Info Tech
CT Ministry to launch gender initiatives for women empowerment
ABUJA – The Federal Ministry of Communication Technology has concluded arrangements to launch gender based initiatives that will empower Nigerian women and girls.
The Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja last Tuesday.
The initiatives to be launched on Monday next week are the SmartWoman Nigeria initiative, 1000 Girls in ICT Training programme and the ICT Girls Clubs geared at educating, empowering, developing and making women and girls in Nigeria ICT savvy and self- reliant.
Two of the initiatives, the Smart Women Nigeria and the 1000 Girls ICT training programme, according to the Minister will be launched on the 4th of November in Lagos, while the ICT Girls Clubs will be launched in January 2014 respectively..The Ministry is collaborating with some partners to launch the initiative.
The SmartWoman Nigeria platform developed by US based social enterprise ChangeCorp will be launched in collaboration with WIMBIZ.
Accordingly, the initiative seeks to promote the development of women in Nigeria by harnessing the power of mobile communication tools provided by Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
The SmartWoman initiative which featured at the first meeting of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development Working Group on Gender in Mexico City (of which the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson is a member) is targeted at low- to middle-income urban and high-income rural women business owners. It offers learning in communication skills, banking, financial, health, and family work/life balance issues.
The second Gender initiative to be launched by the Ministry also on the 4th is the ICT training for 1000 Girls in collaboration with Hauwei.
The training project will inculcate 1000 girls with crucial ICT skills necessary for empowerment and development of the girls. The programme is a three day programme that will train 1000 unemployed Nigerian girls within a year in specific ICT skills that will enhance their employment opportunities. The girls will be trained in Telecommunication Networks, Transmission Network and GSM, LTE, WCDMA and other ICT skills.
The first phase of the training programme will commence on the 4th of November 2013. Upon completion of this first phase, the top 200 students based on performance during phase 1 will be given further training to become Huawei Certified Network Associates
The third initiative, the ICT Girls Club is perceived as a viable platform to create an enabling environment to encourage young girls to embrace ICTs. The aim of these Clubs is to help to bridge the existing digital divide between boys and girls and remove the barriers that discourage girls from embracing ICTs.
The goal is to ensure that more girls embrace and adopt careers in ICTs. The Clubs will teach animation, website development, blogging, software development, graphics design, games, computer programming etc.
The Ministry in partnership with two recognized NGOs (Women in Technology in Nigeria WITIN and Women Empowerment Centre WTEC) will set up the clubs in selected schools across the 6 geo political zones in Nigeria in January 2014.
The Federal Government of Nigeria in a bid to further empower Nigerian women and girls developed an innovative approach to gender empowerment through the Ministry of Communication Technology, Agriculture, Water Resources, Health and Works.
To empower women and Girls, five Ministries signed MOUs with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Finance to develop the potential and earning power of women and deliver on specific services that will impact positively on the lives of Nigerian women.
The Ministry of Communication Technology, a key partner in the MoU signed through the specific technology initiatives listed above is empowering women and girls to embrace ICTs to actualize their potentials and contribute to the economic development of Nigeria. ICTs have the transforming power to accelerate the development of women by helping them to be more efficient and effective in their jobs, careers, and business and to generate new employment opportunities. It also has the potential to significantly contribute to increasing the social welfare of women.
The press conference was attended by representatives of the Ministers of Women Affairs and Finance, a number of NGOs in the ICT Women empowerment field and management staff of the Ministry.
– VANGUARD
Info Tech
ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue Partners EPRON, EL-AS Tech, WEE-Eco
In efforts at spicing up the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, the management of ITREALMS Media has partnered with E-waste Producer Responsibility Organization of Nigeria (EPRON) membership organisations for a day-long collection scheme of small electronic waste on Friday, December 15, 2023.
The EPRON members aligning their partnership with 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue are EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited and WEEE Eco-Friendly.
ITREALMS’ day-long collection scheme is part of the commemoration of 2023 international E-Waste Day (IEWD) within the ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue with the theme “You Can Recycle Anything with a plug, battery or cable” at Welcome Centre Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos.
Revealing this collaboration, the Group Executive Editor, ITREALMS Media, the organisers of the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, Sir. Remmy Nweke, urged mobile device enthusiasts to come along with their devices that have reached their end-of-life to the venue for proper disposition by professionals who would also be on grounds to address some topical issues.
The collection of small electronic wastes especially mobile phones and like-devices, would be carried out by EPRON member organisation, EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited as facilitated by ITREALMS Media group as part of this year’s ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue on Friday, December 15, he added.
He disclosed that the exercise would commence at Welcome Centre Hotel by 9am till close of work hours the same day.
