An independent survey carried out in December 2010 by Fact Bound Research, a member of the Media Marketing Communications Company revealed a low level of Internet and ICT utilisation by broadcasting organisations in Nigeria. The report said despite the high level of Internet and ICT development in the country, Electronic Media organisations were still lagging behind their counterparts in other parts of the world.

The survey conducted by the team of FactBound Media Researchers, sampled 35 broadcasting stations (17 radio and 18 television stations) in 31 states across the six geo-political of the country.

The result showed that 69 per cent of the stations did not have any website at all.

Data from each of the states surveyed, revealed that of the 69 per cent of all media stations in the country that did not have websites, South-East had 60 per cent, South-West 50 per cent, South-South and North-East 100 per cent respectively. North-West has 34 per cent and North-Central 66 per cent. Thus, the South-South and North-East have the largest number of broadcasting stations without websites.

According to the survey, a little above average, which accounts for 51 per cent of the employees sampled, do not have access to computer or cannot use computer.

The report stated that of all the employees that did not have access to computer, the South-West accounted for 34 per cent, South-East, 20 per cent; North-East, 43 per cent; North-West, 100 per cent, and North-Central, 83 per cent.

The research also revealed that as low as 31 per cent of broadcasting houses in Nigeria had websites and over 70 per cent of their workers did not have access to company email services. Only 49 per cent of the officials have access to or can use computer. Also, an online web research of the remaining 31 per cent of stations that have websites shows that the websites are not interactive and functional.

“The report said, about 71 per cent of all the officials sampled do not have a company email address, with the South-East and North-West leading the pack with 100 per cent of workers having no access to email.

“These zones are closely followed by North-Central with 83 per cent, South-West 66 per cent, South- South 40 per cent, and North-East 57 per cent. This high number of workers who do not have personal email address might be attributed to the fact that majority of the organisations where this occurs do not have functional websites and also because Internet penetration is low.”

Furthermore, the research also discovered that in all the websites surveyed, 100 per cent had not been using any of the Social Media for their marketing, Customer Relationship Management, feedback mechanism, company reputation management and networking.

According to the report, a rather baffling indication is that virtually all broadcasting organisations in Nigeria are not catching up with the trend in the digital world where the power of ICT and Internet has revolutionised the way

As the subject of a cashless society in Nigeria continues to generate various debates and with banks gearing up to meet the target date ahead of the commencement of the policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Tribe Times Editor , Hilary Damissah reports that though stakeholders have continued to express mixed feelings on the workability of the policy, yet the stage seem set for the pilot scheme in Lagos despite the possible challenges in the Nigerian e-payment system.

As Nigeria prepares to join other global economies towards evolving a cashless society in January, 2012, stakeholders in the Nigerian IT industry, payments system service providers, banks, the Central Bank of Nigeria and other relevant government agencies have continued to express mixed feelings on the workability of the policy amidst the possible challenges inherent in the Nigerian e-payment system.

This was the scenario recently at a forum organized by AIT infotechnetwork and Technology Africa on the theme: “Evolving s Cashless Society in Nigeria: Political Statement or Economic Benefit”. Though some members of the panel of discussants expressed reservations as to the effective take-off of the scheme, however, there was a general sense of optimism on the new cashless scheme. The representative of the CBN governor Ms Eyitope Daniel who is the banks Director of the Cashless Lagos Project posited that the CBN was fully prepared to effectively roll out the programme come next year with mechanism been put in place to tackle the challenges.

However, Bayero Agabi, coordinator of AITinfotechnetwork and co-organizers of the event stressed the need for a better cyber security policy which he said is often associated with e-payments system. Especially given the rapid technological advancements and increasing consumer demand and the need for positive transition towards increased dependable electronic payment systems and channels since the policy when fully implemented is expected to ultimately shift Nigeria to a cashless society in the 21st century knowledge economy.

Some participants at the event however suggested that the CBN and relevant government agencies need to create greater awareness as well as what many consider a less stringent name to “cashless” economy. Other members of the panel included the Minister of Communication Technology Omobola Johnson who was represented by Mrs Lolia Emokpore, Mr David Isiavwe, General Manager United Bank for Africa, Mrs Yvonne Isichei, Executive Director Retail Banking Keystone Bank,Mrs Onajite Regha, CEO E-Payment Providers Association of Nigeria, Mr Sola Bickersteth, CEO One Network Mr Alex Nwuba and Mr Emma Okonji, Communications and E-Business Editor, THISDAY

The event which was the first in the series according to Don Pedro Agambi coordinator of Technology Africa will next be followed by a Town Hall Meeting on a Cashless Nigereia to be held on February 2 nd 2012, at the Lagos City Hall. One of the high point of the event was the presentation of Icon of Finance award to the CBN governor, Lamido Sanusi Lamido for his immense contributions to the development of the Nigerian financial system

Computer Warehouse Group, a Pan African integrated ICT solutions provider and one of the fastest growing information and communication technology companies in Africa has appointed Nkechi Okpara as the company's new Head of Marketing Communications/Corporate Affairs.

Nkechi who previously held senior position in the company's Sales Department steps into the new position having made her mark and proven to be a very innovative and hardworking team player. While meeting with the media, she noted the role of the press in the company's success story and solicited the continued support of the members of the press.

As a team player, Nkechi promised to build on the CWGs image while evolving new strategies to achieving the Groups' corporate objectives. While responding to questions, Nkechi told TribeTimes that she will do all that is possible to cultivate a strong synergy with the press as she will always be willing to promptly respond to issues as situations demanded.

Following its trail blazing efforts with the innovations of the world's first solar-powered notebook and its purpose built for Africa products, Samsung has continued to demonstrate commitment to Africa.

At the recent launch of the company's Samsung NC215S Solar notebook, the regional Managing Director, Idy Enang shared his thoughts in this exclusive chat with Tribe Times on the product and Samsung's strategies for innovations as a market leader in the continent.

