Africa Data Centres breaks ground on new Sameer facility in Nairobi

Africa Data Centres breaks ground on new Sameer facility in Nairobi

Africa Data Centres (www.AfricaDataCentres.com) has broken ground on its new facility in Nairobi; The new build will expand its existing data centre by up to 15MW of IT load; The facility will be built in the company’s leading-edge modular design.

 

Africa Data Centres, a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, is pleased to announce it has officially broken ground on an additional data centre facility in Nairobi. The new build will see the existing facility on the adjacent piece of land expanded up to an extra 15MW of IT load.

 

ADC’s expansion at the new site will be completed in the first half of 2024 and will bring five times more capacity than is currently installed.

 

“We believe that data centres will play a significant role in digital transformation and economic growth on our continent. Without them, the push towards a digital economy in Africa will be missing a key pillar. Our decision to increase our investment in our data centres in Kenya is in recognition of the position the country now occupies as a leader in the adoption of digital technologies in Africa” says Hardy Pemhiwa, Group President & CEO of Cassava Technologies.

 

During the ground-breaking ceremony today, Tesh Durvasula, CEO of Africa Data Centres, said, “The expansion will enable Africa Data Centre clients to grow and scale depending on their requirements. They can start small, increase to a medium capacity, and even benefit from a hyperscale type of deployment in a few years if they choose to. This will enable customers to operate multiple deployments across our sites with a single operations team, campus, and infrastructure they are familiar with”.

 

We believe that data centres will play a significant role in digital transformation and economic growth on our continent

Kenya is the country that pioneered mobile money, and today boasts of a wide range of incubators and tech startups, a clear sign of an innovative tech culture. The focus on Kenya as a key region aims to take the region further into the digital era and uplift the country’s profile globally as an attractive investment destination for international cloud providers, hyperscalers, and other ICT companies.

 

The new data facility will begin with 5MW of IT load and will be built in Africa Data Centres’ leading-edge modular design – an innovative approach that sees the entire facility, including all critical plant rooms, prefabricated off-site. This ensures the highest possible quality, whilst local contractors will still benefit from contracts to lay foundations, assemble, and complete the build.

 

He stresses that sustainability is at the heart of everything Africa Data Centres does. In terms of cooling, even as the largest network of interconnected, carrier- and cloud-neutral data centre facilities on the continent, ADC has a strict policy of not using adiabatic systems. “We do not use water in any of our cooling systems and are one of the few colocation providers who have taken this step,” said Durvasula.

 

While the common belief might be that water and adiabatic systems are more efficient than air cooling systems, this simply is not the case. “With the newest technology, if free-cooling capacity is maximised, it becomes far more efficient and saves water which is becoming a critical commodity, particularly in Africa.”

 

He added that Africa Data Centre is fortunate in Kenya as almost 70% of grid power is from green energy sources. “This helps us to meet our sustainability objectives because we understand no organisation can achieve zero carbon emissions by itself. We understand that sustainability is about ensuring that we conduct ourselves in a manner that minimises our impact on the environment. We extend this ethos to all of our partners, and constantly look for ways to ensure that all elements of the business contribute positively to the sustainability of the planet”.

 

Today’s event is a step forward in the company’s expansion plans announced in 2021, which will see Africa Data Centres investing $500m into building hyperscale data centres across Africa with the support of the US Development Finance Corporation.

Digital Expert Academy Promotes United States – Nigeria Collaboration in Tech

Digital Expert Academy Promotes United States – Nigeria Collaboration in Tech

United States Consul General Will Stevens joined representatives from leading American tech companies, Nigerian technology and business leaders for the official opening of the Digital Expert Academy in Lagos.

 

Founded by 21st Century Technologies, the Digital Expert Academy seeks to create opportunities to train and upskill young Nigerians in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, machine learning, cloud services, data science, data center management among other tech fields.

