Visa, the world’s leader in digital payments, has launched its new “Where You Shop Matters’ initiative that aims to champion and enable entrepreneurs in Nigeria while encouraging consumers to support small businesses. Alongside a new SMB resource hub, Visa has published the COVID-19 CEMEA Impact Tracker highlighting the recent effect the novel coronavirus pandemic has had on commerce for consumers and small merchants in Nigeria. The findings of the report highlight increased anxiety with consumers staying away from all but essential retail. 68% of consumers polled reported going grocery shopping less often, while 67% reported taking public transportation less often. The…
Author: DigitalTimesNG
Access Bank has assured the public of its commitment to curtail the spread of COVID-19 even as it confirmed the unfortunate loss of one of its staff, who until his death, worked at the bank’s Onne Branch in Rivers State. “Our thoughts and prayers are with our deceased colleague’s family at this time as we pray for his eternal rest,” Access Bank said in a statement. It noted that in line with the bank’s COVID-19 Business Continuity Plan, the branch has been shut down for immediate disinfection and will only be reopened once it is certified that it is…
Mobile broadband subscriptions are set to account for 72% of all mobile subscriptions by 2025 LTE subscriptions in SSA are set to triple and reach 270 million in 2025 Fixed wireless access (FWA) connections forecast to reach close to 160 million, and account for 25 per cent of global mobile network data traffic by end of 2025 Mobile data traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to grow by 12 times the current figures, with total traffic increasing from 0.33 Exabytes (EB) per month to 4EB by 2025. Meanwhile, average traffic per smartphone is expected to reach 7.1GB over the…
HP has unveiled its vastly improved range of gaming accessories aimed at enabling gamers to play their best while pushing the limits of what their devices can do. Gaming has increased dramatically as players look to find social connections and outlets for stress relief and entertainment. The latest HP devices are built with powerful premium components, and technology that addresses the mounting needs of all gamers, veterans, and newcomers alike. The new range of hardware and software includes the OMEN 25L and 30L Desktops, engineered for gaming performance, designed for immersion, and crafted for gaming expansion. Both the desktops perfectly pair with the…
An author and a member of the speaker’s faculty at the second edition of the 2020 Digital Rights series hosted by ITREALMS, Morenike Adebayo, has said that digital era offers women, especially in Nigeria like other developing countries, more voices. The second edition of Digital Rights webinar series was hosted in collaboration with DigitalSENSE Africa, Domain Name System (DNS Women – Nigeria) and NaijaAgroNet was on the theme: ‘Women and Rights in Digital Era.’ Adebayo, an author, activist and social entrepreneur, dwelt on the subtheme: “Nigerian Youth, Women and Rights in Digital Era” noted that in a country that…
By Steve MADUKA I am not a believer in awards. Perhaps I am of the school of thought that thinks winning an award is not a testament of who you truly are or what you can achieve. However, when at the recently concluded Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), the organizers bestowed on veteran television producer, Peter Igho the prestigious Industry Merit Award at the seventh edition of the award, I started having second thoughts about awards, because the award given to Igho, who is best known for his achievements with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in the promotion…
The Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that the decision to amend the Nigerian Broadcasting Code (6th edition) was taken in the interest of the Nigerian broadcasting industry and to make it more responsive to emerging realities in the broadcasting industry, according to a report in the Vanguard. Acting Director-General of the NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, said that some of the objectives of the amendments were to protect and promote the local broadcast industry from monopolistic and anti/ competitive behaviour as well as the stimulation of advertising revenue…
Facebook on Monday, announced the launch of ‘My Digital World,’ a programme designed to equip the youth and general public across Sub-Saharan Africa with digital skills needed to navigate the digital world. My Digital World is a consolidation of all Facebook digital literacy programmes including Safe Online with Facebook, Ilizwe Lam, and eZibo and will be offered virtually this year to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. Facebook has over the years trained thousands of people on digital literacy skills and is this year preparing to train close to 20,000 participants across Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire and…
The African ICT Foundation, (AfICTF) has advocated for more information technology interventions to tackle the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic even as most parts of Africa continue to ease several lockdown protocols instituted by African governments. AfICTF also tasked start-ups on the need to define strategies that are adaptable to current realities and at the same time, establish guidelines for the post-COVID-19 period. In a webinar hosted by the foundation on ‘Post-COVID-19 Recovery Map for Africa’s MSMES,’ a member of the Board of Trustee (BOT), Mr. Oludare Akinbo while speaking on the “Impact of COVID-19 on the African Health…
By Yakubu MUSA A cornucopia of glad tidings has recently thronged the doors of Nigeria’s telecoms industry. It all started with various state governments across the country signing executive orders to either waive or harmonize the Right of Way fees, the perennial industry’s bone of contention, following the successful intervention of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami. There were also the heart-warming stories of burgeoning contribution to the GDP and other spectacular industry statistics. Then came the cheering presidential directives, reassuring the industry of the security of telecom infrastructure in the country, just…