What is Samsung's primary objective for the launch of this solar product?

The purpose is to bring to light new trends in our product line which is the first solar note book Samsung has launched and it is the first in the world so we are launching it in Nigeria. We have been able to bring relevant stake holders to come and partake in it and share in information. Within the scope of learning, I think the Nigerian environment is the one that needs to be enabled by technology. We live in denial as a people. We just need to change our mind set and our mental models and begin to realize that it is not as if technology is something alien but it is something that has come to live with us and make us a lot more efficient and effective thereby creating for us life styles and opportunities that we want to express ourselves with less effort. I think that is where Samsung as an organization, as an original equipment manufacturer produces devices or equipment that allow and lead the life style that makes our lives a lot better.

Why Nigeria, do you think the product is made for Nigeria?

It is not just Nigeria, it is the first in the world and it is introduced in Nigeria because Samsung in Africa, has brands that are built in Africa and for Africa. This is not the first, we started with our triple protectors on air conditioners where you do not need a voltage stabilizer for any of the ACs you buy and we introduced our television and many other products that we have including refrigerators that are built specifically for Africa with considerations for the weather element, energy among others. So this is one product that actually puts the African environment especially the Nigerian situation where power still remains a huge challenge in the picture. Here is a product that allows us go the extra mile, make the best of our time using our natural resource.

When you talk of the built for Africa brand, does Samsung really consider the products affordability?

Well, I am not here to give retail prices. But affordability is one thing I do not thread on. I thread on value. So, if you look at value as an equation of price and equity, it is left for you as an individual to make your decision and choice.

In your view, how do you think this product can make business thrive in Nigeria?

There is no power. And we are talking about power generation. You can continue doing what you are doing without having to put on your generator, you do not need to power your laptop, all you need to do is ensure that you have access to sunlight and you power on the device and so you need not worry about other factors we often face. It has Wi-Fi and every other feature a computer has but the big advantage is that it is solar driven. It is the first in the world.

Given the importance of ICT, to what direction should the nation be looking to drive the Nigerian economy?

I think the growth of any economy is around innovation. Innovation is not only about production, it is about the way people think, it is about change, it is about how people do things differently and Samsung, today is one of the leading innovative companies in the world. Let me quickly say that the only constant thing in life is change and if you want change, substitute it for innovation which is what we represent at Samsung Given the importance of ICT, to what direction should the nation be looking to drive the Nigerian economy?

I think the growth of any economy is around innovation. Innovation is not only about production, it is about the way people think, it is about change, it is about how people do things differently and Samsung, today is one of the leading innovative companies in the world. Let me quickly say that the only constant thing in life is change and if you want change, substitute it for innovation which is what we represent at Samsung

Certainly Africa, the world's second-largest continent - a land of diverse people, cultures and traditions

Certainly Africa, the world's second-largest continent - a land of diverse people, cultures and traditions is fast becoming a preferred business destination for leading brands across the world. It is therefore not surprising that Samsung is fully committed to positioning itself as a market leader in Africa with its philosophy of “built in Africa, Built for Africa” products.

Armed with a strategy designed to capitalise on the unique dynamics of the African consumer market, Samsung Electronics has outlined its regional strategy and 2011 product portfolio at the recently held second annual Africa Regional Forum in Nairobi Kenya. Innovations in Internet-connected TVs, consumer-inspired digital cameras and the latest mobile technology, combined with plans for developing Samsung's regional market presence in a bid to growing the market to the size of China's.

S amsung Electronics Africa's President, Mr. K.K. Park, disclosed that as part of the firm's continental growth strategy, Samsung will be focusing on Africa's top 10 economies, which together generate 79% of the continent's wealth and house almost 47% of the population. “Our aim is to promote co-operation, innovation and the exchange of new ideas in technology so that our products and technologies continue to respond to the real needs and conditions of the continent,” he added.

Samsung aims to develop the local industry further by establishing further knock-down plants – where currently there are such plants in Sudan, South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Senegal. Additionally, Mr. Park highlighted the company's plans to broaden sales and marketing strategies. In 2011 and beyond, Samsung will focus much of its marketing dollars on 30 cities in 14 countries, developing customised messages that will connect with the African people and support its global and regional products.

African foremost ICT broadcaster, Bayero Agabi recently added another feather to his cap as he bagged the African Digital Award 2010 for the most outstanding ICT broadcaster in the pastdecade. Reacting to the award, Bayero who has carved a niche for himself in the area of ICT reportage in Africa expressed appreciation to ICT watch africa, the organizers of the award for the recognition, pointing out that he is particularly thrilled by the award because he bagged it when Nigeria celebrated 50 years of nationhood. Bayero agabi a pan african ict for development promoter remained the only african journalist to have won the prestigious UNEC/AISI MEDIA AWARD twice. This is in addition to over twenty three award both local and international in over a decade.

In addition to pioneering ict on television in west africa agabi is also the executive director of know how media the publishers of the award winning IT publication ITEDGE NEWS.COM in english and french languages, president TRIBE MEDIA COMPANY owners and operators of tribe tv, cyber africa magazine, ait infotech network, and tribe times international magazine. Presenting the plaque to Bayero Dr Emmuel Ekuwem former president of atcon and ceo teledom o described bayero agabi as the most professional and compentent ict journalist he has met in the past ten years. Curently he is the managing editor, Tribe Times Magazine a print medium used to promote Africanity. celebrates the richness of African tribes, her people in Diaspora with distinguishing landmarks the world over. The publication promotes the enormous socio-cultural heritage and natural endowment of the continent and as well connect with her past to celebrate African icons capable of inspiring quality leadership in Africa,

He's also the publisher Cyber Africa magazine and the anchor/ producer of Cyber Africa a TV magazine on the Africa Independent Television Network. Both of which x-rays the development, trends and happenings in the ICT world in Nigeria and beyond with a view to ''Connecting Africa with the New Age''.

