By Jessica Dogo

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), says the agency will support Uniccon Group of Companies in terms of research as it unveils Omeife AI and Omeife Digital Literacy Apps.

The NITDA’s Director-General, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, made the disclosure during the unveiling of the company’s two Apps on Wednesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the group launched Africa’s first humanoid robot ‘Omeife’ in December 2022.

These apps are derivatives of Omeife for the benefit of Nigerians, Africa, and the world.

Inuwa spoke about the extraction of services to provide digital literacy, adding that the technology was needed to achieve the targeted 95 per cent digital literacy in Nigeria.

“We are ready to provide any support. We can invest in terms of research.

“Africa and Nigeria should not be left behind. Before most of the industrial revolutions we were not there but today we do not have any reason to be left behind.

“Omeife can be in the hands of Nigerians to learn in a personalised manner and have an interactive experience.

“I have gone around the facility and I am impressed with the technologies in place. I am happy with the convergence of technology in this place, from biological, physical, and chemical perspectives,” he said.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Group, Dr Chuks Ekwueme, said building a digital economy was impossible without the digital education of the masses, especially those at the grassroots, such as local traders and the underserved.

Ekwueme said applying AI technology in the life of artificial intelligence was needed and relevant in everyday life, adding that technology is such that everybody needs to have and not regret having.

He asked,”These technologies are personalised. If you have a technology that does not address problems or issues then what is the essence of the technology?”

Ekwueme acknowledged NITDA, academia, industry partners, policymakers, and the community for supporting the thriving of digital literacy.

He thanked the NITDA’s DG for being a partner in progress. He emphasised that the apps launched would solve unique problems in Africa and add value to society.

In his welcome address, Kehinde Ake, the General Manager, Uniccon Group, called on all relevant stakeholders in the technology space to support the initiative of enabling digital literacy in Africa.

Ake stated that there would be no digital economy if the beneficiaries were digitally ignorant.

“The apps launched have translation services from source to target languages such as English, Pidgin English, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, French, Swahili, and Arabic.

“They also render subtitling, knowledge assistance, text summarization, and video translation,” he said.

In various goodwill messages from the stakeholders, while extending collaboration opportunities, they applauded Uniccon for advancing the march to a digitally-literate society for a robust digital economy.

The event had representatives from the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), GIZ, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Nigerian Computing Society (NCS), Convexity among others. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Sylvester Thompson

Chief Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, on Friday said Nigeria must increase production to strengthen the naira and boost the economy.

Nnaji stated this at a news conference on readiness for implementation of Presidential Executive Order N0 5 in Abuja on Friday.

The Presidential Executive Order No. 5 is geared towards achieving self-reliance, self-sufficiency through local content development.

He said the value of the naira would appreciate when the country started producing rather than importing, adding citizens would benefit from a more producing economy.

“If we have made in Nigeria products, we can no longer import and the stress on the naira will reduce.

“When we stop importation of goods and products, we can easily produce here, the value of our currency will appreciate.

“That’s part of the advantage that comes with Presidential Executive Order No 5,’’ the minister said.

Nnaji noted that through his ministry, President Bola Tinubu would create a conducive environment to support the innovative spirit of Nigerian youths and entrepreneurs.

He said: “We see it as a pivotal moment in our nation’s history that will propel Nigeria to new heights of innovation and technological advancement.

The minister said that the Executive Order 5 would address challenges by providing support for made-in-Nigeria goods and services.

” The order will develop home-grown capability and the capacity to maintain, redesign, reproduce, rededicate and duplicate any infrastructure built in Nigeria for self-reliance and development.

“The Order also seeks to closely monitor and promote the capacity of Nigerian professionals and contractors in science, engineering and technological progress to compete with their counterparts globally,” Nnaji said.

He added that full implementation of the order would bolster the economy, create jobs, reduce poverty and usher in a brighter future for Nigeria.

The minister said the ministry was currently developing a national strategy for competitiveness in raw materials and product development.

He said it was also formulating national policies on leather and leather products, welding and welding related fields, among others.(NAN)

Edited by Nabilu Balarabe/Idris Abdulrahman

By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Institution of Space Engineers (NISEng) have called for the deployment of space assets to address the security challenges in the country.

They made the call at the hybrid 7th annual lecture and 6th conferment of fellowship awards organised by the Nigerian Institution of Space Engineers (NISEng) in Abuja.

The event was in honour of retired Brig.-Gen. Michael Agu, the pioneer chairman of NISEng in recognition of his contributions and achievements towards the growth of space engineering in Nigeria.

