Vanguard

Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria has awarded ICT scholarships to 15 students of the University of Lagos. The Huawei ICT Scholarship scheme is targeted at full-time undergraduate students who are committed to a career in ICT- related fields. The scholarship covers tuition fee, accommodation, study materials and upkeep. Each of the students received N200,000.

To further deepen it network capacity and quality across the 36 states in Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria has launched a 3.75 G service targeted at boosting customers’ experience.

With its 3.75 G service, the company will be empowering  customers  to have access to high speed mobile broadband and internet access, thereby empowering consumers to watch live TV, download music, make video calls as well as send and receive emails using enabled devices.

Ekiti State Government is to equip both teachers and students with laptops, even as the state has received textbooks worth N40 million from a US-based Non Governmental Organisation.

The state commissioner for Education and Technology, Dr. Eniola Ajayi, disclosed this in Ado- Ekiti yesterday while receiving the book consignment on behalf of the state government

Ajayi said the training of teachers on the use of computers would soon commence, while the distribution of the first set of laptops computers to students, would according to her commence in the new year.

At the just concluded Microsoft's Partners in Learning global forum 2011 held in Washington DC, the software giant in partnership with the British Council have each committed $1 million to build 80 digital hubs at schools across Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda using Windows MultiPoint Server.

Partners in Learning is a 10-year, nearly $500 million commitment by Microsoft to help education systems around the world. Since its inception in 2003, the Partners in Learning program has reached more than 196 million teachers and students in 114 countries.

The World bank has said that all players in African Global System for Mobile Communications networks, GSM, Nigeria inclusive would need about $15.5bn to enhance GSM coverage across the continent.

In a recent report released by the bank, the African GSM market is capable of expanding beyond its present status, if the needed funding is injected into the industry.

Starcomms Plc, last week introduced Huawei IDEOS C8150 Android phones into the Nigerian market. It also launched another value added service called S-Credit.

Huawei C8150 is a smart mobile phone that allows a customer to apply voice and data services on its network such as calls, web access, application download, e-books and information search on the web for exciting places at the touch of the button. The phone features Google Android 2.2 and is supported on EVDO Rev A network with pre-loaded Google applications.

In this interview with Vanguard Hi-Tech, the Managing Director, Terminal, West Africa of Huawei Technologies Co. Nigeria Limited unfolded the company’s plans for the market.

Q: How long have you been in the Nigerian market?

A: My name is Jacky Lee, the Managing Director, Terminal, West Africa of Huawei Technologies Co. Nigeria Limited. This is my third year in Nigeria. We have been here for ten years doing business with the operators.

In a bid to stem the large scale fraud associated with the distribution of petroleum products from the major depots to the hinterlands nationwide, the Federal Government commenced the electronic tracking and monitoring of distribution trucks.

About N15 billion is paid annually to petroleum products transporters, for distributing products nationwide, which is billed into every litre of product purchased by consumers.

The Abuja office of telecommunication giant, Globacom has been sealed up by the Nigerian Communications Commission [NCC]. It was said that the seal off was necessitated by Globacom's non compliance with telecom guidelines as ordered by the Nigeria Communication Commission.

The NCC officials declared that two letters had been written to Globacom authorities over the company's non compliance with the directive on the ban of sale of activated GSM sim cards to subscribers and the non-compliance with the guidelines on installations of masts and towers.