NCC, Google Collaborate to Drive Nigeria’s Digital Transformation

NCC, Google Collaborate to Drive Nigeria’s Digital Transformation

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Google Global Services Nigeria have expressed determination to work together toward advancing the actualisation of auspicious national targets for ubiquitous broadband access in furtherance of Nigeria’s digital transformation policy. This aligns with and gives unambiguous expression to NCC’s strategic vision plan centering on strategic partnership and collaboration with necessary stakeholders in order to achieve regulatory objectives.

The two organisations made the commitment when a delegation from Google Global Services Nigeria paid a courtesy visit to the Commission’s Head Office in Abuja recently to deliberate on viable collaborative interventions to propel digital transformation across the country and Africa.

Receiving the Google delegation, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said the Commission’s expectations, initiatives, and vision towards increasing broadband penetration, quality of service, advancement of a digital economy and commitment to improving national security through technological advancement are at the front burner of its regulatory interventions.

Underscoring the importance of such synergy between the Commission and Google, Danbatta, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services (ECTS), NCC, Engr. Ubale Maska, said the Commission looked forward to making the initiatives of both parties more impactful by enhancing cooperation between the NCC and Google Nigeria for quantifiable and remarkable impact.

The EVC expressed optimism that Google’s investment in the subsea cable, Equiano, which is expected to land in Nigeria by end of April 2022, will be more impactful in driving NCC’s ongoing implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP), 2020-2025, aimed at increasing broadband penetration to 70 per cent by 2025.

“I am hopeful that Equiano will have additional landing points in the hinterlands through collaborative efforts with the licensed Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) to reduce retail data prices significantly and thereby complementing the Commission’s efforts at ensuring affordable Internet services are available to boost the Commission’s ongoing broadband policy drive,” he said.

Earlier in her remarks, the Director, Google West Africa, Juliet Ehimuan, who led the delegation to NCC, commended the NCC for its consultative approach in formulating regulatory policies, as engine room for optimal delivery of telecommunications services that will in turn impact the digital economy drive of the government.

She particularly applauded the Commission for its seamless, fair, credible, impartial and successful auction of the 3.5 Gigahertz spectrum for the deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) in Nigeria, stating that it is evident that both the NCC and Google share a common goal.

According to Ehimuan, demands for internet services have increased the need for more capacity, and sustainable collaborations with all relevant stakeholders within the public and private sectors. She asserted that Google’s commitment of $1billion across five years in various interventions will support digital transformation in Nigeria and across Africa.

Ehimuan stated that research has proven that Africa will have an additional 300 million Internet users and Nigeria will lead in that number, given its current statistics of over 141 million internet subscribers and broadband penetration of over 40.88 percent as at January 2022.

The Equiano cable system is the third private international cable owned by Google and the 14th subsea cable invested by Google. Equiano connects Portugal and South Africa, running along the West Coast of Africa, with branching units along the way that can be used to extend connectivity to more African countries. The first branch is expected to land in Nigeria by end of April 2022

NITDA STRENGTHENS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOOGLE WEST AFRICA

NITDA STRENGTHENS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOOGLE WEST AFRICA

In the stride to strengthen the contribution of ICT to the nation’s GDP, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has continued to engage Goggle on collaborative measures toward improving the ecosystem.

The NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, while receiving the Google West Africa Director, Juliet Ehimuan, and the Government Relations and Public Policy team, noted that the symbiotic relationship between the two organisations would enable the adequate representation of data. He said this is in line with implementing the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a digital Nigeria.

“Together, we can achieve greater results. Governmental regulations are not to stifle or be an obstacle to your business; rather, it is to enable and unlock more opportunities and protect your business and our citizens’,” he said.

Inuwa noted that government has the responsibility to protect its citizens. “Today, our lives depend mostly on this digital technology, and your business contributes to meeting this demand.”

He emphasised the need to have a safer environment because the breach would affect both parties. “If we can come together to strengthen the collaboration, we will eliminate duplication of efforts and working in silos.”

He affirmed that NITDA is currently engaging other tech innovators like Mastercard to improve the ecosystem and collaborating on Digital Literacy, Cyber Security, and some of the NITDA Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2021-2024) including Data Protection.
Inuwa lamented that the lack of adequate data misrepresented information that would have attracted more foreign investors to our country.

