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African ICT Foundation Unveils 2-Year Development Plan on Digital Inclusion
The African ICT Foundation, (AFICTF) has unveiled a two year digital inclusion development plan for the continent targeting policy and infrastructure issues on Internet of Things ( IoTs), Artificial Intelligence and Big Data.
The Foundation is non-governmental organisation established in 2009 but recently rejigged to urgently address critical issues that bothers on Africa’s digital inclusion.
The development plan was unveiled at the inauguration of the new Board of Trustees (BOT) chaired Mr Tony Ojobo, by the former Director of Public Affairs of the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), held in Lagos, South-West, Nigeria.
Mr. Ojobo who doubles as the chairman of the BOT and president of the Foundation in his inaugural speech also declared a state of emergency on internet penetration stating that Africa needs a declaration of emergency in the area of ICT developments and innovation.
According to him, in the next two years, the Foundation will consciously be making efforts towards holistic involvement in in research and educational activities that involves setting the policy agenda on technological innovations, information and communication technology, trade and globalization and clean energy.
He stated that the Foundation will be getting Africa’s private sector support on critical industry issues that affect the growth of Africa’s economy while also working with policymakers to develop and promote policies and ideas, capitalising on the tremendous economic and social benefits ICT provides for Africans.
Ojobo noted that AFICTF will be encouraging adherence to high standard of research, empowerment and integrity with an internal code of ethics grounded in analytical rigor, policy pragmatism, and independence from external direction or bias.
He said that a key aspect of the development of digital inclusion in Africa will be to promote skills sustainable for the development of African nationhood, reduce the level of illiteracy and poverty in the society as well as engage African youths on IT exchange programmes.
The chairman of the BOT revealed that the Foundation the thematic theme the Foundation is using to address the critical issues of Africa’s ICT development, which he called the 4As of ICT development and deployments are: Awareness, Access, Adoption and Application
He noted that there is the need for the nations in the continent to be aware of the capabilities that ICT offers in terms of GDP growth and job creation is imperative stressing that access is critical to making this happen, especially in terms of availability and affordability.
“Our leaders need to embrace the use of ICT through its adoption for ease of business and processes required for industrial growth. Technology not applied cannot deliver the desired dividends”, he said.
He disclosed that part of the Foundation’s strategy of achieving its objective is Partnerships/Collaborations, Funding, Advocacies and sensitisation, and Capacity building/Training stressing that noting that true partnerships between governments and non-government actors are essential to addressing a problem as complex as ICT Penetration in Africa.
While calling for support, Mr. Ojobo said that no government, nation or agency can meet this challenge alone, hence the synergy through the African ICT Foundation to make information and communication technology more affordable and reachable for Africans everywhere.
He said: “Our inexhaustible focus is at the intersection of technological innovations such as telecommunications, information technology and data, life sciences, trade and globalization, agricultural Biotechnology and clean energy. It is poised towards providing high-quality information analysis, policy pragmatism, and recommendations that can be trusted.”
According to him, all projects of the Foundation shall be implemented through grants and shall designed to create demand and promote usage of ICTs in unserved and underserved communities and groups across the continent.
He said further that the projects involve are the provision of end-user devices to complement the telecommunication infrastructure that are deployed under the Connectivity Programme saying, that the Foundation will encourage and support the emergence of ICT Innovation Hubs in the continent, which will serve as platforms for growth of start-ups with capacity for development of disruptive innovations.
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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