Telecom
FG’s $10m Hello.cv Deal Sparks Outrage as Experts Question Snub of .ng Domain
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector have expressed concerns over the inclusion of a foreign country code top-level domain (ccTLD) in a recent partnership under the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme.
The concerns followed the announcement by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) of a 10 million-dollar partnership with Hello.cv, a platform associated with Cape Verde’s “.cv” country code domain.
Under the agreement, 20,000 beneficiaries of the 3MTT programme will receive access to Hello.cv’s profile package, which includes a personal .cv domain, an artificial intelligence-powered job search agent and professional CV writing services.
Some industry stakeholders argue that the arrangement appears inconsistent with the Federal Government’s “Nigeria First Policy”, which encourages Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to prioritise local products and services.
The policy, approved by the Federal Executive Council in May 2025, seeks to reduce dependence on foreign goods and services, strengthen domestic industries and create jobs.
Speaking on the development, Chief Executive Officer of DNS Africa Media and Communications, Dr. Adebunmi Akinbo, said the use of a foreign domain for Nigerian trainees raised questions about data protection and digital sovereignty.
According to him, the country’s indigenous domain, .ng, managed by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association, is capable of accommodating the beneficiaries and should have been prioritised.
“If branding is important to the company, there are alternatives such as integrating the service within the .ng ecosystem. The focus should remain on promoting Nigeria’s digital identity and protecting citizens’ data,” he said.
Akinbo also expressed concerns about the storage and management of data generated through the platform, noting that government agencies should ensure that local digital assets remain at the forefront of national digital development efforts.
Also commenting, Emmanuel Amos, Chief Executive Officer of Programos and Innovationbed-AI Academy, said government institutions needed to demonstrate consistency in implementing policies designed to strengthen local technology ecosystems.
According to him, Nigeria must develop the institutional commitment required to support indigenous technology solutions and maximise value from local innovation.
The stakeholders noted that while the training partnership itself was commendable, the inclusion of a foreign domain component had generated questions about compliance with the spirit of the Nigeria First Policy.
Ugonma Egwuatu, an ICT and data protection expert at ECAM Global Services, called for greater clarity regarding data governance arrangements under the partnership.
She said agencies responsible for data protection should be satisfied that adequate safeguards were in place for the personal information of programme beneficiaries.
“We are dealing with the data of about 20,000 individuals. There should be clear explanations regarding how the data will be managed, protected and utilised,” she said.
Egwuatu added that transparency regarding data handling processes and any third-party arrangements would help address concerns among stakeholders.
The partnership is part of ongoing efforts by the ministry to equip young Nigerians with digital skills and improve their access to employment opportunities in the global technology ecosystem.
As of the time of filing this report, the ministry had not publicly responded to the concerns raised by stakeholders regarding the domain component of the partnership.
Clydestone Ghana Plc has filed a writ of summons and statement of claim against MTN Ghana, MTN Group Limited and Mobile Money Fintech Limited, alleging unauthorized use of its intellectual property.
The company announced the court action at the Ghana Stock Exchange, confirming proceedings in the Commercial Division of the High Court of Ghana.
The case relates to work commissioned in 2007 that Clydestone alleges was later used without authorisation or compensation.
Clydestone said the claim involves proprietary intellectual property, confidential commercial information and operational methodology developed during the engagement. The company is seeking declarations, damages and equitable remedies.
In a statement, Clydestone said MTN Ghana engaged it in 2007 to develop a commercial and operational framework for a mobile money business.
“The work was developed and delivered by the company’s founder and Group CEO, Paul Jacquaye, and included a full mobile money ecosystem covering the commercial model, operational architecture, implementation methodology and business case.”
Clydestone said the work was commissioned on the understanding that a non-disclosure agreement and memorandum of understanding would be signed.
It alleges these agreements were not finalised despite repeated requests.
The company further alleges MTN Ghana later used its proprietary work and methodology without authorisation or compensation, including in MTN Mobile Money Ghana and other markets.
Clydestone said the alleged use has continued since the launch of MTN Mobile Money Ghana in 2009.
“The wrongful use of that work has been ongoing since 2009. What has changed is the availability of independently verifiable information that documents its scale and commercial significance,” the company said.
