CyberschuulNews 300

Understanding and Confronting Cybercrime/Cybersecurity:
A High-level Conference that has very high potential holds in Abuja

Institutional and enterprise cybercrime attack and vulnerability in Africa and Nigeria in particular is growing at an alarming rate which demands better understanding of the related socio-economic impact analysis as it affects our national economic infrastructures and sectors. 

The global cybercrime statistics tells the story of the challenges before us. Between 2005 and 2007, global financial houses lost over $5billion to cybercrime. Hackers activities all over the world have caused the global economy over $1billion over the past 12 months and Nigeria was a victim in all of this. 

Wayback in 2006, Chris Uwaje, President of Global Network for Cybersolution  whose organisation is the arrowhead of this Conference initiative had said " no nation will economically survive in the 21st Century Cyberspace, unless she masters the global cybercriminality and cybersecurity challenges. To escape the ferocious consequences of cyberTsunami, Africa must address and proffer solutions to these issues as a national priority agenda"

Today, International image reputation is grossly affected by the cybercriminal activities of a few citizens and their international collaborators who seem to have succeeded in creating cybercrime image for Nigeria. Innocent citizens and businesses have become subject of international intimidation and abuse. 

Institutional cybercrime, just like tsunami or earthquake can happen anywhere or anytime. When they do happen at national ICT infrastructure level, it becomes an economic disaster. Impact on government operations, sector and individual businesses will be widespread and unimaginable! 

That is the take of Global Network for Cybersolution, a non governmental cybersecurity advocacy body which with the collaboration of Federal Ministry of Justice and NITDA is mounting the forthcoming 1st National Conference on cybercrime & Cybersecurity holding at Abuja's NICON Luxury Hotel from 17th - 20th August 2008. 

What makes the Conference unique is that it is the first ever independent national platform to proffer solution to emerging institutional and enterprise digital crime at the decision makers' level. Its report will become the 1st reference point in cybersecurity solution for ICT driven Institutions/enterprises in the Nigeria.

It promises to be the 1^st historical cybersecurity reference point with very highnetworth contact potentials and a must-attend for those who bear responsibility for security of their enterprises' infrastructure.

MTN rolls out landline telephone service in Ibadan

Mobile front-runner, MTN, has announced the commissioning of fixed wired telephone services in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria under the trade name of MTN Hi-connect. The service takes advantage of MTN’s optic fibre infrastructure, the yellowbarn, which runs through the city and it will be the first direct challenge to the lacklustre services which NITEL offers the 128 square km ancient city with, 11 local government areas and a population of 2.5million. NITEL had monopolised fixed wired ['landline' in local parlance] services in Ibadan for so long as telephone existed in Nigeria. It is not clear if Ibadan is MTN’s first location outside of Lagos where it is using its Unified License that enables it to provide both fixed and mobile services countrywide.

Consequent upon acquiring a Universal License in 2006, MTN bought over a thriving VGC Communications Ltd whose land line networks in Lagos and Port Harcourt were rated as high grade.

Subscriber Registration Planning Group goes to work 

The Committee which NCC constituted to work out time frames and processes for the commencement of telephone user registration  was inaugurated in Abuja by the Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Engr. Ernest Ndukwe early in the week. 

The 25-member Committee comprises largely of representatives of government security and demography agencies, operators and user associations and it is to be chaired by Mr Steve Andzenge, Director of Legal Services at NCC.

The Committee has one month to turn in a report.

IOBS
Cyberschuul refreshes content of
250 Standard Interview Questions and Answers
for employment seekers into the telecommunications industry

The Cyberschuul, Nigeria’s foremost Telecommunications training Institute has launched a new version of 250 Standard Interview Questions and Answers in Telecommunications which best prepares job seekers for employment Test and Interview into the telecom industry. The training comes in both on-line and CD versions and can be obtained either via internet download or by direct purchase of training CD from any of the Institute’s sales outlet across Nigeria. It is also available by courier delivery. For detailed information, please contact tec@cyberschuul.com 