He said people want to associate with success; ”if nobody shares success stories, people will think nothing is happening in the ecosystem”.

“We read what you tell and show us, and it helps in our decision making because we believe in Google,” he added.

The NITDA boss maintained that the algorithm must be ethical in the core values, laws, and culture, noting that technology can compromise through gender imbalance or racism. He blamed the situation on insufficient data and clamoured that working with locals to make our contents indigenous could avert such breaches.

He mentioned that four weeks ago, the Honorable Minister led a team from the Ministry to the Lagos ecosystem, where we met with most of the players in the sector. They shared some of the pinpoints we will present to the Federal Executive Council FEC and sought approval for things we need to do to help the ecosystem.

Inuwa applauded the effort of Google in the capacity building of Nigerians with a target to train 5 million indigenes. He implored that such records be made available to capture the number of digital literacy in Nigeria because President Muhammed Buhari’s government aims to achieve 95% digital literacy by 2030.

In her remarks, Google West Africa Director, Juliet Ehimuan, thanked NITDA for being one of Google’s key strategic partners and stakeholders in the public sector with a long-standing relationship. She acknowledged past collaborative efforts between both organisations, saying that her organisation is looking forward to continued collaborations.

While noting that the courtesy visit identifies possible areas for further collaboration, she physically introduces the new Government Relations and Public Policy team members to her host. They include; Adewole Adene and Dawn Dimowo who are to share updates on some of the work and initiatives that Google West Africa has been doing in the tech space within the country, and finally, to get feedback on Nigeria’s top priorities on the ecosystem.

Juliet confirmed that Google has invested in helping to build the digital ecosystem with all the government and private sector partners for almost a decade.

“In October last year, we had an event which we called Google for Africa, and during that event, we had our global CEO pledge, on our behalf, a $1 billion investment in Africa over five years.

“In the area of access, we have recently acquired a submarine cable called “Equiano” in partnership with a service provider in this environment which is landing in Nigeria on 21 April. Forecasts are indicating that a lot of people are coming online.

“At least 300 Million more Internet users in Africa over the next five years, so there will be more demand for the internet. And following the Covid pandemic, we saw a lot of migration online and acceleration in terms of digital engagement, which will create more demand, that its’ capacity would have a huge contribution to the GDP growth with the technology adoption and job creation.

“Our initial estimate is to contribute directly and indirectly to create about 1.6 million jobs over time and work around device financing in partnership with telcos to make sure that people have access either through infrastructure or device data to gauge the digital world”, she disclosed.

According to Juliet, Google is engaging in a lot of capacity building. Both organisations have a shared interest in providing free digital skills training to individuals to over 6 million people since 2017 when it pledged to train 10 million Africans and other notable areas of support contributing to the economic prosperity and education in ICT. “There is a $40 million grant to NGOs, of which $20 million will be in cash and $20 million in art credits.” she concluded.

The NITDA Director-General appointed Dr Aminu Lawal, the Special Adviser on Digital Transformation, to liaison between both organisations.

ESET’s move to protect the future of technology

ESET’s move to protect the future of technology

Global leader in cybersecurity is championing innovation and enabling progressive change by ensuring a safe digital future

We’re moving into an increasingly complex digital world – technology is how we connect, how we work and how we express ourselves. Communities are built and businesses grown through digital innovations, but these are open to attack, putting the future of technological innovation at risk.

A report by Accenture found that security breaches had increased by 67% over the last five years, and currently over 560,000 new pieces of malware are detected every day, according to research by the AV-Test Institute. Cybersecurity is becoming essential to ensure a positive digital future for all.

ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, has announced its new branding with the tagline ‘Progress. Protected’. This new brand positioning is inspired by the insight that while the power of human ideas remains the leading catalyst for the world’s progression today, progress is advanced via the connectivity provided by technology, which needs protecting. Human and technological progress is now more vulnerable than ever to attack, and ESET is positioned to protect the continued advancement of this innovation through the provision of its industry-leading security software and services.

To celebrate the concept of Progress. Protected, ESET will put a spotlight on a number of thought leaders across a range of fields in a series of high-level brand films shot by Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Hubert Davies. These experts in science, education, innovation, and space exploration will provide their insights on what progress in technology means to them and how it’s helping to change the world for the better.

