Mega Route

Photo credits: JP/Lukman SB A Sales Mission event was held on October 18-19 in the United Arab Emirates that resulted in a total potential transaction of (US$2.6 million). According to Tourism Ministry's deputy minister for overseas promotion, I Gde Pitana, “The result definitely increases our confidence,”. During the sales mission event, thousands of buyers from Dubai and Abu Dhabi reportedly showed interest in Bali, “A lot of them are curious about [Saudi Arabia’s] King Salman’s vacation in Bali a few months ago,” he said. A total of six industries from Indonesia managed to score 5,883 appointment deals at the event with a total transaction of Rp 34.930 billion. Even though the number of foreign tourists from UAE is lower than countries such as Saudi Arabia and Oman, the number of expatriates who live in UAE plus people who make a transit there are quite high. There are currently more than 10 million people living in UAE, of which 1.8 million are UAE citizens while the rest

A study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology exploring the “popular belief that alcohol improves the ability to speak in a foreign language” found that booze has a positive impact on people’s grasp of foreign pronunciation. Researchers used 50 native German speakers who recently learned Dutch, providing some with a “low dose of alcohol” matched to their weight and others with an alcohol-free control drink. Each then took part in a casual two-minute discussion in Dutch with observers who rated their language skills. The participants were also asked to rate their own linguistics. The scientists found that those who had consumed alcohol were handed “significantly” better ratings from the observers compared with those who did not. “However, alcohol has no effect on self-ratings,” the report found. The evidence showed that despite pronunciation improving, grammar, vocabulary and argumentation were similar between both groups. The researchers, who came from the University of Li

Apple has reportedly fired one of its engineers after his daughter posted a video of the iPhone X before the official launch. The YouTube video was shot on the Apple campus in September when the young woman met her father for lunch. The video was widely shared after being spotted by tech news sites and blogs that watch Apple. She said her father was fired for breaking Apple's strict policy that bans filming on its campus. Apple has not yet confirmed that the man has been fired nor responded to a request for comment. News of the firing emerged when Brooke Peterson posted a follow-up video explaining why the original, in which she was seen trying out the iPhone X, was no longer available. Ms Peterson said Apple had asked for the "innocent" video to be taken down and said that its posting had led to her father being fired. Although Ms Peterson removed the video from her YouTube pages it has been widely copied online. The video shows Ms Peterson trying out the iPhone X wh

Facebook has said as many as 126 million American users may have seen content uploaded by Russia-based operatives over the last two years. Most of the posts focused on divisive social and political messages Facebook released the figures ahead of a Senate hearing where it - together with Twitter and Google - will detail Russia's impact on the popular sites. Russia has repeatedly denied allegations that it attempted to influence the last US presidential election, in which Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton. According to Reuters news agency and Washington Post newspaper, 80,000 posts were published between June 2015 and August 2017. According to Facebook, they were posted by a Russian company linked to the Kremlin. Source: BBC

Photo credits: Adjaye Associates Photo credits: Adjaye Associates A memorial honouring  millions who died at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust will be set in the Victoria Tower Gardens next to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, it has been decided. The new landmark - expected to be completed by 2021 - aims to be “a living place, not just a monument to something of the past”, offering visitors an “immersive journey” and “sensory experience” throughout the site. Featuring a series of 23 imposing bronze fin structures, with the spaces between each symbolising the 22 countries where Jewish communities were destroyed during the Holocaust, the striking memorial will have a modern, minimalist feel. However, Visitors can expect different experiences along each pathway between the fins before the walks culminate at a cavernous main hall (known as the Threshold), intended to be a place for contemplation before moving into the adjoining Learning Centre in the leve

Facebook vice-president of ads, Rob Goldman, was responding to a tweet by PJ Vogt, the presenter of a tech podcast called Reply All. Many people report seeing adverts which appear to be related to recent, real-life conversations. Mr Vogt had asked for details of these specific occasions. "I run ads product at Facebook. We don't - and have never - used your microphone for ads. Just not true," Mr Goldman wrote. When another Twitter user asked him if that included Instagram, which is also owned by Facebook, he replied, "Yes." Source: BBC

