Major-General T.Y. Buratai – Chief of Army Staff .

The new Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Buratai hails from Borno State. Until his new appointment today, he was the Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force which has its headquarters in Ndjamena. Maj-Gen. Buratai has previously served as Commander of the Nigerian Army’s 2nd Brigade in Port Harcourt and Commander of the Nigerian Army School of Infantry in Jaji, Kaduna State

Buhari appoints new Service Chiefs, National Security Adviser

As reported earlier by opinionvoices, President Mohammadu Buhari just appointed new Service Chiefs and the National Security Adviser to replace the sacked officers.

Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd.) is now the new National Security Adviser, while Major-General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin is Chief of Defence Staff.opinionvoices.blogspot.com


The other Service Chiefs are ; Major-General T.Y. Buratai , Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas appointed Chief of Naval Staff; Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar is the new Chief of Air Staff and Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan, is now the Chief of Defence Intelligence.

Boko Haram releases first beheading video

Boko Haram has set a terrifying new precedent by releasing its first gruesome video of a beheading since it pledged allegiance to ISIS.

The video adopts many of the same style-points as the hundreds of barbaric videos released by ISIS over the last year.

The ‘west Africa’ insignia in the top-left corner suggests the terror group has set up a new so-called media wing in the country.

It comes on the same day that MailOnline learned of a Somali terror group’s intentions to join ISIS – which would extend its so-called caliphate to east-Africa.

The ten minute-long propaganda video begins with what appears to be an intense firefight against Nigerian soldiers.

Boko Haram fighters exchange machine gun fire with the troops and launch heavy mortar grenades on their locations.

It shows them standing proudly next to the corpses of scorched Nigerian troops – and showing off their security badges to the camera.

The video ends with the senseless murder of a captured African Union soldier. With a look of true horror on his face, the man kneels in front of three masked Boko Haram fanatics – two of whom point AK47s at his head.

President’s Scorecard After 30 Days(33.7 percent (58) of the tracked 172 promises)

With over 30 days gone, the Buharimeter assessment has a scorecard for the President in percentage terms. It notes that while campaign promises made by the President with a time frame of 100 days constitute 33.7 percent (58) of the tracked 172 promises, the promises to be fulfilled in four years are 114, 66.3 percent of total promises. Thus far, out of the 58 promises, four (6.8 percent) have been assessed as “ongoing.”

“Hence, within the first 30 days, the President has ONLY worked towards the achievement of 6.8 per cent of his 100 days covenant with Nigerians. In similar direction, actionable steps have been taken within the first 30 days towards the achievement of only 2.3 per cent (4 out of 172) of PMB campaign. This underscores the fact that no observable steps have been taken to achieve 87.7 per cent of the promises.”However, the June report did not merely pin point the problems with respect to the President’s promises that are yet to be matched with action. It therefore made some recommendations around how the President should begin to fulfil the promises he made to the Nigerian people.Specifically, it was recommended that the President should swiftly deliver his “Marshal Plan on insurgency, terrorism, ethnic and religious violence, kidnapping and rural banditry” as he promised to do within his first 100 days in office. The report equally called on the President to appoint ministers to handle the economy, agriculture and other relevant sectors as quickly as possible.”Beyond the content of the report, it is of importance to take a look at the methodology used in putting this very first report together. The monitoring of tracked campaign promises of PMB was conducted by the Centre for Democracy and Development. Reports of newspapers, radio and television broadcast which had bearing on aspects of the promises were generated through daily media monitoring.Also, expert analyses on sectoral issues were also collated to aid formulation of informed analyses, from problem identification to policy recommendations.“We also systematically take cognizance of citizens’ views in making judgment on the status of implementation but ensure that views that are laden with bias and sentiments are disregarded in making judgment. Weekly in-house reports were prepared for the purpose of trend monitoring and building up to the monthly report; a database was created for this,” the report read.Article by Armsfree Ajanaku, Media Manager of Transition Monitoring Group, a coalition of over 400 civil society organizations.

APC can’t enforce its supremacy on Senate – Nnamani

Speaking at a public presentation of a book titled:” Nigeria’s Fourth Republic National Assembly: Politics, Challenges and Media Perspectives, written by Dr. Austin Uganwa said that the events of June 9, which led to the failure of the APC to influence its choices as presiding officers of the National Assembly occurred because the party misread the issue of party supremacy.

