Telecom
BPO: Roar of the Sleeping Giant
by Sourin Buragohain
Let’s start this editorial with a story from far away India. Over the last 20 years, India has become the world’s favoured market for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies, among other competitors, such as, Philippines, Brazil, Hungary, Canada, Australia, Ireland etc.
The A T Kearney’s 2016 Global Services Location Index (GSLI) study rated India as number one out of the total 55 countries in the list. According to study, Offshoring to India remains a highly attractive proposition for many global companies. As per Gartner, the cost advantages of outsourcing from India are noteworthy as it costs less than US$ 7,500 per annum for a call center agent in India (cost to company) as compared to $ 19,000 in the US and US$ 17,000 in Australia. That is well over a massive 50% costs reduction for the customers outsourcing their business processes to India.
The Indian BPO sector employs over 3.5 million people directly and provides indirect employment to another million or more – through ancillary industries dependent on the IT-BPO sector. The BPOs in India handle 55% of the global outsourcing market. The annual revenue of the Indian BPO market is more than $26 Billion and contributes around 1% of the GDP.
Africa – The sleeping giant out of its slumber…
Africa is the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent. It is so huge that it covers almost a quarter of the total land mass of the world. With 1.1 billion people as of 2014, it accounts for about 16% of the world’s human population. Africa’s population is the youngest amongst all the continents; the median age in 2012 was 19 years, when the worldwide median age was 30 years. So, it is a great, positive irony that Africa, widely accepted as the place of origin of humans in the world, is also the youngest continent in the globe, in terms of population. It is this power of youth and exuberance that will shape the future of Africa. It really is time for Africa in the truest sense of the term!
Lessons for Africa from India success story
- Making skilled resource readily available in the country – more spending on education and skill development programs for the African youth by the Govts.
- Low operating costs – cut down on taxes, have a liberalized tax regime – Tax breaks and sops offered by the government
- Development of special economic zones (SEZs) which also help IT/BPO companies get tax benefits
It is in this context that it is worthwhile to share the success of a company, which is very much an African entity, with registered office in Mauritius and corporate HQ in Lagos, Nigeria. The iSON Group comprises of two main division – the leader in technology services and consulting, helps clients in 29 countries in Africa and Middle East to create digital transformation strategies.
From application development to business process management to AI, Blockchain, Machine Learning, and Big Data Analytics it helps clients to solve the problems effectively and efficiently. Additionally, iSON offers BPO services through iSON BPO, its data analytics is driven BPO arm.
The robust BPO services infrastructure is built on global delivery framework to deliver voice, non-voice and other knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) services through local presence and on-shore/remote support, leading to superior customer experience, highly satisfied customers and growth in business.
iSON Group has been doing business in the IT-ITeS space in Africa since the last 8 years, with its inception in 2010. In its own humble ways, iSON Group has been the pioneer of the BPO industry with an un-matched multi-country presence across Africa.
iSON BPO employs close to 12,000 people across its Africa operations and 99% of its staff are local – Africans, serving African clients and customers.
Having started with 6 countries in Africa, with a large Telecom operator, managing 50% share of the business, iSON BPO has grown to approx 10 countries for them handling 70% share of the business – A testimony of the client’s on iSON’s proven capability and service delivery.
The Top telecom company in Africa has also awarded the contract to iSON BPO for 7 countries to handle their 100 million subscribers end to end with technology. With this, iSON BPO now handles over 150 million customer base in Africa itself.
Besides Telecom sector, iSON BPO also has the presence in Retail, Airlines, BFSI and Technology sectors, across Africa.
iSON BPO, by virtue of the business impact it has created for its clients across Africa, has become the largest partner for most of its clients. Thus it can be inferred, the iSON Group is completely dedicated to the cause of the African dream and has laid out for itself ambitious plans to grow organically within Africa, thereby creating more employment opportunities for the deserving and hardworking African youth.
iSON takes a lot of pride in promoting local talent and this is an essential aspect of its HR / People development delivery.