Roger Stone, a high-profile supporter of Donald Trump, has been suspended from Twitter after using the network to attack journalists. Mr Stone, who advised Mr Trump during his election campaign, said he had been told he had violated Twitter's rules. His suspension came hours after he used abusive and homophobic language to target journalists, including a gay CNN presenter, Don Lemon. Mr Stone has said he will sue Twitter for blocking his account. Twitter has not commented or confirmed if Mr Stone's suspension is permanent. He was an aide to President Richard Nixon in the 1970s and became a political consultant. He says in the Netflix documentary Get Me Roger Stone that he got Mr Trump to run for president. His attacks came hours after CNN reported that the first charges had been laid by a grand jury in the investigation into Russian influence on the 2016 election. In a Facebook post, Mr Stone said he believed his suspension should have ended "some time ago yet my Twitt

Facebook has unveiled measures to make political advertising on the social media platform more transparent. Political advertisers will have to verify their identity and location and their posts will carry a disclosure saying "paid for by". The steps come amid allegations that Russian-backed groups used social media ads to interfere in the US election. Executives from Facebook and other internet giants will testify before a Senate hearing on Tuesday. Facebook's vice president of ads, said in a blog post, "When it comes to advertising on Facebook, people should be able to tell who the advertiser is and see the ads they're running, especially for political ads," Rob Goldman. By clicking on the "paid for by" disclosure, users would be able to see more details about the advertiser, he added. However, Facebook said it was expanding the transparency measures to all ads, and that they would all have to be linked to a page. Users would also be able to v

 E-conext recently introduced a job search and e-learning platform to respond to the growing demands from professionals. The platform strives to provide easy access to best courses, job offers based on ideal-remote, work-from-home and freelance career opportunities. Several skilled professionals can register for upcoming webinar conferences on 31st October 2017 via https://www.gotomeet.me/kennedyugeand learn the step-by-step to earning extra income providing online services. Experts from E-conext will be on hand to show participants the different opportunities, topics, e-learning courses using www.e-conext.com to secure online jobs in areas like graphic design, internet marketing, content writing, website design, software architecture, data processing, copywriting and logo design among others.  During a chat with Kennedy Ugege, Principal Consultant of Jungu Media, also an official partner of E-conext in Nigeria, he said, ‘With an ever-evolving global workforce and growing access to

 Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Friday said that the commission has put in place a regulation to checkmate SIM Swap fraud. Ms Helen Obi, Head of Zonal Operations, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos. A SIM is a smart card inside a mobile phone, carrying identification number unique to the owner. While SIM Swap is the process of replacing your existing SIM with a new SIM and moving your existing number, data etc. to a new SIM. She said that the new regulation put in place to stop SIM Swap fraud was in the interest of customers. According to her, SIM SWAP fraud has a lot of issues attached to it because often times, you find a lot of people who are not the owners of these numbers going to do SIM SWAP at various centres. “We have cases of fraudulent activities done on people’s bank account as a result of SIM SWAP and they complain to the commission expecting that the commission would compensate them. Some subscribers, who spoke with the

Air passengers globally are clamouring for more technology to be deployed for better comfort, ease of access, and personal control over their travel experience. The passenger, in the 2017 Global Passenger Survey (GPS) released Wednesday, craved for automation of more airport processes, a single identity token for all travel processes using biometric identification and real-time information sent directly to personal devices. Others are more efficient security – without having to remove or unpack personal items and more seamless border control.The customers’ demand, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), is a lesson for aviation authorities and developing countries, including Nigeria, aiming to attract more passenger traffic and growth within the vision 2050 projection. IATA, which is the clearing house for over 275 airlines in the world, said based on 10,675 responses from more than 152 countries in all regions around the globe, the survey provided insight

Air Peace, Nigeria’s leading local carrier has issued over 1,000 free tickets, television sets, fridges and other gift items for distribution to loyal customers and agents to mark its third anniversary. The airline, which commenced scheduled flight operations to five destinations on October 24, 2014, said the gifts were its way of showing gratitude and rewarding the loyalty and support of its customers and agents over the years. Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, attributed the success of the airline to the unwavering loyalty and support of the flying public and travel agents. Onyema said: “We are quite excited that in just three years we have transformed Nigeria’s aviation sector. We ended the era of avoidable delays when we launched our flight operations to five cities on October 24, 2014 with a record on-time performance reputation. “We have not only employed and retained the services of some of the best hands in the aviation industry, we have also ensu

