FG awards StarTimes on completion of digital TV for 1000 Nigerian villages

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FG awards StarTimes on completion of digital TV for 1000 Nigerian villages

The Nigerian Federal Government has awarded StarTimes, the Chinese pay-TV company a certificate of satisfaction for the successful completion of its digital TV project for 1,000 Nigerian villages.

The project launched on January 14 enabled each of the 1,000 selected villages in Nigeria to receive two sets of solar-powered projector television systems and a set of integrated 32-inch solar digital TV terminal systems. The projector-based television system allowed viewers to watch at least 21 satellite channels free of charge, including news, films, sports and religious events, and various other programs

In addition, in each village in Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, 20 families receiving television with free 20 sets of direct broadcast satellite terminal systems. A total of 20,000 households in rural Nigeria benefited from the project.

Commenting on the project, David Zhang, President and CEO of StarTimes Nigeria, told reporters that the achievement was a significant milestone in the exercise of digital television service in Nigeria.

“Over the past year, we have gone across the country in the different states, working with local leaders and communities to successfully implement this project. We have experienced the different cultural aspects of the country, and all we have to report is of a warm welcome, cooperation and goodwill. It is a true testament of what is achievable with when there’s cooperation between governments.”

At the same time, the project has garnered high praise from villagers and top government officials. Odebunmi Dokun, a member of the Nigerian parliament and chairman of the national parliament’s information committee, called the project “investment to the people because it concerns the masses and enables them to connect to the digital world”.

The project supported by the Chinese government is based on one of the resolutions of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of 2015, during which the Chinese government had committed to providing satellite TVs for 10,000 African villages. As a result, StarTimes was commissioned to carry out the project across Africa.

Heineken Introduces Cardboard Rings to Reduce Plastic Pollution

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Heineken Introduces Cardboard Rings to Reduce Plastic Pollution

Heineken, the Dutch beer giant is getting rid of the plastic six-pack rings and shrink wrap that holds its beer cans together in favour of a cardboard alternative. The first cardboard rings will be released in 2020. From there, the company will expand its product to other markets.

According to reports, Heineken will initially introduce the new material in the United Kingdom, where it invested £22million (approximately $28.2 million USD) in new equipment to handle the transition.

A statement from the company reveals that in the UK alone, Heineken produces 530 million cans per year across its brands, adding that shifting to cardboard will eliminate 517 tons of plastic annually.

“It’s what our customers want and expect, and we have been working on and testing this innovation for three years,” Cindy Tervoort, the head of marketing at Heineken, had said.

In recent years, companies have begun to invest in plastic alternatives as the harms of plastic pollution become better understood. Plastic six-pack rings, however, have been a target of criticism long before the current zero-waste movement.

Made from sturdy, hard-to-tear material, these rings often end up in marine environments where they get stuck around the necks, chests, and limbs of marine animals. Sometimes, a baby animal will get stuck in six-pack ring and then its body will have to grow around it as it ages. These rings are also often accidentally ingested by larger animals, and eventually, break down into microplastics that pervade the ocean.

A growing number of beer and soda brands have adopted sustainable alternatives to the six-pack ring.

The beer brand Carlsberg created a recyclable glue to hold cans together, while Guinness simply went with an open cardboard box. Some brewers are even creating six-pack rings that marine animals can safely consume.

In addition to responding to consumer demands, these companies are also getting out ahead of regulatory changes. Dozens of countries have begun to restrict single-use plastic production, including the European Union, which has vowed to eliminate most single-use plastics in the years ahead.

Switching to cardboard rings allows Heineken to avoid public ire and future legal fines while maintaining the same quality product.

Zenith Bank emerges best digital bank in 2019 – Report

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Zenith Bank emerges best digital bank in 2019 – Report

Zenith Bank, a foremost financial brand in the country has recorded yet another milestone as it emerged the best digital bank in Nigeria for the year 2019 assessment review.

The ranking released recently by Agusto & Co, a foremost research and credit rating agency in Nigeria through the 2019 Consumer Digital Banking Satisfaction Index placed Zenith Bank on top of other major competitive brands in the sector.