He stated that once Senators are elected, they become senators of the Federal Republic and that once a Senate President emerges, he becomes the senate president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, dumping the partisan toga.

According to him, it was wrong for the APC to have called a meeting at the same time when the senate was to convene, adding that the senators must hold their loyalty to the Constitution at that moment.

He said: when we talk about independence of the legislature, it also delve into what happened on June 9. That day, a group of people handling government decided to hold a meeting. But one would have expected that they should be the one to take the floor since we are practicing bicameral legislature, but they did not.

“They gathered at the International Conference Centre (ICC), which is so far away from the vicinity of the National Assembly. At least, they should have been the ones to be there first, to make sure they lead their people inside. But they did not do that, and now they are paying the price for that.”

The former Senate President added: “Now, today, we are grappling with the issue of party supremacy. Party is ephemeral and the legislature should stand for democratic governance for Nigerians.”

He maintained that party supremacy cannot be enforced on the senate floor.
He also insisted that Nigerians should attempt to document occurrences in the political sphere like Uganwa had done, since a number of actors often want to re-write history.

He said that for instance, some of the main financiers of the aborted Third term campaign have already started denying the matter because it is against the grain of national discourse.

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abbah, who was chairman of the book launch said he was impressed that the author captured the critical moments in the life of the National Assembly, adding that he remained committed to the independence of the legislature just like the period he served as Speaker.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/apc-cant-enforce-its-supremacy-on-senate-nnamani/#sthash.Vwnt1Rs7.dpuf

FG negotiate with Boko Haram terrorists from a position of strength.

The Federal Government, insisted that it would only negotiate with Boko Haram terrorists from a position of strength, rather than weakness. The expression of confidence came hours after about six female suicide bombers blew themselves up in Zabarmari village, as panicky villagers fled. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Saturday, seven people were killed while nine were injured in the process.

In a statement clarifying earlier comments on BBC that President Muhammadu Buhari was amenable to negotiations with the terrorist group, Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, explained that the President’s latest stance was not entirely out of place, since most wars and conflicts end up with some form of negotiations.

According to the President’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina: “Most wars, however furious or vicious, often end around the negotiation table. So, if Boko Haram opts for negotiation, the government will not be averse to it. Government will, however, not be negotiating from a position of weakness, but that of strength”

“The machinery put in place, and which will be set in motion soon, can only devastate and decapitate insurgency. It is multinational in nature, and relief is on the way for Nigeria and her neighbours.

“President Muhammadu Buhari is resolute. He has battled and won insurgency before, he is poised to win again. It is a promise he made to Nigerians, and he is a promise keeper,” he stressed.

Adesina further noted that should “the insurgents want to negotiate, no decent government will be averse to such. Didn’t the Taliban and Americans also negotiate in Afghanistan?”

Windows 10 gets its own Minecraft, coming July 29

How many more platforms can Minecraft be announced on? Does Windows 10 count? At today's MineCon conference, a worldwide gathering for Minecraft players, Microsoft announced Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta will be arriving on Windows 10 on launch day, July 29.

It joins the many other places you can already play Minecraft: Windows, Mac, Windows Phone, iOS, Android, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 and PS Vita. Windows already has Minecraft, but this additional variant aims to be more tuned to what Windows 10 offers.

Minecraft is Microsoft's Tetris. Since purchasing Mojang, the Swedish creators of Minecraft, in 2014, Microsoft has put Minecraft into every Microsoft platform: on Xbox One, on HoloLens, and now Windows 10.

Minecraft Windows 10 Edition Beta has additional optimizations that set it apart from the existing PC version: seamless swapping between touchscreen, controller or keyboard/mouse controls, Xbox Live and Minecraft Pocket Edition online play, and record/share support for built-in Game DVR functions. In many ways, the multiple control modes could make this version feel like the ultimate hybrid between mobile and desktop versions.

The good news is that owners of the PC version of Minecraft will get Minecraft Windows 10 Edition Beta for free. For others, it will cost $10 for an unspecified time. It's not really a beta in the traditional sense, though. Much like previous versions of Minecraft, future updates will be free. Can I say whether you'll prefer the PC or Windows 10 version better? No, I can't. But it makes for a pretty big Windows 10 launch game.