Thus, the emerging Africa BPO story, a story of endless opportunities, has already begun and iSON BPO has been a flag bearer cum leader in the journey so far, in its own humble ways, doing its bit to fuel this dream for Africa. Africa will need hundreds and hundreds of such #iSONs to propel its dream.
The government and the private sector companies, agencies should encourage, recognize such companies which in turn will inspire a whole new generation of African youth to see and live the African dream. Yes, the time has come for the world to listen to the roar of the sleeping giant, out of its slumber – it’s time for Africa!!!
The organisers of the Africa Tech Alliance Forum (AfriTECH 5.0) are delighted to announce George Agu, a distinguished technology entrepreneur and executive, as one of the keynote speakers at this year’s edition themed “AI & Sovereign Tech: Building Africa’s Digital Independence.”
Agu, the MD/CEO of ActivEdge Technologies Limited, is an astute founder and technology leader whose illustrious career spans over twenty-five years across core banking systems, enterprise applications, fintech, cybersecurity, and AI-powered e-government services. His experience blends strong technical expertise with strategic business leadership, having successfully built and scaled enterprise and public-sector technology platforms across West, East, and Southern Africa.
A Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Agu is also an alumnus of The Wharton School and the London School of Economics (LSE) through executive education, with specialisations in Entrepreneurship Acceleration, FinTech Revolution, Strategic Innovation, and Public Policy Analysis.
He began his professional journey as a software developer at CSA Nigeria in 2000, later joining Neptune Software, where he rose from Systems Implementation Manager to Managing Director/CEO for West Africa. At Neptune, he played a pivotal role in the success of the Equinox and Orbit core-banking platforms, with Orbit earning the No. 1 global ranking in microfinance core banking by CGAP (Washington DC).
As a serial founder, Agu established ActivEdge Technologies, a pan-African systems integrator delivering solutions in cybersecurity, GRC, enterprise automation, cloud, and core infrastructure, executing projects in more than six African countries.
He went on to found PayEdge, a fintech company addressing MSME liquidity and supply-chain finance challenges, and Introspec, a settlement and reconciliation platform used by banks in over fifteen African countries.
His latest innovation, HarmonyEdge, is an AI-powered e-government platform that digitises workflows, enables analytics and decisioning, supports citizen engagement, and powers payment and e-reconciliation systems — currently being piloted in a leading African nation.
Beyond entrepreneurship, George Agu contributes actively at board and civic levels. He serves on the Abia State Global Economic Advisory Council, chairing a sector committee, and on the board of TN Cybertech Bank, where he leads the Technology and Strategy Committee.
He also chairs the Business Roundtable of the African Bar Association and serves as Deputy President of the South East–South South Professionals.
Speaking ahead of AfriTECH 5.0, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, co-convener, described Agu as a “seasoned technology visionary whose work embodies the spirit of African innovation and digital self-reliance.”
“His keynote will provide practical insights on how AI and sovereign technologies can redefine digital transformation across Africa’s public and private sectors”, Onwuegbuchi said.
AfriTECH 5.0 will convene industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and innovators to explore the role of AI and indigenous technologies in driving Africa’s digital independence.
The event is supported by NCC with Digital Encode Limited as the Platinum Sponsor. Other Gold sponsors are Galaxy Backbone, itel, Digital Realty, ActivEdge Technologies, Tecom, Tizel Cybersecurity, AfriGoPay Financial Services Limited, SKOT Communications and other ecosystem partners.
Kashifu Inuwa, director general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has called for urgent and strategic investment in Africa’s digital public infrastructure, describing it as the foundation for sustainable economic transformation, job creation, and intra-African trade.
Speaking at the 2nd annual Sustainability Week Africa held at The Westin, Cape Town, South Africa, Inuwa emphasized that Africa’s economic destiny hinges on its own “compute capacity,” which he described as a primary factor of production in the 21st century.
“In the 21st century, compute power is a primary factor of production, and we cannot rely on exporting our raw data to other regions to process it and build products for us,” Inuwa said during a panel session on Digital Infrastructure for Jobs and Trade in Africa.