The lecture had the theme “Repositioning Nigeria’s Space Infrastructure as a Critical Dual-Use Asset for National Security: Government-Industry Imperatives.”

Dr Halilu Shaba, Director General of NASRDA, said the country needed high-resolution satellites that would pinpoint hotspots of insecurity activities.

Represented by Dr Sadiq Umar, Director, Centre for Satellite Technology Development (CSTD), Shaba also said the country had lots of ungoverned areas where insecurity was thriving.

“We have broadband connectivity, Direct-to-home connectivity, it means we should communicate assets and our remote sensing facilities to curtail these security challenges.

“Nigeria Sat X is a remote sensing satellite with low resolution. We are thinking of high-resolution imagers that can pinpoint where problems are and solve them.

“You can pinpoint using like 0.5 to 1 metre resolution and we don’t have a space asset that is of that resolution.

“We are working in collaboration with relevant agencies and the Presidency to acquire a high-resolution satellite that can pinpoint, show where problems are and give us pre-knowledge, movement of bandits and terrorist.’’

He added that the country also required a Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite that could see through the clouds even at night.

According to him, without security, the country cannot grow; there will be food insecurity and a lot of challenges.

The President, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Tasiu Gidaari, while declaring the event open, said there were lots of issues bedeviling the nation.

Gidaari said that top on the list was infrastructure deficit that crippled development, among other issues.

“As engineers we are encouraged to continually engage in Research and Development (R&D) and seeking technologically driven innovative ways to solve our problems.

“The NSE is at the forefront of innovation, we have launched the Smart Innovation hub of the NSE, so avail yourself to be part of R&D and commercialisation of research works,” he said.

Shaba, in a virtual lecture on the theme, said space-based communication systems such as satellites enabled, secured and ensured real-time communication for military forces, government agencies and emergency responders.

He enumerated that space assets ensured weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, secure data transmission, cybersecurity, among other importance.

He highlighted that the Nigerian space asset had been instrumental to monitoring disasters like flood, oil spillage, forest fires, managing post-disaster recovery, among other goods.

Shaba recommended that there should be strategic planning and investment, space diplomacy, collaborative framework, international cooperation, risk management and contingency planning to boost use of space asset.

Dr Umar Abdullahi, National Chairman of NISEng, said that the annual lecture had always been a time to reflect on the remarkable journey, legacy set by Gen. Agu.

Abdullahi explained that space had become an important part of the national security apparatus.

He said that the use of space assets for communication, weather forecasting, surveillance and navigation, were all necessary for safeguarding the nation.

According to him, it is important we recognise this dual-use potential and harness it for national growth.

“Let us remember that our actions and decisions in the realm of space engineering have far-reaching implications for our nation’s security, prosperity and well-being.

“Let us strive to make Nigeria a spacefaring nation, not just for the advantage of science and engineering but also for national growth,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the annual lecture holds concurrently with the World Space Week between Oct. 4 and Oct. 10.

It is usually celebrated in recognition of the first artificial satellite Sputnik into orbit in 1957. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Funmilola Gboteku/ Stellamaris Ashinze

The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) says it is imperative for the country to sharpen its focus on broadband development and intensify support for data centre services to boost digital sovereignty.

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umaru Danbatta, said this on Thursday during the Telecoms Sector Sustainability Forum (TSSF) 4.0 organised by Business Remarks in Lagos.

The theme of the event was: “Mainstreaming Data Centres in the Nigerian Digital Economy.”

Danbatta, who was represented by Dr Sunday Atu, Head, Tariff Administration NCC, said mainstreaming data centres required collective efforts.

According to him, there is need for support to ensure data centres not only operate to guarantee national digital sovereignty, but also prioritise contents reflecting the country’s cultural norms, contexts and ideological values.

He said data was regarded as the new oil globally with increasing intensity in the context of the emerging digital economy.

For that reason, Danbatta explained that data had become a subject of special consideration by regimes, requiring appropriate structures and frameworks to truly tap and optimise the opportunities provided by this new order.

Danbatta noted that data centre services, no doubt, held the keys to the ultimate crystallisation of the new line of thinking within the ICT sector and by extension to the greater national economy of nations in so many ways.

“Recent developments point to the limitless treasure within this space. Africa has recently assumed a new frontier and compelling destination for global big tech players.

“Tech giants, like Google with its Equiano subsea fibre cable spanning 15,000 km from Portugal to South Africa and strategic landing points in Nigeria and Namibia, are expected to increase connectivity more than five-fold within Nigeria while creating an expected 1.6 million jobs.

“Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is equally on the threshold of launching its own subsea cable called 2Africa in 2024 to connect 16 African countries at an estimated cost of 1 billion dollars.