The rating agency explained in the report that the index, which is in its second year was the result of an extensive online and offline consumer survey carried out across various geopolitical zones in the country.

The company said it was designed to give insights into the behavioural patterns of the respondents, drawn from both the formal and the informal sectors.

The output of the index is based on information provided by respondents on the top eight banks in Nigeria by total assets as of December 31, 2018.

In the survey, two banks were assigned a ‘4star’ rating for Consumer Digital Banking Satisfaction, with Zenith Bank scoring the highest and emerging the ‘Best Digital Bank in Nigeria’.

The report further noted that the ‘4star’ rating assigned to zenith Bank reflected transaction success rates, ease of use, perceived security and good troubleshooting &IT resolution on its different digital platforms.

The report also revealed that Zenith Bank has the highest transaction success rates on digital banking Platforms such as the mobile app, USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) or web, staying the bank’s respondents experienced the most ease in navigating through the digital platforms.

It said the bank has one of the highest numbers of customers who felt it has an excellent rating on IT issue resolution.

The Consumer Digital Banking Satisfaction Index report highlights customer’s reference and attitude towards digital banking platforms provided by banks in the country.

The objective of the index is to create an independent appraisal of ease of using digital banking platforms by the Nigerian populace, following an increased competition by banks on digital platforms as well as the growing quest for financial inclusion using digital means.

Zenith Bank Plc is recognised as one of the most innovative financial institutions in Nigeria and was voted the most customer-focused bank in Nigeria for the retail and SME segment in the 2018 KPMG Annual Banking Industry Customer Satisfaction Survey (BICSS).

5 Cybersecurity Dangers Everyone Should Know About

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5 Cybersecurity Dangers Everyone Should Know About

There’s so much focus on the massive cybersecurity and data breach or the malware that holds your computer to ransom. However, it’s also important to keep your guard up against some of the lesser-known attacks out there too.

These threats may not have the same high-level profile as an unfixable iOS bug, but they can still do some serious damage as far as your data and privacy go. Here’s what to look out for, and how to make sure you aren’t caught out.

Dangerous USB sticks

A small USB stick may not look very dangerous, but these portable drives can carry a major threat particularly if they’ve been specially engineered, as some are, to start causing havoc as soon as you plug them in. You should be very wary of connecting a USB drive to your computer if you’re not absolutely sure where it’s from.

Phantom accounts

In this fast-paced, hyper-connected age, it’s all too easy to forget about all the social media, language-learning, job-finding apps and sites that we’ve signed up for. But every account you leave behind gathering dust is another one that could potentially be hacked into. It’s important to take the time to shut down these accounts rather than just uninstalling the associated app from our phones and then forgetting all about them. If any of them should then suffer a data breach, for example, your data won’t be included.

Unreliable browser extensions

The right browser extensions are able to add useful functionality and features to your daily window on the web, but these add-ons need to be vetted like any other piece of software, after all, they have the privilege of being able to see everything you’re doing online if they want to. Pick the wrong browser extension and you could find it selling your browsing data, or harassing you with pop-up advertising that you don’t actually want. Identify safe extensions the same way you would identify safe apps: Look into the background of the developers, check the permissions that they ask for, read up on reviews left by other users, and stick to extensions that are actually useful.

Compromised online quizzes

You’ve probably seen friends and family take quizzes on social media to find out answers to various questions. They may seem like harmless, fun but they can also be used to harvest personal data that you don’t really realize you’re giving away. These quizzes can and have been used to build up more detailed profiles of people and their friends, collecting not just the answers to the quizzes themselves but also other information stored in the linked Facebook accounts. Be wary of anything that requests personal information or personal photos from you, like the recently viral FaceApp app.

Cracked photo uploads

There’s nothing wrong with posting photos to your favourite social media channels but think twice about the information that other people can scrap from any pictures you make public. Particularly the places where you might live and work. While a lot of apps, like Instagram and Facebook, automatically strip out the location data saved with photos, some, like Google Photos, can keep this data embedded in the file after it’s been shared.