Delivering keynote remarks on the theme “Technology as an Enabler and Tool for Empowerment,” Consul General Will Stevens noted that the U.S. government is committed to supporting programs that provide youth with quality technological learning opportunities. He highlighted the importance of tech skills to Nigeria’s future prosperity and economic competitiveness.

We hope that by developing local talent in tech fields, we help accelerate medium and long-term growth in Nigeria’s and indeed Africa’s digital economy

Consul General Stevens explained that the Biden Administration’s U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa aims to drive digital transformation and foster a digital ecosystem built on open, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet and information and communication technology.

“This initiative is investing in some of Nigeria’s richest resources – its young people,” said Consul General Stevens. “We hope that by developing local talent in tech fields, we help accelerate medium and long-term growth in Nigeria’s and indeed Africa’s digital economy.”

Chairman & CEO, 21st Century Technologies Group, Wale Ajisebutu, explained that the Digital Expert Academy will help bridge the gap between youth and employers by better connecting young people with the changing needs of the private sector and the skills needed to succeed in the digital economy.

He added that the academy will partner with leading American tech companies such as Microsoft and Oracle to provide trainees with world class learning opportunities.  The academy, he added, is open to youth who are at least 18 years of age with minimum of a high school diploma.

The U.S. Mission supports Nigeria’s burgeoning tech scene and encourages the creation of the enabling environment necessary to foster a sector that contributes to a more prosperous future for all its citizens.

 

 

 

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Meet Chika Uwazie, The Lady Taking African Blockchain Ecosystem By Storm!

Meet Chika Uwazie, The Lady Taking African Blockchain Ecosystem By Storm!

Good things come in different packages and that is the story of Chika! The Blockchain technology is undoubtedly the future of information technology space, there is a need for Africans to be serious players in this budding but thriving ecosystem.

Cryptocurrency has been here for sometime though yo some it is a   new thing, with nations adopting it for transaction and others making plans for it in future . In Nigeria, a delectable lady is poised and positioned to bring disruption in this ecosystem, known as Chika Uwazie, a United State born serial entrepreneur has shown that Nigerian ladies can do wonders in the blockchain with her new firm called Afropolitian .

Speaking via her social media, she tweeted that “In order for Africa to avoid the same mistakes in previous innovation eras, we need to create our own infrastructure. We have not built our own in the crypto market, and our future will continue to be beholden to other countries.”

Chika strongly believe that the growth of Africa is possible but not in the way others think but through rigorous collaboration between Africans and the African Americans . She added that “The connection between the African diaspora and the continent is key to unlock Africa’s unrealized potential.”

According to Afrikan Heroes, they said that “Afropolitan’s digital nation will be built in 4 phases. In the first phase, it will admit people into its community or decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO), with NFTs serving as digital passports. In the second phase, it will build a super app that will allow people to monitor their holdings, send money to anyone across borders, earn by contributing to the DAO, and buy goods and services from one another. “

“…The next phase is what is called a “minimum viable state” which will allow it to offer some government services—case in point, help Africans stuck in the Russian-Ukraine crisis. Afterwards, it intends to push for full-scale sovereignty and acquire physical lands in cities across the world. “Think a ‘Chinatown/Afropolitan Town’ in every city in the world where our members can establish a physical presence to create economic opportunities. Our network state will serve as the capital that governs these enclaves that will serve as embassies.”

Chika Uwazie – Co-Founder – Afropolitan: A Digital Nation and born in Washington DC-Baltimore Area · She is the Co-Founder  of Afropolitan , A block chain company that is known as  “A Digital Nation”, Afropolitan is building a Pan-African Network State to help 1 Billion Africans live their lives.

Anthony Emeka Nwosu

NCC Boss to Receive Vanguard’s Regulator of the Year Award on Friday

NCC Boss to Receive Vanguard’s Regulator of the Year Award on Friday

 

 

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, is set to receive the 2022 Regulator of the Year Award at the highly-coveted Vanguard Personality of the Year Awards.