Since its establishment in 2001, The Cyberschuul has retrained a sizable number of telecommunications executives many of who had previous engineering and non engineering university training. It commenced the Standard Interview Questions and Answers module in 2002 with 100 questions and answers, raised the figure to 150 in 2005 and to 250 in 2006. The price of N3,000 has remained constant all through. For more literature and content of training please Click here
 

A Special Announcement    ATCON  ComBIT 2008 EXPO HOLDS OCTOBER IN LAGOS  Lagos State, the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria will in October 2008 play host to the world as the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) presents ComBIT 2008 Expo – an annual international exhibition and conference designed for the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. The event will hold in the prestigious MUSON Centre from October 20 – 22.  ComBIT Expo is a product of ATCON’s strategic re-branding of NICOMM Exhibitions & Conferences organised annually by the Association in collaboration with the Ministry of Information & Communications, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as well as other industry stakeholders since 1995. Worried by the absence of an all encompassing global ICT event in Nigeria despite the current revolution in the ICT market, ATCON as the umbrella ICT industry Association decided to re-strategize, partner with relevant local and international industry players and stakeholders to float a mega ICT expo that will attract global and regional ICT operators and experts to Nigeria every year.    The plan of ATCON and its collaborators is to grow ComBIT expo into a flagship and globally recognized ICT event in Nigeria and Africa with a view to further stimulating the development of our ICT industry through more local and foreign direct investment into the sector.   ComBIT expo is designed to provide a veritable platform for cultivating commercial partnerships between foreign principals and local representatives, dealers, distributors and resellers of ICT and allied products and services in Nigeria. It will further offer ample opportunities for investors to explore and exploit the abundant market opportunities in the very vibrant ICT sector in Nigeria and Africa. It is a good platform for advanced markets to display its cutting edge technologies, especially in the mobile communications sector to the African market which will, for a long time, present the highest market potentials for new technologies.  ATCON has taken cognizance of the fact that ICT has a pivotal role to play in the actualization of VISION 2010 which the Federal government in Nigeria has set out to achieve. ATCON believes that through the yearly ComBIT Expo, huge foreign investments will continue to flow into our country’s economy. This will, by extension, facilitate the development of other critical economic sectors that are currently dormant. Eventually, our economy will rise to the level of the Asian tigers which have become case studies for the world economy today.   On the other hand, a boisterous economy will continue to create new markets for ICT products as more businesses will depend heavily on new technologies to grow their ventures and take them to the next levels. ATCON believes that ComBIT expo will contribute meaningfully to the achievements of the above economic advancements in Nigeria both in the long and short run.  To ensure that ComBIT expo is beneficial to exhibitors, sponsors and other participants, ATCON has expanded the scope of the event by inviting high level guests to grace the event. For instance, a high level delegation from the federal government of Nigeria (executive, legislature and the judiciary) will be in attendance throughout the period of the event. Also, governments’ representatives from all the 36 states and local councils in Nigeria have been invited and will be effectively mobilized to participate in the event. In the private sector, captains of industries and their ICT managers have been invited to participate. In fact, all sectors of the economy – banking, insurance, transport, aviation, maritime, security, construction, education, medical, agriculture, power & steel, hospitality, etc. - will be actively represented at the expo. Also, the army, navy, airforce, police, road safety, immigration, customs, and other para-military organizations will equally participate in the expo.   To ensure that ComBIT expo goes fully global, a website, www.combitonline.com has been launched to enable potential exhibitors, sponsors and participants obtain detailed information about the event or register online for participation. The website is regularly updated to keep visitors abreast with the latest developments regarding the event. Also, we have reached out to potential foreign participants by direct online marketing or through embassies of foreign nations in Nigeria. We have equally made contacts with various event marketing companies overseas for partnership in the event. The responses we have received so far have been very heart-warming and encouraging.  Locally, we have signed on three seasoned events managers – Faces & Profiles Limited, Exxcon Limited and TextServe Limited – as consultants. They are already working with us to ensure that the quality of the event is significantly raised to meet international standards. They have brought in their wealth of experiences from other well organised events to make ComBIT 2008 a world class expo.   We are also partnering effectively with the press to ensure that adequate publicity is given to the event. As a further step forward, we have invited all stations of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) across the country, the Federal Radio Corporation (FRCN), all radio and television stations owned by the 36 states of the federation, all private radio and television stations as well as selected international and African regional magazines and newspapers. They will participate and give adequate coverage to the event. We have equally mapped out a robust advertising campaign to boost publicity for the event. We are in deed fully prepared to take the event to the highest level possible.  The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) is the apex, umbrella, non-profit and non-governmental trade association for all ICT operating companies in Nigeria. Inaugurated on December 10, 1993, ATCON has, over the years shown very strong commitment to the rapid expand of Nigeria’s telecommunications networks as well as the accelerated development of the entire ICT sector in Nigeria. ComBIT expo is one of ATCON’s contributions towards consistent stimulation of the growth of ICT in Nigeria and in deed Africa.  Thank you very much.    Dr. Emmanuel E. Ekuwem       National President David O Roberts Chairman, Planning Committee