It cited the GSMA State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2026 and MTN Ghana’s 2025 annual report as evidence of the platform’s scale.
According to Clydestone, the reports show approximately 19.3 million active users and annual revenue of about GHS 6.0 billion ($516m).
The company said it reviewed its records following these publications and concluded there were sufficient grounds to initiate legal proceedings.
It added that it has received no payment or acknowledgement for the work since December 2007, and that pre-action correspondence in 2026 received no substantive response.
“The Board of Directors has unanimously authorised the commencement of these proceedings,” the company said.
Jacquaye said: “This case is about accountability for commissioned intellectual property.
“When independent publications in 2025 and 2026 revealed the scale of the mobile money business, we reviewed all documentation relating to the original engagement and concluded these proceedings were necessary.”
MTN Group Limited, named as a defendant, had not commented at the time of publication.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding digital inclusion through strategic partnerships aimed at equipping underserved communities with digital skills and access to technology.
Mr. Oladejo Olawunmi, Director, Digital Development Services representing the Director General of NITDA, and the Executive Director of Cal-Maji Foundation, alongside members of their respective delegations, pose for a group photograph following a strategic engagement on advancing digital literacy, capacity building, and digital inclusion for women, youth, and underserved communities.
Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, made the commitment during a courtesy visit by the Executive Director of Cal-Maji Foundation, Mrs Faith Ayuba, to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Represented by the Director of Digital Development Services, Mr Oluwunmi Oladejo, Inuwa said collaboration with community-based organisations remained central to NITDA’s vision of ensuring that no Nigerian was left behind in the country’s digital transformation journey.
He noted that feedback from beneficiary communities demonstrated the long-term impact of the agency’s interventions across the country.
“It is always gratifying to receive feedback from communities that have benefited from our interventions.
“Many of these projects were implemented years ago, and it is rewarding to know they are still creating opportunities,” he said.
The NITDA boss explained that the agency continued to monitor the performance of its intervention centres nationwide while leveraging emerging technologies to enhance digital learning and virtual capacity-building.
According to him, the National Digital Literacy Framework remains the foundation of NITDA’s efforts to equip children, students, artisans, farmers, professionals and other groups with digital competencies needed in a technology-driven economy.
Responding to requests for additional support, Inuwa disclosed that the agency would consider training community-based instructors to sustain digital literacy initiatives at the grassroots.
He encouraged the foundation to submit a formal request, accompanied by evidence of activities at its digital centre, to facilitate further intervention.
The director-general, however, acknowledged that maintaining internet connectivity across numerous intervention centres nationwide remained a major funding challenge.
He stressed the need for innovative financing models and stronger collaboration to ensure the sustainability of digital inclusion projects.
Earlier, Ayuba commended NITDA for its openness to partnerships and its commitment to supporting initiatives that deliver measurable impact in underserved communities.
She described the agency as one of the few government institutions that prioritised impactful programmes over personal connections.
According to her, the Cal-Maji Foundation focuses on improving access to education, strengthening food systems, enhancing food security and providing social protection for women and young people, particularly in remote communities.
Ayuba said NITDA’s Knowledge Access Centre, established at the foundation’s community school in a border community in Kogi State, had significantly transformed learning by providing students and residents with access to computers, internet services and digital education.
“The ICT centre became an equaliser.
“Young people who ordinarily would never have had access to computers or the internet suddenly had the opportunity to acquire digital knowledge.
“We came back simply to say thank you because this partnership has changed lives,” she said.
She disclosed that more than 1,000 children had benefited from the foundation’s educational programmes.
Ayuba also presented a former student who progressed from the community school to a Nigerian university after utilising the digital resources available at the centre.
She described the student’s achievement as evidence of the enduring impact of the collaboration.
The foundation’s executive director appealed for deeper collaboration through the training of community instructors, upgrading of computer systems and expanded access to NITDA’s digital capacity-building programmes.
She stressed that rural communities must not be left behind as Nigeria advances in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital innovation.
The meeting ended with both organisations reaffirming their commitment to strengthening collaboration to expand digital opportunities, promote inclusive technology adoption and support Nigeria’s digital economy agenda.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has unveiled the National Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Framework to improve software quality, strengthen cybersecurity and enhance public confidence in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure and government services.
