NIGERIA ASSOCIATION OF COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENTS National Secretariat: Computer Science Dept. Federal University of Technology, Owerri

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NIRA restates commitment to populating Nigeria’s domain name

March Edition

On Tuesday, the 13th of January, 2015, members of the National Executives of Nigeria Association of Computer Science Students (NACOSS) paid a visit to the President of Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), Mrs Mary Uduma. The team of three (3) was led by the National President, Mr. Michael Onwugbolu. The objective of the visit according to Mr. Michael was to seek partnership and collaboration with NIRA in:

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1. Facilitation of NACOSS members to conferences and forums that will be beneficiary to their career buildup. 2. Expansion of bandwidth for its website to accommodate increased traffic as a result of increased membership. 3. Involvement of members of NACOSS in domain name sales, Internship Opportunities for members in NIRA. The prayers of the visiting students were responded to positively by the President, Mrs. Mary Uduma, with the assurance that NIRA will partner with NACOSS in capacity development of the teaming youths of Nigeria. The students were encouraged to become NIRA and ICANN Ambassadors in their various Institutions. Source:http://www.nira.org.ng/index.php/media-center/news/233-visit-of-nacoss-executivemembers-to-nira-president Date: 016/03/2015

NIRA NIRA restates restates commitment commitment to to populating populating Nigeria’s Nigeria’s domain domain name name The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), manager of the .ng domain name, which is Nigeria’s country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) name, has reiterated its commitment to populate the country’s domain name. President of NIRA, Mrs. Mary Uduma, who stated this at a media training on .ng domain name, organised NIRA, encouraged Nigerians to register their businesses with .ng domain name, which is Nigeria’s identity in the cyberspace, as against registering with foreign domain names like .za of South Africa, .ca of Canada, .co.uk of United Kingdom and .us of America, among others. The essence, according to her, is to populate Nigeria’s domain name and to retain internet traffic that are generated within Nigeria in the country. Mrs. Mary Uduma She said Nigeria presently has about 60,000 domain NiRA President names registered in the .ng registry till date, and encouraged Nigerians who are yet to register their business with .ng domain name, to do so without further delay. Speaking about ‘Choosing Domain Names for Business and Media, during the training session, NIRA’s

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CWG rewards best graduating students at Unilag, University of Douala As part of its commitment to supporting the development of entrepreneurship in Nigeria, Microsoft Mobile Devices and Services would be awarding N3.5m to 5 Nigerians with brilliant business ideas in its Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual SIM activation, tagged from “Passion to Empire”, which would run from February 16, 2015 to March 31, 2015. According to General Manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices and Services, West Africa, Joseph Umunakwe, “Passion to Empire” would help young entrepreneurs push their boundaries and test the strength of their ideas. “Running a start-up is challenging in any environment, so Microsoft wants to empower entrepreneurs in Nigeria who have great business ideas. “Passion to Empire” would not be about a cash grant only. The winners will also be mentored by highly successful celebrity entrepreneurs, House of Tara’s Tara Fela-Durotoye, Chocolate City’s Audu Maikori and Jobberman’s Opeyemi Awoyemi.” Umunakwe said. To participate in “Passion to Empire”, interested entrepreneurs need to buy the Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual SIM or any other Lumia smartphone or tablet, make a video detailing how you plan to grow your business ,label the video with your name and IMEI n u m b e r a n d u p l o a d t o www.microsoft.com/mobile.

Computer Warehouse Group (CWG Plc) has rewarded the best graduating students of the Computer Science Department of the University of Lagos and the University of Douala, Cameroon, as part of her Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. At two distinct ceremonies, CWG representatives presented gifts to the students in furtherance of the company’s bid to extol the essence of attaining academic excellence.

Thereafter, he presented the prize to the Master Agho Adrian Osemwonyemwen, and informed the audience that the award includes a prospect of employment with CWG, if the recipient so desires. In response, Adrian appreciated the gesture shown by CWG. According to him, “Someone told me that a reward for hard work is more hard work. This will go along way in motivating me to aim for higher attainments.” “And I promise to use what I have been given to do more than I have done”, he concluded.