CyberschuulNews 299

Cyberschuul refreshes content of
250 Standard Interview Questions and Answers
for employment seekers into the telecommunications industry

The Cyberschuul, Nigeria’s foremost Telecommunications training Institute has launched a new version of 250 standard questions and answers which best prepares job seekers for employment Test and Interview into the telecom industry. The training comes in both on-line and CD versions and can be obtained either via internet download or by direct purchase of training CD from any of the Institute’s sales outlet across Nigeria. It is also available by courier delivery. For detailed information, please contact tec@cyberschuul.com 

Since its establishment in 2001, The Cyberschuul has produced a sizable number of telecommunications executives many of who had previous engineering and non engineering university training. It commenced the Standard Interview Questions and Answers module in 2002 with 100 questions and answers, raised the figure to 150 in 2005 and to 250 in 2006. The price of N3,000 has remained constant all through. For more literature and content of training please Click here
 

JOBS

Breaking News
Gambia thumbs up Nigeria on Telecommunications 

Gambia’s Secretary of Communications, Hon. Fatim Badjie Janneh visited Nigeria during the week and she left words about the lot there is to learn from Nigeria whose success in growing her telecom market has been truly remarkable. She said her mission would be to learn and fashion a model along the line that has put Nigeria in a leading position within the West Africa sub region. 

Gambia has one regulatory authority overseeing telecom, power, water and other services.

Reliance Telecom, RelTel, has wound down operations as Reltel and commenced mobile service in the new name of ZoomMobile. Several newspapers reported during the week that the Company’s management hosted a press briefing at which the renaming was announced.  

Reltel deploys CDMA standard with a claim of 1.5million subscribers base and it is believed to be on it way to the Nigerian Stock exchange.

Zain, the parent Company of Celtel Nigeria also announced last Friday that it has re-branded its entire African operations to Zain. That brings to a close an earlier concession in which Nigeria’s Celtel was left off when other African markets in the group went bearing Zain in 2007.

According to an information issued in  Nairobi Kenya and  relayed by Celtel Nigeria, all Zain customers in Africa and the Middle East using ‘One Network’ (The Zain Network i.e.) will enjoy the benefits of being treated as a ‘local’ customer wherever they are. Customers can make calls and send messages at local rates when communicating with a travelling Zain customer who will receive incoming calls free-of-charge and be able to make calls back home at local rates. Pre-paid customers can also top up their phones with recharge cards bought from either their home country or more than one million outlets available in one of the 15 'One Network' countries. The 'One Network' service is automatically activated upon crossing the geographical border into one of the countries, with no prior registration required or sign-up fee. A 'virtual Africa network', so to say.

Zain which is currently listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) purchased Celtel for $3.4 billion in 2005 and professes an ambition to be rated as one of the first 10 Mobile operators in the world. It plans to list on the London Stock exchange in 2009 and eventually in Ghana(where it hopes to start business later this year, Kenya and Nigeria.

CyberschuulNews 298

Mixed reactions trail implementation of ‘token compensation’ against poor service  

The N175 per subscriber penalty, also regarded as ‘token compensation’, which the Nigerian Communications Commission imposed on two mobile operators have received thumbs and knocks from consumers. NATCOMS, National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, an umbrella body of telephone users in Nigeria recently issued a statement which commended the regulator for imposing the token sanction but blamed it for poor implementation. 