The thought leaders include: 

  • Chris Hadfield, astronaut, engineer, pilot and author of four international bestsellers – for his work in promoting technological progress and innovation via collaboration, and his unique perspective on our world.
  • Dr. Mimi Ito, cultural anthropologist and Professor in Residence at the Humanities Research Institute at the University of California – for her research into and promotion of youth enablement in technology for a safe and progressive future.
  • Steven Johnson, author of 13 books focusing on the intersection of science, technology and personal experience, and host of the American Innovations podcast – for his research into the history of transformative ideas and the role diversity plays in creating the most innovative solutions for the present and future.

“The world continues to move forward at pace. When ESET was founded, the internet was in its infancy. Now technology is part of everything we do and is central to the continued advancement of our society,” explains Richard Marko, CEO of ESET. “To ensure continued progress in the digital age, we need someone to question what’s going on in the background. I believe that is an important task for our company, as to protect technology means to protect progress itself.”

“If we imagine for a moment, losing the contributions to our progress and future made by our champions of technology, it becomes clear exactly what is at stake. Through this new brand positioning, we hope to demonstrate ESET’s investment and passion for progress through technology.”

PRODUCE JOB PROVIDERS INSTEAD OF JOB SEEKERS, DG NITDA TO NIGERIAN VARSITIES

PRODUCE JOB PROVIDERS INSTEAD OF JOB SEEKERS, DG NITDA TO NIGERIAN VARSITIES

The Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE has challenged Universities in the country to devote greater attention to enterpreneurship training in order to produce graduates that will create job opportunities, not job seekers.

Inuwa made the challenge while receiving the management of Federal University of Agriculture Zuru, Kebbi State, under the leadership of its Vice Chancellor Professor, Musa Isyaku Ahmed.

The NITDA boss described University’s role in finding lasting solution to Nigeria’s unemployment as critical, in view of the large number of young people graduating annually.
“I urge you to continue to emphasize more on enterpreneurship trainings so that graduates will be able to become job creators instead of job seekers.

“Mr President has the passion for job creation, a passion of diversifying our economy and so on, moving from resource based economy to knowledge based or Digital Economy, and for Nigeria to achieve that, we need to have the human capital, which our population is the greatest resources,” he added.

He said most of the people coming out from the universities are becoming liability to the country, because they will come and start waiting for jobs. Instead, why not us start producing people that will create jobs, and to do that you have to start from the universities.

“Universities can be used as mentoring, training and couching grounds to the students, encouraging them to start their own business while in school,” he said.

Commenting on NITDA’s National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) programme, Inuwa stated that it was an initiative of the Agency designed to support the Nigerian young farmers that are very passionate about making a career in farming.

“Firstly, we all need to eat to survive, how can we increase our produce, how can we use technology to change the way we do our farming, and how can we make it a more fancy job, so that these young graduates can also embrace farming as a career,” he noted.

NITDA, he said, has concluded arrangements to engaging Universities’ research works practically on the farms with a view to achieving the set goal.

“This year, we are going to restrategise our process and say why not work with Universities’ research institutions, where most of their works end on the shelves, why can’t we convert those researches and move into the farm to experiment”, added.

Earlier, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture Zuru, Professor Musa Isyaku Ahmed, said they were at the Agency’s Corporate Headquarters on a familiarisation visit to further avail themselves with what they have been seeing and hearing about NITDA’s impactful interventions on so many sectors, particularly the tertiary institutions.

Professor Musa who informed that, Federal University of Agriculture Zuru is the only University that came into being from a Bill by the National Assembly, and was assented to by the President as the Agric based, which came on board during the lockdown as a result of COVID-19 Pandemic.

He said the newly established institution has as its mandate, the injection of Enterpreneurship and IT into its curriculum.

While soliciting for the collaborative support of NITDA in its intervention programmes, the Prof also called for paradigm shift in the nation’s education system.

“We are aware of NITDA’s finger prints in many Nigerian tertiary institutions, we here soliciting for same to our newly established Institution,” he pleaded.

NCC’s Experiences at ITU Bolstering Nigeria’s Digital Transformation – Danbatta

NCC’s Experiences at ITU Bolstering Nigeria’s Digital Transformation – Danbatta


The Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) vast experience as a long-standing member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has served as a booster to the Commission in its effective implementation of government policies, and in stimulating regulatory initiatives focused on advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation. The NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has said.


