E-Business
Internet Society Report Highlights Internet Governance Benefits, Multistakeholder Model
In order to better understand what African nations need to do to reap the full benefits of the Internet, the Internet Society today released the study “Internet Development and Governance in Africa.
The report, issued at the Africa Internet Summit 2015 in Tunis, Tunisia, where Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) also participated, provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of the Internet in Africa and highlights the importance of the multistakeholder model of Internet governance as an essential part of Africa’s Internet ecosystem.
In light of the rapid growth experienced by the continent in the past ten years, the report finds that the time is right to maximize that potential.
“As Africa’s user base grows, the need to coordinate and manage the growth and development of the Internet becomes increasingly important,” said Dawit Bekele, Internet Society regional bureau director for Africa.
“If Africa has to make the progression towards a digital economy to reap the full benefits of the Internet, it needs to transition from basic connectivity to interconnectivity of networks and to interoperability of systems, and enable the development of applications and services that drive economic and social well-being.”
The report highlights steady adoption of this transformative technology since the introduction of the Internet to Africa in 1991, reaching just over 20% continent-wide, but these aggregate indicators mask glaring disparities in Internet development levels from country to country.
Morocco, for instance, has Internet penetration rates above 50%, while other African countries have penetration rates just under 2%.
The majority of countries have Internet penetration below 10%–well below the 20% threshold found to be critical for countries to reap economic benefits.
IXPs
One of the ways, identified by the report, to improve the interconnectivity of networks is to establish Internet eXchange Points (IXPs) at the local level.
Africa now has more than 30 IXPs and is well on the way to achieving the goal of at least one IXP per country.
The establishment of IXPs can catalyze the build-out of terrestrial infrastructure which in turn would make access to the Internet cheaper and faster.
One example of this effort is the East African Backhaul System (EABS), which will serve Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.
Through this infrastructure, the landlocked countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi have established backbones that gain access to submarine fiber almost at the same price as that of the coastal countries
Digital Broadcasting
An area that could be transitioned faster is the migration from analogue to digital broadcasting, which offers more opportunities to increase Internet access by freeing up unused spectrum.
By June 2014, only 19 countries had started on the digital transition and by December 2014 only three countries (Tanzania, Rwanda and Mauritius) had completely switched off their analogue signals.
As such, the majority of countries will not meet the ITU’s June 2015 deadline.
IPv6
Another recommendation contained in the report is that the transition to and adoption of IPv6 in Africa should be accelerated.
By ensuring that there are enough IP addresses to cater to current and future expansion of the Internet, IPv6 will enable the Internet-of-Things (IoT) or the Internet of Everything (IoE), which refers to the ability to connect to the Internet anything capable of having an IP address.
Statistics show that South Africa and Egypt account for 97% of the uptake to date, which means all other countries are lagging behind with regards to IPv6 adoption.
Internet Governance
As Africa’s infrastructure and user base grows, the need to coordinate and manage the growth and development of the Internet becomes increasingly important.
Several institutions and processes have emerged over the last 15 years, each playing a role in strengthening Africa’s Internet ecosystem.
Africa has embraced the multistakeholder model of Internet governance, which enables policymakers to draw from the expertise of the relevant stakeholders to develop sustainable Internet public policy approaches that can meet the policy challenges of the digital age.
This year has seen several significant milestones for Internet governance and development.
Among these, the African Union has launched its Agenda 2065, which outlines development objectives for the next 50 years, and the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals, which end in 2015, will now be replaced by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Further, the UN General Assembly will make a determination on whether or not to extend the mandate of the Internet Governance Forum, an outgrowth the World Summit on the Information Society, which marks its 10th anniversary this year.
“The growth in Internet access in Africa since 2005 can be attributed in part to the strengthening of existing institutions, the emergence of regional and national IGFs and the increased commitment of African governments to ICT development,” concludes the report.
“As Africa continues to make further strides in building its Internet economy, the multistakeholder model will continue to be an important element of helping Africa reach a critical mass of access and usage that can translate into sustained economic benefit,” according to the report circulated by African Press Organization.
The Internet Society is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership around the world. It is also the organizational home for the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
With its principled vision, substantial technological foundation and its global presence, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations.
Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone.
Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi, director-general, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has reaffirmed the importance of collaboration in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
L-R: Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi, director-general, National Information Technology Development Agency, with Brig. Gen., Abdulrahman Idris, team lead of the Senior Executive Course 46 2024, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos during a strategic tour visit to the agency headquarters in Abuja.
Abdullahi disclosed this during a strategic engagement with participants of the 2024 Senior Executive Course 46 from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), a delegation led by Brigadier General Abdulrahman Idris.
