Telecom
MTN Nigeria Rallies CIOs on the Power of Cloud Computing
MTN Nigeria hosted Chief Information Officers of various private and public organisations to lunch on Thursday, 22nd June 2023, during the 2023 IDC West Africa CIO Summit at Four Points by Sheraton in Victoria Island.
Head, Enterprise Segments Management, MTN Nigeria, Akinbulejo Onabolu; Head, Information Technology, Friesland Campina, Samuel Adu; Chief Information Officer, Coronation Managers, Esomchi Nwofor; Chief Executive Officer, Chenosis, Saad Syed; Head, Enterprise Strategic Accounts, MTN Nigeria, Febisola Oyeniyi and Group Head, IT, Flour Mills, Serge Yao at the CIO’s Lunch during the 2023 IDC West Africa CIO Summit at Four Points by Sheraton at Victoria Island, Lagos on June 22, 2023.
The interactive session themed, “Enabling Growth in the Digital Economy,” allowed members of the Enterprise Business Division of MTN Nigeria and the CEO of Chenosis, a subsidiary of the technological giant, to delve into the different cloud computing services. It was a forum to reinforce Nigeria’s readiness to adopt the technology for business growth.
During the engagement with the CIOs, the MTN team addressed the digital economy, the challenges impeding the growth of the digital economy, and how the technological giant has created solutions that address these challenges.
The digital economy is transforming traditional engagement and transactions while facilitating increased economic value. Through MTN’s transition from telco to techco, they can now provide a portfolio of products and services that grow the digital economy in Nigeria.
Speaking during the lunch, Akinbulejo Onabolu, head, Enterprise Segments Management of MTN Nigeria, said, “It will take a collaborative effort by the government, private sector, and civil society to overcome the challenges of investing in digital infrastructure. At MTN, we believe Nigeria can harness the full potential of its digital economy through financial inclusion, investments in robust digital infrastructure, the development of digital skills, enhanced cybersecurity, and enabling regulations.”
Also speaking at the lunch, Saad Syed, ceo of Chenosis, said, “The problem that we solve is unlocking the massive potential in Nigeria and across Africa. The potential is the high percentage youth population in Africa, the largest globally, who are smart and want to build things. We want to take a bunch of tools to smart, ambitious people who want to change the world and guide them on that journey.”
MTN has distribution capabilities and access to the components that enable organisations to thrive within the digital economy. Through their Enterprise Business Division and subsidiary Chenosis, interested CIOs can transform their operations with solutions that are bespoke to their needs.
Spacecoin, US-based, has announced the signing of recent agreements with local authorities and operators to launch satellite connectivity pilot projects in Africa.
The initiatives, focused on Kenya and Nigeria, aim to serve areas where terrestrial networks remain limited or unavailable.
n Kenya, Spacecoin has obtained a transmission license from the Communications Authority, allowing it to test satellite-based solutions for connectivity and Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas with limited internet access.
According to the Kenyan regulator, internet penetration remains below 50% of the population, despite mobile penetration exceeding 130%.
In parallel, the company is continuing operations in Nigeria under an existing license issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This authorization supports initiatives aimed at delivering affordable broadband connectivity to isolated and underserved communities.
Spacecoin’s approach is based on a decentralized satellite network using nanosatellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).
Combined with blockchain-based protocols, this architecture is intended to offer more flexible and cost-effective connectivity services than traditional networks, while also enabling the integration of IoT solutions for a range of uses, from smart agriculture to infrastructure monitoring.
These projects are part of a broader strategy to help narrow Africa’s digital divide, where a significant share of the population still lacks access to reliable internet services.
Satellite technology is increasingly viewed as a complement to terrestrial infrastructure, particularly in hard-to-reach areas where deployment costs and geographic constraints remain high.
Beyond Africa, Spacecoin is also running pilot projects in Asia, working with local partners to test the viability of its model across different regulatory and geographic environments.
According to the company’s management, growing interest from regulators reflects a shift toward solutions capable of reaching populations that have long been excluded from internet access.
AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software, driving digital transformation and sustainability, today announces the appointment of Khaled Salah, 37 years old, as Vice President of Africa.
Khaled Salah
In this new role, he will be responsible for about 30 employees to ensure the successful implementation of AVEVA’s growth strategy. Khaled Salah will report directly to Jesus Hernandez, SVP of the EMEA region.
A 15-years + career across different industries and domains
With a MBA in management from the Warwick business school, UK, and a master’s degree in engineering from Ain Shams university in Egypt, Khaled Salah is an active advocate for driving sustainable progress in the industrial sector. With Sustainability in mind, Khaled is keen on making a positive business impact, while fostering progress for people and the planet.
He started his career at Schneider Electric, in 2013 in the global supply chain and evolved through various roles such as Europe procurement and supply chain strategy Manager, and Global Commercial strategy Director for the industrial automation business. Khaled Salah has developed a strategic understanding of all those fields.
After 12 years in Schneider Electric, Khaled joined AVEVA in 2022 to lead AVEVA and Schneider Electric global strategic partnership, across all industries managing a team of 30 people.
He has led the introduction of new AVEVA software solutions to initiate and develop significant growth areas across all Schneider Electric verticals.
Ambitious plans for AVEVA in Africa
In addition to his current role as AVEVA and Schneider Electric partnership Vice-President, Khaled now takes over the management of AVEVA’s activities in Africa.
Jesus Hernandez, SVP of the EMEA region says: “Africa is a strategic region for AVEVA. In this major industrial market, customers, world leaders in the fields of Energy, Metal & Mining, Chemicals, and Water, are looking for AVEVA’s expertise to accelerate and drive their digital transformation and sustainability strategies, as well as their energy transition projects.
“Khaled Salah’s qualities of leadership in a global environment will benefit his team spread across 12 countries including Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.”
Motivated by the prospect of capitalizing on the talent of his team to strengthen AVEVA’s presence in Africa in the years to come, Khaled Salah says: “Helping my team realize their professional potential is close to my heart.
“We will work together to support and accelerate the digital transformation of industries in Africa, in particular through CONNECT, our industrial intelligence platform, with the support of our ecosystem of partners. »
A Google-Ipsos report reveals Nigerians topping global AI usage at 88%, surpassing the 62% worldwide average, with sharp rises in education and business applications.
“Our Life with AI: Helpfulness in the hands of more people” shows 93% of Nigerians using AI for learning complex topics versus 74% globally, 91% for work assistance, and 80% for new ventures—nearly double the 42% global rate.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, stated: “Nigerians are creatively using AI to unlock opportunities for learning, growth, and economic empowerment, shaping their future with technology.”
Key findings highlight 91% viewing AI positively for learning access, 95% expecting benefits for students and educators, and strong optimism—80% excited versus 20% concerned, compared to global 53%-46% split. Frequent users show 90% excitement
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