Telecom
ICT SMEs Are Vital for Socioeconomic Growth- ITU
ICT-enabled entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a particularly relevant role in ensuring economic growth in a sustainable and inclusive manner, Houlin Zhao, ITU secretary-general said in a blog post.
They are involved in the development of innovative ICT-enabled solutions with a unique potential to make a long-lasting impact in global, regional and national economies.
In recognition of this, the theme for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) 2016 was ‘ICT entrepreneurship for social impact’.
In his keynote address, Michael Moeller, director general, United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), highlighted that “Entrepreneurship can change and shape the future by maximizing the social impact of ICTs.”
The event in Geneva brought together company founders, social innovators and members of the international community to explore recommendations for private and public actors to better inform their interventions to support small business development.
The dynamic panel included: Katherine Milligan, Director, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship; Candace Johnson, President, EBAN; Whurley, Co-Founder and CEO, Honest Dollar; Marcos Vaena, Chief of Enterprises and Competitiveness, ITC, and Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General, ITU.
Social Impact
The panel noted that technology is an equalizer and enabler of opportunities, especially when building a sustainable business in developing markets.
For example, Africa’s e-commerce market is projected to reach USD52 billion by 2018, up from USD8 billion in 2013.
This growth will not happen on its own: entrepreneurs need to have access to the right tools and information to fully leverage the growing international e-commerce market.
As Marcus Vaena noted: It’s really access to information, to knowledge, to understand not only what is on the front end of an e commerce operation, but what lies behind. A lot of it is business as usual, but there are some specific issues related to electronic commerce that people still have to become familiar with, and it is the UN’s role to educate the public on how to better leverage these opportunities.
Katherine Milligan added that what is generally underappreciated is that the ICT industry has created a fabulous infrastructure to deliver social goods, more cost effectively and efficiently.
Finding the right regulatory balance isn’t easy. Over regulation can stifle innovation, while too little can have drastic implications for domestic markets and local economies.
The panel noted that while entrepreneurs often criticize regulation as being a barrier to innovation, they do not effectively engage with the policy-makers when given the opportunity, and they tend to shy away from this community instead of actively participating in discussions which could lead to regulatory reform or modifications.
From an entrepreneur’s perspective, government regulation is just another set of requirements that they have to take into account when developing their products and services, however we should encourage regulatory frameworks that enable innovation, rather than discourage it.
This was outlined by Whurley who stated that, just as he would take requirements from a customer who wants to be able to use their mobile to do X, Y, Z, then it is necessary to look at the regulations and understand that it needs to be done within a certain context. For Whurley the regulatory system is more about context, and regulations need to involve entrepreneurs who can help shape and modify policies to ensure that the bottom line – the user experience – is better.
This was echoed by Candace Johnson who acknowledged that governments alone can set policies. Governments can deregulate, but Governments do not exist to do business. Entrepreneurs on the other hand have a social contract with Governments who are depending on them to bring about social change. She emphasized that Governments need to put forth a framework that can allow entrepreneurs to be able to fulfill their mission, to thrive and do business effectively.
Taking Advantage of these Opportunities
According to ITU, the future of SMEs is very important for the ICT industry, to drive development of the sector, especially in creating demand for ICT services. We are seeing a lot of support for small businesses at the local and national levels, but they often don’t have good enough access to regional and global markets.
As highlighted by Katherine Milligan, there is hope but we also have to be realistic. The majority of people in developing countries are making $2, $3 or $5 a day.
These are incredibly risk averse customers. It is very difficult to market to them to get them to change their behaviour. It’s not on a three to five-year time frame that you are going to penetrate these markets in a big way. It requires patience and vision.
Airtel Nigeria has secured a fresh 10-year renewal of its spectrum licence from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), reinforcing the telecom operator’s long-term commitment to expanding broadband connectivity and improving digital access across the country.
The renewed licence covers Airtel’s spectrum holdings, which are critical to the delivery of voice and high-speed data services, providing regulatory certainty for continued investments in network expansion, capacity upgrades and improved customer experience.
