TECNO, a global premier smartphone and smart device brand, today debuted its strategic launch of TECNO Smart AIoT ecosystem strategy, marking TECNO’s strategic expansion of its business portfolio to AIoT area. Riding on its unique strengths and resources, as well as its accumulated market insights in emerging markets, TECNO is committed to bringing customers the most desirable AIoT products and smart connection solutions with best quality at competitive price.

Looking at the quick evolution into 3G/4G and even 5G era in emerging markets, TECNO unveils a forward-looking “1+N” AIoT strategy with a customer-oriented obsession, wherein “1” means that customers shall be taken as the core; “N” means N types of living scenarios the customers will experience which includes home interconnection, commerce, education, travel, sport, leisure, entertainment and more in their current and future life. Along with the strategy launch, TECNO also brings a ranges of new products including smart audio, smart wearables and first smart routing solution of 5G CPE with ultra high speed.

“We have constant investment and dedication to our long-term commitment to global emerging markets, with AIoT being one of TECNO’s strategic priorities in next few years. Standing at the revolutionary point into a new smart living era, we understand consumers’ real needs to high-quality smart products at competitive price, and we have great confidence and unique advantages to provide consumers there with more visionary and desirable mobile solutions.” Stephen HA, General Manager of TECNO Mobile commented.

AIoT is increasingly becoming more mainstream globally including emerging markets, leading human into a more connected future and lifestyle. According to IDC, by 2025, there’s projected to be 41.6 billion connected IoT devices. While, in emerging markets like Latin America, Middle East and Africa, performance to price ratio is an important factor that cannot be ignored, according to GFK research.

TECNO’s First 5G CPE: Ultra high speed, compatible of 3G/4G/5G and highly cost-effective

The launch of TECNO 5G CPE will be a game changer to innovate the broadband connections in global emerging markets, especially in African counties.
With the introduction of 5G, the ecosystem will continue to grow at a much faster rate as 5G will enable the connection of every object, person and machine. It benefits multiple areas includes smart home, intelligent medical, agriculture, transportation, finance and industrial networking of things. With these scenarios being part of TECNO’s “1+N” strategy, the release of 5G CPE plays the prominent role.

In addition, being aware of the low popularity of optical network and incomplete infrastructure versus high network connection cost in emerging markets especially in African markets, TECNO 5G CPE brings an innovative network connection solution which enables ultra-high speed and compatibility, efficient data exchange while extremely low connecting cost to end users. This will put TECNO at very advantageous position to become one driving force behind construction of the end-user network connectivity infrastructure with local carriers. Right now, TECNO has just announced its 5G CPE available and target to work with main carriers to gradually cover several emerging markets- the pilot markets will be South Africa, Thailand and Russia, the future markets will cover Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Morocco, Myanmar,etc.

Competitive Strength of 5G CPE
* Ultra-high Speed & Compatibility- With the super speed of 5G, TECNO 5G CPE can truly realize the ‘Triple-Gigabit’ network speed. For example, users can download a movie within only 4 seconds with the 5G network. In terms of compatibility, the SA&NSA dual networking makes 5G/4G/3G all compatible. The high-performance dual-core processor of TECNO 5C CPE can also realize super strong WIFI coverage.
* High Cost-effectiveness- With market price more than half of other brand’s 5G CPE under similar excellent product performance, TECNO 5G CPE shows a remarkable price advantage compared with other industry players. With TECNO 5G CPE, more enterprises and households can get access to truly wireless ultra-fibre broadband experience in the near future, making information transmission much easier, super cost-effective and more efficient.

TECNO Introduced A Range of Smart Audio and Smart Wearables to Accelerate AIoT Ecosystem’s Development

Bearing the real market reality and consumer demand in mind, TECNO aims to build the foundation of the AIoT ecosystem by providing comprehensive product categories and accelerate smart devices and smart connection developments with focus on the mostly expected top two categories of ‘personal + home’ in the near term.

Most Recently, TECNO announced new devices of TWS HiPods H2, Smart Watch and Smart Band under the product development philosophy of ‘simply extraordinary’, bring refreshing, smart connecting and convenient experience to their everyday life.

TECNO Audio Products – TECNO has launched HiPods H2 True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Bluetooth Earbuds in July in global emerging market. It boasts with the latest TWS technology, providing smart connectivity, strong durability, pure stereo sound effect and sleek designs, bringing extraordinary ‘WIRELESS’ audio experience to all ears.

