General News
Broadband as Potential for Economic Growth
Broadband has become a key priority of the 21st Century, and its transformative power as an enabler for economic and social growth makes it an essential tool for empowering people, creating an environment that nurtures the technological and service innovation, and triggering positive change in business processes as well as in society as a whole.
Increased adoption and use of broadband in the next decade and beyond will be driven by the extent to which broadband-supported services and applications are not only made available to, but are also relevant and affordable for consumers.
And while the benefits of broadband-enabled future are manifest, the broadband revolution has raised up new issues and challenges.
In light of these developments, ITU launched a new series of ITU Broadband Reports. The first reports in the series launched in 2012 focus on cutting edge policy, regulatory and economic aspects of broadband.
According to Brahima Sanou, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau,
“This new series of reports is important for a number of reasons. First of all, the reports will focus on topical issues of special interest for developed and developing countries alike. Secondly, the various reports build on ITU’s recognized expertise in the area augmented by regular feedback from its Membership”.
Both broadband availability and speed are strong drivers in an economy. Last year Ericsson and Arthur D. Little concluded that for every 10 percentage point increase in broadband penetration GDP increases by 1 percent.
This growth stems from a combination of direct, indirect and induced effects. Direct and indirect effects provide a short to medium term stimulus to the economy.
The induced effect, which includes the creation of new services and businesses, is the most sustainable dimension and could represent as much as one third of the mentioned GDP growth.
“Broadband has the power to spur economic growth by creating efficiency for society, businesses and consumers. It opens up possibilities for more advanced online services, smarter utility services, telecommuting and telepresence. In health care, for instance, we expect that mobile applications will be used by 500 million people,” said Johan Wibergh, Head of Business Unit Networks, Ericsson.
During a keynote speech at Broadband World Forum 2011 in Paris, Wibergh said: “We expect a huge increase from the current estimate of around 1 billion people with broadband access to about 5 billion in 2016, most of whom will have mobile broadband. Connectivity and broadband are just a starting point for new ways of innovating, collaborating and socializing.”
Erik Almqvist, Director at Arthur D. Little, said: “Until now there has been an absence of hard facts investigating the effects of broadband speed on the economy. This unique empirical study may help governments and other decisions makers in society make more correct tradeoffs and policy choices.”
Obstacles to realization in Nigeria
The hope of realizing broadband revolution in the country’s telecommunications industry may be a mirage as operators licensed to provide infrastructure expected to kick -start the service have decried barriers that discourages investment in this regard.
Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (Alton), the umbrella body of operators in the telecom space, said that granting multiple operational license to operators to provide metro and national fibre infrastructure does not guarantee investment in that regard, but implementation of well articulated policies that will encourage operators to invest their money.
He said Government must go beyond granting of licenses to eliminating those barriers such as bottlenecks in securing ‘right of way’, impediments to smooth network operations- where operators are forced to pay levies that are not legalized, and vandalisation.
He explained that broadband services are anchored on availability of bandwidth, and that with excess capacity of it at our shore, investment need to be encouraged to distribute this capacity to various geographical areas of the country for broadband revolution to be experienced as is the case with voice service.
He added that operators that secured licenses to roll out broadband services with big money are yet to invest in provision of infrastructure because of clumsy process of securing ‘right of way’ from various government agencies.
‘Right of way’ is a legal instrument allowing operators to deploy infrastructure on federal or state roads with a fee. He added that unless these barriers are addressed it may be difficult for operators to invest in infrastructure that will enable provision of broadband.
Experts have argued that none availability of fibre backhaul infrastructure required to distribute bandwidth from Lagos where the submarine cable land to those cities, is responsible for high cost of bandwidth which is affecting quality and cost of internet in those cities.
Mohammed Rudman, managing director, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, said that availability of distributive channels of internet and making it accessible to ISPs is essential for the country to witness a broadband revolution.
“Without moving internet capacity from Lagos to other parts of the country, we may witness a lopsided broadband revolution, only in Lagos and its environs,” he said.
Ross Bateson, Special Government Advisor for the GSMA said: “It is essential that the new Nigerian government acts quickly to support Mobile Broadband expansion, as failure to do so could hinder the country’s social and economic growth. Not only could the country realise as much as NGN862 billion of incremental GDP, but people of all ages and livelihoods would benefit from the vast amount of information and opportunities Mobile Broadband can unlock.”
General News
Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation to Open Portal for 1,000 University Tech Scholarships on Monday
The Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation (LSEF), in collaboration with TD Africa, Konga Group, Zinox Technologies, and Task Systems, is set to officially launch its highly anticipated scholarship programme aimed at empowering 1,000 exceptional Nigerian indigent whiz-kids in the field of technology.
