General News
Imode, Kwara Community’s Digital Literacy Centre, ICT Roadmap Unveiled
By peter oluka
In a tactical move to become a digitally smart community that delivers a decent living and respectable future to its people, irrespective of their social status, Imode Community in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State has received a digital literacy centre donated by the illustrious sons and daughters of the land.
Imode Development Association (IDA) borrowing a leaf from the National Information Technology (NIT) Policy seeks to make the community dwellers, especially the youths, become IT complaint and ‘netizens’ in the information society by using IT as the engine for sustainable development and global competitiveness.
Speaking at the recent public presentation of the solar-powered excellent Digital Literacy Center (DiLiCe), equipped with modern ICT infrastructure to support the education and curiosity of every citizen within and around the community, Pastor Joseph Babatunde, the president, Imode Development Association (IDA), said that the projects: a modern IT centre and a school bus, were to assist the students imbibe the IT culture as the world has gone digital.
Babatunde said, “I recall with joy that the idea of provision of a modern IT Centre for our school came to me a couple of years ago when one of my children did the post-JAMB exam in University of Ilorin (Unilorin). The students were all given computers to do the exams. While she breezed through the exams, most of the other children were just starring at the device until the time was over. I felt challenged there and then, to give every child that needed opportunity”.
“IDA has done the little it can by providing the facilities. We want to see the impact through improved performances in all the exams of our students/pupils”.
Explaining the ‘Imode ICT Vision’, Reverend Sunday Folayan, IDA’s vice president, said that they are closers to achieving a digitally Smart Community. “This will be achieved by reliance on technology, carefully backed up with traditional methods that are functional. A significant number of indigenes will continue to live outside the community or the country, and their needs and requirements to stay connected to their roots will continue to inform the community’s development policies.
“ICT will be used to solve practical problems, such as educational deficiency as well as the security of lives and properties.
“Most aspects of the Community engagement activities will be conducted electronically towards widening access and participation especially with its citizens in the diaspora, using appropriate technologies.
“Members of the Community will come to accept a high standard of up-to-date facilities, ease-of-use and reliability, richness of information, integrated services and excellent support”, he explained.
The Imode Digital Literacy Center, Folayan added, will serve as a launch-pad for making the Community an ICT model in the state as well as the country developing local software and systems that preserves the language and culture of Imode people Providing technical support for the repair and maintenance of Communications equipment such as phones, tablets and computers within Imode Community and providing Internet access for both the DiLiCe and the Community.
The Paradigm Initiative (PI) works with the Association for training and capacity building, while the equipment in the centre were sourced entirely online through Konga.
According to Mr. Gbenga Sesan, the executive director at Paradigm Initiative (PI) and content partners on the project, said the initiative will birth huge impact if it’s well utilized.
Sesan was represented by Mr. Tosin Abolaji, a program manager at PI, who said, “The facility is primarily setup for the youth in the community and we believe they won’t be denied the use of it. We will encourage the Association (IDA) to have a committee that will look into the management of the facility, design a program that will ensure that the youth are regularly/constantly trained, even use the facility as a source of generating fund for the school and community by making it a resource centre. Neighboring communities can subscribe to the usage of the facility and pay stipends. The list of possibilities goes on and on but what is very important is a strong management”.
“It’s a welcome development and we encourage such in every community. Technology is now a necessity not a luxury and no one should be denied of the privilege. Our work at Paradigm Initiative is around youth and community development; that makes us connect more with the Imode Community Digital Literacy Centre project. The youth of Imode Community will no longer be denied the opportunities that come with ICT”.
Professor Mike Abiodun, chairman, IDA’s Education Committee, said, “Let’s agree that that the community has done a very good job, by setting up an ICT Centre and it’s important to understand that education is a collaborative venture.
“The government cannot do it alone; the same thing applies to the schools and parents. It has to be collaborative between the government, the community and parents. “We are in the ICT age; if you are not computer literate it will be difficult to contribute effectively. So, the community thinks that if our children must go higher in life, then it becomes necessary. With the calibre of persons that we have that will handle the kids; we believe that the students will take full advantage of it.
The solar-powered DiLiCe fully equipped with 40 laptops, printer, internet connectivity, and other facilities, was presented to the Community’s Primary and Secondary Schools with the representatives of the State and local governments, lawmakers, educational bodies and the traditional ruler, the Onimode of Imode, Oba Joseph Dada, among other dignitaries.