In the first place, NATCOMS does not believe that Globacom deserved to be excluded form the penalty which was imposed on MTN and Celtel since its own services were not rated better than others’ by consumers. MTN which applied the credit to its customers after a failed court action against the regulator presented the credit as ‘favour’ to customers, an action which NCC itself eventually condemned in publicly advertised statements. Celtel on the other hand implemented the credit after a very long delay and also applied the N175 credit as ‘bonus’ meaning that the N175 credit could only be used on intra-network calls, i.e. celtel-to-celtel calls. It took the intervention of the regulator for Celtel to reverse itself on the process.

For filing false information, Vodacom official to face charges of perjury 

The South African Competition Commission on Thursday charged a top official of Vodacom to court to face charges of criminal offence in that she intentionally provided false information to mislead the Commission, in contravention of the Competition Act. 

The Commission had been misled to approve the merger between Vodacom subsidiary- Vodacom Service Provider Company (VSPC), and Global Telematics SA and Glocell Service Provider Company. The Commission eventually found out after hard nose investigation that the merger was actually designed to eliminate Glocell, because it was providing discounts to customers in competition with Vodacom and other Vodacom service providers. The plan, in industry parlance was to kill competition by eliminating Glocell. 

The Competition Commission is a statutory body constituted in terms of the Competition Act, No 89 of 1998 by the Government of South Africa empowered to investigate, control and evaluate restrictive business practices, abuse of dominant positions and mergers in order to achieve equity and efficiency in the South African economy.

EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Governments’ handling of education crises in Nigeria and Kenya amazes the world as Kenya bans Mobile telephones in schools and Nigeria ignores teachers’ cry.

Kenyan Minister of education Mr. Sam Ongeri last Tuesday announced a ban on the use of mobile phones by secondary school students in Kenya in his attempt to stem a string of massive and deadly riots across the country. The Minister did not explain, however, how the ban would prevent further rioting which started as a result of what students called ‘poor living conditions and bad management’. 

In Nigeria, teachers of primary and secondary schools have been on strike for almost 5 weeks during which Ministers who are in charge of education, labour and information made statements which show that government does not intend to resolve the issue. 

What makes the Nigerian case amazing is that the first two citizens, President Yar Adua and Vice-President Jonathan Goodluck are teachers by their primary profession before they became politicians. Chances are that they know their colleagues not to possess such nerves and guts that can sustain a strike for more than a few weeks before the go back to work in frustration. True to their forecast, the teachers appear to have escalated the strike skywards to asking God to intervene since their colleagues who rule the country have refused to listen to them. It is not clear at the moment who will blink first – Government or teachers. 

OPINION
Africa : Logic and lock jam of promising Fibre Projects
by
Russell Southwood 

 Four international fibre projects are racing to complete ahead of each other on the west coast of Africa to give some much needed additional capacity and price competition to SAT3. The drop in bandwidth prices could be spectacular. Russell Southwood looks at the runners in the race and asks whether West Africa is ready for the potentially market-changing impact of cheap international bandwidth. 

At last week’s US Trade and Development Agency organised event (West Africa ICT Road Map to Opportunities Conference), Funke Opeke of Mainstreet Technologies, the project to build the Main One cable down the west side of the continent promised that an E1 would cost US$400. It might have been my imagination but I’m sure I heard something like an audible intake of breath. 

There are four international cable projects racing to complete new routes that will connect that side of the continent to Europe and the USA. They are: 

- Globacom’s Glo One: The Glo One cable has been built from the UK to Dakar but has not yet been landed in Dakar. Despite an announcement that it would connect most West African countries between Dakar and Lagos, it has not yet been completed. Various cynics say that it has run out of money but this is a company that has just rolled out in Benin and plans to do the same again in Ghana. More credible rumours reaching us are that the countries where it was to have landed are asking too higher licence price, hence the delay. 