“It is targeted to generate close to 36 billion dollars of economic output within two to three years of operation.

“While these, no doubt, portend significant socio-economic impacts for Nigeria, they bring to the fore the debate around digital sovereignty and the need for national policy and regulatory frameworks to further localise traffic and data,” he said.

According to Danbatta, the global data centre market is worth billions of dollars, and Nigeria is well-positioned to attract a fair share of this investment.

He explained that by providing a reliable and secure environment for the services they offer within a well nurtured policy and regulatory framework, Nigeria would represent an attractive destination for more investment in data centre services and operations.

“With the commencement of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the role and critical nature of data centres become increasing overwhelming.

“This is underscored by the kind of efficiency derivable when critical resources are shared at costs far significantly smaller than the actual costs of setting up such resources from scratch,” Danbatta said.

He said this would provide a veritable platform for greater productivity for businesses and public sector entities to effectively harness the opportunities to be unlocked from the estimated 1.2 trillion dollars latent treasure within the AfCFTA block through its 1.3 billion people.

In his remark, the Chief Executive Officer of Medallion Data Centre Ltd., Ikechukwu Nnamani, said: “If we look at other parametres

Nigeria should be at the fore front of data centre industry in Africa.

“Unfortunately we are lagging behind and surprisingly African countries like South Africa and Egypt are way ahead of Nigeria.

He explained that from the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) point, broadband connectivity, and in terms of mobile subscription, Nigeria had significantly lower figures than other African countries.

Nnamani stressed the need for Nigeria to be put in its rightful position as the giant of Africa, not just in terms of population, but also in the area of quality of life of citizens, GDP and the digital benefits.

Also speaking , Bukola Olanrewaju, the convener of TSSF stressed the pivotal role data centres played in the digital era, saying beyond data storage and accessibility, they underpinned the digital world, fuelling economic growth, environmental sustainability and data security.

Olanrewaju said currently, there were only 86 colocation data centres in 15 African countries, with the majority concentrated in the big four African countries, which included South -Africa , Egypt, Nigeria and Kenya.

She said according to Allied Market Research, the global data centre market was valued at 187.35 billion dollars in 2020 and was anticipated to reach 517.17 billion by 2030.

According to Olanrewaju, data centres, alongside fibre optic broadband expansion and telecom towers, are poised to become the new backbone of Africa’s economic growth. (NAN)

Edited by Salif Atojoko

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By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) says Nigeria could generate $20 million from the launch of one satellite if it develops its Assembly, Integration and Testing Laboratory (AITL).

Dr Halilu Shaba, Director General of  NASRDA, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Abuja the agency  was confident that the 25-year Space Policy Roadmap could be achieved.

Part of the content of the roadmap which included launching satellites into the orbit from Nigerian soil, Shaba said was crucial to the development of Space Science and Technology.

He added that achieving such facility was a humongous project that required huge resources which their annual budgetary allocation could barely handle.

He explained that they were engaging in advocacies to investors and  other countries to see how partnerships could float the project because the government might not have the sole capacity.

“We are thinking out of the box because it can bring money and we are letting people know that this can bring money.

“The government can partner with the public on that because for you to launch any satellite, the initial deposit you give for the launch of the satellite minus the kilometres you cover is $20million to launch one satellite.

“We are also at the equator and getting windows for launch are higher and then the distance to the orbit is shorter.

“ If we can be a launching destination, it means that if we are launching 20 satellites from Nigeria every year, that gives you about $400million.

“Let’s start and then identify the other issues, and Nigeria will be launching destination for other African countries and the world,”Shaba said.

The NASRDA boss further said the agency  was talking to other countries due to their interests.

He added that they were making offers to some other countries that would want Nigeria to develop the AITL and grant them access over a period.

Shaba said: “They can come, we develop this together, we share the profit, they can launch and as well have a launch pad.

“Whatever option we are looking at, it has to be to the benefit of Nigeria.’’

Shaba disclosed that the agency was developing on its Rocketry and Propulsion experience, although its profits were coming in trickles.

He said that the agency was exploring to engage every platform to educate Nigerians about Space Science and Technology.

The avenues they were exploring, Shaba said included expanding the scope of their social media engagements targeted at the youths and the banks for development of visibility tools.

“We are also looking at expanding broadband reach to rural areas which we got the approval from the Federal Executive Council in November 2022.

“We are already ahead with that, some of the equipment are here already and we are testing the broadband to see its speed.

