The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE has disclosed that the Agency has identified university as a key stakeholder in achieving digital economy.
The DG made this known while receiving a delegation from Yusuf Maitama Sule, North-West University, Kano, led by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Aliyu Musa. The delegation was on a courtesy visit to the Agency’s Corporate Headquarters to seek for the Agency’s intervention in area of IT deployment and training.
Mallam Abdullahi stated that the greatest resources needed in achieving a developed country in terms of technology, innovations and entrepreneurship is human capital and University produces those human capitals. He emphasized that there is a need for a close collaboration between Higher Institutions, industry and government to enable a smooth flow of information on what is required, so that the students can been trained accordingly.
The NITDA boss asserted that “we drive knowledge based economy and we need your support to develop the sector. The higher institutions are the primary place for anybody coming to the work place as they have to pass through you to get all the knowledge to be in the work place.”
He explained that “Never before has the need for strong partnership between the industry and the university become more critical as it is today because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nigeria before rely on some many things from other countries but with the pandemic we have realized that every country need to build its capacity internally.”
Earlier, Professor Aliyu noted that the university was at the Agency to seek for collaboration and interventions in terms of virtual learning, IT infrastructure and training with the objective of developing ICT education through the University.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta has said that commercial banks in the country are owing telecommunications companies over N17 billion following the regulator’s suspension of its Determination on Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) Pricing last year.
The NCC, in furtherance of its mandate to protect the interests of consumers and support a robust telecommunications sector, recently announced that it had revised the Determination on the USSD. Speaking at ATCON’s virtual forum on “Meeting the Interests of Government, Consumers and Telecoms Companies in the Era of Covid-19 and Post Covid-19 Pandemic for Digital Economy Development”, Danbatta noted that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Ali Isa Ibrahim Pantami had already been briefed on the development with a view to ensuring a quick settlement of the debt.
Explaining the Commission’s efforts at resolving consumer-related issues, he noted that when the Commission introduced the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) code in 2015, less than 500,000 people activated the code, but there are now 22,722,366 lines on the DND.
Danbatta further stated that ninety-eight per cent (98%) of the total service-related complaints received from telecoms consumers within a 15-month period, spanning January 2019 to April 2020, have been successfully resolved by the Commission.
On quality of service, Danbatta said “the Commission has monthly engagements with operators as well as quarterly industry working group on Quality of Service and Short Codes, and is currently monitoring 2G Key Performance Indicators, while the KPIs for 4G are being prepared.”
It should be recalled that the NCC, in a statement released to the media recently, observed that the amendment to its USSD Determination was necessitated by a protracted dispute between Mobile Network Operators and Financial Institutions on the applicable charges for USSD services and the method of billing. As a responsive and effective regulatory authority, the Commission recognises that its policies are not static and may be modified from time to time as circumstances demand.
According to Danbatta, in the interest of the consumers and other stakeholders, the Commission revised the Determination previously issued by removing the Price Floor and the Cap to allow Mobile Network Operators and the banks negotiate rates that will be mutually beneficial to all parties concerned.
The NCC also determined that Mobile Network Operators must not charge the consumers directly for the use of USSD channels for financial services in the form of end-user-billing, but revert to corporate billing. The transaction should be between the MNOs and the entity to which the service is provided (i.e. Banks and Financial Institutions).
Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct kicks off its inaugural Ya Basadi in 4IR programme, with the financial support of J.P. Morgan. Ya Basadi, meaning ‘for women’ in Setswana, is an acceleration programme that will enable Tshimologong to support established small businesses in transitioning into both technology and/or technology-enabled companies with the purpose of optimising their operations quickly and efficiently. The programme is targeting primarily women-owned businesses, which are already trading and have a clear understanding of how tech can scale their businesses. Ya Basadi will also include underserved female entrepreneurs from low income backgrounds.
Khwezi Fudu Cenenda, Enterprise Development Manager at Tshimologong says the Ya Basadi programme taking place this month is well timed as the country dedicates the month of August to saluting women: “Entrepreneurship is fast becoming a chosen way to counteract the low economic growth and increasing unemployment. This is particularly prevalent when looking at the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) research, which notes that 72% of micro-enterprises and 40% of small enterprises are currently owned by women. Unfortunately, these businesses often require funding as well as support in terms of digital transformation.”