He urged African governments to emulate Europe’s collaborative approach to building high-performance supercomputers and AI factories by creating policy incentives that attract private sector investment in digital infrastructure.
Digital public infrastructure (DPI), he explained, operates at two levels: the shared physical and technical infrastructure such as connectivity and cloud capacity; and the functional layer, which includes digital identity, payment systems, and data exchange platforms that enable seamless access to services.
Citing Nigeria’s progress, the NITDA DG disclosed that over 130 million Nigerians have been enrolled under the national digital identity system.
He also revealed ongoing efforts to establish a national data exchange platform and a DPI Centre of Excellence to promote interoperability and best practices across all tiers of government.
“The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy in Nigeria, Dr Bosun Tijani, is leading and pushing for establishing a DPI centre of excellence, where we can have people building the actual DPI data exchange well, building APIs, and also coming up with best practices,” Inuwa stated.
On digital literacy, Inuwa reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to achieving 95% digital literacy by 2030 and 70% by 2027 under the National Digital Literacy Framework.
He noted that digital skills have become mandatory for students and civil servants, with partnerships involving Cisco and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to train youth, women, and market traders in digital tools and AI-powered applications.
He called for clear policy frameworks to guide AI adoption and technology development across Africa, stressing that digital transformation is not a sector but an enabler for every sector of the economy.
“In Africa, we need to have our digital circuits by building our own capacity for digital self-determination. We should not rely on other countries to be sending hardware and software to us because our goal is to build a better life for our citizens, and technology will help us achieve that,” he said.
Inuwa concluded by advocating stronger coordination between governments, the private sector, and development partners to harmonise digital standards and scale innovation across the continent.
“Africa’s advantage lies in our ability to leap, to build collaboratively, and to design technology for inclusion. If we build the digital rails together, our youth will drive Africa straight into the heart of the global digital economy,” he said.
Sustainability Week Africa is a continental platform that showcases practical ways for governments, businesses, and communities to embrace green growth. The 2025 edition focused on Africa’s role in driving energy transition, climate resilience, and sustainable development.
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and Meta Platforms Inc. are set to formally adopt the final terms of a $32.8 million data privacy settlement before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Nov. 3, following months of negotiations over alleged breaches of Nigeria’s data protection laws.
The NDPC had in February 2025 imposed a $32.8 million sanction on Meta, alongside eight corrective orders, for allegedly violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
The commission accused the global tech giant of engaging in behavioural advertising without obtaining proper user consent and transferring Nigerian user data abroad without legal authorization.
According to the NDPC, Meta’s practices contravened core principles of transparency and accountability in data processing, prompting the regulator to take enforcement action under the newly enacted data protection law.
Meta subsequently approached the court seeking a review of the commission’s decision and a stay of enforcement. However, the court declined the request, paving the way for both parties to enter into negotiations aimed at resolving the dispute amicably.
At the latest hearing, Meta’s counsel, Mr. Fred Onuobia (SAN), informed the court that both parties had reached a settlement agreement. Justice James Omotosho, presiding over the matter, welcomed the development but emphasized the need for judicial scrutiny of the settlement terms.
“There have been instances where issues not part of the original suit are smuggled into settlement terms. The court must therefore examine the document carefully before approval,” Justice Omotosho stated, before fixing Nov. 3 for formal adoption of the agreement.
The settlement, once adopted, is expected to conclude one of Nigeria’s most significant data protection enforcement cases and could set a major precedent for how global technology firms operate within the country’s regulatory framework.
Legal analysts say the case underscores the growing assertiveness of Nigeria’s data protection regime and signals a shift toward stricter compliance expectations for multinational digital platforms operating in the country.
The Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, signed into law to strengthen privacy rights and data governance, empowers the NDPC to investigate violations, impose sanctions, and enforce corrective measures to safeguard citizens’ personal data.
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has faced increasing scrutiny globally over its data handling practices. The outcome of the Nigerian case is expected to influence future engagements between regulators and tech firms across Africa.
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