Telecom
Digital Economy Grows Faster Than Other Economies – DG NITDA
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA), has said that Digital Economy is growing at bigger rate faster than the rest of the economy, according to him, global economy is undergoing a digital transformation at a breakneck speed.
Abdullahi said this at the Digital Jewel Privacy Week roundtable discussion, with the theme ‘Harnessing Data as a Critical Asset in the Digital Economy’ which was held virtually on Friday, and attended by stakeholders from different sectors.
He said as the Digital Economy grows, Nigeria figured out how to make sure government, private sector, and the consumer are in sync.
Abdullahi stated that to harness and benefit from global digital economy trend, President Muhammadu Buhari, on 23rd October 2019, redesignated and expanded the mandate of Ministry of Communications to cover Digital Economy. However, on 28th November, 2019, the president also unveiled National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) in order to put Nigeria on the global map of digitally competitive nation and ignited innovative activities in-country to unlock the Nigeria’s potentials in Digital Economy.
He further noted that data is the most valuable and significant asset as it plays a huge role in everyday live.
“Collecting and sharing data is a key to conducting business in today’s global digital economy. Never before has data protection become more critical than now, it has become central to how business can maintain trust and safeguard the data they collect or process from you and me.
“It is obvious that digital technologies power our everyday activity. Some of the devices we take for granted are so central to our lives.
“It seems perfectly normal to use your mobile phone, to process your emails, shop online, chat with friend and family, share pictures, read, watch and listen to your favorite movies and music.
“In the process you provide your personal data such as; name, address, bank details and so on.
“These are the information you and I know we share visibly but behind the scene enormous amount of data is generated, collected and stored by our mobile phones.
“Your phone tracks and collects data about you every second. It knows your location, the route you follow to work, who you spend time with, it knows who you talk to, what you say, who you chat with, what you share, it knows what you read, watch and listen to,” he added.
Speaking on what NITDA has done so far in regards to data protection, Abdullahi explained that, the Agency issued Data Protection Guidelines in 2013 to provide a basic law to guide the use of data in the digital space.
However, with the emergence of the EU GDPR in 2016, the Agency worked with private sector to issue Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) on 25th January 2019.
Subsequent to the issuance of the NDPR, NITDA has sustained substantial public awareness campaigns. The Agency carried out massive media awareness in May and October 2019. Nigeria is the first country in Africa to dedicate a whole week to public awareness on data privacy protection.
“Our first privacy week held on 23rd – 28th January, 2020. On a regular basis we issue press statements. Also, we have treated several questions, request for clarification and other enquiries from the public on the issue of data protection.
“We have also organized workshops for Data Protection Compliance Organizations (DPCO), Data Protection Officers, Data Breach Investigation Team (DBIT), Police Enforcement Team, selected NITDA staff, in-house workshop for major multinationals, Regulators and industry associations.
“NITDA has created unique implementation structure for the NDPR, which also creates a set of licensees to organizations who have proven expertise in data protection implementation.
“These DPCOs are licensed to provide data protection compliance, audit, training and related services to all Data Controllers and Processors.
“We have licensed seventy DPCOs and have received many more applications which are currently being processed. Aside from the compliance focus, we have also inaugurated the Data Breach Investigation Team (DBIT).
“On the recommendation of the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, NITDA was appointed as a member of the Technical working group on Data Protection Laws Harmonization and Localization in Africa hosted by the African Union Commission with support from the European Union Commission. Nigeria was appointed as the Vice Chair of this very important group.
“The confidence reposed in us by the African and European Union (EU) has been justified as our experiential, collegial and intellectual inputs to the process has endeared us to our sister countries,” he added.
As Africa and MENA’s startup ecosystems transition from post-correction resilience into a new phase of disciplined growth, the Africa Startup & VC Landscape Preview (ASVLP 2026) will convene leading founders, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem builders on January 29, 2026, for its second annual, agenda-setting virtual forum.
Following a challenging global venture cycle, 2025 marked a notable rebound across the African ecosystem, with startups raising an estimated $3.2–$3.3 billion over the full year.
The recovery was accompanied by significant structural shifts: Kenya emerged as the leading destination among Africa’s “Big Four” markets for the first time, while Nigeria recorded a year-on-year funding decline, reflecting changing investor preferences, macroeconomic pressures, and a broader recalibration toward capital efficiency and sustainability.
Sectorally, fintech remained the most funded vertical, while climate & energy, AI-enabled solutions, healthtech, and infrastructure-adjacent businesses gained increasing attention. Across Africa and MENA, development finance institutions (DFIs) and family offices played a more pronounced role in anchoring funds, deploying catalytic capital, and supporting blended-finance structures, reshaping how early-stage and growth capital is mobilized.
ASVLP 2026 is designed to translate these data points into forward-looking strategy.
The forum will bring together venture capitalists, angel investors, LPs, DFIs, family offices, founders, corporate leaders, and regulators from Africa, MENA, Europe, and North America to assess 2025 outcomes and chart priorities for 2026.