Danbatta stated this while addressing global actors in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry at the ongoing Session of the ITU Council taking place in-person at the ITU Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, from March 21-31, 2022.


Speaking at the Council session, Danbatta said the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the important role ICT will continue to play in ensuring peace, security and prosperity around the world.  “It is as a result of the enabling experiences in the ITU ecosystem that Nigeria continue to be active and forward-looking regarding the activities of the ITU as the leading organ of the United Nations (UN) in the area of ICT,” he said.


He emphasised that, as a long-standing member of Council, Nigeria has utilised ICT as a driver of socio-economic development not just for herself, but also for the benefit of the sub-region and the continent, given its role as a founding member and flagship promoter of the West African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA).


“Over the years, as a member of ITU, Nigeria has chaired World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC)-15; chaired ITU Council Standing Committee on Administration and Management (SC-ADM), in 2019 and 2022; as well as chaired the Ad-Hoc Committee on ITU Regional Presence”, the EVC said to underscore the strategic, symbiotic relationship between Nigeria and ITU.


Reinforcing the intensity of his assertion on the contribution of Nigeria in ITU, Danbatta said, “Nigeria had also chaired ITU-Standardization (ITU-T) Study Group 20 Regional Group for Africa; served as Vice Chairman, ITU-T Study group 20;  served as Vice-Chair, ITU-T Study Group 12; Vice-Chair, ITU-Development D Study Group 2; as well as provided Financial Support to ITU Headquarters Building, among others”.


The EVC said this robust experience in ITU has continued to enable Nigeria, through NCC, and was particularly instrumental to the recent management of a globally-acclaimed transparent auction of Fifth Generation 5G licence in 2021; achieve 40.88 per cent broadband penetration in Nigeria as at December 2021; implement robust financial inclusion initiatives; as well as in the promotion of universal access across institutions and communities in Nigeria through the NCC’s Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF). “All these were made possible through the successful launch and implementation of policies to foster use of ICTs across all sectors and enhance a digital economy,” he said.


Meanwhile, the EVC has used the opportunity of his brief remarks during the Council session to announce Nigeria’s intent to seek re-election to ITU Council during the forthcoming Plenipotentiary Conferences. According to Danbatta, having Nigeria re-elected will help the country to continue to collaborate with and support ITU’s development agenda, ensure effective and efficient implementation of ITU Resolutions, implement inclusive programmes to foster universal use of ICT across all divides, and provide focused and strategic partnership. “We look forward to a robust Council session and subsequent support for Nigeria during the forthcoming elections,” Danbatta stated.


The ITU is governed by the Plenipotentiary Conference and the Administrative Council. The Plenipotentiary Conference is the supreme organ of the Union. It is the decision making body which determines the direction of the Union and its activities.


The Council, on the other hand, acts as the Union’s governing body in the interval between Plenipotentiary Conferences. Its role is to consider broad telecommunication policy issues to ensure that the Union’s activities, policies and strategies fully respond to today’s dynamic, rapidly-changing telecommunications environment.


The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference for this year is scheduled to take place in Bucharest, Romania, from Monday, September 26 to October 14, 2022

Ukheshe processes first live instant payments in MEA with Mastercard Track Instant Pay

Ukheshe processes first live instant payments in MEA with Mastercard Track Instant Pay

The first businesses in the Middle East and Africa region have started to experience the seamless ease of Mastercard’s Track Instant Pay solution, in partnership with leading pan-African fintech enablement partner, Ukheshe Technologies.

Track Instant Pay is a next-generation virtual card solution that uses machine learning and straight-through processing to enable instant payment of supplier invoices – the first of its kind.

“It safely and intelligently authorises immediate payments to a supplier once a supplier submits an invoice,” says Paul Selibas, President: Channel Solutions at Ukheshe. “First, it analyses received invoices using sophisticated machine learning to identify those likely to be rejected, then authorises the rest for payment on the same day. These payments are sent digitally, directly, and securely to the supplier’s bank account via a Mastercard virtual card. It eliminates all the usual manual processes, from verifying and manually approving invoices to manual payments or lengthy check processing.”

Improving the bottom line

Mastercard’s whitepaper on this new solution revealed that extended payment terms and late payments create a long-standing point of friction between buyers and suppliers. Even virtual cards, in theory a great solution, have not eased these pain points.