The Latest Revolution in Paris: Tourism Goes Hi-Tech

It would be tempting to think of Paris as a city of Luddites after watching several days of taxi-drivers burning tires and barricading airports and train stations to protest the incursion of Uber drivers into the city.

“Luddites,” you remember, were a working-class anti-technology movement in Britain back during the 19th century industrial revolution, named after Ned Ludd, a young man who first started smashing machines a century earlier, in 1779. All-in-all a local vociferous objection to a global phenomenon – like today.

But while the taxi drivers are exercising their right to protest (indeed, the government banned Uberpop as a result), other enterprising Parisians are busy embracing technology as a means to build an offshoot to one of the city’s biggest businesses: tourism.

It’s a completely off-line iPhone app called “Smarter Paris,” with real-time updated information on everything from restaurant reviews to entertainment to sales in the shops to bicycle rental stations to …yes, transportation information and maps. You can tailor the information you receive according to your on profile and criteria. There’s even an audio guide function that reads the content out loud if you are not keen on scrolling text on your smartphone.. In short, you have the benefit of an electronic tour guide in the palm of your hand (or talking in your ear) – a far cry from the tourist handbook.

Africa's Richest Man Explains Interest In Buying Arsenal

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has disclosed his reason for seeking to acquire a stake in English Premier League team, Arsenal.

Few weeks ago, Dangote, 58, attracted widespread criticism from various quarters in Nigeria when he re-iterated his interest in acquiring the Premier League team. Many Nigerians called him out, insisting that his money would be better spent by acquiring a local Nigerian football team and promoting the Nigerian Premier League rather than spending on a foreign club.

But speaking to senior Nigerian journalists in Lagos on Saturday, the Nigerian billionaire explained that he is interested in buying the Premier League team to promote Nigeria internationally.

“The issue is that if I buy all the Nigerian clubs, the Nigerian flags will continue to remain here. But buying Arsenal will take the Nigerian flag worldwide. Just like whenever Abramovich is mentioned, the name of his country, Russia comes up. Everyone knows he’s Russian,” Dangote said.

In 2010, Dangote made an attempt to buy a small stake in the club but was rebuffed. He is still hopeful of owning the club someday and was recently quoted as saying that he intended to buy the team at the right price.

At the moment, Arsenal’s largest shareholders are American billionaire Stan Kroenke and Russian steel magnate Alisher Usmanov who own 66.6% and 30% of the Barclays Premier League club respectively. None of them has expressed any interest in selling to Dangote or to anyone.

Dangote is Africa’s wealthiest man with a fortune FORBES currently estimates at $17.5 billion derived from investments in cement manufacturing, sugar and flour.

Nigeria will not succumb to terrorism – Dogara

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has again expressed concern over mass killings and bombing of churches and mosque by Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Turaki Hassan, on Sunday, Mr. Dogara said the motive of the terrorists was to instil fear in Nigerians by engaging in mass killings of hapless citizens.

He condemned Sunday`s bomb attack on worshippers in a church in Potiskum, Yobe State, describing it as “barbaric, inhuman and wicked.”

The speaker said he is deeply worried by the “new dimension” taken by the terrorists as exemplified by the increasing spate of mass murder by the Boko Haram insurgents in recent days.

He said as men of faith, Nigerians should not lose hope in the capacity of the Nigerian State and its security apparatus to subdue the insurgents and bring the violence to expected end.

Mr. Dogara said by embarking on mass killings and annihilation of communities, the intention of the terrorists is to create doubts in the minds of the citizens to the point that they will no longer have faith and trust in the state.

However, the speaker said that, Nigeria and Nigerians will never succumb to this new dimension of terrorism and urged the people not to despair as according to him, “we shall overcome”.

“I want to use to medium to call on all men and women of faith, Christians and Muslims alike to intensify prayers to God as Nigeria is in dire need of divine intervention from the almighty God to overcome,” he said.

The speaker said, “With God on our side, there is no challenge that is insurmountable. I have strong conviction in my heart that this too, shall pass away.”

