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Anambra Bags Multiple Technology Awards @National Innovation and Digital Economy Council Meeting
Anambra State has emerged as a force to be reckoned with, securing an incredible four prestigious awards during the ICT peer review session at the 11th National Council on Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy (NCCIDE) meeting held in Kano.
The meeting was chaired by the Honorable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani and hosted by the Kano State Governor, Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf.
The vision of the administration of Mr Governor, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, is to build a liveable and prosperous Smart Mega City and Mr. Governor is massively leveraging technology and digital innovation towards achieving this vision.
The awards, a testament to Anambra’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and progress in the digital realm, are as follows:
The Overall Winner Best State in Digital Technology Development: Here, Anambra State stood tall as the undisputed overall winner, scoring the highest number of points in all categories, showcasing its comprehensive dedication to advancing the state in the digital landscape. This award was presented to the MD/CEO, Anambra State ICT Agency, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata (CFA) by the Kano State Governor, His Excellency, Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf.
First Position Best State in Digital Infrastructure Technology Development: Under this category, Anambra State was recognized as the leading state in ICT infrastructure development, following the full implementation of the Zero Right Of Way (RoW) policy, implementation of an Internet Exchange Point; all emphasizing the state’s commitment to building a robust foundation for the prosperity of its people, using Technology. This award was presented by the Minister of CIDE, Dr. Bosun Tijani.
First Runner-up in e-Government Implementation: Anambra’s innovative e-government initiatives earned it the second position, highlighting the state’s effective use of technology in governance. The award was presented by the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi.
First Runner-up in Digital Technology Human Capital Development: This award reinforces the state’s commitment to building a digitally skilled and knowledgeable workforce and society in general. The final award was presented by the Kano State, Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Alhaji Mohammed Othman.
It is noteworthy that Anambra’s impressive outing at the annual event that brings together the federal government and state underscores its strategic vision and exemplary but detailed execution in the realms of infrastructure, e-government, and human capital development under the visionary leadership of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR.
The awards during the official opening ceremony, followed the earlier recognition received during the ICT Peer Review session, where Anambra’s presentation made by Dr. Florence Idigo, a Director in the State ICT Agency, garnered enthusiastic applause and commendation from industry experts.
Receiving the awards on behalf of Mr. Governor, the MD/CEO of the Anambra State ICT Agency, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, CFA, expressed profound appreciation to Mr. Governor for creating the enabling environment and a vision which guides the Agency in line with the ‘Everything Technology, Technology Everywhere’ mantra.
CFA also dedicated the awards not only to the team at ICT Agency but to the co-operation and collaboration of the entire solution team for their hard work and dedication to Mr. Governor’s vision.
“This achievement no doubt reflects our unwavering commitment to technological advancement and the transformative journey we are championing in Anambra State,” he concluded.
In the wake of increasing geopolitical tension, Cassava Technologies has unveiled its National Sovereign Cloud offering for African governments.
The solution, the company claims, will help the continent’s governments ensure data is kept on infrastructure that remains under local legal and operational jurisdiction.
According to the official announcement, made yesterday, the solution provides “secure, locally-governed digital infrastructure that enables the deployment of AI-enabled public services”.
The overarching solution encompasses cloud, cyber security, AI computing infrastructure, as well as local language AI models and skills support for governments.
The announcement comes amid increasing uncertainty over the hosting of sensitive national data on cloud services operated by foreign hyperscalers, which are subject to legal frameworks, such as the U.S. CLOUD Act. The CLOUD Act opens the door to allow American authorities to access data stored on the servers of US hyperscalers, wherever those servers are physically located.
Cassava has claimed separately that currently, “approximately 33% to 45% of the world’s data is hosted in the USA”.
The company added: “A sovereign cloud reduces exposure to extraterritorial laws, improves cyber resilience, and ensures that model weights and training data for public AI remain under national custody.”
The Africa Data Centres Association’s 2026 Economic Report states that “data sovereignty has evolved from a legal aspiration into a strategic policy lever”.
Ahmed El Beheiry, Group COO and Group Chief Technology and AI Officer, Cassava Technologies said: “Across Africa, governments are accelerating their digital transformation agendas and are increasingly focused on ensuring that data and digital infrastructure remain secure and sovereign.”
Announced at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona, this week, the Sovereign Cloud offering launch accompanied the launch of Cassava’s Cloud Partner programme.
The partner programme targets mobile network operators and system integrators across Africa to resell and distribute AI, cloud, and other digital services using Cassava’s infrastructure and technology platforms.
El Beheiry added: “We are expanding Africa’s sovereign AI ecosystem to build solutions that address the continent’s unique challenges while creating new opportunities for growth and digital inclusion.”
The programme offers partners access to NVIDIA Cloud Partner solutions, Cassava’s AI Factory, its own native AI solutions and its AI Multi-Model Exchange, which supports both Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini models.
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
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