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has charged Air Traffic Controllers in the country to come up with practical and achievable solutions to problems encountered in air traffic control services in their respective airports across the nation. Managing Director of NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, gave this charge at the recently concluded Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA), which held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He said there was need for NATCA and its members to re-invent their professional ethos, ethics and commitment, by avoiding every behavour that threatens the safe provision of service. Akinkuotu stressed the need to draw a line between human error and willful or negligent violation of rules in the provision of service. He noted that the agency was mindful of its responsibility to provide the necessary tools, capacities and environment that would ensure optimal human performance in Air Traffic Control. He added

Sidmach Technologies has pledged support to Schools Computer Club Initiative’s (SCCI) bid to build-up student/pupil experts as the workforce of future advancement for tomorrow’s information and computer technology. The Initiative seeks to ensure school pupils’ acquisition of computer skills, exposure to a real IT world through seminar, workshops, and exhibitions. Speaking to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek while leading students on tour of Sidmach’s software lab, as part of activities to mark SCCI’s tenth anniversary, Mr. Adesina Adewale, the president, said that they are keen to ‘impose’ professional responsibilities on school IT team leaders, build self esteem for members, and motivate young growing children to embrace the appropriate use of the computer. Adewale said that the big picture behind SCCI was to develop technology innovators ‘Technnovators’ who will eventually become technology entrepreneurs, developing solutions to solve the nation’s multifaceted challenges. He said, “We

The experts who spoke to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek on the backdrop of statistics shared by World Bank, unanimously agreed that technology is the promise and ultimately the final hope for Africa’s youth. According to the World Bank, 11 million youths enter the African labour market every year over the next decade. Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu, CEO, InfoGraphics, said, “Africa will indeed be the youngest continent on the planet between 2030 and 2050 depending on whose data you use. Between 2017 and then, the continent will either fracture or surge. If the latter, it will be wrenched violently apart by the uncontainable forces of food insecurity, plunging health, social dislocation, rural to urban surges, functional illiteracy and a dysfunctional education system, an expanding digital divide and negative technology penetration, crime/cybercrime and other vices. “Any African of working age (18-65) is challenged by the same things his counterparts the world over are: relevant skills/co

Telecommunication companies operating in Nigeria have shunned invitation by the ad hoc of the House of Representatives, investigating the administrative/ operational procedure of the companies and assessing their tax compliance status. The committee had directed some operators and vendors in the industry to reconcile the over N5 billion quoted in its interim report as taxes payable to the government with its consultants. However, some telecommunication companies questioned the committee’s legal right to direct them to a third party in the name of consultant after investigations had been concluded. Some also expressed reservations on why the reconciliation of tax figures should be conducted by a private firm outside the National Assembly complex. Hon Ahmed Abu, chairman of the committee in a later dated 5th October 2017 directed the telecommunications companies to reconcile figures quoted in the committee’s report with consultants at a location within Abuja on or before Friday 20th

Photo credits: Dooney’s Kitchen  Banga rice is a traditional Nigerian rice prepared with palm fruit extract. It's so delicious and refreshing that you would always want to eat more. Ingredients     (1.) 700g (1 De Rica or 4 cups) long grain parboiled rice.     (2.) 400g palm fruit extract, canned or made from scratch     (3.) Beef Stock     (4.) 2 medium smoked fish – deboned and broken into small pieces     (5.) Orunbebe stick (optional)     (6.) 1 red onion – chopped     (7.) 1 tsp banga spices     (8.) 1 tbsp crayfish (optional)     (9.) 1 tbsp ground cayenne pepper     (10.) 2 seasoning cubes     (11.) Salt (to taste)     (12.) Dry or fresh habanero pepper (atarodo) (to taste) – diced     (13.) Scent leaves (to taste) – rinsed. How to prepare     (1.) Wash out the starch in your rice with hot water. Drain, pour cold water over it. Drain again    and set aside.     (2.) Mix the banga concentrate in a pot of hot water so that all the sand and particles can sink to the botto

According to Volkswagen’s Chief Executive Matthias Mueller on Wednesday, said that German car-makers being investigated over possible collusion in price fixing did not engage in such act or an illegal cartel. Mueller said at a conference in Stuttgart that such an act had never existed. “I have no knowledge of price fixing. We very much respect the cartel law,” he said. European Union antitrust staff raided Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW as part of an investigation into whether they conspired to fix prices on diesel and other technologies over several decades. The EU’s competition watchdog said in July that it was investigating German car-makers in response to a tip-off after Der Spiegel magazine reported that the car-makers had colluded to the detriment of customers and foreign rivals. The German car-makers being investigated included Daimler, BMW, VW and its Audi and Porsche arms. Source: The guardian

