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Editions 171
- 200
CYBERSCHUULNEWS 200
Clearing House for Telecom Firms Emerges
Nigeria's first clearing house for telecoms operators
has been commissioned. Interconnect Clearing House
Nigeria Limited, an innovation in this parts, is set to
help put an end to the various interconnection and
bill-settlement crises that have characterized the
telecoms sector of the economy for years now.
The company will monitor all traffic between operators
and help reconcile accounts for settlement on a monthly
cycle. Six Interconnect Exchange licenses were known to
have been issued by NCC and two are already on the way
to playing in the field.
NITEL:
Continues service roll out; Investors jostle
As the six companies short listed to compete for the
purchase of 51% stock of the carrier jostle for the
juicy offer, NITEL continues to roll out its services
around the country.
Alongside its fixed wireless lines, NITEL's IP-wholesale
service and its dialup Internet services are hot cakes
in the market. In a strategic move to rebuild interest
in its dialup service, NITEL has fixed tariff at N3.25
per minute during peak periods.
National ID
Card for e-commerce?
The Federal Government is proposing to transform the
country's National ID card into an e-commerce tool. In
an innovative thrust to empower Nigerians, the
government has raised two committees to work out the
technicalities for achieving this objective.
Nigerians
wake up to blogging
Years ago, only writers and pressmen published anything.
But with the advent of the Internet came an amazing
potential for anyone to publish virtually anything that
catches his or her fancy for next to nothing - but on
the Net. Blogging is the name. Online publishing is the
game.
While blogging has been going on around the world for
quite a while, the practice is fast catching on her in
Nigeria with various blogs springing up. Usually, these
blogs are maintained by intelligent young Nigerians.
Some of them are just general blogs with posts on the
author's personal life, while others narrow down to
specific issues such as mobile phones, relationships,
and financial intelligence.
If you have something worthwhile to say, now you have a
platform that knows little or no restrictions. Blog!
Nigerians in
Diaspora Pick Development Challenge
The recent Abuja conference on forging partnerships with
and among Nigerians in the Diaspora as a component of
bridging the digital and scientific divides rose with
Nigerian scientists who live abroad bracing to take up
the challenge of reversing perceived downward trends in
national development. A 21-point communiqué, which
emerged out of the conference picks on several issues
most of which are not entirely singing new tunes. In
particular, the papers presented by Nigerians who live
abroad point to the need for many of the authors to seek
better touch with home as many of them were proposing
solution to problems which have since been solved or
which no longer exist.
Ironically many Nigerian ‘Diasporans’ have made more
fundamental contributions in their individual capacities
than they collectively diagnosed at the talkshop. More
than 400 delegates participated in the Conference. A
quarter of that figure might have come home for the epoc
meeting.
Hopefully future editions of the Conference, which
appears to have been decreed by President Obasanjo’s
expressed opinion to include July 25 as annual Diaspora
Day, will have better focus.
The Limits of
Deregulation
In the following essay which is culled from THIS DAY,
Tayo Ajakaiye [ taykaye@yahoo.com ] a leading writer of
telecommunications discusses the disadvantages of
concentrating too many licenses in the hands of a few
individuals
Since the beginning of the present deregulation in the
telecommunications sector of the Nigerian economy, it
has been all applause. The Nigerian Communications
Commission has enjoyed the praise. The Ministry of
Communications has savoured the glory. The federal
government has taken the credit.
Along the line, Nigerians have found life a bit easier.
Telecom access has made life easier. Fewer Nigerians
still, and foreigners too, have been making millions and
millions.
In all these, not many people are looking critically at
our deregulation process. Like who gets what licence. In
Nigeria today, many people rush to the NCC to get
licence. It is only after getting the licence that they
sit down to decide what to do with the licence. The NCC
does not have problems giving anybody the licence
required. The Commission's chief executive, Ernest
Ndukwe had always stated that at NCC they expected the
applicants as businessmen to do their feasibility
studies before applying for licences. Many of them do
not. So, they hang the licences in their offices after
getting them and forfeiting the licence fees. A few
others waste some more millions before deciding that
they have bought the wrong product. Once upon a time,
the NCC insists on a foreign technical partner before
granting a licence. They did for the GSM people. But not
anymore.
It was this policy that partly accounted for the
successful launch of GSM services in Nigeria. Since this
requirement was stopped by the NCC, more licences have
ended up in the cooler than those operated.
Take the FWA licences for instance, a more experienced
foreign technical partner may have been able to advise
some of the licence winners from going ahead to procure
those licences they so excitedly won but so regretfully
abandon. Out of the list of 22, only about two and a
half have launched service. Even Oduatel with all the
millions expended have not made success of its licence.
It had to buy a CDMA licence long after that. A
technical partner may have spotted the uselessness of
its FWA licence in the first instance.
Were the NCC to do a licence audit today, it would
realise that there are so many licences out there lying
idle.
Since the time it has been awarded a fixed wireless
licence, NITEL has not operated that licence once. It
won't operate it till next year when the unified licence
regime takes off.
An operator who spoke with THISDAY Tuesday observed that
it might be okay issuing licences the way NCC does since
the Commission wont be in a position to know which of
the applicants were unserious. He however insisted that
there should be a regular audit of licences so that
those who have nothing on the ground to show for the
length of time they have being in possession of their
licences should be withdrawn and the licences re-awarded
to other serious operators. In any case, what happens to
the kind of rollout conditions given the GSM operators?
The new concern in the industry today is the seeming
willingness of the authorities in allowing the same set
of people who operate core telecom services to provide
telecom support services. The same telecom operator
wants to provide interconnect services and manufacture
recharge cards. Soon, he would also set up a company to
manufacture SIM cards.
If this is allowed, an MTN, for example, could as well
establish a recharge card manufacturing plant in
Nigeria. It has the money. It could then establish a
company and fund it to provide interconnect service. MTN
would then also register another company and get it
ready to take advantage of such a time when the
government would place a ban on the importation of SIM
cards. How would that sound?
That is why there should be a limit to deregulation.
There is something called specialisation. Let there be
specialisation in the telecom industry. Core telecom
operators should be asked to face core service
provisioning. Value-added service providers and support
services providers should also be approved to provide
such services. It goes beyond the issue of expertise.
For that would be the next argument: that if it is the
same set of shareholders that have the capability to
provide the next service, they should be allowed. There
is nothing extraordinary in a value added services that
others cannot provide.
If there is telecom boom in Nigeria, the benefits should
not be enjoyed by only a few people. Let the boom
spread. It doesn't make sense making the same set of
people millionaires and billionaires. Or what is
empowerment all about? Properly defined, it shouldn't be
for just a few. But definitions do change, when greed
sets in. Don't they?
EDUCATION FOR ALL (EFA) IN NIGERIA
BY YEAR 2015?: “E-LEARNING IS THE ANSWER”.[3]
A contribution to CYBERSCHUULNEWS by Adejare Amoo
..contd from CYBERSCHUULSHOUT 25
ADVANTAGES OF E-LEARNING
Cost Effectiveness
It has been discovered that traditional training and
education, as organized at present by both the public
and private sectors, is less cost effective. It is
established that about 40% of the training cost is
currently spent on travels and transportation,
accommodation and lodging, and other non-training
related expenses either on the trainer or on the
trainees. E-learning technology has cut off such cost.
It makes it possible to train so many people within the
same budget through effective cost control. While the
employees’ performance is enhanced, their productivity
consistently improves, resulting in global national
productivity and economic growth.
Flexibility Of Implementation Of Training Programmes
This technology provides flexibility of implementation
of training programmes to cover individual needs while
at work, home or play. It provides for a speedy
implementation of training programmes. Training
programme application is democratized such that the
trainees can work at their own pace , time and place.
The courses include technical training relating to the
workers’ activities, foreign language training, and
knowledge acquisition training. A real time performance
evaluation and assessment is attained. Currently, the
traditional training involves much of mobility of
personnel causing disruption of work flow. The time for
such training is fixed. E-learning technology provides
for learning any where and at any time, such that the
training can be customized to suit the trainees, the
trainer and the employers, which includes the
government. Trainers prepare and control their course
contents without much external specialist intervention.
It simplifies the development of courses with possible
input from all stakeholders.
The World As A Single E-Classroom
Through virtual technology, the world is currently being
reduced to a single classroom Training values are
maximized through customization, flexibility, personal
coaching, regular tracking, and course accreditation as
well as certification by the universities. It provides
for all ages, colour, creed, and gender worldwide. This
technology has the advantage of interactive solutions.
The wealth of benefits associated with it include
exciting, active learning environment, self confidence,
real time evaluation, personalised test and self
assessment, immediate feedback, no paper marking,
multimedia application, customized course control,
accurate statistics on students’, trainers’ and platform
activities, more effective communication, efficient
travel cost reduction, robust technological support,
simple, fast and complete training, and modular forms.
Corporate Optimization Of Human Performance Through
E-Learning
Technology Application
The ethical objectives of corporate bodies today is to
know more, do more and spend less through their work
force at all levels. This can only be achieved through
the optimization of human performance in all their
business processes. They need to tie learning directly
to core business activities. This is possible only
through e-learning technology which provides for wider
audience outreach. The stakeholders are trained online,
covering the employees, shareholders, suppliers,
customers, host communities, and government agencies
among others. The technology provides for corporate
application which includes corporate induction
programmes with virtual interviews and platforms.
Animated and dynamic 3D words and imageries could be
used to launch new range of products while CD’s are used
to disseminate information and educational instructions.
Training programmes cover all aspects of the
organization.
Extending e-learning technology application to all
stakeholders is a competitive strategy with achievable
advantage. Extensible and configurable e-learning
technology application enables organizations to
personalise the user interface at the levels of
function, location, site, organization, responsibility,
and user. The technology enables organizations to share
unified information across the company to facilitate
smarter decisions with better information while
promoting effective and efficient scheduling and
resource management..
Effective Learning Management System
...to be continued
Engr. Adejare AMOO ceemind@excite.com is a Lagos based
Energy and IT Education Consultant .
RE: TODAY'S MOBILE EXECUTIVES
Prof. Augustine odinma raised a number of points in
CYBERSCHUULNEWS 250705-198 with respect to an earlier
contribution I made [TODAY'S MOBILE EXECUTIVES ] and a
report of a mobile data survey conducted on my site
www.gosmartmobile.com
Indeed the professor is 100% correct when he wrote that
"GPRS can be charged as a flat rate as well and it is
not necessarily true that CDMA charges are flat. That
depends on who is doing the charges or the operator's
method of billing. The charges are a billing issue and a
technology issue. Whether the operator is a GSM or CDMA
operator that does not determine whether it should be
flat rate or not".