Of significance is the imminent rise of the Fourth Industrial revolution (4IR) and how this can be transitioned into each business. Developed with three main components: technology training, experiential learning through immersions in industry and the development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), the programme will enable participants to understand how to apply and adopt new technology into their business such as, amongst others, Machine Learning (ML), data analytics, robotics and Internet of Things (IoT), that can lead to growth with smarter data-analysis, rapid prototyping and understanding of adaptive manufacturing principles. The ultimate goal of the programme is to help women-owned businesses scale, generate more value and create employment in Johannesburg economies.
Senior Country Officer for J.P. Morgan, Kevin Latter, said: “We are excited to support this innovative programme at a time in our country where small business growth is crucial. As a firm, J.P. Morgan globally focuses on supporting small business and the empowerment of women. This programme therefore fits perfectly with our global ethos. The devastating impact of Covid-19 in South Africa has made it even more important for the business sector to support the development of smaller businesses and job creation.”
In addition, Cenenda says that the programme will also focus on 4IR because of the opportunities that it presents for women’s businesses and how this evolution could assist them to flourish beyond micro and small business status: “Only 13% of women graduate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) while only 23% hold IT jobs. This means that the potential for women to participate in 4IR is limited. Our objective with the programme is to innovate and collaborate to find new ways of increasing access for women in technology.”
With a selected cohort ready to go, she says that the entrepreneurs will be challenged to develop or build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that will be presented at the end of the programme. A cross section of some of the solutions that the cohort brings, includes the provision of a travelling nurse using an online booking system; automated recycling; the provision of WIFI to households in townships; offering assessments and career guidance purely through automated calendar bookings and video calls and using financial tools to protect Africa’s green assets.
“The key to success will be to support women-led businesses to transition to becoming tech or tech-enabled companies and to help them move to the next level as a business. Those companies that are already classified as tech businesses will get the opportunity to deepen their use of tech. This pipeline will need to be nurtured, developed and grown, which is why we are looking to secure additional partnerships to assist in developing the programme moving forward,” says Cenenda.
The year-long Ya Basadi programme will comprise of technology masterclasses in 11 areas of technology such as App and Web Development, 3D Printing, AI, Robotics, IoT, VR and Cybersecurity. In addition to this, the entrepreneurs will get practical, on the job experience in industry; learning circles for the cohort to share experiences; and will conclude with at least a MVP being developed for or by each start-up.
Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg once said, “No industry or country can reach its full potential until women reach their full potential. This is especially true of science and technology, where women with a surplus of talent still face a deficit of opportunity.”
Join Tshimologong Precinct to improve the quality of opportunities for female – led businesses, and build an ecosystem of women in technology that will forever change the landscape, shaping the way forward for women and young girls.
To partner with Ya Basadi and to get more information on the programme, please contact Khwezi Cenenda on khwezi@tshimologong.joburg.
The Nigerian Communications Commission, in furtherance of its mandate to protect the interests of consumers and support a robust telecommunications sector, has revised its Determination on Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) pricing published on the 23rd of July, 2019.The amendment was necessitated following a protracted dispute between Mobile Network Operators and Financial Institutions on the applicable charges for USSD services and the method of billing. As a responsive and effective regulatory authority, the Commission recognises that its policies are not static and may be modified from time to time as circumstances demand.
This is coming on the heels of a recent directive by the Hon. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, regarding a review of the USSD pricing by all parties involved, following a presentation made by the Commission on the billing structure, determination of USSD pricing, current status and the way forward.
Speaking during the presentation, the Minister stated that he took the decision to suspend the commencement of end-user billing (where the consumers are charged directly from their airtime balance for use of USSD channels as opposed to corporate billing where the banks paid the MNOs for the use of USSD service) because he was “genuinely besieged with a barrage of complaints at the attempted commencement of end-user billing by service providers.”The Minister also clarified that “USSD is a service to banks and not to the Telecom Consumers, and as such, banks should see themselves as corporate customers of telecom operators with a duty to pay for using the telecom network and infrastructure, including USSD channels extended to them for service delivery to their customers.” According to him, “Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have no direct relationship to bank customers, and cannot, therefore, charge directly for usage of USSD channel.”