By Damilola Faustino

Six Charts On How Elevated Global Uncertainty Is Creating Challenges For Sub-Saharan Africa

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Six Charts On How Elevated Global Uncertainty Is Creating Challenges For Sub-Saharan Africa

Growth in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to pick up, though at a slower pace than previously expected. This revision reflects a more challenging external environment, continued output disruptions in oil-exporting countries, and weaker-than-anticipated growth in South Africa.

Overall, growth is projected to remain at 3.2 percent in 2019 and rise to 3.6 percent in 2020, the IMF said in its latest Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa.

The challenge for the region is to boost growth to create jobs for the growing labour force while protecting against debt vulnerabilities and risks from a difficult global environment. “In this context, the focus should be on continuing fiscal reforms to reduce debt vulnerabilities, and implementing structural reforms to boost investment and competitiveness, including by fully operationalizing the African Continental Free Trade Area,” said Abebe Aemro Selassie, Director of the IMF’s African Department.

Here are six charts that tell the story.

The growth outlook for the region remains split. Non-resource-intensive countries are expected to grow at about 6 percent, almost three times faster than resource-intensive countries. As a result, 24 predominantly non-resource-intensive countries, home to about 500 million people, will see their per capita income rise faster than the rest of the world. On the other hand, 12 countries are expected to experience negative per capita growth rates in 2019.

Growth in the region has been revised down, partly due to a challenging global environment. Rising trade and geopolitical tensions have increased uncertainty, resulting in weak global economic activity and a significant decline in trade volumes. The slowdown of key trading partners is also impacting sub-Saharan Africa, with growth revised down for about two-thirds of countries in the region.

Fiscal space remains limited. Although the average debt burden is stabilizing, elevated debt levels and low external buffers will continue to limit policy space in several countries. Overall, there is little room for fiscal policy to counter external headwinds, as most countries will need to continue planned fiscal adjustment.

In some countries, monetary policy can help cushion against external headwinds. As fiscal space remains limited, the task of supporting growth in the face of a difficult global environment will fall predominantly on monetary policy. In particular, monetary policy may be eased in countries where inflation pressures are muted and growth is below potential.

In the medium term, structural reforms are key to raising growth and creating jobs for the expanding labour force. Starting in the 1980s, significant progress was made in implementing reforms in the region, including trade and financial market liberalization, as well as product market reforms. This period also saw sustained growth in sub-Saharan Africa. The reform momentum, however, has slowed down over the last decade.

Enhancing market competition can significantly improve economic performance in sub-Saharan African countries. Competition among firms remains relatively low in sub-Saharan Africa compared to other regions. Boosting competition requires holistic reforms encompassing an effective competition policy framework, openness to trade and foreign direct investment, and business regulations and macroeconomic policies that create an even playing field among firms.

FG grants Ondo, Ekiti permission to reconstruct & toll Akure-Ikere road

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FG grants Ondo, Ekiti permission to reconstruct & toll Akure-Ikere road

The Government of Ekiti and Ondo States have secured Federal Government’s approval to reconstruct and toll Akure-Ikere road.

This was disclosed via the Twitter account of the Ekiti state government on Friday.

The approval was secured by the governments of Ekiti and Ondo states, led by Kayode Fayemi and Rotimi Akeredolu respectively.

The Federal Government had earlier hinted on its plan to reintroduce toll gates, fifteen years after the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo scrapped them.

MTN Nigeria Calls for Entries in Academic Research Development & Innovation Challenge (ARDIC)

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MTN Nigeria Calls for Entries in Academic Research Development & Innovation Challenge (ARDIC)

In furtherance of its commitment to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world by promoting science and technology in Nigeria, MTN has announced call for entries for the Academic Research Development & Innovation Challenge (ARDIC). ARDIC is MTN Nigeria’s latest contribution to the enhancement of academic research in Nigeria. With ARDIC, MTN Nigeria seeks to leverage its existing assets to enable local innovation/research.

ARDIC is a platform to assist young motivated postgraduate researchers in Nigerian universities to build and develop their research ideas into sustainable products and initiatives within six (6) months. In addition to a cash prize of One Million Naira for the winning research idea, ARDIC seeks to introduce an engagement system that provides activation platforms, data, mentorship, experimental sandbox and other benefits to well-motivated Masters/PhD researchers.