According to the paper, suppliers receive an email indicating they have a virtual credit card payment. The supplier must click a hyperlink from the issuing bank, log in and manage credentials to that bank account to see the full number. They then see a list of invoices that are being paid in a different portal. Next, the supplier must key that transaction into its own system. Overall, this is a highly manual and expensive process, and Mercator estimates that roughly 90% of virtual card transactions are processed this way.

Furthermore, a 2020 study of SME suppliers in the UK showed that the average SME supplier was chasing five outstanding invoices at any point in time, eating up 1.5 hours per day. Says Selibas: “Within emerging markets across Africa and the Middle East, there is a specific and growing need for a system that can facilitate corporates in paying multiple large municipal bill payments at once, and this solution addresses that on all fronts.”

“It benefits every involved party – it unlocks cashflow for suppliers who usually suffer lengthy payment terms or late payments; saves valuable time, costs, and working capital for buyers; and it removes friction to improve business relationships. Buyers can manage their working capital more efficiently using the credit line tied to their commercial card account; while unique, dynamically generated virtual account numbers with layers of control provide enhanced security for supplier payments.”

The way forward

Ukheshe and its turnkey Eclipse platform is already Mastercard’s preferred implementation partner in South Africa, having successfully launched Africa’s first Mastercard virtual card for use on WhatsApp last year. The card giant once again appointed Ukheshe as its partner in this solution.

Anton Coertzen, CCO at Ukheshe, says this type of technology could change the business landscape forever. “Mastercard’s solution, combined with Ukheshe’s Eclipse platform, can change the way businesses manage payments – saving time, money and energy for all parties involved. With Eclipse, we can add new services to our clients’ suite so that it grows with them when their needs, and those of their own clients or suppliers, change over time. It fits perfectly into Ukheshe’s vision of fintech enablement, modernising business-to-business transactions, and financial inclusion.”

Kingston Technology Tops List of Supplier Channel SSD Shipments in 2021

Kingston Technology Tops List of Supplier Channel SSD Shipments in 2021

Continued Growth in Q4 Solidified #1 Ranking for the Year

Kingston Digital Europe Co LLP, a flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced it closed out a prosperous 2021 in the number one spot for SSD Unit market share in the channel. SSD demand through Q4 2021 remained high due to continued growth in the client, enterprise and OEM sectors. In October, Kingston also broadened its portfolio by launching two new high performance client M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 4 SSDs, KC3000 and Kingston FURY Renegade.

Market share data from analyst research company TRENDFOCUS showed Kingston as the number one client SSD vendor in the channel with 22.2% for unit market share and 22.3 million client SSDs shipped for all of 2021 in the channel. In Q4 alone, Kingston’s client SSD market share grew to a substantial 26.8% in the channel which displays a healthy annual unit growth despite ongoing component shortages. According to TRENDFOCUS, total client SSD units increased 12.4% YoY in 2021. Notebook PC units increased 12% YoY while desktop PCs inched up 1% over the same period, reflecting the rapid adoption of solid-state drives by clients largely due to performance, size and reduced power consumption. Kingston maintains a competitive advantage by working closely with its suppliers, partners, and customers to remain flexible and adapt to ever-changing needs and market conditions.

“2021 saw a nearly 9% increase in total PC shipments1, the highest volume shipped since 2014. The transition of PC demand over to commercial models amplified an already high SSD-attach rate in notebook PCs and continued to fuel growth opportunities,” said Don Jeanette, vice president, TRENDFOCUS.

“The 2021 research findings validate Kingston’s growing presence and position in the SSD market,” said Tony Hollingsbee, SSD business manager, Kingston EMEA. “As we celebrate our 35 year anniversary, Kingston has been a consistent and trusted manufacturer of high-performance storage solutions. Over the past decade, we’ve continued to solidify our product portfolio with strong SATA offerings as well as distinct NVMe solutions optimised for notebooks and desktops. It takes an entire team to accomplish this feat and we both thank and share our success with our partners, vendors and customers.”
For more information visit kingston.com.

