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IBM Deploys Mobile, Data Analytics & Cloud Technologies against Ebola

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IBM has launched several initiatives to help curb the spread of the viral disease in West African nations, as the human toll of the Ebola epidemic continues to climb up in the critically affected sub-region.

These initiatives include a citizen engagement and analytics system in Sierra Leone that enables communities affected by Ebola to communicate their issues and concerns directly to the government; a donation of IBM Connections technology in Nigeria to reinforce government’s preparedness for future disease outbreaks; and a global platform for sharing Ebola-related data.

The efforts combine expertise from IBM’s global network of research labs with the company’s years of experience in humanitarian disaster response by applying mobile technology, data analytics and cloud computing to help governments and relief agencies as they seek to contain the deadly disease.

The work benefits from contributions from a number of partners including Nigeria’s Federal and Lagos State authorities, Sierra Leone’s Open Government Initiative, Cambridge University’s Africa’s Voices project, Airtel and Kenya’s Echo Mobile.

Technology That Facilitates Coordination
Nigeria has taken a leadership position in the fight against Ebola and has recently been declared free of the disease.

To support the country’s preparedness for future outbreaks, IBM has donated its Connections technology to Nigeria’s Lagos State Government.

Lagos State Government hosts an Ebola Operations Center that coordinates disease containment efforts on behalf of the Nigerian government and other organizations.

IBM’s technology donation will help strengthen the coordination of public health emergency response teams and ensure that the Lagos State Government is able to manage and respond to any new reported cases of Ebola or future epidemics.

“Governments should constantly aim for proactive delivery of social services to citizens and by leveraging on technology, improved governance and better management of resources and assets can be achieved.” said Adebiyi Mabadeje, commissioner for Science and Technology in Lagos State.

“IBM’s SmartCloud grant to the Lagos State Government is a unique contribution that will enhance our capacity to respond to and better manage emergencies with deeper insights and know-how.”

IBM’s Connections technology has a proven track record in humanitarian disaster response situations. It provides health workers and administrators with a reliable and secure digital platform to work together virtually and in person, enabling them to securely share documents, identify experts, exchange video, chat and audio messages, provide updates, tap into information via mobile devices and hold virtual meetings.

Storing information securely and conveniently in the digital cloud means that vital information can be accessed by authorized users anywhere.

IBM has previously provided similar technology in other crisis situations around the world to support collaboration and coordination amongst response agencies.

In 2010, SmartCloud supported a post-Haiti quake effort called Colleagues in Care, which helped doctors in Haiti learn from doctors in the US and elsewhere.

The Chilean Red Cross used the platform to establish a disaster command center following the 2010 Chile earthquake.

 The platform was also used by agencies in the US following Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and for flooding recovery activities in Colorado in 2013.

IBM is broadly offering access to its IBM Connections cloud-based platform to all government agencies and non-governmental organizations working to stem the spread of Ebola.

Citizen Engagement in Sierra Leone
IBM’s new Africa research lab, in collaboration with Sierra Leone’s Open Government Initiative, has developed a system that enables citizens to report Ebola-related issues and concerns via SMS or voice calls. It provides actionable insight to the government about the day-to-day experiences of communities directly affected by Ebola to help improve its strategy for containing the disease.

“For us to tackle Ebola, it is crucial to maintain an open dialogue between the government and the people of Sierra Leone,” said Khadija Sesay Director of Sierra Leone’s Open Government Initiative. “IBM has enhanced our work on citizen engagement through the use of innovative technology and opened up an effective communication channel with the general public so that we can learn from their input and create actionable policies in the fight against Ebola.”

Tapping supercomputing power and analytics capabilities via the cloud, the system is able to rapidly identify correlations and highlight emerging issues across the entire data set of messages. As the SMS and voice data are location specific, IBM is able to create opinion-based heat-maps which correlate public sentiment to location information.

For example, it has already brought to light specific regions with growing numbers of suspected Ebola cases which require urgent supplies like soap and electricity, as well as faster response times for body collection and burials. The system has also highlighted issues with the diagnosis of Ebola empowering the government to approach the international community to request more testing facilities and equipment.

“As Africa’s first technology research lab, we are uniquely positioned to use innovation to help tackle some of the continent’s biggest challenges,” said Dr. Uyi Stewart, Chief Scientist, IBM Research – Africa. “We saw the need to quickly develop a system to enable communities directly affected by Ebola to provide valuable insight about how to fight it. Using mobile technology, we have given them a voice and a channel to communicate their experiences directly to the government.”

The system uses radio broadcasts to encourage people to get in touch and express their opinions. Cambridge University’s Africa’s Voices project has helped to develop a radio engagement model, incorporating questions into public service announcements to elicit feedback from citizens in both English and Krio – one of Sierra Leone’s most widely spoken languages.