Speaking on the new initiative, Chief Transformation Officer, MTN Nigeria, Bayo Adekanmbi said, “As a future-driven organisation, MTN believes that many of the solutions to the bottlenecks that currently exist on the continent, especially in Nigeria, can be solved through research and innovation. However, the academic community often hit a brick wall in translating their game-changing ideas to workable solutions.”

“We have created ARDIC to bridge this gap and enable researchers develop solutions that address some of our most pressing social problems. As a company, we are excited about the possibilities that this call to Nigerian researchers portend.”

Following a rigorous and competitive application process, an independent body of judges that comprises some of the country’s most accomplished academic experts and innovators will select the finalists. The selected researchers will make their final pitch to the panel in Abuja where the inaugural winner of the challenge will emerge.

Five Simple Steps To Protect Against Flu

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Five Simple Steps To Protect Against Flu

The most common symptoms of influenza (flu) include fever, a dry cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, a sore throat and a runny nose.

Each year, millions of people come down with the flu. Most recover within a week, but for an unlucky few, flu can be deadly.

Seasonal flu epidemics typically occur in late autumn and winter, so we can anticipate them, and prepare accordingly.

In tropical regions, influenza can occur throughout the year, causing outbreaks more irregularly, but prevention is still important.

Here’s how you can protect yourself, and those around you.

Get vaccinated

Annual vaccination is the most effective way to protect yourself against flu, and serious complications.

Vaccination is especially important for pregnant women, at any stage of pregnancy.

It’s also crucial for children aged 6 months to 5 years, elderly people, those suffering from chronic medical conditions, and for health care workers.

Remember: a flu vaccine cannot give you flu. To feel achy or feverish after vaccination is a completely normal and natural reaction, and generally lasts only a day or two.

Wash your hands regularly

Clean hands protect against many infections, including flu. Keeping your hands clean is an easy way to keep yourself and your family healthy.

Wash your hands with soap and running water regularly and dry them thoroughly with a single-use towel. You can also use an alcohol-based handrub if you can’t get to soap and water.

Remember — washing your hands properly takes about as long as singing “Happy Birthday” twice.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

Germs are most likely to enter your body through the eyes, nose and mouth.

You can’t control everything you inhale, but you can reduce the risk of infection by keeping your hands away from your face.

If you do have to touch your eyes, nose or mouth, do it with a clean tissue, or wash your hands first.

Avoid being around sick people

Flu is contagious. It spreads easily in crowded spaces, such as on public transport, in schools and nursing homes and during public events.

When an infected person coughs or sneezes, droplets containing the virus can spread as far as one metre and infect others who breathe them in.

If you don’t feel well, stay home

If you’re ill with flu, being around others puts them at risk.

This is especially true for people with chronic medical conditions like cancer, heart disease and HIV.

Quickly isolating yourself can prevent the spread of flu and save lives.

FBNQuest Merchant Bank Shares Insights To Generational Wealth Transfer At Its Wealth Management Customer Forum

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FBNQuest Merchant Bank Shares Insights To Generational Wealth Transfer At Its Wealth Management Customer Forum

FBNQuest Merchant Bank, the investment banking and asset management business of FBN Holdings Plc, recently hosted its clients to a Wealth Management Customer Forum, facilitated to share in-depth analysis of the impact of long term wealth preservation and inter-generational wealth transfer.

The Forum, themed ‘Our Customers, Our Strength’ focused on three key topics- ‘Health is Wealth’ presented by Consultant Nephrologist, St. Nicholas Hospital Dr. Ebun Bamgboye; ‘Benefits of Generational Wealth Transfer’ delivered by Head Private Trust FBNQuest Trustees Mofoluke Keshinro; and ‘Trends & Opportunities in the Global & Local Economy’ by Head Macroeconomic and Fixed Income Research FBNQuest Capital, Gregory Kronsten.

