Business
Broadcasting To Be Fully Digital By 2015 – NBC
The National Broadcasting Commission, (NBC), has said that Nigeria was looking forward to full digitilization of her broadcasting sector by the year 2015.
The Director General of National Broadcasting Commission, South-East Zone, Mrs. Victoria Eke, drop the hint at the weekend in Enugu during the launch of a new product that provides digital pay television service to subscribers in Enugu State.
She emphasized that NBC was looking forward to 2015 when the nation’s broadcasting would be fully digitilized with television viewers having clearer pictures and better broadcasting services as they should be.
The Director General in the zone said with the coming of Digital Video Television (DVT), the current trend in the sector was just a “preparatory ground” for the gradual phasing out of the analogue mold of broadcasting.
According to her, “What we have now is like preparatory ground; when the analogue TVs that we have today are no longer able to receive digitalized signals, when the whole affairs are digitalized. So these decoders would help us by serving as centre points which will bring us signals that we want from the television stations when Nigeria goes full digital”, she further stressed.
Represented on the occasion by Mrs. Susan Obi, an official at the NBC, South-East zonal office, Mrs Eke also spoke on the issue of piracy which in her opinion has done a great deal of harm to works of arts in the nation.
The NBC DG, therefore, made it clear that the commission was totally against the activities of pirates in the country as they pose serious threat to original works of artistes.
Her words: “Concerning piracy, I want to state because it is obvious, that the NBC protects its licensees, and NBC is against pirates. Several times, the NBC has partnered with the Nigeria Copyright Commission on issues of piracy and multi-Choice which is aware of this”, she added.
In her brief remark, the General Manager, Gotv Nigeria , Mrs. Elizabeth Amkpa said Gotv was a mass market product which the company was introducing for the first time in the Eastern part of the country “to provide high quality digital pay television service to the people of Enugu State “
Amkpa said in providing the service, the company adopted a cost-effective model by using the “most advanced Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB-T2) technology, the first of its kind in the African continent”
On how the company can avoid cultural imperialism, which people say might affect Nigerian television viewers especially children through the cable network service or decoder , she said, the commission had a parental control device that made it possible for parents to monitor and censor according to what the kids watched.
Continuing, she said “So if you don’t want your children to watch any channel, you can block that channel and what the NBC does is that they monitor us 24 hours a day; the NBC and has DSTV.
well-regulated. So the NBC has been a Big brother watching us 24 hours every day of our lives,” she further explained.
MoniePoint Inc. a digital financial firm in Nigeria, has said it is empowering community pharmacists across the country with innovative payment solutions to improve access to drugs.
The financial firm said it had also provided loans for pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to drive healthcare delivery in the country.
MoniePoint in a release titled, “Inside Nigeria’s community pharmacies: How Moniepoint drives healthcare access with payments and funding”, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing digital payment solutions to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
The release examined how community pharmacies play a crucial role as vital access points for medical care in Nigeria, especially in areas with limited hospital or clinic access.
According to the release, the ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Igwekwam, highlighted the critical role played by community pharmacies in Nigeria’s healthcare system over the years.
Igwekwam, however, expressed concerns over the challenges confronting the nation’s pharmaceutical industry which he said was hindering access to affordable medicines.
The pharmacist listed poor infrastructural systems, power, transportation, regulatory bottlenecks, importation dependency, and limited research opportunities as major challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector.
He also stressed the need for robust collaborative efforts with institutions like Moniepoint to strengthen the sector.
“As Nigeria continues to grow, improving local pharma manufacturing to meet the demands of this growth presents a key opportunity for us all.
“There is also the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which is expected to boost our industry, especially when we start producing our drugs locally, which will provide the much needed foreign exchange from exports.
“We are also seeing advancements in digital health and technology which would hopefully deepen the practice of e-prescription in Nigeria”, the ACPN boss said.
Corlins Walter
In order to enhance customer service and streamline operations, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has called on stakeholders in the insurance industry to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The President of the institute, Yetunde Ilori, made this call at the 2024 Office Representatives Committee (ORC) Workshop, organised by the institute, with the theme “AI and the Future of the Insurance Industry”, in Lagos.
Ilori at the event, emphasised the importance of AI adoption, noting that it was not a threat to jobs but rather a tool to improve efficiency across the insurance sector.
“It is not about AI taking over our jobs, but about us using AI to simplify processes and give maximum satisfaction to all the customers we serve whether as underwriters, brokers, loss adjusters, or in educating our members”, she said.
The workshop, which brought players in the insurance sector together, aimed to address how AI could be leveraged to transform business processes and improve customer interactions.
The Chairman of the ORC, Monica Nwachukwu, underscored the role of AI in modernising the industry, adding, “AI can automate customer and claims processes, allowing insurers to provide faster and more efficient services to their customers”.
She explained how AI could help extract data from legacy systems, enhancing decision-making processes.
“By integrating AI with APIs, insurers can feed valuable data into AI solutions to improve operations and customer service”, she added.
In his address, the Managing Partner of A4S and Training Heights, Orlando Odejide, stressed the need for companies to align their strategies with future technologies like AI, especially as they prepare for 2025.
“Any organisation that wants to grow into the future must have its strategic plan in place. If your strategy for 2025 is not ready, it should be done by October”, he advised.
He encouraged participants to think critically about how AI could be integrated into their business models to ensure they remain competitive.
“The idea is for you to use this workshop as a platform to think about your organization and how AI can help streamline your processes and improve growth”, Odejide noted.
In order to gain global respect and recognition, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has reaffirmed its determination to pursue its goal in ensuring that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global space economy.
In a statement by the Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, NASRDA revealed that the Director-General of the agency, Matthew Adepoju, emphasised this during recent engagements at the 79th United Nations General Assembly and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Global Alliance Business Association international conference in Michigan, United States.
The statement noted that Adepoju outlined a forward-thinking agenda, stressing the importance of Nigeria’s space programme as a leader in research, exploration, and technological innovation.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
“We must foster collaborations with global space agencies to enhance our satellite capabilities and technological infrastructure”, he stated.
The NASRDA boss said the agency is focusing on enhancing satellite capabilities, expanding international collaborations, and leveraging space science for national development.
He said NASRDA will have no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence, ensuring the agency secures the necessary resources and recognition to propel it forward.
“The relationships we build today will pave the way for tomorrow’s advancements in space science.
“Innovation and progress thrive in an environment built on collaboration and inclusivity”, he stated.
He emphasised that with the support of the government, international partners, and a dedicated team, NASRDA is poised to make significant strides in the evolving global space landscape.
“We are on the brink of a new era for Nigeria’s space agency. Together, we will ensure our nation stands out in the global space economy”, he said.
Corlins Walter