Abdullahi emphasised that no organisation can achieve its goals in isolation, stressing the need for collaborative efforts to harness ideas, experiences and insights for national development. He highlighted the potential of collaboration between NITDA and NIPSS to leverage technology and digital innovation for driving economic growth, creating job opportunities and attracting foreign direct investment (FDI).
“At NITDA, we have re-imagined our social contract with Nigerians, focusing on improving service delivery and fostering the swift growth of the ICT sector,” said Abdullahi. He emphasised the agency’s commitment to serving Nigerians and outlined the strategic direction outlined in NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2024-2027) 2.0. The SRAP is structured around eight pillars aimed at fostering digital literacy, building a robust technology research ecosystem, strengthening policy implementation, promoting inclusive access to digital infrastructure, enhancing cybersecurity, nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship, forging partnerships and cultivating a vibrant organisational culture.
The brigadier-general provided insights into NIPSS’s role as Nigeria’s foremost policy think-tank, tasked with developing top-class technocrats to drive national development initiatives. He highlighted NIPSS’s contributions to policy formulation and implementation over the years, emphasising the institution’s mandate to address issues of national interest, particularly in the digital economy sector.
The collaboration between NITDA and NIPSS underscores the importance of synergistic efforts in harnessing technology and innovation for national development. By leveraging each other’s expertise and resources, both organisations aim to drive economic growth, foster job creation, and position Nigeria as a leading player in the global digital economy.
Through strategic partnerships and collaborative initiatives, NITDA and NIPSS are poised to chart a path towards sustainable development, leveraging digital innovation as a catalyst for socioeconomic transformation and inclusive growth.
Ivorypay, a blockchain-based payment and remittance firm, has teamed with Tether, the stablecoin pioneer, to improve crypto-based transactions across Africa.
Tether is the business that developed the stablecoin, USDT, and with this agreement, it will mint and issue USDT straight to IvoryPay.
According to the partners, this agreement would provide more dependable and economical digital transaction choices to businesses and consumers across Africa.
Ivorypay will leverage Tether’s widespread acceptance to provide a buffer against the typically unpredictable nature of crypto-currencies, increasing user confidence in using digital currencies for daily transactions as well as cross-border transfers.
“Partnering with Tether is a strategic move that aligns perfectly with our vision of simplifying and securing crypto transactions across Africa,” said Oluwatobi Ajayi, CEO, IvoryPay.
He added: “It gives us easy access to the liquidity we need to cater to more businesses and individuals across the continent and to do that cheaper and faster than anybody else, which we believe will significantly enhance user trust and increase adoption rates across our platforms.”
“This strategic partnership between Ivorypay and Tether represents a transformative step for digital transactions across Africa,” said Aly Madhavji, managing partner of Blockchain Founders Fund.
“By incorporating USDT into their payment systems, IvoryPay aims to increase financial inclusion and streamline cross-border remittances, establishing a new standard for stability and efficiency in the region’s financial services We are thrilled to assist Ivorypay as they endeavour to create new opportunities for businesses and consumers across Africa.”
The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has revoked the certificates of incorporation of NIPOST Properties and Development Company and NIPOST Transport and Logistics Services Limited.
This revocation followed the discovery of an illegal transfer of N10 billion in restructuring funds released by the Federal Ministry of Finance to the agency’s subsidiaries.
The CAC, in a statement on Monday, said, “The General Public is hereby informed that the Commission, sequel to its powers contained in Section 41 (7) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. 3 of 2020, revoked the Certificates of incorporation of the below-mentioned companies because the same was improperly procured. These companies are:
“1. NIPOST Transport and Logistics Services Company Ltd RC 1673881 and 2. NIPOST Properties & Development Company Ltd RC 1673971.
“By virtue of these revocations, the Companies are deemed to be dissolved and their Assets and Liabilities transferred to the Nigeria Postal Services established under the Nigerian Postal Services Act Cap N127 LFN 2004.”
It was gathered that CAC records confirm that as of November 8, 2023, some top officials of BPE control significant shares in the subsidiaries.
Responding to these discoveries, the Senate passed a resolution on December 30, 2023, for a probe into the matter.
The resolution declared the NIPOST subsidiaries in question “irregular and illegal” and recommended their immediate winding-up and deregistration.
The Senate resolution goes beyond immediate action; it demanded a thorough investigation into the N10 billion voted by the Ministry of Finance for NIPOST’s restructuring and recapitalisation.
Should evidence of “injudicious utilisation” surface, the Senate said the committee responsible must recover the full amount.
In its resolution of December 30, 2023, the Red Chamber said it uncovered an alleged illegal transfer of Federal Government shares in two NIPOST subsidiaries to private individuals.
The discovered infractions sparked outrage, prompting the lawmakers to call for immediate action.
Some individuals in key positions within the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and NIPOST were listed as shareholders of the two NIPOST subsidiaries.
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