TECNO Smart Wearables – TECNO smart watch (TECNO Watch 1) and smart band (TECNO Band 1) will also be unveiled soon in global emerging markets, aiming to be the ideal portable mate of consumers for sports, leisure and daily life. Both the smart watch and smart band features the ultra-long battery life, health management functions including heart rate variation detection, sleep quality monitoring, the special function of 24-hour smart temperature monitoring and abnormal temperature alarm which aims to provide necessary alert to users’ daily health monitoring under the current situation of Covid-19.

In the near future, TECNO will be introducing more cool and stylish smart devices, ranging from Bluetooth- related products (TWS, headphones, speakers), MBB products (MIFI, CPE) , to smart home gadgets, empowering consumers with excellent smart devices using experience under the era of smart connection.

*from TECNO press release

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is defined as illness caused by a novel coronavirus now called “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; formerly called 2019-nCoV), which was first indentified amidst an outbreak of respiratory illness cases in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China (Cennimo, 2020). It was initially reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019. On January 30, 2020, the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global health emergency. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, it first such designation since declaring H1N1 influenza a pandemic in 2009 (Gallegos, 2020; Wee, McNeil & Hernandez, 2020)

The illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 was recently termed COVID-19 by the WHO, the new acronym derived from “Coronavirus Disease 2019”. The name was chosen to avoid stigmatizing the virus’s origins in terms of populations, geography, or animal association (Ceninimo, 2020). On February 11, 2020, the Coronavirus Study Group (CSG) of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses issued statement announcing an official designation for the novel virus: severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros, in his regular briefing cautioned that “the world cannot go back the way things were. There must be a “new normal” – a world that is healthier, safer and better prepared”. Accordingly, on April 23, 2020 WHO published a situation report on the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) with a global outbreak of 2,544,792 confirmed cases and a death toll of 175,694 (WHO, 2020). Also, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on April 24, 2020 recorded a total of 981 confirmed cases, 197 discharged and 31 deaths. However, a handful of people that tested positive to the virus, are now testing negative to the virus. Though, a worldwide accepted vaccine is yet to be produced.

The COVID-19 crisis has wreaked havoc on healthcare and economies worldwide, including a vital component of human activity, transportation. The transportation sector remains the one industry that keeps all other elements as well as the entire system in constant motion and it is very difficult to conceive of a situation where transportation does not play a major role in the life of any nation or society.

Developing nations seeking to develop their economies, must as a matter of urgent necessity give priority to the transportation sector. Studied have shown that developing societies have not sufficiently tapped into the potential of the transport sector, as a result it is not fully maximized in those regions (Okotie, 2019). The Nigeria’s transport system has long suffered as a result of inadequate investment in infrastructure which has constituted huge challenge to economic growth. Transportation therefore occupies a very strategic position in modern day life and is often described as that part of economic activity that is concerned with increasing human satisfaction by changing the geographical position of good, people and services. It is the hub upon which all other activities are spatially arranged.

As coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to extend it global reach, the impact is being absorbed in every corner of the economy, and the transportation sector has been one of the primary victims of COVID-19, with marked decline in exports and imports, even in domestic mobility of good, people and services. For instance, reports have indicated that Nigerian retailers are running low on consumer goods; manufacturers are suffering depletion of imported component parts necessary for production and; exporters are facing logistics challenges in exporting commodities (Okotie, 2019).

The speed with which these impacts have hit the world is unprecedented, especially because the different modes of transport (airlines, railways, maritime, pipelines, private and public transport systems) have all experienced drastic fall of customers and patronage. It is in the light of the foregoing that this paper is set to outline the effect, challenges and prospect of COVID-19 outbreak on the transportation industry.

THE EFFECT OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK ON THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA

a) Due to the lockdown in many countries, the demand for passenger transport has been adversely hit by the push for social distancing.

b) It has resulted negatively in shutting down of most transport modes of operation.

c) The freight segment has had a mixed short-term effect in terms of transportation demand.

d) There has been reduction in service delivery level.

e) There is a surge in demand for truck drivers in transportation of essential goods.

f) There has been a restriction on the number of passengers on taxi, buses, tricycle (keke) etc.

g) Due to the “limited or no” transport modes; people have been exposed to walking in roads with neither pollution nor congestion.

