New Partnership to Fight Crime

Anthony Akaeze

Globacom, one of Nigeria’s top rated telecoms companies, has entered into  a partnership with the Nigeria Police Force, to provide seamless and effective telephone connection to officers  of the force. This is geared at enhancing their crime fighting capabilities. The collaboration, called FORCE-COM 700, will see Globacom providing an initial 10,000 connections on a Close User Group, CUG, platform, covering the entire force nationally. The CUG provides for members of the group to call one another free of charge while paying minimally for calls outside the CUG. The facility will also be extended to family members of the policemen.

During the signing of the agreement recently at the Globacom headquarters in Lagos, Tunde Amunikoro, head, public sector department, Globacom, explained that the project was painstakingly designed to make life easier for families of policemen across the country.  “We have considered the rate at which officers of the Nigerian Police Force are transferred round the country leaving their families behind at various commands.  This scheme will certainly reduce the gap of communication while on such postings,” he said.

Throwing more light on the quality of the package, Amunikoro said that Glo had built excess capacity to accommodate the communication demands of the force and had injected several soft and highly competitive conditions into the scheme to reduce the effect of the subsidy removal and improve the wellbeing of men and women of the Nigerian Police Force and their families. 

 Titi Busari, deputy police commissioner, who represented the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, emphasised the importance of communication to crime fighting, saying that the availability of effective and seamless mobile connection will ensure that members of the police are always a step ahead of the criminals unlike in the past when robbers easily escaped due to inefficient communication facilities.

Steven Oyewumi, chairman of Eaglemark Nigeria Limited, consultants to the scheme, commended Globacom and the Police Force for having the foresight and initiative to broker the partnership.

Ready to Host the World

Chimezie Enyiocha

All is now set for the 33rd edition of the Kaduna International Trade Fair. The Kaduna Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, KADCCIMA, organisers of the event, have concluded arrangement for exhibitors to showcase their products in the northern Nigeria capital. The fair is scheduled to commence on February 23, with more than 600 participants from Europe, Africa and Asia. 

According to KADCCIMA, the 2012 fair will take place at the International Trade Fair Complex, Rigachikun, Kaduna, with the theme: “Re-awakening of Nigerian Enterprises Towards Global Competitiveness.” Umar Yahaya, president of KADCCIMA, told Newswatch that the fair will hold despite security threats occasioned by bombing by members of the Boko Haram sects. “We are making our own internal security arrangements in order to have a hitch-free exhibition,” he said, adding that security challenges were not peculiar to Kaduna or the north but a problem affecting the whole country.

New Chivita Pack

Augustine Adah

As part of its desire to satisfy its customers, Chi Limited on February 9, launched a new Chivita 750 mililitres friendship pack in Lagos. It is the first in the market. About 15 years ago, Chivita juice was introduced into the market packaged in a-20-litre keg. The decision of the company to introduce a new Chivita 750ml brand after the 500ml regal pack, was launched in 2010 as a result of consistent demands by customers. With the new pack, a customer does not have too much to consume and too little to share.

Shiv Sunderher, marketing manager, Chi Limited, said the new product is unique because it is produced without added sugar, preservatives and colouring . He said that the company has invested so much into creating awareness for the new product across the 36 states of the federation. The new Chivita 750ml friendship pack is sold for N200 while a cartoon costs N1,700. 

Star in Search of Stars

Ishaya  Ibrahim

As part of its corporate social responsibility to the Nigerian public, the Star beer brand would begin another round of the 2012 Star Quest early in March. The competition is aimed at empowering young Nigerians with talent for music.

Over the years, entrepreneurial artistes and bands have been created through the Star Quest. They include KC Fresh, D’Accord, D’Jewels, Diamondz, Jukebox and most recently, The Beat.  This year also, the talent hunt would seek out young Nigerians with raw music skills including artistry in playing musical instruments.