He praised the efforts of the officers and men of the military and other security agencies at the battle front and urged them “not to cave in to terrorism, as their sacrifice (s) shall not go unrewarded by the Nigerian state.”

The National Assembly, especially the House of Representatives, according to the speaker, will continue to give all the necessary support and cooperation to President Muhammadu Buhari to help equip the military with advance military hardware needed to convert terrorism and other internal aggression.

The Speaker commended Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for visiting Borno and Adamawa states recently where he reiterated the Federal government`s desire to rebuild the region.

He disclosed that a motion calling on the Federal government to convene an international donor conference for the rebuilding of the region has been drafted and will be considered by the House after its recess.

Ben Bruce asks Nigerians to be patient with Buhari

The senator representing Bayelsa East Senatorial district, Ben Bruce, said on Sunday that Nigerians should give President Muhammadu Buhari time to meet their expectations.

Mr. Bruce stated this in a series of tweets on his tweeter handle, @benmurraybruce.

“Again, I repeat that nations grow over time not overnight. Give President @MBuhari time. Nigerians elected a man not a magician,” the senator said.

Mr. Bruce, who before his election as senator, was the chairman of Sliverbird television, said though he belonged to a different political party as the president, he did not consider himself an opposition.

“My idea of opposition isn’t to attack Buhari\APC.Opposition to me is proffering alternative solutions/ideas for the betterment of Nigeria,” he said.

“Even the term ‘Opposition’ is a misnomers borrowed from other political climes. I prefer ‘alternative.’ I’m an alternative not an opposition,” he said.

The Bayelsa politician also cautioned elected officials against attacking their predecessors.

“The more you attack your predecessor the more the bar is set for you. Know how slippery a road is before knocking those who slipped on it,” he said.

“Nigeria is broke because we spend on consumption rather than on productive activities, on salaries instead of projects. We must flip,” he said.

Buhari condemns Boko Haram attack on Yobe Church

President Muhammadu Buhari has received with sadness, news of the dastardly bomb attack at a church on the outskirts of Potiskum, Yobe State, earlier today.

President Buhari deeply regrets the unfortunate loss of lives in the attack and commiserates with all those who lost loved ones in the incident which also caused needless injury to others and damage to the church building.

The President wholly condemns the resumption of attacks by terrorists on places of worship which are highly revered places of prayer and communion with God for most Nigerians.

Nigerians are a very religious people and President Buhari believes that the terrorists who wantonly attack our places of worship have willfully declared war on all that we value, and must therefore be confronted with all our might and collective resolve.

The President reaffirms his administration’s total commitment to doing everything possible to eradicate Boko Haram, terrorism and mindless extremism from Nigeria in the shortest possible time.

President Buhari assures all Nigerians that terrorism will ultimately be defeated and full security restored in all parts of the country for people to safely practice their respective faiths with liberty wherever they may reside in the nation.

The Constitution gives all Nigerians that right and the present administration will deploy all required force and resources to protect citizens’ right to freedom of worship.

Explosions rock Jos, killed at least six people in Potiskum,Yobe State.

Two explosions occurred on Sunday night in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

A OPINIONVOICES correspondent reports that the first explosion occurred at Bauchi road, just before the University of Jos main campus, while the second explosion occurred around Yantaya, Nasarawa Gwon area, both in Jos North Local Government Area of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria later reported that Tafsir (Islamic preaching session) was ongoing around the scene of the second explosion.

The twin explosions occurred hours after a suicide bomber killed at least six people in a church in Potiskum in Yobe State.

The police in the state could not be reached for comments at the time of publishing this report.

Chocolate City announces MI as the new the CEO

After being the chief executive officer of one of the prominent hip hop record label in the country, Chocolate City Music for 10 years, Audu Maikori has stepped down, paving way for the appointment of the label’s most visible artist, Jude ‘MI’ Abaga as the new CEO.

The announcement was made by Maikori himself via his Twitter handle on Tuesday.Maikori himself became the president of Chocolate City Group (CCG), a parent company of Chocolate City Music as from July 1, 2015. CCG has other business arms including Chocolate City Distribution, Chocolate City Events and Chocolate City Media.

Other appointment announced by the music label was of Paul Okeugo who became the chief operating officer of CCG. Hakeem Bello Osagie and Yahaya Maikori are expected to be part of the board of CCG.