With the unstable rate of foreign exchange in the country, which affects the prices of goods and services, Nigerian consumers continue to look for the most convenient channels and affordable means to procure goods and services. When it comes to pricing, eCommerce pioneer, Jumia Nigeria is seriously pushing competition, even when pitted against international e-retailers like Amazon and Aliexpress. For instance, the iPhone8 64GB on amazon.com shows a price of $825 which when converted to local currency is about N296, 175. On Jumia, it currently sells for N281, 999. Even a quick price comparison of popular outdoor markets and physical stores shows that Jumia Nigeria is keeping good on its word of giving shoppers the best prices. The e-commerce giant remains competitive, and in several cases cheaper than several well-known retail shops, outlets and open air markets such as the Saka Tinubu phone village in Victoria Island, Lagos. For instance, the Samsung 32-inch sharp TV retails for N80,

The mayor of Candela, Italy is making that dream a reality. According to CNN, Nicola Gatta is offering to pay people to move to his town in the country's Puglia region. Having seen the town's population dwindle from 8,000 to just 2,700 residents over the past three decades, Gatta is offering as much as 2,000 euros ($2,350) to encourage outsiders to become permanent residents. The approach is far different than those taken by other European destinations. "I work each day with passion and commitment to bring Candela back to its ancient splendor," he told CNN. "Up until the 1960s, travelers called it 'Nap'licchie' (Little Naples), for its streets full of wayfarers, tourists, merchants and screaming vendors." New residents will have to be committed and also contribute in order to receive their check. Requirements include living in the town, renting a home and securing a job that pays at least 7,500 euros ($8,900) annually. "This is how it wo

With the Internet of Things (IoT) gradually gaining momentum globally, the need for Nigeria to tap into the global technology hub has been stressed. IoT has delivered a big growth opportunity for the telecoms industry due to the volume of connections expected and experts have projected the market will reach $14.6 trillion global market size by 2020. In this regard, Vodacom Business Nigeria, a Tier 2 operator, said it has become highly essential for Nigeria to seize the vast opportunities that this growth presents in transforming businesses in the country. According to the Managing Director, Vodacom Business Nigeria, Lanre Kolade, at a telecoms conference in Lagos, across all industries, IoT solutions have been adopted to provide a host of different benefits, from increased Return on Investment (ROI) to developing stronger relationships with customers’, with far reaching benefits projected for the future. Kolade in his presentation, called on telecom operators to adapt to the changi

Nigeria’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry is bound to witness influx of global investors, who have expressed willingness to come into the economy to invest in different segments of the nation’s ICT sector over the next 12 months. Most of the investors, who have indicated interest in coming to Nigeria to invest in the nation’s IT industry based their judgment on the quantum of information and quality of engagement they had with the Nigerian delegation at the just-concluded Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) Technology Week 2017 held at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai. Nigerian government participates at the yearly conference through representation by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), an agency of the Federal Ministry of Communications responsible for IT policies formulation, implementation regulation by the entire country. Though this year’s edition of the programme, which ran October 8 and 12, was the 37th edi

TVC Communications, operators of TVC Entertainment, TVC News and Adaba FM, has launched a new hit music radio station, 102.3 Max FM in Lagos. Max FM replaces Radio Continental. 102.3 MAX FM was launched recently at a spectacular event held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos among an audience of celebrities and VIPs from the advertising and entertainment industries. At the launch, Radio Continental switched seamlessly at about 10pm to become 102.3 MAX FM. Max FM is aimed at a 15-34-year-old audience and promises to play non-stop hit music for the young people in Lagos. Max FM is not just about the music, as listeners can look forward to winning amazing prizes as the station promises to be the home of the biggest and most attractive giveaways on radio. It was also announced that TVC Communications would replace Continental Broadcasting Services as the trading name of the group business units. Speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer, TVC Communications, Max 102.3 FM, Mr. Andrew

 According to the Global system for Mobile Communications (GSMA),  Nigeria, China, India, Indonesia and Pakistan are markets that will account for more than 40 per cent of the 1.6 billion new smartphone connections by 2020. Currently, Nigeria’s smartphone penetration as at 2016 stood at 30 per cent, but there has been more adoption, especially as new and cheaper devices are entering the market, almost on a monthly basis. A typical example is Google ICE 2 smartphone. GSMA, which noted that smartphones account for over half of total connections globally, said as with subscriber growth, smartphone growth is being driven by developing markets. The body, which represents the interest of over 800 operators globally, informed that lower cost smartphones from local manufacturers such as Huawei, Oppo, OnePlus and Xiaomi in China, Micromax in India, and now AfriOne in Nigeria, are helping to address the affordability barrier. GSMA said though it took four years to move from four billion to f