BAYERO AGABI journalism career has spanned through over a decade. Starting as a film editor with Channels Television in 1993, Bayero has risen in profile to become Nigeria's leading ict broadcast journalist since joining Africa Independent Television AIT in 1997, where he has coordinated various political programmes that dared the military dictators at that time. So far BAYERO AGABI has won over 26 awards both local and international for his efforts at promoting ICT development in the region. The awards includes; Africa Information Society Initiative / GTZ Media Award for TV (2005) , International Foundation For Excellence (IFEX) Award [Excellent Performance Award (2002)] , Award of Excellence (2005) , RIMA Foundation Award For News Media TV Station 2008, National campaign towards mass Computer/ IT [Award of Honour For Outstanding Contribution to ICT Reporting in Nigeria (2006)] , Best ICT Reporter of the year (Electronic) 2003, IT Reporting media of the year 2009 (Electronic)], ATCON NATION TELECOM MERIT AWARD (2004), An award of THE MOST OUTSTANDING ICT EDITOR OF THE DECADE -electronic, 2010., An award of Excellence (NIGERIA'S FOREMOST BROADCASTER), A TV Video category Award 2007, 2007 AISI (African Information Society Innitiative ) GKP Media Award for TV / Video, Best IT Reporter of the year 2009, Best Software / IT Reporter Electronic, Media (Radio) 2001.

Lagos, December 2010 – Helios Towers, Africa's leading Infrastructure Sharing, Co-location and Managed services provider has announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer for Nigeria. Mr. Inder Bajaj has over 25-year professional experience with leading corporate in the telecom services and office automation sector.

He has performed a wide range of roles with line jobs including leading strategic business units, setting up start-up business in B2C/ B2B space, sales / business operations with direct / indirect channel. He has also done many staff roles in functional areas of corporate strategy planning, product management, total quality management and sales training.

Prior to his current responsibilities, he worked with Reliance Communications Limited (RCOM ) where he was President of Reliance Infratel Ltd, a telecom infrastructure company which he built to be a global leader in telecommunication infrastructure sharing . He led a team of 150 people in functional areas of Technical service project/operations, Finance/Commercial, Business Development, Product Management, Customer care and rolled out over 34,000 new towers, in 2 years post formation of the company and today the company has the highest tenancy per tower in the Industry in India.

He was at one time, Reliance Communications Limited (RCOM ) Head of Corporate Planning for the Telecom business where he managed evaluations of Long Term Technology path options, market assessment for inorganic options and leading an acquisition transaction initiative. He was also responsible for the team that secured licence for RCOM's entry into the Mobile GSM market as well as development of new business strategy and operationalizing of RCOM's GSM foray, High Speed Data Business and Passive Infrastructure. He was also responsible for developing strategic transformation programs and managing the review process across network, organization, and sales & distribution, customer acquisition / retention

From 1998 to 2003, he was with Bharti Tele Ventures as Chief Operating Officer of Maharashtra Circle, where he led the project team that won the license as 4th operator to set up the company from scratch and launched operations. He also had brief stints at Modi Xerox India as General Manager and Ballarpur Industries as Personnel Executive
Mr.Bajaj brings the experience, expertise, and leadership abilities to position Helios Towers for success in the future and deliver the value expected by its numerous clients and broader constituent communities.
Mr.Bajaj has been appointed to drive the next stage of Helios Towers' growth in Nigeria because of his strong execution skills, his proven ability to lead top performing teams and his track record in driving shareholder value.
Helios Towers has achieved huge success in the Co-location business in recent years and has in particular built an enviable reputation for highest quality of service delivered through leading-edge innovation and backed up by excellent customer service standards. It remains the only Towerco maintaining 99.9% uptime an industry where uptime is a major challenge.
Helios Towers makes operators more successful by providing fully managed tower sites on a lease basis with marked reduction in operating expenses.
HTN commenced commercial operations in 2006 and has demonstrated its ability to operate and compete successfully in Nigeria. It has quickly become the leading shared infrastructure provider and the reference point for quality of service in the industry and is well positioned to remain the dominant provider of co-location infrastructure services in Africa, while adapting its business models to the specific requirements of the environment.

Bharti Airtel ignites growth in African BPO sector

• Partners with IBM, Tech Mahindra and Spanco to redefine customer experience

Lagos, Nigeria – October 25th, 2010 –  The  nascent African Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector which promises to deliver economic growth to many countries across the continent is all set for rapid growth following Bharti Airtel's selection of IBM (NYSE:IBM), Tech Mahindra and Spanco as partners to drive world class customer service across 16 African countries.  An agreement is expected to be finalized soon.

Under the agreement Bharti Airtel, which owns and currently operates the ‘Zain' brand in 16 countries across Africa, will outsource core customer service functions like call centres and back office as it prepares for significant growth in the region.  The mobile telecommunications operator currently has over 40 million customers across its African operations and is targeting to achieve 100 million by 2013.

The selection of world class partners like IBM, Tech Mahindra and Spanco will enable Bharti Airtel's mobile customers to enjoy world class customer service with the partners introducing quality best practices based on their experiences of working with international organisations in the telecommunications, banking, finance, insurance and retail sectors.
The widespread adoption of the BPO model by Bharti Airtel across its operations will also have tangible benefits for development of the sector in each country, create additional job opportunities and develop local talent.  The partners will provide services in each market which will sustain and build skills, capabilities and resources

The outsourcing of customer service operations will play a key role in making Bharti Airtel competitive in Africa as it focuses on making mobile communications affordable and available to everyone across its 16 markets of operation.
Manoj Kohli, CEO (International) and Joint Managing Director, Bharti Airtel, said :  “Our partnership with IBM, Tech Mahindra and Spanco is aimed at redefining and providing a world class and seamless customer experience in all 16 countries.  The BPO model has significant benefits for our customers, the countries in which we operate and their economies.  Partnering with world class organisations on such a massive scale will galvanise the BPO sector in Africa and be a catalyst for growth in the sector.
“These partnerships will offer career enhancement opportunities to our team in this specialist field as they will now get exposure to global best practices and the latest technologies.”