Wale Abegunde, education secretary, Oke-Ero, LGA, Kwara State, said “I am super excited about this initiative because it will relieve the government the burden of developing an IT Centre in Imode Community.
“Surprisingly, this people have done it and it is the responsibility of the government. They see it as part of their efforts to add value to the community development. Other community development associations should borrow a leaf from IDA”.
Excited by the projects, the Principal, Imode Community Senior Secondary School, Mr. Raheem Adebiyi, said “Everything is done online these days and I believe that our registration is going to be made easier because students don’t need to go the café to register again.
“This initiative was developed by IDA, when I initially heard about it; I was elated because it’s going to help our students a lot in their career”.
Imode ICT Roadmap
IDA established the Imode Digital Literacy Center (DiLiCe), to enhance the teaching of ICT in the Community schools and cater for those who want to avail themselves of ICT education. DiLiCe will:
Be the rally point for digital literacy in the community, organize Training programs on computer appreciation and usage for pupils, students and the different categories of staff, and Be the testbed for digital ideas within the community.
Ultimately, the goal, as contained in the ICT roadmap is to ensure deployment of ICT for teaching, learning, and community development. Thus, ICT will be used to solve practical problems, such as educational deficiency as well as the security of lives and properties.
“Most aspects of the Community engagement activities will be conducted electronically towards widening access and participation especially with its citizens in the diaspora, using appropriate technologies.
“Members of the Community will come to expect a high standard of up-to-date facilities, ease-of-use and reliability, richness of information, integrated services and excellent support.
“The DILICE will allow members of the Community, who have their own portable computers, tablets and mobile phones to also communicate using the Community Infrastructure. This means that the Network Infrastructure strategy will not only focus on access but also on information and data security”, Rev’ Folayan pointed out during the presentation.
The Centre, is surely going to promote digital literacy and eLeaning in the various schools within the community, as Imode Development Association has pledged that its people must have access to resources such as Computers, Network resources and the Internet at all times, whether in the DiLiCe or in their various homes.
This Valentine’s Day, PalmPay is celebrating love in all its forms with the launch of #LoveWithPalmPay, a campaign highlighting how simple, everyday shared money moments can bring relationships closer.
Valentine’s Day is more than grand gestures; it’s built on the small, meaningful actions that shape relationships, sending timely support, saving together, or managing shared responsibilities. PalmPay encourages users to share 30–60 second real-life stories, either solo or duet style, showing how PalmPay always works and has helped them support or stay connected with someone they love.
The campaign runs from February 9th to 21st across Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok. Four winners will receive ₦100,000 each week for two weeks, totalling a prize pool of ₦800,000.
Entries can take many forms, including couple videos, solo stories, split-screen duets for long-distance couples, or voiceover narratives with photos or clips, making the campaign inclusive for married couples, parents, and long-term partners.
How to Participate:
- Share an authentic love story about your partner
- Clearly show PalmPay in action (transfers, savings, or other in-app activities)
- Be creative and emotionally engaging
- Post between February 9th – 21st with the hashtag #LoveWithPalmPay
- Share on any of PalmPay’s social media platforms
“Love evolves, and so do relationships,” said Olorunfemi Hanson, Head of Marketing and Communication, PalmPay. “From dating to parenthood, the small money moments we share every day play a big role in keeping us connected. With #LoveWithPalmPay, we want to celebrate those stories and show how PalmPay always works, making everyday love simpler, reliable, and meaningful.”
This Valentine’s Day, PalmPay celebrates love as it truly is real, intentional, and built on shared moments.
PalmPay is a leading digital banking platform driving financial inclusion and economic empowerment in underserved emerging markets. Through its secure, user-friendly, and inclusive suite of financial services, PalmPay empowers individuals and businesses with tools to manage and grow their money.
PalmPay offers a comprehensive range of products, including mobile payments, savings, and micro-insurance via its app and mobile money agent network.
Since launching in Nigeria in 2019 under a Mobile Money Operator license, the platform has grown to over 35 million app users and processes up to 15 million transactions daily. PalmPay has operations in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, and Bangladesh. For more information, visit www.palmpay.com
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have proposed that customers must receive refunds within 30 seconds for failed airtime and data purchases to curb persistent billing complaints in the telecommunications sector.
This was indicated in the Exposure Draft of the Joint CBN–NCC Framework for Resolution of Failed Airtime and Data Purchase Transactions, which was published on the website of the CBN on Monday.
The landmark exposure draft, dated 5 February 2026, seeks to “institutionalise clear accountability” and establish a “coordinated approach to consumer redress” across the financial and telecommunications sectors.