 

Vanguard Newspaper Limited, the organizers of the event, has said that Danbatta would receive the award category at a ceremony to be held in Lagos on Friday, January 27, 2022 based on the recognition of the professor’s transformational and inspiring leadership, which brought the effective regulatory regime in the telecoms sector, impacting positively on Nigeria’s digital economy ecosystem.

 

Alongside other prominent personalities including state governors like Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Abdulraham Abdulrazaq of Kwara, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State as well as the Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and other Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in professional excellence and service to humanity, Danbatta will stand tall before Nigerians on Friday to receive his category of award.

 

Profoundly described as Africa’s Regulatory model, Prof. Danbatta has become a model to other African regulators.

 

A respectable scholar and distinguished academic, Danbatta has displayed a no-nonsense mien in discharging regulatory functions, yet he is generally viewed in the industry as a calm and calculative leader who takes fair but firm decisions in his drive to steady the Nigerian telecom environment. This has, no doubt, inspired many African regulators to adopt Nigeria’s model in order to revamp their regulatory activities.

 

 

A professor of telecommunications engineering, Danbatta, before his appointment, had been the Acting Vice Chancellor at the Kano State University of Science and Technology (KUST), and as a lecturer he has supervised more than 60 PhD, M.Eng and B.Eng projects in diverse areas of telecommunications.

 

Danbatta, however, was not entirely new to the industry before he bacame the NCC boss, as he had a stint at the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) an international centre for advanced communications studies established in 2004 by the NCC for capacity building in diverse areas of Information and Communication Technology as the Vice President of the institute.

 

 

His first five years in office witnessed an effective regulatory regime through cutting-edge initiatives, strengthening the role of the telecommunications sector as a major contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

 

 

Currently leading the charge to achieve the Nigerian National Broad Plan 2020-2025, Danbatta was acclaimed for spearheading the predecessor campaign, which Nigeria attained and surpassed the 30% national target in 2018, from paltry 6% when he took over.

 

The multiple award-winning professor also midwifed a highly successful 5G spectrum auction last year, while his strides in reviving the Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs) and the introduction of harmonized national emergency communication number (112) helped the NCC to win the International Public Relations Association Golden Award in the year 2021, because of a pivotal role they played in containing the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

His stellar leadership style was recently rewarded by the organizers of the prestigious Zik Prize, as they bestowed on him the Zik Prize award for Professional Leadership.

 

Danbatta earned BEng, MSc degrees from the Technical University of Wroclaw in Poland and received his PhD from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. Yet, in spite of his towering achievements, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, remains an epitome of modesty and humility.

CBN launches Nigerian Domestic Card, AfriGo

CBN launches Nigerian Domestic Card, AfriGo

CBN launches Nigerian Domestic Card, AfriGo, bans dollar charges on domestic transactions.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has launched the Nigerian National Domestic Card Scheme, AfriGo, aimed at creating a more robust payment system that would drive financial inclusion in the country.

Launching the card virtually, this morning, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, said that transaction charges on all cards would henceforth be paid in Naira, except for international transactions.

According to him, AfriGo would be cheaper and would be a matter of national pride, with potential to boost financial inclusion.

 

 

Tony Emeka Nwosu

Shanty Town Showing in Over Hundred Countries, Tops in Eleven

Shanty Town Showing in Over Hundred Countries, Tops in Eleven

 

 

Shanty Town Movie is a testament that the Nigerian movie industry is the biggest coming out of Africa and also has cemented Nollywood (pet name for local movie industry ) as one of the top 5 movie industries globally. Shanty Town movie came out depicting the slum of Nigeria, telling the story of cartels running prostitution, drug and extortionist rackets in some of the biggest slums in the country.

