Politics
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Safaricom Eyes an Opportunity to Expand into Ethiopia
Sourced from CGTN. Safaricom PLC is planning to extend its reach into Ethiopia, Kenya’s northern neighbour. Although not initially successful with its first few attempts, new changes within the Ethiopian government may prove beneficial for the mobile carrier to finally establish a presence within the country. Last month, the Ethiopian government said that it would be impossible for Safaricom’s M-PESA service to have any space in the market. The Ethiopian central bank about reiterated that no foreign financial institutions would be allowed to offer mobile money services in the country. Now, the good news for Safaricom is that the company was recently offered a window to buy into Ethio Telecom, the country’s mass-monopoly provider whose privatisation process is currently underway. This is on...
FISE and KaiOS Unveil the First 4G Device with an Integrated Thermometer
FISE and KaiOS Technologies have unveiled the world’s first 4G phone that includes a built-in infrared thermometer which allows users to conduct temperature checks accurate down to 0.2 degrees Celsius. Developed in response to COVID-19 and the resulting urgent global demand for on-the-go temperature monitoring, this new KaiOS-enabled smart feature phone also comes with 4G connectivity, the Google Assistant, and popular apps like WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, and Google Maps. The companies say that real-time temperature monitoring is crucial to helping curb the global pandemic, and this new device makes checking temperature easy and convenient. Users simply hold the thermometer near the subject’s forehead for just one second for a precise, contactless temperature reading. This is particularl...
68 NYSC members to repeat service year in Lagos
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) coordinator in Lagos, Eddy Megwa, says 68 corps members in the 2019 Stream I Batch B would have to repeat their service year in the state. The state coordinator made this known on Thursday, at the Ikeja Local Government Secretariat, one of the venues for the passing out ceremony of corps members. Mr Megwa said a total of 6, 196 received their Certificates of National Service, with three corps members distinguishing themselves during the service year. He said the three would be receiving state merit awards for their outstanding performance in their service year. The coordinator said that the Executive Governor of Lagos State would present the merit awards. Mr Megwa commended the outgoing corps members for performing well during the service year “We are ha...
Court to give accelerated hearing in Abia traditional stool tussle
A Customary Court sitting at Arochukwu in the Arochukwu council area of Abia state has vowed to give accelerated hearing in the Nde Akweke traditional stool tussle pending before it. One Mazi Okororafor Nkemakolam and Chima Nwafor had gone to court to challenge the coronation of Mazi Nwankwo Anicho-Nwosu, as the Eze-Ezi Nde Akweke compound in Obinkita Arochukwu. In a suit No CC/AR/9/2020, the plaintiffs sought for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant or any other member of his (Nde Okoro Anige) family from claiming or parading themselves as members of the royal family in relation to the Ezeship of Nde Akweke Compound. The plaintiffs claimed that the traditional stool of Nde Akweke Compound “is the prerogative of the 13 families in Nde Akweke Compound and not the sole prerogativ...
Nigeria invites bid for monitoring of spending of Abacha loot
File Photo The Federal Ministry of Justice on Thursday opened technical bids for Consultancy Service to monitor the implementation of Abacha loot III. Newsmen that the Consultancy Service is to undertake the monitoring of the implementation of the tripartite agreement on the Sharing, Transfer, Disposition, Repatriation and Management of the Abacha Forfeited Assets. Mrs Ladidi Mohammed, Head, Asset Recovery and Management Unit, Ministry of justice declared open the bidding process. Mohammed said the process is in tandem with the Asset Return Agreement of Feb. 3 by the Nigeria government, the United States and the Bailiwick of Jersey. ‘`This Agreement is based on international law and cooperation measures that set out the procedures for the repatriation, transfer, disposition and management ...
Oyo confirms two coronavirus cases
The COVID-19 Task Force in Oyo State has announced two positive cases in the state. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 252. Governor Seyi Makinde, who heads the state COVID-19 task force gave the indication via his verified Twitter handle, on Thursday. According to him, one of the suspected cases is from iSON Xperiences in Ibadan South West Local Government Council Area of the state. The governor wrote, “The COVID-19 confirmation tests for two suspected cases came back positive. One case is from iSON Xperiences and the other case is from Ido Local Government Area. So, the total number of confirmed cases in Oyo State is 252. “Please call the Emergency Operations Centre if you have any COVID-19 symptoms such as cough, fever, tiredness, body ache, and shortness of...
