President of the Digital Bridge Institute, DBI, Prof. Raymond Akwule, has said that Nigeria needs to transit from the Internet Protocol version four IPv4 to IPv6. 

Akwule said this in Lagos, during the IPv6 Roundtable, with the theme, 'IPv6 and the Future of Internet in Nigeria'. IPv6 is a version of Internet Protocol, IP intended to succeed IPv4, which is the communication protocol currently used to direct almost all internet traffic. 

IPv6 will allow the internet to support many more devices by greatly increasing the number of possible addresses. He said that migrating to IPv6 would ensure that the country closed the digital divide between it and the developed nations. 

According to him, internet has taken over people's life and has turned the world into a digital world. Akwule said time would come when Information Technology (IT) experts, IT engineers would be unable to perform well, if they were not conversant with the IPv6. 

He said there had been an open invitation for Nigeria to contribute to the forgoing of the internet. ``It is not enough to be a consuming nation, we need to improve our participation in the internet, not just as facebook users but as a nation whose participation would shape the internet.'' 

Chief Giandomenico Massari, President of the Internet Society, ISOC, Nigeria chapter, stressed the need for collaboration to achieve the aim of the internet. Massari said that the vision of the internet was to boost knowledge across the world, adding that a vision without implementation was an illusion. He said IPv6 was a protocol that would ensure that there was no end to the internet, since the IPv4 had already been exhausted. 

Mrs Nkemdilim Nweke, Executive Director, Operation of Digital Sense Africa, the convener of the roundtable, said the discussion was a platform for stakeholders to share IPv6 knowledge and experience. Nweke said that the roundtable would help to chart a roadmap for early transition to IPv6, as IPv4 addresses had ran out. ``The last batch of IPv4 addresses were allocated on Feb. 3, 2011, at a ceremony in Maimi to Asia Pacific Network by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, IANA," she said. According to her, the IPv4, with a capacity of just four billion, has served as the base of the internet since the early 80's. 

Nweke said the need for countries to integrate IPv6 in all aspects of their networks and telecommunications infrastructure was no longer an option.

The president of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Prof. Raymond Akwule has been confirmed as the chairman of the 2012 Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable due to hold on June 6 in Lagos.

The Executive Director, Operations at DigitalSENSE Africa Media, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke, the organizers of Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable, disclosed this in Lagos, saying that Prof. Akwule would be supported by industry heavy-weights during the commemoration of World Internet Protocol version 6 day.

According to her, the IPv6 Roundtable slated to hold at the Welcome Centre and Hotels, Lagos, would be presided over by telecommunications professors or international repute.

While urging industry players to take advantage of the event to address and share preparations at their ends on migration to IPv6 in the country, she noted that participants are bound to benefit from the wealth of experience of Akwule, who currently is the President of DBI, an international centre for advanced communications studies.

Nweke also noted that with over 25 years of teaching, research, and project planning and implementation experience in the fields of telecommunications and Information Technology as well as Mass Communications and Media Studies at George Mason University in Fairfax Virginia USA, Akwule would enrich the day with his enlightened exposure.

Equally, as a Senior Fellow, International Cyber Center at George Mason University, she pointed out that Prof. Akwule would gave some insights on the theme “IPv6 and the future of Internet in Nigeria.”

She revealed that Akwule who authored ‘Global Telecommunications:

The Technology, Administration and Policies’ published by Butterworth- Heinemann and widely used as text in several major universities in the United States and beyond among other articles.

Stressing that he also taught numerous undergraduate, Masters and Doctorate

level courses in several universities in the USA, before joining DBI, recalling that as a former Director, Center for Telecommunications Information and Broadcasting, which later become the Center for Media Research and Telecommunications at the Department of Communication, George Mason University, Akwule was one of the founders of the MA Telecommunications programmes at the same university.

Akwule, she noted has been an advisor to many countries in the area of ICT, telecommunications and Media, even as he spearheaded the design and implementation of several national ICT networks as well as e-government, e-commerce and e-education programmes on the continent of Africa.

Just as he served as a consultant to numerous governments, international organizations and international and national private sector companies, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), World Bank, UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to name a few.

The organizers recalled that the objective of Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable is to stimulate public discourse and create awareness on the technological cum business benefits of IPv6, encourage integration of it into all aspects of networking and telecommunications infrastructure in the country, commemorate the World IPV6 Day on Wednesday June 6, as well as providing first-class platform for networking.

Noteworthy, she said, is that the last batch of the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) addresses were given out by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) last year, 2011, as such it became imperative for the deployment of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). 

Source: Nigerian Compass

The Digital Bridge Institute located in the Utako District of Abuja has graduated yet another batch of trainees in its regular in-service course organised for workers in the Nigerian civil service, to upgrade their skills in Information and Communication Technology.

The Vice President of the Institute, Dr Okechukwu Ugweje during the closing ceremony on Saturday 17 November to mark the end of the three week long trianing in IC3 computer course said, ICT has come to stay and everyone should endeavour to improve himself to become part of it and not to be phased out from the new service operations.

Dr Okechukwu Ugweje disclosed that the Federal Government of Nigeria had deemed it worthwhile to sponsor the participation of thirty candidates   drawn from various MDAs through the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation. This was in consideration of the need for improved ICT skills for Nigerian workers.

The training session was divided into modules A, B and C. Module A comprised instuctions on computer fundamentals spanning areas such as elements of computer; input / output devices; what to consider when buying a system; files and folders and storage devices among others.

Module B dealt with key computer application software manipulations like using Microsoft office word 2007; requirements for the entering and editing of text; working with graphics; header and footer (pagination) as well as inserting tables. This module also explained the operational uses of the Microsoft office excel 2007 and how to enter data onto worksheets and the formatting of worksheets. The module contained instructions on dealing with assignments using Microsoft office power point 2007 for setting up presentations, selecting text objects like clip art images for illustration in presentations and enhancing presentations with the animation of objects.

However, Module C dealt with steps to ‘living online’ like networking fundamentals, understanding electronic communication, understanding the World Wide Web, using the browser, using the internet responsibly to exercise restriction of access to your system and your organization’s site as well as   buying online items.

Participants expressed the need for such programmes to equip them with personal computer systems to enable them carry on with the development of their skills and to motivate other workers to emulate and imbibe the new service trend.

Responding to the demand, Dr Okechukwu Ugweje said, the Head of Service has reasoned from past training exercises that individuals need to source for money to enable them purchase their own systems; saying government cannot afford to do more than offer training to participants.

The Vice President of DBI, realising that there was some level of improvement in the skills of the participants, enjoined them not to relent from continuous improvement of their computer skills.

He invited all to endeavour to attend the ‘Cetripep exam’ which is scheduled to take place at the disposal of individual participants before the end of January 2012 as part of the training. While declaring the participant Alumni of DBI, he warned that participants who attempt the exams more than once would be liable to pay for reseats, adjudging that about fifteen candidates from previous batches were successful in the exams.

Culled from: www.fmi.gov.ng

Ahead of plans for the introduction of e-learning programme in the federal civil service, the Federal Government, on Thursday, said efforts were being made to ensure that all officers from grade levels 08 to 17 in the service are equipped with personal computers.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Professor Oladapo Afolabi, who made this known while addressing the management team of the Digital Bridge Institute, led by its president and Chief Executive, Professor Raymond Akwule, in Abuja, said this would be the first step in the commencement of the e-learning programme.

Prof. Afolabi further said in the modules being developed for the e-learning programme, a lot of emphasis was placed on self-training and on-line examinations.

He listed policy, management, information and communication technology (ICT) and communication as critical import in the new public service capacity building programme, adding that all officers on grade levels 08 to 17 must receive instruction and pass appropriate examinations, without which they would not be promoted.

Professor Afolabi also said during his tenure, efforts would be made to commence the e-government project, where every transaction would be computer-based.

He further stated that the approach would be to pilot the project in a ministry and see how it would work out.

Earlier in his address, Professor Akwule said the organization was formed in 2004 by the National Communications Commission (NCC), with the mandate to support the human capacity development of the fast growing telecommunications industry in Nigeria.