On generational wealth transfer, the forum highlighted some of the challenges individuals and businesses encounter, due to lack of a proper estate plan. According to FBNQuest Trustees, insights have revealed that globally, only 30% of all family-owned businesses survive into the second generation and only 12% make it to the third generation.  It further explained that 72% of family businesses have no formal business continuity plans and only 7% have hired professionals to help deal with family relationship issues involved in planning for the continuation of the business. The forum also advised on the importance of securing your wealth through the services of professional financial institutions to guarantee successive generational wealth transfer and stable investment growth.

Speaking at the forum, Kayode Akinkugbe, Managing Director/CEO, FBNQuest Merchant Bank, reaffirmed the position of the bank to help customers build more long-term and strong investment portfolios through structured wealth management services. “We work with our clients to provide tailored investments solutions to help build, sustain and transfer wealth across generations. Over the years, we have actively partnered with both individual and institutional clients to grow financial assets and investment portfolios in line with varying wealth management objectives. We ensure that we seek investments that are safe, liquid and profitable for long term sustainability”.

Debbie Irabor, Head, Wealth Management at FBNQuest Merchant Bank, also stated that “the inheritors of a generational wealth transfer must maintain a more global outlook, in ways not only to preserve wealth but investment opportunities to maximise such wealth. This is why we ensure that our wealth management products and advisory services are specifically tailored, as we journey alongside our clients. This customer forum is also for us to engage, get customer feedback, strengthen our relationships, innovate and continue to provide clients with the best solutions required to manage their wealth.

The session also emphasised on the need for individuals to maintain healthy lifestyle habits as a key contributing factor to managing wealth while also highlighting some of the most common health challenges faced in our communities.  The FBNQuest Merchant Bank Wealth Management Forum is designed to appreciate the organisation’s customers and educate them on the importance of Wealth Preservation and Wealth Transfer.

Dangote Group, Togo Partner To Transform Phosphate Into Fertiliser

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Dangote Group, Togo Partner To Transform Phosphate Into Fertiliser

Dangote Industries Limited and the Government of Togo (GoT) have concluded an agreement to develop and transform Togolese phosphate into phosphate fertilizers for the West African sub-region; in a bid to improve consumption of the product in Africa.

With over two billion tonnes of phosphate reserves, Togo is one of the leading phosphate producers in Africa. By partnering the Dangote Group, the country intends to benefit from the expertise and investment capacity of Africa’s largest industrial group, according to a joint release issued by the Dangote Group and the Communications Department of the Presidency of the Republic of Togo.

With the completion and commissioning of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertilizer complex in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, Dangote Group will be the largest ammonia producer on the African continent, the release noted. Ammonia is an essential ingredient in the transformation of phosphate into fertilizer derived from phosphates. Under the agreement, Togo will provide access to phosphate resources and the Dangote Group will provide access to ammonia and to the Nigerian market.

The project, in line with the second pillar of the Togo National Development Plan, should enable the production of more than 1 million tonnes of fertilizers derived from phosphates once completed. The cost of the investment is estimated at about $2 billion and is expected to create several thousand direct jobs. Mining development work will start before the end of 2019, it added.

On this occasion, Dangote Group also announced the establishment of a cement manufacturing plant with an annual capacity of 1.5 million tonnes in Lomé. This plant will use clinker from Togo and Nigeria and will meet both local and neighbouring countries’ demand, the release noted.

It further added that construction of the Lome plant is billed to start in the first quarter of 2020 and its commissioning scheduled to take place before the end of 2020. The investment is estimated at $60 million and is expected to create 500 direct jobs.

Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbé said, “The structural transformation of our economy is the main objective we have set ourselves in the context of the 2018-2022 NDP. By processing our phosphate we will not only create jobs but we will also be able to provide our farmers with good quality fertilizers at an affordable cost. Having an industrial investor like Alhaji Dangoté shows that our efforts to improve the business climate are paying off. We intend to continue in this dynamic for the well-being of Togolese men and women.”

President/CE Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote said, ‘’This partnership is in line with our transformation agenda in creating prosperity and enhancing economic development not only in Togo but also in Africa.  In addition, the Dangote Group is determined in supporting the Government of Togo in its industrialisation strategy aimed at creating jobs for its citizens and making Togo an attractive investment destination.’’

The two investment agreements reinforce Togo’s industrialisation strategy adopted under the 2018-2022 National Development Plan.

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