Speaking during an interview with Yaw, an online personality with WAZOBIA FM a local radio station in Lagos. Produced by Uche Jombo the Associate producer,Chichi Nworah the  Executive producer and Charles Okonkwo ,Executive producer. During the media  interview, Chi said that “ We have been in this movie since 2019, it was written in 2019, while Covid 19 paused it and we commenced shooting after the pandemic. “

“The movie is showing in over hundred  countries of the world and running top in eleven  countries of the world. The government is being aware of the movie industry. Producing the movie is a herculean event, we suffered many challenges “Review of Shanty Town, a Netflix Limited Series:

With the finest acts in the country such as Richard Mofe-Damijo, Ini Edo, Chidi Mokeme, Nse Ekpe-Etim, Shola Shobowale, Shaffy Bello, Ali Nuhu, Uche Jombo, Zubby Michael, Nancy Isime, Ini Edo.Produced by Uche Jombo the Associate producer, Chichi Nworah the Executive producer and Charles Okonkwo ,Executive producer with cameo appearance from Mercy of Big Brother Africa

“Shanty Town is an ode to blood, gore, violence, and very little sex, and it shows that Nollywood is truly pushing the envelope. The production focuses on a theme that we have seen quite a bit. A powerful politician is the real brain behind the drugs and prostitution rings in the slums, but 3 episodes in and I was still struggling to understand what the plot is. The use of suspense and mystery is over flogged, and I almost got bored with the build-up”, Ọmọ́níkẹ̀ẹ́ Adéòtí of NollyRated.

 

Anthony Emeka Nwosu

 

 

The Africa Technology Expo: The final countdown to the biggest and largest gathering of tech influencers in Africa Begins

The Africa Technology Expo: The final countdown to the biggest and largest gathering of tech influencers in Africa Begins

 

The final countdown to the biggest and largest gathering of tech influencers in Africa and tech enthusiasts in the city of Abuja Nigeria at the Africa technology expo hosted by spark Africa, the expo promises to be one where the most influential tech experts gather together to share their insight and help promote tech education in Africa, A lot of the tech influencers going to be present at the event, discussing all sharing viable ideas on how to make tech accessible to Africans.

The Africa Technology Expo is the largest tech gathering in Africa aimed at promoting local content and Africa’s diverse indigenous technology & talent. Organized by Spark, the African technology Leader, the annual gathering brings together thousands of tech talents, creators, innovative startups, budding investors, policymakers, and business enthusiasts. This year’s event (debut) themed “Creating the Spark for Innovation” will hold in the Giant of Africa, Nigeria, and is aimed at implementing the recent Nigerian Startup Act, promoting inclusiveness and innovation, supporting viable local ideas, and as well attract investments to the country. It will also have in attendance over 3000+ tech enthusiasts, startups a pool of media, big tech giants, Innovative hubs, and over 50+ exhibiting companies.

The Africa technology expo is an opportunity for networking with people of different tech backgrounds and it’s an avenue to promote tech education in Nigeria, it’s an expo that everyone who is concerned with tech or would like to understand the future of technology in Africa should come to, so what are you waiting for go to www.africatechnologyexpo.com to get your tickets for the event, for more information and updates you can follow us on social media @africatechexpo.

You don’t want to miss this, let’s all join hands to promote technology education in Africa.

 

 

NITDA OFFICIALLY FLAG OFF TIES SCHEME IN SIX GEOPOLITICAL ZONES

NITDA OFFICIALLY FLAG OFF TIES SCHEME IN SIX GEOPOLITICAL ZONES

 

 

In furtherance to the delivery of the President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, administrative ambitious policy of uplifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is harnessing the innovative talent of the nation’s youths and providing them with the necessary support to build the required digital skills and viable tech businesses to significantly contribute to job creation and economic prosperity for Nigeria through the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Support (TIES) Scheme.

The Director General and CEO of NITDA Kashifu Inuwa CCIE officially flagged off the TIES Scheme during a hybrid session that took place live at the Venture Park Hub in Abuja while other locations like Lagos, Port Harcourt, Katsina, Kano, and Enugu joined virtually.

While applauding the startups stride towards the pursuit of providing solution to identified gaps in the society, he gave a brief narrative of the impact of the startup community on the Nation’s economy within the last two years.

