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IWD: Cybersafe, UK Govt Train 2400 DigiGirls, Target Next 4000

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In line with the vision of empowering women to balance the gender disparity in the society, Cybersafe Foundation has graduated its first Cohort of digital skilled young women under the DigiGirls Initiative.

In an event that coincided with the observance of the International Women’s Day celebration, the DigiGirls first batch of 2400 women that have completed the three-month digital skills acquisition training were graduated. The project, which is in collaboration with the UK government through its Digital Access Program (DAP), was initiated to skill and upskill women between the ages of 15-40 years old with in-demand basic to intermediary employable digital skills.

This programme has three key pillars, namely Training, Mentorship and Internship. These employable digital skills will drive positive livelihood outcomes for trainees themselves and their families, improve employment prospects, encourage digital entrepreneurship in women and girls, and generally provide marginalised females in underserved communities with the skills needed to develop successful careers in today’s digital economy.

According to the Founder/CEO of Cybersafe Foundation, Confidence Staveley, with 2400 beneficiaries in the first Cohort resident in all the States across Nigeria, and the FCT, this purpose-built female-focused programme was able to achieve resounding succeed owing to a handful of strategic elements.

She explained that the programme employs Peer Learning Group system, State Hangouts where participants in each state cluster to interact, build connections and relationship within their communities. These complement their virtual participation in the training modules.

“This event held to create bonds, a sense of community, and expand the network of our beneficiaries.”

The trainees also have learning support from Success Advisors or Virtual Assistants, who lead peer Learning groups and act as a first point of contact for beneficiaries and a feedback channel for Cybersafe Foundation. Success Advisors monitor the learning progress of beneficiaries entrusted on them, follow up with them up through calls and messages.

Some of the improved features for the second Cohort, which will train 4000 beneficiaries, include the inclusion of disability consideration, gamification and scaling for more impact.

Staveley however pointed to some challenges that face the programme to inlcude infrastructure, where quite a number of beneficiaries do not own a laptopand found it difficult to gain access to one during the duration of the course;

In her remark, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing expressed her delight that the UK government has agreed to increase its level of investment in the programme. “We are also delighted that, as announced last month by the UK’s Minister for Africa, during her visit to Nigeria, we are able to expand this project to directly benefit an additional 4000 women, and reach a further 10,000 women through the train the trainer approach.”

She is optimistic that the programme will help in addressing the digital inequality in Nigeria, which currently holds a 15% gender gap against women.

“The UK supports Nigeria in its bold ambition to create 100 million jobs in 10 years and we believe that the Digital Economy can play a major part in unlocking this.

Improving girls’ access to education is a key part of the UK’s G7 Presidency and is at the heart of global efforts to build back better from the pandemic.

That is why we are pleased to be here today at the graduation of the first cohort of 2400 women and girls who benefited from the Digi-Girls project.”

Laing noted that the UK firmly believes in the future growth story of Nigeria’s digital sector, which currently the ICT sector contributes about 15% to Nigeria’s GDP, and certainly more than oil.

“To continue to drive this growth, Nigeria needs a combination of: increased access to safe, affordable, faster and better quality internet, an encouraging regulatory environment, a skilled talent pool, and access to investment and partnership opportunities,” she said.

Also speaking at the event, honourary British PM for the IWD, Veronica Aina enthused that she was “looking forward to a time in Nigeria, and the world, where women in tech will no longer be a thing.” She explained that the issue of fighting for gender equality will be a thing of the past if equal opportunities is enshrined and gender disparity is eradicated, giving rise to a society where gender becomes a no-issue.

This year’s IWD is themed “Gender Equality Today For A Sustainable Tomorrow”, with a hashtag,  “Break The Bias”.

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MINILS Conferred Fellowship on Danbatta for Empowering National Workforce

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The Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies (MINILS) has decorated the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, with the award of Fellowship of the Nigeria Institute of Labour (NIL) under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

At the conferment ceremony in Abuja recently, which was part of the series of events marking the 40 Anniversary/Founders Day of the Institute, the Director-General of the Institute, Isa Aremu, said Danbatta was being recognised for his exemplary contributions and that of his team to the betterment of the Commission and national workforce.

