GRTech
NCS rolls out the drums in celebration of 40th anniversary at NITMA 2018


By: Nmerichukwu Igweamaka
The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) recently rolled out the drums to celebrate its achievements in the last forty-years.
The Body was formed in 1978 based on the vision and aspirations of the initial members and was initially called Computer Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The name was soon changed to COAN. COAN was established as the umbrella body of all IT professionals in Nigeria.
It was later changed to Nigeria Computer Society with the ammonisation of 2005 involving ISPON, COAN, ITAN and ISPAN.
It has been growing and waxing stronger day by day and year by year with a lot of landmark and memorable achievements.
Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, speaking at the Nigeria Computer Society’s 40th anniversary and National Information Technology Merit Awards (NITMA 2018) held in Lagos.
, thanked NCS for providing leadership among the organisations that constitute the Nigerian IT ecosystem.
Shittu stressed that for the nation to realize its collective objective in global competitive economy ICT is inevitable.
He reiterated the commitment of the Ministry to the reforms in the system.


NCS President, Prof. Sola Aderounmu
“Within the next few months we will be witnessing the establishment of an ICT Development Bank,” he said, adding that the Bank will be instrumental to further development of the IT industry in Nigeria.
When he mounted the podium, the President, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Prof Adesola Aderounmu, reeled out the outstanding contributions of the Society to the growth of IT/ICT industry in Nigeria.
Achievements
He said that several policies and laws (ACTs) provided by the Federal Government for the development and growth of ICT in Nigeria were made possible by the undaunted advocacy effort of Nigeria Computer Society.
“These include: Computer Professional Registration Council (CPN) Act 49 of 1993; the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) is the apex regulatory body for IT practice in Nigeria.
“It was established by Act 49 of 1993, promulgated on June 10 and gazetted on August 9, of that year to regulate, supervise and control the practice of the profession. This is a landmark achievement of founders of Nigeria Computer Society and the National Information Technology Policy 2002.
“Others are Tele-Communications Act 2003; National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Act 2007; Nigeria Computer Society played a crucial role in the formation of NITDU (National IT Development Unit), the fore-runner of NITDA and National Software Policy 2011”.
Prof. Aderounmu also mentioned the National Information and Communications Policy 2012 (Harmonized); the Ministry of Communication Technology Ministry created by the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in 2011 as part of gains NCS advocacies.
“NIRA. NCS’s proposal that a neutral private sector-led organization be set up to take control of the administration of .ng was adopted. The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) with Board of Trustees as well as Executive members elected from different stakeholder organisations was then established to administer .ng to the satisfaction of all interested parties”.
He said that over the past 40 years, NCS has been the primary agent behind the amazing and rapid increase in IT deployment in Nigeria.
“With regard to achieving sustainable development through IT, NCS has been the advocacy champion behind local content development, Cashless and Fintech, IT in Government, IT for National Security, use of IT for productivity in all spheres of life, IT Education and so many other critical that are changing Nigerian society dramatically.
According to him, “As the umbrella body of all IT professionals, Interest Groups and Stakeholders in Nigeria, the Nigeria Computer Society has achieved so much for Nigeria and IT and IT enabled sectors during the past 40 years.”
He added that these advancements and changes can be witnessed in all sectors of the Nigerian economy and society today.
Awards:


NCS President, Prof. Aderounmu, NITDA DG, Dr. Pantami and Comms Minister, Dr. Shittu
The Body also used the 40th anniversary to celebrate and reward the first forty members of NCS from the first registered member (MRN 00001) to the fortieth registered member (MRN 00040).
Also Special Recognition Awards was created to reward deserving recipients who have contributed remarkably in diverse capacities to the progress of the umbrella body and IT development in the country over the past 40 years.
The IT Personality Year Award, also known as the NCS President’s Award, which is dedicated to individuals that have excelled in the IT sector during the year was bestowed on Mr. Peter Arogundade, MD of Sidmach Technologies.
Also, the Chairman, Organising and Planning Committee, of 2018 NITMA, Femi Williams, said that the annual event is aimed towards celebrating excellence, outstanding achievements and significant contributions in the computer science and information technology industry in the country.
He noted that this year’s celebration coinciding with the body’s 40th anniversary will accord them the opportunity to recognize and award their founding fathers and leaders, who at various times have made significant efforts in keeping the flag of the society flying.
Williams added that they will use the anniversary to recognize those who are contributing to the development of information technology in the country as well as encourage the present and future players in this fast changing profession.
He further stressed that the nominees and awardees emerged through a competitive, fair and well established criteria.
He stated that the recognition of these outstanding professional is a call for them to do even more after this celebration and recognition.
Source: TechEconomy.ng
GRTech
The Economics of Product Decisions: Applying Behavioural Economics and Game Theory in PM