Photo credits: Flickr/Peter McConnochie The official tourism bureaus of New York City and Toronto have signed a partnership to boost tourism between the cities. The NYC & Company and Tourism Toronto alliance is the first city-to-city partnership of its kind for Toronto and the first Canadian partnership for New York. The two-year deal includes a collaboration agreement between the two organizations, the exchange of marketing assets and the sharing of best practices in tourism marketing. To celebrate the new partnership, Air Canada is offering discounted tickets for one-way flights between New York and Toronto that are booked by October 23 for travel before February 15, 2018. The announcement took place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto and was attended by Tourism Toronto CEO Johanne Belanger and NYC & Company CEO Fred Dixon. “This is Toronto’s first city-to-city partnership and New York City makes the ideal partner,” Belanger said in a statement. “Toronto and N

Photo credits: Kenya Tourism Board The Kenya Tourism Board has launched their Kenya Authorized Travel Specialist (KATS) Program. The program is an online educational tool for travel consultants based in North America. In 2016, the US became the largest source market of travel to Kenya with 119,000 visitors, a growth of 18-percent from 2015. This achievement demonstrates the increased demand of US travelers to Kenya as well as the potential for growth. The Kenyan Tourism Board has identified the North American travel agent community as a key driver of this success and is excited to bring the new KATS specialist platform to market. KATS includes a compulsory module of destination overview and three elective courses: —Safaris in Kenya: Various safari circuits throughout the country, and safaris beyond wheels, including via horseback and ballooning —Beyond the Wilderness: Kenya offers more than just the wilderness, including various coastal activities such as surfing and scuba diving

Photo credit:  Flickr/Bill Abbott Passengers described a frightening experience aboard a Delta Air Lines flight that was forced to make an emergency landing in Knoxville, Tennessee due to engine trouble over the weekend. According to FOX 8 News, the flight was traveling from Atlanta to Cleveland Sunday morning when the engine issues began. "When I saw the stewardesses looking at emergency manuals, I knew it was pretty serious," passenger Greg Mosko told the news outlet. Passenger Joe Rexrode told the Knoxville News Sentinel that the trouble began about 15 to 20 minutes into the flight and that the cabin began to smell like burning oil. "Basically, there was this awful sound, you could just tell that the right engine was out," Rexrode said. "It was just screeching and the plane rumbled really heavily and you just knew it was gone. That was followed by the smell. " Rexrode thanked God and credited the flight crew for the safe landing. Delta Air Lines s

Globally, gender equality has been a concern that has raised many questions related to women and girls on the need for a balance on economic and socially based resolutions. The United Nations’ 2016 Africa Human Development Report stated that closing the gap would indeed be a boom for not only Nigeria, but for the continent’s economic and social prospects. According to discussions at the recently held Global Citizens Movement Makers Summit, some of the identified challenges faced by girls and women include access to Education; Employment Opportunities; Reproductive Health & Rights; Maternal Health; and Gender Equality. There is a need for a paradigm shift to effectively implement the desired change. The 2012 Gender in Nigeria Report published by the British Council reveals that gender inequality not only exists in Nigeria, but at high levels. There is a lack of gender balance in the economy, education, politics, health, access to justice and almost all areas of human development

Barely two weeks ago, Japan’s premium, quality brand, Panasonic, participated in the GITEX Technology week in Dubai. From a distance, it appeared a routine function, where the world’s best and innovative brands compete and display their latest offerings. But the Japanese company surpassed all expectations in its display of mind-blowing brands. The excitement was palpable; it was more a gathering of tribes. Electronics lovers and connoisseurs were all around for what would become the latest technology in electronics. Technology was on show, from the latest to the mid-stream products, there was one creative innovation to the other such that a visitor to the fair would not but marvel at what the eyes beheld. To pick but a few from the Panasonic brand, one of the products on display was the Toughbook, which comes with windows 10 Pro, in CF-32 CF-33 two in one detachable, CF-54 full HD, CF-20 and Toughpad FZ-G1 and FZ-M1 series. What differentiates the Toughbook and Toughpad from other