The USSD channel has evolved over time from a telco-exclusive channel used for only telco services such as balance inquiry and recharges to a channel for the deployment of a broad spectrum of services, including financial, insurance, agricultural, government services and more. The use of USSD channel has become a critical resource in the economy even more so in this era of the Covid-19 pandemic that has witnessed a rise in reliance on digital services.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, in the interest of the consumers and other stakeholders, has revised the Determination previously issued by removing the Price Floor and the Cap to allow the Mobile Network Operators and the banks negotiate rates that will be mutually beneficial to all parties concerned.
The NCC also determined that Mobile Network Operators must not charge the consumers directly for the use of USSD channels for financial services in the form of end-user-billing. The transaction should be between the MNOs and the entity to which the service is provided (i.e. Banks and Financial Institutions).
A copy of the Determination is available on the NCC’s website, www.ncc.gov.ng.
As we edge closer to Industry 4.0, nowhere in the world will you find the same pace or scale of change as here in Africa.
Today, 850 million people across Africa and the Middle East are connected to mobile broadband. In just five years’ time, this number will almost double, according to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report. The impact of this will be far reaching.
It will also accelerate an exponential demand for data. By 2024, mobile data traffic in the region will rise by up to a third year-on-year – by far the highest growth rate worldwide according to the Ericsson Mobility Report.
Africa isn’t just playing catch up. There is a real buzz here about the extent to which connectivity can impact the continent’s sustainability efforts.
The development of LTE and 5G digital infrastructure is an integral part of Africa’s growing economy and has proved to be an essential driver of an inclusive information society that integrates digitization in all critical aspects of life, such as education, transport, health, energy and even homeland security.
All of this, of course, carries significant potential to contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa.
Connectivity is a critical enabler of social and economic change. Its dynamism constantly offers us new ways to overcome both global and regional development challenges. If leveraged for good, the introduction of 5G and expansion of LTE networks across Africa can accelerate this process exponentially.
As we continue toward a more urbanized world and the impacts of climate change grow progressively dire, the need for sustainable technologies which support the SDGs will become truly paramount. It’s still early, but the use cases which we have been deploying across the continent are already delivering on their potential.
Below, let me take you on a short tour of some of the ways we’re connecting Africa for the better.
Mixed Reality for Urban Design (SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities)
Together with UN-Habitat, we are explored visualization technologies that have the potential to revolutionize how we approach urban design. This new visually realistic blending of reality with virtual imagination can create a more intuitive space for planners, architects, residents and other stakeholders to viscerally experience and re-imagine future environments. Architectural sketches and designs can be made more legible and accessible, thus pulling users into the process of design and strengthening the long-term viability and buy-in of urban projects.
Innovative approach to mitigate and adapt to climate change (SDG 13: Climate action)
Detailed rainfall patterns with high resolution are difficult to monitor with existing technologies (radar, satellite and gauges) and lack of weather monitoring infrastructure in many emerging markets. Currently being piloted in Rwanda, the Ericsson Weather Data initiative is a new innovative solution which helps in measurement of rainfall in real time utilizing signal disturbances in microwave links used as backhaul in cellular networks.
Deployed in partnership with the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), the technology uses microwave links and works with existing rainfall measurement technologies to enable vastly greater accuracy in real-time rain measurement, and therefore provide more detailed rain modelling information. This results in detailed and cost efficient rainfall and flood predictions utilizing existing telecom infrastructure. Use cases include climate mitigation efforts; flood prevention in sewage and stormwater systems in cities, agriculture, transport solutions, tourism, insurance weather agencies and water utilities, as well as malaria and dengue prevention in tropical areas.
According to Ericsson research, ICT solutions could help to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 15% by 2030, amounting to around ten gigatonnes of CO2e—more than the current carbon footprint of the EU and US combined. Examples of areas where the savings can be enabled by ICT solutions are : transportation, energy, industries and agriculture.
Use of mobile financial services to reduce inequalities (SDG 10: Reduced inequalities)The freedom to send, spend and receive money with a mobile phone is quickly becoming an essential part of life for billions of people. It is a freedom which also impacts accessibility to energy, health, education and employment opportunities.In Africa today, more than half of consumers use mobile money services through an agent, and some 20% use mobile money themselves on a mobile phone. However, the unbanked are the ones who are least involved in the formal financial system, due to factors such as distance to banks, education, and the inability to authenticate their identity, according to data from Ericsson ConsumerLab.The Ericsson Converged Wallet m-commerce solution is a new innovation which contributes to a more open, easy and accessible mobile money network in Africa. Together with our customer MTN, we will continue to deploy new products and provide Managed Services for Mobile Money services in 13 countries across Africa by 2024.
