E-Business
IBM Promotes Innovation at Lagos Hackathon

The technology giant flagged off its pan-African hackathon series recently in Lagos, Nigeria’s industrial and commercial hub with the “IBM Lagos Hackathon”, a four-day technology training and ideas incubation programme codenamed ‘The IBM “Lasgidi” Hackathon’ in reference to the moniker (Lasgidi) used by Lagos residents to describe their city.
Targeted at young technology and computing practitioners, software developers, engineering and computer science students, the IBM Lasgidi Hackathon was attended by about 90 individuals, mostly budding software scientists and students from about 10 tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Many student participants travelled from parts of Western and Eastern Nigeria to be part of this talent and capacity building programme which will also be convened by IBM in East and Southern Africa in the months ahead.
Taiwo Otiti, country general manager, IBM West Africa formally declared the hackathon event open by advising participants to “get hungry for technology information and always be eager to soak in as much knowledge as they can.”
“I can tell you that talent has never been more important as it is today in the technology sector,” Otiti said.
“Innovation and talent are at the core of the Information Technology revolution with the potential for positive impact on individuals, communities, countries and the world.”
“This ‘IT Impact’ has been due to the evolution of organizational behavior and the growing role that organizations like IBM play in ensuring that many of society’s challenges and problems do not go unaddressed or unresolved. Promoting talent in the field of Science & Technology has therefore become a way of life at IBM,” Otiti said.
The IBM Lasgidi Hackathon will enable and encourage students to build mobile applications that run on mobile devices, compete for innovation grants, and develop new skills. The coding competition will introduce them to IBM’s latest leading technology tools and frameworks to help build smarter and faster software solutions.
IBM is reputedly one of the top corporate promoters of hackathons globally, which is part of the organization’s culture of Research & Development.
The company spends over $8 billion annually on R&D, and has recently opened its 12th research laboratory in Africa, in Nairobi, Kenya.
Hackathons are software programs or projects which seek to create a virtual environment where society’s problems and solutions are simulated and incubated for future development.
Participants at the IBM Lasgidi hackathon focused on developing applications for Mobile Payments and Smarter Government Solutions, two key areas relevant to the development of Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy by population (150 million).
And the location of this hackathon, Lagos, Africa’s most populated city (25 million, according to the United Nations) is home to 80% of Nigeria’s technology industry, according to Nigeria Computer Society (NCS).
“IBM has been helping to power transformation and technology innovation for over 100 years,” Mrs. Adeola Allison, IBM’s West Africa Leader for Developer Relations, Independent Software Vendors, Startups & Academic Initiatives said.
“Focusing on mobile payments and smarter government solutions is therefore a deliberate attempt to make a positive impact and contribution to the innovation agenda of Business and Government in Nigeria.”
IBM Innovation Partners for this Lagos hackathon are the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology, the Lagos State Ministry of Science & Technology, University of Lagos, Airtel, CBC Limited, Wecyclers, Coders4Africa, CcHUB, Smart Campus, ICT Brokers, Quality Certain and other academic and non academic institutions in Nigeria.
E-Business
Nigeria Strengthens Cybersecurity, Launches National Cleanup Plan