The new appointments became necessary as the group plans to spread its tentacles across Africa.

Chocolate City was established 10 years ago by Audu Maikori, Yahaya Maikori and Paul Okeugo.  In 2012, Hakeem Bello-Osagie joined the board of Chocolate City Group as its Chairman.

While MI and Ice Prince are  the soar-away artists of the label, it has, however, 15 artists on its bill including Afrobeat legend Femi Kuti, returning Jesse Jagz, DJ Caise, Pryse, Nosa, Victoria Kimani, Dice Ailes,  and Koker. Others are Kahli Abdu and VHS Safari, DJ Lambo, Loose Kaynon, Ruby Gyang and Milli.

In ten years of its existence, the label and its artists have won over 250 individual awards and with 10 albums released.

Buhari appoints Zakari INEC acting chairman

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday appointed Amina Bala Zakari the acting chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following Professor Attahiru Jega’s completion of four-year term.

Zakari’s appointment, which took immediate effect pending the appointment of a substantive chairman, was disclosed in a statement signed by Haruna Imrana, the director of communications for the Head of Civil Service of the Federation. Zakari, who hails from Jigawa State (North West), had served as Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as Health Secretary (the equivalent of a state commissioner) under Nasir El-Rufai, the current governor of Kaduna State, when he was FCT minister.

Until her appointment as acting chairman yesterday, Zakari was one of the commissioners working under the supervision of Prof. Jega. Her tenure, as INEC commissioner, was to expire on July 21, 2015.

However, if appointed in substantive capacity and approved by the Senate, she may serve as chairman for, at least, five more years. Jega, who was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010, served out his five-year term, having conducted two general elections in 2011 and 2015.

He officially bowed out of office as chairman of INEC yesterday and handed over the leadership of the electoral body to Mohammed Wali. Wali, a national commissioner of the commission from Sokoto State, is also expected to retire on August 11, 2015. Meanwhile, six national commissioners whose tenure has also expired are leaving the commission with Jega.

The commissioners are Col. M.K. Hammanga (rtd), Adamawa State (North-East); Dr. Ishmael Jikiri Igbani, Rivers State (South-South); Prof. Lai Olurode, Osun State (South-West); Dame Gladys Nne Nwafor, Abia State (South-East); Mrs. Thelma Amata Iremiren, Delta State (South-South) and Mr. Dr. Nuru A. Yakubu, Yobe State (North-East).

Apart from Zakari, the new acting chairman, three other national commissioners are to leave the Commission in July and August this year. They are Dr. Abdulkadir S. Oniyangi, Kwara State (North-Central), whose tenure will expire on July 21, 2015; Dr. Chris O. Iyimoga, Nasarawa State (North-Central), whose tenure will expire on August 11, 2015; and Ambassador (Dr.) Mohammed Ahmad Wali, Sokoto State (North-West) whose tenure will also expire on August 11, 2015.

At the end of the closed-door ceremony, Prof. Jega expressed optimism for a brighter future for the country and the commission, even as he thanked the authorities for the opportunity to serve Nigeria in that capacity. He said: “We feel great; we thank God Almighty for the opportunity to serve the country. The future is bright for the commission and the country.”

Oando sells shares in downstream sector for N54.9b

OANDO Plc, an integrated oil and gas company, has agreed to sell an equity stake of its downstream business to HV Investments for $276 million.

As part of the deal, the HV Investments II B.V. (HVI), a joint venture owned by a fund advised by Helios Investment Partners and the Vitol Group, and Oando, would each have a 49 per cent voting rights; and a Nigerian Helios affiliate two per cent.

The deal, according to Oando, in a statement yesterday, was brokered at $276 million, conditional upon the receipt of regulatory approvals and subject to customary purchase price adjustments, including working capital. It added that: “Pursuant to the acquisition, a special purpose vehicle will hold 100 per cent of the economic interests and 49 per cent of the voting rights of Oando Downstream.

“The total consideration of $461.3 million will be funded by a $276.8 million cash contribution from HVI, and $184.5 million in preference shares issued to Oando Plc, subject to customary purchase price adjustments, including working capital and long-term debt.

