FG releases new national broadband plan

…gives new committee 70% penetration target

The Federal government yesterday released a new five year National Broadband Plan to cover 2020-2025. The new plan is specifically to boost broadband penetration from its present coverage of 37.8 percent to over 70 percent in the next five years. The new plan is a precursor to the first NBP 2013 – 2018.


Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami, who unveiled the plan, said pervasive broadband penetration will make Nigeria a truly digital economy. Meanwhile, a 25 member committee has been inaugurated in Abuja to spearhead achievement of the national plan.

The Committee members include Managing Director/CEO of Main One Cable Company Limited, Ms. Funke Opeke, who is the Chairperson, Dr. Bashir Gwandu, Co-Chairman and Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Nigerian Communications Commissions, Engr.Ubale Maska, Secretary.

The secretariat will also be supported by four staff of the Ministry of Communications and Digital economy. Besides, Opeke, Gwandu and Maska, the 25-member Committee also has representatives from the academia, NCC, Galaxy Backbone, MTN , Google, NiRA, Defence Space Administration, National Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd NIGCOMSAT, Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Nigeria Computer Society, NCS and GSM Association, among others. The Committee is to develop a new National Broadband Plan that will be the guiding template for the development of broadband which is an important area of telecommunications.

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The Committee is to take a critical look at where the country is at the moment, after a painstaking review of the 2013-2018. The members are enjoined to also examine challenges of broadband penetration with a view to proffering solutions thereto.

They should also look at the position of growing and emerging technologies among others. The new NBP has the collaboration and support of the United Kingdom (UK) Government. The inauguration of this new Committee is a follow up to the launch of the National Policy for Digital Economy and Strategy by President Muhammadu Buhari, in November 2019.

The Policy has eight pillars among which are Developmental Regulation, Digital Literacy and Skills, Solid Infrastructure, Service Infrastructure, Digital Services Development and Production, Digital Society Emerging Technologies and Indigenous Content Development.

 The Minister told the Committee members to lay emphasis on the third pillar of the National Policy which accommodates broadband and data centre, key components for economic growth, and promotion of digital economy.

Chairman of the committee, Ms Funke Opeke expressed happiness at the development and said: “I believe the objective is achievable with sincerity of purpose and with hard work for these are critical services and infrastructure that we need to bring to all Nigerians and we’re optimistic that we can accomplish that goal.

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There is work to be done on fixed infrastructure but the reality is mobile technologies are also progressing quite fast to deliver very capable services to people. Abia Assembly pledges legislative support to universal health coverage “We see what is going on with 5G all over the world, so we will address both at the Committee but I believe our objective is not to favour one technology over another  but to figure out how we can get those critical services to many more Nigerians.

 So, we’ll be a mix of technologies but the objective is not to favour one technology over another or to be prescriptive but the right technology for the right purpose, the most competitive technology that enables us deliver services to all Nigerians” she added Vanguard

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Car explodes in powerful blast as driver lit cigarette while driving

A motorist was lucky to escape with just minor injuries when his car exploded as he lit a cigarette.
The blast was so powerful that his car was left misshapen and windows of nearby buildings in Halifax town centre were broken. Police said the explosion happened when the driver used an aerosol can air freshener moments before lighting the cigarette on Saturday afternoon.

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The force said on Facebook: ‘Shortly after 3pm this afternoon Fountain Street, Halifax, had to be closed due to an exploded aerosol can.’

The statement said that the car was stationary in traffic when the owner used an air freshener can but did not ventilate his car before lighting his cigarette. ‘The fumes exploded and blew out his windscreen, along with some windows at nearby business premises. ‘The owner, fortunately, sustained only minor injuries but this could have been worse.’
The force said: ‘Please can members of the public be careful and follow guidelines when using air freshener cans?’ One reply to the force’s post said: ‘It was an almighty boom. An aerosol? We watched his windscreen and window glass fall from the sky. ’ Pictures of the black Seat car posted on social media showed it suffered significant damage to its doors, boot and windows.(metro UK) Vanguard.

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RCS, the successor to SMS, is now live for Android

In November, Google said that it was starting to roll out RCS Chat, the successor to SMS, as Android’s primary texting platform, and as of Monday, if you are an Android user on any carrier in the US, you should now be able to use it though you may need to update your Messages app and carrier settings.

“The second-quarter report by the National Bureau of Statistics for 2019, showed that the ICT sector contributed an impressive 13.85 per cent, to the GDP of Nigeria”, Istifanus said. According to the Permanent Secretary, this clearly shows the importance and potential of the ICT sector to the country’s job creation and economic diversification agenda.

 “In the global economy, much of the economic value generated is based on data and other knowledge assets. Governments that fail to harness the potentials of the digital economy are severely handicapping their own economies, by depriving them of the new oil of today’s knowledge economy”, Istifanus said.

 He further opined that Nigeria needs to embrace and harness its ICT data resources for good ICT governance, planning, monitoring and reporting in this knowledge era. “More importantly, the world is experiencing the fourth industrial revolution and becoming a knowledge society grounded in the data economy. Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind”, the Permanent Secretary said.

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He cautioned that “sticking to business as usual, implies that Nigeria’s economy will miss the wave and the gap with the economies that are successfully exploiting ICT data resources, would keep widening”. Speaking also, Imo State Commissioner of Technology Development, Nze Meekam Mgbenwelu, said that a world without data would be a wasted one.

 “This workshop, organized and sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy in Owerri, is a very welcome development.

