Author: Rommy Imah

For Francis Okafor, China is not a country best understood from a distance. Since arriving in 2018, Okafor has moved from being a Nigerian Engineering graduate and scholarship student to becoming a software engineer, an AI and Technology Lead, and now President of the Nigerian community in Shenzhen, one of China’s most dynamic technology and manufacturing centres. That journey has given him a perspective shaped not by headlines or policy announcements, but by proximity to the machinery that turns ideas into products and increasingly into artificial intelligence systems. “I have seen how quickly an idea can become something real,” Okafor…

West Africa is stepping up efforts to build a home-grown artificial intelligence (AI) economy, with governments, investors and technology leaders converging in Abuja next week to tackle the infrastructure, investment, talent and governance gaps that could determine the region’s place in the global AI race. At the centre of the push is Nigeria, which is anchoring its emerging sovereign AI agenda on the National AI Strategy, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Framework and Project BRIDGE, while seeking deeper regional cooperation to ensure African countries move beyond consuming imported technologies to developing and scaling their own AI solutions. The urgency of that…

The Executive Mayor of Umunneochi Local Government Area, Chief Sunny Afurobi, has congratulated the government and people of Abia State on the 35th anniversary of the state’s creation, describing the milestone as an opportunity to reflect on its journey and renew the push for greater development. Afurobi, in a goodwill message marking the anniversary, said Abia’s 35-year history had been defined by resilience, enterprise, innovation and the determination of its people to overcome challenges and create opportunities. According to him, the anniversary should go beyond celebrating the past and serve as a moment to strengthen the collective resolve to build…

The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, has challenged Jigawa State to rethink its economic development strategy by harnessing its youthful population, land and other abundant resources to build a sustainable, technology-driven economy capable of reducing its dependence on federal allocations. Inuwa made the call at the Galaxy Information Technology and Telecommunications (Galaxy ITT) Repositioning Retreat held in Abuja on Thursday, where he said Jigawa and other parts of Northern Nigeria could no longer afford to rely excessively on federal revenue despite the vast human and natural resources available to them. He said Jigawa…

A staggering 57 per cent of technology equipment procured by Nigerian government agencies and corporate organisations may be refurbished products being passed off as new, according to Zinox Group founder, Leo Stan Ekeh. Ekeh described the practice as a major procurement fraud capable of undermining value for money and exposing organisations to substandard technology, inadequate support and significant financial losses. He called for tougher verification of technology purchases and appropriate sanctions for companies found to have supplied refurbished equipment as new. The technology entrepreneur made the disclosure at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), warning…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, have mourned the death of veteran journalist and publisher of The Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo, describing his passing as a painful loss to Nigeria’s media industry and the nation. Oladipo, 56, was a former Political Editor of The Punch newspaper and a past President of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP). His death has drawn tributes from political leaders who commended his contributions to journalism, public discourse and the development of online media in Nigeria. President Tinubu, in a condolence message,…

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced that Bolt has been cleared to resume operations at airports under its management, following the resolution of disagreements over an operational framework for e-hailing services. FAAN, in a statement, said the decision followed constructive engagements between the Authority and Bolt, describing the development as a step towards balancing airport security and orderliness with passengers’ convenience and freedom of choice. The Authority also apologised to travellers for the inconvenience caused by the temporary disruption of e-hailing services, saying it appreciated their patience and understanding during the period. According to FAAN, it had,…

The Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy could fundamentally reshape Nigeria’s digital economy by transforming public procurement from a routine administrative process into a strategic tool for stimulating indigenous innovation, investment and job creation, Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, has said. Ekeh made the submission at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference, themed “Beyond Limits,” during a high-level session on “E-Commerce and Procurement: Transforming Public Contracting through Digital Systems, Transparency and Local Capacity Development.” He argued that the greatest value of the policy lies not merely in giving preference to Nigerian companies, but in creating the market…

The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has expressed deep sadness over the death of its former President and publisher of The Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo, who died on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at the age of 56. Oladipo served as President of GOCOP from 2017 to 2021 and was among the publishers who played significant roles in shaping the Guild during its formative years. His death, the Guild said, represents a major loss not only to GOCOP but also to the wider Nigerian media industry. Oladipo brought extensive experience from the traditional media to online publishing. Before establishing himself…

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s digital sovereignty, attract fresh investment into the technology sector and create new employment opportunities with the inauguration of a taskforce to drive the implementation of the country’s sovereign cloud initiative. The taskforce, inaugurated by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja, is expected to translate Nigeria’s cloud policy and guidelines into practical measures that will ensure critical data and cloud infrastructure are securely hosted within the country. Speaking at the inauguration, NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, described the initiative as a major ecosystem-wide reform with the potential to transform virtually…