ICT in Education and our Connect to Learn initiative (SDG 4: Quality education)Since its inception in Africa in 2010, the Connect to Learn program has been leveraging the power of mobility, broadband and cloud solutions to enhance the quality and access to teaching and learning resources in a safe, cost effective, and user-friendly way.We have brought technology tools, digital learning resources and new interactive forms of teaching pedagogies to schools and community learning centers in 12 sub-Saharan African countries. This includes schools in the Millennium Villages of 8 countries from 2010 to 2015, namely Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia. We have also invested in other ICT in school projects in 3 countries, namely Djibouti (2012), Burkina Faso (2014) and South Africa (2017). More than 30,000 students have been positively impacted by these.
Role of technology in peacebuilding with youth (SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions)Through an initiative which provides ICT equipment, training and connectivity to young victims of conflict in South Sudan and Northern Uganda, we are leveraging technology to create positive, sustainable change in the region. Together with the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI), and some of our mobile network operator customers, we have already impacted more than 31000 young people (direct and indirect beneficiaries) and have 12 local computer-equipped Community Learning Centers (CLCs) running in Africa.
Public Private Partnerships to Connect the Unconnected (SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 10: Reduced inequalities, SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals)We joined the Millennium Villages Project (MVP) as a technology partner in 2007 and committed to support the MVP along with our partners by bringing voice and internet communications to approximately 500,000 people living in the village clusters, with the intention of improving social and economic conditions.The integration of ICT quickly came to play a critical role in the project. As basic interventions in the areas of health, education, agriculture and entrepreneurship began to achieve success, ICT helped to take the fight against poverty a step further by empowering individuals and institutions with the ability to communicate, and to access and share vital information. Ericsson’s long-term engagement in the MVP demonstrates the importance of public-private partnerships and how they can help to spread the impact of mobile broadband in a way that enables the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.Read more about our education related insights from this project in our ten-year anniversary publication: ‘Technology Assisted Education: Connect to Learn multi-year, multi-country experiences.
Next steps to innovate for sustainable development in Africa
As we look ahead, it’s clear that Africa shows significant promise by way of economic, technological and infrastructural growth over the coming years. Yet, there are still many challenges we must overcome if we are to deliver real sustainable change for all. While there are parts of the continent on the cusp of 5G rollout, there remains other parts where 3G and 4G are still in infancy.
More than just a business opportunity, digitalization is fundamental to achieving all 17 of the SDGs and a powerful way to make a positive impact on society. To truly leverage the full potential which this offers, it’s important we reach out to all stakeholders across government, and public and private enterprise. This is how we make positive, sustainable impact in areas such as climate change, education, human rights and humanitarian response.
Read the Ericsson sustainability pages to find out more about our activities to connect change.
Find out how IoT can be deployed to support sustainability efforts in the WEF’s sustainable IoT report.
The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami FNCS, FBCS, FIIM has emphasized on the need of coming up with innovative ideas that will promote smart agriculture in Nigeria as a means of diversifying the nation’s economy, highlighting that Nigeria is blessed with a large fertile landmass.
The innovative thinking minister maintained that embracing smart agriculture in Nigeria and enhancing the capacity of farmers digitally will create millions of digital jobs and improve the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).The NEXT LEVEL minister stated that the National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) is part of the main policy of the National Digital Economy policy and strategy for a Digital Nigeria launched and unveiled by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR.
Dr Pantami stressed that the best way to improve the output in the agricultural sector in Nigeria is through the deployment of emerging technologies. The Honourable Minister said, “today, the whole world is focusing more on skills rather than certificates”. Citing an example with china which has announced the intention of converting 600 universities to skill acquisition centres.
The minister made his position known today while making his remarks virtually in the capacity as the Chief Host during the closing ceremony of the pilot NAVSA programme which took place in Jigawa State. The Host Governor, His Excellency, Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar also in attendance virtually appreciated the vision of the Minister for bringing the project to the state and promised to ensure its sustainability.