Unfortunately, the reality on ground is that the
majority of CDMA networks around the world and all of
them here in Nigeria chose (whether by a deliberate
consensus or by simply going with the Joneses) to bill a
flat monthly rate.
In a similar vein, the majority of GPRS networks around
the world, again including Nigeria, also for whatever
reasons chose to bill per data transferred.
My tips were given with these existing realities in
view. In the end, that's all it boils down to with the
man on the street: the realities on ground. There was no
point giving tips based on what can be rather than what
is.
Prof. Odinma also wrote concerning the results of the
survey on data tariffs, "If you had a national CDMA
operator in Nigeria, the operator is likely to charge
the N42 or so that other operators charge per minute...
I do agree with assertion that the GSM services are over
priced in Nigeria, but you do not have a national CDMA
operator in Nigeria to compare with".
I quote from the report he refers to:
"In a recent survey by GoSmartMobile.com, 90% of
respondents on GSM networks also say that GSM data
services are over-priced and that they would be willing
to cross over to a CDMA network offering better data
tariffs. While CDMA subscribers were firm in their
conviction that they preferred their network's data
charges to those of GSM networks, they also indicated
that they were still not very comfortable with the
tariffs".
For the records, the survey in question was about mobile
data services, and specifically a comparison between
data services based on CDMA and GPRS platforms. Prof.
Odinma seems to have missed this vital point. Were the
survey had been about a comparison between GSM and CDMA
voice, the Professor's position would be water-tight.
Having said that, I respect, commend and appreciate
Prof. Odinma's efforts at bringing further clarity to
the issues in question for the benefit of all
CYBERSCHUULNEWS 199
ICT SOLUTIONS: HOW AFFORDABLE IS AFFORDABLE?
Almost on a daily basis, the media is flushed with one
advert or the other offering "affordable" Information
and Communications Technology services and solutions.
The increase in interest in ICT is a welcome
development, as is the initiative of enterprising
individuals and businesses who are rising up to the
challenge of providing these much-needed services.
What can be a little amusing is how often those services
tagged "affordable" are not quite as pocket-friendly as
they have been touted.
Take the PC and internet access. These two are vital to
the successful implementation of ICT in today's world.
The average "affordable" basic Pentium 233 PC in the
market costs around N40,000. In a country where over 80%
of the population earn well below N10,000 monthly, the
affordability of the PC is suspect.
The most affordable internet access solutions are
arguably those offered by PTOs and advanced GSM
networks. But even these can be afforded by only a tiny
section of the population. The cheapest internet access
plan on any of the PTOs costs N3,000 per month. Again, a
not-so-affordable fee to a majority of the populace.
Several factors are responsible for this "restricted
affordability". On the list are: epileptic power supply,
alongside other inadequate infrastructure; high
government taxes; steep interest rates on loans; and a
couple other factors. At the bottom of the list will be
found the lack of foresight by service providers.
Many times, ICT is a game of numbers. There are
situations where providers can drop their fees/tariffs
in order to amass a critical mass of subscribers or
users that will generate the kind of profitability that
will see the providers smiling to the banks.
Whatever the arguments, it is obvious that the high-end
of the ICT market is well saturated. Those service
providers who want to create new sources of revenue will
need to find innovative ways of harnessing the untapped
potentials of the lower end of the market by introducing
real affordability in the pricing of their services.
Reform of US Telecom Act now real, Nigeria's reform
stalled
Going by recent maneuvers in the US Senate, the push to
further deregulate the U.S. telecommunications market
may soon sail through. It has been long awaited that the
new bill which shall replace the 1966 Act will strip
some of the current federal and state rules for the
delivery of voice, video and data services. Analysts say
it is expected to further level the playing field
between telephone, cable and satellite companies while
opening the door for the delivery of emerging broadband
services. Arrowhead of the reform bill, Senator John
Ensign, believes "Technology is moving forward but
current laws are not."
In Nigeria, the lower house was where the murmuring was
first heard that the new and relatively popular National
Communications Act 2003 was to be reviewed. That was
almost as soon as the current assembly came into life
but the proponents now appear quiet over the issue
especially as they detoured into combing the 'Pentascope'
deal.
Hacker Stops Spammers
An Israeli hacker who got tired of the unsolicited mails
from the Israeli National Institute of standards decided
to put an end to the endless SPAM that was flooding his
mailbox and hacked into the server where the email
database was stored. He then proceeded to delete data,
including access usernames and passwords to the
database. The cheeky fellow finally also changed the
database’s administrative password, locking out the very
owners!
That's one hacker who put his skills to interesting use,
isn't it?
Boost for Nigerian Software Developers
In a concerted effort at developing local content
creation in ICT, software programmers and writers are
being given due recognition and support under the
Nigeria Software Development Initiative, a programme
that seeks to lift the software development industry in
Nigeria. Part of the objectives of NSDI is to ensure
compliance with documentation and standards, as well as
generate greater demand for the services of Nigerians in
software development market.
meanwhile
NITDA'S DG ANNOUNCES VISION
Prof. Cleopas Angaye, Director-General of Nigeria's
National Information Technology Development Agency,
NITDA, has been speaking about his vision for the IT
Industry in Nigeria. He says there would be deliberate
priority attention to standards and regulations,
software development, and development of domestic and
external markets. He also reeled out a list of populist
objectives which are usual components of government
policy statements. These include the development of
State IT Policies, acceleration of e-government,
interconnection of networks [didn't say which networks]
and a facilitation of rural IT penetration and
popularization[ boy, some big words there!!]. He also
said the Agency would facilitate the establishment of
Information Technology Access centers in all the 774
local government areas of the country. Whaoh!!!
Portable 3G Internet Access Service debuts
An ICT firm, Netcom, has launched a portable Internet
access service on a 3G platform in Nigeria. The service
will allow subscribers to connect to the Internet
anywhere within the Netcom network. Named MyNetcom, this
3G service is being rolled out with limited service
coverage in Lagos, and will be extended over time.
States in ICT Development drive
More than 25 states in Nigeria said they have been
building structures and motivating their citizens in the
applications of ICT. Six of them Osun, Plateau, Oyo,
Kano, Kaduna and Delta were at the recent eNigeria
Summit in Abuja where they all reported notable degrees
of success in their IT development efforts. Others who
have also been reported to be doing a few things in this
regard include Ogun, Lagos, and Akwa Ibom States.
V-Mobile declares Sim Pack Free
'....Dear customer, from 1 August, Sim Packs will cost
N0.00. You pay N500, you activate and get N500 FREE
airtime. That's value, because its all about you.....Vmobile,
31 July-2005, 09:35:21...'
CYBERSCHUULNEWS 198
AT STARCOMMS: SMET OUT; BURKE IN
After an excellent 3-year term at Starcomms, Mr Dirk
Smet has resigned his appointment as CEO of Nigeria's
foremost Private Telephone Operator (PTO). he joined
Starcomms in 2002 at the company's humble beginning and
successfully turned around its fortunes skywards. Today
Starcomms is head and shoulder above other PTOs with an
active subscriber base of about 145,000.
He is being replaced by Mr Graham Burke who has been
designated Chief Operating Officer (COO). Burke has very
rich experience with telecoms operators in Asia, the
middle East and Africa. In Africa specifically, he has
consulted for Intercellular, another PTO and is coming
in on the eve of Starcomm's rollout of services in oil
rich Port Harcourt.
ICT TOOLS HELP POLICE
The British police are making progress in their
investigations of the recent bombings in London with the
aid of ICT tools. Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
cameras at strategic locations around the city recorded
footages that the police are currently reviewing.
Already, a number of suspects have been identified and
are being hunted.
A major demonstration of how 3G CDMA technology can be
used to provide real-time surveillance of the society is
being accomplished in South Africa by a company called
Cueincident, and has helped bring down crime by 80% in
the Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD). With
the help of surveillance cameras linked to a central
monitoring station by CDMA technology, the police are
able to provide amazing quick response to criminal
activities. This has drastically reduced crime in the
area.
E-COMMERCE TAKING OFF IN NIGERIA?
Finally, true e-commerce seems to be finding its roots
in Nigeria. First, it was the laudable attempts of a few
innovative banks and organisations at providing
e-payment services to Nigerians. The off-shoots of those
efforts include: Valucard, SmartCard, FlashMe Cash and
some others. However, these where limited in many ways.
ValuCard depended on physically carrying a card. FlashMe
Cash was a little bit more e , in the sense that you
could pay remotely. however, its limitations lay in the
fact that it was operated on only one bank.
Sometime last year, SmartPay (one of the apostles of
e-payment solutions in the country) also introduced
Naira2u, an online service that enables Nigerians to
make remote payments. The service was welcomed by those
who had longed for an e-payment solution that would open
them up to the international market with enthusiasm.
Naira2u met this need, as all e-payment solutions before
it where strictly limited to transactions within
Nigeria.
Then came news that MasterCard and VISA were showing
interest in Nigeria. At about the same time, GloMobile
announced a mobile-commerce service, Glo m-banking, run
in conjunction with InterSwitch and all the banks
operating on that platform. More universality! But Glo
m-banking is yet to allow for true e-commerce, as the
ability to pay 3rd parties is yet to be launched.
While we await that, MasterCard is finally live and
active in Nigeria, with at least 4 banks issuing real,
universally-accepted cards. Blazing the trail was
Ecobank, and then followed by Standard Trust, and
Zenith. Cards from each of these institutions are
already being used by individuals across the country,
making payments online and also when on trips abroad. It
is expected that more banks will join the fray in
providing not only MasterCard but also VISA and other
global payment solutions in the months ahead.
Finally, e-commerce in the real sense of the word is
beginning to flourish here.
Needed: A New Approach to Customer Support 2
In the first part of this article, Yomi Adegboye
examined the role of Customer Support as provided by
telcos in the emerging data era that Nigeria is
witnessing. In this follow-up by popular demand, he
further drives on the need for operators to do more in
the area of Customer Care.
I was approached online by a gentleman last week. He had
purchased a top-range smartphone, the Sony Ericsson
P910i in order to be able to take advantage of certain
services as advertised by his network operator. As such
one of the first things he did was to take a trip to his
operator's customer care centre to have his new gadget
configured for GPRS usage. However he was in for a
shocker. He was told by the representatives who attended
to him at the Opebi centre he visited that the P910i was
not a PDA and so would not work on their GPRS network.
His protests of disbelief achieved nothing, as one after
another representative affirmed that under no conditions
could the P910i be used for full GPRS Internet access on
the network.
It was a real nightmare to him, but it sounded like a
comedy as he narrated the story to me. I found it
difficult to believe my ears. To put things in
perspective, I had used a Sony Ericsson P800, an older
and less-sophisticated device, in the manner he had been
told was impossible for over 6 months last year.