The most significant shift in the proposed framework is the introduction of standardised, automated timelines for resolving failed transactions.
Currently, Nigerians often face long delays when airtime purchases fail at the bank, aggregator, or Mobile Network Operator level.
To solve this, the regulators have proposed a 30-second window for automated reversals. Section 6.0 (ii) of the draft exposure, which dwelt on failed transactions, especially as it relates to unfulfilled airtime/data delivery, proposes a time to refund the purchaser of 30 seconds “if the transaction failed at the bank level… Failed transaction delivery from NCC Authorised Licensees… Failed transaction delivery from MNO to the NCC Authorised Licensee.”
The draft emphasised that stakeholders must “automate reversal processes across all stakeholders” to ensure that refunds require no human intervention from the customer.
The draft exposure also stated that “all parties involved in airtime and data transactions shall take the following actions to ease usage and facilitate consumer satisfaction: a. Stakeholders must immediately connect ONLY to relevant authorised licensees of the NCC and CBN. b. MNOs and banks must only connect to NCC Authorised Licensees/MNO digital channel partners for airtime and data vending… Notifications of failure create final settlement obligations between MNO and NCC-authorised licensees… The NCC and CBN will audit stakeholder compliance jointly or individually at quarterly or other intervals as may be determined.”
From a business and oversight perspective, the regulators are proposing a Central Monitoring Dashboard to be hosted jointly by the CBN and NCC, which will track reversals, Service Level Agreement breaches, and customer complaints in real-time.
“There shall be a Central Monitoring Dashboard hosted by CBN/NCC for tracking reversals, SLA breaches, and customer complaints. This will facilitate the establishment of a real-time national ‘Failed Transactions Dashboard’ with a uniform error code with end-to-end visibility across the value chain’, read the draft exposure.
This is designed to eliminate the “unclear ownership of liability” that often occurs when banks and telcos blame each other for failed recharges. To support this, banks and MNOs will be required to maintain and share daily reports of successful and failed cases.
The proposed framework also addresses the common problem of “lost” money when customers recharge ported phone numbers. The draft mandates that MNOs must validate a phone number against the ported number database before processing any recharge. If the system identifies a number as ported out or invalid, it must “proactively stop recharges” and send a failure code back to the bank to ensure the customer is not debited.
For erroneous recharges sent to the wrong person, the framework sets clear protocols: below N20,000, MNOs will request the recipient’s consent before a reversal, and when it is above N20,000, an affidavit of indemnity or notarised letter is required to process the recovery.
The CBN and NCC in the exposure draft signalled they will take a firm stance on compliance. Both agencies will conduct joint quarterly audits of all stakeholders, including banks, payment service providers, and MNOs, to verify compliance with the new rules. The regulators have warned they will “impose penalties for any breach” of the framework’s provisions.
Banks and other financial institutions have until 10 February 2026 to submit their inputs on the draft before it is finalised. Once implemented, the framework is expected to significantly restore “subscriber trust” in Nigeria’s digital financial ecosystem.
Federal government has unveiled a new digital platform to connect millions of women to finance, skills training, and market opportunities, in what officials call the country’s largest technology-driven women’s inclusion initiative to date.
The Happy Woman App Platform, which was unveiled at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, would serve as a single interface for women to access funding facilities, business development support, governmental initiatives, and critical services.
The digital drive comes as Nigeria grapples with expanding gender gaps in financial access, with women much less likely than males to maintain bank accounts or obtain formal credit, limiting their capacity to grow informal enterprises they primarily run.
Yet women remain central to the economy, accounting for a large share of micro and small enterprises that contribute nearly half of the country’s GDP.
According to the Social Institutions and Gender Index, only about 35 percent of Nigerian women have a bank account at a financial institution, compared with 55 percent of men, underscoring the depth of persistent financial exclusion and the urgency of targeted interventions.
The launch coincided with the expansion of the Nigeria for Women Programme, which the administration now plans to scale nationwide to reach 25 million women.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by vice president Kashim Shettima, said the scale-up is central to Nigeria’s economic growth strategy.
“A nation that relegates its women is a nation bound for implosion,” he said, adding that women must be placed “at the centre of national planning and productivity.”
The expanded programme builds on a pilot phase in six states that reached over one million women, many organised into Women Affinity Groups to access grants, savings schemes and livelihood support.
The government says the new app will streamline beneficiary registration, payments and training, reducing leakages and improving delivery.
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