Telecom
Akwa Ibom State Government Lauds MTN Foundation for Youth Empowerment with Ibiom
The MTN Foundation in partnership with the Duke of Shomolu Productions brought smiles to faces in Akwa Ibom as the story, Ibiom: When Doves Fly, was masterfully retold in a two-day show at the Ibom Hall on April 30 and May 1.
The production received the full support of the government and was well-attended by dignitaries including the Deputy Governor, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Moses Ekpo; the First Lady, Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Martha Udom Emmanuel; the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Akwa Ibom State, Orman Esin; renowned businessman/industrialist, Akan Udofia and several members from the State’s Executive Council.
At the heart of the project were youth empowerment and cultural tourism. This informed the execution of the project in two phases – a free one-week training for 500 youths in Akwa Ibom and a two day-performance of the play.
The training was facilitated by the former Director-General of the National Theatre/National Troupe of Nigeria, Professor Ahmed Yerima, who taught the participants the art of storytelling, filmmaking, acting and theatre performance.
The entire production also heavily engaged the youths of Akwa Ibom in various aspects of the production including performance and stage design.
Notably, students of the University of Uyo were charged with the design and construction of the set. The involvement and training of the Akwa Ibom youth was well-received by the people and government of Akwa Ibom State.
Speaking on MTN’s commitment to the continuous development and empowerment of the Nigerian youth, the General Manager, Eastern Regional Operations, MTN Nigeria Mr. Innocent Entonu, explained that MTN understands the role and importance of youths in every society, which is why the company invests heavily on youth development.
“The MTN brand has always shown support to causes and projects that empower and serve the Nigerian youth. One of the reasons for that is because we know that the youths are the future of this country.
“They are creative, innovative and possess boundless potential. Investing in their empowerment is crucial as it benefits them on an individual level, and the entire society.”
Lauding MTN for its role in empowering the youth of Akwa Ibom and advancing the state’s tourism drive, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Akwa Ibom State, Orman Esin stated, “The production has been able to tell our people where we’re coming from and where we’re heading to.
“We have a lot of talents here and this has been able to locate most of them. The contribution of Ibiom to our economy is like a value chain and we’re very happy about that. I’m aware that wherever the Duke of Shomolu goes, MTN goes so I’m excited they came here and for us.
“It didn’t take me time to know we have to be part of it. You can see that the Akwa-Ibom State Government was fully involved here today.
“This shows how excited we are. I’m happy that MTN came to sponsor this. I think this project has also done an intervention by re-energizing the sense of tourism which is a very important agenda in this state.”
The producer of the play, Joseph Edgar, thanked MTN for its invaluable support in ensuring the success of the play, “I just want to say big thank you to MTN. It’s not really easy. Our other sponsors did not really respond for the obvious reasons, but MTN came through. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to do this production.”
Affirming the MTN Foundation’s dedication to projects that promote Nigerian culture, Entonu said, “The MTN Foundation has continued to show unwavering commitment to the telling of authentic Nigerian stories and the promotion of Nigerian cultures.
“We have sponsored events across the length and breadth of this country, including cultural festivals in the North, South, West and East of the country. Clearly, there are no boundaries and we will continue to look for new and creative ideas to support the Nigerian cultural heritage and innovation.”
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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