Anyway, I fixed an appointment with him and we met a few
days later at a restaurant around Ikeja. I had the phone
fully configured under 5 minutes and he was browsing
full websites (not WAP), downloading his office mails
via the built-in mail client and downloading
applications for his phone, all via GPRS Internet.
In near disbelief, he asked, "Is that all to it?"
That scenario has been repeated many times over in the
last few years across different networks, irrespective
of platform.
Most subscribers may never get the opportunity to have a
discussion with the public relations officers of network
operators. But they do interact with Customer Care (CC)
staff everyday. As such, it is imperative that CC staff
represent the company well. That is where adequate
training comes in. CC staff must be trained and
re-trained as much as technical and PR staff are.
Network operators owe this to the teeming subscribers
who put down their hard-earned money to pay for services
the operators have advertised.
On the part of CC staff as individuals, personal
interest must be developed in what they do. For example,
anyone can mention the name of almost any mobile handset
and I can tell them off the bat whether it is GPRS, EDGE
or 3G-enabled. That's the result of personal interest. I
have called my network's customer care line a couple of
times and mentioned my handset to them (I use an average
of 7 different handsets a year, by the way), and the
staff have to place me on hold to find out whether or
not the phone I named was GPRS-enabled or had certain
functionality.
I spoke with a CCS once and she asked to know what
notebook PC I used my Nokia 9500 communicator with for
GPRS Internet service. I told her that I used it as a
standalone device, and in amazement in her voice she
asked to know how that was possible. This was not just
the general Customer Care unit. She belonged to a
specialized unit handling GPRS issues, yet had no idea.
The fast-growing level of competition in the industry
will result in a scenario where reliable customer
support is everything. The operators that can provide
that will stand tall. Already, some subscribers are
learning the art of voting with their money, especially
seeing that it costs next to nothing to get activated on
any rival network these days.
Contributed by 'Yomi Adegboye, CEO of DomainStandard
Networks; editor of GoSmartMobile and a valued friend of
CYBERSCHUULNEWS
RIGHT OF REPLY
RE: TODAY'S MOBILE EXECUTIVES
Nice tips from Yomi Adegboye [CYBERSCHUULNEWS
170705-197]. But, the item 2 is not necessarily true.
GPRS can be charged as a flat rate as well and it is not
necessarily true that CDMA charges are flat. That
depends on who is doing the charges or the operator's
method of billing. The charges are a billing issue and a
technology issue. Whether the operator is a GSM or CDMA
operator that does not determine whether it should be
flat rate or not. I noticed that I read (browed)
something earlier on this issue which suggests that most
of the customers could move to CDMA because of the cost
... That is a misrepresentation!
I found it, the conclusions of the survey. Find it
below:
"In a recent survey by GoSmartMobile.com, 90% of
respondents on GSM networks also say that GSM data
services are over-priced and that they would be willing
to cross over to a CDMA network offering better data
tariffs. While CDMA subscribers were firm in their
conviction that they preferred their network's data
charges to those of GSM networks, they also indicated
that they were still not very comfortable with the
tariffs"
The billing is not a function of the technology. I can
still recall all the hypes about data charges few years
ago and it had nothing to do with technology. In fact,
it was a GSM operator in the US who first offered a flat
rate charge. That was why I said that the technology is
being confused to the way an operator chose to charge
for data or calls. If you had a national CDMA operator
in Nigeria, the operator is likely to charge the N42 or
so that other operators charge per minute.
I do agree with assertion that the GSM services are over
priced in Nigeria, but you do not have a national CDMA
operator in Nigeria to compare with. The survey would
have given the respodees the impression that CDMA
tarrifs are better and hence that conclusion. But, that
is predicated on false premise!
Augustine Odinma
aodinma@yahoo.com
EDUCATION FOR ALL (EFA) IN NIGERIA
BY YEAR 2015?: “E-LEARNING IS THE ANSWER”.
A contribution to CYBERSCHUULNEWS by Adejare Amoo
INTRODUCTION
“Education For All (EFA)” forms part of the “Millennium
Development Goals (MDG’s)” set for African countries to
be accomplished by year 2015. E-learning technology
enables one to acquire complete knowledge, education and
professional competence, using information and
communications technology facilities, without traveling
out of one’s place of living or work. Through the
worldwide embrace of e-learning technology, access to
knowledge now remains permanently available in the
office and other work places, institutions of learning
at all levels and the home.
E-learning involves mixed training, integrating the
online teaching, with the sharing of the available time
between the teacher (trainer) and the students
(trainees). It could be conducted through the in-house
intranet or the open internet, apart from the movable
storage training devices, such as diskette, flash drive
and compact discs (CD), as complements. Though long
established in the 18th century, in principle, as
learning by correspondence, it is a newly developed
learning (training) technology for multi-locational
institutions and organizations, both in the public and
private sectors.
This presentation is therefore made to highlight the
importance of the e-learning technology as the only tool
to make the “Education For All (EFA)” of the African
“Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s)” a reality in
Nigeria, even before the target year 2015.
THE E-LEARN EXPO PARIS 2005
The E-learn Expo Paris 2005 was held on 25th and 26th
January, 2005 in the prestigious Palais des Congres in
Paris, France. It was the fifth in the series of annual
conferences with exhibitions held in Europe and Asia so
far. The slogan for the expo was identified as “see
more, learn more, know more.” This can be associated
with the popular saying about Paris but modified by this
author to read “see Paris and learn”. However, on a more
serious note, the theme for this year’s event was most
appropriately quoted as “e-learning for all.” Sewabeats,
a Swiss-based organization which specialises in running
traditional African drums sessions, colourfully
activated both the opening and closing ceremonies. They
showed that, when managed properly, drumming as a group
activity, and most especially African drumming, is an
insightful and beneficial vehicle of learning.
Participants
There were about 100 different e-learning companies,
about 300 conference delegates, about 5,000 visitors to
the exhibitions and about 40 sponsors. Participants came
from as many as about 50 different countries from all
the continents of the world. Some of the sponsors for
this year’s event included Oracle, Thomas-Netg,
Macromedia, HyperOffice, Global English, Sanako, Eifel,
SchoolMaster and Questionmark, among others.
Mr. Sam Juwe, Executive Director of Computers and Allied
Products Nigeria Limited, supported by Hitachi France,
packaged the event for the Nigerian delegates. Given
that e-learning technology application is at its infancy
stage in Nigeria compared to Europe, Asia and other
developed nations, the response to the call for
participation by the Nigerians was quite functional and
impressive. The nine-member (9) Nigerian delegates
included National Electric Power Authority - NEPA (2),
National University Commission - NUC (1), Ministry of
Science & Technology (1), University of Nigeria Nsukka -
UNN (1), Plateau State Commissioner for Education (1),
Digital Bridge Institute (1), private sector (2 which
include this author).
Contents Of The Expo
The exhibitions covered the platform for e-learning
inputs which include hardware and software. These are
for managing e-learning technology application from
students’ course selection, registration for courses,
courses delivery, tests and quiz, correction and
grading, quality assurance and others. In the
application, provision is made for payments and other
financial transactions and management. The support
materials such as interactive e-learning CD, multimedia
material presentation, e-zines and e-books were on
display.
The interactive lecture sessions were really educative.
The emphasis was on “life-long and life-wide education”
as the cardinal objective of e-learning. Development and
promotion of formal certificate related education and
training, language training, corporate training,
vocational and apprenticeship training, and training to
solve problems associated with end-of-career inactivity
were brought to limelight.
The expo demonstrated that e-learning provides for
people of all ages, race, creed, and gender, making it
possible for them to learn any where and at any time.
APPLICATIONS OF E-LEARNING IN EUROPE
Mass Development of the Citizens
The exhibitions and lectures showed that, at present in
the developed countries , e-learning technology has been
used to develop their citizens at all levels. Primarily,
e-learning was applied to enhance formal education from
the nursery to primary and through secondary schools up
to university level. It covered various subjects with
more emphasis on foreign languages. English has been
recognized as the universal lingua franca and it has
been given a prominent recognition and attention under
e-learning scheme. Practical experience of e-learning
application to education in most European countries such
as Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and
United Kingdom among others, were cited. Facilities used
were demonstrated to the participants.
Government - Private Sector Partnership Initiative in
France
The experience from the French initiative whereby the
private sector has been involved in their e-learning
technology policy delivery was shared with the
participants The participants were informed that since
1971 the French government made it mandatory for
companies to train their employees throughout their
career. This has been stretched further by the Law no.
2004-391 of 4th May 2004 (DIF – Droit Individuel a la
Formation), which provides for individual’s right to
training for life. The law provides for companies with
more than 50 employees to spend 3% of their payroll on
training. It also provides for each employer to give 20
hours of training annually to each employee as a right,
regardless of their categories. Such training could be
outside the place and time of work. This mandatory
20-hour period of training could be accumulated over a
period of six years. There is also a provision which
makes e-learning a valid item in the tax deduction law
on employee training. In 2000, France was reported to
have spent 21.65 billion Euros (about 4 trillion naira)
on vocational and apprenticeship education, representing
1.55% of their GDP. This excludes investment
expenditure. Out of this national expenditure, the
private sector companies spent 9.3 billion Euros (about
1.8 trillion naira) which is about 45%. For the previous
ten years, the companies’ expenditure for this purpose
had been increasing by 4% per annum and leading the
public sector by 12.5% annually.. Both the employers and
the employees are complying with this new law to the
advantage of all the stakeholders. With the
implementation of this law, employees’ performance is
enhanced, while productivity consistently improves,
resulting in increase in multi-dimensional national
productivity and growth for France.
France Applies E-Learning Technology To Prepare The
Citizens For Post Active Life
Realising that the nation’s sportsmen and women had no
adequate time to develop their intellect during their
youthful active national and international sport
programmes, the French government has produced
e-learning programmes for their sportsmen and women,
while in active life. The objective is to make them more
productive at the end of their sports career. This has
been well acclaimed by their sportsmen and women. The
French government has extended this e-learning programme
to their armed forces and police, custom and other field
work personnel. The objective is to promote their career
progressively and provide for their life after loyal and
dedicated active service to their nation.
Private Sector Corporate E-Learning Technology
Application
Most organizations in the developed countries currently
use e-learning technology to disseminate information,
educate and train all their stakeholders on-line. These
beneficiaries include the employees, shareholders,
customers, suppliers, host communities, government
agencies personnel and others. The e-learning programmes
use text, imagery and narration to explain the huge
range and functionality of the companies’ products and
services, as well as their missions, visions and values.