The Governor also called against beneficiaries selling or underutilizing materials and knowledge given to them to excel in life, maintaining that the state in the last few years has produced a lot of millionaires through rice farming precisely.
The Highlight of the day was the presentation of Smart Devices; Internet Connectivity; Seed Fund; and Certified Seed to the 130 farmers who received training on a series of digital skills.
Deployment of Agnet 900 and Tactilon Dabat in line with Kuwaiti Government’s transition from narrowband to broadband networks
With the Kuwaiti Government fast transitioning from narrowband to broadband networks, Airbus has shown strong support for the move through increased deployment in the country of its secure communication and collaboration solutions, specifically Tactilon Agnet 900 and Tactilon Dabat.
Agnet 900 and Tactilon Dabat are currently being rolled-out across local public safety entities in Kuwait to help strengthen their mission-critical communication systems. Concerned authorities will benefit from Airbus TETRA network and infrastructure by using their advanced multimedia capabilities such as photo and video services to boost collaborative efforts.
Agnet 900 is a reliable collaboration platform that enables rapid communication among teams wherever they are and whatever devices they use. Kuwaiti officials can fully maximize Agnet 900’s protected voice, multimedia messaging, video and real-time location tracking and reporting services for more systematic and seamless coordination.
Tactilon Dabat, a smartphone and a TETRA radio in one, is for Kuwaiti personnel who require high security in their communication. It operates on both TETRA and LTE/4G networks. Users can optimize the device’s video, text, voice data and location tracking and reporting features to connect with their team members anytime, anywhere. The weatherproof Tactilon Dabat also allows multitasking on its big and bright screen.
During the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the solutions give local authorities mobility and access to key features, including group tracking and team management, from anywhere as long as internet connection is available. This makes team efforts during these unprecedented times more sound and solid as the government battles the still raging global health crisis.
Andrew Forbes, Head of Middle East and North Africa region for Secure Land Communications at Airbus, said: “Kuwait is steadily moving ahead with its digital transformation initiatives as part of its development plan. One of the efforts is intensified adoption of secure communication platforms based on broadband technology as the government steadily moves away from the traditional system.”
“In terms of national defense, public security and emergency management, a digital communication system will help reinforce quick coordination among concerned bodies, most especially during critical moments. Airbus solutions are capable of guaranteeing a smoother connection and facilitating better communication structure for public organizations whose mission-critical mandate is to maintain safety and security,” Forbes added.
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Airbus
Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2018 it generated revenues of € 64 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world’s leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.
Secure Land Communications (SLC), an Airbus business unit, offers advanced communication and collaboration solutions enabling its customers to gather, process and deploy intelligence. Its portfolio is tailored to the needs of professionals from Public Safety and Transport, Utility and Industry (TUI). It includes infrastructures, devices, applications and services based on Tetra, Tetrapol and Broadband technologies. As the European leader and a key international player, SLC has customers in more than 80 countries and employs around 1,150 people in 17 countries.
In this media chat, David Johnson the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Rasonad, an indigenous software development company based in Port Harcourt talks on how Rasonad is focusing on next level digital solutions. Anthony Nwosu captured this in an exclusive interview.
Rasonad is a full-stack, agile software development company. With our primary services being web & mobile app development, product design, and software development consulting, brand development & digital marketing. We focus on helping our clients to accelerate their business growth by leveraging the internet and next-level digital solutions. We know that the success of any business rests on its ability to keep attracting new customers and retaining them, that’s why all of our work is centered around building custom digital solutions that make this the constant reality of our partners.
As a software firm, can you confidently say that your software is wholly indigenous?
Yes, our software solutions are wholly indigenous. We build for all kinds of businesses and save local businesses the hassle of relying on foreign software solutions. However, you can rest assured that we build to a standard that is globally competitive. We strongly believe in bespoke solutions, we don’t just dump software on our clients, ours is to engage our clients, know what they want and how they want them, and then we translate this to software. We initiate and develop our software solutions here in our office, from our web solutions to mobile app. We have built capacity in this area, we have the competent skills that will undertake any projects and above all, we have a support system that caters for our clients.
What are the unique attributes of your Enterprise software?