CHALLENGES OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK ON THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA

a) After the COVID-19 pandemic situation normalizes, the perception of risk associated with crowed areas could lead to shift in preferences towards personal travel modes. That is, people may avoid using public transport modes to avoid crowds.

b) Drivers in taxi, bus, tricycle (keke) services are economically suffering in the short term due to the COVID-19 lockdown. However, it cannot be said if these modes may face long term economic challenges in terms of reduced travel demand.

c) People may also avoid shared mobility modes like taxi, bus, tricycle (keke) etc.

THE PROSPECT OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK ON THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA

Some of the ways Nigeria’s transport system can adapt to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is by:

a) Revaluating and restructuring the entire transport system by the government in participating and getting more involved in its development.

b) Collaboration and partnership with more advanced transport nations.

c) Encouragement of more professionalism in the transport sector.

d) Proper regulation and monitoring of the various transport modes of mobility.

e) Deployment of modern technology and communication systems in driving the sector.

f) Enacting and formulating modern policies and also tailoring it to fit our environment.

g) Establishment of a think-tank group to develop more strategies in building a more sustainable and globally competitive transport system.

Finally, the call for advanced 21st century network of roads, airports, maritime space, train routes and land transportation network is very important in our cities, towns, small communities and the rural areas in such environment. Investments in transportation infrastructure is surging globally and the need for Nigeria to begin to look inwards in investing a sizeable part of its resources in the development of modern transportation systems and structures are essential to drive the economy of our beloved nation upward as well as upgrade and extend the life of the old structure.

For the record, global economies today are driven by digitization and fast moving technological innovations, which in turn drives new and modern systems of transport for goods, services and people. In both urban and rural communities around the world, the challenge of moving people and cargo efficiently, safely and sustainably while providing transportation for all segments of society and not just for the rich elite or top government officials alone, remains a challenge which demands new solution in our increasingly globalized, urbanized, and environmentally compromised society.

REFERENCES

Ceninimo, D. J. (2020). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Retrieved on April 21, 2020 from https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2500114-overview

Gallegos, A. (2020). WHO declares public health emergency for novel coronavirus. Retrieved on April 21, 2020 from https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/924596

Okotie, F. (April 11, 2019). Strategic importance of the transportation sector to Nigerian economy. Business Day. Retrieved on April 21, 2020 from https:// businessday.ng/opinion/article/strategic-importance-of-the-transportation-sector-to-nigerian-economy/

Wee, S., NcNeil Jr. D. G., & Hernandez, J. C. (2020). WHO declares global emergency as Wuhan coronavirus spreads. The New York Times. Retrieved on April 21, 2020 from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/health/coronavirus-world-health-organisation.html

World Health Organization (WHO), (April 23, 2020). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ituation report – 94. World Health Organisation.

While I was in Ibadan, waste collectors came to our compounds to pick up our refuse. Then, what we used to do was that every compound had a barrel at its front, where the occupants threw in their wastes. These collectors come every Tuesdays and Thursdays, or Mondays and Fridays, depending on their schedules, to empty these barrels (whether filled or not). They come in their big trucks, lift up these barrels (they preferred plastics) and pour their contents into the trucks. In those days, you don’t see dirt lying about in Bodija because these waste collectors were good at their jobs. They even come with brooms to gather refuse in case some drop on the floor.

But then, I think why there was this kind of arrangement was because these waste collectors were from private companies. I can’t really say but I think Oyo State Government gave licence to private individuals to collect and dispose of wastes. So all we had to do was “subscribe” to one of these companies and have our wastes removed right from the front of our house.

When I left Ibadan for Koroduma, one of the towns in Nasarawa State that shares a border with FCT, I didn’t see private waste collectors with big trucks. Then, people have two, or rather three, options for refuse disposal. It is either they take their wastes to the “government” dumpsites, which originally contained government’s dumpsters, or they throw them into the river or gutters when rain falls. But the option that was most convenient for us then was that of engaging the services of small private waste collectors, known as “Mai Shara”. They come in their wheelbarrows and collect waste directly from people’s door steps. They don’t do theirs compound by compound and you don’t subscribe to them. If you have refuse, keep them somewhere rats will not access them and then wait for Mai Shara to pass. This wasn’t the best option but it was convenient.