He said, “Nigeria’s flourishing startup ecosystem has continued to attract global attention as evidenced by a total investment of $2.9 billion between 2021 and 2022 as reported by Africa: The Big Deal; the highest raised by any startup ecosystem in Africa. Additionally, Nigeria is home to 5 unicorn startups out of the 7 in Africa. These and other significant milestones point to the enormous potential of the ecosystem in contributing to creating wealth and economic growth for Nigeria’’.

Kashifu additionally noted that, President Buhari’s administration had recently enacted the Nigeria Startup Act (NSA), which is aimed at, among others: to provide a legal and institutional framework for the development of startups; to provide an enabling environment for establishment and operation of startups; to provide opportunities for the development and growth of tech-related talents; and to position Nigeria’s startup ecosystem as the leading digital technology center in Africa.

He affirmed that the NSA was the outcome of the collaborative efforts of the ecosystem and the Presidency, as spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, under the leadership of the Honourable Minister, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), and a clear pointer to the government’s commitment to developing a more successful and thriving tech ecosystem for the development of Nigeria’s digital economy into a knowledge-based and IT-driven economy.

He further disclosed how NITDA had conceptualised and designed the TIES Scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a capacity building programme targeted at addressing the digital skills gaps through trainings for hub managers, provision of incubation work to ensure massive creation of entrepreneurs and jobs within the ecosystem for young Nigerians.

“As an Agency, we noticed that most of the young talented people who have ideas lack mentorship.” He added that “innovative solutions are needed to tackle the problems in the country which NITDA is helping by creating the avenue that would provide a balance between the innovators and the markets,” he added.

He was optimistic that the TIES Scheme would accelerate the prosperity of the country, while enabling NITDA on delivering the target of achieving 95% digital literacy by the year 2030.

The Chairman of the TIES committee Dr. Abdullahi Usman Gambo, Director of Information Technology Infrastructure Solutions (ITIS) NITDA expressed his optimism about the success of the program through the support of the industry partners. He said that NITDA is expecting the partners to help achieve the target number of trainers within the stipulated time frame through the train-the-trainer method.

The General Manager of Venture Park Hub Mr. Jayeola Okuazun in his remarks expressed his gratitude to the Federal government for providing a bridging the gap for your young talented entrepreneurs.

“Our mission is very clear, we are here to build the future of Africa and to be able to do that in my language we speak a lot of proverbs, there is one that says one hand cannot lift a load on one’s head”, indicating that collaborative measures between the Federal Government and the various Hubs would enhance the development of the nation.

Other Tech partners include Quantum Business, Blue Saphire Hub, Venture Park, Young Innovators, and Cherish Enterprise Institute.
Mr. Okuazun later took the NITDA team on a tour of the facility, showcasing the various opportunities available to young digital natives.
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Protect against Business Email Compromise – or it may cost you dearly 

Protect against Business Email Compromise – or it may cost you dearly 

Don’t let your business be punished for, and by cyber fraud 

 

As the business landscape rapidly evolves, a general awareness of security vulnerabilities is no longer enough. Cyber fraud, data and payment breach risks need to be managed urgently and strategically with the right tools, says Ryan Mer, CEO at eftsure Africa, an automated Know Your Payee™ (KYP) platform provider.  

 

South African companies are facing a surge in Business Email Compromise (BEC) and other cyberattacks, exposing gaps in organisations’ payment systems with serious financial, reputational, and legal consequences. In January 2023, leading South African law firm, Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs (ENS) was ordered by the High Court in Johannesburg to pay R5.5 million including interest to a property buyer, Mrs. Judith Harwarden.

 

Evidence in the trial showed that ENS attached a PDF letter to an email addressed to Hawarden, containing its bank account details. However, the email was intercepted by criminals and bank details were changed before it reached Harwarden. Harwarden then paid R5.5 million into what she believed to be ENS’s bank account, which in fact was a separate account controlled by criminals.  

