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Citad Begins Business Incubator programme
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (Citad) has flagged off its ICT Business Incubators Programme with a pioneer set of 16 youths. The sixteen youths were selected from the best of the 300 people who participated last year in the Microsoft/USA Government supported Employability Programme that Citad and LEAP Africa are implementing in Kano.
The ICT Business Incubator Programme as conceived by Citad is aimed at nurturing the young people to become ICT businesses entrepreneurs. The Incubator programme consists of three components. The first is a training programme on ICT entrepreneurship, which lasts for three month. During the period the participations are in addition to deepening their ICT skills, given training in such ICT skills as website design, video/film editing, and ICT equipment maintenance among others. They are also to be couched in Small Scale Business Management and Marketing as well as in communication and negotiation skills. During this time participants are also encouraged to sit for relevant professional examinations such as those organized by the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN).
At the end of the three months, they will undergo a 3-month business internship during which they are expected to produce business plans. These business plans would be discussed with a team of Citad business advisers and once agreed upon, Citad would then provide the needed business support on grantorship. The beneficiaries will then at the end of the business internship set up his or her business.
At this stage Citad would provide business mentoring support, networking, professional upgrading and virtual office space for the participants. Six months following the establishment of own businesses would be used to incubate and it is expected that at the end of the year the participants would graduate to full business Entrepreneurs.
At the core of the programme is the team work and participants are encouraged to work towards setting up partnerships or cooperatives rather individual businesses. The pioneer group of 16 consists of nine (9) male and seven (7) females.
Citad is an ICT-focused non-governmental organization which has offices in Kano and Dutse, and an outreach unit in Bauchi State.
Itan admittance into WITSA to increase FDI
The admission of Information Technology Association of Nigeria, (Itan) into World Information Technology and Services Alliance (Witsa) is expected to open up new opportunities for the Nigerian IT and Services industry in the area of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), partnerships, networking, granting of wide range research and development possibilities across Witsa domain
Dr Jimson Olufuye, president, Itan, disclosed this in Lagos while unfolding the details of the planned visit of Dato Dan Khoo, Witsa chairman and Dr James Poisant the Secretary-General schedule between April 21 and 24, 2009. He noted that the admission also demands the emulation of best practices and effective show-casing of local success stories in the global arena.
“My expectation is that the Chairman’s visit will boost more investments in ICT at the grassroots, the states and the Federal level. My hope is that the visit would provide more capacity to engender the expected boost. And as a visit with long term implication, I’m optimistic that it would be far reaching to making a reality the seven point agenda of the Federal government and the realization of the vision 20 2020. Witsa commands a global mass of expertise on IT matters and Nigeria cannot afford not to tap into this formidable resource base” he said.
The visit of Khoo by April this year, according to Dr Olufuye who has been preaching e-learning through the Old Students Personal Computer (OSPC) Project in the Nigerian foundational education system, will afford stakeholders in the Nigerian IT sector the opportunity to trade ideas on the latest developments in the global community, adding that Itan was admitted into Witsa to represent the Nigerian Information Technology and Services Industry.
The WITSA delegation, he said will also visit some state Governors including Kano, Bauchi as tremendous opportunities exist to share ideas on their ICT projects. Ministers in charge of ICTs and possibly the President may also be visited.
The admission of Itan into the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (Witsa), Olufuye said , has thrown open unlimited business opportunities for its members in the areas of global partnerships, networking, foreign direct investment, product/service deliveries in global market through reliable channels, among others. Dr Olufuye also unfolded a new shift in Itan operation paradigm to take advantage of its new role in Witsa for the benefit of its members.
Itan’s robust engagement with Witsa, according to him has opened a new vista for the IT and services industry in Nigeria. “It opens with it opportunity for the Industry to metamorphose into the leading Industry in Africa actively engaging the rest of the world. A major thrust for the achievement of this objective is the evolvement and the empowerment of the Itan Founding Partners, the Corporate Advisory Group (CAG) and the Government Advisory Group (GAG) to consist of IT Advisers to State Governors” he explained.
Leveraging on the opportunities available with the engagement of Itan therefore requires boosting of members capacities in all ramifications.
The World Information Technology and Services Alliance is a consortium of about 70 information technology (IT) industry associations from economies around the world. WITSA members represent over 90 percent of the world IT market.
News
Yahoo Mail Halts Free Storage Service, Caps at 20GB

Yahoo Mail has announced a major shift in its storage policy, slashing the free email storage cap to 20GB and rolling out a new subscription model starting at $1.99 per month for 100GB.
The change, which takes effect immediately, marks a significant downgrade for many long-time users who have grown accustomed to Yahoo’s previously generous storage offering.
In a notice sent to users on Tuesday, the company urged account holders to review their current storage usage and consider paid upgrade options to avoid disruptions.
“Once you reach the 20GB limit, you will no longer be able to send or receive emails unless you either delete existing messages or upgrade your account,” the notice warned.
While access to inboxes will remain intact for now, users will be forced to clean up their accounts or move to a paid tier to maintain full functionality.
Yahoo has unveiled two new storage plans which are 100GB for $1.99/month and 1TB for $9.99/month.
For those seeking a more premium experience, Yahoo is also offering Yahoo Mail Plus, which includes 200GB of storage, an ad-free interface, and additional features. However, users opting for the 100GB and 1TB tiers will still be served ads, a move likely to frustrate those paying for expanded capacity.
To ease the transition, Yahoo is rolling out new tools to help users manage their inboxes more efficiently. These include real-time storage tracking, a usage dashboard, sorting options for large emails, and an attachment manager to help clear out space-consuming files.
Despite the enhancements, the abrupt downgrade has sparked concerns among users, particularly those with email archives spanning more than a decade. Critics argue the change could pressure many into paying for what was previously free, without a proportionate upgrade in value, especially considering ads remain in place for all but the premium Plus tier.
Yahoo’s new model brings it closer to competitors like Gmail, which offers 15GB of free storage shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. Google’s paid plans also begin at $1.99/month for 100GB, but offer additional benefits such as photo backups and expanded cloud services. Gmail also provides a cleaner experience, with minimal ads even on its free plan.
Yahoo Mail’s new 20GB limit applies exclusively to email storage, a slight advantage for users who don’t rely heavily on broader cloud services. But the real test will be how users respond to the newly imposed constraints and whether the value proposition is strong enough to convert them into paying subscribers.
News
CAC to Delist 100,000 Dormant Firms After 90-Day Compliance Window

Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Nigeria has announced a significant move to strike off approximately 100,000 dormant companies from its register due to their failure to file annual returns for over a decade.
This initiative, aimed at cleaning up the nation’s business registry, was confirmed in a statement released by the CAC on Tuesday, 29 July 2025. The commission has granted these companies a 90-day grace period to submit all outstanding annual returns or face permanent removal from the database.
The CAC’s action is grounded in Section 692 (3) (4) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) No. 3 of 2020, which empowers the commission to delist defunct or inactive companies.
The statement, published on the CAC’s official website, urges affected companies to file their overdue returns and notify the commission via email at activation@cac.gov.ng to avoid being struck off.
The commission has also made it clear that it is illegal to conduct business under the name of a delisted company, as such entities are considered dissolved.
Registrar General Garba Abubakar previously noted that nearly 90% of registered companies in Nigeria are dormant, highlighting the scale of non-compliance. This crackdown is part of a broader effort to enhance transparency and ensure a robust business environment in Nigeria.
The CAC has advised stakeholders to verify the status of companies before engaging in transactions, warning that dealing with a dissolved company could lead to legal repercussions. Only a Federal High Court order can reinstate a delisted company, underscoring the gravity of the process.
The list of affected companies, numbering around 100,000, has been published on the CAC’s website, allowing businesses to check their status. Companies that have already filed complete annual returns but find themselves listed have been instructed to provide evidence of compliance by emailing compliance@cac.gov.ng within the 90-day window.
This initiative follows earlier warnings from the CAC, including a December 2024 announcement to delist 91,843 companies and a subsequent removal of 80,429 companies in November 2024, which included notable names like Innoson “Vinod” International Limited and Jolly Food Industries Ltd.
The 90-day grace period, starting from 29 July 2025, offers a final opportunity for these companies to regularise their status.
The CAC’s decisive action signals a commitment to fostering accountability and compliance within Nigeria’s corporate landscape, raising important questions about the operational challenges facing thousands of registered businesses.
As the deadline approaches, the commission’s efforts are expected to reshape the country’s business ecosystem, ensuring only active and compliant entities remain on the register.
News
InfraCredit, AMDA Sign Partnership to Unlock Local Financing for Africa’s Mini-grid Sector

InfraCredit, a specialised infrastructure credit guarantee institution, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA) to boost access to long-term local currency financing for mini-grid and distributed renewable energy (DRE) projects across Africa.
The agreement aims to strengthen market development and address long-standing financing barriers in the mini-grid sector, especially in Nigeria and other underserved African markets.
The collaboration is aligned with InfraCredit’s Clean Energy Funding Programme (CEFP), which offers credit enhancement, due diligence support, and technical assistance to renewable energy developers.
“With an estimated 86 million Nigerians, alongside hundreds of millions across Africa—still living without electricity, bridging this energy access gap demands a pipeline of investment-ready, well-prepared projects that can unlock scalable capital and accelerate financial close,” said Chinua Azubike, CEO of InfraCredit.
“This partnership creates a practical pathway to scale the impact of our Clean Energy Funding Programme by equipping more developers to structure commercially viable mini-grid and DRE projects that qualify for long-term local currency finance,” Azubike added.
Through the agreement, both InfraCredit and AMDA will work together to facilitate technical assistance, share toolkits, and deploy credit modelling frameworks, including InfraCredit’s Distributed Renewable Energy Lending Toolkit (DRELT) and DRE Credit Rating Model. These tools aim to enhance the bankability of projects and improve developers’ ability to secure patient capital in local currency.
AMDA, which represents mini-grid developers operating in over 20 African countries, brings deep sector expertise and a strong network of DRE operators to the partnership.
According to Lamide Niyi-Afuye, CEO of AMDA, the collaboration addresses one of the most persistent challenges in the sector.
“We are pleased to collaborate with InfraCredit to address one of the most persistent barriers in the minigrid sector, access to affordable, long-term local currency finance,” said Niyi-Afuye.
“By aligning AMDA’s advocacy and technical support efforts with InfraCredit’s proven models and tools, we aim to accelerate the deployment of resilient, decentralised energy solutions that deliver tangible socioeconomic benefits in Africa. We view this partnership as a blueprint that will be used beyond borders, paving the way for broader regional impact,” he added.
The partnership will also support the development of transaction-ready pipelines, capacity-building initiatives, and investor-developer forums aimed at improving market transparency and accelerating the roll-out of commercially viable mini-grids.
By facilitating access to domestic blended finance and strengthening project preparation, the partnership hopes to unlock greater private sector participation, mobilise local capital, and expand clean energy access across unserved and underserved communities in Africa.
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