“Radio is a powerful medium in Africa but its potential to gather and analyse audience feedback has not been fully seized,” said Dr. Sharath Srinivasan, Director of Cambridge University’s Centre of Governance and Human Rights. “We are working with IBM to offer people across Sierra Leone a channel to voice their opinions and, crucially, to ensure that the data is rapidly analyzed and turned into valuable insight about the effectiveness of public service announcements and possible public misconceptions about Ebola.”

Telco operator Airtel has set up the toll-free number via which citizens are able to send SMS messages.

“Mobile technology is Africa’s most powerful communications platform providing an important channel for reaching large numbers of the population,” said Sudipto Chowdhury, managing director, Airtel, Sierra Leone.

“As one of Africa’s leading mobile operators, we will do everything we can to ensure that mobile technology contributes to tackling the spread of Ebola and we are partnering with IBM to ensure the effective flow of information between the government and the citizens of Sierra Leone.”

The SMS data is anonymized by Kenyan start-up Echo mobile which specialises in leveraging basic mobile phones to give voice to underserved communities.

“We’re working to make sure that the stream of messages from patients, health workers and the general public can be used to augment the response effort and provide a direct and near real-time view of the situation on the ground,” said Jeremy Gordon, Product Director, Echo Mobile.

IBM is currently looking to extend the work to analyze mobile phone signal data in order to monitor and track population movement enabling scientists to map and predict the spread of disease.

Ebola Open Data Repository
Globally, IBM volunteers are leading a community effort to help identify, inventory and classify all open data sources related to the Ebola outbreak and are calling on organizations worldwide to contribute data.

The goal is to create an Ebola Open Data Repository which will use IBM’s SoftLayer cloud technology to provide governments, aid agencies and researchers with free and open access to valuable open data related to Ebola.

To support the work, IBM volunteers helped organize a recent Ebola Open Data brainstorming session in New York where members of the local tech community met with health experts and aid organizations to develop Open Data solutions to help tackle Ebola.

“Data can be a powerful resource for managing and mitigating epidemics,” said Jeanne Holm, Evangelist for Data.Gov.

“Governments and other organizations have valuable open data that could help in relief efforts – about roads, airports, schools, medical facilities and populations. Such information can help to drive data-driven decisions during times of uncertainty. IBM is playing a key role in this initiative by helping to identify and gather more open data sources that might inform decisions around Ebola.”

Around the world, cities, states and nations are publishing open data and creating new data supply chains and ecosystems to help tackle national and global challenges.

Many African governments such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania have joined the Open Government Partnership to take advantage of published open data to drive innovation and support better collaboration.


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IFC Invests in Lagos Free Zone to Support Industrial Growth and Economic Diversification

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IFC has announced an equity investment of up to $50 million in Lagos Free Zone Company to support the development and expansion of Nigeria’s first deep-sea port-based, private special economic zone, the Lagos Free Zone.

This investment is designed to address critical infrastructure gaps, attract local and global businesses, and contribute to Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.

The funds will support the first phase of the 860-hectare Lagos Free Zone, focusing on land development, industrial facilities, and logistics infrastructure.

Owned by Singapore based Tolaram,a diversified multinational group with operations across Africa, Asia, and Europe, Lagos Free Zone strategically integrated with the Lekki Deep Sea Port and will provide an integrated industrial ecosystem for efficient import and export operations, serving as a gateway for Nigeria’s integration into global value chains.

With Nigeria’s economy projected to grow by 3.7% by 2026, investments in infrastructure are vital to ensuring sustainable growth. When fully occupied, Lagos Free Zone is expected to create approximately 30,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, while contributing significantly to Nigeria’s GDP upon completion.

“This investment reflects IFC’s commitment to fostering inclusive economic growth and sustainable development in Nigeria. Lagos Free Zone is poised to become a transformative hub for industrial activity, driving job creation and enhancing Nigeria’s competitiveness in global markets.

“We are proud to partner with Lagos Free Zone  in building the infrastructure necessary to attract global and local businesses, enabling Nigeria to achieve its full economic potential.” said, Dahlia Khalifa, IFC Regional Director, Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa.

The investment in Lagos Free Zone also reflects IFC’s commitment to sustainable development, with a focus on green infrastructure. Approximately 15% of the investment is earmarked for climate-related initiatives, including Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE)-certified buildings and climate-resilient infrastructure.

“IFC’s support represents a significant and positive recognition of our vision to establish  Lagos Free Zone as a world-class industrial hub. This investment allows us to scale up the existing infrastructure to attract more foreign and local tenants while promoting sustainability and creating economic opportunities for Nigeria.

“Lagos Free Zone, integrated with Lekki Deep Sea Port, facilitates ease of doing business in Nigeria and supports the Federal Government of Nigeria’s drive for economic diversification and infrastructure development.

