Category: Technology - Page 5 - African News Today

10Apr

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Communication, News, Nigeria, Press Statement

Ezekwesili Threatens to Sue Omojuwa

A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has threatened to sue a blogger and social media influencer, Japheth Omojuwa, for alleged impersonation. Ezekwesili, in a letter by her lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, on behalf of Falana and Falana chambers, expressed shock she was listed as a director in Omojuwa’s media firm, Alpha Reach. A foreign medium, BuzzFeed, had exposed the role Omojuwa and other influencers allegedly played in the social media campaign for the release of alleged fraudster, Alex Saab, a Colombian who has been declared wanted in the United States and is facing extradition charges in Cape Verde. Twitter suspended the accounts of some of the influencers, alleging they promoted an unjust cause. Documents circulating online show that Omojuwa’s company, which was re...

MTN snubs Banks, links 77 Million Subscribers to Fintech Platforms

4Apr

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, Interview, News, Nigeria, Press Statement

MTN snubs Banks, links 77 Million Subscribers to Fintech Platforms

MTN customers in Nigeria now have alternative electronic payment platforms to recharge their phones as the mobile network operator on Saturday announced that customers can recharge airtime through payment solutions platforms such as Flutterwave, Jumia Pay, OPay, Kuda, Carbon and BillsnPay. MTN in a statement on Saturday by its Senior Manager, External Relations, Funso Aina, also said customers could recharge airtime by dialing *904# and *606# This is coming barely 24 hours after commercial banks on Friday disconnected MTN customers from banking channels including the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data and banking apps, leaving millions of MTN subscribers frustrated as they were unable to recharge airtime via USSD amid the Easter celebrations. MTN, with about 77 million subscr...

Why We Introduced NIN for UTME Registration – JAMB Registrar

27Mar

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Education, Information Technology, News, Nigeria

Why We Introduced NIN for UTME Registration – JAMB Registrar

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Friday said security reasons and checkmating examination malpractice informed its decision to introduce the use of the National Identity Number, NIN, for the registration of the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. The examination body noted that the directive was issued by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu. This was disclosed by the Registrar and Chief Executive of JAMB, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, during a virtual meeting with owners of computer-based test centres, service providers and other stakeholders to commence the 2021 UTME registration. Oloyede asked candidates to make provide only their NIN at the registration centres and not their names. He said, "We don't even require the name of the candidate; we wan...

Court Orders Extension of NIN Enrolment by Two Months

24Mar

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, News, Nigeria

Court Orders Extension of NIN Enrolment by Two Months

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the extension of the deadline for National Identity Number enrolment by two months with effect from Tuesday, March 23, 2021. The extension was granted by Justice Maureen Onyetenu while passing a ruling in a fundamental right suit file by a legal luminary, Monday Ubani, against the Nigerian government, the Attorney General of the Federation, Nigerian Communications Commission and the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy. Ubani had in the suit contested that the two weeks ultimatum previously issued (now extended to April 6, 2021) to telecommunications operators to block SIM cards of Nigerians who have not registered their SIM cards with NIN, will infringe on their constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of expression, rig...

Our CCTV Cameras Not For Watching Students’ Nakedness – FCET Lagos

14Mar

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Education, News, Nigeria

Our CCTV Cameras Not For Watching Students’ Nakedness – FCET Lagos

The management of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos State has debunked a publication by a Nigerian newspaper, ThisDay, which claimed that the institution’s management installed CCTV cameras in hostels to watch students’ while naked. This was disclosed by the school’s provost, Wahab Azeez, during a press conference on Friday at its academic board hall. The publication had alleged that students protested the installation of the CCTV cameras which were installed to monitor students’ activities. It partly read, “According to some of the students, the CCTV camera was installed almost everywhere in the female hostel thereby denying them of personal privacy. “Some female students also revealed that the school management and lecturers had been watching their na...

Buhari approves Paternity Leave for NITDA Staff

10Mar

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, Nigeria

Buhari approves Paternity Leave for NITDA Staff

The Federal Government has approved paternity and compassionate leave, among others, for the staff of the National Information Technology Development Agency. This was disclosed by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, at the unveiling and presentation of the NITDA’s Employee-Centric Condition and Scheme of Service in Abuja on Tuesday. In his address as the chief convener and host, the minister appreciated the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for his approval of both documents for NITDA on the 12th of February, 2021, as well as his general support for the digital economy sector. He stated that the scheme and conditions of service took almost five years to complete, adding that they presented a holistic approach to the development of t...

NIN Mandatory for Bank Account Opening, Voter Registration – Pantami

15Feb

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, Interview, News, Nigeria, Science

NIN Mandatory for Bank Account Opening, Voter Registration – Pantami

Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, says the national identification number (NIN) is compulsory for transactions such as bank account opening, payment of taxes and voter registration. Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, he said the government is determined to ensure that all citizens have NIN. Pantami quoted section 27 of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) act as stating that benefitting from government services as a citizen without NIN is an offence punishable by imprisonment. “This is most important in the area of NIN, which is a mandatory number, based on the NIMC order of 2007 that has actively been neglected for years, ” he said. “It is key to our national planning, budget, security, social development and many more. But it was neglected despite...

NIN Compulsory for Bank Accounts, Voter Registration – FG

12Feb

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, News, Nigeria

NIN Compulsory for Bank Accounts, Voter Registration – FG

The Federal Government on Thursday said that the National Identity Number, NIN, is compulsory for the opening of bank accounts, payment of taxes, and voter registration. This was disclosed by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami in Abuja while hosting the newly elected National Executive Council of the Association Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria. It came at a time when operators have urged the Federal Government to align with the development of a strategic plan to bridge the over N15tn infrastructure funding gap for the telecoms/information communication and technology industry. Pantami in his speech assured the guests that the government was determined to ensure that all Nigerians had their various NINs. He said, “This is most important in th...

Plans Underway to Replace BVN with NIN – FG

9Feb

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Information Technology, News, Nigeria

Plans Underway to Replace BVN with NIN – FG

Dr Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy has said the Federal Government plans to phaseout Bank Verification Numbers, NIN, and replace it with National Identity Numbers. Pantami disclosed this while interacting with reporters after taking a tour and inspecting the ongoing NIN enrolment exercise at NIMC and other designated centres in Abuja. The minister stated that he had presented it to the National Economic Sustainability Committee and drew the attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Governor on the need to replace BVN with NIN. He said the BVN is a regulator’s policy, while NIN is a law. He said, “The strength of the law wherever you go is not the same with a policy of one institution.’’ According to the minister, the BVN was only applicable t...

Cryptocurrencies Ban will Boost Anti-Money Laundering Compliance – ABCON

8Feb

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Economy, Finance, Information Technology, News, Nigeria

Cryptocurrencies Ban will Boost Anti-Money Laundering Compliance – ABCON

The Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria, ABCON, has backed the Central Bank of Nigeria’s order directing banks to close all accounts belonging to cryptocurrency traders. This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday titled, ‘ABCON backs CBN’s cryptocurrency trading ban for stronger anti-money laundering compliance’. According to Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, ABCON President, the regulator acted fast to curtail an emerging dangerous trend capable of eroding Nigeria’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing gains. He said that before placing a ban on financial dealings that did not conform with the norm, the regulator must have got a financial intelligence on such operations, as seen in kidnappers now collecting bitcoin for ransom. Gwadabe stated tha...