This is the second major partnership announcement from Bharti Airtel on the African subcontinent.  In September this year Bharti selected IBM to build and manage IT systems to power the mobile communications network across 16 African countries.
"IBM's strategic relationship with Bharti Airtel illustrates its focus on emerging markets like Africa," said John Lutz, general manager, IBM Managed Business Process Services.  "IBM's business process outsourcing unit helps clients manage functions like customer care so that they are able to channel critical resources to essential growth activities such as product design and marketing."

According to a Deloitte report for the GSMA, the mobile communications industry association, less than 40 percent of Africans has access to a mobile phone.  However, demand is growing at an average rate of 25 percent annually, and a 10 percent rise in mobile penetration could increase gross domestic product by 1.2 percent in developing markets.
Vineet Nayyar, Vice Chairman, Tech Mahindra, said:  “Practically, there are three major benefits to Bharti Airtel from outsourcing its customer service functions.  It can scale quickly to manage its expected growth, customers will receive first class service to global standards, and each market will benefit from talent training and development. 
“By seeding the African BPO market with these three world class partnerships, Bharti Airtel is effectively kick-starting the onshore business process outsourcing sector across Africa.”  The three partners collectively employ over 90,000 people for providing BPO services in more than 100 countries.

Kapil Puri, Chairman & Managing Director, Spanco, said:  “Bharti Airtel was the pioneer of adopting the BPO model across all its areas of operations in India.  The experience and success that it achieved created a whole new sector in the country that is now regarded as the global centre of excellence for outsourcing. “Bharti's vision is to replicate that success in Africa, not only for the benefit of its customers, but also to create an entire industry in Africa as a centre of BPO excellence.  With its advantages of time zone location, multi-lingual fluency especially in English and French, operational cost and robust network infrastructure, Africa can grow as a world class off-shoring destination for global organisations.”

Currently over 4,000 people are employed in Africa supporting Bharti Airtel's customer service operations.  Going forward the number of people employed in managing Bharti Airtel's customer service functions will increase as Bharti Airtel expands its network and customer base.

Bharti Airtel has operations in Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. 

The Nigerian print media, particularly the magazine stable has continue to expand just as it celebrates the formal unveiling of Tribe Times, a leading African affairs magazine. The magazine which is led by two of Africa`s leading media professionals, Bayero Agabi and Segun Oruame is primarily afro centric in nature. Published by Tribe Media Company; the Managing Editor, Bayero Agabi says the magazine is informed by the urgent need for an African rebirth and the fact that Africa's landscape affords a rare vista of an opportunity that makes it exploratory ventures a renewed quest for the continuity of humanity and the promotion of African history.

Tribe Times Magazine celebrates the richness of African tribes, her people in Diaspora with distinguishing landmarks the world over. It promotes the enormous socio-cultural heritage and natural endowment of the continent and as well connect with her past to celebrate African icons capable of inspiring quality leadership in Africa especially the likes of Marcus Garvey, Emperor Hailes Sellassie, Kwame Nkruma, and Martin Luther King Jr. amongst in a bid to chat a brighter future for Africa.

The sixty pages glossy and colorful Tribe Times Magazine is intended to evolve a new culture to promote value for growth and progress in all spheres of African renaissance and to awaken the intrinsic giant in Africa as well as enliven her pride and prestige among the continents of the world. Tribe Times main thrust features political developments across Africa especially as one third of the continent marks their golden jubilee of nationhood with almost the same number undergoing political transition within the next two years. Other areas of focus include Business, Tourism/Travels, Lifestyle/African Fashion, Arts/Music, Cyber Africa/ICT and Sports among others. Generally, readers will be delighted with richness in quality and contents of Tribe Times. Already, the magazine's official website; www.tribetimesnews.com has been receiving a lot of visitors most of whom have commended it as a worthy and noble initiative. Hitherto, the publication which is already in its fifth edition has explored the Pyramid of Egypt in its previous edition, the Hailes Sellesie Tomb and the African Union Secretariat, the wonders of nature which the Olumo Rock, Abeokuta encapsulates and now the histo-political relics of Sir Fredrick Lord Lugard in Lokoja, “Nigerian's Forgotten Beginning” as well as Kwame Nkrumah Park; an epitome of “A Preservation of Pan Africanism”.

The magazine which also features tips on African fashion, health and a full dose of the entertainment industry has in a rear show of general acceptability and endorsement won the hearts of some top Nigerian celebrities who have continued to identify with it has a noble ideal. Alariwo of Africa while commenting on the magazine noted that “Tribe Times is a right response to the vacuum that has existed before now in the promotion of arts, culture, tourism and pan African ideals of the continent's post colonial founding fathers”.

In their own opinions, top Nollywood actor Desmond Elliot and Afro-highligh music star Sunny Nneji described the vision of the publishers as very worthwhile. They both opined that the magazine is so culturally rich such that it will help to further promote and sustain the spirit of Africanity. Among other top celebrities to have endorsed Tribe Times are; Gulder Ultimate Search celebrity winner, Emeka Ike, Madam Kofo of the famed Village Headmaster, former PMAN President Chief (Mrs) Christy Essien Igbokwe, one of Nigeria's leading standup comedians, Omobaba, Chief Dele MOmodu, publisher Ovation International magazine,Ondo State Commissioner for Information,Mr Ranti Akerele, Lagos fashion icon Chief (Mrs) Opra Benson, veteran broadcaster Sunny Irabor, Afro hip hop
music star.Tuface Idibia amongs numerous others.