Alongside Danbatta, the Director, Human Capital and Administration of the Commission, Usman Malah, who is driving the effectiveness of the workforce at NCC was also honoured with a fellowship.

Speaking at the event, Danbatta, who represented by Malah, at the event, underscored the significance of collectively supporting initiatives that enhance the well-being of Nigerian workers through increased access to affordable telecom services.

The EVC stated that only through a digitally skilled and informed workforce can Nigeria fast-track national productivity and development, alongside other initiatives being put in place by the Federal Government. Danbatta said the Commission would ensure affordable and ubiquitous telecom services to improve Nigerian workers’ daily activities.

While expressing gratitude for the recognition to him and Malah, Danbatta assured of his continued support to empowering NCC staff in improving skills, education and sundry capacity-building activities as well as stimulating the deployment of robust broadband infrastructure for bolstering job creation for Nigerians and improving national productivity.

Meanwhile, MINILS DG, Aremu, commended the Commission for promoting the deployment of telecommunications services to improve productivity and efficiency across different sectors of the economy.

“We have witnessed the amazing transformation in terms of broadband penetration, Internet subscribers and many other achievements recorded under the leadership of Prof. Danbatta as the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC and how the telecom sector, regulated by the Commission he leads, have improved national productivity,” Aremu said.

The DG of MINILS stated that the EVC has played a pivotal role in transforming and advancing the nation’s digital space and acknowledged that Danbatta’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and creating employment opportunities in the telecommunications sector has earned him accolades nationwide.

The anniversary, which featured conferment of Fellowship of the NIL on other Chief Executives and Heads of Human Resources divisions of some government agencies alongside the NCC Management executives, not only celebrated the events of the past but also set the stage for a brighter future, showcasing the importance of fair labour practices, knowledge and continued collaboration between various government agencies.

Aside from the new Fellowship of NIL, Danbatta is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Renewable and Alternative Energy Society; the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, and the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. 

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PREMIUM TIMES Books Unveils New Title on Cyber Politics, Nigerian Elections

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 Premium Times Books, the book publishing arm of the Premium Times Group, is pleased to announce the release of a new title, Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria.

The book, written by Omoniyi P. Ibietan, is officially making its way to physical and online bookshop Monday morning in a unique alignment with the symbolic rituals of June 12, Nigeria’s Democracy Day.

In 460 pages spread over 12 chapters, Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria gives expression to a critical phase within the distinct trajectory of Nigerian democracy through its elections.

Like June 12, which created a watershed in the country as Nigerians sought to rupture the yoke of military rule through the ballot, this book by Omoniyi P. Ibietan engages with another national watershed moment, as the nascent digital culture involving Internet use, and particularly the social media, converges with the articulation of voter choice, ultimately impacting Nigeria’s electoral fortunes in the process.

Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election is utilised as the sounding board from which analyses that offer great insights into the future of voting behaviour in the country are made in this new title, that is both skilful in its rendition and ground-cutting in its intellectual approach.

In an Introduction he wrote for the book, Dapo Olorunyomi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Premium Times Group, said “The universe of this new book is intriguing in its exploration of the “digital effect on elections.”

He also pointed out how Mr Ibietan’s work demonstrates “clearly that social media systems do enrich electoral democracy by expanding access to registration, participation, voting and organising at a scale we have never contemplated.”

He further observed that, “In the context of the Nigerian market framework, we also get to appreciate, through his lenses, the comparative appeal of each of the social channels. WhatsApp is the battle axe, while Twitter, hysterical though it is, remains limited.” Also, “Ibietan demonstrates how Facebook appeals to age and its abstract commitment to attention and community makes its credentials for advancing democracy a suspect.”

Equally, in his Foreword to the book, Umar Danbatta, a professor and executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, noted that: “the author situates the historical context of Nigerian politics and democracy” and more so “…the nexus between social media and voting behaviour, and the influence of the social media ecosystem among others in the electoral process.”

