E-Business
30% Anambra State Teachers Now Microsoft Certified-Omenugha
Professor Kate Azuka Omenugha, commissioner for Education, Anambra State, has disclosed how leveraging Microsoft Academy and other resources, helped in accelerating education digitalization and teachers’ training in the State.
Prof. Omenugha before her appointment was the director of UniZik 94.1 FM, an award winning Campus Community Radio of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and spoke to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek at the inaugural BETT (Education) Middle East Forum sponsored by Microsoft.
The Commissioner who expressed delight on the resourcefulness of the Forum, disclosed that over thirty (30%) percent of the State was among the 42 cities across the globe that benefited from Microsoft educational transformation programmes.
She said, “I am really excited to be at BETT 2016 powered by Microsoft for Education leaders in Middle East and Africa. To me, it provides opportunity to listen to others on what they have done with education technologies and share ideas, taking away some pertinent issues, but again, confronted with so many challenges.
“When you attend Forums like this listening or witnessing what the internet, technology and general ICTs contribution to education, you feel so inadequate coming from background like Africa where technology is so much in advanced stages; where we are confronted with the realities of inadequate power supply, delayed access to internet connectivity, ‘analogue’ teachers and teaching methods, power infrastructural development/devices. Will the world wait for us? The answer has always been No! It keeps me on my toes when I begin to think in line with my State Governor, Chief (Dr) Willie Obiano, wants us to do in education. We have promised “umu-akwukwo ndi Anambra” (Anambra students) that we are going to give them education that is globally competitive. And that competiveness also has to do with access to technology, and being able to compete with children worldwide in terms of technology.
“Let me quickly say that, aside technology, Anambra State is giving our children global competitiveness through debates and public speaking. We pride ourselves that in our State is rated number one in Nigeria. In January this year we represented the country in Singapore. We beat the Singaporean team, emerging the world best. Come July’16, we are representing Nigeria in Germany in a global school debate.
On equipping teachers’ for today’s educational requirements, the Commissioner said, “Coming back to ICT and looking at the curriculum in Nigeria, you need to start ICT teaching and learning, from the primary school. We have put things in place to make that happen. We started one-teacher-one-laptop policy, because we needed to demystify the computer for the teachers. Some are apathetic to computer; most of them are female, married and not natives to digital migration. It is almost difficult for them to use those computers. So the first thing was to demystify the new teaching tool for them. The past administration keyed into the Microsoft Academy which Anambra State is one of the 42 places across the globe where the Academy is being used. What does that mean to us? We have access to training facilities and certification of our teachers.
“By the time, Chief Obiano came in the platform wasn’t adequately used; so, we had to re-strategize, and embarked on aggressive kind of campaign. Truly, the last administration had acquired Microsoft infrastructure in the tune of $1million and we had to aggressively pursue the implementation. About 35% of our teachers have Microsoft certification and in collaboration with the Microsoft office in Nigeria, we started the aggressive teaching to demystify computer for them.
She said that they are also creating relevant contents: “What we have done actually is leveraging the knowledge of the State’s ICT teachers. About 257 public secondary schools in the State almost have ICT teachers. Therefore, we divided the teachers into zones to do the basics. It was as a result of that most of them became pushy and got the certification. We started from the basics: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc., even how to booth the computer!
“The first time, you could see people shouting, laughing and limping in joy, just because they could power the computer. It was that bad! I had to follow up with campaign for moral boosting; I was talking to teachers, telling them, ‘yes, we can do it’, ‘nothing is impossible’, ‘I do not accept failures’. It was like mobilizing the teachers to pick up the challenge. And they imbibed the trend. Now, constant training and re-training have become part of our calendar.
“As soon as the one-teacher-one-laptop policy comes into effect (because we are yet to take delivery of the laptops to give to teachers on soft loans), and in partnership with Microsoft we can move further in developing local contents. Because those of them who are certified can now develop local contents. At the BETT Forum I met with Microsoft officials and learnt there are software they are willing to give us for free to be able to develop the local contents”.