They also provide their staff with desktop reference on
many human resources and career development topics. For
example, Nestle has invested a fortune on their
Corporate Induction e-learning programme. It covers a
virtual library with images and videos of the company’s
product advertisements over the years, while major
sections are devoted to the organisation’s culture, core
values and behaviours. Numerous (editable) links are
provided to the company’s intranet pages and to the web
sites of associate companies. The company has designed
the programme to serve both as an upbeat welcome and as
a continuing source of useful information, education and
training to the entire world. Similarly Dnata, a sister
company to Emirate Airlines has produced a 2-hour module
on ‘Ramp Safety’ covering topics such as personal safety
equipment, lifting techniques, dealing with fires and
working safely around aircrafts. The programme is
produced in well animated Macromedia Flash in six
languages with all content held externally. Experiences
and case studies from Air France, La Poste, the Naval
Forces, Fire Services, and Mega-Plaza Shopping Complex
were shared with the participants.
E-Learning Technology Application To E-Governance
Examples of various initiatives taken by most
governments of the developed countries to inform,
educate and train their citizens at all levels on
government policies, using e-learning technology, were
highlighted during the lecture sessions and exhibitions.
ADVANTAGES OF E-LEARNING
Cost Effectiveness
It has been discovered that traditional training and
education, as organized at present by both the public
and private sectors, is less cost effective. It is
established that about 40% of the training cost is
currently spent on travels and transportation,
accommodation and lodging, and other non-training
related expenses either on the trainer or on the
trainees. E-learning technology has cut off such cost.
It makes it possible to train so many people within the
same budget through effective cost control. While the
employees’ performance is enhanced, their productivity
consistently improves, resulting in global national
productivity and economic growth.
Flexibility Of Implementation Of Training Programmes
This technology provides flexibility of implementation
of training programmes to cover individual needs while
at work, home or play. It provides for a speedy
implementation of training programmes. Training
programme application is democratized such that the
trainees can work at their own pace , time and place.
The courses include technical training relating to the
workers’ activities, foreign language training, and
knowledge acquisition training. A real time performance
evaluation and assessment is attained. Currently, the
traditional training involves much of mobility of
personnel causing disruption of work flow. The time for
such training is fixed. E-learning technology provides
for learning any where and at any time, such that the
training can be customized to suit the trainees, the
trainer and the employers, which includes the
government. Trainers prepare and control their course
contents without much external specialist intervention.
It simplifies the development of courses with possible
input from all stakeholders.
The World As A Single E-Classroom
Through virtual technology, the world is currently being
reduced to a single classroom Training values are
maximized through customization, flexibility, personal
coaching, regular tracking, and course accreditation as
well as certification by the universities. It provides
for all ages, colour, creed, and gender worldwide. This
technology has the advantage of interactive solutions.
The wealth of benefits associated with it include
exciting, active learning environment, self confidence,
real time evaluation, personalised test and self
assessment, immediate feedback, no paper marking,
multimedia application, customized course control,
accurate statistics on students’, trainers’ and platform
activities, more effective communication, efficient
travel cost reduction, robust technological support,
simple, fast and complete training, and modular forms.
Corporate Optimization Of Human Performance Through
E-Learning Technology Application
The ethical objectives of corporate bodies today is to
know more, do more and spend less through their work
force at all levels. This can only be achieved through
the optimization of human performance in all their
business processes. They need to tie learning directly
to core business activities. This is possible only
through e-learning technology which provides for wider
audience outreach. The stakeholders are trained online,
covering the employees, shareholders, suppliers,
customers, host communities, and government agencies
among others. The technology provides for corporate
application which includes corporate induction
programmes with virtual interviews and platforms.
Animated and dynamic 3D words and imageries could be
used to launch new range of products while CD’s are used
to disseminate information and educational instructions.
Training programmes cover all aspects of the
organization. Extending e-learning technology
application to all stakeholders is a competitive
strategy with achievable advantage. Extensible and
configurable e-learning technology application enables
organizations to personalise the user interface at the
levels of function, location, site, organization,
responsibility, and user. The technology enables
organizations to share unified information across the
company to facilitate smarter decisions with better
information while promoting effective and efficient
scheduling and resource management..
Effective Learning Management System
With online continuum, it is established that people
remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear,
30% of what they see, 50% of what they hear and see, 70%
of what they say and write, while they remember 90% of
what they do. Hence, since e-learning technology
involves “doing”, through interactive multimedia
environment, all the gates of learning are utilized,
making the student (trainee) achieve more than 90% of
his learning task. The e-learning platform structure
covers the student, the tutor, and the administrator.
With this structure, competency management is
established by setting objectives to cater for
competency inadequacy, corrective course, path,
assessment, and record keeping. Learning path is agreed
through catalogue, learner defined, and tutor (manager)
defined. The programme content is efficiently managed
for reuse, applying unified catalogue through tracks and
multiple ways. Simultaneously, single course with a set
of learning objectives can be offered in multiple ways,
languages, places, and times. Assessment of the learner
and the curriculum can help to validate and tailor the
material to merge more effectively to those company
goals and objectives.
E-Learning Technology Application To Develop Rural
Communities
Building and adequate equipment of e-centers in the
rural community will bring public information, education
and training to the grass root. Some people express the
fear that there would be inadequate power supply to
drive the e-learning project to success in the rural
areas. The national power supply system has been
reorganized with more fund made available to improve its
service delivery performance. Since this system can not
cover all the crannies of Nigeria in its power delivery
programme to meet the e-learning technology
requirements, alternative sources of energy, through
renewable sources of energy, have to be developed to
provide power for e-learning projects implementation.
Life More Abundant For Teachers
The fear that teachers might lose their job is baseless.
The teachers will be trained and retrained in
information and communication technology, while the
teaching profession will be modernized. With appropriate
remuneration policy and practice, more people will be
motivated to join and embrace teaching as its
traditional noble profession.
Urban Migration Reduction
Urban migration will be reduced , since courses relevant
to the locality could be developed for professional,
vocational and apprenticeship competence. For example,
aquaculture courses could be designed for the marine
environment, land related agricultural programmes can be
designed for the landlocked inhabitants, while
diversified textile making technologies could be
introduced in cotton growing area. Vocational and
apprenticeship institutions graduates will be encouraged
to be self employed.
CHALLENGES OF E-LEARNING
It has been identified that much as e-learning
technology is full of promises to all stakeholders, it
has its own inherent challenges. The platform evolution,
in terms of hardware and software development
technology, frequently changes with time and will
require adequate monitoring and updating by all
stakeholders. The course contents have to be adequately
controlled to meet the required norms and standards as
well as the stakeholders’ aspirations. Teachers and
trainers themselves have to be trained and retrained
regularly in the application of e-learning technology.
Appropriate and functional infrastructures have to be
provided to support the application of e-learning
technology. These include computer hardware, software as
well as adequate and regular power supply among others.
Above all, funding is one of the scarce resources which
has to be sourced and made available for e-learning
projects to be successfully delivered. All the
stakeholders in the traditional learning management
system have to accept the need for a change to
complement their effort and gainfully improve their
productivity. The targeted beneficiaries must
voluntarily make themselves available to absorb the new
e-learning technology.
THE FUTURE OF E-LEARNING APPLICATION IN NIGERIA
Continuity Of E-Learning With Prosperous Future
The future of e-learning to cover all facet of learning
activity has been identified. Apart from its positive
contribution to the formal learning environment, it has
been emphasized that the demand for e-learning will
continue to increase. Since learning stops at death,
e-learning is the only provider of “education for life”.
E-learning technology is an apparent cash cow for
investors. E-learning carries a prosperous future for
all through platform development, course content
development, programming, multimedia application, and
other job creation opportunities. It is private sector
investment friendly.
E-Learning Technology Application Solves Inadequate
Supply Of Education Delivery
For Nigeria, the prospective e-learning application
covers the formal education sector, embracing nursery,
primary, and secondary schools, polytechnics and
universities as well as the vocational and
apprenticeship educational institutions. Professor
Jubril Aminu, one time Minister of Education in Nigeria
, recently asserted on a TV interview (vide NTA 7th
March, 2005) that the demand for education in Nigeria is
much in excess of supply. He suggested the adoption of
modern technology as part of the possible solutions.
Definitely, e-learning technology is what the professor
could be considering as the answer to solving such
under-supply of education delivery. Some universities
have already installed computer centers on their
campuses. Microsoft has initiated action in this
direction by providing some secondary schools with
facilities for computer education. Other companies
should take a queue form this. Some state governors such
as Jigawa, Ogun and Lagos have taken the initiative in
this direction. Lagos State Government has computerized
about 140 secondary schools. Some non-governmental and
voluntary organizations such as Rotary Club as well as
some individuals have also embarked on establishment of
computer centers in their communities. More are
required.
E-Learning Technology Application As Panacea To Distance
Leaning Projects
The recently inaugurated open university is a
prospective beneficiary of e-learning technology. The
multi-campus law schools provide positive venue for
e-learning application. This technology is the best
solution for the nomadic education system. The recent
provision of radio facilities to assist in the Normadic
education delivery in Kano state by the Japaneese Agency
is laudable, but it has only 20% efficiency as
established above, e-learning infrastructure will assist
more. This e-learning technology is what the
educationally disadvantaged communities should embrace
to accelerate their sincere effort to fulfill the
nation’s “Education For All” (EFA) by 2015 policy.
Inadequate public enlightenment and relevant education
from the government and the multinational investors form
part of the challenges confronting the vibrant and
energetic youths of most host communities in Nigeria.
Both the government agencies at all levels and the
multinational investors, as well as other employers of
all categories, can individually and/or collectively
build e-learning centers in these communities both for
information dissemination, with feedback, as well as
education and training. All the tertiary levels of
government in Nigeria should spend about 50% of their
portion of the surplus petro - dollar on e-learning
project in their communities. This will successfully
deliver the poverty alleviation programmes, with
physical evidence to the populace.
E-Learning Technology Applied To Health And Social Work
Delivery Programmes
Reduction of child mortality rate, improvement of
maternal health, and combating of HIV/AIDS, malaria,
polio, tuberculusis, cerebral meningitis and other
killer diseases are the health related areas in the
African “Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s)” to be
achieved by 2015. HIV/AIDS and malaria have been
identified as diseases of mass destruction with very
little cure possibilities. The two most important stages
for the development of these diseases are the infection
and transmission. Infection may be through individuals’
act of commission or omission, while transmission is
through mass action. While the cure for these diseases
is limited, their prevention is the most desired and
most readily available to informed citizens. These
preventive actions require adequate information,
training and education for the populace. This is where
e-learning technology comes into play. Through the
animated text and imageries as well as its interactive
display, this technology provides the most efficient and
effective tool of mass instruction to inform, train and
educate citizens on the development and the prevention
of these diseases of mass destruction.