The framework, approved by the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, under the provisions of the NITDA Act 2007, establishes national standards for the design, testing and deployment of software across Federal Government institutions, regulated industries and the broader digital ecosystem.
According to the agency, the initiative is aimed at reducing costly information technology failures, improving service delivery and ensuring that software powering critical national infrastructure meets globally accepted quality standards.
The framework comprises three regulatory instruments, namely the National Software Development Guideline, the National Software Testing Guideline and the Software Testing Organisations Licensing (STOL) Guideline.
NITDA explained that the National Software Development Guideline mandates structured software development processes, secure coding practices based on the Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP), standardised system documentation and compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA for citizen-facing digital services.
The National Software Testing Guideline introduces mandatory testing benchmarks covering software functionality, cybersecurity, system performance under peak demand and interoperability before deployment.
Under the STOL Guideline, independent Licensed Software Testing Organisations (LSTOs) will be accredited and regulated to evaluate and certify software before it is deployed.
The agency stated that all Federal Government software projects would now be required to undergo independent third-party testing and obtain official certification before deployment.
It added that compliance with the framework would become a mandatory requirement for obtaining IT Project Clearance.
To strengthen risk management, the framework introduces a three-tier software classification model based on the criticality of systems.
Under the classification, Class A covers high-risk and critical national infrastructure such as core banking systems, national identity platforms and electricity grid control systems.
Class B applies to medium-risk enterprise platforms, while Class C covers lower-risk internal software applications.
NITDA said Class A systems would undergo more rigorous security assessments, including advanced penetration testing and specialised audits conducted by top-tier accredited software testing organisations.
The agency identified three major benefits of the framework.
It said the initiative would improve the reliability and security of digital public services, protect government investments from software failures and cyber threats, and enhance service delivery to citizens.
It also noted that regulating independent software testing would stimulate the growth of Nigeria’s software assurance industry, create employment opportunities for technology professionals and promote indigenous innovation.
According to NITDA, the framework will further strengthen international confidence in locally developed software, enabling Nigerian technology companies to compete more effectively in global markets and attract foreign investment.
Speaking on the development, Inuwa said quality remained fundamental to building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.
“Quality is the foundation of digital trust.
“With this Framework, every software solution serving Nigerians, whether built for government or the private sector, will meet clear national standards for security, reliability and interoperability.
“This is how we modernise government technology and position Nigerian software to compete on the global stage,” he said.
The agency disclosed that the framework would take full effect in the second quarter of 2027.
It said the implementation period would include nationwide stakeholder engagement, capacity-building programmes and the accreditation of software testing organisations.
NITDA added that an Expression of Interest (EOI) would soon be issued to qualified organisations seeking licences to operate as independent software testing bodies under the new regulatory regime.
Nwokolo, Nollywood Actor Claims Internet Fraud is “Keeping Economy Afloat’
SEC Begins Full e-Registration for Capital Market Operators
Elon Musk Launches Invite-only X Money with Visa Debit Card
CBN Fines Banks N430m for Ignoring Customers’ Complaints
Kaspersky Uncovers New Mirage Kitten Malware Used in Cyber-espionage Campaign Across Africa, Others
NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira
EFCC Busts NIS Visa Overstay Racket, Uncovers N700m in an Account
From Scarcity to Scale: What Africa Can Learn from India’s Agricultural Transformation
Tokenization, Blockchain Technology will Transform Financial Institutions – IMF
BON Establishes Six Ad Hoc Committees to Modernize Broadcasting
Telecom1 day agoFact-Check: Elon Musk’s “Tesla Pi Phone” is Internet Rumor
News2 days agoHistory as Lagos Becomes First Nigerian State to Launch Greenhouse Gas Registry
E-Business2 days agoUNN to Partner Firm on AI, Smart Mobility Innovation Centre
Telecom2 days agoAI Investment Gap Threatens Africa’s Future Growth
Telecom2 days agoAMCON Puts ntel Up for Sale, Seeks Investors
E-Financial2 days agoRemita Raises Alarm Over Nigeria’s Digital Divide, Calls for More Investment
E-Financial1 day agoMalpass, Ex World Bank Chief Raises Alarm over Nigeria’s Secretive Debt Structures
Telecom2 days agoCourt Affirms NDPC’s Powers to Register Major Data Controllers, Processors