By Evans WOHEREM, Ph.D Introduction Unleashing the economic potential of any nation requires unwavering commitment and a clear vision. However, Africa, a diverse continent abundant in resources and human capital, faces numerous challenges that impede its development and progress. Political unrest, corruption, poverty, human rights violations, and economic instability cast a dark shadow over many African nations, intertwining to create pervasive challenges that foster instability, hamper development efforts, and uproot countless lives. These claims are supported by numerous studies, reports, and data. Indices such as the Ibrahim Index of African Governance and the Global Corruption Barometer by Transparency International shed…
Author: DigitalTimesNG
Celebrating 20 Years of Africa’s Trusted InfoSec Company By: Peter OLUKA Digital Encode Limited, a multi-award-winning consulting and integration firm based in Lagos, Nigeria, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. Founded in 2003, Digital Encode specializes in designing, managing, and securing business-critical telecommunications environments and IT infrastructures. Recognized in the industry for its vendor-independent perspective, the firm excels in solving multifaceted, complex enterprise network security and audit problems. With 20 years of sustained business success, Digital Encode stands as a testament to their innovation and unwavering commitment to excellence. In Nigeria, where failed startups are commonplace, Digital Encode has…
The Group President and CEO of MTN, Ralph Mupita, alongside board members and leadership of MTN Group and MTN Nigeria recently met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a courtesy visit. The team extended their congratulations to President Tinubu on his election victory, reiterated MTN’s commitment to Nigeria and outlined the company’s strategy for expanding connectivity across the country, diversifying digital services available to Nigerians and supporting the rapid growth of Nigeria’s digital economy. Speaking on the importance of partnerships and his excitement at partnering with MTN on technological advancements, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said, “You can do a lot…
The Edo State Government in conjunction with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have trained 500 youths in the state to build their skills for the future workplace. The one-day programme tagged, ‘Digi Link’ which took place at the University of Benin, was organised in partnership with ACIOE Associates and Public Digital to help the state government improve its digital capabilities, according to a report by The PUNCH. Ms Osayueamem Aladeselu, the Focal Person, Edo State Social Investment Programme, told journalists at the one-day Workshop that the programme would prepare the youths for the future world of work, fostering entrepreneurial…
Founded by HP in collaboration with T4 Education and Microsoft, the Africa Education Medal is Africa’s most prestigious accolade for innovators in the education sector HP in collaboration with Microsoft and T4 Education, on Thursday announced Simi Nwogugu as the winner of the Africa Education Medal 2023, the continent’s most prestigious education sector accolade. Simi is the CEO of JA Africa, a youth-serving NGO in Nigeria. The Africa Education Medal was founded last year to recognise the tireless work of those who are transforming African education. UNESCO data shows that Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of education exclusion in…
Access Bank Plc, Africa’s retail giant, has been recognized with the Best Company Leadership in Gender Diversity Award, Family-Friendly Workplace Excellence Award, and Gender Equality Champion Award at the Gender Leader Awards (GLA) which was held in Lagos, recently. The Bank also received special recognition for its efforts in advancing Women’s Empowerment and Leadership. The Awards, organised by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, aimed to promote action toward enhancing gender equality and mainstreaming increased opportunities for women in leadership, employment, and entrepreneurship in the Nigerian private sector. “We are grateful for this recognition and…
President Bola Tinubu Thursday suspended the 5% excise tax on telecom services and signed four Executive Orders aimed at addressing unfriendly fiscal policy measures and the multiplicity of taxes. Dele Alake, Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, who announced this at a press briefing in the presidential villa, Abuja, on Thursday said the action aims to put Nigerians at the centre of government policies. Alake said the executive orders include the Finance Act (Effective Date Variation) Order, 2023, which has now deferred the commencement date of the changes contained in the Act from May 23, 2023, to September…
Stephen ROSE writes that Africa’s data centre market is booming, ringing in an era of hyperscale for the continent. Industry giants such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are vying to establish new nodes across the continent. These new nodes are being built in countries ranging from South Africa to Morocco, Kenya to Nigeria, and further beyond into edge locations in other tier-two countries. Arizton Advisory predicts a staggering $5,4-billion investment in African data centres by 2027, growing at an impressive Continued Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12,73% during the period between 2022-2027. To seize the opportunities presented by this rapid…
GSMA Intelligence has released new insights in a report titled “Green is good for business: making the financial case in telecoms,” the second installment in a three-part series on sustainability. The report, produced in partnership with Huawei, shows that by investing in greener technologies, telecom operators can boost their financial bottom line. “While the net zero and environmental imperative are fundamental, green investments should be seen as good for costs and revenues,” said Tim Hatt, Head of Consulting at GSMA Intelligence. One of the main reasons companies may be reluctant to invest in sustainability is a concern that doing so…
Meta, Facebook’s parent company has announced it will launch a Twitter rival on Thursday. The new platform called Threads will be linked to Instagram, also owned by Meta, and is available for pre-order. Meta described Threads as a “text-based conversation app… where communities come together.” Threads is currently available for “pre-saving”(opens in a new tab) on the Apple App Store and is showing up for at least some users in the Google Play Store (opens in a new tab) in Europe. The screenshots in the App Store preview look a lot like a Twitter interface, showing a “thread” (post) with…