Telecom
Better Connected, Smarter Cities Attract more Investment
Blurb: With more than 40 percent of Africa’s population living in urban areas, Africa is embracing urbanization and the opportunities and challenges that come with it. Smarter cities are more capable of attracting FDI. For a country and its cells, “Cities”, there is also Maslow-like hierarchy of digital needs. Security assurance is the basic needs.
ICT has an important role to play in attracting capital and investment by increasing efficiency and cutting costs, not only for a country but also at a city-level. However, how closely is ICT and investment correlated to each other and what is the implications for Africa, home to most of the hundreds of millions of new city dwellers expected by 2050?
A report launched recently by UN Habitat (‘The State of African Cities 2018: The geography of African Investment’) explains how African cities can replicate those of East Asia and attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in order to develop sustainably.
The report shows Africa needs to seize a more prominent position in the world economy by enhancing its accessibility, connectivity, markets and urban attractiveness. It finds “reliable mobile networks and internet access attract knowledge-based FDI”.
As a leading company in the ICT industry, Huawei fully agrees with many of the report findings include that firstly, improving ICT infrastructure is critical to attracting FDI, whilst secondly, the ICT industry itself is also a crucial sector for FDI. For the latter finding, the report highlights that ICT sector FDI offers the highest growth rates and highest number of direct jobs along with manufacturing, and that the two are closely linked.
Connectivity provided by communications network and internet has become as important as water and electricity. The State of African Cities Report notes inward FDI into Africa correlates positively with large urban populations (markets), mobile phone subscriptions, internet bandwidth and full electricity supply, “These factors combined with high-quality ICT and lower transaction costs enhance FDI attraction for multinationals.” This parallels Huawei’s own experiences in Africa over the last twenty years.
A better ICT environment can better attract knowledge-based FDI. It starts with having reliable mobile networks and internet access. Internet access itself is not enough though. Huawei believes that in Africa connectivity brought by the network of communication towers and fibre is like the “soil”, which provides the fertile ground for important value-adding crops, which in this case are services including Safe City, E-government, E-education, E-health, E-agriculture and so on that enhance public social services delivery and better allocation of resources. We must keep improving the soil fertility, or the quality, access and speed of the connectivity, so the “crops” can grow successfully improving the ease of doing business and livelihoods.
With more than 40 percent of Africa’s population living in urban areas, Africa is embracing urbanization and the opportunities and challenges that come with it. On the one hand, African countries are gaining agglomeration and economy of scale benefits, but on the other hand they must manage “big city diseases” e.g. congestion, pollution, and even some non-traditional security threats such as financial security and terrorism.
The “smart city” concept is a new critical phenomenon in urban development, especially when cities want to expand their global reach. Smarter cities, according to the report’s studies, are more capable of attracting FDI from more and further destinations. City administrations can therefore set up Smart Procurement Agencies and Competition Commissions, for branding their city as an attractive “smart” investment destination.
How to make a city smarter?
First, construction of smart cities is a giant system that interacts across systems and is a “system of systems”. It requires coordination of cross-domain coordination through the top-level design, including setting goals, priorities, and implementation paths. The top-level design is also essential rather than optional given that cities are paying more attention to civic experiences, technological frameworks, new technology references, and construction models, In addition to projects and investments.
Second, taking a two-step approach starting with Safe City and then moving to Smart City. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, safety and security together with food and water are basic needs for all human beings. For a country and its cells, “Cities”, there is also Maslow-like hierarchy of digital needs. Similarly, security assurance is the basic needs for a country or a city. It lays a solid foundation for a competitive nation and a dynamic city.
Third, to grow the nerve system inside and outside the body. Huawei sees a city as a living organism, which is powered by a nervous system comprises a “brain” (the control center) and “nerves” (the network and sensors). Leveraging leading new ICT such as cloud computing, IoT and AI, Huawei is committed to creating a strong nervous system that powers Smart Cities. More importantly, as the report finds, to establish a national, regional and international network of dedicated smart cities that collaborate and share beneficial information and data.
The report is well-timed and chimes with Huawei’s own experiences from our work across the world, including in African countries. With Huawei’s vision to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world, we fully support the recommendations in the report that local policy makers should embrace the digital revolution, develop ICT skills and invest more in regional infrastructure, both physical and ICT, to make our cities safer, our lives better and our future smarter.
News
NITDA Communications Director Hadiza Umar Named in 2026 PR Power List, Graces Glazia Magazine Cover
Mrs. Hadiza Umar, Director of the Corporate Communications and Media Relations Department at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has been officially recognised as one of Nigeria’s top public relations professionals in the prestigious 2026 PR Power List.
The definitive annual list, compiled by GLG Communications in partnership with The Guardian, was unveiled to commemorate World PR Day.
It celebrates 50 outstanding professionals within Nigeria and the diaspora whose strategic communication strategies have significantly shaped organisations, influenced public discourse, and advanced the profession over the past 12 months.
Adding to the momentous milestone, Mrs. Umar was hit with a major surprise at the exclusive PR Power List Soirée and Awards ceremony held at the Alliance Française in Ikoyi, Lagos, where she was unveiled as a front-cover personality for the Glazia Magazine PR Power List Special Issue.
The double recognition highlights her exceptional distinction and impact in public sector communications and narrative management.
Speaking on the dual achievement, Mrs. Umar expressed profound gratitude for the honours, describing the magazine cover appearance as a breathtaking surprise.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to be recognized on the 2026 PR Power List and to feature on the cover of Glazia Magazine alongside other exceptional industry titans,” Umar said.