Johannesburg/Lagos/Nairobi, 22 November 2010: As leading mobile operator in Nigeria, Airtel and MTV begins the countdown to the 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) with Airtel, four more awesome artists have been added to the performer roster for Africa's most exciting music event. USA hip hop star Rick Ross, Kenya's P-Unit, South Africa's Jozi and Nigeria's Wande Coal will join previously announced performers DJ Arafat (Ivory Coast), 2FACE (Nigeria), Daddy Owen (Kenya), Banky W (Nigeria), Fally Ipupa (DRC), Teargas (South Africa) and Cabo Snoop (Angola).

Visiting Africa for the first time to take part in the 11 December spectacular, US rapper Rick Ross has been described by the New York Times as “one of rap's most potent and creative forces”. The tattoo-loving, six-foot, larger-than-life rap figure first came to attention with “Hustlin”, his 2006 debut single. Influenced by artists like Luther Campbell and Notorious B.I.G, Ross, a.k.a. William Roberts, aimed to put Miami back in rap's national spotlight and went on to do just that with his 2006 album “Port of Miami”, which went to number one on the Billboard album chart. Similar acclaim followed for “Trilla” (2007) and “Deeper Than Rap” (2009), while his 2010 album release “Teflon Don”, which debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, has garnered critical acclaim for its emotional depth, cinematic production, sleek, synth-heavy beats, and rich soundscapes. Ross is nominated in the Best International category at the MAMA awards.

Making their first appearance at the MAMAs, Best Group contenders P-Unit are going head to head against Uganda's Radio & Weasle, South Africa's Teargas and multiple MAMA winners and Nigerian music phenomenon, P-Square. As well as performing at the 2010 show, former MAMA winners Jozi are also nominated in the Artist of the Year category, where they are pitched against 2FACE, P-Square and Fally Ipupa. Wande Coal faces a tough race in the Best Anglophone category, where Ghana's Sarkodie, Kenya's Daddy Owen and South Africa's Biz Nuz are also in the running.
The MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel takes place on Saturday 11 December 2010 and will broadcast on MTV base (DStv Channel 322), MTV platforms around the world and partner TV stations from 18 December 2010.

The MTV Africa Music Awards 2010 is sponsored by Airtel in association with MasterCard. Arik Air is the official airline partner of the MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel.

The 2010 South Africa FIFA World Cup may have come and gone but many have not forgotten in a hurry the colourful opening and closing ceremonies and the dramatis personnel that made the World Cup an unforgettable experience.
Unarguably, one of such stars that added spice to the soccer showpiece is Shakira the “Waka Waka” princes and Colombian born Afro-centric artiste .Months after the curtains fell on the football extravaganza ”Shakira”  has returned with irresistible and breath taking rhythmic dance. The new “Shakira” Ashley Stephanie is a Spain based Camerounian born but self confessed Nigerian.
  The fair-skinned dance sensation was recently in Lagos at t5he 2010 Top Celebrities Awards held at the 360 Event Centre, Oregun   where she thrilled music cum dance lovers with her Soweto-styled dance steps. Tribe Times caught up with her to answer some questions about her career.

For full stories or hard copies contact the editor:
Call 08023672168,08055001878 or send an email to
damissahhilary@tribetimesnews.com

Bob family's has lost a lawsuit seeking the copyrights to several of the late Jamaican reggae singer's best known recordings.

United States District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan said the Universal Music Group is the rightful owner of copyrights to five albums that Marley had recorded between 1973 and 1977 for Island Records, Reuter's reports. The album “catches a fire, ““Burning,' ”  “Natty Dread, ““Rasta man vibration and “exodus” were recorded with Marley's band the Wailers. They include some of Marley's best-known songs, including “get up, stand up, ““I Shot the Sheriff, ““No Woman, No Cry” and “One Love. “ Marley died of cancer in 1981 at age 36. The recent ruling was a defeat for Marley's widow Rita and nine children who had sought to recover millions of dollars in damages over UMG's effort to “exploit” what they called the quintessential Bob Marley sound recordings.

Marley's family accused UMG of intentionally withholding royalties from them and ignoring a 1995 agreement assigning them right under the original recording agreement, court papers show. But Cote concluded that Marley's recordings were “works made for hire” as defined under U.S. copyrights law, entitling UMG to be designated the owner of those recordings, for both the initial 28-years copyright terms and for renewal. 

USA—An auction of Michael Jackson‘s memorabilia has fetched more than $1m {E626,000} in Macau,                                            China.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, a basketball autographed by the late singer and former player Michael Jackson netted $245,000 {E153, 000} at the Hollywood legends sale.

An unidentified online bidder paid $180,000 {E113, 000} for a black crystal studded glove Jackson wore in a video shoot for 1995 album History.

Other sale items included a costume worn by Bruce Lee in Game of Death. Michael Keaton's costume in Batman Returns and a burgundy velvet ball gown worn by Princess Diana also went under the hammer.

The sale, put on by US- based Julien's Auctions was touted as the largest celebrity memorabilia auction in Auction in Asia.

Would You Say The Nigerian Music Industry Has Attained Maturity, After 50 Years Of Nationhood?
Certainly there has been an interesting evolution in the Nigerian music industry from what it used to be over the years especially if we have to consider what it was while growing up and what it is today. There is a great difference in sound. To a large extent, we have globalised such that Nigeria has been able to carve a niche for herself music-wise to the extent that all around the world everyone now knows that there is the sound of Naija. At the same time, what the fathers did was ground, unique and irreplaceable. Yet, I still feel we are a long way off getting to an all rounded sound that incorporates that old sound…

(Cuts in…) I Was Going To Take You Up On That When You Said We Have Been Able To Carve A Niche For Our Self, I Think We Have Tried To Experiment By Fussing So Much Together And Then Perhaps Lost Our Originality When Compared For Instance To The Caribbean Or Jamaican Where If You Hear The Reggae Tune, You Know This Is The Caribbean Brand Or Jamaican Style, But What Would You Say In The Nigerian Case?
Well, in defence of the music industry, I would not say we have blended in, rather I would say there has been a fusion of what the West offers and what other sounds around Africa offer to what Nigerian had originally which has produced a new sound altogether. But again, I am very concerned about the new sound because I feel it leaves the sound of the father's too far behind. So if there is a particular sound that defined a certain group of people, then we might have a problem if we have to come up with a sound that will defined Nigeria considering our population and ethnic diversity as well as the uniqueness of each of these cultures. It therefore means we could come up with as much as two hundred Nigerian sounds. Nevertheless, I think the Naija thing has gained prominence around the globe because it has been driven by the younger generation, so it is floating on the wings of modern technology and the social network stuff. I recall one of the recent musical video of a Nigerian I watched that was done by some Asians which perhaps they could not understand but could very well appreciate. So, it is very exciting to think that the world is look at Africa right now and that means, the world is looking at Nigeria.