Social vices have been identified as one of the ills of
the Nigerian society, though it has been found not to be
peculiar to the country. Such undesirable activities
include human trafficking, child labour, fraud, social
insecurity, corruption, unsafe behaviours, ethnic and
religious intolerance, social injustice etc. Voluntary
and non-profit as well as non-governmental organizations
have taken the bull by the horn to complement the
various actions by the governments at all levels, to
reduce and even eradicate these vices. With e-learning
technology application, most of these vices will be
reduced and/or eradicated more effectively within a
short while. E-learning simultaneously promotes
individual self-sacrifice and collective interests along
with development of globalization culture. Thus, only
one peaceful virtual world will emerge, which is one of
the key objectives of e-learning technology.
E-Learning Technology Is Local Content Friendly
E-learning technology is about 90% local content
guaranteed in Nigeria. The required hardware could be
sourced locally from such companies as Zinox, Omatek,
Chams, and others. While Zinox has successfully launched
its “Computerise Nigeria Initiative” through its
personal computer (PC) use promotion, Omatek has just
launched its e-Youth Initiative programme. This e-Youth
Initiative programme is spread into e-School Initiative,
e-Home Initiative, e-Teacher Initiative and e-Youth Fun
Initiative. All these are e-learning initiatives
covering all stakeholders and which Omatek will possibly
extend to e-Office, e-Farm, e-Factory and other e-Work
Space Initiative in future. The main thrust of Omatek’s
Initiatives is to partner with other stakeholders in
Nigeria to make computer systems available to an
increasing number of Nigerian youths anywhere and at any
time, thus providing the required platform for
e-learning. Access to internet has evolved from the
initial telephone dial-up technology to VSAT with
companies such as Accellon, Danisat, Junisat, and some
others as pioneers. The VSAT is a big asset to
e-learning technology and should be used to its maximum
advantage. Internet Service Providers (ISP) will have a
herculean task in meeting the demand for their quality
services with e-learning evolution in Nigeria. Such
service providers include Linkserve, Cyberspace, 21st
Century Technology, Spacenet, Atmosphere and others.
E-learning technology involves software programming,
using various tools such as HTML, C++, Java, Visual
Basic and other programming languages, duly enhanced
with Multimedia software such as Flash, Activex, etc.
The Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON)
and the National Software Development Initiative (NSDI)
are on site to provide the much required software for
e-learning in Nigeria. Above all, the recently launched
SAT-3 satellite by the Federal Government of Nigeria is
targeted at facilitating e-learning culture propagation.
E-Learning Technology Contents Development
Learning support materials are abundant in Nigeria but
have to be sourced, analysed and developed for their
suitability for e-learning development. These will
include photographs, video clips, music, and others. The
trained teachers, who will also be computer literate are
at hand to partner with the programmers to provide this
service. Mr Jim Ovia, President of Institute of Software
Producers of Nigeria (ISPON), recently affirmed to
President Obasanjo that the nation could generate half a
trillion naira equivalent annually from exportation of
software developed locally. Such software development
revenue could be realized more from e-learning projects.
Cyberschuul.com is an indigenous private sector
sponsored website that provides training on line with
courses approved by the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
The website also provides facilities to enable their
visitors take external international professional as
well as vocational training and examinations online.
Indirectly, this website has already commenced the
“education–for–life campaign” since most of the
international examinations are progressive in stages and
could be taken anywhere and at anytime. In the recent
past the constraint to e-learning came with the dollar
as the only currency for financial transaction on the
internet. This has been resolved whereby payment could
be made through the internet either using the Nigerian
currency (Naira) or hard currency. This fact is
evidenced by Cyberschuul.com which accepts payment in
naira currency online. Some Nigerian banks have formed a
company called Interwatch to promote payment online
using smart cards. All the above confirm that the
contents required for promotion of e-learning at all
stages and levels in Nigeria are here with us, while the
initiative and the opportunities await optimum
application.
More Judicious Management Of Financial Resources
The huge sum of money currently being disbursed on
physical infrastructure such as buildings, furniture,
exercise books, text and reference books, vehicles,
electric generators and others will be more judiciously
spent on promoting e-learning projects through the
development and purchase of hardware and software as
well as support materials such as e-books, e-journals,
etc. It has been reported that in 2004, about 400
billion pages of books and other copy-righted works were
infringed upon by users through photo-copying globally.
It was further reported that Nigerians made 4 billion
pages of such photocopying (10% WOW!!!!). At the rate of
5 naira per page when there is public power supply and
10 naira per page when electric generator is used, this
translates to 5 to 10 billion naira per annum as
additional cost of education delivery in Nigeria. With
e-learning technology application, such cost is removed
and saved for more productive purposes.
Alternative Renewable Power Supply For E-Learning
Technology Services Delivery
Alternative sources of energy such as solar, wind, coal,
mini-hydro and mini-thermal plants will be developed to
power the e-learning centres and equipments in the rural
areas. This facility could be extended to the
inhabitants to make life more comfortable and abundant
for them. Such new energy source initiative will
generate viable technology–backed employment for
technicians. This view is supported by the recent widely
reported initiative from Jigawa State governor, Alhaji
Ibrahim Siminu Turaki, whereby the Jigawa Alternative
Energy Fund (a local NGO) partnered with Solar Energy
Light Fund (a US-based NGO) and supported by USAID
(United States Agency for International Development),
pioneered solar projects in some communities in Jigawa
state. The project has improved the life of some 7,500
rural homes through electricity generated from solar
technology. This renewable alternative energy now
replaces local power supply in the communities, lighting
up schools, hospitals, commercial centres and religious
buildings. In these communities, the village primary
schools have at least two classrooms illuminated per
school, Teachers are reported to be using the solar
energy electricity to organize adult education in the
communities and also to assist the students in doing
their home works. The schools have been provided with
computers which will be linked to the internet provided
by the state government. This will open the communities
to the rest of the world for healthcare, education and
commerce. It is the foundation for e-learning. Kudos to
Governor Turaki who has taken the fundamental bold step
to alleviate poverty in his domain through e-learning
infrastructure powered by solar energy.
E-Commerce And Tourism Opportunities
The e-commerce aspect of this technology is awaiting
exploitation whereby products and services could be sold
online. Computerport.com has taken the initiative to
sell computers and accessories online. More private
investors should brace up and grab the opportunities and
challenges offered by this lucrative e-learning
technology, as their own contribution to our national
development. The initiative taken by the current
administration in Nigeria to develop and promote tourism
is commendable. Such exercise requires a wealth of
information, education and training for the tourists,
the tourism agents personnel and the host community.
South Africa plans for 7 million visitors to their
country in 2005 with one million expected from Nigeria.
This translates to 100 billion naira expenditure for
2005 by Nigerians at a cost 100, 000 naira per visitor
for travels plus about one week stay in South Africa.
With efficient and effective e-learning technology
application, Nigeria can generate greater revenue from
tourism.
Government – Private Sector Partnership Initiative
The Federal Government could join in the French
government initiative by enacting a law similar to the
French DIF Law no. 2004-391 of 4th May, 2004 whereby the
employers will be requested to spend a certain
percentage of their turnover, profit before or after
tax, or payroll on the training of their employees and
possibly their host communities, through e-learning
technology, with a tax relief advantage to these
employers. Possibly, the absence of such law in Nigeria
could explain why the private sector was not adequately
represented in the Nigerian delegates to E-Learn Expo
2005 in France. The current political reform in
progress, provides the much awaited opportunity
available to enact such law, since it will promote
information and communication technology and knowledge
acquisition to the much desired level in the country.
The beneficiaries will be better equipped for better
productivity and self empowerment through self
employment. This will promote self actualization and
better standard of living. Definitely, e-learning
technology application provides one of the most
efficient and effective means of poverty eradication
nationwide.
CONCLUSION
E-learning cost reduction advantage covers big
implementation and organization flexibility, time
optimization, big flexibility for the trainee to follow
his own schedule and programmme, availability without
time or venue constraints, individualization of learning
path, communication between the tutor (trainer) and the
student (trainee), and simplicity as well as convenience
of utilization. E-learning technology can be applied in
both the formal and informal learning setup of the
nation’s education system and at all levels. This
technology is age, colour, creed, and gender friendly.
The prospective beneficiaries of e-learning have to take
up the inherent benefits and challenges and make
themselves more available to acquire maximum knowledge
and professional competence through this all embracing
technology. The various ministries of education should
establish e-learning departments to monitor, control and
enforce government rules and regulations on e-learning
application in the institutions of learning. The private
sector has a lot to contribute to the development and
application of this new technology, while the benefits
are there for them in abundance. The services of e-
experts should be retained for appropriate
implementation of e-learning projects both in the
institutions of learning and work places. The decision
to adopt distance learning policy through e-learning
technology is, above all, to adopt a solution which
permits a rapid, effective and efficient return on
investment both in cash and in kind, with its numerous
advantages.
Meanwhile, the current set objective in the developed
countries is “Education-For-Life”, since most of them
have attained the 100% literacy level. The EFA
Commission in Nigeria headed by the indefatigable
Special Adviser to the President and the Minister of
State for Education, Dr.(Mrs) Amina J. Ibrahim will have
success stories for the rest of the world at their
annual meetings through UNESCO, if and only if the
various governments, through the ministries of education
and in partnership with the private sector, adopt this
e-learning technology in all its ramifications.
E-learning technology is the only tool currently
available to promote education democracy i.e. “the
education of the people by the people and for the
people” in Africa in general and in Nigeria in
particular. I take this opportunity to congratulate the
EFA Commission and all their sponsor organizations for a
very successful outing during their recently concluded
“EFA WEEK 2005”. However, for Nigeria to be counted
among the nations that achieve “EDUCATION FOR ALL (EFA)”,
however basic, by year 2015 and even before, “E-LEARNING
IS THE ANSWER”.
Engr. Adejare AMOO ceemind@excite.com is a Lagos based
Energy and IT Education Consultant .
CYBERSCHUULNEWS 197
Final Report:
WSIS Regional Preparatory Meeting 5-7 July 2005 (Abuja,
Nigeria)
1 Introduction
The Africa Regional Preparatory Meeting for the 2006
World Telecommunication Development Conference was
organized by the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT)
of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in
Abuja, from 5 to 7 July 2005, at the kind invitation of
the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The aim of the meeting was to examine the evolution of
ICTs in the Africa region, take stock of the progress
made in implementing the Istanbul Action Plan, recommend
possible adjustments corresponding to the region's
priorities and identify regional initiatives for
submission to the World Telecommunication Development
Conference (WTDC) to be held from 7 to 15 March 2006 in
Doha, Qatar.