At closing, HVI will own 60 per cent of the special purpose vehicle, while Oando Plc will hold a 40 per cent stake,” it stated. Commenting on the transaction, Chief Executive Officer, Oando Plc, Wale Tinubu, stated, “This transaction is an exciting development in downstream West Africa.

By working with Vitol – a global energy and commodities company and the largest independent trader of energy products; and Helios – a premier Africa-focused private investment firm; Oando Plc has repositioned Oando downstream for a new era of investment growth and profitability.

“Importantly, the divestment enables Oando Plc to focus on its upstream and midstream businesses. Even as proceeds of the sale will be applied almost entirely to reducing Oando’s leverage, we underscore the portfolio rationalization achieved alongside the balance sheet optimization,” he said.

Oando downstream businesses primarily consist of; Oando Marketing Plc (OMP); Oando Supply and Trading Limited (OS&T); Oando Trading Limited (Bermuda) (OTB); Apapa SPM Limited and Ebony Oil and Gas Limited. During a mid-year teleconference with investors and analysts in July 2014 to announce the conclusion of Oando’s game-changing $1.56 million acquisition of ConocoPhillips Nigerian assets, Tinubu had hinted at the probability of a shift in Oando’s strategy to focus on the implementation of a three-pronged approach to reduce debt, diversification into the higher margin upstream, and an increased growth margin value for shareholders through an augmented production portfolio and cash flow.

‘Cybercrime law will bring sanity to Nigeria’s online space’

THE Information Security Society of Africa-Nigeria (ISSAN) has commended the signing into law of the bill on cyber-crime by the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, saying it would save the nation billions of Naira being lost to cyber criminals every year while also helping to sanitise the country’s cyberspace already riddled with a web of frauds and malpractices.   

According to ISSAN President and General Manager, Union Bank, Dr. David T Isiavwe, the society expressed delight that with the law now in place, it will no longer be business as usual for criminals whose business is to defraud innocent people of their hard earned money and resources through the internet and other electronic means. 

“We are delighted that Nigeria has joined the few countries in Africa and indeed, the world at large, to have a law which provides effective, unified and comprehensive legal, regulatory and institutional framework for the prohibition, detection, prosecution and punishment of cyber-crime in the country, while also ensuring the protection of computer systems and networks, electronic communications, data and computer programs, intellectual property and piracy rights. We now expect that the law will be implemented under the new government of President Muhammadu Buhari, given his antecedents and tough posture on corruption and other crimes.

“ISSAN has, in the last few years, championed the call for an appropriate law and regulations to save Nigerians from cyber criminals who are increasing by the day in the country. It is indeed gratifying to note that this law is now in place”.   ISSAN disclosed that it will soon embark on a massive public enlightenment on the new law to prevent Nigerians from falling victims to cyber criminals and also help discourage people from indulging in cyber crime to avoid stiff sanctions imposed by the law.   “For sure, it is no longer business as usual for cyber criminals.

From the petty criminals operating in cybercafés to the big time hackers, email scammers and other computer-based fraudsters, the law stipulates heavy penalties which the criminals should be made aware of before they embark on their ‘suicide’ mission. “Also the new law will help individuals to know their rights as well as the appropriate use of their computer systems and the need to protect themselves against the activities of fraudsters in electronic communications.”

Mobile payments to rise by 58.5% in 2015

BARRING any unforeseen circumstances, the mobile payments platform in Nigeria and other part of the globe, is expected to have witnessed about 58.5 per cent growth by the end of the year.
 

Besides, a revenue value of about $712 billion has also been projected to accrue to operators’ within the same period.
 
Speaking at the 2015 Card Expo Forum in Lagos, Vice President and Area Business Head, West Africa, MasterCard, Omokehinde Ojomuyide, said the world is changing and attention is shifting fast to mobile technologies.
 
Ojomuyide noted that today, 90 per cent of users now move between devices to accomplish a goal, be it on smartphones, Personal Computers, tablets and televisions.
   
According to her, 52 per cent of all online shopping are now done from mobile phone and tablets, stressing that this projects huge values for retailers, which include that through contactless payments, retailers can benefit from increased global transaction values and volumes.
   
She said the mobile payment ecosystem is expected to see 35 per cent average yearly growth from 2012 to 2017. .
   