It will deepen the understanding and importance of data to the primary users of data in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies in Imo State, particularly with regards to ICT data”, Mgbenwelu said.

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 Welcoming the participants earlier, the Ministry’s Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr Mrs Nonye Nwachukwu, recalled that one of the key challenges in optimizing the use and operation of the data bank has been the issue of content. “Although there are pockets of ICT data in the country, these cannot be accessed easily.

Also, there is no existing framework for ensuring collaboration, standardization and sustainable synergy in the production and consolidation of ICT data resources in the data bank”, Nwachukwu said. Vanguard.

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Benzema salvages draw at Valencia with Clasico looming

Real Madrid’s French forward Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring a goal during the Spanish League football match between Valencia CF and Real Madrid, at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia, on December 15, 2019.

Real Madrid missed the chance to replace Barcelona at the top of La Liga ahead of Wednesday’s Clasico but salvaged a 1-1 draw against Valencia as Karim Benzema scored a dramatic injury-time equaliser on Sunday.

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois ventured up for a final corner at Mestalla and it was his header that caused panic in the Valencia box, before the ball fell perfectly for Benzema to strike in the 95th minute.

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“Opponents can get a little nervous if I go up,” said Courtois. “Toni (Kroos) hit the corner to the near post and I just saw the ball was at my height and I caught it well.” Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said: “He decided to go up and that shows we want more, than we never give up. The draw is a reward for the effort we made, which was a lot.

This is Real Madrid, a team that never gives up.” Valencia looked set for an impressive victory after Carlos Soler had put them ahead in the second half but both sides had to settle for a point at the end of a compelling contest between two of the league’s form teams.

It means Barcelona remain top of the table but in front of Madrid only on goal difference, after they were also held to a 2-2 draw away at Real Sociedad on Saturday.

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They stay eighth, now three points adrift of the top four. Real Madrid have been on a good run too, now 10 matches unbeaten to crank up the pressure on Barca and leave behind their early-season stumbles that had put Zidane’s future in doubt.

Zidane had said on Saturday nobody at the club would be looking ahead to the Clasico prematurely and while the draw against Valencia may mean an opportunity was missed, their late show still sends them to Camp Nou with a spring in their step.

“The team keeps up the unbeaten run and the boost to the mood from today is fantastic,” said defender Dani Carvajal. “Now we have to win at Camp Nou to go into the break at the top.” Benzema, in particular, will be a key threat.

Frenchman had Courtois to thank for his latest effort but he now has 15 goals already this season and nine in his last eight games. Zidane left Casemiro on the bench, with the Brazilian one yellow card away from a suspension.

Gareth Bale also started as a substitute but came on in the second half, putting him in contention for a start in midweek.

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Madrid had the better of the early stages as Benzema rose to meet Nacho Fernandez’s cross but headed wide before Rodrygo peeled free at the back post but nodded into the hands of Jasper Cillessen. Valencia grew in confidence as the half wore on, with Ferran Torres testing Courtois and then almost racing clear after a slip by Sergio Ramos, only for Courtois to intercept just in time.

The contest remained in the balance early in the second period as Madrid shaded possession but Valencia looked dangerous on the break. Both teams fancied a winner as Celades brought on another forward in Manu Vallejo while Zidane threw on Bale and Vinicius Junior for Rodrygo and Isco with just over 20 minutes left.

Valencia thought they had snatched it as Nacho was beaten in the air and Daniel Wass skipped free down the right. His pull-back was just angled enough to evade the stretching leg of Raphael Varane and find Soler, who smashed in.

 But Madrid poured forward late on. Luka Jovic, on as a substitute, poked in but was ruled out for offside. Then in the last play of the game, Courtois marauded up for a corner and it was his head that first met Toni Kroos’ cross. Cillessen palmed away but Valencia failed to clear and in the scramble, Benzema struck. VANGUARD

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WWE joins TikTok and brings popular entrance music to the app


WWE has one of the most popular YouTube channels in the world and has become a social media force, and today (as reported by Variety) the company officially joined TikTok.
There’s a WWE TikTok channel, sure, but more important to wrestling fans and meme creators is that WWE’s arrival brings with it a slew of licensed entrance music for some of the company’s most recognizable performers past and present.


You can now add “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s theme music to your TikTok uploads. Same for The Undertaker, John Cena, or Becky Lynch. And yes, The Rock’s music is available as well.

Music for over 30 superstars can now be included in TikTok videos globally. The songs are not yet available for use in Instagram stories, so this is a decent get for TikTok.

 “By offering WWE’s iconic entrances for TikTok users to play off of and make their own unique videos, the partnership provides fans a new way to engage with their favorite superstars,” the company wrote in a press release.

You can search for particular theme songs via TikTok’s music selector. As for what else it has planned for TikTok, WWE said: “From WWE’s thrilling in-ring matches to unforgettable backstage action, the TikTok community will receive unprecedented access to their favorite WWE moments as the company begins a new chapter on the platform”.


Similar to its output on other platforms, WWE plans to post content to TikTok daily. Recently, the company launched a new, in-studio live series called The Bump that streams across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and its own WWE Network subscription service.

TikTok continues to face scrutiny from US lawmakers over whether the wildly popular app poses a security risk with all the data it’s collecting. Earlier this month, TikTok parent company ByteDance reached a settlement with a group of parents who sued the company for failing to adequately protect the data of younger users. Vanguard.

 Source: The Verge

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