The program will feature keynotes, fireside chats, panels, and deep-dive roundtables, including discussions on:
· The 2026 Africa & MENA FinTech Landscape, focusing on security, profitability, regulation, and growth frontiers
· Emerging Fund Managers, capital formation, and LP alignment
· Talent, operator depth, and institutional capacity as constraints to scale
· Regulatory evolution and cross-border market integration
A major highlight of ASVLP 2026 will be the Final DealRoom Pitch Session, where a curated group of high-potential startups will present to an experienced panel of investors.
• Founders can apply to pitch via: bit.ly/ASVLP-DR-Founders
• Investors seeking DealRoom access can request entry via: bit.ly/ASVLP-DR-Investors
Confirmed speakers for ASVLP 2026 include Khaled Ismail (HIMangel), Idris Ayodeji Bello (LoftyInc Capital), Zachariah George (Launch Africa), Tosin Faniro-Dada (Breega), Selma Ribica (FirstCircle Capital), Maha Mandour (COREangels MEA), Joe Kinvi (Borderless), Remi Prunier (Orange Ventures MEA), Karima El Hakim (Plug and Play Tech Center), Souheil Guessoum (President, The Confederation of Citizen Employers – Algeria (CAPC)), Remi Prunier (Partner, Orange Ventures, MEA), Maha Mandour (COREAngels MEA), Ali Hussein (President, Kenyan FinTech Association), Patrick Okebu (CIO, Interswitch Group) among other leading voices shaping capital, policy, and innovation across the region.
“The conversation has shifted,” said Uche Aniche, Convener of ASVLP. “It’s no longer about whether capital will return to Africa and MENA, but what kind of capital, deployed with what discipline, and in service of which long-term outcomes. ASVLP exists to help the ecosystem make sense of that transition.”
Participation in ASVLP 2026 is free but strictly by invitation.
Interested participants are encouraged to repost the official announcement on LinkedIn and comment #ASVLP2026 to receive a private registration link. They could also email [email protected] and request invite.
Major social media giants Meta Platforms, TikTok and Alphabet’s YouTube will face a landmark jury trial this week in Los Angeles County Superior Court over allegations that their addictive designs have fuelled a youth mental health crisis, marking the first such case to reach this stage.
Social Media
The pivotal personal injury lawsuit centres on a 19-year-old Californian woman identified as K.G.M., who claims her childhood immersion in Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok—engineered with endless scrolls, autoplay videos, notifications and algorithms—sparked severe anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.
Dozens of similar suits have surged since 2022 from families, schools and states, accusing the firms of burying internal research on teen harms while prioritising ad revenue through youth-targeted engagement hooks, despite Section 230 protections for user content.
Plaintiffs seek damages and design overhauls, arguing platforms bypassed parents and preyed on vulnerable kids; defendants counter there’s no clinical “social media addiction” diagnosis, no proven causation—kids with issues often use less—and they’ve added safeguards like parental controls and time limits.
Echoing Australia’s under-16 bans, the trial will scrutinise thousands of internal documents, expert testimonies and K.G.M.’s story, potentially expanding tech liability amid debates where studies show complex links, not direct causation, between screen time and disorders like eating issues or self-harm.
A win could mandate warning labels, age gates or algorithm tweaks, reshaping global platforms as U.S. Surgeon General advisories and global scrutiny intensify pressure on Big Tech to prioritise child safety over profits.
Meta is gearing up to trial paid subscription services on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, aiming to diversify revenue streams beyond advertising while maintaining free core access for all users.
Meta
The subscriptions will offer enhanced tools tailored for everyday users, creators, and businesses, including advanced content creation, sharing, and workflow features distinct from the existing Meta Verified verification program. Unlike a uniform rollout, Meta plans varied testing formats per app to match diverse audiences, experimenting with feature bundles based on user feedback to refine the model.
A key element involves integrating Manus, the autonomous agent firm Meta acquired for $2 billion in December, into these apps alongside its enterprise sales. Manus enables complex task automation with minimal input, with early signs like Instagram shortcuts already spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi.
Video tools feature prominently: Meta’s Vibes short-form video generator in the Meta AI app shifts to freemium, where paid tiers unlock higher monthly creation limits beyond the free baseline. On Instagram, subscriptions could enable unlimited audience lists, non-follower tracking, and anonymous Story views, though specifics for Facebook and WhatsApp remain under wraps.
Drawing from Meta Verified’s 2023 launch—which provides badges, support, and protection mainly for creators—these broader plans target wider appeal amid industry shifts. Ad growth slows against TikTok competition, while Snapchat+ boasts 16 million subscribers at $3.99 monthly, proving demand for value-driven paid perks despite subscription fatigue risks from streaming and storage fees.
Meta will phase tests gradually, prioritizing feedback to shape long-term viability without alienating free users.
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