This report gives an account of the work and results of
the meeting.
2 Opening ceremony
The ceremony took place under the chairmanship of H.E.
Chief Cornelius O. ADEBAYO, Minister of Communications
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was accompanied
by H.E. Chief Chukwuemeka Chikelu, Minister of
Information and National Orientation, H.E. Professor
Turner Isoun, Minister of Science and Technology,
Senator Baba Tella, Chairman of the Senate
Communications Committee, Engineer Ernest Ndukwe, Chief
Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),
Mr Hamadoun Touré, Director of ITU-BDT, and Mr Brahima
Sanou, Head of the ITU Regional Office for Africa.
In his address, Mr Hamadoun Touré, the Director of BDT,
thanked the Government and people of Nigeria for having
invited ITU and its members from the African continent
to meet in Abuja for the purpose of sharing and
coordinating their priorities in regard to the themes
and methods they wished to see ITU's Development Sector
implementing during the next development period
(2007?2010).
His Excellency the Minister of Communications, after
welcoming the delegates on behalf of the Nigerian
Government, underlined the importance of the meeting,
which constituted an ideal platform from which to
identify the main problems facing the countries of the
Africa region with a view to reducing the digital
divide. It was his wish that the conclusions of the
meeting should result in recommendations reflecting the
aspirations of African peoples and shaping, in the
latters' interests, the decisions to be taken by
WTDC-06.
3 Agenda
The agenda as adopted by the meeting is contained in
Annex 2.
4 Participants
The meeting was attended by .208 participants, of which
there were 175 delegates from 43 countries, by 25 ITU-D
Sector Members and observers and 8 subregional and
regional organizations. The list of participants is
contained in Annex 3.
5 Bureau of the meeting
In accordance with ITU tradition, it was the host
country that chaired the meeting.
His Excellency Chief Cornelius O. Adebayo was elected
Chairman. The participants elected the following
countries to serve as vice-chairmen: Congo, Egypt,
Ethiopia, Mali and Tanzania.
6 Preliminary statements by countries
Before announcing the commencement of work, the Chairman
invited those delegations wishing to make a preliminary
statement to take the floor. Statements were made by the
following countries:
Cape Verde, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, Gabon, Cameroon,
South Africa, Burkina Faso and Ghana.
7 Implementation of the Action Plans
7.1 Implementation of the Istanbul Action Plan adopted
by WTDC-02
The BDT secretariat introduced Document 6, containing a
general overview of ITU activities relating to
implementation of the Istanbul Action Plan (IsAP). The
introduction comprised:
• a general overview of the telecommunication sector;
• the implementation status of the IsAP for the period
2003-2005, particularly in regard to:
– the six programmes;
– the initiatives and activities;
– the resolutions;
– financial execution.
The Director of BDT explained that the report was a
"mid-term" one since the Bureau was currently in the
third year of implementation.
The participants congratulated BDT on the quality of the
work accomplished and urged it to continue in that
direction.
7.2 ITU contributions to achievement of the WSIS
objectives
7.2.1 Presentation by BDT
The BDT secretariat introduced Document 3, relating to
its contribution to achieving the objectives of the
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The
document highlighted ITU's contributions towards
achieving the WSIS objectives, in particular:
– Through the implementation of Resolution 30 (Istanbul,
2002), ITU-D had regularly initiated and participated in
regional events designed to prepare players for
participation in WSIS.
– Implementation of the Istanbul Action Plan (IsAP) had
contributed to the establishment of an infrastructure
for the information society, particularly in regard to
mobile services, Internet and broadband.
– The active participation of BDT in the first phase of
WSIS, held in Geneva in December 2003, through the
signature of partnership arrangements with international
financial institutions, private companies, governments,
training institutions, etc.
In addition, attention was drawn to the important link
that exists between the action lines of the WSIS Action
Plan and those of WTDC-02.
7.2.2 Country contributions:
1 Senegal
Senegal presented a contribution covering the following
aspects:
a) ITU's contribution to achieving the WSIS objectives
ITU's contribution to achieving the WSIS objectives
should essentially focus on two avenues:
i) assisting countries in the elaboration of national
strategies and appropriate policies for the development
of ICT;
ii) assisting countries in the elaboration of national
e-strategies and e-applications.
ITU must play a central role in the implementation of
the WSIS Action Plan, particularly in regard to the
developing countries, through increased assistance in
the definition, elaboration and implementation of
national strategies for the development of
telecommunications and ICT (definition of a general
framework, training and upgrading workshops,
fundraising, provision of experts, etc.).
BDT should likewise bring forth its expertise in regard
to:
• the identification of structure-building community
projects and programmes to facilitate low-cost access to
ICTs;
• participation in the digital solidarity fund, by
exercising its role as a catalyst.
b) ITU's role and position in the mechanics of WSIS
implementation
ITU, as the organizer of the Summit and Chairman of
HLSOC, has fully proven that it has the competence and
experience to carry through the work of follow-up and
implementation.
ITU should be responsible for overall coordination of
the various action lines, while each major thematic
action line should be supervised and coordinated by an
international organization from the United Nations
system (WHO, UNESCO, FAO, ITU,).
Senegal therefore strongly supports a strengthening of
the role to be played by ITU in the follow-up and
coordination of the WSIS Action Plan.
2 Uganda
a) ITU's contribution to achievement of the WSIS
objectives
Uganda considers ITU to have played a major role in the
coordination of and preparations for the first and
second phases of WSIS. It therefore sees it as logical
that the preparation of the Doha Action Plan should take
account of the WSIS Action Plan as approved in Geneva
during Phase 1, together with any amendments or
modifications arising from the Tunis Summit.
b) ITU's role and position in the United Nations system
Bearing in mind ITU's role as mentioned above and its
capacity in the ICT sector, Uganda considers it
desirable that ITU should be designated as the United
Nations lead agency for coordinating and following up
the actions necessary in order to implement the WSIS
Action Plans.
7.2.3 Discussions and adoption of a resolution
The above statements were followed by a number of
interventions, in the course of which the delegates
unanimously:
• congratulated BDT on its well-documented presentation
and the multifaceted assistance provided to countries,
while at the same time calling on it to accord special
significance to the areas of e-health, the regulation of
voice over IP, and the management of scarce resources;
• congratulated and supported Senegal and Uganda on
their important contributions;
• endorsed the proposals made in the contributions by
Senegal and Uganda to the effect that ITU be entrusted
with the roles specified therein;
• decided to adopt a resolution (see Annex 4) urging ITU
Member States from the African region to promote these
decisions during Precom-3 and on the occasion of the
Summit in Tunis, and requesting the ITU Secretary
General to transmit the spirit of the resolution to the
forthcoming ITU Council meeting;
• emphasized the importance of the Doha Action Plan for
strengthening the WSIS objectives.
The Director of BDT thanked the countries for their
recognition of the role that ITU plays in the
preparation and coordination of the WSIS actions.
On the question of development prospects, delegates
acknowledged that the issues raised in the report by the
BDT secretariat called for in-depth consideration within
the framework of a plenipotentiary conference.
8 ICT development trends: constraints and prospects
The BDT secretariat presented Document 5(Rev.1)
concerning telecommunication and ICT markets and trends
in Africa, which emphasized the following topics in
particular:
• market structure;
• fixed-line networks;
• the main characteristics of the mobile communication
sector in Africa;
• constraints on the development of the Internet,
particularly the low level of penetration of broadband
technology, fixed telephone service and ADSL service.
The meeting took note of the report with interest.
9 Working topics and other matters to be included in BDT
programmes and activities
The objective was to give participants an opportunity to
review the programmes and activities defined as forming
the framework for elaborating ITU?D's various four-year
action plans. To that end, Document 2 and Information
Document INF/3 were presented by the BDT secretariat.
Those documents recalled the structure of the action
plan approved in Istanbul, consisting of programmes,
activities and initiatives, and invited members to
propose any adjustments that might be necessary for the
next cycle.
The contributions from Ethiopia (Document 7), Mali
(Document 8), Senegal (Document 9), Uganda (Document
10), Malawi (Document 11) and Guinea (Document 14) on
the matters in question were presented.
The delegates took note of the presentations and
expressed their support overall for the existing
programmes, while stressing the importance of
adjustments being made as the region's needs evolve.
10 Presentation of regional initiatives and BDT lines of
action
On the basis of the contributions by the Member States
and Sector Members and the statement by the ministerial
symposium (Abuja, 4 July 2005), the BDT secretariat
presented a table containing a classification of all the
regional initiatives distributed among four categories,
namely infrastructure, environment, capacity building
and partnerships.
In all, 40 proposals were presented.
An ad hoc committee was appointed to analyse the
contributions, sort them into groups and suggest the
regional initiatives having high priority. That
committee, chaired by Mr Patrick Masambu (Uganda),
presented its conclusions to the plenary, which approved
them. The table below summarizes the regional
initiatives that were agreed upon:
References to DT/5(Rev.1) Regional initiatives Focal
point Beneficiary countries Enabling environment
Infrastructure Capacity Building Cooperation and
partnerships
2, 19 Strengthening and harmonizing Regulatory
Frameworks X
3, 30 Regional Telecommunication market observatory X
4 Regional roaming initiative X X
5, 10, 16, 17, 20 Development of ICT enabling policies,
strategies and action plans both at Regional and
National levels X X
6, 24 Introduction of digital technologies especially
for broadcasting X
7 Promotion of the development of broadband
infrastructure in Africa, including the development of a
sub regional connectivity backbone X
8, 13, 31, 32 Strengthen the Centre of Excellence
project and expand it into a Network of Excellence, as
well as reinforce the Sub-Regional Maintenance centres X
1, 11, 12, 18 Formulation/review of new or existing
policies aiming at fostering sustainable investment in
rural areas, promoting private/public partnerships X
21 Establishment of a part time regional ICT Think Tank
X
26 East African Submarine Cable System project X
27 NEPAD e-schools project X X
28 Establishment and interconnection of national
internet exchange points X
29 RASCOM project X
33 COMTEL project X
36 Creation of a Centre of Excellence for Portuguese
speaking countries X
37 SADC Region Information Infrastructure (SRII) Project
X
38 e-Post Africa Project X
39 African Telecommunications Numbering Space X
40 ICT Project for Youth and Women X X
11 Study groups
Document 9 was presented once again by Senegal, with
reference to the section on the work of the study
groups. It recommended that ITU?D Study Groups 1 and 2
be retained, inasmuch as they responded to members'
needs and took proper account of the developing
countries' issues and concerns.
Several countries took the floor to underscore the need
for greater awareness on the part of Member States with
a view to their participation in the work of the study
groups.
The meeting decided to support the principle of the
revision of Resolution 9.