Nigerian government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has announced a strategic collaboration to strengthen cybersecurity and clean up the nation’s cyberspace.
Recognizing that cybercrime knows no borders, Nigeria also reaffirmed its commitment to fostering stronger global partnerships within the cybersecurity ecosystem.
This announcement was made during a press conference before the inaugural National Cybersecurity Conference, which is scheduled to take place in Abuja from July 9th to 11th, 2025.
Sa’ad Abubakar, national cybersecurity coordinator from the Office of National Security Advisor, said fighting cybercrime must take the whole of society and the whole of the government approach.
According to him, “Apart from the deterrent approach whereby government agencies such as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrest individuals, take them to court and prosecute them, the youth can be nurtured into better citizens who can showcase their capacity in better ways and be useful to the country.”
Similarly, Kashifu Abdullahi, director-general, NITDA, also stressed the need for collaborative efforts in fighting cybercrimes.
According to him “Then, in addition to that, we also want to build a stronger global collaboration with the global cyber security ecosystem, because when you look at cybercrime in general, it doesn’t respect the borders.
“Someone can commit a crime from Ghana using a Nigerian ID in the US. So you can look at him physically in a different jurisdiction, pretending to be in another jurisdiction, committing the crime in another jurisdiction.
“So without that kind of synergy and working together, it will be difficult to address these challenges. The third one is challenge. The third one is getting an alternative to cybercrime for our kids in Nigeria. We have this as a major challenge.”
Inuwa further highlighted the upcoming conference’s importance, noting that it would tackle key issues through workshops, discussions on emerging threats, cross-border cybersecurity collaboration strategies, and training programmes.
He also announced that the National Cybersecurity Conference 2025 would feature the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards, recognising top contributions in the field.
The DG extended an invitation to global partners to collaborate with Nigeria in building a safer digital future.
The press conference was attended by notable figures, including Ahmad Sa’ad Abubakar, National Coordinator of, the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC); Hanniel Jafar, Representative of the President, of Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN); Ankit Shukla, Managing Director, QNA Marketing Management LLC and members of the press and other stakeholders.
E-Business
AXIAN Telecom Invests in Jumia Post-MTN Era

XIAN Telecom has acquired an 8% stake in pan-African e-commerce company Jumia Technologies, citing the platform’s fintech and logistics strengths as key drivers of its backing.
This marks the first major telecom investment in Jumia since MTN Group’s exit in 2020.
AXIAN, a fast-growing telecom and digital services provider with operations across Africa, disclosed the purchase in a Schedule 13D filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
While the financial terms were not disclosed, AXIAN Telecom CEO, Hassan Jaber, described the move as a strategic alignment with Jumia’s growth trajectory and digital ecosystem.
“Jumia’s achievements in digital retail and fintech, particularly through JumiaPay and its logistics network, make it a very attractive investment for us. We believe in Jumia’s potential to promote financial and economic inclusion, which aligns with our core values,” said Jaber.
Once dubbed the “Amazon of Africa,” Jumia became the first African-founded tech company to list on the New York Stock Exchange in 2019.
But years of underperformance, leadership changes, and competitive pressures dented investor confidence.
In October 2020, South Africa’s MTN Group offloaded its 18.9% stake for $138 million, well below the $698 million value it once held post-IPO.
Since then, Jumia has undergone a significant transformation. Under CEO Francis Dufay, appointed in 2022, the company exited low-performing markets like South Africa and Tunisia, cut costs, and doubled down on core markets – Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco.
The firm is now focused on high-growth verticals, including everyday essentials and digital financial services.
Jumia’s regional CEO for East Africa, Vinod Goel, recently revealed plans to scale up international brand offerings and open its logistics network to third-party businesses.
Jaber underscored that AXIAN Telecom’s investment signals renewed confidence in Jumia’s long-term potential.
The telecom firm’s CEO said the company views Jumia as a key player in advancing Africa’s digital economy, aligning with AXIAN’s mission through its fintech and digital infrastructure brands such as Yas and Mixx by Yas.
E-Business
NIMC Plans to Register 95 Percent Nigerians by December

Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director general, National Identity management commission (NIMC) has said that the commission is set to register 95 percent of Nigerians into the National Identity Database before December 2025.

Abisoye Coker-Odusote,, DG, NIMC
She made this statement at a press briefing to highlight the commissions goal aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly on digital governance and inclusive development.
The mass enrollment drive will be powered by a combination of improved infrastructure, expanded registration centres, and robust public sensitization campaigns.
As of May 2025, NIMC reports over 120 million Nigerians have been enrolled, and about 100 million more would be captured by December.
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