Telecom
Beneficiaries Applaud Coven Works, GIZ On Data Science & Artificial Intelligence training
As the world faces the transformative economic, social and environmental challenges of Globalization 4.0, it has never been more important to invest in people.
Valuing human capital not only serves to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to respond to systematic shifts, it also empowers them to take part in creating a more, equal and sustainable world.
Education is and will remain critical for promoting inclusive economic growth and providing a future of opportunity for all.
It is in line with this, that Coven Works’ has partnered with The Deutsche Gesekkschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to successfully train 100 youths from underserved communities in Nigeria on Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Coven Works’,the leading Data Science and Artificial Intelligence education organization in Nigeria, schooled and mentored these 100 participants for a period of twelve weeks and secured placements for each trainee in a three months internship, where they will work in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence related job functions.
While speaking at the Project Demonstration day of the Beneficiaries, Mr. Dunsin Fatuase, country director, Coven Works said that “Coven Works through Coven Labs will continue to focus on upskilling youths in underserved communities , by providing cutting edge knowledge in data science and Artificial Intelligence for Africans, and other working professionals to the point where we can say that Africa has a refined workforce fully ready for the future of work.”
He expressed his joy as 100 of these beneficiaries could boost lives, projects and technical confidence to better the African market with their new skillset.
According to The World Economic Forum (WEF) report on “The Future of Work” supports this notion as it posits that more jobs will be dependent on skills in technology and those who can acquire these relevant technological skills will have job security and inevitably be empowered to achieve more.
The GIZ and its Nigerian German Centre (NGC) have from inception been on the path of supporting as many Nigerians to realize their role in the countries social economic system and it has through this collaboration with Coven Works aided the youth population from some of Nigeria’s underserved communities to acquire skills that would make them relevant in future of work.
The impact of these skills being acquired have been heralded by some of the direct beneficiaries of the training program who have stated that: “The vocational training in Data Science from the GIZ and NGC came at a time that I needed it the most.
“I did not believe that I could learn it in 6 weeks but the delivery by the Coven Works facilitators made all the difference for me.” – Adedoyin Lukmon.
In the same vein, Augustine Adugbe stated that ” The guidance and mentoring during the last 6 weeks was my motivation and I would like to say a big thank you to the GIZ and Coven Works for not only teaching me how to code and generate insightful visualizations but also, helping me make the quantum leap into working in this field. I almost can’t believe I am starting my internship in a few days”.
The results of the 100 participants in the training programme and their feedback has not only cemented the goals and mandate of the GIZ but it has also encouraged continuous up-skilling of more Nigerians in technology related fields such as Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
While taking an address from the Team Lead, Programme Migration for Development GIZNigeria, Mrs. Sandra Alonge admonished the participants by stating that their growthand success through the program would serve as a pilot to the GIZ future projects, the quality of their result would determine the future of such programs.
Mrs. Alonge said “Seeing the resultsthese set of 100 beneficiaries have gotten, we can say that they have done well in being a good encourager to make this project continually supported by the Germancooperation”.
The training of the 100 youths, and the mandatory job placements of all participants is one step further in Coven Works mission to ensure that Nigerians are better educated to fill the skills gap and ultimately positively impact the African economic market to technological skills education and training .
GIZ-NIGERIA GIZ’s activities in Nigeria are commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA).
Other partners include the European Union in the fields of peace and security and energy and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the field of agricultural value chains.
The activities focus on the following: Economic Development and Employment, Environment & Climate Change, Rural Development, Security, Reconstruction and Peace, Governance and Democracy.
GIZ has worked in Nigeria since 1974 with a maintained country office in the capital city Abuja since 2004.
Nigeria, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has won the 2025 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) prize for its project, the Digital Awareness Programme (DAP), under Category C3, which is on Access to Information and Knowledge.
L–R: Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, receives the WSIS 2025 Prize (Category C3: Access to Information and Knowledge) from the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin, following the selection of the Commission’s Digital Awareness Programme (DAP) as winner of the category.
The DAP, one of hundreds of projects submitted for the WSIS Prizes competition 2025, received the highest number of votes in its category, earning it the top honour. The programme equips secondary schools across the country with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources and provide internet connectivity to support teaching, learning, and research. Since inception in 2006, over 300 schools across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones have benefitted from the programme.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, received the award during the WSIS Prizes Winners 2025 Ceremony held on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland.
In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Maida thanked the hosts, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and WSIS, for recognising Nigeria’s efforts in promoting inclusive digital access across Nigeria, noting that the award would serve as further motivation for the Commission.
“This recognition is more than a celebration of past efforts—it is an encouragement to press forward. It affirms that investing in digital inclusion is investing in national development, and that Nigeria’s work is being seen and valued on the global stage,” Dr. Maida said.