12 Consideration of resolutions and recommendations of
the Istanbul Action Plan
Senegal proposed that Resolutions 5, 11, 13, 17, 18, 20,
21, 22, 29 and 30 adopted in Istanbul be retained (see
Document 9).
The proposal was supported, with the clarification that
the resolutions in question could be adapted or reworked
if need be, prior to being presented to WTDC?06.
13 Strategic development issues
Nigeria presented Document 12, which asked BDT to
continue to give priority to initiatives relating to
young people and gender issues, with a view to
facilitating access to ICTs for the people in question.
It also stressed the importance of continuing to promote
partnerships with the private sector in order to
maximize the implementation of ICT projects in
developing countries.
14 Regional presence
Mali (Document 8), Senegal (Document 9) and Uganda
(Document 10) presented contributions concerned with
strengthening the regional presence of ITU so as to make
it more effective in carrying out its mission,
particularly in the area of development. The meeting
supported these proposals.
15 Miscellaneous
Several delegations announced information about future
events that were to take place in their countries.
Gambia informed the meeting of the results of the work
of the African Civil Society Forum, in order that BDT
might take that information into account in its future
activities.
The participants thank the host country and its
authorities for their excellent organization of the
meeting and their wonderful hospitality. They especially
thanked H. E. Philippe Mvouo the Minister of Post and
Telecommunication responsible for new Technology for
Information of Congo for his valuable contribution
whilst chairing the meeting.
REGIONAL LICENCEES TARGET NATIONAL MARKET
Telecoms operators issued regional licencees are also
looking to get a larger bite of the telecoms cake from
next year. This is all in a bid to take advantage of the
Unified Licencing Scheme being proposed to take off
early 2006.
Whereas inadequate funding has been a problem faced by
most PTOs, it is heartening to find that there are a few
that are kicking hard to step up to the plate. Already,
there are talks of mergers and acquisitions in the
sector, and experts say that Nigeria will end up with
fewer but much capable PTOs by the time the dust is
cleared.
MTN PROPOSES 3G NETWORK
Only a few weeks ago, MTN announced that it was testing
GPRS (2.5) capabilities on its network with a view to
completing the tests within 3 months, the GSM operator
has come up to say that it will build a UMTS (3G)
network next year. This brings to two (2) the number of
GSM operators looking to deploy 3G in the country. Mtel
had earlier announced that it planned to set up a 3G
network.
GPRS is an advanced data service that is made possible
by simply enhancing the basic 2nd Generation GSM network
on ground, and as such is referred to as a 2.5G
platform. UMTS, however, is a 3rd Generation technology
that requires the deployment of a parallel network to
the existing.
GSM TARIFFS TOO HIGH, SAY SUBSCRIBERS
Mobile subscribers in Nigeria are still convinced that
the current charges for both voice and data by GSM
operators are too high. In a country where the majority
of citizens earn well below N5,000 per month, it does
not seem reasonable to expect individuals to expend a
minimum of N3,000 monthly on servicing their phones.
GSM voice tariffs on prepaid hover around 80kobo per
second (N48 per minute), and with operator-imposed
validity periods, subscribers are compelled to spend
more money to enjoy basic communications. But it does
not end with voice services only.
In a recent survey by GoSmartMobile.com, 90% of
respondents on GSM networks also say that GSM data
services are over-priced and that they would be willing
to cross over to a CDMA network offering better data
tariffs. While CDMA subscribers were firm in their
conviction that they preferred their network's data
charges to those of GSM networks, they also indicated
that they were still not very comfortable with the
tariffs.
Telecoms analysts are generally of the opinion that CDMA
networks' prevailing tariffs give them an excellent
opportunity to turn their lots around by attracting the
mass market when the proposed Unified licencing Scheme
takes off.
ARE YOU TODAY'S MOBILE EXECUTIVE?
Setting Up for Mobile Data
by
Yomi Adegboye
If you are a Road Warrior, you will need to run some
kind of mobile office so you stay productive where you
spend a lot of your time - on the road. Here are a few
tips for setting up your mobile office:
1. Evaluate your peculiar hardware needs
Do you settle for a smartphone, a PDA-phone combo, or a
laptop-phone combo? It all depends on your needs. If you
have no need for complex programmes like graphics
editors and the like, you may not need to lug a laptop
around. Are you simply in need of a convenient way to
access your mails on the go? Maybe all you need is a
Symbian, Windows or Palm-based smartphone. Then, again,
there are smartphones and there are smartphones. Not all
will meet your peculiar needs. If you do a lot of text
input on the go, you might want to have a look at the
Communicator series with full QWERTY keyboards.
2. What data platform?
There has been a lot of noise about GPRS, and rightly
so. But what a lot of people do not know is that GPRS
can be expensive! Oh, yes. If you move a lot of large
files, say you download music, games and all that
regularly, you may want to keep away from GPRS and take
a look at some of the mobile internet plans from CDMA
networks. Usually on the CDMA networks, all you pay is a
flat monthly rate and you can download (and upload)
heaven and earth!
3. Your location and mobility
Well, of course there is no point signing up for a data
plan with a provider that has poor network service at
your location. Plus, it is equally useless using a
provider that is unavailable at the various locations
you frequent.
Bottomline: Do your research. Ask questions, forget
sentiments, and make workable choices.
CYBERSCHUULNEWS 196
Leveraging on ICT
All over the world, individuals, organisations and
nations have turned their lots around through the
application of Information and Communications
Technology. In recent times, there has been a deluge of
new technologies into Nigeria, opening a new vista of
opportunities for the innovative minds. VSAT, CDMA 200
1x, GSM, and much more.
Never before has Nigerians had so many options for
staying in touch with the world. Never before has there
been as many opportunities for Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) - the real drivers of the economy -
to play catch-up and become more vibrant.
Granted, the appalling infrastructure of our environment
places daunting obstacles before every enterpreneur, but
the opportunities stand out nevertheless. We submit that
unreliable power supply is the single greatest
impediment to ICT and its applications in the country.
Any nation desiring to move forward with the rest of the
world cannot afford to play around with power supply.
That is why we urge the Federal Government to deal
decisively with this hydra-headed monster that has kept
many a dreams down.
MTEL BUILDS 3G GSM NETWORK; MTN TEST-RUNS 2.5G
M-tel, Nigeria's premier mobileservices provider, has
announced that it will build a 3G network in the next
few months. The operator's ambitious plans also include
expanding its subscriber base from the present 1.2
million to 6 million, as it adds an extra 1,500 base
stations to its infrastructure.
MTN, the only GSM network left on the 2G platform, also
announced recently that it was testing GPRS capabilities
on its network. MTN Nigeria currently has a subscriber
base of 6 million lines.
ZENITH JOINS MASTERCARD TRAIN
Coming on the heels of Ecobank and Standard Trust Bank,
Zenith Bank is also introducing MasterCard services in
the country.
Nigerians had over the years suffered inability to make
purchases online and remotely because of the lack of
credit/debit card services in the country. That may have
changed dramatically in the last few months as they can
now obtain international debit/credit cards in their own
names for use.
INTERNET AND MOBILITY CONVERGENCE: KEY TO SURVIVAL OF
OPERATORS
As the telecoms sector of the country evolves in
dynamism and delivery of services, Mr. Dirk Smet, CEO of
Starcomms says that the operators that will survive are
those with proven implementation of technologies that
feature the marriage of internet and mobility.
In the last few months, there has been a rise in the
awareness and uptake of both fixed and mobile data
services in the country. Analysts argue that the
relatively lower entry cost of mobile data is a strong
deciding factor for people. In agreement with Mr Smet's
assertions, CEO of DomainStandard Networks and mobile
office consultant Yomi Adegboye, is of the opinion that
people are beginning to wake up to the advantages of
being able to be connected and work anywhere, anytime.
Mr Adegboye says that the unique situation on ground in
the country makes mobile data more promising than fixed
access. He lists entry and operating costs, power
supply, and increased productivity as "factors that will
continue to drive the increasing uptake of mobile data".
He foresees a situation where subscriber base will be
relegated to 2nd place in determining profitability, as
mobile data subscription begin to result in higher
Average Revenue Per User (ARPU).
AFRICAN YOUTHS ARGUE FOR THE DISABLED
Youths of Africa who were hosted by their Nigerian
counterparts ended their pre-WSIS meeting in Abuja last
week by prevailing on African Governments to compel
telecommunication operators in the continent to offer
minimum employment places to people with disability.
They noted that Nigeria which has such a provision in
its laws has has not been implementing it.
Troubleshooting Interconnection:
may debts not lead to deaths.
When our Institute [THE EXECUTIVE CYBERSCHUUL] commenced
the Enhanced Induction Training early in 2003,
interconnection of networks was one subject to which
part of the content was devoted. The syllabus envisaged
that interconnect issue in all its ramifications: the
technical, the commercial and the regulatory dimensions
would be taught to our trainees.
That program eventually converted to Advanced
Telecommunications Course and the place of Networks and
Their Interconnection was deliberately pushed up another
notch. The most interesting part; the technical, was to
be thought not as in academics but as in business.
Trainees were to relate Networks as big computers, which
they really are, and see that they exist essentially to
connect one phone user, anywhere to another, anywhere.
They would be made to see the topologies of
interconnections and be reminded of the versed academic
treatment of the subject way back in school and then put
all these onto a traffic analysis platform to appreciate
how its aggregate topology could make a deference in
quality of service, tariff, customer satisfaction,
debts, its management, buy-overs, take-overs, death etc
etc.
The commercial, potentially the most popular and
possibly that which operators are likely to devote more
attention than the others was also to be treated using
Nigeria as the subject market for class analysis.
The regulatory, a very exciting matter, was also to look
at the existing and emerging policies, the actions and
inactions of the regulator and how the prevailing
policies, reaction speed and good governance in its
operations and in the system could and would affect the
entirety of service delivery.
By October of 2004 all our three courses, namely:
Telecommunications for non-engineers, Basic
Telecommunications, and Advanced Telecommunications were
all to devote various degrees of attention to
Interconnections. The audience would dictate where
emphasis of treatment of each of the sub-topics would be
placed.
A session of Advanced Telecommunications Course, which
held about November 2004, ended forecasting that by June
2005, using the kind of data we were playing around
with, two PTO’s might have gone under. Indeed by June
2005, no PTO had gone under but a few had defaulted in
payment of salaries for upwards of six months while
interconnect debts had forced some players in the
industry to adopt arbitrariness in getting their bills
settled. We used all those facts and forecasts as news
and their review in several editions of CYBERSCHUULNEWS.
In particular we criticised arbitrariness and argued
that respect for the Regulator, good governance on the
part of all concerned, and general discipline in the
industry was a better modus operandi.