But if the mobile money/payment ecosystem must champion expected growth in the drive towards financial inclusion, the Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya advocated a review of the current mobile money model in Nigeria. He said a telecommunications company-led model will help expand retail banking, thereby driving financial inclusion in the unbanked segment.
   
Currently, telecommunications companies are not permitted to provide their own mobile money services as the current model approved by the financial regulator, Central Bank of Nigeria, empowers banks to provide mobile money services while telecoms companies play only a supporting role.
   
Speaking at a forum in Lagos, Ogunsanya said for the mobile money market to reach its full potential, it is important that restrictions on telecommunications companies activity in m-money are lifted. .
   
According to him, Agency/Agent Banking as well as mobile money can help deepen penetration in retail banking in the country, suggesting that the mobile money sector is rather slow at this time because they are led by banks.
   
Furthermore, the Vice President and Area Business Head, West Africa, MasterCard, said today 66 countries accept MasterCard contactless payments, with about 2.5 million retailers worldwide. .
   
She disclosed that 33 per cent shoppers abandoned an online transaction if not optimised for mobile.
   
On security, she said that making mobile payments more secure has become extremely crucial if there must be more users. She disclosed that MasterCard Contactless transactions are just as secure as using chip and pin
   
“MasterCard Contactless cards, Near Field Communications (NFC)-enabled-phones and other devices allow consumers to make secure payments everyday. Two in three phones will come with NFC (near field communication) by 2018. MasterCard’s new Digital Enablement Service (MDESI) is designed to tokenize a consumer’s financial information”, she stressed. .
   
While she revealed that consumer interest in new payment solutions is high, Ojomuyide said 85 per cent of users find multiple platforms confusing. .
   
She disclosed that consumers are looking for simpler way to pay no matter where they are. .

48 countries beat digital migration deadline

FORTY-eight nations, out of the 119 member countries of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), have successfully transit from analogue to digital migration.

The deadline date was June 17, 2015. It was a date agreed to by ITU and member nations after the 2006 Geneva agreement, which Nigeria was signatory to.

According to ITU, a United Nations arm in charge of global telecommunications regulation, 58 countries, including Nigeria have the project as ‘on going’, while 20 countries were designated as not ready. 48 countries however, met the deadline. No information was provided on the status of the remaining member nations.

ITU, in a document titled: ‘Status of the transition to Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting’, obtained by The Guardian, said June 17, 2015, heralded the development of ‘all-digital’ terrestrial broadcast services for sound and television for 119 countries belonging to ITU Region-1 (Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia) and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In the Europe, America, Middle East and Central Asia, the ITU listed United States of America; Portugal; Poland; Japan; Germany; Malta; Belgium; Greece; Italy; United Kingdom; France; Netherlands; Sweden; Israel; Canada; Latvia; Iceland among other countries that met the deadline. The report said the countries achieved this feat between 2007 and 2012.

In Africa, countries including Mozambique; Tanzania; Rwanda; Mauritius and Malawi have migrated successfully. They achieved this, according to the report between 2010 and 2015.

Countries that have been designated as on-going, which include Nigeria, are India; Zambia; Zimbabwe, South Africa; Togo; Mexico; Korea Republic; Kenya; Cameroon among others.

According to the body, June 17 June deadline for switching off analogue television broadcasting in the UHF band was set by ITU Member States at the Regional Radio communication Conference in 2006, known as the GE06 Regional Agreement.

It disclosed that several countries that are party to the GE06 Agreement, as well as many which are not, have already made the transition.

ITU explained that the new digital GE06 Plan provides not only new possibilities for structured development of digital terrestrial broadcasting but also sufficient flexibilities for adaptation to the changing telecommunication environment.

According to ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao, “Today, 17 June, marks a historic landmark in the transition from analogue to digital television broadcasting. The process, which began in June 2006, has re-envisioned the way the world watches and interacts with TV and opened the way for new innovations and developments in the broadcast industry.”

Zhao explained that digital TV broadcasting offers many advantages over analogue systems for end-users, operators and regulators.

He pointed out that apart from increasing the number of programmes, digital systems can provide new innovative services, such as interactive TV, electronic programme guides and mobile TV as well as transmit image and sound in high-definition (HDTV) and ultra-high definition (UHDTV).