Yusuf Ageni, corporate affairs adviser of Nigeria Breweries Plc, said that contestants from all over the country would be given the opportunity to become the next stars in the Nigerian music scene and win coveted recording contracts among other attractive prizes. These include a N3.6 million cash, a mini van, one year guaranteed accommodation in Lagos and an opportunity to participate in the upcoming Star sponsored events as performing artistes. 

Combating e-Payment Fraud

Demola  Abimboye

To make e-payment more secured for customers, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has established an automated teller machine, ATM, Fraud Prevention Committee to address risks associated with the use of alternative e-payment channels. Members of the committee include banks, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, InterSwitch and ValuCard. The committee meets monthly.

The Bankers’ Committee said in a statement setting up the committee, that it had become imperative to address card frauds, especially those ones associated with the use of ATMs and Point of Sale, POS, terminals. It noted that ATM fraud was prevalent when magnetic strip cards were in use. All Nigerian banks have migrated to chip and personal identification, PIN, technology which is more secured and has drastically reduced the fraud level in the industry. “With chip and PIN, the chances of fraud are reduced provided a customer keeps his PIN secret,” the committee said.

In terms of infrastructure, the committee said that the CBN was working with the Nigeria Communication Commission, NCC, and telecommunications operators to ensure that there are dedicated communication links for the POS system in the country. It added that if the POS or mobile phone is stolen, the money for the user is safe as the devices do not hold the money.

To make the platforms secured and reliable, the Committee said that all POS must have a minimum of two SIMs from telecommunications operators.  

The Committee disclosed that the literacy required in operating the POS is minimal as many Nigerians can use a mobile phone needed to make mobile payments. Besides, biometrics is being installed in some ATMs and POS to further check fraud in the industry. The body advised merchants to recognise that there are other ways in which the POS terminal can benefit them, such as selling other services and earning commissions.

For instance, mobile credit can be sold through the terminals. It can be used to collect bill payments for firms such as the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN. Also training will be provided by the acquirer’s payment terminal service provider, PTSP. Part of the deployment process is to ensure a practical training of how to use the POS for the merchant and their staff.

Besides, the Bankers Committee said the CBN has mandated banks or independent organisations that deploy ATM for use by the public to address technical faults within 72 hours. This, it said, is to improve the quality of ATM service to bank customers across the country. Also, the bank has set a standard for operators in the electronic banking system to ensure seamless operations.

The guideline, which focuses on technology and specification, deployment, operations, security, maintenance, dispute resolutions, liability shift, regulatory monitoring and penalties for defaulters, were addressed to banks, non-banks or acquirers.

Five Times Award Winner

For the fifth time, Union Bank of Nigeria, UBN, PLC has retained its position as the Best Performing Bank in Nigeria under the Central Bank of Nigeria - managed Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund, ACGSF. The bank has won the award consecutively, except in 2010, since its inception in 2006.

The bank was adjudged the best farmer-friendly bank by the jury that assessed all the deposit money banks in the country on three criteria - outreach or the number of loans granted in 2011, lending experience, especially the value of loans granted last year and compliance with the CBN directive on establishment of agricultural finance department.

 Lamido Sanusi, governor of the CBN, presented the trophy to Adekunle Adeosun, Union Bank’s executive director, Commercial Banking, South, at the sixth Annual Micro-Finance Conference and Entrepreneurship Awards held at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja.

The award is an eloquent testament of Union Bank’s efforts at developing the agricultural sector and bolstering national food security.

With agriculture finance desk manned by well trained officers and the best outreach to rural areas nationwide, Union Bank has, over the years, supported all categories of farmers thereby aiding the CBN in fast-tracking the development of the agricultural sector of the Nigerian economy.

The entrepreneurship awards were instituted by the CBN in 2006 after the launching of the Micro–Finance Policy, Regulatory and Supervisory Framework for the Nigeria the previous year.

Hitherto, the CBN used to organise the ACGSF award at the state level.  Farmers who received facilities from the bank under the scheme won the state farmer of the year in 21 out of 31 states including Abuja in 1997; 25 out of 31 states and Abuja in 1998; 27 out of 31 states and Abuja in 2000. Out of them all, one emerged as the National Farmer of the year award.