“When you talk of digital economy, you cannot remove satellite and we want our youths to identify with all these areas because we are open to anyone,” Shaba said  (NAN)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

Dr Halilu Shaba, Director-General, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), on Sunday said that Nigeria’s space industry could be valued at 1billon dollars.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Shaba explained that the agency had developed the critical mass required for the sector to thrive.

Another factor he explained that determined the value of the sector, he said, was the position of Nigeria at the equator which gave it an advantage over some other countries.

“ The value of Nigeria space industry should be worth one billion dollars because we have developed the critical mass, we already have a design of what our next satellite will look like, but we need funds.

“ Again, because we are sitting at the equator, all our communications satellites used to have very wide coverage, they are more than any other country.

“ Angola launched but the footage is not all over Africa but our satellites will always have footage all over Africa, not only for West Africa and that gives us the market.

“ We value ourselves as the only operators at the equator and because of that we imagine our reach, that alone gives us a unique position,’’ Shaba said.

The D-G further said that the agency was putting measures in place to liberalise space technology and engage more Nigerians to be more aware to ensure transparency in its service delivery.

Shaba said: “A lot of people use this technology without knowing, they use Global Positioning System (GPS), hand-held phones and they don’t even know that these are space technology.

“ In everything we do these days, technology is being used but the common man is not even aware that this same technology is brought to fur.

“ We are talking to the people who will break it down to the citizens through the relevant institutions.”

He added that the agency had overtime strengthened partnerships with universities to transform the culture of research.

He explained that the issue of security had been a setback to achieving a 24-hour research culture.

“ We are working to change the culture of research because you must have security.

“Comparing with some other countries that are into space science technology, you see that they have about a 24-hour research culture but in the case of Nigeria, we just have about eight hours and yet we are competing.

“ We have been consistently trying to see how our centres and campuses located sometimes in the outskirts of town can improve on research by having 24 hours, ” he said.

Shaba said the agency had also been encouraging its researchers to further their studies by undertaking Masters and Doctorate Degree programmes for more in-depth knowledge, hence the critical mass. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Deborah Coker

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), on Saturday donated a N30 million ICT centre to the Richard George Foundation (RGF).

The Director- General, NITDA, Mr Kashifu Abdullahi made the donation at the formal inauguration of Gala/ Fund raising of RGF in Abuja.

Abdullahi explained that part of the agency intervention programme, which was also part of President Bola Tinubu ‘s “Renewed Hope” agenda was to provide infrastructure that could be used to promote innovation and entrepreneurship for people.

“We call it digital economy centre. We provide such centres to schools and communities.

“The centre comes with computers, furnitures, internet connectivity, printers, photo copiers, air conditioners, solar power, generators, and all necessary equipment needed for a centre to function,” he said.

The NITDA boss also said that the three strategic pillars of the foundation, which included education, skills and entrepreneurship,connected with his life story.

”I was born and raised in Jigawa, in a community full of artisans. But most of the people don’t go to school.

”But I was opportuned to go to school because my parents, especially my father insisted that we must finish university before we start anything.

”So I was brought up with two core values, which were my home core values, and my community ‘s core values, ” he said.

Abdullahi said that his father instilled that in him the core values, and that in all sincerity, the RGF strategic pillars connected and aligned with that value.

He narrated how he was inspired to become a computer scientist.

“The education I got in school is what gave me the knowledge, and I turned that knowledge into skill.

“But on that skill I needed to stand out and get noticed to become an entrepreneur, and so I did my first job, which was to design a web.

“I gave out the web for free, which eventually led to the people inviting me to design a similar web for them, and I was paid N1.5 million,” he said.

The NITDA boss said that money should not always be the main focus but skills acquisition.

”Try and develop skills, and with skills, money will come naturally.

“My story is to inspire the young people, that its not about the morning all the time, but about the skills, and its not about just education, but also the skill.

“When you have education, you need to have the skills to validate the education, without the skill, you cannot validate.

“And also to be an entrepreneur, you need to have that spirit to start and do something,” the NITDA boss said.

Earlier, Mr Richard George, Founder, RGF, said that the event of the day marked a milestone in his life because it birthed a dream.

According to him, the dream is to give back to his community through mentoring young and talented African graduates with a vision “To Raise Africa’s Change Makers”.

He said that the RGF summarised his humble beginnings.

Meanwhile one of the mentee, Mrs Ibigotemieari Adebiyi, described her journey with RGF as one of self-discovery and transformation. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

By Jessica Dogo

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said that financial inclusion would eradicate poverty and improve access to financial growth of the country.

Tijani said this at the unveiling of Kayi Bank App, a pioneering fintech solution committed to security, speed, and customer satisfaction on Thursday in Abuja.