- Mainstreet’s Main One: Previously aired versions of this show a routing that pretty much matches SAT3. You would expect this company to focus its efforts on the growing Nigerian market. If NITEL is anything like sorted by then, a great deal of expansion may come from that direction. Last week CEO Opeke was sounding very bullish about the prospects of completing. 

- IWTGC’s Infinity cable: Again routing along the same course as the SAT3 cable, IWTGC looks close to signing its financing deal with European investors and a West African financial institution. The latter will put up US$300 million and the former will offer together with that amount a package that will be able to go up to US$1.5 billion. Last week it signed a protocol with Gran Canaria to put “back office” functions there. 

Infraco/DTI’s Africa West Coast Cable: This South African Government project  signed a contract with the company that is going to build it two weeks ago but has not yet completely finalised its financing. Its final list of shareholders will reportedly include both telecoms companies, such as Telkom, Neotel, Equator Telecom Nigeria, and British Telecom, as well as Tenet, Tata Communications, Multichoice, Vox Telecom, Internet Solutions and Gateway Communications. It was touted as being ready for the World Cup in 2010 but looks unlikely to make that deadline. 

At least two of these cables look set to be built and a third is more than likely. This will push prices for international bandwidth down to the levels likely to be achieved on the East coast: somewhere between US$500-1,000.  

But it is clear that unlike on the East coast and in South Africa, there is not the same focused attention on getting the cables done at the political level. The situation is made more complicated by the cultural differences at many levels between Anglophones, Francophones and Lusophones. No-one seems to be prepared to crack heads at a political level to get regulators to line up (metaphorically speaking) on the beaches of their respective countries as welcoming committees. Without this kind of political determination, the cables will take much longer to be built. Forget the high licence fees and lie back and think about what cheap bandwidth will do for the economy. 

Also at present only 4 countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal) have connections to 2 or more or their neighbours and only 4 (Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Togo) have a connection to one neighbour. And unlike South Africa, Nigeria as powerhouse economy of the sub-region is not connected to all of its neighbours. 

Inevitably cheaper international bandwidth will begin to push down the price of national bandwidth. If it is cheaper to go from the capital city of a country to Europe than from the capital city to another city in the same country, something is badly out of shape. And when the new cables arrive, then that will be as true for West Africa as it will be for East Africa. 

At the same event in Accra last week, somebody asked who were the most expensive countries on the SAT3 route at present in terms of international bandwidth . The answer? Gabon (Gabon Telecom), Cameroon (Camtel) and Angola (Angola Telecom).

The intro and text of this essay was circulated on the web by Eric M.K Osiakwan Executive Secretary, AfrISPA

CyberschuulNews 297

Registration of Phone users becomes real 

NCC ( Nigeria's Communications regulator ), Telephone operators and Security agencies in Nigeria have agreed to carry out  registration of phone users in the country. 

The consensus was reached during a consultative forum hosted by the NCC for the operators at the behest of the security agencies who have complained to the Commission that criminal activities perpetrated through this category of users have become a source of concern as disclosure of identities of the users are not required during the purchase of the lines. 

An action committee made up of officials of the NCC, the operators, the security operatives, the media and other relevant bodies was set up to work out the modalities  and timelines for immediate implementation of the scheme. The committee is to present its report within four weeks. Hopefully an implementation date will be prescribed when the committee submits its report.

NEW PRODUCT
INTEL launches Next Generation Wireless Chip

Intel, the world's top PC chip maker, launched the next-generation of its Centrino wireless chip during the week. That, in Intel’s forecast, will provide a new revenue stream amid a broader push into mobile technologies.

The next generation chipset combines wi-fi capability, which is only usable within about 100 meters of hot-spot transmitters, and also with WiMax, which allows for high-speed data transmission over much bigger distances and can be used to blanket entire cities.

The chips are mainly intended to go into notebook computers, as the PC industry moves to more mobile devices with new lighter technologies and development of new wireless networks.
 

iPhone 3G beats all records

Apple says its iPhone 3G sold 1million pieces in its first 3 days of launch last week beating its earlier iPhone to second place, that having sold 1 million in 17 days in 2007. Another feat is its quick spread into not less than 21 markets. The iPhone 3G has the ‘3G’ advantage over the iPhone in the sense that it has additional networking feature and twice as fast as the earlier stuff. It also has built-in GPS for expanded location-based mobile services.