A couple have allegedly been turned away from a hotel in southern Italy for having "dark skin". Cristobal Rojas, an Italian citizen of Cuban descent, attempted to check into his beach hotel in the town of Margherita di Savoia, Puglia, with his wife Josephine. The couple live in Milan but were visiting Puglia for the Italian mid-August holiday of Ferragosto. They had visited the town several times before and were shocked by the reaction of the owner. Speaking to Italian newspaper Repubblica, Rojas said: "When the owner saw us, he said we had to leave because he does not accept dark-skinned guests. "We did not expect it. We have always felt welcome here in Puglia.” When contacted the hotel confirmed they had asked the couple to leave, although they did not give a reason. The incident comes after a summer where reports of discrimination in Italy have been rife. Last week an Italian student, born in Italy to Ghanaian parents, was prevented from participat

Kwese TV, a new television operator in Nigeria is offering ‘pay as you watch’ subscription, a revolutionary initiative, the firm’s long term target is to increase television viewers in Africa, which is currently put at 30 per cent. The President and Group Chief Executive Officer, Econet Media, Joseph Hundah, who disclosed this at the launch of the platform in Lagos, said Nigeria remains a strategic market for the platform. Hundah explained that KweseTV, which has already started operations, would offer customers ‘Pay-as-you-watch’ subscription packages for premium programming. The package, he said enables consumers to purchase three and seven-day subscriptions at N990 and N1, 850, as well as a 30-day subscription option for N6, 275. “PayTv in Africa versus the rest of the world, is still very low, going by the number of household TV owners, which is still around 30 per cent penetration, which is much lower compared to the rest of the world. The target of Kwese TV is to among others

Building on its commitment to Africa and the Middle East and its long-term growth plan across new markets, premier mobile phone brand under Transsion Holdings, Tecno, has concluded plans to launch its flagship smartphone, the Tecno Phantom at global launch in Dubai this Sunday. This is in line with its commitment and continuous growth plans in Africa and the Middle East region. “Recent market reports highlight how the Africa and the Middle East is making a comeback when it comes to smartphone penetration,” said Arif Chowdhury, Vice President of TRANSSION HOLDINGS. According to him, “Our expansion last year into the Middle East market was the first step in a long regional growth plan, and with the unveiling of our latest model we hope to reaffirm our commitment to innovating the smartphone market with intelligent products. We develop phones and tailor-made services that meet consumer entertainment and creative needs and incorporates features that enhance popular every day acti

 Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday in Lagos held a consultative forum with stakeholders as part of the process towards the introduction of an automated numbering system in the country. “Numbers are scarce resource and one of the core functions of the Commission is to ensure that this scarce resource is effectively and efficiently managed”, Ubale Maska, Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, who represented Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Commission, Prof Umar Danbatta, told the audience that the automated system would be launched very soon. Paul Dinwoke, Chief Executive of Molcon Multiconcepts Limited, consultants to NCC on the project, also told the participants that some of the benefits of the automated system include convenience, transparency, efficiency, easy tracking, ability to choose number options and strengthening of online payment systems. The forum was attended by many stakeholders, including licensees of the Commission and staff,

Emirates airline has open flight operations to China, with multiple destinations beyond Beijing and Guangzhou. The airline, at a media parley in Lagos, said the route and Asia as a whole has become very strategic for African travellers and global aviation for Emirates to ignore. Emirates’ Regional Manager, West Africa, Afzal Parambil, said China that used to be solely business destination has now added tourism, to become second most patronised destination for African travellers. Parambil said: “China is very popular for visitors from across the world, including Nigeria, not just for leisure travellers, but also for business and trade. Our network in Asia including China is extensive. We fly to over 20 destinations in 13 countries, some of which include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Yinchuan, Zhengzhou, Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, and many others.” He added that many of the cities are major business and trade hubs and are also served by multiple Emirate

Med-view airlines Plc is set to commence flight operations between Lagos and Dubai by the end of the year following a recent approval by the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) authorities. Managing Director of the airlines, Muneer Bankole, disclosed that the approval was at the insistence of the Federal Government that the flag carrier must be allowed to reciprocate on the route. Bankole, at a special occasion to decorate four newly upgraded pilots and celebrate achievements of the airline in Lagos, said Med-view delayed Lagos-Dubai operations due to its initial denial from flying to Dubai airport terminal one. He noted that after Med-view had filed applications to the UAE, with the backing of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the former replied to say they could only allow the Nigerian flag carrier to operate into Sharjah. His words, “The Dubai authorities said they had no space for us in Terminal One and instructed that we move to another airport in Sharjah. We wrote to the