Tackling Connectivity/Bandwidth Challenges
Omenugha acknowledged that bandwidth or connectivity poses a major challenge to digitalizing education in the country.
To this end, she said, “We started the connectivity with the Galaxy Backbone, but I must say they haven’t done very well, because our bandwidth is very small compared to the number of schools that use that. The connectivity is usually limited, sometimes the downtime takes toll on us. But the good thing and from what I learnt from the Forum, Microsoft is coming with devices that not having internet access should not become the major challenge to what we are going to do.
To overcome the overriding impact of political (policy) instability, she said that Governance in Anambra State is based on Government of Continuity hence the programmes shall not be abandoned.
“After the eight (8) years of His Excellency, another administration will come in to continue from where we stopped. What we are doing now in education is what I call government of ‘commencement, continuity, completion, and commissioning’. So, we are on continuity, completion and commissioning phase. That is why we don’t find it difficult to do what we have set out to achieve, especially as the same APGA government continues mount the saddle of Governance in the State. The vision is there to make Anambra students remain globally competitive”.
The Commissioner disclosed that the process was deliberately organized to benefit rural dwellers in the State.
“There is always something of disparity when programmes like this emerge, but to close the gap, we had to divide the programme for zones. The rural dwellers are covered under the zones. They are also beneficiaries from the computers programme. It is how much of creativity and resourcefulness that heads of these schools have that will actually show how far they can drive this process. That is why we have made computer literacy one of the criteria for gaining appointment as a teacher in the State,” she said.
The Commissioner pledged the Anambra State’s resolve to alleviate sufferings of teachers & students alike.
“We will not relent on giving our students education that is globally relevant using our trained and motivated teachers. What that means is that we will ensure our schools meet global standards of access and use of ICT. And the tertiary institutions like Anambra State University where I come you must have a pass in computer before graduating. We are closing in on using computer based tests for our students from SS2, preparing them for JAMB and WAEC examinations,” the Commissioner added.
E-Business
OADC Lagos Reinforces Commitment to Local Data Hosting and Digital Transformation @ NDPC’s National Privacy Week Summit
Open Access Data Centres (OADC) Lagos has reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s data protection and digital transformation agenda through its sponsorship and active participation in the Nigeria Data Protection Commission’s (NDPC) National Privacy Week Summit.
The National Privacy Week Summit, organised by the NDPC, convened policymakers, regulators, technology providers, and industry stakeholders to promote data privacy awareness, strengthen compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), and advance conversations around data security, sovereignty, and responsible data governance.
As a sponsor of the event, OADC Lagos demonstrated its continued support for the Federal Government’s drive toward local data hosting and data domiciliation, which are increasingly critical to safeguarding sensitive information, enhancing regulatory compliance, and building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.
Through its carrier-neutral, Tier III Design certified data centre in Lekki, Lagos, OADC provides secure, resilient, and compliant infrastructure that enables government institutions and private sector organisations to host and manage data locally while meeting international best practices.
Commenting on the engagement, Adesola Adesugba, Country Marketing Manager, Open Access Data Centres Nigeria, said: “We are proud to have supported the Nigeria Data Protection Commission through the National Privacy Week Summit and to stand alongside the government in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives.
“Strengthening local data hosting and domiciliation is fundamental to national data sovereignty, improved security, and sustainable digital growth, and OADC Lagos remains committed to enabling this future.”
OADC’s participation at National Privacy Week Summit underscores its role as a trusted digital infrastructure partner to government and enterprise, supporting secure cloud connectivity, regulatory compliance, and the long-term development of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
Open Access Data Centres is part of the WIOCC Group and operates open-access, world-class data centres across Africa, serving cloud providers, network operators, enterprises, and public sector institutions.
Kaspersky’s new online tool has been specially developed for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs associated with insufficient operational technology (OT) security.
By offering detailed financial forecasts, the calculator empowers senior management to make well-informed decisions regarding security investments.
Industrial organisations increasingly depend on interconnected systems, elevating cybersecurity to a critical factor in business resilience and profitability.