Importantly, as Professor Danbatta put it: “The book is a compelling narrative, a scholar’s guide and companion on the various political communication themes it interprets. It is difficult to put down this work once you are drawn by its alluring and free-flowing prose and incisive analysis.”

For a prominent commentator, who is also a former Minister of Information and Communication in Nigeria, Frank Nweke II, “the book represents an uncommon body of work by an intellectual visionary”, and he is of the conviction that the “extrapolation of the lessons and recommendations of this book will find perfect expression in other climes beyond the 2015 Nigerian general elections scenario.” Nweke thus commends “Dr Ibietan for this remarkable work, and…recommend(s) this book for practitioners and academics in the fields of strategic communications, new technologies, and social change.”

The author of this new book, Omoniyi P. Ibietan, holds a doctorate in Political Communication from North-West University in South Africa, and earlier degrees in Communication Arts from the Universities of Uyo and Ibadan.

With a career spanning journalism, stints in the civil society and academia, he is presently a directorate cadre staff in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), where he heads the media relations management unit.

Over the past two decades, Mr Ibietan has researched deeply in the emergent interface between communication studies and psephology, which explains his richly nuanced understanding and far sight into issues involved.

Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria is available as physical copies both in the hard back and soft back versions in bookstores across the country from today, 12 June. The electronic copies of the book can also be purchased on online platforms, including Amazon.

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SABRE Africa Honours MTN’s Karl Toriola for Transforming MNO

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In recognition of his tenacious leadership and drive for innovation, Karl Toriola, the CEO of MTN Nigeria, has received the 2023 SABRE Africa Certificate of Excellence as CEO of the Year. 

Since becoming CEO of the leading technology giant in October 2020, Karl Toriola has spearheaded the organisation’s transition from solely providing telecommunications services to a wide range of technology solutions.

During his time in office, MTN Nigeria became the first company in Nigeria to receive the licensing to roll out 5G spectrum commercially. MTN Nigeria was also granted a Payment Service Bank licence to provide financial solutions to Nigerians through MoMo PSB,  the fintech subsidiary of MTN Nigeria.

Another milestone for MTN Nigeria during his time as the CEO was the successful closure of the Public Offer. In December 2021, MTN Nigeria became the first Nigerian company to make its public offer of 575 million sales in shares to retail investors through a premiere digital platform during the Primary Offer.

With Karl Toriola as CEO of MTN Nigeria, its revenue doubled from N1 trillion in 2018 to N2 trillion at the end of the financial year in 2022  as the organisation also under his wing achieved its most substantial growth in 2021 and 2022 at 22.9 percent, and 21.6 percent respectively. 

When asked to speak about his greatest accomplishments as CEO of MTN Nigeria in a recent exclusive interview, he said, “First of all, it’s a team accomplishment. So, it’s not down to me but the entire team – from the board, right down to everyone working in the organisation. But I think getting MTN Nigeria back to a place where it’s being liked and loved gradually is probably my biggest achievement. It’s a long journey.

Everyone loves to hate two service providers, the telco and the bank, and to get them (customers) to start to like and love you and give you some respect; I think it’s a tremendous achievement,” he continued. 

Before his appointment as the CEO of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola worked at Ericsson Nigeria in 2000 as a Support and Integration Manager. He moved to Econet Nigeria in 2003 as Deputy Chief Technical Officer before becoming Chief Operations Officer at then Vmobile Nigeria (now Airtel). In 2006 Karl Toriola joined MTN Nigeria as Chief Technical Officer. He was appointed CEO of MTN Congo Brazzaville in 2011 and MTN Cameroon in the same year. He became Vice President of MTN Group’s WECA (West and Central Africa) for five years until he was announced CEO of MTN Nigeria in October 2020.

In addition to CEO of the year, MTN Nigeria also received a Certificate of Excellence at the 2023 SABRE Africa awards in four other categories: Company of the Year as MTN Nigeria, Corporate Image for the launch of MTN 5G, Corporate Social Responsibility for Empowering Female Entrepreneurs through MTN Y’ellopreneur and Special Event/Sponsorship through MTN Football. 

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