E-Business
FG Promises Continued Democratisation of Internet Access
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, vice president, has assured that the federal government will continue to do all within its reach to democratise access to the internet in the country.
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo
Osinbajo gave the assurance today in Abeokuta while speaking at the official launch of the Ogun Digital Economy Infrastructure Project(OGDEIP)
The Vice President who spoke virtually, explained explained that it the Federal government recognises the fact that internet access and broadband Communication would help the country in determining it’s competitiveness in the global economy.
He added that Ogun state had positioned itself to become a major global site of the emerging telecommunication economy through its judicious Investment in the right infrastructure.
He described Prince Dapo Abiodun, state governor, as a dynamic, innovative and digitally compliant governor.
He noted that by bringing broadband access to homes, the Prince Dapo Abiodun led government in the state is opening up the state residences and businesses to DigiTech not only in the country, but across the world.
Osinbajo who noted that the project which is part of the President Muhammad Buhari’s objective for broadband connectivity for every citizens of the country, said that the ambition to make broadband available to the people is now enshrined in the economic sustainability plan of the federal government.
The Vice President added that the Federal Government launched the National Broadband Plan which is designed to deliver data download speed of a minimum of 25mbps in urban areas and 10mbps in rural areas, adding that the plan would make coverage available to at least 90% of the population by 2025 at affordable prices.
Osinbajo also noted that the plan would give attention to unserved and underserved area in the distribution of telecom service.
In his remarks, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State Governor, who noted that his administration would remain committed towards providing the required infrastructure to boost all aspects of the state economy, said that the construction of the Agro Cargo International Airport is part of the wholesome strategy of his administration towards developing air transport infrastructure, especially to boost the Agricultural Development Agenda of his administration.
Abiodun who also added that his administration is also unfolding its power infrastructural project that would guarantee stable power supply to most of the cities and industrial clusters, said that the digital economy infrastructure being the backbone for ICT revolution in the State would further enhance the ease of doing business in the State.
The state helmsman who further noted that the effort of his administration at providing a digital economy in the State will not only help to resolve challenges, both human and economic, but would also provide more opportunities to improve the people’s know-how, productivity and innovations.
Abiodun while noting that the launch of the Ogun State Digital Economy Infrastructure Project (OGDEIP) would help to deepen the various advantages of information technology advancements into all sectors as well as make ICT one indispensable part of the state economy, added that his administration is also putting efforts in place towards improving the status of the state as the Industrial Hub of the nation.
The Governor while noting that the first phase of the project would require laying the foundation for increased broadband connectivity, added that the Project would also see to the establishment of a world class data center along the Silicon Alley in the state capital that will host a variety of ICT services both for the public and private sectors.
Abiodun who also noted his administration is taking practical steps towards integrating technology into its practices and businesses, said that the project would also feature the completion of an ICT Park donated by Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) along the same route which will house world class technology centers for cutting edge technology research and development.
The Governor who also added that his administration has begun deploying electronic document management systems, e-procurement tools and digitized revenue collection platforms towards improving the efficiency and reducing leakages in all the state Ministries, Departments and Agencies, added that the introduction of digital technologies have also started to yield positive results and improve on justice and the improvement of the system of administration of justice in the State.
In his remarks, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, minister of Communication and Digital Economy; who noted the Digital Economy has played a critical role in supporting the economy of the country as well as played an important role in helping the country to exit recession, added that the digital economy would provide the datafication of the society, create jobs and wealth for the people and also increase the level of innovation in the country.
Pantami who further added that the Federal government in realisation that broadband is one of the basic foundations of digital economy and a key driver of economy, developed the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP), which was unveiled and launched by President Buhari on the 19th of March, 2020 to replace the initial Broadband Plan which expired in 2018.
The Minister who further noted that the new broadband plan which seeks to deliver data download speeds across the country at a minimum of 25Mbps in urban areas, and 10Mbps in rural areas, with effective coverage available to at least 90% of the population and penetration rate of 70% by 2025 at a price not more than N390 per 1GB of data, will also target the deployment of nationwide fibre coverage to reach all State Capitals.
Pantami who also disclosed that the Nigerian National Broadband Plan which is anchored on Infrastructure; Policy; Demand Drivers; Funding and Incentives, would create opportunities for job creation and give the country a push into economic prosperity.
The Minister who also said that the issue of high cost and non-harmonization of Right of Way (RoW) fees is a major problem, added that reducing the RoW charges can significantly boost economic activities in the States, far more than the boost that can be received from payments for high RoW charges.
In his remarks, Mr. Wale Ajisebutu, chief executive officer, 21st Century Technologies, who said that the bold step being taken by the state government would form a critical part of the Nigerian history for many years to come, added that the project would help reduce overpopulation in the rural areas by creating digital jobs in rural areas.
Ajisebutu while adding that the project would help the state to generate more taxes for the state, said that the project would contribute 100 billion to the GDP of the state in the next five years.
In his remarks, Dayo Abiodun, special adviser to the Governor on Information Communication Technology, who noted that the project which will be the first of its kind in the country, will bring numerous advantages such as improving government service delivery using electronic channels and encouraging a knowledge based society to the state.
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has commenced a forensic investigation into the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lotus Bank and Hackerbella Ltd over alleged violations of data protection laws involving students’ personal information.
The investigation follows public complaints alleging that students’ personal data were used to open bank accounts without a lawful basis.
Dr Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner and chief executive officer of the NDPC, directed the investigation team to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the circumstances surrounding the collection, processing, use and disclosure of the affected students’ personal data.
