Telecom
AfICTF Calls for Technology Interventions in Healthcare
The African ICT Foundation, (AfICTf) has advocated for more information technology intervention to tackle the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic even as most part of Africa continues to ease several lockdown protocols instituted by African governments.
It also tasks start-ups on the need to define strategies that are adaptable to current realities and at the same time establish guidelines for the post COVID-19 period.
In a webinar hosted by the foundation on ‘Post COVID-19 Recovery Map for Africa’s MSMES’, Mr. Oludare Akinbo, member of the Board of Trustee (BOT), while speaking on the “Impact of COVID-19 on the African Health Sector and the way Forward”, stressed the need to encourage investors and other private donors to invest in health infrastructures in Africa.
According to him, the COVID-19 has created impact on the African health sector affecting health workers, the average Africans, infrastructure and finance as well as the patients.
Akinbo noted that there are already increased cost of care and heightened risk in the health sectors across countries in the continent noting that the sector needs infrastructure and financing.
While expressing concern about the heavy toll on healthcare providers as well as the increased cost of care and risk to health, Akinbo called for improved and collaborative healthcare financing including increased Investment on infrastructure and basic healthcare.
He disclosed that the pandemic has exposed the need for Pro Active Healthcare System and the need for good PHC in Africa.
Also speaking at the webinar, Racheal Orumor, second Vice President, African ICT Foundation, in a presentation, ‘Beyond COVID-19: African Startups Persistence Strategy’, urged startups to note that cessation of activities has been worrisome for most promoters, and they are unwilling to keep up with investment.
According to her, startups are facing many difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the crisis period is widening with its duration still indefinite.
To survive this period, she suggested for startups, a collaborative work and social interaction as key elements for the development of innovative ideas.
Orumor observed that the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced team efficiency for start-ups, and that the crisis has made in-presence collaborative work to be suppressed or reduced while most non-tech startups are now faced with the decision of choosing the adequate and cost efficient soft tool.
She further noted that for start-ups, customer engagement is dropping, particularly in Africa were most of them depend on in-presence engagement with their potential customers and clients.
While describing the drop in customer engagement as a setback caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, she also noted that for start-ups business, digital identity is still a challenge in Africa since trustworthiness is mostly established via physical contact.
Orumor who is also the Startup Innovation Consultant at the International Francophone Organisation and Chief Executive Officer of Soft Digital, Republic of Benin, disclosed that the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is creating new needs and forcing consumers to favour certain types of services over others.
She suggested that a start-up wishing to offer its services in this period of crisis must therefore adapt to doorstep delivery which has its own complexities that varies from one customer to the other.
According to her, these start-up guidelines and strategy for the post COVID-19 Covid-19 period are critical noting that “start-ups should consider offering more attractive terms for potential promoters such as angels investors or venture capitalists who have the capital to invest in the current environment.”
On how to find financial support during this crisis period, Orumor urged start-ups to look in the direction of institutions offering special COVID-19 loans and grants to help businesses in different countries.
She however said that criteria for getting funding approval may vary from country to country and that start-ups should contact designated institutions in their country for more information.
Airtel Africa said on Tuesday it has partnered with SpaceX to introduce Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite technology to all its 14 markets.
The satellite-to-mobile service will begin across Africa in 2026, with data for select applications and text messaging, Airtel Africa said in a statement.
Airtel Africa customers with compatible smartphones in regions without terrestrial coverage will have network connectivity through Starlink.
The deal also includes “support for Starlink’s first broadband Direct to Cell system, with next-generation satellites that will be capable of providing high-speed connectivity to smartphones with 20x improved data speed,” Airtel Africa said.
Last month, Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, became the first in Europe to launch Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite technology in a bid to keep millions connected amid wartime blackouts and disrupted infrastructure.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has blamed the actions of the National Oil and Gas Suppliers Association (NOGASA), for the recent telecom blackout experienced in the Abuja area.
NCC
A statement issued on Friday by the Head, Public Relations, NCC, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, while acknowledging the challenges and impact of the degraded Quality of Service (QoS) in the area on subscriber experience, stated: “The challenges are a result of the activities of the National Oil and Gas Suppliers Association (NOGASA), which disrupted diesel supplies to sites with the attendant telecommunications services outages in Abuja.”
She however disclosed that the telecommunications sector regulator is committed to ensuring restoration of seamless communication services to the affected area, and all Nigerians at large, and recognizes the importance of reliable power supply for the provision of optimal telecommunication services.
“The Commission is collaborating with major stakeholders and licensees to address these challenges, largely caused by disruption to diesel supply affecting IHS Nigeria Limited, the colocation provider responsible for powering Airtel and MTN base stations in the affected areas.
