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Data Privacy: Our data 99% secure — Minister

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Dr Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has assured Nigerians and the international community that citizens’ and the country’s data are 99 per cent secure.

Pantami spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the National Data Privacy Day celebration, in line with global date marked every Jan. 28.

The event was organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

He said that data privacy struggle had achieved a lot for the country as its protection was enshrined in laws, bylaws and Acts of different institutions of government and the Constitution.

“Nigeria is committed to data privacy and protection as demonstrated in Section 37 of our Constitution. So far we have 99 per cent privacy of data ensured in Nigeria.

“Our data is protected and we are also glad to inform the international community and investors that their data is protected in Nigeria.

“That section says that the privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondences, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications are hereby guaranteed and protected.

“Data privacy law is also in the Act of NITDA 2007, the Nigerian Communications Commission Act of 2007, the National Identity Management Commission Act and the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) as the ultimate bylaw,” he said.

The minister also said that in medical profession, it was against the law disclosing patient’s records, hence implementing the data privacy at different levels ensured protection.

He further stated that data privacy was in line with the development regulation pillar of the National Digital Economy and Policy Strategy (NDEPS), established in November 2019.

According to him, data protection regulation is not made to restrict people, businesses or institutions but designed for the country’s development and treated with confidentiality.

The NITDA Director-General, Mr Kashifu Inuwa, said the issuance of identity, data collection and management were needed for digital economy, hence steps for protection must be taken seriously.

Inuwa said that with the establishment of the NDPR, NITDA was appointed Vice Chair of AU Technical Working Group on Data Localisation and Harmonisation, which created opportunities for private sector players among other benefits.

He commended Pantami for setting the pace for data protection in 2019 when he was the director general of the agency, saying the step had brought many benefits for the country.

Also, Mr Moctar Yedaly, Head of ICT, AU Commission, said that adapting to the new normal had made technology relevant, thereby increasing the usage of data.

Yedaly cautioned that the use of privacy data should be lawful, while individuals should be careful of the information they gave online.

He called for consistent awareness creation on data privacy and issues relating to data protection.

Representative of the European Union (EU), Mr Mattia Tempimi, said Nigeria was critical to the new EU Data Protection Regime which sets standards for the right to personal data protection.

Tempimi called on the country to develop a state of the arts data protection regime that could distinguish it from other African countries and in comparison with the EU.

Other goodwill messages were from NCC, Galaxy Backbone Ltd, Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited, NIMC and Institute of Information Management.

Data Privacy day celebration, which began officially in Nigeria on Jan. 25, 2019, with establishment of the NDPR was created to raise awareness on the need to protect private and public data in line with global standards.

The theme of the year’s celebration in the country is “Harnessing Data as Critical Infrastructure for the Digital Economy”.

The week-long programme featured webinars, expo and quiz competition by secondary schools.

 

 

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Igbinedion varsity bags 2022 HUAWEI Best Academy Award for 2022

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A Chinese Multinational Technology Corporation, Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited, will today award Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), as the 2022 Best Huawei Academy.

A statement signed by the Registrar of IOU, Friday Benji Bakare, and made available to newsmen in Edo state said that the recognition is part of activities of Huawei Technologies to mark 2022/2023 ‘Huawei National ICT Competition Award Ceremony”

Bakare noted that the award is significant and a true reflection that the University’s Smart Campus Wide Digital transformation is globally acclaimed.

He disclosed that the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, will also be honoured with an award of the “Most Supportive Vice Chancellor for the Year 2022 at the ceremony”

The statement read: “Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited (a Chinese multinational technology Corporation) is set to honour Igbinedion University, Okada Huawei Academy with the Prize of the Best Academy for the Year 2022.

“The recognition which is contained in a letter from Huawei Technologies dated 8th December 2022 addressed to the Vice Chancellor, is part of the activities lined up by Huawei Technologies to mark the 2022-2023 Huawei National ICT Competition Award Ceremony scheduled to take place at The Fraiser Suite, Abuja on 19th December 2022.

“The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, is also to be honoured with an award as the Most Supportive Vice Chancellor for the Year 2022 at the ceremony.

“It is significant that IUO Smart Campus Wide digital transformation is globally acclaimed”.

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NASA launches ‘most powerful’ Moon rocket, Artemis 1

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration launched the most powerful rocket ever built on a journey to the Moon on Wednesday, in a spectacular blaze of light and sound that marked the start of the space agency’s new flagship programme, Artemis.

The 32-storey tall Space Launch System blasted off from the storied Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 01:47 am (0647 GMT).
“We are going,” tweeted the space agency.

Fixed to its top was the uncrewed Orion spaceship that would later separate and complete an orbit-and-a-half of Earth’s nearest neighbour, in a test run for later flights that should see the first woman and first person of colour touch down on lunar soil by the mid-2020s.
America last sent astronauts to the Moon during the Apollo era, from 1969-1972. This time it hopes to build a sustained presence — including a lunar space station — to help prepare for an eventual mission to Mars.

The launch came despite technical issues that ate into the two-hour launch window that opened at 1:04 am.

Engineers were forced to pause the flow of liquid hydrogen into the core stage Tuesday night because of a valve leak, though a team sent to the launch pad resolved the problem after an hour.
Later, the space agency reported that a radar site monitoring the rocket’s flight path was experiencing problems due to a faulty ethernet switch that had to be replaced.

It was third time lucky for NASA after two previous launch attempts were cancelled for technical reasons. Launch was also delayed due to weather setbacks, including Hurricane Ian that battered Florida in late September.

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iPhone 14: Apple warns customers to expect delays in shipment due to Covid-19 restrictions

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Apple has warned customers to expect delays on iPhone shipments due to COVID-19 restrictions at a manufacturing factory in China.

Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn’s iPhone plant in Zhengzhou, China, is operating under restrictions, temporarily impacting the primary iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max assembly facility.

Recently there were reports that workers at the iPhone assembly factory in China ran away from the premises after a spurt of COVID-19 cases forced a complete lockdown at the factory.

Foxconn, which is a supplier to U.S-based Apple, has many workers at its Zhengzhou complex and has not provided an official count of how many are infected by COVID-19.

Apple stated that it is working closely with the supplier to return to normal production levels while ensuring the health and safety of every worker.

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