Product managers often need to make a clear-cut decision: what should we build next? But the decisions which hold real importance go beyond adding features.
It’s about getting what makes people tick.
It goes way beyond what you would expect, getting into how people behave and using game theory.
These areas give insight into how users decide and how a product’s design can improve growth and keep people interested.
This is what Amarachi Nnochiri excels at. She is a senior product manager that knows how to use economics and psychology in her job.
She goes beyond simply managing product tasks; she develops whole product systems based on how users think, feel, and use a service. Her background shows how understanding human psychology and behaviour can give you a significant advantage in the competition.
One idea Amarachi uses is “loss aversion.” In this scenario, people feel worse about losing something than they feel good about gaining something of equal value.
She uses this when designing her products, mostly when it comes to pricing and getting people to try new strategies. For example, instead of giving a free trial, she might use a freemium setup where users get some stuff for free but could lose it if they don’t buy an upgrade. This pushes them to pay.
She might also use progress bars or streak counters, since losing progress gets people to keep using the product.
Amarachi also uses ideas from “game theory” to get how users act and change their behavior. She realizes that users are doing more than operating a product, but are playing a game with other users or with the product itself. She designs things that use ideas like “Nash equilibrium,” where nobody can do better by changing what they’re doing. For a social product, this could mean creating a system where doing something good for yourself (like inviting friends) also helps everyone else. This makes the whole thing stable and positive.
Her know-how in game theory also applies to making strong “network effects.” This means making stuff that gets better as more people use it.
A good example is a social network where each new user makes the product more helpful for everyone else. Amarachi endeavours to make things go viral on purpose, not just by luck.
She might use “commitment devices,” which are things that make a user stick with a behaviour by making them depend on it socially or functionally. For example, inviting team members to a tool makes the user stick with the platform and makes the product’s network stronger.
This way of thinking is better than just following the usual steps. By using these economic and psychological tricks, Amarachi develops competitive advantages which are difficult to replicate.
She knows that a company’s best thing is not just a simple interface, but a product that’s designed to sync with how people behave.
Her product choices aren’t just about the needs of users, but equally focus on motivating them to like the product, use it, and stick with it.
In her work, choosing a subscription price isn’t just a business thing; it’s about behaviour. Designing a social feed isn’t just about the content; it’s about balancing what people want and watching how they interact. Amarachi knows extensively about the economics of product decisions. This makes her products innovative and appealing to human behaviour, which leads to more use, keeps people around, and helps the product grow. She’s a leader in product management, where identifying customer desires is backed by understanding human motivation.


Technology Company, Globacom, has announced significant reductions in its International Direct Dialing (IDD) rates, making international calls more affordable for its existing and new customers across Nigeria.
Effective August 10, the new rates began applying to over 15 popular international destinations, including United States which will has moved to ₦30 per minute, down from ₦35, United Kingdom is now N350 from ₦400, while India also moved down to ₦40 from N45.
The rates for China, Saudi Arabia and Cameroon however recorded major reduction moving to N75, N300 and ₦700 respectively.
The reduction was also extended to African countries including Benin Republic which goes for ₦650 per minute, Niger Republic ₦750, Ghana ₦500, and Togo ₦650. United Arab Emirates also moved from ₦450 to ₦325, Germany to ₦550, Côte d’Ivoire ₦700, Libya ₦700, while calls to Malawi is now N1,100 from ₦1,200.
Glo aims to provide more value for its customers through these revised rates, encouraging them to make Glo their preferred network for international calls. New IDD bundles will also be introduced, offering frequent international callers even more attractive deals.
Globacom, which remained optimistic that frequent international callers will benefit immensely from the reductions in IDD bundles, enjoined customers to take advantage of the new rates to stay connected with friends and business associates across the globe.
GRTech
Oil subsidy removal freed up resources for infrastructure – Enugu Governor
By Orji Israel, South East Correspondent


The Executive Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, has attributed the financing of numerous infrastructure projects embarked by the state government to the oil subsidy removal policy of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
He made this declaration at the Govermment House, Enugu, during a courtesy visit by a delegation of federal government led by Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, as part of activities lined up for the 2-day Citizens’ Engagement Series in the South East geo-political zone.
“For us in Enugu, we are able to accomplish all we promised our people during the campaign, thanks to the bold decision taken by President Bola Tinubu, which has freed up resources needed to execute humongous capital projects,” said Governor, while listing ongoing projects in the state, which include the construction of 7,000 classrooms, 3,300 hospital beds and 2,000-hectare of 260 farm estates across the 260 wards of the state.
Governor Mbah also pledged more support for the policies of the federal government, saying they are in the best interest of the people of the state.
-
News1 day ago
Breaking: Simon Ekpa Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Terrorism by Finnish Court
-
Transport1 day ago
We Are Saddened by the Passing of Ruth Otabor – Dangote
-
News1 day ago
Tinubu has Been Fair to All Sectors of Nigeria – FG
-
Energy21 hours ago
Nigeria Loses Billions to Gas Flaring: Expert Urges Adoption of Global Best Practices
-
Agriculture1 day ago
Raw Shea Nut Export Ban: a win for Nigeria, West Africa – Stakeholders say
-
Culture10 hours ago
NBA Conference: Enugu Cleanest, Safest City – Lawyers Reel out Experiences
-
News6 hours ago
Nigeria Digital PR Summit Opens Nominations For 2nd Digital PR Awards
-
Sports6 hours ago
Liverpool Beats Arsenal 1:0 as MTN Thrills Fans with Watch Party