June 2005 the loud murmurings in the industry had turned
to uneasy noise and it needed one additional
arbitrariness for everybody to go burst.
EFCC supplied that inertia. The report was that the
Commission’s goons picked up a few CEO’s of PTO’s and
drilled them on their indebtedness, especially to NITEL.
Everybody got jolted asking whether debts resulting from
mutual business agreement had suddenly become a crime.
But who would question EFCC?
Julde Mashi, CEO of NITEL, swore he never formally
brought his indebtedness woes to the attention of EFCC.
He said it to the press and also repeated it to his
fellow CEO’s and players when NCC hosted and industry
stakeholders mini-summit on the subject. That meeting
coincided with one session of our Advanced
Telecommunications Training and we released participants
in the afternoon of June 28 to enable them spread into
the meeting and listen to industry players discuss the
issues.
Apart from NITEL’s CEO who used the chance to bare his
mind on that and a few other issues, the meeting also
held many things in stock for the future and it was good
the regulator held it. Operators on the platform of
ALTON. Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of
Nigeria, had parleyed earlier and they had chosen to
present a common front which, practically, did not
produce a solution but something similar to begging the
issues. Naturally, one would say!
The GSM guys who have tried, so far unsuccessfully, to
form a cartel, virtually dissociated themselves from the
ALTON’s position and asked for quick unconditional
payment. The underdogs, those PTO’s who actually owe
huge amounts to several bigger players, and who in such
circumstances should have shouted loudest, kept mum
leaving ALTON to talk for them.
The regulator’s team supervised the summit. Big guy
Ernest Ndukwe expressed worries but looked quite
confident. He opened the discussion, listened and ended
up giving all players some time to resolve the issues.
Using body talk as forecast indicator, we should not be
surprised if the regulator comes up with a ruling before
long.
Interconnect Exchange upstarts [six were licensed in
2004]; represented by two such licensees, seized the
chance to make the only new presentation. One said their
facility would be a one-stop solution to the impasse and
he asked that they be given a chance. His submission,
which he hinged on commercial guarantee was truly
rubbished by another contributor who cautioned that the
vocabulary of Clearing House should be used with
caution. Clearing house as in business relationships or
interconnect carriers as in traffic movement? The two
are not the same and one-stop solution was not next-door
by the implication of what was presented.
At the end of it all, analysts who reviewed the meeting
almost concluded that the regulator may well come up
with an insistence on provision of adequate guarantee as
part of interconnect relationship and push for a
modified topology which the introduction of the
interconnect carriers promise.
[The analysis was contributed to CYBERSCHUULNEWS by Mr.
Titi Omo-Ettu, a Lagos based telecommunications
engineer]
CYBERSCHUULNEWS 195
DEBT; DISCONNECT; SANCTION; NOW 'ARREST'!
Nigeria's bubbling telecom industry which almost went
asleep as a result of interconnect debts suddenly jerked
into a boiling point last week with the news that CEO's
of a few Telcos were visited by men of the EFCC. EFCC is
Nigeria's anti-graft Agency known appropriately as
Economic and Financial Crime Commission. The story which
went round was that NITEL must have made an appeal [to
do what?] to the Commission which probably went into
action. It was not known which criminal aspects of the
debts the Commission must have pursued. Meanwhile, the
Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC has announced a
brisk plan to moderate an industrywide discussion on the
interconnect debt impasse so it could announce a game
plan in due course. Tuesday, June 28, at Golden Gate
restaurant in Ikoyi, Lagos will be the meeting point.
Time: 2.00pm
EXPERTS PUSH FOR LOCALIZATION OF ICT
African localisation experts met in Casablanca in a
workshop organised by the Kabissa NGO under IDRC
funding, in collaboration with the Technopark centre.
The event benefited from contributions from the Moroccan
Minister for Information Technology, the Canadian
Ambassador and experts from other continents. After
three days of work, the participants in the meeting
reached the following conclusions:
Limiting people to the use of information and
communication technology (ICT) in a foreign language
tends to exacerbate the digital divide; makes ICT
adoption long, difficult, and expensive; and
impoverishes local culture.
Localisation makes ICT more accessible to everybody,
including users from rural areas and young students,
reinforcing the importance of our culture and helping us
preserve our identity.
Localisation of ICT into indigenous African languages is
therefore key to rapid and fair development in Africa.
For localisation to succeed and have its maximum impact
in society, collaboration among governments, civil
society, educators, linguists, computer professionals,
standards organisations and donor agencies is necessary.
The participants further commited themselves to
promoting this vision and working towards social
development in Africa through ICT localisation.
Participants at the events included Nigeria's Tunde
Adegbola of ALT-I, Mrs Comfort Kanzaka of Fantsuam
Foundation and Uchenna Agbim of IgboNLinuz.
SURVEY ON SUBSCRIBER PERCEPTION OF MOBILE DATA
GoSmartMobile, an online resource providing news,
reviews, useful information and comments on mobile data
technology in Nigeria, is carrying out a survey on
mobile data tariffs and hopes to have a report ready for
public consumption shortly. Among other things, the
study seeks to measure what tariffs subscribers are
willing to pay for access to the internet on/via their
mobiles and current uptake and use of mobile data by
subscribers, as well as gauge customer's willingness to
switch networks based on data services and pricing. You
can participate in this survey here.
NEW D-G NAMED FOR NITDA
Prof. Cleopas Angayen has been named as the new
Director- General of the National Information Technology
Development Agency to fill the vacancy created by the
death of the agency's pioneer Chief Executive, Prof.
Gabriel Ajayi in December last year.
He holds academic degrees in mathematics, physics, and
computer science. Among other professional affiliations,
he is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautic
and of Astronautics, the Nigerian Computer Society, and
holds several patents in the areas of software
development and communications technology.
He was Director of Software Development at the agency
until his elevation.
VMOBILE JOINS GLOMOBILE, MTEL ON GPRS PLATFORM
Vmobile (formerly ECONET WIRELESS) has quietly switched
on its GPRS-based services. In an update of its website,
Vmobile discloses that they are offering access to the
internet and corporate intranet, as well as email, and
mobile data synchronization over GPRS (General Packet
Radio Service), a 2.5G standard. This makes Vmobile the
3rd of the 4 GSM operators in Nigeria to activate GPRS
on its network.
Trailblazer GloMobile set the pace when months after
launch it began offering Multi-media messaging, WAP and
full internet access on a GPRS platform. Before then,
all GSM operators in the country had run 2G networks and
offered just Circuit Switched Data, a slow dial-up
standard. Mtel followed suit just a little over a month
ago. This leaves MTN as the only GSM network on the old
2G platform, but there are indications that Nigeria's
largest GSM network is already being upgraded to offer
some form of advanced data services.
At the time of writing however, neither Vmobile nor Mtel
has officially announced tariffs for their GPRS
services.
OSOFISAN NOW PRESIDENT OF CPN
The 8th international conference and annual general
meeting of the Nigeria Computer Society, NCS, which held
in Port Harcourt from June 14 through 17, 2005, produced
a new President/Chairman for the Computer Professional
Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN). She is Dr. Mrs.
Adenike Osofisan an academic and Fellow of the Nigerian
Institute of Management and Fellow Nigerian Computer
Society. She takes over from Dr Gabriel Obi, a highly
regarded tactician of the professional body and becomes
the first female to occupy the position of President of
the Council which was first inaugurated in 1995.
A CASE FOR THE WORTH OF ICT PROFESSIONALS
Telecommunications and ICT specialists have been advised
to place values on themselves and reject the low
estimation which society is attempting to place on them.
A Lagos based telecommunications engineer, Mr Titi
Omo-Ettu told the Lagos State University community’s
Gateway Initiative last week that the chances are very
high in developing economies to undervalue the skills of
otherwise valuable professionals and that counts as one
reason why technological progress is slow in such
economies.
Mr. Omo-Ettu said that while democratic politics may be
the most acceptable in leadership selection it does not
necessarily throw up the best materials for leadership
positions. He expressed worries about how the on-going
National Political Reform Conference dissolved its
reform work into 19 committees, none of which includes a
Committee on Reform of Science and Technology
development strategy, let alone Information and
Communications Technology, ICT. He listed the 19
committees of the NPRC as Reform Committees on:
The Economy
Human Rights & Social Security
National Security
Social Infrastructure For National Development
Models & Structures Of Government
Power Sharing Reforms
Revenue Allocation And Fiscal Federalism
Legislature
The Executive
Traditional Institutions And Culture Reforms
.Public Service
Judiciary And Legal Reforms
Political Parties And The Electoral Process
Environment And Natural Resources Reforms
Civil Society, Labor, Trade Union And National Media
Reforms
Local Government Reforms
Foreign Policy, International Development Policy Reforms
New Sustainable Democratic Order
Anticorruption Reforms
Mr Omo-Ettu wondered which of the existing Committees
would review say a memo on reform in Science and
technology development. He confessed that the recent
memorandum which the ICT G-22, an international team of
Nigerian ICT professionals, to which he belongs and
which contributed a memo to the Conference, did not do
the memo because it had any faith in the Conference but
because ‘we shall say what we should say - even to the
devil’. He urged young ICT professionals to train hard,
acquire impeccable world class skills and dictate their
terms within the polity, noting however that ‘to whom
much is given, much more is expected’. He asked Nigerian
youths not to follow the path of current political
reform conferees whose only objective is to share the
booty of what they are incapable of producing.
Needed: A New Approach to Customer Support
A vital part of any business venture is customer care,
also referred to in various circles as after-sales
support. The idea is that while almost anyone can sell a
product and then take the next bus out of town,
effective customer support can make a world of a
difference in the operations of any organisation,
especially telecoms operations.
The challenges of providing effective customer support
become even more daunting as we see an increse of uptake
in data services. Here are a few real-life scenarios:
Scene 1: A small business enterprise purchases a
Multilinks line for voice and internet services. Voice
works fine but internet does not. After a couple of
trips with the phone box to Multilinks, customer support
assures that their engineers have been notified and will
pay a visit to the subscriber's location to sort things
out. Two (2) years down the road and several calls
later, the engineers are yet to show up. And the
subscriber's problems are yet to be solved.
Scene 2: A young man has signed up for full internet
access via GPRS on the same network. He has put in all
settings, yet the service does not work. From the error
message his Sony Ericsson P800 is giving (Service not
activated), it is clear that GloMobile is yet to do
something at their end. After weeks of calling customer
care without succour, he is finally asked to come over
to their office half-way across the city of Lagos from
his location.
Insisting that the trip was not necessary to resolve the
issue, he is told that was the only thing to do. So he
drives down, and after customer care has taken a look |