Leo Stan Ekeh
The dedicated application portal, initially scheduled to go live on April 22, will now launch on Monday, April 27, 2026, following final technical enhancements to ensure a seamless, secure, and transparent application experience for prospective candidates nationwide.
This landmark initiative, first announced by Leo Stan Ekeh, Africa’s foremost tech icon and chairman of Zinox Group, forms part of his unwavering commitment to national development and youth empowerment.
The programme was unveiled on February 22, 2026, when Ekeh marked his 70th birthday. Rather than host an elaborate celebration befitting a man of his stature, he chose to channel resources into a cause that would create long-term impact for an economy, offering university scholarships to indigent but brilliant Nigerian youths to study Computer Science in federal institutions.
Building on a legacy of over 6709 beneficiaries trained over four decades by him and his companies, Mr. Ekeh at the time said the goal is to nurture a new generation of highly skilled technology professionals capable of supporting both the private and public sectors, while positioning Nigeria for greater competitiveness in the global digital economy.
This vision reflects his decades-long commitment to building sustainable positive disruptive capacity within Nigeria’s technology ecosystem that shall alter the nation’s GDP.
The scholarship programme is designed to transcend mere financial support, offering beneficiaries access to a comprehensive ecosystem powered by the initiative’s distinguished partners. Beneficiaries will receive technical support, mentorship by very successful members of Nigeria Compute Society, and industry exposure to ensure that recipients are equipped with practical, market-relevant skills.
This multi-faceted approach ensures that scholarship beneficiaries gain not only theoretical knowledge but also hands-on experience and professional networks that will propel their careers in technology.
By leveraging the combined expertise and infrastructure of these industry leaders, the initiative is poised to deliver a transformative learning experience that prepares young Nigerians to compete effectively on the global stage. Beneficiaries will emerge as future-ready innovators capable of driving digital transformation across sectors and contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s economic growth.
The initiative builds on the longstanding legacy of Leo Stan Ekeh, whose contributions to Nigeria’s technology landscape and by extension Africa have spanned decades and fundamentally reshaped the nation’s digital infrastructure. From pioneering indigenous computer manufacturing through Zinox Technologies to driving digital transformation across public and private sectors, Ekeh has consistently demonstrated a commitment to building sustainable technological capacity within Nigeria.
His investments in digital infrastructure, talent development, and indigenous innovation have positioned Nigeria as a formidable player in the global technology landscape.
This scholarship programme represents the latest chapter in that transformative journey, directly addressing the critical need for skilled technology professionals in an increasingly digital global economy.
As anticipation builds ahead of the April 27 launch, interested applicants are advised to visit the Konga.com website and click the Foundation banner on 1000 Tech Scholarships Awards where the application link and detailed participation guidelines will be published on the launch date. The organisers have assured that the selection process will be merit-driven, inclusive, and transparent, with a focus on identifying truly outstanding young talents from across Nigeria’s diverse regions.
Westerville Public Library, a public library that serves the community of Westerville, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus in United States is in the news after its social account urged violence against Nigerian politicians.
Library staff said the inflammatory messages were not written by any employees and moved quickly to purge the feed and regain control of the account, rattling regulars who are used to the library’s usually low-traffic presence in Uptown Westerville.
The Columbus Dispatch reported that the library’s X account first posted a message calling for the death of Nigerian politicians, starting with the country’s president.
According to the paper, most of those posts were wiped from the feed within about half an hour.
The Dispatch also noted that the account had been sitting dormant since 2024 before the violent statements suddenly went live, and its full report includes the timeline and language that circulated on the platform.
After the posts appeared, the library issued a short note on X that read, “Please disregard any recent posts you may have seen from the Westerville Library on this platform today. Thank you for your understanding.” As reported by The Columbus Dispatch, communications director Tamara Murray told the paper the account was hacked shortly before the messages were published and that staff were working to recover passwords.
The library did not immediately say whether law enforcement had been notified.
Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti, popularly known Seun Kuti, Nigerian musician, has claimed that IShowSpeed, American streamer’s African tour was was funded by Elon Musk, billionaire tech mogul.
Seun Kuti
According to the singer and the youngest son of Fela Kuti, Afrobeat pioneer, the tour aimed at testing the reach of Musk’s satellite across the African continent.
Seun Kuti also explained that the streamer’s tour was not just to see the beauty of Africa, but was a spy job for Elon Musk.
”They all have the agenda. All that was a spy job for Elon Musk. I hail him and we have our own people pursuing him with us“, he added.
IShowSpeed completed a landmark 28-day tour of Africa, visiting 20 countries between December 29, 2025, and January 27, 2026, aimed at experiencing local cultures and engaging with fans.
The trip, which featured live-streamed visits to nations including Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana, saw him surpass 50 million subscribers. He described the experience as life-changing.
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