The programme was tagged: “Unlocking a Digital Finance Revolution”.

He said that financial inclusion contributes significantly to economic growth by increasing the number of individuals and businesses that can participate in the formal economy.

Tijani said: “As we all know, Nigerians are extremely entrepreneurial and while they are entrepreneurial, there is also a significant amount of entrepreneurs that are not included in the formal economy.

“If these entrepreneurs are not included in the formal economy, we will struggle to actually be able to drive strong and inclusive economic growth to true financial inclusion.

”We can bring more people into the economy. And by bringing more people into our economy, we stand the chance to reduce poverty.”

The minister said that entrepreneurship can be fostered by having a strong financial inclusion in the society.

He added: “When we have a strong financial inclusion in society, you can also foster intrapreneurship and there is no other way we can grow without entrepreneurship.”

Tijani said that the agric sector contributes significantly to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), adding that good financial inclusion will ensure farmers have access to resources they need as inputs.

The minister said: “They can manage income better, they can manage their sales better, but they also can access credits that can help them to do what they need to do.”

He urged investors to invest more as there was a lot of money to make from the bottom of the pyramid.

Earlier, the Managing Director of the bank, Yunusa Mohammad, said it would explore core features and capabilities to reshape financial transactions, broaden accessibility and empower users to take charge of their financial destinies.

“We will explore the core features and capabilities of the Kayi app, illuminating how this mobile application will reshape financial transactions, broaden accessibility and empower users to take charge of their financial destinies.

“We are also unveiling the future where financial transactions are simplified, more accessible and empowering for all,” he said.

In his goodwill message, Malam Kashifu Inuwa, the Director Generally of theNational Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said the initiative would help institutionalise investment in Nigeria’s startups.

“This will really help us and institutionalise investment in startups in Nigeria.

“Kayi is about job creation. It is about empowering our people to build the next digital bank,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Jessica Dogo

The Africa Internet Governance Forum (AFIGF) has identified cybercrime as a big threat to Africa’s digital transformation strategy.

This was contained in a communiqué presented at the end of the 12th AFIGF, with the theme: “Transforming Africa’s Digital Landscape: Empowering Inclusion, Security and Innovation”, which ended in Abuja, Nigeria.

The forum urged governments across the continent for an urgent need to increase their investments in cybersecurity.

In a recommendation signed by all the members said, AIFG said: “Cybercrime remains a potential threat to the implementation of Africa Union (AU) 2063 agenda and its digital transformation strategy.

“AU and African government to ensure adequate investment to fight cybercrime activities, ensure international cooperation, and capacity building for lawmakers and enforcement actors, the judiciary and other necessary actors,” AFIGF said.

The forum said that Africa’s digital workforce strategy was reactive, and that urgent investment was required to bridge the digital divide and to develop the digital workforce needed for innovation.

The participants stressed that it was vital to penetrate into Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital solutions be grown from African datasets, and tailor AI models to the region’s unique challenges and opportunities.

They said the dearth of research in AI on the continent focused on the uniqueness of Africans, leaves a huge gap and stifles the ability to develop solutions that identify its culture and people.

In his remarks, the Secretary General (AIGF) and a member Ghanaian Parliament, Hon. Samuel George called for free internet that.was inclusive, safe and secured for all the citizens in Africa.

He said: “This can only be achieved through collaborative effort by coming together to build an Africa that is inclusive.”

George said for Africa to be self sufficient, it must create an enabling environment and laws , as well as provide digital infrastructure for young innovators to thrive.

This, he said, would in turn promote indigenous and local content development in technological development.

George appreciated the vital role of the African Union Commission, the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Africa IGF Secretariat and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

He also thanked the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), partners and stakeholders who contributed to the success of the forum this year.

Meanwhile, the Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta said that Africa Digital transformation can only be achieved by creating enabling laws, institutional changes and provisions of Digital Public Infrastructure.

“We can create enabling laws and institutional changes to respond to dynamics of the internet movement, recent discovery in AI, Blockchain technology, 5G technology and course a vibrant communications industry.

“These are the drivers of a digital transformation and also human capital with the capacity to ensure transformation takes place in all the sectors of the economy as well as in governance.

“These will drive Africa’s digital transformation agenda,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was a United Nations initiative hosted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Other hosts were: Africa Union (AU), Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nigeria Internet Governance Forum (NIGF), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

The programme was sponsored by MTN Nigeria, Huawei, Meta, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), German Cooperation and Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), accordingly.

The event brought together political leaders, intellectuals and experts in information and communication technologies (ICT) within the African continent. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani