Culture Games debut soon with Fair and Awards

Cultural and linguistic diversity, while stimulating respect for cultural identity, traditions and religions, is essential to the development of an Information Society based on the dialogue among cultures and regional and international cooperation. It is an important factor for sustainable development.

Based on the above, Akinbo A. A. Cornerstone and partners launched the Culture Games to span a planning space of three (3) years to commence in 2018. At a Press briefing, the convener shared that the adopted approach is in stages to help advance economic and socio-political growth and development in Africa. This will ensure that the public is informed, oriented and educated. it also announced the change of its logo and theme to Connecting Cultures.

With the use of the internet and its span of network, the games would progress to fairs, workshops, seminars and festivals with other key organisations across the globe.

Under the platform and collaboration of KOBOKINGs and Beyond Saving Lives Foundation, KonnectKulture will ensure that the Games address National Unity and Peace while bring the history of diversity to change the mindset of the average African.

They intend to partner with all countries across Africa, Ministries, NGOs and CBOS. 

KOBOKINGs Limited is the first disruptive communication technologist in Africa with start-up products and service that are committed to citizen, community and continent.

Outsourcing and Creative Communication Technologist, driven by passion for results

and success within our scope of work. 

DEBATE ON BIAFRA: JOE IGBOKWE TELLS HIS STORY!

NNAMDI KANU CALLED ME A HUNGRY SLAVE RESIDING IN LAGOS AND I HAVE FOUND THE NEED TO TELL MY STORY AGAIN FOR RECORD PURPOSES. I WANT NNAMDI TO TELL HIS OWN STORY TOO. PLEASE READ THIS:

In 1971, after my primary school education, poverty drove me to Lagos to find something to do to help my poor mother and siblings. Civil War devastated my father’s thriving business in Onitsha and we all suffered from 1966 to 1970 when the war ended.

With four wives and 34 children, my parents could not cope any more. My brothers and sisters dropped out of school to learn a trade. Because I was a little ‘sharp’ in school, my father encouraged me to finish primary school. It is needless here to recall how I and few of my siblings survived to finish our primary education. Consequently when my mates were taking Common Entrance Examination, I did not because there was no need to do so. No money, no three square meals a day, no good clothing, just nothing.

My mother encouraged me to travel with friends to Lagos. We landed at Sawmill Ebute Metta where I worked as a sawdust carrier at seven Shilling, six Pence a day. My job was to pack sawdust from the Machines to the Lagoon from 7am to 5 pm daily. I did this for nearly two years and later I became a danfo conductor plying Idioro/Ajegunle axis. From there I joined my brother in a supermarket business at Ijesha Road, Surulere. I did this until I returned home during Christmas in December 1973. I came home to meet my friends I was beating academically in school trying to make me feel and look inferior. Again I also noticed while in Lagos that if I fail to go to school, I may end up doing menial jobs meant for illiterates till the end of age. I decided to go back to school to add values to my life. But where are the school fees? There was nothing. How I managed to get the first school fee to start and what happened thereafter will take a book to do the narrative.

In 1979 I left Okongwu Memorial Grammar School Nnewi with Division One and was the school Head Boy. I taught in the same school as an Auxiliary Teacher from 1979 – 1980.  In 1980 I got admission to read Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nigeria Nsukka and graduated in 1985. I did my Youth Service in Ogun State and thereafter I returned to Lagos in 1986 to begin a journey to where I am today. I walked the streets of Lagos from 1986 – 1988 until the then military government headed by Gen Ibrahim Babangida set up the National Directorate of Employment, (NDE) to encourage graduates to start their own businesses. I got a loan of N27,500, using my NYSC discharge Certificate and my Degree Certificate as collateral at 9% interest rate. I set up a Restaurant Business in Western Avenue, Lagos and hit an instant success. While doing this business, I spread my nets also to the auto spare parts market in Lawanson, Surulere where my brother thrives as a very successful importer. I opened a shop there and got a boy to take charge of the business. From there, I entered into Auto dealership in Western Avenue Surulere. I paid back that loan in full and collected back my certificates.

In 1995, I wrote my first book, Igbos: 25 Years After Biafra. I also established National Vision Newspapers in 1997. In 1999, I wrote my second book: Heroes of Democracy. In 2004 I co-authored 2007: The IBB Option with my good friend, Peter Claver Oparah. One thing led to another. I became an opinion molder, a public commentator, political analyst, writer and an advocate of the peoples’ cause. I bought my first car in 1990 and became a millionaire in 1995 after launching of my first book.

In 2006, the then Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, made me the pioneer General Manager of the Lagos State Infrastructure & Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA) and I was there for almost 10 years. I served Asiwaju’s government for the remainder of his days as Lagos Governor. I served His Excellency Governor Babatunde Fashola for 8years. In September 2015, His Excellency Governor Akinwunmi Ambode moved me to Wharf Landing Fees Collecting Authority Apapa as Chairman. I became the Publicity Secretary AC, ACN, and APC since late 2006 till date. By the grace of God I have been the Chairman of Conference of APC Publicity Secretaries (CAPS) in Nigeria since 2014.

These positions and exploits have put me in the limelight in Lagos and Nigeria since the early 90s, and God has been kind to me. These offices have opened the doors of the rich and poor to me. They have opened the inner ways,byways, subways, expressways and highways to the corridors of power in Nigeria. I have been connected to the pace setters, policy makers, the movers and shakers of blue chip companies, newsmakers and the powers that be in Lagos. The magic of Lagos, the beauty of Lagos, the dynamics of Lagos, the glory of Lagos, the momentum of Lagos, the capacity, capability and the strength of Lagos touched me in no uncertain terms since 1986 (32years ago) till date…..and still counting.

My sojourn in Lagos for 32 years has also opened my eyes as a historian as to what Lagos has done for my people from South East. Today as I write this Igbo do not have a quarter of what they have in Lagos in the South East in terms of investments. As I write this book, Igbo are the second most populous ethnic group in Lagos. Today, Igbo exert tremendous influence and capacity in Lagos and its success story. Few years back two prominent sons of Nnewi told me in confidence that they did not know they have been wasting their time in Nnewi until they came to Lagos. They said Lagos opened doors for limitless opportunities and endless possibilities. I have seen people come from other parts of Nigeria to hit gold mine in Lagos.

I got married in 1990 and all my five kids are all Lagosians and so are millions of Igbo kids born in Lagos. They have lived most of their lives in Lagos, schooled in Lagos, worked in Lagos, made friends in Lagos and have keyed to the Lagos success story. They know any other place except Lagos. Lagos is their home. This is not limited to Igbo alone but all other ethnic groups and of course Yoruba from outside Lagos. Lagos is a melting pot, a mega city, a cosmopolitan beehive. Lagos controls the heartbeat of Nigeria, its wealth, its influence and its strategic socio-economic and political hub.  Lagos changed my thinking and original thoughts, Lagos emboldened me, Lagos motivated me, Lagos challenged me and Lagos made me. I can say no less. This is the story of Lagos, my Lagos. It is still unraveling, not for me alone but millions of other Nigerians, to the glory of God."

Joe Igbokwe
Lagos.

ISOC: Celebrating 25 towards the #thenext25.

Celebrating 25 years of working for an Internet for everyone Dear Colleagues: As we celebrate our 25th year of advocacy for an open, secure Internet for all, our mission has never been more challenging. Today, there is much at stake – we must continue to connect the planet to bring the Internet to everyone, everywhere and build trust in the Internet by addressing the growing security concerns of users, businesses and governments.  We have reached an important milestone in our history as well as a unique opportunity to leverage our essential work in access and trust. The value of our experience over the last 25 years lies in its application for the future. That is why we are planning a year when we look back at our roots while also looking forward to the next 25 years in support of the Internet. We have some key touchpoints and activities planned as part of this year of reflection, celebration and community building: 1) 25 under 25 – This new program is designed to recognize passionate, committed young people between the ages of 13-25 who are using the Internet to make a significant impact in their communities and beyond. More details will be shared at the Community Forum on 16 March, when we engage with young people on Internet issues that are important to them. 2) Community reflections on the Internet – There’s a new place for you to share stories and reflections on the Internet over the past 25 years from your own, personal perspective. What part did you play in making the Internet what it is today? What were your first memories of the early Internet in your region? We want to hear your story. Let's build and share a collegial, community walk down memory lane.  3) Roundtable series – A series of roundtables throughout the year will address timely topics we care deeply about. The first roundtable on 11 May will be hosted in conjunction with Chatham House and will explore the impact of the Internet on society. 4) Investing in our community – Starting in Q2, we will deliver a set of tools and resources to our Chapters to help promote their work for the Internet, build local and regional relationships, and encourage membership in the Internet Society. In addition, a global advertising campaign will enhance the visibility of the Internet Society for greater impact and reach around the world. 5) Internet Futures report – In 2016, we embarked on an initiative to explore the key trends and drivers that could change the Internet as we know it. Launching in early September, the Internet Futures report will share the findings from extensive research across our community and with industry experts. In addition to presenting the key forces that could impact the Internet in the next 5-10 years, the report will also share recommendations for the Internet we want in the future. 6) Internet Hall of Fame – We look forward to welcoming the next class of Internet Hall of Fame inductees in September as a cornerstone to our 25th anniversary celebration. This ceremony will honor the Pioneers, Innovators and Global Connectors who helped shape the Internet with their creativity, vision, dedication, and collaboration.   7) Special edition of InterCommunity, 19 September – Our global membership meeting, InterCommunity, builds on the positive momentum from last year with opportunities for local and regional engagement. The event will kick-off with the presentation of a new class of Internet Hall of Fame inductees. Following the ceremony, we pass the program to our nodes around the world for community dialogue on topics from the Internet Futures report, along with a time of celebration.  InterCommunity 2017 concludes where we started with the Internet Hall of Fame inductees joined by our 25 under 25 awardees for a roundtable on key take-aways from the community discussions.  InterCommunity 2017 will serve as the culmination of our 25th celebration as we gather on the Internet and in person for a global conversation, sharing ideas and building the future of the Internet together. You can find more information on all these activities on our 25th anniversary webpage, which will be continually updated throughout the year. This year we have a special opportunity to build our presence and visibility around the world in an unprecedented way.  We are investing in our mission and our global community to build a better, stronger Internet Society across the globe for the future. Join us on this journey – #thenext25. Best regards, Kathy Brown