How Would You Reckon With The Advancement Of Technology In Our Music Industry?
I think it is still rather expensive to come by. If you consider the enormity of musical craft and talent available in Nigeria, You will see that it is not commensurate to the quality of musical production in Nigeria owing largely to the exorbitant cost which an average talented musical star cannot afford even though we are so musically gifted. I was opportune to seat on a panel of judges for a music reality show and it  is amazing to see how much talent there is in Nigeria but the issue is that most of these talents do not come from homes that could afford the expensive cost of musical production.
However, to be far, it is probably like that around the world from my findings because if you really want to do a good job you just cannot cut corners and come to think of it, good thing do not really come cheap. Yet, I look forward to a time when technology will not be that expensive to produce a very good music in Nigeria.

Would You Say We Cannot Produce Good Music Videos In Nigeria Unless We Go To South Africa Or Europe?
Basically, I will say whoever wants to travel abroad for a musical video, should do so for the right reason not necessarily because we cannot do a good music video in Nigeria. Of course, we can produce top rate music videos here in Nigeria. All you need do is to look out for the very best producers who are extremely talented in the craft of editing, directing, and script writing and so on, Just the same way we have talents in music or singing and dance we equally have talented producers. Certainly, those outside Nigeria have better facilities and the technology readily available to them, But for us if we want to have all of that then we may need to import and then expectedly producing a good work will be more expensive, another thing is that you may need to contend with the challenge of having different scenery for instance if you are going to shoot a scene with snow you probably will not have that in Lagos. But I there say that with technology and the world becoming a global village, there is little or nothing that is not achievable.

Talking About The Issue Of Broken Promises Between Artistes And Producers/Promoters, What Do You Think We Can Do To Avoid Rift And The Usual Face Off Between The Two Parties?
It boils down to the absence of standards. If a producer/promoter invest s in an artist, there should be detailed information and issues trashed out from the outset. Then the entertainment lawyers need to be well involved in the contractual deals between both parties. Right now due to the imbalance in standard, any promoter can just walk up to any artiste and with just casual conversation they strike a deal and begin a working relationship but we then discover the imbalance when they begin to have problem by the time the big money starts coming in all because it was not done properly from the world go. When the entertainment lawyers are involved and contracts are explained, clauses discussed and possible loopholes explored, then these misunderstanding will be avoidable.
In any case the problem could be down to lack of adequate enlightenment and information. I do not think a promoter and an artiste have to fall-out all the time. If everything that needs to be spelt out is spelt out, then there will be no confusion. So we really need a great team that brings about a perfect production in the entertainment industry and that has not been the case in Nigeria.

Some People Have Said There Is A Missing Link And An Obvious Lack Of Bridge Between The Old And The New In The Nigerian Music Scene, What Is Your Opinion About This?

I do not know if that is the exclusive problem of music or that of the paradigm around here in this part of the world. It is obvious that there is hardly any form of continuity in a lot of things in Nigerian and not just music alone. I simply believe it is down to a lack of long term planning. As well as the absence of information and structures. So you find out that a lot of people either hit the heights of success early in their career and so they do not know how to manage their success and ensure a progressive transition to generation next, so that could account for the generational gap. Some, perhaps for failure to hit the heights early in music or record financial gains, they quit music too soon without transmitting the genre to the upcoming ones. So, I suggest there should be a concerted will and effort to under study the principle of these issues so that when imbibe, we can follow through on it, so as not to abandon our past.

It is not in doubt that Nigeria is naturally very endowed as a people in many respects and so the music industry is not left out in anyway. Fifty years after Nigeria's independence, Stakeholders in the music industry have being x-raying the evolution of Nigeria music scene. Adding his voice to development in the industry is one of Nigeria's very promising and multi -talented upcoming music sensation fondly called “Bayano” who sums up his opinion from the point of view of an upcoming artiste.

The gospel-inclined music star reasoned that Nigerian music has come a very long way and is in the process of attaining maturity in terms of sound quality, content, video production and lots more especially from the point of  view of an upcoming artist. However, the Lagos based singer was quick to reason that having a breakthrough as a new kid on the block in Nigeria is not an easy ride especially in the context of musical production, getting on shows, having media mileage, sponsorship among others. He added that for him and many of his likes who are determined to make it in music, most of the shows they feature in often do not have monetary incentives rather the young artistes use them for self promotion.

Bayano blamed the plight of the upcoming artistes on the lack of a well organized and structured system in the industry which should have created standards that will enhance best practices and the minimum amount artistes like them will be paid for shows, so as to encourage them and help promote the growth of their musical career. Speaking further, he added that most upcoming stars often get frustrated in a bid to get promoters or good music labels. Similarly, Bayano noted if it is a difficult task for most upcoming artistes to get there music promoted by marketer as most of them will rather want to cheaply and out rightly buy out the music while them make the money. He also spoke of his cherished memories of the late Dagrin, describing him as a humble personality who was very warm and friendly. Dagrin was the kind of person who spoke his mind openly about the plight of upcoming artistes and the pitiable condition of the average Nigeria.

