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Dangote starts construction of new cement plants in Edo, Ogun
nigeriacelebrates50.orgDangote Cement Plc has announced the commencement of the construction of new cement plants in two communities in the country.
The new plants are anticipated to add nine million metric tonnes per annum to the firm's current local cement outcome from 29.25 million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) to 38.25 mmtpa
The business said that the communities in which the new plants are being set up by it are Okpella in the northern part of Edo State, with a three million per annum plant and another six million in Itori per annum capacity plants, in Ogun State.
The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dangote Cement Plc, Devakumar Edwin, who made the announcement in Lagos, explained that the Okpella plant will soon be constructed of one line and will produce a total of three million metric tonnes per annum, along with the Itori plant which will deliver about six million tonnes per annum from two production lines. Both plants are anticipated to come on stream within the following 36 months.
Devakumar said the move by the firm was to help enlarge the spread of its manufacturing outfits, therefore cutting down the transport cost element of operations.
He added the new investments will further lower cost of production; bring about future reductuon of the purchase price of cement and also to create employment opportunities.
Also speaking at the event, the Group Managing Director, Cement, Dangote Industries Limited, Onne Vander Weijde said the demand for cement was still high thinking about the degree of population growth in Nigeria, saying that Nigeria's per capita consumption of the building material which is just above 100 kilogram per capita is comparatively low, suggesting a huge increase potential.
"There's been an excess in demand because cement was not easily available, but ours is available as well as the prices are affordable. Consumer prices have fallen by 35 per cent in naira terms, but if you take it in dollar terms and relate it with today's parallel market rates, you will realise the cost of the merchandise has gone down in Nigeria, and in some instances below the prevailing typical global cost.
"This itself is a huge driver for increasing the PM News per capita consumption," he said.
He said in Nigeria with the capacity of the plants, the company can provide the complete western and central Africa region, maintaining that currently, Dangote cement is exporting cement to Niger, Ghana, Togo with plans to move up to the Ivory Coast.
"Nigeria had always been an import-dependent country with regards to cement before and when we don't add up capacities, we WOn't manage to match up the consumption rate in the country.
Experts warn Nigerians on abuse of data privacy
The President/Chairman Governing Council of the Institute of Information Management (IIM) Africa, Dr. oyedokun Oyewole, and the chairman Data and Knowledge Information Privacy Protection Initiative(DKIPP), Tokunbo Smith, have warned general people to desist from perpetuating abuse of data privacy in the nation.
This in collaboration with other specialists drawn in the legal, health, spiritual, educational and information management and other disciplines, in commemoration of this year's Data Privacy Day (DPD), unanimously agreed on the requirement for quick passage of the Information Privacy Act lying in the the National Assembly for close to a decade.
The IIM-Africa's Chairman said, "The skill of technological advancement is adopted by all nations including developing countries. The world has become a global village where people share information at the same time but in different parts of the world online, today. Without understanding the consequences and also the legal frameworks under which those technologies operate, thinking about the quick speed at which technology keeps evolving while the legal pace remains predominantly slow sadly, a developing country like Nigeria enterprise.
The Data Privacy Day was made to boost awareness internationally to discuss alternatives for, the growing problem of data privacy susceptibility.
In his keynote address in the occasion held in Lagos, Oyewole, said it's crucial for other stakeholders and business leaders to comprehend the total danger possibility of data privacy dangers and the best way to address these problems.
He recalled that in response to the increasing levels of information breaches and also the global need for privacy and data security, in 2010 the Online Trust Alliance (OTA) and tons of global organizations adopted Data Privacy Day as Data Privacy & Protection Day, accentuating the need to look at the long-term impact to consumers' data collection, use and protection practices.
"In modern Premium Times, the quantity of African nations which have enacted privacy frameworks or are planning data protection laws has greatly grown. Presently, 14 African states have privacy framework laws plus some type of data protection authorities in place".
Meanwhile, seven African countries have data protection bills in place: Nigeria, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Tanzania, and Uganda.
"Nigeria has two Data Protection related bills (one dated 2008 and the other 2010) yet, neither is passed into law", he lamented.