ICANN2017 - Participants SpeakOut : Muhammad Shabbir Awan speaks

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Denmark’s Minister of Culture Remarks on the Success of ICANN’s Multistakeholder Model

March 13, 2017

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ICANN’s 58th public meeting, taking place from 11 to 16 March in Copenhagen, Denmark, has attracted more than 2500 registered participants. The meeting, hosted by the Danish Business Authority and the Danish Internet Forum, is being held six months after the IANA Stewardship Transition, a milestone in the history of ICANN’s multistakeholder community. Stakeholders from around the world, including people from businesses, governments, academia, and civil society, have convened in Denmark to discuss various topics such as the next steps after the IANA Stewardship Transition, enhancements to ICANN’s accountability and the new generic top level domain (gTLD) program.

At the opening ceremony, Denmark’s Minister of Culture, Mette Bock, commented on the IANA Stewardship Transition and ICANN’s multistakeholder model, stating “The IANA Stewardship Transition only happened because the whole ICANN community, and that is you, was able to work together and to develop proposals that received a very broad support. It was, indeed, a masterpiece and showcase for how the multistakeholder model can function and deliver sustainable results.”

Chairman of DIFO and DK-Hostmaster, Professor Henrik Udsen, also commented on the importance of this model. “Like ICANN, DIFO is based on a multistakeholder model, ensuring that all interest of the Danish Internet society is represented in the continuing efforts to make the .dk zone attractive and security,” said Udsen. “We believe that this multistakeholder model both at a national and international level is a vital component in creating robust solutions to the many challenges we face.”

ICANN’s President and CEO, Göran Marby, stressed the importance of diversity with respect to the future Internet users, saying “To be able to support the next generation of Internet users, we need to be diverse enough to understand the nodes going forward.”

ICANN Board Chair, Dr. Stephen Crocker, remarked on the importance of working together globally to maintain the Internet. “We're all different parts of one entity united by a common purpose to help maintain an amazing global network of networks,” said Crocker. “If we do our mission well, we will facilitate communication and the flow of information around the globe, but the only way that we can do that is if we work together and the work that we do together is framed by compassion and respect.”

At the ceremony, ICANN’s Chief Technology Officer David Conrad announced the launch of a test bed for the upcoming Key Signing Key (KSK) Rollover. “On 11 October 2017, relatively soon, we are going to be changing the root key signing key. Before that time, DNS operators, who have enabled DNSSEC validation, must update their configurations. So what we're announcing today is a test bed for DNS operators to determine the readiness to support automatic updates..”

ICANN is in the process of performing a Root Zone DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) Key Signing Key (KSK) rollover. 

The KSK is used to cryptographically sign the Zone Signing Key (ZSK), which is used by the Root Zone Maintainer to DNSSEC-sign the root zone of the Internet's DNS. Maintaining an up-to-date KSK is essential to ensuring DNSSEC-signed domain names continue to validate following the rollover. Internet service providers, enterprise network operators and others who operate DNSSEC validation must update their systems with the public part of the new key signing key.

Those unable to attend ICANN58 in person are highly encouraged to participate remotely. Details for remote participation in any of the sessions can be found here.