Then coming down to Enugu, I saw something entirely different. Permit me to express my disappointment at not seeing well established private waste collectors here. You may also be surprised to hear that people look at me as if I’ve developed horns anytime I tell them that the Enugu State Government should give out licence to private individuals to oversee the collection and disposal of wastes from households and business arenas. People are comfortable with the way things are, which should not be like that at all.

Let me give you a little glimpse into the situation of things in Enugu.

Here in Enugu, a government agency known as ESWAMA, which is an acronym for Enugu State Waste Management Agency, takes care of waste disposal (and not collection). What this agency does is that it mounts few dumpsters for waste collection and then empties them when they are filled. I can’t tell how often they do this but they try anyway. However, these dumpsites, even the ones in front of people’s compounds, are gagging sites. You can’t pass them without holding your breath. This wouldn’t have been the case if the Oyo State method was adopted.

People that live in Enugu may feel comfortable with how things are with their waste disposal method because they have not tasted the convenience of not loading their cars with decayed matters in their bid to locate a dumpster. People here may not really believe that it is possible that they can have dustbins in front of their compound and the place will not be turned into dumpsites later (this was an argument someone gave me). Some people even said it was impossible that people can conveniently have their trash cans emptied by private contractors. Well, I don’t really blame them; I blame the government that left its regulatory job and decided to source for income.

Well, it is not too late to make changes. All Enugu State Government, and other state governments that maintain this practice, have to partner with private individuals to get this job done. This will even generate more income for the government, which is better than the way ESWAMA uses task forces to collect revenue. If this job is given to private individuals, they will only remove the wastes of their subscribers. Those that didn’t pay will have to find ways of handling their wastes. Of course, it is not possible for people to throw their refuse into another person’s dustbin because the person that is paying will guard his property very well.

This essay is just a call for the privatisation of waste collection, not just in Enugu, but in every part of the country.

The United States congress is pushing a bill that will strip Chinese president Xi Jingping of the title ‘president.’ The bill called “Name the Enemy Act,” is expected to, when passed, prohibit the federal government from using the title ‘president’ to address Xi Jingping. The bill said Xi will alternatively be referred to as “General Secretary.”

“The Federal Government may not obligate or expend any funds for the creation and dissemination of United States Government documents and communications that refer to the head of state of the People’s Republic of China as anything other than “General Secretary of the Communist Party”, or alternatively, as “General Secretary.””

The bill was introduced by Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania on August 7, as a way of showing the US’ disapproval of China’s human rights violations including the abuse of Uighurs and Kazaks.

“The leadership of the People’s Republic of China has gone unchallenged in its perverse pursuits of human rights abuses across decades. Addressing the head of state of the People’s Republic of China as a ‘president’ grants the incorrect assumption that the people of the state, via democratic means, have readily legitimized the leader who rules them,” the bill reads.

The bill mentioned the use of Chinese armed forces to constantly infringe upon the sovereignty of surrounding countries, citing the April 2020 incident, where the Chinese maritime surveillance sank a Vietnamese fishing boat off the paracel Islands.

However, the move appears unlikely to take anything from Xi, who has acquired titles for himself since he came into power in 2012, though it bears authoritarian remarks.

The title ‘president’ has a democratic bearing that the Chinese government has failed to manifest, and the morality in referring to Xi, who has been at the top of authoritarian rule for years, as president has been called into question. Critics argue that addressing Xi as president allows him to project an image of openness and representative leadership to the international community which stands in stark opposition to who he truly is.

“China is not a democracy, and its citizens have no right to vote, assemble, or speak freely. Giving General Secretary Xi the unearned title of ‘president’ lends a veneer of democratic legitimacy to the CCP and Xi’s authoritarian rule,” said the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, in a 2019 report to Congress.

But in China, Xi’s titles do not include the word ‘President’ while past Chinese leaders bore the official English title since 1980 when the South Asian country began opening up its economy, the head of the Chinese Communist Party has been differently addressed.

CNN did a history recap on the titles held by Xi in Chinese, and none represents exactly the English word ‘president.’ For instance, the three main titles Xi is known by are guojia zhuxi, meaning State Chairman; Zhongyang junwei zhuxi, commander-in-chief of the people’s Liberation Army (PLA); and zong shuji, the head of China’s ruling political party.

These titles are used to address Xi according to each occasion. But for English speakers and the state-run media, the title of number one man in China is president.

While the bill is going to make a strong statement about the United States’ view of Chinese authoritarian rule headed by Xi, addressing him as ‘General Secretary’ has a little weight to change the status quo.