“This milestone is a testament to the enabling environment and visionary leadership of the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, which has allowed us to strategically drive the narrative of Nigeria’s digital economy and technological innovation.”
Mrs. Umar, a highly respected corporate communications strategist, holds professional fellowships in the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (Chartered), the African Public Relations Association (APRA), and the Institute of Corporate Administration (CICA).
Under her supervisory role, NITDA’s media relations have consistently projected national information technology frameworks, start-up support frameworks, and digital literacy initiatives, to position Nigeria competitively on the global stage.
The 2026 PR Power List selection process involved a rigorous, independent evaluation led by a distinguished international jury.
The organisers noted that the class of 2026 represents professionals raising the standard of strategic communications and introducing new ideas to the industry.
The need for Nigeria to think outside the box in its need to drive towards global relevance with innovations and scientific developments will be on the front burner at the NITRA Innovative & Scientific Conference scheduled to hold on Thursday July 23, 2026 in Ikeja, Lagos.
NITRA
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will lead other delegates to discuss and take far-reaching decisions at the event, which has its theme as “Bridging Nigeria’s Digital Divide With Scientific Innovation”.
Other companies that have indicated interest in partnering with NITRA include mobile communications company, Tecno; Africa’s premier end-to-end AI solutions company, Hyperspace; and telecommunications data infrastructure company, Digital Realty.
Speaking on the proposed event, the Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Chike Onwuegbuchi noted that the event will seek to create a platform for government and private organisations to deliberate on policies around scientific innovations in Nigeria, challenges, place of indigenous and foreign collaboration, roles of each stakeholder, and grassroots development in that regard, among others.
According to him: “The Federal government, with series of programmes and partnerships, has established the urgent need to create an ecosystem that thrives on scientific innovation, breeding institutions and individuals with a target of placing the country at the fore-front of Next-Gen development.
It is a known fact that digital and scientific innovations are crucial, not only to the survivability of a nation, but also to the sustainability of its growth and development, with significant effect on economic strength, global image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety, communication and digital footprint, among others.
The federal government is actively driving scientific innovation to foster economic diversification and build a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Efforts are heavily focused on commercializing research, establishing massive research funds, and funding strategic infrastructure, particularly in technology, biotechnology, and healthcare. Core government initiatives and policies include the newly instituted National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), which aims to mobilize about $500 million annually to support research and the commercialization of scientific outputs; and the Nigeria Genomic City, a multi-ministerial initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria into a leading hub for genomics, precision medicine, and biotechnology. It is designed to protect indigenous data, stimulate artificial intelligence in health, and develop a highly skilled scientific workforce.
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum will also be a vehicle to propagating the views of decision makers to the public, thereby furthering the cause of public awareness and information dissemination on the topic.
The focus, he said will be on how Nigeria can sustain digital innovative growth and scientific development in Nigeria
The board of global payments company, PayPal, says a 53 billion dollars takeover offer from financial technology firm, Stripe, and private equity company, Advent International, does not adequately reflect the company’s long-term value.
PayPal
According to reports, the proposed acquisition, valued at 60.50 dollars per share, remains under consideration, with the board yet to formally respond to the offer.
The directors are said to be evaluating not only the financial value of the proposal but also the structure of the financing, the timeline for completing the transaction and the likelihood of obtaining regulatory approvals.
They are also considering the possibility of competing bids emerging.
Although the offer represents a premium of about 28 per cent above PayPal’s recent share price, the board believes the company could deliver greater value to shareholders if its ongoing turnaround strategy succeeds.
Following reports of the bid, PayPal shares gained about two per cent to close at 56.73 dollars.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Stripe and Advent have secured approximately 50 billion dollars in debt financing from JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, while both firms would jointly contribute 17 billion dollars in equity.
Under the proposal, the two companies would jointly own PayPal instead of dividing its operations.
PayPal, Stripe, Advent International, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have all declined to comment on the proposed transaction.
The discussions come as PayPal seeks to strengthen its business after years of increasing competition from rivals including Apple Pay, Google Pay and emerging financial technology firms.
The company, which was valued at about 360 billion dollars in 2021, now has a market capitalisation of approximately 36 billion dollars.
Since assuming office as Chief Executive Officer in March 2026, Enrique Lores has embarked on a restructuring programme aimed at improving operational efficiency and restoring growth.
The restructuring includes the creation of three business divisions comprising Checkout, Venmo and Consumer Financial Services, and Payments and Crypto.
The company is also targeting 1.5 billion dollars in cost savings through the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
PayPal’s latest financial results indicated signs of recovery, with first-quarter revenue rising seven per cent year-on-year to 8.35 billion dollars, while total payment volume increased by eight per cent to 464 billion dollars.
If approved, the transaction would combine two of the world’s largest digital payments companies.
The combined business would process an estimated 3.7 trillion dollars in annual payment volume, significantly strengthening its position in the global online payments market.
However, analysts expect the proposed acquisition to face intense regulatory scrutiny because of the companies’ combined market share in merchant payment services.
To address possible antitrust concerns, the bidders have reportedly considered options, including separating PayPal’s Braintree business or other assets if required by regulators.
Sources said Stripe and Advent remain interested in pursuing the acquisition despite the board’s reservations, although negotiations are expected to continue.
Market observers are also awaiting PayPal’s earnings report scheduled for July 28 for further indications of the company’s financial recovery and future growth prospects.
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