Swift and ease of payment is one of the reasons some Nigerians shun e-payment related platforms. Now, with the rise of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), payment has become even easier and on-the-go. That’s why, Holla Taxi, the new cab booking app, has delved into this space with a promise to allow USSD payments. Holla Taxi, an on-demand hailing company uses it apps to connect riders with local cabs and private drivers in Nigeria, has made big intents for the market with a whole lot of ‘partner’ activation. Holla Cab Services Limited is an Information Technology and Consultancy Firm that is fully mobilized and firmly positioned to provide up-to-date Information Technology Solution(s), Infrastructure and Financial Consultancy Services. Holla Taxi is a fully indigenous company, with core competence in developing, implementing and supporting technology solutions. The depth of professional experiences within the Group today spans in excess of 85 cognate years in the Sales,

The security protocol currently used to protect the vast majority of Wi-Fi connections has just been broken – meaning that hackers who are within physical range of someone’s home can crack anyone’s Wi-Fi password, spy on their Internet activity and intercept any unencrypted data streams. This is due to a severe flaw in WPA2 protocol, and the proof-of-concept exploit is called KRACK (Key Reinstallation Attacks). It allows hackers to eavesdrop on any Wi-Fi traffic passing between computers and access points. The US-CERT has recently distributed an advisory to about 100 organizations, warning that the discovered weakness can allow an attacker to decrypt network traffic from a WPA2-enabled device and hijack connections. Depending on the network configuration, it is also possible hackers could inject and manipulate data. The attack works by exploiting a four-way handshake used to establish a key for traffic encryption. During the third step of the process, the supposedly unique key can

Nigeria says it is committed to increasing the current coverage of the active mobile broadband subscription per 100 from 20.95 percent to 50 percent by 2020. Mr Bolaji Akinremi, Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN, stated this while delivering Nigeria’s statement on ‘Information and Communications Technologies for Development’ at the UN General Assembly’s debate in New York. Active mobile broadband subscription is the number of subscriptions to mobile cellular networks with access to data communications – like the Internet – at broadband downstream speeds of 256 kilobit per second. Nigeria’s mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants increased from 1.0 inhabitant in 2012 to 11.7 inhabitants in 2016. Akinremi said Nigeria recognised the direct impact of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) on the wellbeing of Nigerians. “The Government of Nigeria recognises the reality that Information and Communications Technologies has a direct i

Catfish pepper soup is a delicious meal loved especially in Nigeria and it's easy to prepare. It is also known as "point and kill pepper soup" because of how the catfish is bought at local markets; you select your desired fish by pointing at it and it is killed and prepared for you. Ingredients    * 1 catfish (cleaned and cut into 4-6 pieces)    * 3 cups of water    * 1 small habanero pepper (chopped)    * 1/2 small onion (chopped)    * 1 stock cube    * 1 tablespoon pepper soup spice (can be found at a local market)    * 1 tablespoon ground crayfish    * 1 basil leaf    * Salt to taste Instructions 1. Soak the fish in a bowl of cold water, three minutes prior to cooking. This is to prevent the fish from falling apart. 2. Put the fish in a pot over medium heat and add three cups of water. 3. Season with the stock cube, salt, onions, pepper, and crayfish. Boil for 10 minutes. 4. Add pepper soup spice. Boil for additional three minutes. 5. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Photo credits: GETTY IMAGES Terror attacks in Spain shook European markets on Friday, sending airline, hotel and travel-agency stocks into the red amid fears of a pending drop in tourist numbers across the continent. Investor jitters dragged on London’s blue chip index, which slid 0.86 per cent or 63.89 points to 7,323.98. David Madden, a market analyst at CMC Markets, said: “The tragic event in Barcelona yesterday has shook tourist-related stocks. “When events like this happen, traders wonder will there be a negative impact on tourism, and companies in the travel and leisure sector feel the pressure.” British Airways owner IAG was among the worst-performing stocks, down 12.5p to 611.5p while travel agency TUI dropped 9p to 1,325p and low-cost carrier easyJet fell 11p to 1,290p. The tragedy also impacted the share price of InterContinental FHotels Group, which fell 64p to 3,924p. Merlin Entertainments was knocked down 3.9p to 460.5p, amid fears of a slowdown in visitors to some o