Discussing particularly with regards to 'Dilemmas, Challenges and Opportunities' in data privacy, the keynote speaker said, "Companies and their customers' like accumulate, store and transmit enormous amounts of information electronically, and they wish to believe that this information is protected. In the customer level, the concern for data privacy should stimulate laws and regulations aimed toward addressing those issues including what information can be gathered and maintained, the way the information needs to be saved, how and where information can be transmitted, and necessary actions in the case of a security infraction.
Etisalat contributes computers to enhance ICT literacy in Zaria
ETISALAT has donated 30 desktop computers to improve Info and Communication Technology education in the Nuhu Bamali Primary School, Fadi Sanka community in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The telecommunications company presented the computers to the school direction led by the Headmistress, Hajia Asmau Mohammed Lawan, during a current commissioning of facilities which additionally include blocks of renovated school buildings.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko, said the intervention was in line with the firm's commitment to improve the standard of instruction in Nigeria through quality partnership with the relevant grades of government to come up with the sector.
"It's been a really exciting encounter and an eye-opening opportunity for people at Etisalat, to generate an improved and conducive learning environment for Nigerian kids. We applaud the Kaduna State authorities for encouraging this form of public-private partnership that's given birth to a fresh Nuhu Bamali Primary School."
Dikko, who also noted that ICT Daily Times instruction is getting a fundamental part of learning due to its attendant advantages, included if pupils in primary and secondary schools are exposed early to it the state would benefit most.
In her remarks, the Headmistress of the school, Hajia Asmau Mohammed Lawan, commended Etisalat Nigeria for the computers which use is hoped will go quite a distance in giving the pupils the cutting edge education needed to prepare them for his or her individual career paths. She also encouraged the students of the institution to benefit from the facilities become better individuals in the foreseeable future and to improve themselves.
Dignitaries in the commissioning include the Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Shehu Usman Adamu,; Chairman, Kaduna State Fundamental Education Board, Shuaibu Dabo; Chairman Zaria Local Government Area, Jafaru Abbas, Magajin Garu Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamali and members of the Zaria Emirate council.
21 Internet service providers' expected to revive licences in 2016
ABOUT 21 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating in Nigeria are expected to renew their operating permits in 2016 following their expiration of their license.
Based on information gathered from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) site the service providers were issued the managing licenses in 2011. In accordance with NCC, the ISPs were licensed for a period of five years.
Others are MainOne Cable Co. Limited; Telecom Services and Network Auditing; EF-GEE Telecorp Limited; Aida Synergy Nig Limited, Trussnet Limited, Mfreke Ventures Limited; IT Port Limited, Conecom Limited; VDT Communications Limited; Juniper Solutions Limited; Layer3 Limited; Artifice Colony Nigeria Limited.
A few of the licensees include: Gilat Satcom Nig Limited; Quautet (W.A.) Limited; Kalex Global Solutions Limited; City Central Communications Limited; Global TT Data Networks Limited; Single Eagle Technologies Limited; Hajara Ihsan Nigeria Limited; Limited , Network Information Technology Nig; Lexican Investment Limited.
Those recorded are licensees whose licenses would expire by August 2016 and expired between June 2015.
Additional disclosure disclosed that apart in the list, 18 other ISPs would renew their permits by 2017 and in 2018 and 2019; about 21 and 20 others are to renew theirs.
Other strategies been investigated by government to ensure pervasive and ubiquitous broadband penetration in the united states included the licensing of Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos). They're definitely going to be six representing the geopolitical zones of the country and Lagos.
yohaig.ngTo date, the NCC has issued about 200 ISPs with operating permits to provide Internet services in the nation. The licensees, functioning in various parts of the country, had helped in taking Internet services to companies individuals and authorities.
Truly, while Nigeria has crossed the 100 per cent teledensity mark central 2015, as at September 2015, the current subscribers' data demonstrated that there 150 million telephone (voice) users and 97 million Internet subscribers, mostly operating on the narrow band. The broadband penetration in the nation crawls despite bandwidth glut in the country, at 10 per cent.
It advised that presently, the state accounts for 29 per cent of Internet usage on the continent as well as the figure is expected to grow while the Federal Government, through the ministry of Communications, has set 30 per cent broadband penetration target for 2018.
Already, two companies procured permits early this past year to service the North Central zones along with Lagos. The firms are MainOne Cable and IHS Communications. The remaining five InfraCos are likely to be licensed before the end of this year as well as auctioning some spectrum licenses, notably the 2.6GHz spectrum band, postponed severally last year.