The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has called for a fundamental transformation of Nigeria’s education system, urging universities to prioritise practical skills, innovation and research commercialisation over the traditional emphasis on academic certificates. Inuwa said Nigeria’s economic transformation would depend largely on its ability to convert scientific discoveries into marketable solutions, productive enterprises and improved public services, rather than merely producing research papers and awarding degrees. He made the call while delivering the keynote address at the 3rd International Biennial Conference of the College of Physical Sciences (COLPHYS 2026) at the Federal University of…
Author: Rommy Imah
Rommy Imah is Founder/Editor of Digital Times Nigeria (www.digitaltimesng.com). He has been in active journalism in over two decades with a bias for technology and business reporting. He is particularly passionate about technology and how it can be used to transform human life, businesses and services.
Mary-Brenda Akoda, winner of the 2026 Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation (NPSI), has unveiled GenScanAI, an artificial intelligence-powered medical imaging solution designed to reduce magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan times by up to 90 per cent, improve image quality and enhance healthcare delivery without requiring additional MRI hardware. Akoda presented the innovation at Vibranium Valley, Ikeja, Lagos, where medical practitioners, healthcare professionals, researchers, academics, students and technology stakeholders examined its scientific foundations, potential clinical applications and capacity to address challenges in medical imaging and diagnostic services. GenScanAI uses artificial intelligence and advanced computing techniques to reconstruct MRI images, with…
Her Startup, an accelerator supporting women-led technology businesses in Africa, has opened applications for its second cohort, offering selected entrepreneurs intensive training, mentorship and access to investment opportunities to scale their businesses. The initiative, spearheaded by KSH Foundation, Tomorrow Foundation and EHA Impact Ventures, will select 10 women founders of early-stage technology businesses for a specialised programme delivered by Founder Institute, the world’s largest pre-seed startup accelerator. The programme seeks to address the persistent funding disparity confronting women entrepreneurs across Africa. Despite accounting for 58 per cent of the continent’s self-employed population, women founders secured less than one per cent…
PalmPay’s growing footprint in Nigeria’s digital financial services sector has earned the fintech company the Digital Payments Platform of the Year award at the 2026 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards. The award, presented on October 9, 2026, at the Civic Centre in Lagos, recognises PalmPay’s contribution to the expansion of digital payments and financial inclusion in Nigeria, and was formally presented to the company by Frank Aigbogun, renowned publisher and co-founder of BusinessDay. Since its launch in Nigeria in 2019, PalmPay has developed an inclusive digital financial services ecosystem that enables customers to make payments, pay bills…
Access Holdings Plc has announced the retirement of Mr Olanrewaju Bamisebi as Executive Director in charge of Information Technology and Digitalisation, following the expiration of his term contract on September 30, 2026. The retirement is in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Corporate Governance Guidelines for Financial Holding Companies in Nigeria, which prescribe limits on the number and composition of executive directors in financial holding companies. The company disclosed the development in a regulatory filing submitted to the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), formally notifying the Exchange and the investing public of Bamisebi’s exit from the position. Under the…
The Federal Government has secured $800 million in sovereign financing for its ambitious national broadband expansion project but requires an additional $1.2 billion in private investment to complete the initiative, which aims to extend fibre-optic infrastructure across Nigeria by 2028. The project, known as Project BRIDGE, is designed to deploy 90,000 kilometres of open-access fibre-optic cables across the 36 states, increasing Nigeria’s combined fibre backbone from approximately 35,000 kilometres to 125,000 kilometres and connecting more than 200,000 schools, health facilities and other public institutions. National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, disclosed this during a virtual…
Gender equality advocate and the Creative Director of the Gender Agenda, Dr. Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack, has made a strong case for the greater inclusion of women in Nigeria’s male-dominated electoral process. Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack, who doubles as the founder of the WEWE Network Afrique, spoke during the panel session of the 10th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, October 7-8, 2026, with the theme: “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities”. While speaking generally on election preparation in the country, she noted that elections do not hold…
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, has urged staff of the Commission to strengthen service delivery by taking greater ownership of stakeholders’ concerns and ensuring that complaints and requests are followed through to resolution. Maida gave the charge on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at the NCC headquarters in Abuja, while commemorating the 2026 Customer Service Week, themed “Going the Extra Mile.” He said the theme should translate into practical improvements in the way the Commission interacts with consumers, industry players and other stakeholders, stressing that effective regulation must ultimately…
The Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation (LSEF) and the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) have entered into a strategic partnership to equip 1,000 gifted but indigent Nigerian students with practical technology skills, mentorship and industry exposure as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s digital talent pipeline. The partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will see the NCS provide technical training and practical learning opportunities to beneficiaries of the Foundation’s 1,000 technology scholarship scheme, giving them exposure to experienced and certified professionals throughout their academic journey. The scholarship initiative, announced by Africa’s foremost technology entrepreneur and Chairman of Zinox Group,…
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced plans to temporarily close the runway of Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo State, for about 25 days to facilitate essential rehabilitation and expansion works. The closure is tentatively scheduled to commence on October 20, 2026, although FAAN said the date remains subject to final confirmation. According to the Authority, the intervention has become necessary following the deterioration of portions of the runway, with potholes and extensive surface cracks reportedly worsened by recent heavy rainfall. The planned rehabilitation will involve pavement repairs, treatment of cracks and resurfacing of affected sections…