E-Health Framework in Development for South Africa
South Africa’s healthcare organisations are currently on a journey to providing comprehensive and accessible healthcare services to all its citizens, in both the private and public healthcare ecosystems. However, the finalisation of legislation and standards that govern this sector has not been without challenges. The aim is to ensure that South Africa’s healthcare organisations – like their counterparts across the globe – comply with legislations and adhere to standards that support the transformation of the healthcare ecosystem. This through information and technology with various benchmarking and standards frameworks has resulted in the creation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, aimed at achieving specific strategic objectives in the delivery of healthcare. As an adjunct to t...
SADV ISP Appoints New MD
SA Digital Villages (SADV) ISP has appointed telecommunications industry veteran, Junaid Munshi as its new managing director – effective 01 June 2020. The company recently became a standalone entity after its fibre network division was absorbed by Vumatel in April of this year. SADV ISP says that the appointment signals the company’s focus and commitment to delivering world-class Internet access to its customers. Munshi, who brings more than two decades of experience in telecommunications – spanning four countries, will be instrumental in driving customer uptake and delivering growth across the business Speaking on his new appointment, Munshi says “I am super excited to be joining the team at SADV. I believe that we have a unique opportunity to establish a new digital dawn for all South Af...
Google Launches Website to Help People Avoid Online Scams
Sourced from Google. Ever opened your emails and received a poorly-worded message about a payment that you weren’t expecting? What about one proclaiming that you’ve won a competition you never entered. “Congratulations!” it reads, beneath, a sinister attachment that you probably should not open. This is becoming more and more common, and now Google has unveiled a website to teach people how to spot and avoid online scams. Digital hoaxes, malware and cyberattacks have been surging during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The website – Scamspotter.org – tries to show users how to identify things such as false stimulus checks, fake vaccine offers, or other fake medical information. The site also attempts to make clear certain patterns that are typical of hoaxes, like a romance scammer asking ...
Will Crypto Enter The Mainstream In Africa?
Cryptocurrencies are garnering interest across the globe, and have been for the last decade, but it is in Africa in which many are starting to think that these new digital currencies will take off with vigour. The reason for this could well be that Africa finds itself in a rather unique monetary situation, along with an equally unique technological one. Mobile and crypto, the perfect combination Whereas in Europe and North America Internet connectivity took off mainly through fixed-line broadband, Africa has been at the forefront of truly mobile-first Internet infrastructure. While cities are indeed rolling out fixed-line broadband, the vast majority of Africans get online through their data connection solely on their mobile phone. This has lead to a situation where 5G is expected to...
Understanding African Markets During COVID-19
Sourced from iStock. We are living in unprecedented times. COVID-19 has swept throughout the world, and governments globally have taken drastic measures to stop the spread in an attempt to save lives. In February 2020, as African countries watched Asia and Europe begin the implementation of lockdown, a study by Survey54, an automated mobile-led data collection platform, found that approximately 80% of Africans interviewed felt almost immune to the virus as they were yet to hear of any confirmed cases on the continent. This did not last long and by Mid-March, lockdown procedures were initiated across Africa. Despite the swift response, lockdown came with many challenges that drastically affected a continent which heavily depends on the informal sector. With roughly 90% of Africans now conce...
Vodacom is The First Telco to Zero-Rate what3words
The what3words technology, available as an app or online map, has divided the world into a grid of 3m squares, giving each square a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. Vodacom has become the first telco globally to zero-rate the lifesaving addressing technology, what3words, for its more than 43 million subscribers across South Africa. The UN estimates that 75% of countries in the world have a poorly maintained addressing system – or none at all. This is an issue that South Africa knows well, with large parts of the country still lacking spatial planning. This might be an inconvenience when you are expecting a delivery, but it is a far graver issue for locals living in rural areas or informal settlements when it comes to emergencies. Without an address – or in the event...