Four other Nigerian projects—the Women Techsters and the Advanced Digital Empowerment Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADEPTI) under Capacity Building, the Telecom-Based Research Grant Initiative under Enabling Environment, and the Digital Learning Initiative under e-Learning—were also celebrated for their nomination for the Champions Category of Projects at the WSIS Prizes Ceremony. Although they were not among the top-voted entries, they were acknowledged for their significant merit and impact.
The WSIS Prizes competition recognises and promotes projects that effectively leverage ICTs to advance sustainable development. The competition showcases how technology can serve as a powerful tool for addressing global challenges and achieving the SDGs. Projects from around the world are recognised annually, highlighting diverse approaches to building an inclusive information society.
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a United Nations (UN) initiative aimed at building a people-centred, inclusive, and development-oriented information society. It provides a multi-stakeholder platform to address issues related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and their role in achieving sustainable development.
The Forum is an annual event that brings together high-level representatives from governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, the technical community, and international organisations. It serves as a global platform for implementing the WSIS Action Lines, which are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has given telecom tower operators in the country August 2025 deadline to fix persistent network hitches in their facilities or face regulatory sanctions.
The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, reportedly gave the ultimatum during a high-level meeting with key industry players, attended by representatives of IHS Towers, American Tower Corporation (ATC), and Pan-African Towers, and mobile network operators (MNOs) in Abuja
According to sources, discussions at the meeting focused on the recurring challenges in the telecoms sector, particularly power failures, equipment malfunctions, and insufficient site maintenance, that have been causing poor Internet and call services in the country
Specifically, Maida tasked the tower operators on the imperative of complying with the NCC’s updated Quality of Service (QoS) framework, which now extends performance obligations to infrastructure providers, not just telecom service providers.
According to him, the timeline given by the commission is more than enough time for all parties to align with the performance standards expected of them.
Recently, to ensure compliance with the standards, the NCC introduced a Major Incident Reporting Portal for real-time outage disclosures; developed public performance dashboards to enhance transparency; mandated that telecom tower companies meet strict Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Although the tower operators had previously cited delayed payments from MNOs as a reason for service lapses, the NCC had dismissed the justification, insisting that all parties must meet their obligations.
The EVC maintained: “Operators must fulfill both their technical and financial responsibilities. Poor service delivery—regardless of internal disputes—will attract consequences.”
Available data on the telecom tower infrastructure shows that IHS Towers has the largest assets with 16,000–19,000 sites, (62% market share); compared to American Tower Corp’s (ATC’s) about 8,270 towers; and Pan-African Towers’ 760–1,000 sites nationwide.
The latest NCC’s August deadline is believed to be putting pressures on the tower operators to improve the quality of their facilities for improved services as the commission had hinted of its plan to sanction defaulting operators with fines or stricter regulatory actions.
Industry experts believe that the NCC’s directive is a welcomed development as it will ensure reliable Internet connectivity and improved services quality for telecom consumers in the country.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to play a pivotal role at the upcoming 6th edition of the Telecom Sector Sustainability Forum (TSSF 6.0), where it will lead a critical discussion on the sustainable growth of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) in Nigeria.
Set against a backdrop of innovation and opportunity, this forum, organized by Business Remarks, aptly themed “Unlocking Nigeria’s MVNO Potential: Status, Trends, Investment, and Future Prospects,” is scheduled for August 26, 2025. This event reinforces the nation’s commitment to fostering a robust, competitive, and inclusive telecommunications landscape.
The forum will bring together a diverse array of key stakeholders from across the telecom ecosystem to deliberate on strategies for integrating MVNOs effectively into Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital economy. With the recent advancements in technology and the issuance of 43 MVNO licenses to new players, MVNOs are poised to significantly enhance service delivery, drive digital transformation, penetrate underserved markets, and stimulate healthy competition across the sector.
As the global MVNO market is experiencing significant growth, with projections indicating continued expansion, experts believe that with the right regulatory environment and access to infrastructure, emerging markets like Nigeria can leverage MVNOs to unlock new value for both operators (by utilizing excess network capacity) and customers. Customers can enjoy a rich array of niche value-added services tailored to their needs.
Having been proactive in introducing a five-tier MVNO licensing classification, each with distinct services and a 10-year validity period, signaling a clear path for new entrants, the telecom regulator (NCC) will deliver a keynote address outlining the Commission’s regulatory framework, interventions, and commitment to ensuring a conducive environment for MVNO operations.
Mrs. Bukola Olanrewaju, Convener of the forum and Managing Editor of Business Remarks, emphasized the importance of collaboration. “TSSF 6.0 is designed to be a melting pot of ideas, bringing together Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), MVNOs, telecoms infrastructure providers, Internet Service Providers, industry associations, and technology experts,” she said.
“Our goal is to ignite discussions that will shape the future of MVNOs in Nigeria, ensuring their sustainable growth and their critical role in extending digital prosperity across the nation.”
The forum will feature interactive sessions, thought-provoking panel discussions, insightful paper presentations, and abundant networking opportunities. This event aims to provide a platform for stakeholders to share insights, address challenges, and explore collaborative pathways for sustainable growth.
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