E-Business
IDC’s CIO Summit Highlights Africa’s IT Skills Development Needs
Information Technology intelligence and advisory experts drawn from the International Data Corporation (IDC), government and private sectors have re-echoed need for IT skills development in Africa and Nigeria in particular.
Leading the discussions, Steven Frantzen, senior vice president, Research, EMEA and managing director CEMA Regions at IDC, said the last five (5) years have seen the emergence of a new era of computing called the 3rd Platform.
Frantzen said the era harnesses the power of key technologies, namely, Big-Data, mobile, cloud and social; these require essential IT skills to tap into.
He said, “These industry forces will come together in new ways to transform both the role of CIO, and key parts of the IT function. They will also transform industries, empowering customers in new ways”.
Frantzen thus advised African leaders and the private sector to speed up measures that will enable the industry leverage on the increasingly professionals, adding that findings show worldwide IT professionals will reach 30 million by 2020.
On his part, Nazim Fraijat, managing director, Levant and Emerging Africa (LEMA) at EMC, said that the technology industry is being disrupted by megatrends underpinned by trust.
These megatrends, he added, led to the birth of 3rd Platform of computing. “Public and private sector organizations have built their technology services around 1st and 2nd platform technology and are looking for ways to optimize these services as well as begin the creation and adoption of 3rd platform.
Earlier, Bola Adisa, country manager, International Data Corporation (IDC), West Africa, said, aside driving innovation, IDC researchers found that African IT leaders are concerned with managing growing expectations from users and measuring the return-on-innovation of the their IT initiatives.
Adisa said: “Our extensive research shows the regions technology leaders are primarily concerned with driving innovation through IT, managing growing expectations from users and measuring the RoI of their initiatives.
“The coming years will be a fascinating period for the development of West Africa IT and communications market.
“While some organizations are still building their infrastructures, others are surging forward, implanting cutting-edge technologies that disrupt traditional business and work models while creating opportunities in lines of business and in the optimization of workflow”.
He added that the proliferation of 3rd platform technologies is not only changing the solutions that CIOs need to implement, but also fundamentally affecting the role of IT in the organization, the tasks and responsibilities of the IT department, and the Skill sets required by CIOs and their IT staff.
On her part, Yemi Keri, managing director, Edo State Information Communications & Technology Agency (ICTA), said the State understands the crucial need to galvanize the youths through IT skill development.
This, she said, led to various IT related projects embarked on by the State since the creation of ICTA in 2009.
According to Keri, the Agency had undertaken a major upgrade of the State’s ICT infrastructure including the setting up of a brand new and modern Government Data Centre, as well as data communications links between all government offices.
She enumerated major completed and ongoing ICT projects being handled by ICTA including the Edo State Biometrics Project, Upgrade of the State’s ICT Infrastructure, Creation of ICT jobs, Computerisation of Edo State Employee and Pensioners Payroll, Automation of Government Functions, Computerisation of Tax Administration, Introduction of a Citizen’s ID Card and ICT Training for Civil Servants.
IDC recently published its 2014 MarketScape report profiling and positioning the leading providers in the worldwide business analytics IT consulting and systems integration (C&SI) services market.
The analysis reveals that the enterprise need for solutions and the introduction of new technologies have created a huge demand for skill sets associated with business analytics services.
These providers were evaluated using detailed criteria that IDC identified as key factors contributing to vendor success in the worldwide business analytics CS&I services market.
The IDC MarketScape analysis utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology to produce a definitive assessment of each vendor’s current market capabilities and strategies for competing in the future.
The vendors included in the analysis are Accenture, Capgemini, Cognizant, CSC, Deloitte, EY, HCL, IBM, PwC, TATA Consultancy Services (TCS), and Wipro.
The IDC MarketScape methodology named Accenture, Capgemini, Deloitte, IBM, and PwC as leaders.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division within its ICT Department.
This marks a significant stride toward enhancing electoral integrity, efficiency, and innovation in Nigeria’s democratic process.