“We look forward to driving growth and delivering lasting impact through this transformative collaboration with the IFC”. Added, Adesuwa Ladoja, MD/CEO at Lagos Free Zone Company

Lagos Free Zone is already home to several manufacturing brands like Kellogg’s, Dano Milk, Colgate, BASF, ADM, and Tata International.

This investment aligns with Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms and IFC’s strategic frameworks, including the World Bank Group’s Nigeria Country Partnership Framework (2021–2025) and its 2015 Climate Action Plan, both of which prioritize economic diversification, the development of competitive clusters, and investments in climate-resilient infrastructure.

By addressing infrastructure bottlenecks and enhancing connectivity, IFC’s investment in Lagos Free Zone will unlock new opportunities for businesses and strengthen Nigeria’s position as a regional economic leader.


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NOTAP to Relaunch Fruit Juice Production Initiative

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National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) is set to revive the technology transfer project on fruit juice production.

NOTAP to Relaunch Fruit Juice Production Initiative

This initiative, originally launched in collaboration with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), is based in Paiko, Niger State, North Central Nigeria.

During a courtesy visit to the RMRDC headquarters in Abuja, Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi, director general, NOTAP hinted at this development while leading the office’s management team.

According to a statement provided to journalists by Solomon Nshem, deputy director, Public Relations, NOTAP, the fruit juice project, which began in 2019 with a pilot plant, has enormous economic potential for the country, particularly when domesticated in the six geopolitical zones of the country, and as such, needs to be revived immediately.

According to Dr. Amadiobi, the project will succeed and align with the current administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to create wealth, jobs, and self-reliance for the country by combining the technological expertise of both organisations.

In accordance with Presidential Executive Order No. 5, the Director General also urged cooperation with the RMRDC on a number of its flagship initiatives, including the NOTAP Research Laboratory Upgrade Project, Intellectual Property Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs), the NOTAP Industry Technology Transfer Fellowship (NITTF), and the Database of Nigerian Professionals.

Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, director general, RMRDC, responded that he is impressed with the project’s concept but that an audit of the pilot plant’s status and a determination of the business operation requirements are necessary.

According to him, the council can also work with NOTAP to upgrade its labs, train RMRDC employees on intellectual property rights, and conduct research and development commercialisation drives with universities.

During the conference, it was decided that in order to ensure the project’s success and cooperation, both agencies’ employees must visit the Paiko site on-site for evaluation and other follow-up meetings

The partnership between NOTAP and RMRDC is anticipated to improve intellectual property creation, R&D commercialisation, technology transfer, and industry connections for research in order to accelerate the country’s technological progress.

 

 


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Senate Expresses Shock over Billions of Naira missing from FG Coffers

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Senate has raised the alarm that billions of naira have left the federal government’s coffers unaccounted for, with critical revenue-generating agencies refusing to honour its Summons.

Senate Expresses Shock over Billions of Naira missing from FG Coffers

The Senate has however expressed anger as these revenue-generating agencies undermine its summon to answer queries raised by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (OAGF) about financial transactions.

Addressing Journalists yesterday in Abuja, Senator Aliyu Ahmed Wadada, SDP, Nasarawa West, Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, explained that the unaccounted funds form part of the resources required for development, stressing that affected agencies needed to account in line with legislative provisions that empower the parliament to investigate them.

According to Wadada, the Auditor General’s report which was submitted to the Committee has unravelled rots in some agencies of government, that it takes only irresponsible parliament not to conduct public investigations, even as he was appalled at how these agencies conspire together and have taken the decision not to honour Senate Committees’ invitations.

The Chairman, Public Accounts Committee has named the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL as among the top government organisations that have vehemently refused to honour the Senate when invited.

Wadada has however threatened that the Senate would report heads of these agencies to President Bola Ahmed after another magnanimous opportunity.

Flanked at the briefing by all members of the Committee, Wadada said: “All efforts to get Nigerian Customs Service to the table to know how did this happen, what is the way forward. We are still where we were from the day before yesterday to now.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria, I have a course on one of the issues that I’ve got to do with Central Bank of Nigeria, I have a course to take it on the floor of the Senate.

“It is important for Nigerians to know, under the so-called Ways and Means. What happened under Ways and Means why Central Bank of Nigeria, debited borrower and credited borrower.

“Consolidated revenue funds account is government’s account. And the TSA is also the government’s account. And in charging the interest, instead of the interest to be charged to the treasury account, they went again ahead to charge the Treasury account.

“They went again ahead to Treasury account. charge Consolidated Revenue Funds account which now have amounted to over 6 trillion.”

According to him, there was correspondences between the Committee and Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy and the Debt Management Office, DMO because of the faulty documents which they were not ready to answer to and have been evasive, adding that the report of the Auditor General for the Federation which the affected agencies are running away from covers 2019 till date.

The chairman of the Committee disclosed that Nigeria Satellite Communications Limited had been invited nine times, but failed to appear, Nigeria Police Force; Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, among others as snubbing Senate’s invitation.


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