For a long time, one issue that has engaged the nation’s ICT experts and others is how to reduce poverty to a tolerable level in our country especially, and generally in the world.

Frontline mobile phone makers, Nokia, at the weekend announced that it was targeting to use the next few years to connect the next one billion people that are yet to be connected to mobile communications.

As preparations hit top gear for the 2011 edition of the West African ICT Congress, the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, has confirmed her attendance having been invited as the chief special guest of honour. The minister, who will be joined by other ministers, regulators, and dignitaries from West Africa and beyond, will also declare the Congress open.

The Director for the Central and North East Africa region at APC by Schneider Electric Jonathan Duncan has warned that companies should not oversize their data centers unnecessarily even with the additional pressures brought on by cloud computing.

Globacom last week pledged to continue using innovations in technology push the threshold economic growth in the country. It also promised that it would strengthen the communications industry with introduction of more up to the minute technology in the coming years.

Organisers of the popular TR35 awards, Technology Review magazine, last week selected Nigerian born Yemi Adesokan and founder of Pathogenica, Inc. as one of the Award recipients for 2011 edition.

The latest entry into the mobile handset market from Nokia, X7 was last week unveiled in Lagos.

No fewer than 27 genetic counsellors have graduated from a genetic counseling training programme organized by Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria and MTN Foundation in Lagos.

Ernst & Young in partnership with Performance Frontiers, an international business execution software and IT solutions provider, have announced the launch of information security services in the Nigerian market.

Telecom infrastructure vendors and their chip making counterparts last week reacted to the rumour that the GSM technology and the Code Division Multiple Access, CDMA would be phased out in about five years to come.

Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Mr. Peter Igoh, at the weekend joined the concerted efforts of the Commission to ensure that phone subscribers register their SIM cards before the expiration of the deadline on nationwide SIM Card registration on September 28, 2011.

In a bid to provide customers discounts on e-payment services, eTranzact International Plc has partnered with Bookhotelabroad.com, a leading provider of hotel accommodation and services worldwide from Nigeria to offer discounts on reservations booking services locally and globally.

Sequel to the renewed drive by Nigeria to rank among the top twenty economies in the world by 2020, e-business solution experts have declared that a technology driven economy will aid the efforts of the Federal Government in achieving this goal.

LAST week, shape of the newly-created Ministry of Communications and Technology became clearer. The minister, Mrs Omobola Johnson announced during a visit to NigComSat that agencies under her ministry would include Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited which has been in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Galaxy Backbone, Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), Nigeria Communications Commission, and the National Information Technology Development Agency of Nigeria (NITDA).

Research In Motion RIM; makers of the Blackberry range of smart phones has through it’s regional director- east, central and west Africa Mr. Waldi Wepener announce to ICT journalists in Lagos that the company as part of attempts to fully have the company and phones more localised in the country intends to work closely with Nigerian software developers.