According to the company, the renewal underscores confidence in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector and will support its ongoing efforts to bridge the country’s digital divide by extending quality connectivity to more underserved communities.
Sunil Taldar, chief executive officer, Airtel Africa, said the renewal provides the company with the confidence to continue investing in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
He said, “The spectrum renewal reaffirms our long-term commitment to Nigeria, our largest market. It gives us the certainty required to continue investing in network expansion, improve service quality and accelerate digital inclusion for millions of Nigerians.”
Taldar added that Airtel remains focused on expanding broadband access and supporting Nigeria’s digital economy agenda through sustained investments in telecommunications infrastructure.
He further said, “We appreciate the Nigerian Communications Commission and the Federal Government for their continued support in creating an enabling environment for investment. We remain committed to delivering reliable and affordable connectivity while contributing to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.”
Meanwhile, Industry observers said the licence renewal removes regulatory uncertainty and allows Airtel to pursue long-term capital investments, including the expansion of 4G and 5G networks, as demand for mobile data and digital services continues to grow across Nigeria.
The renewal comes as telecom operators continue to invest heavily in broadband infrastructure to meet rising data consumption and support government efforts to achieve Universal digital access.
Furthermore, It also aligns with the NCC’s objective of ensuring efficient spectrum management while encouraging sustained private sector investment in the country’s telecommunications industry.
Telecom
GSMA Supports Abuja Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa, Joins Partners to Launch ATLAS Umoja
The GSMA supports the Abuja Ministerial Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa by Ministers and Heads of Delegation at the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-2026), describing it as an important milestone in strengthening Africa’s digital future through evidence-based policy, investment and regional collaboration.
The Declaration commits African governments to advancing policies that promote meaningful connectivity, digital inclusion, technology-neutral regulation, resilient digital infrastructure and locally relevant digital services. It also reinforces the importance of collaboration between governments, industry and development partners to close the continent’s connectivity and usage gaps.
Throughout the conference, the GSMA has worked alongside governments, regulators and industry leaders to support these shared ambitions through practical policy engagement, evidence-based research and new collaborative initiatives designed to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation.
Speaking during the ATU-GSMA African ICT Regulatory Leaders’ Forum, policymakers and regulators explored how stronger evidence-based regulation, greater regulatory harmonisation and future-ready policy frameworks can create an enabling environment for investment, innovation and sustainable digital growth across Africa. Drawing insights from the GSMA’s Digital Africa Index, participants also examined future-ready approaches to satellite regulation, highlighting how technology-neutral licensing frameworks can support innovation while extending connectivity to underserved communities.
Caroline Mbugua, Senior Director, Public Policy, Africa, GSMA, said: “The Abuja Ministerial Declaration sends an important signal that African governments share a common vision for delivering meaningful connectivity through modern, evidence-based and investment-friendly policy. Its emphasis on digital inclusion, technology-neutral regulation, resilient infrastructure and stronger regional collaboration reflects the practical policy foundations needed to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation.”
Launching ATLAS Umoja AI
Supporting the ambitions set out in the Abuja Declaration, the GSMA, Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Togo’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Transformation, Kenya’s Ministry of information, Communications and the Digital Economy, Namibia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Benin’s Ministry of Digital Transformation and Innovation, Awarri, Zindi, Pawa AI and Mozisha today announced ATLAS Umoja AI –a new pan-African initiative to strengthen collaboration on African language AI.
Designed to complement national AI programmes, ATLAS Umoja will bring together governments, industry and researchers to share expertise, datasets and best practice, helping develop trusted, scalable AI that better reflects Africa’s languages, cultures and development priorities. The initiative aims to accelerate innovation, attract investment and scale African language AI across the continent.
The launch builds on the momentum of the newly established AI for Good Global Commission. Ministers from Nigeria, Namibia and Togo, who serve on the Commission, have committed to support Africa Umoja, demonstrating how African leaders are turning global ambitions for trusted and inclusive AI into practical regional collaboration.