Apple is notable for its digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone. Now it has marched on with the iPhone 3G.
 

NEW STRATEGY OF SCAMMERS
Testimony of a scam victim

My name is Professor Moruf Adelekan. On 3 June 2008, I received an email in my hotmail address asking me to reconfirm my account or risk it being deleted. The mail stated that "hotmail" is experiencing congestion problem, and would delete all accounts not reconfirmed within 48 hours or so.  This "hotmail" alert mail looked quite genuine as it had the MSN logo etc.  Believing this mail was genuine, I responded by supplying all the required details including my password. On 4 June 2008, I was alerted by friends all over the globe that they have received an e-mail purportedly signed in my name stating that I have been stranded in Malaysia and asking people to send money to me via Western Union .  

As I used the same password for my yahoo account, the scammers also gained access into my yahoo account and sent a similar mail to many people on the contact list. The fraudsters changed the passwords in both accounts and completely denied me access to the accounts. I could therefore only send out a disclaimer to a small number of contacts who I could remember and reach by phone or through other means 

The amount of damage that the scammers have done and could do in the short and long term could only best be imagined.

 First, the scammers have sent the hoax mail to so many people all over the globe, including my several contacts during my stint in the United Nations. Many of the latter I have not communicated with for years. The mail has also gone to many professional colleagues. Thanks to those of you who could contact me one way or the other to check what has happened. However, many do not even know where I work at the moment and I only hope they have not fallen prey to the antics of the scammers.  My Medical Director here in the UK received his own copy of the e-mail while attending a conference in the USA . He quickly left the conference room and sent a message to his secretary to contact me before getting the money across to me.  Of course, I was sitting in my office when the MD's secretary contacted my own secretary.    

Secondly, I have many sensitive documents in the two accounts that have been compromised.  I have therefore alerted my professional colleagues and bodies, business concerns, local and international law enforcement agencies about this scam to pre-empt and avert (as much as possible) any illegal use of these documents.  

Thirdly, this scam has put me and my family under intense stress since 4 June 2008.  In the days following the scam, we had to respond to telephone calls from concerned colleagues and friends from all continents 24 hours of the day.  

Further the whole episode has been like "robbery without a gun" with these scammers gaining full access to documents I had always thought were "reservedly mine and confidential" .  There is also the fear of the unknown with regard to what illegal use these scammers could make of the documents. Finally, it is psychologically depressing and distracting when you have several work time lines to meet.   

What measures have I taken?  I reported the incident to yahoo and hotmail within 24 hours of its occurrence.  I received automated messages from both organizations stating that some action would be taken. However, up till now, only hotmail has asked me to formally lodge a complaint to them through my Solicitor. I am currently working on the latter.

Following some advice I received from an IT expert, I was able use the "forgot your password" prompt on my old yahoo address, answered the security questions and reset my password.  Hence, I have regained full access to

my old yahoo address although I do not intend to use the compromised address any longer. As hitherto stated, I have alerted relevant individuals and organizations on the security aspects of the scam.  

Lessons to learn  

1.      Never fall into the same trap I fell into.  Never respond to any mail requesting that you reconfirm your yahoo and hotmail account under whatever pretext, particularly where you are requested to supply your password.  

2.      Please realize that the scammers are becoming more desperate by the day and do not care in the least about the possible multiple psychological, social and economic consequences of their action.  Hence, we should be sensitive to any other tricks they may come up with.  

A British MP Sarah McCarthy-Fry also became a victim to a similar scam method last week (see BBC News  http://news. bbc.co.uk http://news. bbc.co.uk/  of 19 June 2008).

3.      Do not keep or save sensitive files and documents on your yahoo, hotmail or similar accounts. They are no longer as safe as we had always thought they were.  The experts advise that such documents should be kept in our hard disks and essentially should be password-protected.

Some people have even suggested that yahoo and hotmail should no longer be used for serious business and we should instead subscribe to less-popularized and less at-risk e-mail providers.  A serious food for thought, I would think.  