The investigation will also determine the respective roles and responsibilities of UNILAG, Lotus Bank and Hackerbella in the alleged processing of the data.
According to the Commission, the investigation will assess the data protection compliance obligations of the parties under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act), as well as potential risks posed to the rights and freedoms of the affected data subjects.
The NDPC said the probe would cover several areas, including Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), the lawfulness and transparency of credit scoring or profiling activities, and the use of automated decision-making systems.
It will also examine the adequacy of privacy notices, data-sharing arrangements, lawful bases for processing, data minimisation and purpose limitation.
Other areas include data retention policies and the adequacy of technical and organisational measures put in place to safeguard the rights and personal data of affected students.
The Commission reiterated that institutions entrusted with the personal data of students, staff and other members of their communities have a heightened responsibility to ensure that such information is processed lawfully, fairly, transparently and securely.
The NDPC therefore warned educational institutions that are yet to comply with its existing data protection compliance directives to take immediate steps to achieve compliance.
The Commission said it would continue to exercise its regulatory mandate to protect the privacy rights of Nigerians and ensure that organisations processing personal data comply with the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
Microsoft is planning to unveil its new Maia 300 AI chip this fall, potentially as soon as next month, The Information reported on Monday, citing people with direct knowledge of the plans.
The company introduced its Maia AI chip in November 2023 but has lagged rivals such as Alphabet and Amazon in scaling up its in-house chip efforts as it seeks to reduce its reliance on Nvidia’s costly processors.
Google began recognizing revenue from direct sales of its custom AI chips, called Tensor Processing Units, in the quarter ended June, while Amazon has also seen growing adoption of its processors, including its Trainium chips.
Microsoft has been in talks with chipmaker TSMC to secure manufacturing capacity for more than 300,000 units of the chip for delivery in 2027, according to the report. It is also looking to significantly ramp up production and persuade major cloud customers such as Anthropic to adopt the chip.
Microsoft ultimately aims to secure capacity for more than 1 million Maia 300 chips, though component supplies and ongoing capacity negotiations with TSMC could constrain its plans, according to the report.
It unveiled its second-generation Maia 200 in January, built by TSMC using 3-nanometer technology.
Microsoft packed the chip with a significant amount of SRAM, a type of memory that can provide speed advantages for AI systems handling large numbers of user requests.
X has announced plans to discontinue its Revenue Sharing programme and introduce a new Original Content Rewards programme to reward creators for producing original content on the platform.
The social media company announced the changes at the weekend in a post on its X Creators handle, saying the new programme would reward creators who contribute original content.
“Today, we’re introducing the Original Content Rewards Program, a new way to reward creators who bring original ideas, expertise, reporting, creativity, and commentary to X,” the company said.
X said it would stop accepting new enrolments into the Revenue Sharing programme from Friday, while existing participants would continue earning until September 7, 2026.
“Starting today, we’re no longer accepting new enrollments into Revenue Sharing,” it said.
According to the company, existing Revenue Sharing participants will receive three final payouts, with two scheduled for August 14 and August 28, while the final payment for earnings accrued through September 7 is expected around September 11.
X said existing Revenue Sharing participants would begin getting access to apply for the new programme from September 8, subject to meeting its eligibility requirements.
The first payout under the Original Content Rewards programme will be made on August 28, 2026, while existing Revenue Sharing creators who enrol in the new programme from September 8 will receive their first payment on September 25.
Under the new programme, eligible creators will earn from qualified impressions generated by their original content, with payments made every two weeks.
X defined qualified impressions as unique impressions from Premium users on the Home Timeline feed, where at least 50 per cent of a post is visible.
On the other hand, “The following are excluded from qualified impressions: impressions from the same account counted more than once per post; paid, promoted, or artificially generated impressions; and fraudulent impressions,” it said.
To qualify, creators must be at least 18 years old, live in a country where the programme is available, maintain an account in good standing and have either a personal or vusiness account.
They must also subscribe to X Premium, Premium+ or Premium Business, have at least 500 verified followers and record at least 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users within the previous 90 days.
X said creators must also regularly post original content to remain eligible.
“We want to recognize creators who break news, share expertise, tell stories, create entertainment, and contribute meaningful perspectives to the conversation,” the company said.
The platform said original content could include threads, videos, memes, graphics, illustrations, reporting, analysis, commentary and reactions that add meaningful value to existing conversations.
It said creators who use content produced by others would need to add meaningful commentary, context, analysis, humour or creative transformation for such posts to qualify.
“Building on existing conversations is a core part of X, but simply reposting someone else’s content is not enough,” it said.
X said minor edits such as cropping, filters, borders, watermarks, speed adjustments or simple text overlays would generally not qualify as meaningful transformation on their own.
It also warned that content copied or substantially reproduced from another creator, content downloaded and re-uploaded from X or another platform without being the original author’s, automated content, disinformation and misleading content would be ineligible.
The company said accounts that violate the programme’s requirements could be temporarily or permanently removed from it, depending on the severity of the violation.
It added that creators would be responsible for ensuring they had the necessary rights, permissions or licences to use content created by others.
“Original content is content you personally create that reflects your own voice, perspective, expertise, or creativity,” X said.
The company said the new programme was intended to reward creators who make the platform more valuable by bringing original ideas and perspectives to its conversations.
“The Original Content Rewards Program is designed to reward the creators who start them, shape them, and move them forward,” it said.
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