Nweke pointed out that the collection of small e-waste items would include mobile phones, pointers mouse, earpieces, rechargeable torches, phone chargers, to name a few.
Further, he said, that this initiative has become time-serving because some people may have missed any other opportunity before now for the year-long campaign, hence this awareness on e-Waste has to be continuous, “ITREALMS came up with this scheme.”
Nweke beckoned on Nigerians, especially mobile phone users, to leverage the opportunity in disposing of their mobile devices they no longer use, of course in exchange for a voucher or gift item.
In her reaction to this year’s day-long small waste collection, EPRON Executive Secretary, Mrs. Ibukun Faluyi, described the initiative as commendable, expressing confidence it would intensify the collection of end-of-life devices for proper disposition.
Mrs. Faluyi, also urged Nigerians to take advantage of this day-long collection of small wastes courtesy of ITREALMS Media.
Recalling for instance that in October 2022, EPRON had partnered SLOT alongside some UN agencies for collection of small e-waste items in Lagos, including the United Nations Information Centres (UNIC), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
This is even as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr. Aminu Maida and Director-General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Aliyu Jauro, would both lead speakers at the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue slated for this Friday, December 15, in Lagos.
Info Tech
iPhone 15: Things To Know About Apple’s Newest Model
Today, September 12, the tech corporation Apple will introduce the iPhone 15, their newest iPhone model.
According to a Forbes story, this model, which will be introduced at the company’s “Wanderlust” event in Cupertino, California, will be available in four variations: the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Here are five things you should know about the new iPhone 15 model.
1. The new model is made of titaniu, not stainless steel as some other Apple smartphone models, Senior research analyst at DIGITIMES, Luke Lin reports.
2. The Pro Max model will feature double the optical zoom on the iPhone 14 as it comes with a newly-introduced ‘periscope lens upgrade, performing 5-6x optical zoom.’
3. The Pro models will carry an A17 bionic chip expected to make it perform faster.
4. The iPhone 15 model will feature a USB-C charging port, the same port featured on some Android phone models.
5. Due to its titanium shell, the new model is anticipated to be more expensive to purchase. The following is the speculated price list, as reported by Forbes:
The iPhone 15 starts at $799, the iPhone 15 Plus at $899, the iPhone 15 Pro at $1,099 ($100 increase), and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at $1,299 ($200 increase).
Info Tech
FG Partner With Firm, Set To Introduce 500 Autogas-Powered Buses
In an effort to reduce the exorbitant cost of Premium Motor Spirit, better known as petrol, the Infrastructure Bank Plc announced its collaboration with FEMADEC Group on Monday to offer 500 buses powered by autogas (Compressed Natural Gas).
Partners in the agreement claimed that the project was created to provide citizens with dependable, affordable, and environmentally friendly travel options, taking into account the negative effects of the nationwide increase in PMS costs.
Under Decree No. 51 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1992 Constitution, the Infrastructure Bank, originally known as the Urban Development Bank of Nigeria Plc, was founded in 1992 to promote the quick development of infrastructure throughout the nation.
In a statement issued in Abuja on its partnership with FEMADEC, the bank said, “The preliminary offer extended by TIB lays a solid foundation for the expansion of FEMADEC Group’s CNG bus fleet.
“With plans to introduce 500 CNG buses within the next five years, commencing with an initial batch of 50 buses in the forthcoming year, this proposal stands poised to instigate significant change.
“The acceptance of this proposition by FEMADEC Group, notably championed by Fola Akinnola, the Group Chief Executive Officer, is a testament to their zeal and dedication to this alliance.”
The bank described the partnership as a “pivotal endeavour that is primed to redefine Nigeria’s public transportation landscape, offering dependable, cost-effective, and ecologically conscious travel alternatives for citizens, while harmonising with the nation’s broader sustainability ambitions.”
“This partnership represents a remarkable stride towards a more ecologically aware future for Nigeria’s transportation sector, highlighting the shared commitment of both TIB and FEMADEC Group to sustainable advancement and progress.”
It said FEMADEC Group’s strides in operating Compressed Natural Gas buses, including the existing fleet of 20 CNG buses under LAMATA, underscored their unwavering dedication to ecologically sound solutions, a commitment predating the fuel subsidy removal.
“Their leadership within the CNG value chain is undeniable, and the new alliance with TIB underscores their foresight.
“This partnership seamlessly aligns with TIB’s sustainability objectives, echoing their resolute endorsement of the government’s net-zero and climate change agenda.
“The bank’s aspiration to champion Nigeria’s infrastructure progress is evident in its endorsement of pivotal initiatives like this, yielding expansive positive impacts on both the environment and society,” the bank stated.
The bank added that it would continue to make a significant contribution to the country’s growth as a leading financial institution committed to advancing effective and long-lasting infrastructure projects.