Rail passengers in West Yorkshire are continuing to experience disruption to services after Storm Ophelia battered the region. Obstructions on railway lines in West Yorkshire are affecting Grand Central and Northern services in the county. Fallen trees and a landslip at Hipperholme mean the lines are currently blocked between Halifax and Bradford Interchange. Grand Central services to and from Bradford Interchange are not calling at Low Moor, Halifax, Brighouse, Mirfield or Wakefield Kirkgate. Northern are also experiencing disruption to their services between York and Blackpool North and between Leeds/Selby and Manchester Victoria/Huddersfield via Bradford Interchange. The disruption to services is expected to continue until around 5pm. York-Blackpool North services will run between York and Bradford Interchange and between Blackburn and Blackpool North only.

GETTY IMAGES Twitter is planning to impose new restrictions on pornographic and hateful imagery as part of a renewed effort to tackle abuse on its social network. The US company has also said it intends to review user complaints more quickly. The efforts are outlined in a leaked email from the company's head of safety, which was published by Wired. But one UK charity has already said the company needs to go further than "tinkering" with its existing rules. Twitter's CEO, Jack Dorsey, had said on Friday that he planned to announce a "more aggressive stance" against online abuse this week, after Twitter was criticised for temporarily blocking the account of Rose McGowan - an actress who had accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of rape. Harvey Weinstein denies all allegations of non-consensual sex. The UK government had also recently urged social-media leaders to do more to tackle the problem, and suggested Twitter and others would have to pay a le

Google's DeepMind says it has made another big advance in artificial intelligence by getting a machine to master the Chinese game of Go without help from human players. The AlphaGo program, devised by the tech giant's AI division, has already beaten two of the world's best players. It had started by learning from thousands of games played by humans. But the new AlphaGo Zero began with a blank Go board and no data apart from the rules, and then played itself. Within 72 hours it was good enough to beat the original program by 100 games to zero. DeepMind's chief executive, Demis Hassabis, said the system could now have more general applications in scientific research. "We're quite excited because we think this is now good enough to make some real progress on some real problems even though we're obviously a long way from full AI," he told the BBC and other journalists. The London-based artificial intelligence company's software defeated leading Sou

  One of YouTube's most influential vloggers has attacked the service's leaders, claiming they are failing many of their most popular video creators. Specifically, Casey Neistat criticised the way the platform had made it impossible for some videos to generate advertising revenue, without clearly explaining the rules to its community. One of his own videos - an interview with Indonesia's president - was temporarily "demonetised" last week. YouTube has said it is listening. "We watched Casey's video and appreciate him and the wider community voicing their concerns," a spokeswoman told the BBC. "We know this has been a difficult few months, and we're working hard to improve our systems. We're making progress, but we know there is a lot more to do." Mr Neistat has more than eight million subscribers on YouTube, who have signed up to be alerted when he posts. He has also struck a multi-million-dollar deal to create content for CNN on

Photo credits: GETTY IMAGES US scientists are using artificial intelligence to predict whether breast lesions identified from a biopsy will turn out to cancerous. The machine learning system has been tested on 335 high-risk lesions, and correctly diagnosed 97% as malignant. It reduced the number of unnecessary surgeries by more than 30%, the scientists said. One breast cancer specialist said that the research was "useful". The machine learning system was trained on information about such lesions, the system looks for patterns among a range of data points, such as demographics, family history, biopsies and pathology reports. "Because diagnostic tools are so inexact, there is an understandable tendency for doctors to over-screen for breast cancer," said Regina Barzilay, MIT's Delta Electronics Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and a breast cancer survivor herself. "When there's this much uncertainty in data, machine learning

Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government now operates through over 40,000 unique electronic mail (eMail) addresses..The Managing Director, Galaxy Backbone, Yusuf Kazaure, while interacting with journalists in Busan, South Korea, disclosed this, adding that the company is gradually entrenching technology culture among MDAs in the country.    Kazaure disclosed that under the direction of the Ministry of Communication, that all MDAs must have their unique email addresses, “we have been able to create over 40,000 email addresses for MDAs. The uptake has been that more MDAs are now using their unique email addresses to communicate online. So all MDAs now have .gov.ng email address. “The email addresses are for some level of civil servants. So the next step is to make it available to all level of civil servants,” Kazaure stated.He disclosed that Galaxy Backbone developed a single platform for government agencies, called the Onegov.ng platform, which connects all governmen