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About Kingston Digital Europe Co LLP
Kingston Digital Europe Co LLP and Kingston Technology Company, Inc., are part of the same corporate group (“Kingston”). Kingston is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of memory products. From big data, to laptops and PCs, to IoT-based devices like smart and wearable technology, to design-in and contract manufacturing, Kingston helps deliver solutions used to live, work and play. The world’s largest PC makers and cloud-hosting companies depend on Kingston for their manufacturing needs, and our passion fuels technology used by the world every day. We strive beyond our products to see the bigger picture, to meet the needs of our customers and offer solutions that make a difference. To learn more about how Kingston Is With You, visit Kingston.com.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES VERITABLE TOOL IN COMBATING INSECURITY — PROF PANTAMI

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES VERITABLE TOOL IN COMBATING INSECURITY — PROF PANTAMI

The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), has reiterated that the use of emerging technologies in combating insecurity remains a veritable tool which Nigeria will continue to capitalise on, as government and stakeholders are pointing towards digital technology as the next available option to help reduce the scourge of insecurity in the country.

Prof. Pantami, who was represented by the Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE said this during a paper presentation at the National Students Security Summit 2022 organised by National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

He said that the rapid advancement of technology has brought about the term Emerging Technologies that are new, and they have not been fully explored or are still under development, and new cases are discovered every day.

According to the Minister, the technological revolution is transforming lives at breakneck speed, dramatically altering the way people work, learn and live together.
He stated that Emerging Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, Quantum Computing, Augmented Reality, Internet of Things and Robotics are exponentially growing and finding new applications in an ever-increasing number of sectors, including the way people receive, exchange and process information for security activities.

The Minister further said that unstoppable as insecurity is, the country has continuously explored various approaches to mitigate security challenges.
“You would all agree that the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), characterised by digitalisation and automation, is cutting across all sectors of industry and humanities. The copious role of digital technology in tackling insecurity can never be underestimated; making it a veritable tool for defeating all security threats in the country.

“It is pertinent to understand that advances in technology are reshaping global security capabilities, from enhancing the way borders are monitored to helping mitigate insecurity, the impact of natural disasters to intelligent detection, the identification of criminal activities to automatic detection of crime associated menace in the society,” he added.

Pantami further stated that these new challenges and opportunities are currently being utilised in facilitating digital solutions and building capacities to address national security challenges in Nigeria. Adding that Federal Government is not unmindful of the role of emerging technologies in a sustainable digital economy and national security issues.

He said that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics has been established to foster the development of emerging technologies in preparing Nigeria for the Fourth Industrial Revolution via research and development of technologies like drones, robotics and Artificial Intelligence.

Pantami said to curb cybercrime activities, NITDA rejigged its Computer Emergency Readiness Response Team (CERRT) in response to the increase rate of cybercrime and fulfilment of the requirement of the National Cybersecurity Strategy.
He added that CERRT functions in coordinating and facilitating information sharing, providing mitigation strategies and recommendations for the incident response and recovery, researching and analysing trends and patterns of incident activity for government Ministry, Department and Agencies (MDA) with extension to the private sector.

“We are taking steps to establish National Public Key Infrastructure to ensure the protection of Nigerian systems in cyberspace. We are establishing National Emergency lines in almost every part of the country to ensure citizens’ communication access. We are creating cybersecurity awareness across geopolitical zones to educate Nigerians on the potential of cyber threats. Every Nigerian must be aware of his responsibilities as far as security is concerned, and each person must be safe,” he added.

In an attempt to create a safe digital environment, the Minister said that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the designation and protection of relevant telecommunications infrastructure across the country as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) towards supporting implementation.
The Minister added that Government at all levels, private and other critical stakeholders in the technology ecosystem are expected to respond more rapidly and effectively to the unique opportunities emerging technologies could bring to Nigeria’s security administration.

Pantami stressed that, “as government, we would channel our energy towards creating an enabling environment for innovation in emerging technologies that could be harnessed and utilised effectively to the country’s advantage. We would develop integrated frameworks and approaches for adopting and deploying Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in national security architectures. We will continue to create suitable platforms to foster trustworthy collaborations between the country’s public and private technology community and civil society organisations.”

FG Engages TikTok on Data Transparency & Online Safety

FG Engages TikTok on Data Transparency & Online Safety

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami has called for the need to entrench transparency, laws, and regulations in social media usage to ensure a safer digital space, devoid of illegalities and promoters of fake news.