According to VDC Research, over 60% of industrial companies last year reported that cybersecurity breaches had led to significant costs. Despite this, a persistent disconnect remains between security teams and executive leadership as security professionals focus on minimising risk, while executives must balance cybersecurity concerns with broader business objectives. This misalignment often results in competing priorities and underfunded security initiatives.
To bridge this gap, Kaspersky has launched the OT Cybersecurity Savings Calculator, an innovative online tool designed specifically for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs of inadequate operational technology (OT) security¹.
The primary aim of this tool is to translate cyber risks into tangible financial metrics and support strategic discussions around priorities and budget allocation. By entering details such as their sector, sub-sector, region, company size, breach history, and existing cybersecurity measures, organisations can estimate their potential cost savings and receive customised, actionable recommendations.
The calculator benchmarks performance against industry peers and highlights the company’s position within the current threat landscape.
“We believe this calculator is a powerful resource for transforming complex cyber risk data into straightforward financial insights. It enables OT leaders, security professionals, and executive teams to develop clear, data-driven business cases and recognise the value of cybersecurity investments. With actionable guidance, it promotes a comprehensive approach to resource management and strengthens overall organisational resilience,” comments Andrey Strelkov, Head of Industrial Cybersecurity Product line at Kaspersky.
National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has said Nigerian software developers have reached significant milestones with locally made applications generating over one million Dollar in sales across domestic and regional markets.
Dr Obiageli Amadiobi, director-general of NOTAP, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday in Abuja.
Amadiobi said the development signified the growing strength of Nigeria’s digital innovation ecosystem and how local innovation powers digital growth.
She said it was also a direct outcome of targeted support initiatives led by NOTAP.
She added that the initiative helped to build capacity, protect intellectual property, and connect developers to market opportunities.
According to the NOTAP boss, the journey from concept to impact started with understanding and securing intellectual property (IP) rights, a step many local innovators missed.
“Whether it’s a literary work, a laboratory invention, or a creative digital product, the process of bringing an idea to life demands immense time, skill, and dedication.
“An innovator might wake up with a solution to a pressing problem; spend months testing and refining it and achieve remarkable results; so it is their fundamental right to patent that creation and claim ownership.
“Without this protection, someone else could easily replicate their work; patent it in their name; and legally control what was built with Nigerian brainpower,” she said.
Amadiobi said that the challenge was compounded by widespread digital piracy and counterfeiting, which hit the ICT sector hardest.
“From copied software applications to replicated content on social platforms like TikTok, unauthorised duplication has become a major barrier to growth.
“We see talented young creators develop unique digital content or tools, only to watch others rebrand and profit from their work within weeks,” she said.
The DG noted that most popular online personalities with distinctive styles often don’t realise they could protect their original contributions through IP registration.
She said that to address these gaps and unlock the value of Nigerian innovation, NOTAP implemented a multi-pronged strategy,- a cornerstone initiative – which is the Local Vendor Policy.
“The Local Vendor Policy mandates that foreign technology firms entering Nigeria partner with domestic counterparts,’’ she said.
Amadiobi said that among the performing apps are solutions addressing critical local challenges such as a mobile health platform that now serves 750,000 users across six states.
“There is also the agricultural marketplace connecting smallholder farmers to buyers; and an educational tool that has been adopted by 200 schools to improve learning outcomes,” she said.
She added that the apps were developed by teams that gained skills and resources through NOTAP’s Local Vendor Policy.
According to her, the policy requires foreign technology firms operating in Nigeria to allocate a portion of their technical service fees to local partners.
“Three years ago, many of these developers were only providing support services to foreign companies.
“But today, they are building their own products that compete globally. 60 per cent of last year’s sales came from other African countries, showing our developers can lead on the continent,” she said.
The D-G explained that the one million dollar figure represented sales from over 50 locally developed apps, with individual developers earning between 5,000 dollars and 80,000 dollars from their products.
“Looking ahead, NOTAP aims to double these sales figures by 2027, with plans to expand support to developers focusing on fintech, renewable energy management, and climate adaptation tools.
“These are the sectors identified as high-growth opportunities for Nigerian innovation,’’ Amadiobi said
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