Similarly, in Cameroon, Mr. Alexis Mbele Ngono received the CWG excellence award for being the best graduating student of the Computer Science Department, Institute of Technology, University of Douala. Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Mrs. Olapeju Ayo-Fisher, Head of Human Resources and Administration, noted that excellence is an integral component of the CWG corporate culture. This, she noted, has defined According to Professor Bello, “this award presentation has CWG’s business approach and service delivery over the been an annual event. Since inception, CWG has lived up to years. their promise of rewarding the best graduating student in Computer Science Department every year, for five years now. According to Mrs. Fisher, “at CWG, we appreciate On behalf of the management of the University I thank your excellence wherever we find it. We nurture excellence organization for your commitment to this partnership. Your within our system. And, we are very particular about commitment to promoting academic excellence will help us in doing whatever we do to the best standard of excellence, the first time and at all times.” “Our presence here today offers going forward.” us a unique opportunity to make known to our host business “I tell you that your contributions have been helpful. At the community here in Cameroon that we promote excellence in moment, University of Lagos is the twentieth best school in academic pursuit and support our host communities”, She Africa and the first in Nigeria, according to the 4icu rankings. noted. Going by our consistent progressive performance, we look forward to being the first in Africa anytime soon. This is our Responding, Alexis Ngono thanked CWG for the novel target. And, we believe that the input of corporate partners gesture. He observed that the initiative is capable of motivating like CWG will see us through to the point we aim to get to”, he other students to aim for excellence in their academic pursuit. According to him, “this award presents a remarkable added. opportunity for students who want to leave a legacy of In response, Mr. Phillip Obioha, CWG’s Chief Operating excellence to be appreciated and encouraged.” “This is also Officer, pointed out that the annual award presentation event an opportunity for many of us to pursue an excellent carrier underscores CWG’s emphasis on hard-work and qualitative outside the school environment”, he added. education. According to him, “Our business scope covers a range of sectors; from banking to telecoms and recently CSR has been an integral part of CWG strategy from SMEs. Our business is all about the quality of our workforce. inception. About six universities in CWG’s business We boast of an array of professionals whose expertise has communities are beneficiaries of her excellent CSR formed the bedrock of service providers in the telecoms initiative. sector, for example. Our premium on quality workforce Source:http://www.mynewswatchtimesng.com/cwg-rewards-bestexplains our emphasis on quality education.” At the presentation ceremony in Lagos, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Rahman Bello observed that if the focus of Computer Warehouse Group Plc’s (CWG) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative is sustained, it is capable of aiding Universities in Nigeria to attain desired greatness.

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FG seeks ISPON support on local software development Inlaks Computers, an ICT infrastructure and solutions provider, in support of the CBN’s financial inclusion programme, has introduced Hyosung Finger Print Biometric Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) into the Nigerian market. Announcing the latest innovation from Inlaks Computers, its Managing Director/CEO, African Operations, Mr. Femi Adeoti, said the latest development is in line with the company’s core vision of delivering greater value and benefits to the financial sector of the Nigerian economy and the West African region. Adeoti, who described the deployment of the new Hyosung finger print biometric ATMs as a giant stride for the organization, explained that the fingerprint biometric ATMs do not only provide convenience and security to the diverse customer segments in Nigeria but also align with the financial inclusion strategy of the Central Bank of Nigeria to address the unbanked population, using ATM as a channel. “This is a great feat for Inlaks especially at this period when fraud prevention and building customer confidence on the use of electronic channels are key to customer acquisition and the retention strategies of the financial institutions,” he said. He added that with the introduction of this technology which is globally acclaimed as one of the most secure forms of customer identification on ATMs, Inlaks has again demonstrated its leadership in the delivery of innovative solutions and compliance with market regulations. Inlaks became the first ATM vendor in Nigeria to deliver Windows7 ATMs from Hyosung to the market early last year in compliance with the CBN and Microsoft global directive on exit of Windows XP on ATMs. Explaining how the fingerprint biometric ATM work, Inlaks’ Director for Sales and Strategy for e-business, Mr. Tope Dare, said “The new security technology on Hyosung ATMs would be available to existing cardholders, who may wish to adopt biometric authentication as part of their transaction approval process on their bank’s Biometric enabled ATMs.” This, he added, would be in addition to PIN selection while new cardholders, especially those who can neither read nor write, would be issued cards with finger-print authentication functionality only. “This will also promote financial inclusion strategy, a central bank initiative to address the banking needs of the unbanked population,” he said. He further explained that the ongoing Biometric Verification Number (BVN) project by banks and the Nigeria Inter Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), which was meant to address the safety of customers’ funds and eliminate loss of funds through compromise of account Personal Identification Number (PIN], would be seamlessly integrated with Hyosung’s fingerprint ATMs already being deployed to some commercial banks in Nigeria. Hyosung ATMs and kiosks are becoming the fastest growing ATMs and kiosks in the selfservice market in Nigeria today having sold and deployed about 3000 units of the brand to more than 15 banks in Nigeria in the last two years. Inlaks’ success, according to Dare, is premised on the company’s commitment to its customer-centric approach of building a long term and mutually beneficial partnership with its customers and also providing cutting-edge solutions for a profitable growth of businesses.

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), has called for a closer collaboration between the board and the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), in order to drive local software development that will address both local and international needs. Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr. Ernest Nwapa, who made the call in Lagos recently, during the ISPON President’s Dinner 2015, said: “We need to collaborate with software practitioners in the country, just as we are currently doing with the oil and gas sector of the Nigerian economy, in order to achieve the same level of success recorded in the oil and gas sector through the Nigerian Local Content Policy.”

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According to Nwapa, change, even though it is inevitable, is always difficult to begin, but the end result is always fruitful. Giving instances with the local content policy and its implementation process, Nwapa said foreign investors that have been doing various businesses in Nigeria decades, were reluctant to play along with the implementation policy at the initial stage, but explained that the board stood by the policy implementation and that today it is all success story on the oil and gas industry. He said, foreign companies in the oil and gas are now building their own factories and turbines in Nigeria and are embarking on full scale manufacturing in Nigeria, using local content. The resultant effect, according to him, is the huge volume of jobs it has created in Nigeria, and the increased contributions to the country’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP). According to Nwapa, Nigeria recorded below $1billion yearly from foreign investments in the last 40 years, but today the country is generating over $5 billion investments yearly from foreign investments and it is likely to rise to $10 billion in subsequent years. He said the board is planning to build oil and gas parks in nine communities that are close to the operations of oil and gas industry, in order to prepare safe investment ground for foreign investors that are willing to operate in Nigeria. “The board has already written letters to states for land where we can develop the parks, and Cross Rivers State has responded to that effect,” Nwapa said. He said

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However, these two key players in the world of digital technology are poised with some short comings.

The emergence and growth of digital technologies is one that has had a fast move in our world and has been quickly bought over by individuals, firms, industries and governments. The advent of digital technology has brought about new ways to communicate, interact and transact business. An Accenture 2015 Digital Consumer Survey, reveals that consumers find smart devices increasingly relevant to their lives, and are inspired by the possibilities of the connected world. Another Accenture research also goes to show that large enterprises believe that digital technologies are a good potential for business transformation. Knowing that communication is key not only for inter-personal communication but business as well, digital technology has changed the face of business communication with the ubiquitous nature of the internet, instant messaging, teleconferencing and even telecommuting have become possible. In Nigeria, there has been a proliferation of digital activities with the high penetration of smartphones and tablets. Studies show that strong global and indigenous mobile manufacturers in Nigeria are now giving in-depth attention to the smartphones and tablet divisions as against the computer. In the Nigerian market, the activities of service providers are regulated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This high penetration of mobile devices is attributable to the laudable benefits it brings to end users; individuals and businesses alike. It has helped individuals build a large network of people, create new ways for interaction and has aided communication by taking away the barrier of space and time. For organisations, they have learnt new ways to conduct business, reduce employee work load, collaborate with other organisations and outsource jobs irrespective of location. These are just afew of the advantages digital technology has brought to Nigeria and the world at large. Holistically, digital technologies are now mainstays in the business world with some organisations even having the role of a “Chief Digital Officer”. Thus mobile manufactures and Service Providers (SP) have become indispensable in our daily lives. With the functionality digital technology plays in our world, conferences are held round the globe to discuss issues pertaining to this industry. The challenges they face, successes recorded and the way forward. It is also an opportunity to make business deals and network. From the 2nd to the 5th of March, 2015; Barcelona Spain, will play host to this year’s World Mobile Congress (WMC), which has become a Mecca to anyone interested in things relating to the internet. Mobile manufacturers also use these events as an avenue to launch their flagship products. South-Korean conglomerate Samsung, launched its Samsung S6 and S6 Edge at the 2015 WMC.

The issue of security is one that cannot be over flogged in the digital ecosystem. In recent times, there have been problems of authorization and authentication; with intruders gaining access to secured networks and information (hacking). Nonetheless, there are a range of security measures and applications available to individuals and firms. Organisations like the Centre for Internet Security help combat insecurity in the digital world. In an Accenture global consumer survey, it was discovered that consumers believe that the use of a single service provider to manage communication and entertainment products and services aids security. Tom Loozen, managing director and global Communications Industry lead, Accenture says “Consumers’ preferences for a single, trusted provider also place SP networks in the spotlight”. He further goes to say that “this can be a distinct advantage for SPs, because they can combine their expertise in building and managing IP networks with their increased capabilities to develop and deliver new, customer-focused services that incorporate data analytics for highly personalized services. As a result, SPs are positioned to do well in the digital ecosystem.” However, in Nigeria this is not the case as individuals and organisations use different SPs on their different devices. Businesses may stand on the fact that the use of different SPs makes it easier to connect with their customers. Also connected to this is the issue of signals in different areas in Nigeria. Due to the terrain of the country, the networks provided by some SPs may or may not work in some locations. Thus it may be wise to employ the services of more than one SP in order to be within reach at all times. Conclusively, organisations must see digital security holistically, treating them as an extension of wider organisation security on an ongoing basis.”

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Another hindrance to the advancement of digital technology in business is the complexity associated with using them. People who possess technological devices consider using and managing them a herculean task.However, Loozen posits that “SPs who establish themselves as ‘trusted providers,’ enabling customers’ products to function effectively within this ecosystem are not only providing a valuable service, but helping drive digital for mass adoption.” Closely associated with this is the fact that organisations have difficulties in building technological partnership due to the pervasive nature of digital technology. Thus the partnership between mobile manufacturers and service providers will help bridge this gap, and hence remove the difficulties inherent in creating the right partnership in the digital ecosystem. Loozen also adds that “consumers are considering service providers as their facilitators for the digital goals they aim to achieve and as such have an important role to play in the move to the digital age”.

Jim Bailey, the Group Managing Director Accenture Digital –Mobility at the 2015 WMC said “insurance and financial services industry now want to connect everything to the internet, because they see it as an ‘insurable’ opportunity”.

The Nigerian digital ecosystem is a constantly growing field with mobile technology being at the forefront. The Vice President Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Eugene Juwah, as at 2014, put the total number of smartphones in the country at 12 million. This buttresses the point that Nigeria is a viable ground for software engineers, applications developers and technological gurus to invest in, in order to meet the ever evolving needs of digital Nigeria.

With the potential of digital technology to transform business and thus the economy at large, a unique partnership with mobile manufacturers and service providers should be considered. Though it may seem like the functions of mobile manufacturers and service providers are clearly different in the business of digital technologies, a collaboration with both parties can transform not just individual lives but the face of business.

Digital technologies have been instrumental in transforming business and industries round the globe and thus mobile manufacturers and service providers who have a key role to play should endeavour to make this trend void of all technicalities and difficulties in order to get the buy-in of organisations in order to make this global village a better place.

Mobile manufacturers should continually design, manufacture and sell wireless technological equipment that allow for seamless business transactions and interactions. And on the other hand, service providers should ensure that information is efficiently and effectively transmitted. The benefits of this partnership are innumerable with some including the ability to create new revenue opportunities, increase product and service development speed, an increase in customer engagement and also help create new markets for business.

Source:- http://www.mynewswatchtimesng.com/accenture-canvasses-telcos-phonemakers-support-for-economic-growth/#sthash.47GHz06U.dpuf

FG seeks ISPON support on local software development [Cont’d from page 3] what is going on in the oil and gas sector, could be replicated in the software industry, if there is a strong collaboration between the board and ISPON. “To promote software, we must agree that certain percentage of software used in Nigeria by foreign firms, must be developed in Nigeria, and once we stand by it like we did with the oil and gas sector, the investors will have no choice but to key into our plans,” Nwapa said, adding that for Nigeria to achieve full local content development in any sector, there must be local manufacturing in Nigeria. Speaking on the value of locally developed software from Nigeria, Governor Liyel Imoke, of Cross River State, said: “I have seen some young Nigerians that have developed excellent local software and I have also seen some local software used by various agencies and departments. I have seen local software in Cross River State that was developed by Nigerians and used by hoteliers for booking of accommodation and other hotel services. I have also seen local software used by government especially in the state ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). The potential of software industry in Nigeria, is therefore great, but it is something I think we have to develop beyond what it is today.” We need to strengthen certain aspect of the software to make it more marketable even beyond Nigeria. We need to understand the regulatory environment and the copyright issues. We need to groom our local software developers to develop software within a framework that is clearly defined, he added.

NIRA restates commitment to populating Nigeria’s domain name [Cont’d from page 1] Vice President, Sunday Folayan, said domain name is made up of several levels, such as the first level domain name, which is premium, the second level domain name, the third level domain name, the fourth and fifth levels domain name, with each level separated by dots. According to him, each level comes with its own specialities and pricing, advising Nigerians to register any level of domain name, except for the first level that is reserved. He, however, said there were some domain names that are disallowed from registering, disclosing that NIRA reserves the right to maintain a list of domain names, and can withdraw them even if already registered. He said offensive domain names are words in a domain name that are determined by NIRA to be offensive to the Nigerian community, and are therefore disallowed. NIRA’ Board member, Mr. Biyi Oladipo, who presented a paper on ‘What is Domain Name System (DNS) as Business: An Overview’, described DNS as a hierarchically distributed naming system for computers, or any other resource connected to the internet or a private network, which serves as phone book that helps translate computer host names into the internet protocol (IP) addresses.

President of ISPON, Mr. Pius Okigbo Jr., said the Nigerian Local Content Policy has been successful in the oil and gas sector, but that a myriad of opportunities also exist in software and related software services, the scope of which lies in the hundreds of millions of dollars, if properly harnessed.

Presenting a paper on the ‘Role of the Media in Growing DNS Industry’, the Publisher of Political Economist, Mr. Ken Ugbechie, who was represented by Mr. Toyin Ogunseinde, described DNS as a system to map names to IP addresses for easy coordination. It is a technology that automatically relates names to the IP addresses, since the system does not recoginsed.

“No doubt, the journey to harness these opportunities will not be easy, but it is a journey that must begin”, Okigbo said. Source:http://www.mynewswatchtimesng.com/fg-seeksispon-support-on-local-software-devt/

Source:: http://www.mynewswatchtimesng.com/nir a-restates-commitment-to-populatingnigerias-domainname/#sthash.XhTloLra.dpuf

The 12th International Conference is intended to provide a forum for Policy Makers, Public and Private Sector Information Technology Practitioners and Academia to keep up to date with technology trends and to discover opportunities for the private sector in the process of inclusive development and avenues for public-private partnerships towards realizing the IT objectives within the context of Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The Conference will provides opportunities for the delegates to exchange new ideas, establish business or research relations, and find global partners for future collaborations. Theme: Information Technology for Inclusive Development Sub-themes: NCS is pleased to invite papers from researchers, academics, policy makers, industrial professionals from all over the World to present their research results and activities around the following sub-themes Smart city & broadband penetration Innovation and Leadership in IT Cashless Society & e-Payment systems Critical Information Infrastructure Protection (CIIP) Cloud computing & Big data Social Networks Next Generation Networking and the Internet IT Human Capital Development (Mentorship) e-Health/e-Education/e-Agriculture/e-Tourism/e-Government Entrepreneurship development in the IT sector Software Technologies/Local Content Issues Mobility for Inclusion Funding Nigerian IT Industry Marketing and Selling Made-in-Nigeria Software

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All submitted papers will be peer reviewed by a highly qualified panel of reviewers. The authors are requested to submit full paper (original and unpublished work) before 20th April 2015. Doctoral students are also invited to submit their on-going research activities for possible review, publication and presentation during the Research Consortium on Information Technology Innovations (ReCITI). Important Dates: Submission of Full Paper – Notification of acceptance – Submission of final version –

20th April, 2015 30th May, 2015 7th June, 2015

All papers should be submitted to [email protected] Contacts: The National Secretariat: Plot 10, Otunba Jobi Fele Way, Behind MKO Abiola Gardens, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: +234(0)17744600 | E-mail: [email protected] Taiwo on +234(0)8098647348| [email protected] Abuja Office: AGA Memorial Complex, 16, Nkwere Crescent, Garki 2, Area 11 Abuja. Sunday on +234(0)7033020271 | [email protected]

source http://www.ncs.org.ng/international-conference-2015/

NOTES The Nigeria Association of Computer Science Students (NACOSS) which is the Umbrella for all students studying Computer Science and IT related courses in Nigeria. The Association has been in existence over two decades ago and NACOSS can boast of its presence in almost all tertiary institutions in Nigeria (including privately owned). With a membership base of about Two Hundred and Fifty thousand (250,000) in well over One hundred and Fifty (150) chapters (and counting) in different Institutions (Universities, Polytechnics & Colleges of Education) across the six (6) Geo-political zones of Nigeria, we are the largest and most organized student body in West Africa. NACOSS which is the students' arm of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) is engineered by students for students to deal with student related concerns and channel their distress to the appropriate quarters through coordinated and organized efforts. This monthly e-magazine is aimed at bringing timely information about the activities of the Association and it other affiliate bodies such as Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Institute of software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), Nigerian Women in IT (NiWiT) and others. This information will enhance NACOSSites and other stakeholders academically, technically, socially and economically. This will be achieved by means of interviews with IT 'gurus' within and outside the country, relevant academic talks pointing at challenges and issues arising in our schools by interacting with seasoned icons from the academia, economic benefits by exposing and publishing trends in business has regards the IT world and lots more. Articles, write ups, IT jokes, cartoons and the likes are also welcomed from every NACOSSites in order to make this emagazinemore interactive, more engaging and informative. Yours in Service Ugwuegbulam Chidiebere NACOSS NATIONAL P.R.O One NACOSS!!!! One Naija