We currently don’t have Software as a Service (SaaS) yet, but we are working on a disruptive solution for business processes automation and edtech. We’re working hard to release the first version of this solution in 2021. We believe that once this comes out, the software is designed to change the narratives on how businesses operate in the country.
Do you think that Nigerian software developers have come of age?
Yes, a lot of Nigerian developers have come of age, although I believe there are greater heights to be conquered. In the Nigerian tech ecosystem, a handful of indigenous software companies are providing world-class solutions. They include the likes of Precious Chukunda of Chigisoft, Mavin of Cloudnetiq, Evans Akanno of Cregital, Tekena of Ispace, etc. who are all doing great exploits.
Do you have footprints in other parts of Africa?
Currently, we don’t have a footprint in any part of Africa but, we have worked with a client in Europe. The solution we built for that client was padidoctor – a digital solution created to help fight drug abuse in Africa. If this can be a stride, yes, we have deployed out of Africa and the client has shown satisfaction. Maybe in the future, we can have a physical presence in other parts of African countries, but as it is now, we can be contracted to deliver solutions at any part of the world and we would do just that.
Why Rivers State? A lot of IT firms are based in Lagos⁷, so why dwell in a state known for oil and gas exploration?
Rivers state is currently gaining traction and attention when it comes to tech, hence it’s not a bad idea for any tech firm to choose to be here. Also, as a digital agency and a service-based company we don’t necessarily need to be in Lagos to do business with anyone around the world. However, we are very happy to collaborate with other developers and tech companies in other parts of Nigeria and the world. We are trying to change the narrative of Rivers State as an Oil and Gas state; you know that in a few years, oil and gas would be a thing that many nations wouldn’t be keen on but capacity building. So, in this age where nations are gearing up for the 4th Industrial Revolution, the need to position Rivers State and Niger Delta for the future IT revolution become very imperative and we are happy to be at the forefront. Maybe, in 10 years, Rivers State would be an IT destination.
What about skills and capacity? How do you source these?
When hiring we lookout for people who are passionate and self-motivated about what they do and also have a growth mindset. We believe possessing a growth mindset is important because we understand that no matter how talented or skillful a person is, there’s always, always a need to keep improving, reskilling and upskilling in order to remain globally competitive. Though, this notion is a bit difficult considering our education system where graduates are churned out so that they would look for a job not to grow with the organization. The growth mindset brings the concept of delayed gratification which is a very good concept and builds competency in the chosen field.
What are the few challenges that you face doing your business in a place like Port Harcourt?
Poor internet connection, erratic power supply, and insecurity have been issues for us. Trying to navigate these challenges has meant we have to spend more money on running the business. However, we’re committed to excellence and as such keep finding innovative ways to surmount these difficulties as the business grows.
Do you think that the Nigerian Government is doing enough in the area of diversification?
Yes, I’d say the Federal government and the Rivers state government are making commendable moves in the area of diversification. The recent press release by NITDA that outlines their TIES Scheme aimed at supporting tech entrepreneurs and technology innovation as well as the Rivers state government’s active involvement in empowering youths with digital skills and competencies both support my stance.
As a stakeholder, what will you tell the government to deepen software development?
The tech industry is becoming the new oil industry. During the pandemic, it became even more obvious as tech and internet-based businesses kept thriving even as other sectors were declining. With what the government is already doing in the area of diversification I believe that it can be taken to another level as the software industry can massively drive economic growth, now and in the future. The Federal government can amplify its efforts by adopting and promoting indigenous software companies and solutions so that indigenous software companies can grow and even become major players within the global software market.
As we are emerging in a post-COVID narrative, what are your plans for the later part of the year?
COVID-19 has caused businesses to see the urgent need to leverage technology in doing business. As a result, we are positioned to help create top-notch custom software solutions for businesses in Africa and other parts of the world to digitize their business processes and taking into consideration the hit on the economy we have decided to give our clients up to 20-50% discount on all our services for August 2020 to skyrocket their business; to take advantage of this visit Rasonad to get a quote and free consultation for your project.
As a result, we are positioned to help create top-notch custom software solutions for businesses in Africa and other parts of the world to digitize their business processes and taking into consideration the hit on the economy we have decided to give our clients up to 20-50% discount on all our services for August 2020 to skyrocket their business; to take advantage of this visit Rasonad to get a quote and free consultation for your project.