Five years ago the pc market in Nigeria was dominated by locally made ones. Today with the sophistication and awareness level of pc users in Nigeria, the story seem to have changed. In this report BAYERO AGABI examines how and why the locally assembled pcs in Nigeria are finding it hard to survive as the Nigeria celebrates fifty years of nationhood.

Fifty years in the life of any nations is to many a celebration time. But for the locally made computer companies, it is a mix grill: A mix of blessings and woes depicting the states of affairs in Africa's most populous country of about 150 million people.

There was no computer company 50 years ago neither was the computer a common sight. It was not even a common sight a little less than five years ago though local pc makers were already a part of the technology space that has evolved in the IT revolution that came to Nigeria a little over a decade ago.

If having pc assembly company was all that was necessary to define all the success story Africa's most populous country need to define its success in the last 50 years, Nigeria would be rated on the A+list.

In the last decade, more than seven pc makers, UNITEC, Pragmatic, Balogtek, Brian System, Zinox and Omatek, and the more recent Ganiac and Veda have arrive on the scene. Today about three have completely disappeared from the landscape.

The surviving players are only managing to keep afloat for a mix of factors.

Two players, Zinox and Omatek lead the league. Between them, they dominate the shear of the PC market controlled by the local PC assembly companies. The two combine has less than 35% of the entire sales in 2009. In the words of Florence Seriki ceo of omatek computers the recent crash in the banking sector did not blow a good breez on their business. According to her getting as little as LPO finacing is now a gully to cross.

As it presently the market has expanded in terms of patronage and reach that transcends private and public sectors. But it has remained largely a domain of foreign player leaving a fraction of the margin for the local PC makers to contend with. For every one PC that Omatek or Zinox sells HP and Acer sells between seven and three. The remain margin go to Dell, Mercury, Toshiba, Sony, and other foreign brands. All combined, they controlled about 65% of the market giving them a strong edge over the local players, Zinox and Omatek…

Mindful of the need to promote local PC assembly, the chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration issued a directive that all MDAs (ministries, departments and agencies.) must patronized local PC makers and consider foreign brand only if the local brand could not meet up with the requirement. This Government policy was designed to help generate employment in the PC sub-sector and grow local capacity in the computer assembly.

This helped. The policy drive increase sales for Zinox and Omatek; and was largely responsible for the successful implementation of the local PC solutions in the public sector. During the Obasanjo years, Nigeria witness a phenomenal growth in local computer assembly and manufacture helped by the deliberate and conscious effort of the government to promote the local brands.

The public sector acceptance has not been equaled by the same level of private sector acceptance. The private sector has largely remained the confine of the foreign brands with a level of the consistency that has not helped to properly position the local brands in corporate Nigeria.

And then even those years of market favored in the public sector have been followed by a somewhat level of increasing apathy. There is heightening tendency to reject the local made PCs in favored of the foreign brands. HP and the rest of the offshore brands are beginning to win back open acceptance with dire consequence for the local brand.

The consequence is manifold. Sales have shrunk forcing many of the local companies to either close down or reduce their existing staff strength. Faced with reduced intensives from government, absence of robust support infrastructure, inadequate power supply insufficient technical staff and hyper competition from foreign brands, the market is fast ebbing and may completely disappeared for all the local PC makers.

In an exclusive interview with Dr Armstrong Takang,the managing director of alteq, he said that the way the market is today there is no way the local brands can compete. In his words the foreign brands have larger pockets, better customer care, more robust and reliable back up system that the local ones cannot boost of .

No doubt, government needs to increase its support base for the local PC makers. But the companies also need to get their acts right. Too much attention is paid to getting MDAs patronage and so little is done to target the wider market outside government where there is more rapid deployment of PCs.

Besides, as many users is the public sector revealed, though many local made computers come in good quality but they do not compare favorably with their foreign counterpart in terms of after sales support. Here, their major weakness is exposed. Not many local brands can boast of after sales technical expertise that the foreign brands give their customers thus lowering the value of TCO (total cost of ownership). The onus is therefore on the local PC makers to improve their total market relevance before they could up sales and profit.

BY: IDOWU BUSAYO
Nowadays, cell Phones are not just important, they have also become indispensible. At the same time, however, the hazards that come with them are increasing by the day. You may have heard of researches linking radiation from the cell phones to cancer and low sperm count. Now, just add explosion as one of the hazards association with the gadget.

Explosion of cell phones is not a newly discovered hazard, as it has been noticed for many years now. However, many people do not know about the possibility and as such do not take precautions. Experts report that part of the problem may be substandard replacement batteries. Lithium batteries are widely used in mobile phones, but if they are overcharged or exposed to heat, the inflammable liquid inside can explode. Compounding this scenario is the fact that there are many fake batteries in the market that are very susceptible to explosion.

A new paper by academic researchers published in May 2010 supports our deep concerns about the involvement with the lithium batteries that most especially course the phones explosion, note that your phone can be explode when it fall in between the seat and the center console because of the Lithium batteries, experiencing this is just for you to patiently use your finger to bring it out safely because if You probably punctured the battery with the seat mechanism, Then your phone can explode while the Lithium batteries don't like to be punctured. Most Chinese phones using around the world has lithium batteries and is not advisable to be use because it can explode any time if there is unacceptable infection contacted.

Using your phone at a gas station can easily cause explosion, if you've ever been to a gas station, you may have noticed warning signs with instructions to turn off your cellular phone while refueling. Report say using your mobile devices while refilling your gas tanks, can lead to an explosion, While some experts insist that there is a possibility that cell phones could present a danger at a gas station, there has been no real-life, verifiable accounts of it happening anywhere in the world.