Angela Wamola, Head of Africa, GSMA, said: “Africa’s AI future must reflect Africa’s own languages, communities and development priorities. ATLAS Umoja brings together governments, industry, researchers and innovators to build African language AI at scale. By making AI and digital services available in the languages people speak every day, the initiative will help tackle two of the biggest barriers to internet adoption – digital literacy and locally relevant content – supporting efforts to close Africa’s usage gap and expand meaningful connectivity across the continent.”
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy of Nigeria said:“Artificial Intelligence will be a defining technology for Africa’s future, but its benefits must be built on our own languages, cultures and knowledge systems. Nigeria is proud to have taken the first step through N-ATLAS and is equally proud to see that vision evolve into the continental ATLAS Umoja AI.
“By working together with governments, researchers and ecosystem partners across Africa, we can build AI that is more inclusive, locally relevant and accessible to millions of people, while strengthening Africa’s digital sovereignty and creating new opportunities for innovation, education and economic growth.”
Silas Adekunle, Founder & CEO, Awarri added: “Awarri is proud to support The ATLAS Umoja AI and contribute lessons from N-ATLAS, which has demonstrated what is possible when African language data, local technical talent and practical AI applications are brought together. This is an important opportunity to help build AI systems that work for African languages and communities.”
Celina Lee, CEO & Co-Founder, Zindi concluded: “Africa’s AI future will be built by the people who best understand its languages, cultures and communities. Through ATLAS Umoja AI, we have an opportunity to empower local researchers, data scientists and developers to solve meaningful challenges, strengthen national AI capabilities and ensure African language AI is developed by Africans, for Africans.”
Alongside the launch of ATLAS Umoja AI, the GSMA continued discussions with policymakers at the ATU Conference on future-ready regulatory frameworks, including satellite connectivity, spectrum policy and technology-neutral licensing.
Drawing on the GSMA Satellite Regulatory Playbook, discussions explored how modern regulation can encourage investment, expand meaningful connectivity and support the ambitions of the Abuja Declaration.
Together, the Abuja Declaration, ATLAS Umoja and continued collaboration between governments, regulators and industry represent an important step towards expanding meaningful connectivity, accelerating digital inclusion and supporting Africa’s digital transformation.
Samsung has unveiled its most advanced foldable smartphone lineup yet, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8. The tech conglomerate now sets a new benchmark for premium mobile innovation.
Konga
Nigerian customers can now pre-order the new devices on Konga, Samsung’s trusted e-commerce partner, and stand a chance to receive Samsung gift items worth up to ₦1 million, making this one of the most rewarding smartphone launches of the year.
Designed for productivity, creativity, and everyday convenience, the new Galaxy Z series introduces Samsung’s most refined foldable experience to date.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra combines an expansive display with AI-powered productivity, a powerful 200MP camera, an ultra-thin design, and enhanced durability for users who demand the very best.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 delivers immersive entertainment and seamless multitasking in a lighter, wider form factor, while the Galaxy Z Flip8 elevates self-expression with its sleek design, smarter FlexWindow, and intelligent Galaxy AI features for effortless interaction on the go. Powered by Samsung’s latest AI experiences, the new devices redefine how users create, communicate, and stay productive.
The availability of the new Galaxy Z Fold8 series on Konga further reinforces the long-standing partnership between Samsung and Konga, built on trust, authenticity, and a shared commitment to delivering genuine technology to Nigerian consumers. Through Samsung’s official store on Konga, customers are assured of authentic products, reliable after-sales support, and a seamless shopping experience.
The pre-order offer is available for a limited period. To be one of those who get to experience the new device, tech enthusiasts are encouraged to visit Konga’s Samsung Official Store to reserve their preferred Galaxy Z Fold8 or Z Flip8 device and qualify for exclusive Samsung gifts worth up to ₦1 million, while stocks last.
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