The contribution of the country’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector to our Gross Domestic Product, (GDP) has increased by almost one percent in the first quarter of the year, the Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA ), Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi CCE has said.
The DG made this statement while delivering his remarks at the International Webinar meeting organized by the Information Technology (Industry) Association Nigeria (ITAN) Kano and Abuja Chapters on Tuesday.
He said that despite the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic on all economies of the world, the country’s ICT grew by 14 per cent compared to growth of 13.12 per cent in the previous quarter as people relied more on digital platforms during the lockdown.
Abdullahi who was represented by the Director e-Government Development and Regulations, Dr. Vincent Olatunji said, “NITDA, as the agency with the responsibility to oversee the IT sector, is at the forefront of creating initiatives and schemes to mitigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country’s ICT sector, particularly the startup ecosystem.”
He noted that NITDA, with its two special purpose vehicles; The Office for ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIIE) and the Office for Nigerian Content Development (ONC) are working hard at achieving their mandates of fostering the growth of technology Startup ecosystem and ensuring patronage of local content in ICT.
Some of these initiatives, according to the DG, include Work Permit for Technology Startups during lockdown; The Nigeria COVID-19 Innovation Challenge where three startups with the following solutions emerged winners: locally made ventilator, decontamination chamber and e-Health monitor Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Support Scheme (TIESS) which have the following schemes; Incubation Programme; Technical Capacity Building, Internship Programme, Hub Upscaling.
These schemes are designed to target various aspect for the ecosystems to achieve maximum positive effect on the ICT ecosystem. Another programme in the pipeline is Startup Workspace Voucher programme aimed at supporting young startup to overcome their financial challenges.
While thanking the organisers of the Webinar event, Abdullahi added that, “We at NITDA believes that with strategic partnership and collaborations with stakeholders, we can build a new Nigeria with a robust digital economy.”
Participants at the event include, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, the Minister of the FCT, Malam Musa Bello were both co–hosts, other International Participants and Presenters at the webinar are: Ahmad Hashim, CEO of Pen Test Digital Services, Engineer Titus Olowokere, based in Atlanta, Georgia ,US, Dr Amado Espinosa, US-based, Professor Sou Mita Dutta of Cornell University, US, and Professor Abdullahi Adamu, Vice Chancellor of the National Open University, Abuja.
While an omnichannel approach has become the norm across most industries, forward-looking businesses are considering the next level to gain competitive advantage. According to Andrea Tucker, Research and Development Head at e4, to disrupt a market using omnichannel strategy businesses will need to turn to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“AI has become a tool that is being utilised to improve customer service, but what has been achieved is really just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more that can be done to improve and evolve customer service to meet the needs of a much-changed and mobile customer,” says Tucker.
Given the nature and pace of business today, coupled with the blurred lines between a consumer and a client, Tucker says that self-service is set to boom as one of the key take-outs from AI.
In a Salesforce report, State of Service AI adoption is predicted to grow by 143% in the next 18 months. This pending spike is attributed to AI’s ability to automate manual tasks, answer routine questions and scale support: “This gives the business more time to be strategic, focusing on building customer relationships as opposed to the more menial tasks that are often time consuming,” says Tucker.
AI driven self-service also addresses digitally-savvy consumers via the use of chatbot technology. This is a step further forward in terms of time-saving when doing manual tasks and keeping customers happy by providing instantaneous answers: “Chatbots will greatly enhance omnichannel engagement and more importantly, improve customer service experience. The technology is perfectly designed to handle a variety of simple tasks often requested by customers,” says Tucker.
The automation derived from AI enables the business to address more important customer queries, reduces the average handle time of the interaction as well as creating a better experience for both the agent and the customer.
In its report, Tucker says that Salesforce has identified that only high-performing organisations, with excellent customer service rates, are more likely to employ AI: “There are significant benefits to using AI on the inside too. As a growing trend, an integrated approach delivers immense benefits to business, of which enhanced customer experience is one of the most important.”
End-to-end AI delivers better customer experiences and business results. It impacts the bottom line and improves several customer experience metrics.
“An AI solution needs to compliment a business and its approach to customer experience. Once you have the right one, focus on doing what you do best and the technology will help you engage with customers intelligently, while being efficient and effective too,” says Tucker.