In 2004, Kyocera Wireless Corporation recalled over one million batteries used in Kyocera model 7135 Smartphone, the Kyocera slider, k400 and 3200 series. The company received four report s of batteries failure, including one minor burn injury on the 7135 Smartphone. Between 2002 and 2005, the United State's Consumer Product Safety Commission said they received 83 report  of cell phones exploding or catching fire. In 2004 alone, the Commission handled three recalls-the Kyocera Smartphone, Kyocera slider k400 and 3200 series and Verizon wireless LG-brand cell phones

Commenting on the issued, the president of the national association of telecom subscribers, Mr. Deolu Ogunbanjo, said it had again queried the safety of cell phones. He said there has been report about cell phones exploding and killing people in the past but I am not sure how authentic this report is. However, it is a cause for concern as it once again queries the safety of cell phone.

Jamie Wilson, in an article on protection from cell phone explosion published on www.associatedcontent.com; however offer the protection tips below to cell phone users…

1 Don't buy ridiculously cheap replacement batteries or market seconds from sources you don't know and trust, as black market batteries and old damage batteries are the most likely sources of this problem,

2 if your phone gets really hot on use, take it back to the phone store to have it checked on. Your phone should never be so hot it's uncomfortable to hold if that happened.

3 Check periodically to see if your phone is on recall list, several brands have been recalled, but for some reason consumers aren't hearing about it.

4 carry your phone in your purse or on belt clip, not in your pocket. And turn it off at night, when you aren't going to be using it.

5 if your phone (or computer) has vent to release excess heat, keep them uncovered and exposed to air so the device can cool naturally. And if you are somewhere really hot, just turn the phone off.

Similarly, China's shin min daily news offers the following protection tips: never modify your phone, always use original battery chargers, do not expose your mobile phone to high temperature, and avoid exposing it to direct sunlight. Other tips include, avoid long phone conversation, do not make or answer calls when the phone is charging; and try to keep your phone in a bag instead of in a pocket and do not use damage batteries….

Ordinarily, one would expect the acquisition of the African operations of Zain by Bharti Airtel to be a bold step to positioning Nigeria towards market leadership. But on the contrary, their preferred network was planning to cut off part of the operation that gives the company market stability.
Econet Wireless, in 2007 was transformed to Vodacom and eventually started operation in Nigeria in 2001. The brand name, Vodacom was later transformed to Vmobile, Vmobile was transformed to Celtel and Celtel was subsequently transformed to Zain. These transformations, of course, followed a number of ripples and board room conflicts which did not allow laid down objectives and expansion programmes to see the light of the day.

Though some analysts then, opined that  the services of the network be dumped for other competing brands should there be any attempt to change the brand name. Some others expressed optimism that the network might meet up the requirements to compete with other networks after going through possible image crises.

On the other hand, hopes were high for both subscribers and telecom enthusiasts that the troubles were perhaps finally over with the network after MTC of Kuwait had coughed out a huge sum of $1.005 Billion to the network in 2006, coupled with the stake the company had been able to acquire in the Middle East and Africa.

Four years before MTC indicated interest in the then Vmobile, the company steadily grew from only a one country operator  in Kuwait to a multinational telecommunications operator with presence in twenty countries and total of an estimated 23 million subscribers. In 2005, it pulled one of the largest acquisitions in the Middle East and Africa, with a $3.4 billion acquisition of Celtel International, which was the leading mobile operator then in sub-Saharan Africa.

With the acquisition of Vmobile and the subsequent transmutation into Celtel as well as the successful harmonizing of all its African operations to generally go by the brand name, Zain in August, 2008, the company, Zain thus grew in strength and was as such  operating in 22 countries with over 15,000 employees providing mobile services such as voice and data services to over 63.5 million active and steady subscribers and customers in the business class. Effectively its operations expanded in a number of countries in the Middle East including Bahran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. While in Africa, Zain's presence in the Sub-Saharan African countries began to be felt very strongly in places like Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Madagascar, Niger, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of Congo, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The fact that the operation of Zain in Africa has been very profitable cannot be disputed. In the year ended December 31, 2008, Zain Group posted record results, with revenue increasing by 26 percent to reach $7.4 billion. The profits were mainly pushed by its growth in Africa where the company has the largest presence.

However, it is no longer news that an Indian owned telecommunication company and one of the leading in the emerging telecommunication market, Bharti Airtel has recently acquired the African operations of Zain. The acquisition which was officially done  at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos on the 6th of July, 2010, at a world press conference organized by Zain Nigeria had in attendance key players in the Nigerian telecommunication industry, members of the press and some subscribers as well.
The Chief Executive Officer  (international) and Joint Managing Director, Bharti Airtel, Mr. Monaj Kohli, disclosed that the company will invest some $600 million in Nigeria in the next three years. He explained that half this amount will be invested in the first year of Bharti's operations in Nigeria. Meanwhile, plans have been concluded however effectively transform the Zain brand to the Bharti Airtel brand in October to coincide with Nigeria's 50th  independence anniversary.

No doubt, the acquisition of Zain's African assets is indeed a significant milestone. There are clear indications therefore that Africans and particularly Nigerians will now begin to enjoy quality service. These are the aspirations of many Nigerians who cannot wait to have a fair share of the Nigerian telecom growth and development in the recent years.

Bharti Airtel, according to its management, has come to reward its Nigerian subscribers with freedom for quality packages and affordability amongst other services.

In India, the home of Bharti Airtel, the minutes of usage are recorded at 500 minutes while in Nigeria; this scenario is a far cry, where minutes of usage is between 50 to 60 minutes. Experts say this is apparently one of the least in the world. “But the good news is that Bharti Airtel has come to increase the minutes considerably to the delight of the consumers from 50 to 100 minutes” these were the words of the Managing Director, Bharti Airtel, Mr. Monaj Kohli.

However, the question in the minds of so many Nigerians, particularly those that had remained loyal to Zain despite frequent fluctuations and transformation in its ownership and control is whether or not “Bharti Airtel Will Thrive?”

If the marriage between  Zain -Bharti Airtel, is  to be considered a success, the later  must live up to expectations; actualize it's long term commitment to the growth of telecommunication in Nigeria by offering affordable services, strong network coverage and distribution backed by a superior brand experience to customers.

Story By - Kenneth Adegoke