The Minister who was represented by the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE said this while playing host to a Delegation of video-focused social networking service, TikTok, in his office.

Kashifu Inuwa raised several concerns bordering on security, tax payment, direct contact with TikTok and general content hygiene.

“There is a need for you to be more transparent on what you do with the data, experience you take and your algorithm design; because most algorithms are designed to promote hate speech.”

According to the DG, “Technology can be used as a weapon, or a tool”, which he noted depends on the user’s intent.

He, therefore, emphasised the fact that there should be consequences for anyone who uses social media to commit a crime and maintained that anything that is illegal offline should also be illegal online.

“In Nigeria, people are using TikTok for so many things; some use it to promote rituals and domestic violence while others use it for hate speech; So, we cannot continue to have people put out random contents without appropriate checks/verifications”.

The NITDA Boss who recalled the issues that ensued between the Federal Government and Twitter which led to the suspension of the platform’s operations in Nigeria said the microblogging and social networking service had to agree and meet certain conditions upon which its ban was lifted.

TikTok | Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

The conditions, the DG explained, are to be extended to other social media platforms, including TikTok.

“We are working on drafting “Code of Practice”, which we are going to share with you soon; get your feedback and see how we can make it better.”

Kashifu Inuwa was emphatic when he reiterated the need to direct contact with the company to agree on the timeline to either delete erring content or suspend accounts that violate rules.

Moreso, he encouraged TIKTOK to register and have an Office in the Country to enable prompt Communications for subsequent engagements.

The leader of the TikTok Delegation & Head of Government Relations and Public Policy, TikTok- Middle East, Turkey, Africa and Pakistan, Farah Tukan, said the team intends to host a series of workshops in Abuja and Lagos with the aim of enlightening Nigerians on how the platform works; taking a deep dive into how contents are moderated; developed and how policies are enforced.

“We are committed to providing opportunities for Nigerians to earn a living through their creativity and expression, and as a global platform that thrives on creativity, it is essential that our users feel safe and comfortable online.

Our user policies and tools are developed to promote a positive and safe environment for our community, and we trust that users will respect and utilise these measures to keep TikTok fun and welcoming for everyone”.

She confirmed TikTok’s readiness to explore more areas of collaboration with the agency to continue to contribute to keeping Nigerian users safe on its platform as well as promote the creative industries in Nigeria.

“We take misinformation and fake news very seriously, and it’s actually against our community guidelines; we have policies that address misinformation, we also have a system (the human elements as well) that looks into this issue as well”.

The team leader also affirmed that the Company is open to conversations with the Nigerian Government regarding updating its rules and regulations to ensure a more excellent user experience.

NITDA hopes that the engagement and subsequent ones will translate to having a safer digital space for every Nigerian, especially as TikTok has become one of the most preferred video-focused social networking services.

Youth Council Honours NCC Director, Muhammed Babajika

Youth Council Honours NCC Director, Muhammed Babajika

The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has honoured the Director, Licensing and Authorisation at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Muhammed Babajika, with the titled of ‘’Garkuwan Matasan Arewa (literally translated as icon of societal transformation). This award is in appreciation of Babajika’s dedication to his duties which has contributed to opening up spaces to engender youth development and a better Nigeria.

Presenting the award to Babajika in Abuja recently, the Vice-President of NYCN, Yahya Garba, who led the Youth Council’s delegation, said the conferment of the title on the honoree was based on his selfless service and his immense contributions that have enhanced youth development.

“Babajika was chosen for this award ‘based on his immense contributions to youth development, empowerment, training, job creation and others through training of our members to appreciate the significance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in development,” Garba said.

In his acceptance speech, Babajika commended the youth organisation for promoting the youths of northern extraction, urging NYCN Executives to use their connections and network with the governments across the country to carry out more awareness on skills acquisition and functional education.

The recognition by youth council gives credence to the important role being played by Babajika, through the department he oversees at NCC, to deliver one of the Commission’s important functions of issuing operating licenses to all telecommunications service providers in Nigeria to fast-track the creation of ICT and training hubs that have benefitted young people and ultimately driving socio-economic development of Nigeria.

The NYCN is an umbrella body of youths in the 19 northern states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja (FCT). One of the objectives of NYCN is the promotion of national integration and enhancement of investment in Northern Nigeria for sustainable development.