up with solutions that are of relevance to them. And certainly, I think trying to keep up with the technological advancements that that I think we’ve been seeing come our way.”
Vilakazi describes what she thinks are the current biggest trends in banking and fintech, “When I think of what technology does, it really enables us to be able to look out for fraud. I think in this day and age we know how cyber risk is top of mind for everyone. And then, the second one is really to remove any friction-costs because I think we always think about reducing customer angst but any things that you can do quicker, and I think you can do a bit more slicker, with technology.”
In Ghana, Giokos meets with Ecobank Managing Director Jeremy Awori. He discusses the bank’s current digitization, “I think banks have moved forward and Ecobank is really trying to move forward even faster. We believe that digital is the way forward. We’re a digitally driven bank. We have a single gateway that you can literally access our 35 markets. So, you know, when we talk about money transfers, it’s real.”
Awori is also a supporter of the AfCFTA, but he says more must be done to implement its goals, “Countries are indicating that they really want to work with one another. Where we are looking forward is, how do we actualise this? Let’s actually see trade increasing. And you know, looking at the non-tariff barriers. How do we eliminate those? How do we reduce those? How do we reduce the friction?”
The Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) has rejected the planned sale of the 600MHz spectrum band exclusively allocated to broadcasting in the country.
The rejection was conveyed via a letter to the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), by Dr. Yemisi Bamgbose, Executive Secretary of BON. The letter, titled “An Urgent Call to NBC to Save Television Broadcasting from Extermination” and dated 25 April 2023, called on the NBC to take the required legal steps to prevent the sale of the spectrum band until after the completion of the Digital Switchover (DSO), as stipulated by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and as stated in the Federal Government White Paper on digitization.
Bangbose cautioned that a sale of the band before the analogue switch-off will result in the denial of access to television broadcasting of over 80 per cent of Nigerians, who depend on it for information and public enlightenment. “Our attention has been drawn to an advertisement placed by the NCC, titled ‘Availability of Frequency Slots in the 600 MHz Spectrum Band’, published on March 23, 2023.
“In the said advertisement, the NCC brought notice to the general public on the availability of frequency slots in the 600MHz spectrum band for sale. The advertisement further stated that submission of interest closes on or before the close of business on April 28, 2023.
“Director General, Sir, if this sale of the primary spectrum allocated to broadcasting is allowed to happen, all television stations operating on frequency 600MHz will be affected negatively.
“Those that will be affected include all DTT operators; ITS; Pinnacle; many private television stations; majority of state government-owned stations; some NTA community and state stations operating within the range of 600MHz frequency.”
“The Director General will recall that the frequency 700-800MHz, housing some state government-owned and private stations, have been sold to telecom operators, a decision that has created problems that have not been resolved,” Bangbose stated in the letter.
He similarly stated that if the proposed sale of the spectrum by NCC goes ahead, it will leave the country’s broadcast space for unhindered penetration by foreign media organs, negative consequences of which he said will be significant.
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