“The NCC is actively engaging with relevant stakeholders to address the diesel supply issues and explore sustainable solutions.
“The Commission urges all parties to work together to collaboratively resolve these challenges swiftly by removing the diesel supply bottlenecks affecting critical telecommunications infrastructure, arising from NOGASA’s actions.
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“In the face of these challenges, we reiterate our commitment to fostering a conducive environment for the growth and sustainability of telecommunications services in Nigeria.
“We are taking proactive steps to facilitate dialogues between the impacted service providers and other stakeholders to promptly resolve the diesel supply concerns that have negatively impacted service quality.”
While assuring that the Commission remains dedicated to effectively managing the situation and will keep the public updated on progress towards restoring full telecommunication services in Abuja, Mrs. Ukoha appreciated subscribers for their patience.
“We thank telecommunications subscribers for their understanding and patience during this period and reaffirm our commitment to delivering high-quality telecommunications services nationwide,” she said.
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has called for a fundamental shift in Kano State’s economic strategy, urging stakeholders to embrace innovation, technology and collaboration as the drivers of growth in the 21st century.
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
This is contained in a press statement e-authored by the Director of Corporate Communications & External Relations at NITDA, Hajia Hadiza Umar.
Speaking at the Kano Startup Weekend, Mallam Abdullahi acknowledged Kano’s long-standing reputation as the commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria and the wider Sahelian region, noting that its history of trade, enterprise and human capital provided a solid foundation for future growth.
Abdullahi emphasised that while these strengths powered Kano’s success for centuries, the modern economy now offered even greater opportunities through innovation and technology.
He described innovation as the process of transforming ideas into impactful solutions through commercialization, stressing that when ideas were effectively deployed, they created value, solved societal challenges and generated sustainable economic growth.
He noted that Kano’s large market, strategic location and vibrant entrepreneurial culture placed it in a strong position to take advantage of innovation-driven opportunities.
According to him, “Innovation is the process of taking an idea from inception to impact. Invention on its own is a cost centre, but when you commercialise an idea, when you turn it into a product or service that solves a real problem and creates value, that is when you begin to drive economic growth and inclusion.”
He noted that the state hosted numerous degree-awarding institutions across federal, state and private ownership, providing a strong base for human capital development.
However, the NITDA DG expressed concern that these institutions often operated in isolation from industry, with research outputs rarely translating into commercial or industrial applications.
He explained that innovation did not happen in silos and stressed the need for a strong, interconnected ecosystem that brought together academia, industry, startups, entrepreneurs and government.
According to him, universities should conduct research informed by industry needs, industries should leverage research to improve productivity and competitiveness, and startups should serve as the bridge that converted ideas into market-ready solutions.
The NITDA boss further encouraged entrepreneurs to leverage technology to build businesses that could grow beyond local markets, explaining that innovation-driven enterprises had the power to scale rapidly, create jobs and position Kano competitively at both national and global levels.
According to him, digital platforms and emerging technologies now made it easier for startups to reach wider markets and develop solutions that were previously unimaginable.
“You can start your business here in Kano, but your thinking must be global from day one. Technology has removed barriers. With the right skills and platforms, a startup in Kano can build solutions that serve not just Nigeria, but the world,” he noted.
Highlighting NITDA’s ongoing interventions, its Director-General outlined the Agency’s commitment to building national innovation capacity through targeted human capital development programmes.
He cited the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative, which aimed to equip Nigerians across all segments of society with essential digital skills, and the 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT) programme, designed to produce a pipeline of globally competitive technical professionals in areas such as software development, data analysis and emerging technologies.
He said, “Through DL4ALL, we are ensuring that Nigerians at all levels have the basic digital skills needed to participate in the digital economy, while 3MTT is deliberately building a pipeline of globally competitive technical talents who can drive innovation, create jobs and attract investment.”
Abdullahi explained that these programmes were key pillars of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritised skills development, innovation, job creation and inclusive economic growth as pathways to national prosperity.
According to him, empowering Nigerians with digital and technical skills was essential for building a resilient economy capable of competing in the global digital landscape.
“President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is about investing in people, empowering them with relevant skills and creating opportunities for inclusive growth.
“At NITDA, we are using digital skills and innovation as tools to translate that vision into real economic impact for Nigerians,” he said.
The NITDA boss urged all stakeholders in Kano to work together to build a functional innovation ecosystem that could unlock the state’s vast potential and expressed confidence that with the right mindset, strong collaboration and sustained investment in digital skills and innovation, Kano could reclaim its historic leadership role and emerge as a major innovation and entrepreneurship hub in Nigeria and beyond.
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