This decision was reached at the Commission’s regular weekly meeting held in Abuja, following a series of consultations and engagements on the global and continental impact of AI on elections.
In a statement issued by Sam Olumekun, national commissioner and chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC underscored that the growing relevance of AI in electoral matters necessitated a proactive institutional framework to manage both the risks and opportunities it presents.
“Our interactions with electoral bodies across Africa highlighted both the risks of AI—such as fake news and content manipulation—and the vast potential it holds for data-driven decision-making, risk mitigation, automated voter services, and geo-spatial intelligence for logistics,” Olumekun noted.
According to him, the newly created division will centralise the Commission’s AI efforts, ensuring a harmonized approach to deploying intelligent systems that enhance decision-making, improve voter engagement, and boost the credibility of the electoral process.
“The creation of this division puts the Commission at the forefront of institutionalizing AI capabilities in electoral management.
It is also part of our ongoing reforms in areas where administrative action is sufficient to drive change,” he said.
He added that the AI Division will help INEC better coordinate its existing technological investments while providing safeguards against the misuse of AI technologies.
“We are positioning ourselves to maximise the positive impact of AI while mitigating its negative implications. This step strengthens the credibility and transparency of elections in Nigeria,” Olumekun concluded.
The initiative, INEC emphasised, reflects its commitment to embracing innovation in safeguarding democracy and improving electoral services nationwide.
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in partnership with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has unveiled a new Application Programming Interface (API) integration system to allow private firms access company data from the Commission’s database.
Hussaini Ishaq Magaji (SAN), registrar general of CAC, who spoke in Abuja at the unveiling said the system would give selected private organizations access to CAC services through technology-based companies, called “super agents.”
“This is a practical step to show that the Commission is committed to meeting the expectations of our customers,” he said.
Magaji explained that the integration allows the agents to retrieve data from the CAC database for use in specific client requests, outside the standard services provided by the Commission.
“Before now, only a few government agencies had this integration, especially those involved in investigations, anti-money laundering, and terrorism financing. Now, private companies that meet the criteria can also access it,” he said.
He said the system complies with the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023, and information such as residential addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth may be restricted.
“This is a call to law firms and companies with the right technology. We’ve started with NIPS because of their credibility. Embassies and banks can now authenticate company records directly through them.”
“There are prescribed fees. We already collect them on our portal, and now customers can also pay through these agents,” he explained.
He named NIPS, MoneyPoint, and OPE as some of the companies involved.
“OPE and MoneyPoint handle only registrations. But NIPS has moved further into validation and verification,” he said.
Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo, executive director at NIBSS, who represented Premier Oiwoh, managing director, said the service allows secure and efficient data verification.
“This is the result of years of effort to connect our systems with CAC. It will help users verify data within the limits of data protection laws,” she said.
She said the move is a way to lower costs and promote interoperability across the financial sector.
Ministry of Interior has announced the launch of a new Online Citizenship and Business Management Platform in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
A statement signed by Dr Magdalene Ajani, permanent secretary, Ministry of Interior’s said the initiative forms a key part of its ongoing reforms aimed at promoting transparency, enhancing operational efficiency, and significantly improving service delivery to the public.
The new digital platform is designed to streamline the application and processing of citizenship and business-related services, ensuring faster turnaround times and improved user experience.
The platform allows users to apply for and manage business permits, ensuring that both local and foreign businesses operate legally in Nigeria.
It includes an Expatriate Quota System to manage work permits for foreign employees, helping companies hire skilled workers while complying with Nigeria’s immigration laws.
The Citizenship Administration and Management System provides a streamlined online process for applying, tracking, and managing Nigerian citizenship applications and related services.
Members of the public, corporate entities, and other stakeholders are expected to access the platform through the ministry’s website: https://interior.gov.ng , Direct Portal Access: https://candb.interior.gov.ng , or contact candb-support@interior.gov.ng for support and inquiries.
“The Ministry of Interior remains committed to establishing a more efficient, transparent, and secure framework for citizenship administration, while continuously enhancing service delivery through digital transformation,” the statement read in part.
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