4.      Please read more about steps to take to avoid becoming a victim to this scam technique called phishing in the security sections of yahoo or hotmail.  

5.      Remember this is a clear case of prevention being better than cure.  If you fall a victim, you are completely on your own struggling to cope to with the multiple adverse effects, including contracting a solicitor to fight your case for you.  My experience is that yahoo and hotmail as organizations are very slow in responding, if they do at all.They would also not take any immediate action to close down the affected account due to privacy rights of their subscribers, among other possible reasons.  

6. Please circulate this write-up widely to your family, friends and colleagues in order to raise awareness and prevent more people falling victim to this scamming technique.    

Conclusion: E-mail scamming is taking a frighteningly dangerous dimension as scammers now use the more invasive method called phishing, which exposes their victim to serious consequences as highlighted in this piece. Those of us whose daily business hinge squarely on the e-mail system need to be fully aware of this and other newly emerging scamming methods.  We should alert one another and work with relevant organizations including law enforcement agencies to stop the scammers in their track. We should take all precautions to avoid becoming a victim to what I have described as "robbery without a gun".  Thank God, I am not aware that any of my contacts has sent any money to the scammers but this does not make the possible short and long-term impacts any less damaging.  I thank you all for your support during this trying period.   

Professor Moruf Adelekan
Blackburn, UK 
22 June 2008

The Africa ICT community was struck by tragedy Sunday July 13 when Mr. Simbo Ntiro was lost to an auto accident in his native Dar es salaam, Tanzania.  Simbo’s car ran over a high pavement and it was stopped by a tree that was hit sideways between the front wheel and the driver's door. He died instantly. 

46, Simbo is a true activist of the ICT4D genre who is unassuming, energetic and a good facilitator of the good on local, national, and international fronts. 

CyberschuulNews commiserates with his family, friends and the on-line community which he served till the very last moments of his stay on earth. May the Almighty give all of us the fortitude to bear this indescribable pain. Sometimes when it is realized that death seems to strike at the doors of our best, we are made to ask the question again, whose interest does death serve?

Starcomms goes to the Capital Market 

Nigeria’s top three-play service provider, Starcomms, has announced that it will on Monday July 14, 2008 get the listing of the Nigerian Stock Exchange by way of introduction of 6,878,478,096 ordinary shares of 50Kobo each representing its entire issued and paid up Capital on the official list of the Stock Exchange at N13.65 per share.

Starcomms will be the first private telecom operators in Nigeria to be  so listed.

 Zain opens shop in Ghana

Celtel Ghana Holdings, part of the Zain Group, has marked its official entry into Ghana with announcement of its plan to roll out commercial services before the end of the year. The company has also announced that the it will henceforth be called and addressed as Zain Communications Ghana.

The Future that we can predict

• ICT continues to  make a radical impact on our lives
• We shall ultimately use our names as telephone numbers and everyone will have one phone that works
• Most solutions shall come at a price which both the rich and the poor can afford
• The whole world  shall communicate as if we all speak only one language
• And so on, and so on,

However these benefits shall favour only those :

• Who live in environments where their governments have made the right investments now
• Who have made themselves ready and e-compliant now

The opportunities are here now for you to tap into. 

Click here to be taken there.

Powered by
Telecom Answers Associates

Spam Text Messages still on the rise

Mobile phone users in Nigeria are still experiencing an increase in the amount of fake text messages announcing competition winnings. Chances are that Nigerians are vigilant enough to avoid falling into their traps. 

A Lagosian who responded  to questions from Telecom Answers Associates however reasons that if clients are not falling prey to the games those who are at it wont continue to be in the business. 

One such text messages doing the rounds at the moment is claimed to originate from one of the Mobile operators with wording such as "Congratulations, you have won a Toyota" or "Congratulations you have won 25, 000 dollars, call 080X ABC DEFG". 

Such scams are known to be popular in markets where the economic realities induce poor citizens to seek survival from very unusual endeavours. The matter is not helped by a polity in which political leaders are routinely reported to steal very huge amount of public money and governments which sometimes even sponsor projects which encourage people to think they can earn money just by some unusual luck. Things like ' E fit be u o '