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Support for Tech Talent a Prerequisite for Africa to Leverage Internet Economy – Report

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Africa’s tech talent needs more support if the projected sizeable contribution of the internet economy to the continent’s growth is to materialise.

Recently, Google and the IFC predicted the internet economy would contribute up to US$180-billion to Africa’s economy by 2025 and US$712-billion by 2050.

According to the e-Conomy Africa 2020 report an expanding tech talent pool is crucial to growth, along with Africa’s start-up ecosystem and regional harmonisation which is to evolve through a single market African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

It states that Africa’s GDP grew by 4% yearly in the last decade ahead of the EU-28 (1.7%) and Latin America (1.7%).

It says a projected population growth of 87% in thirty years and internet users increasing by 11% come 2030, could further strengthen companies in the internet economy which are already outperforming other sectors to achieve the future growth.

Ernesto Spruyt, whose tech recruiting firm Tunga hires African developers, believes that the big challenge is how to ensure that Africa’s talent pool keeps up with demand.

“Inevitably, the rise of the African tech ecosystem will be accompanied by a substantial growth of the talent pool,” said Spruyt, who predicts an increase in competition for talent in Africa in the short term, and a significant pool of software professionals in the long term.

“But this takes time. Education is one thing, but to become a good coder you simply need work experience… to put in the hours. This will require significant investments in education.”

Spruyt is sceptical of the report’s numbers that Africa is home to 690,000 professional developers as at 2019 and 21% of them are women coders benefitting from the growth of the ecosystem for its many opportunities, especially in Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa.

He puts the numbers at between 400,000 and 500.000 developers in all and only 2% being female based on a sample his firm carried out two years ago on Linkedin as he calls for strategic talent investment.

“Right now, there is a missing middle in my view. There are a lot of investments in training people who have no skills to get introduced to the profession. But what is missing is investments in turning juniors into ‘mediors’ and seniors.”

Adeshina Adewumi John of One Kiosk Africa, which provides access to market and finance for small scale businesses in the e-commerce industry, said: “For us to make these numbers become a reality, especially with the seemingly increasing internet penetration, there is a need for favourable policies to drive the 11% internet growth to reality.

There is a need for more early stage and mid-stage financing alongside private and public sector partnerships and collaborations along this value chain to strengthen our tech talents who would obviously support the driving foundations. There still remains a huge gap in quality tech talents across the continent when compared to our overall youth population.”


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E-Business

Konga launches Jara sales with 25% discount on Starlink kits, free delivery

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Konga, Nigeria’s leading composite e-commerce platform, has launched its inaugural 2026 shopping campaign, Konga Jara, offering 25 per cent discount on Starlink internet kits alongside free nationwide delivery.

Konga launches Jara sales with 25% discount on Starlink kits, free delivery

Konga

The campaign, drawing from the Nigerian concept of “jara” — the extra value traders add to purchases — aims to deliver exceptional deals across categories, helping shoppers turn new year aspirations into reality through affordable technology and value-driven shopping.

To qualify for the Starlink discount, customers must purchase kits on Konga.com, activate them at starlink.com/activate, and email activation details to [email protected] for verification against Starlink’s records. Discounts are subject to terms and conditions.

Konga said spotlighting Starlink underscores reliable internet’s role in Nigeria’s digital economy, supporting work, learning, entrepreneurship and communication for households and businesses.

Mr Onochie Melvin, Head of Commercial Planning at Konga, said: “We listened carefully to what Nigerians said they needed to truly kickstart 2026 on the right footing. Reliable internet connectivity emerged as the foundation upon which other aspirations depend.”

He added: “Students need it for online learning, entrepreneurs need it to scale digital businesses, and professionals rely on it for remote work. This Starlink offer is not just about selling products; it is about removing barriers that prevent Nigerians from fully participating in the digital economy.”

Beyond connectivity, Konga Jara provides genuine products from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with transparent pricing, warranties and authenticity guarantees.

As a composite e-commerce ecosystem, Konga integrates shopping, payments and logistics for seamless nationwide access, with exclusive deals shared via its social media channels throughout the campaign.

Shoppers can explore offers at www.konga.com and follow Konga’s official pages for updates across the Konga Group.


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Firm Identifies Global Scam Activity Linked to the Release of Avatar 3

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The premiere of Avatar 3 has taken place in several countries and has been accompanied by a noticeable increase in online interest. Amid the heightened attention surrounding the release, Kaspersky experts identified an increase in cyber-scam campaigns that exploit the movie’s launch and users’ desire to watch it online. The fraudulent websites target users across multiple regions, indicating attempts by attackers to reach a global audience.

The scam operates as follows: cybercriminals create suspicious websites that offer online access to the Avatar 3 movie. Attackers place particular emphasis on localisation, publishing the sites in multiple languages to attract users from different countries. However, the translations are often poorly executed and contain grammatical errors and inconsistencies, which may serve as indicators of fraudulent activity.

When users attempt to start the video, they are presented with a fake media player and prompted to register in order to obtain “full” or “unlimited” access to the film. As part of the registration process, users are asked to provide personal information, including an email address and mobile phone number.

At later stages, scammers may request additional data, including payment details, under the guise of activating a “free trial.” This creates risks of credential compromise, particularly if users reuse passwords across multiple services, and may also lead to financial losses.

“Cybercriminals consistently exploit major movie premieres to capture users’ attention and increase the effectiveness of their schemes. We advise accessing films only through official platforms and exercising caution when encountering websites that request personal or payment information. It is also important to use reliable security solutions to protect all devices, including mobiles,” comments Olga Altukhova, Senior web content analyst at Kaspersky.

 


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Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone

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Galaxy Backbone (GBB) aligns with and celebrates the successful announcement by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on the achievement of a Paperless Civil Service, a significant milestone in Nigeria’s public sector reform and digital transformation agenda.

The milestone was formally highlighted at a press briefing led by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who commended Galaxy Backbone for its sustained support and contribution throughout the implementation of the programme.

GBB has played a critical role in enabling this transition by providing secure, scalable, and shared digital infrastructure that supports the digitisation of government processes across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Through the 1Government Cloud, MDAs have been empowered to migrate from paper-based workflows to digital platforms, improving efficiency, collaboration, data security, and service delivery across the Federal Civil Service.

In addition, GovMail, GBB’s secure government email platform, has strengthened official communication, enhanced records management, and reinforced cybersecurity standards—key pillars in sustaining a paperless operating environment.

Galaxy Backbone acknowledges the collective efforts of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of ICT, consultants, partners, and dedicated public servants whose commitment and collaboration ensured the smooth delivery of this initiative.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, was represented at the press briefing by Akintayo Bamisaye, Acting Group Head, Research, Digital Innovation and Skills Department (RDIS).

GBB describes the achievement as a strong close to 2025 and reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Federal Government in building a modern, efficient, and digitally enabled public service.


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