NIGERIAN ICT stakeholders had clamoured for the creation of an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) ministry, given the speed of development that convergence has brought into the world economy.

At the just concluded world’s premier student technology competition, Imagine Cup 2011 held in New York , the United States of America, speakers rose from the event saying that attainment of Millennium Development Goals, (MDGs) by the year 2015 deadline requires urgent assignment by the creative students who showcased their products at the event that had about 400 technology wiz kids from 70 countries around the world.

Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, last week repeated calls that the federal government should make the vandalisation of telecom infrastructure a capital offence to deter vandals from frustrating the efforts of telecom operators in Nigeria.

As part of plans to boost its subscriber base in the country, Globacom Nigeria last week declared a new package tagged 1derful offer for Nigerian customers, even as it also unveiled a partnership with Nokia to offer special internet bundles and other services to its subscribers on some select Nokia phones.

AFTER an 18-month search, the GSMA at the weekend announced that Barcelona has been selected as the Mobile World Capital from 2012 to 2018. This gives the city the opportunity to retain the mobile industry’s must-attend event, the GSMA Mobile World Congress, and will also develop a range of other programmes and activities that will span the entire year.

A former deputy general manager at China Mobile has been sentenced to death by Chinese authorities, having been found guilty of corruption.

SAMSUNG Electronics West Africa, has announced the arrival of the series 3 350U2A notebook in the Nigerian ICT market.

New Horizons and th National Directorate of Employment have launched Skills for Employment and Enterprise (SEE) with a view to tackling the problem of graduate unemployment in Nigeria.

THE Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, has urged investors in the state to assist in the development of their domains so as to enjoy better corporation from the indigenes of the state.

For efficient record keeping and elimination of the trauma associated with manual registration, as well as prevalent exam malpractices resulting from poor monitoring, Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited, a Microsoft Gold Partner, has designed an e-registration system for the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB).

In a bid to provide a platform for a wealth creation among Nigerian youths, a leading global internet trade firm, MannaMart Online Ltd Group has launched www.MannaStores.com, a procurement company with presence in UK and Nigeria.

The National Software Policy Review Committee, (NSPC) will this week submit the draft copy of the National Software Policy to the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) for review by the governing board of the regulatory authority, Chairman of the National Software Policy Committee, (NSPC) Professor Wole Akinyokun has said.

AS you read this, the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) is holding its 10th International Conference at the International Conference Centre, in Abuja.For those who may not know, NCS, apart from being the organized platform for all computer professionals in the country, also incorporates the Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN), and the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON).

Symantec says it has expanded its encryption solution set with the introduction of Symantec PGP Viewer for iOS, which enables mobile workers to view encrypted email on an Apple iPad, iPhone, or iTouch, and a new version of Symantec Endpoint Encryption Full Disk Edition.

As part of its ongoing efforts to foster healthy and competitive economies worldwide, Microsoft Corporation recently joined the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in celebrating this year’s World Intellectual Property, IP Day,