 

Mark Heyink, an attorney at Michalsons, who provided expert evidence at the trial explains: “The basis of the court’s judgement is that ENS owed a general duty of care to Harwarden. ENS was aware of the risk of Business Email Compromise and was in the best position to prevent the loss. The court found ENS information security was deficient and its staff poorly trained. ENS relied on the defence that the use of email and PDFs was a common practice by conveyancers, however, the court found that this did not excuse ENS from its duty of care to Harwarden.”

 

Conveyancing firms, their clients, and other organisations handling many large non-recurring type transactions are particularly vulnerable to BEC fraud. “All too aware of large deposits made to and from conveyancing firms, criminals target and intercept email accounts and scam victims into making payments into the incorrect account,” says Mer.  

 

Mer adds that with strong case precedence for South African firms being liable for payments that do not reach the intended account as a result of fraudulent interference, organisations need to handle email correspondence containing bank details and personal information with care. “Most threats can be avoided with the correct operational and financial controls as well as server, IT, and email monitoring processes. It’s important to acknowledge the fact that employee email accounts are gateways to sensitive information and attacks, and organisations should therefore enforce policies restricting what information can be kept in email inboxes prior to secure archiving. To help minimise the risk of BEC attacks, firms should re-evaluate their manual email-based processes and consider software solutions to digitise, automate and safeguard these processes, as well as the financial controls in place when it comes to payments by considering the use of independent real-time verification systems that cross-reference payments an organisation is about to release with independently verified bank account details,” he says.  

 

Business Email Compromise is a significant threat to any organisation and its clients. In circumstances where organisations are unable to meet their financial obligations as a result of a BEC attack, third parties may seek compensation for disrupted business operations and other losses. Heyink says that the Protection of Personal Information Act requires businesses to safeguard personal information appropriately. “While the ENS case relates to a conveyancing transaction, the principle applies to all businesses. If a business processes or communicates personal or sensitive business information, it must safeguard the information appropriately,” notes Heyink.  

 

Ends.

2023 ELECTIONS: WE ARE NOT READY TO PLAY SECOND FIDDLE – IDAHOSA

2023 ELECTIONS: WE ARE NOT READY TO PLAY SECOND FIDDLE – IDAHOSA

 

The New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) one of the core parties that have been making waves in Nigeria by engaging people from ward level to national level have come out and made it clear that they are not collapsing their structure for any political party. This position was made known by Bishop Isaac Idahosa who is the running mate to Kwankwaso during a media chat with journalists at the ARISE TV.

When asked about their openness to partnership with other parties, Idahosa said “well, it is not that we aren’t open to social partnership for those that will want to play second fiddle. We are open to that. We are the big deal and party to beat. We are more than able to go into this rate and we are the party to bit in this party. Our doors are open but for those that want to be second fiddle and we are going into this rate to win. Saying that we are collapsing our structure is an insult, disgusting and treacherous to us.

He added that “We have been able to pass the message which is biting the country and revamping the economy and having empathy to the downtrodden. This isn’t the time to give up and we are getting stronger by the day. We have so much to give. So fielding unfounded rumours are economical to the truth. We have strength in education and infrastructure. Our principal has done it before in the area of infrastructure and education. He united Kano state.”

The clergy queried people peddling fake news rather than focusing on their campaign strategies and this is unacceptable by them, in his words he added that “Why can’t people keep by the single rule by pursuing peace. Our principal is healthy, we go from ward to ward and we are the big deal. Our doors are open to others. They can come in and we are talking with some members of PDP that want to join us.”

He emphasised that they are open to talk but will not play second fiddle and he talks will be based on how to move the nation forward. “I just told you that 13 PDP members want to join forces with us. When i told you that our doors are opened to others, i meant it. We are open to transparency, justice, equity and fairness. A country that will observe the rule of law to the latter. My principal has done these before and we are good enough to keep our words. When you know what you want to do, you don’t need to go the other way which is psychological complexities”, Idahosa concluded.