General News
Investment on Innovation Centres Will Speed Up Nigeria’s Digitalisation- Nicholas
Travers Nicholas is the general manager, Dell EMC West Africa. Working with his team, Travers spends time with customers helping to guide them through their digital transformation encompassing workforce, security, and IT. During Travers’s time with Dell EMC he has worked with customers from SME to Enterprise from all market segments, helping them to reduce cost and improve efficiency through the adoption of Dell EMC technologies.
Coming from a Technical Background, some of Travers’s previous roles include Systems Engineering Manager, Technology Consultant, and Infrastructure Manager for global organizations in the banking, telecommunications, and services industries. During a recent chat with peter oluka, he expatiates on how Dell’s activities positively impact Nigeria’s IT/ICT ecosystem.
How Prepared Is Dell to Impact World Technology in the Next Industrial Revolution?
In September last year, Dell merged with EMC to create the largest privately-controlled technology company in the world – Dell Technologies.
Under Dell Technologies, we have seven brands (Dell, Dell EMC, Pivotal, VMWare, VirtuStream, RSA and SecureWorks) with which we are better positioned to deliver quality end-to-end solutions to our clients.
On our preparation to impact world technology in the next industrial revolution, Dell Technologies is innovating like a start-up with the scale and reach of a global powerhouse, investing $4.5B in research and development annually. In the same vein, we are also investing another $100M annually in innovative startups in future tech areas like AI/ML, Automotive, Genomics. These are indications that we are a forward looking organization and are future-ready in our approach to solutions and our client can attest to this.
The second question on monitoring: signatures is reactive, that’s the main talking point, i.e. not to be reactive; that’s where having Global threat intelligence (SecureWorks) and identity threat management solutions (RSA) comes in to plaly.
Security is very important in technology. How does monitoring network to detect suspicious acts solve the Issue of Internal Instigated IT Security Breaches?
First thing to note is that traditional approach to security is no longer enough. Identifying signature and using anti-virus are reactive approaches, and given current technology realities, being reactive is not efficient in forestalling and preventing security breaches, be it internal or external. For instance, what happens when virus changes itself and signature appears differently?
As such, solving security issues needs to do with the incorporation of global threat intelligence and threat management solutions using high performance security analytics. The need to shift from traditional approach to security is why Dell Technologies is investing heavily in its two security brands – RSA and SecureWorks.
RSA and SecureWorks provide intelligence-driven security solutions for organizations effectively prevent, detect and respond to advanced attacks, manage user identities and access, reduce business risk, fraud and cybercrime.
…Which Means You Are Using Big Data To Solve Security Challenges.
Absolutely, big data! Security is a big data problem. There is so much data and there is no way a human being could monitor and respond to all.
Let’s Narrow This Down To West Africa And Nigeria In Particular; Do You Think Nigeria Is Prepared For The Next Industrial Revolution Driven By Internet Of Things (IoT), Smart City, Big Data And Others? What Are Your Perceptions About This Market?
Personally, I think Nigeria is ready for the next industrial revolution. Interestingly, I believe a lot of innovations will come from countries like Nigeria, Kenya and India where there are necessities to innovate.
I have been opportune to interact with a lot of young people with keen interest in software development and do not think anyone would disagree with me on the high skills level of the members of Nigerian IT community. However, there is a need for continuous development and less dependence on the government.
No doubts, Nigeria has its fair share of infrastructural deficit in the area of power and networking, but the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of Nigerians gives me hope that Nigeria is ready for the next industrial revolution. The mindset is there; maybe it just needs to be proliferated and supported a bit more.
How Did Dell Fare During the Economic Recession?
Truth is, all Nigerians were affected in one way or the other by the recession.
How we fare is very simple. Dell Technologies is the world’s essential infrastructure company. We provide essential end-to-end solutions that businesses need to run effectively and efficiently and when there is a need, there is business.
Of course, spending slowed and due to foreign exchange (Forex) issues, IT and ICT market declined during the economic recession, but at the same time we are happy that we’ve come through in a positive way for our customers and we continue to support them and deliver on outstanding quality of service.
Recently Dell Made A Commitment To The 2020 Legacy Project, How Are You Using Such Opportunity To Give Back To Nigerians?
Dell is committed to driving human progress by outing our technology and expertise to work where they can do the most good for people and the planet.
One of such commitments is the Ocean Plastics project, where we’re taking discarded plastics from beaches, shorelines, and other coastal areas and turning that into packaging for our XPS 13 2-in-1.
As a country near the ocean, this is very important to Nigeria and it is a project that excites me personally. I’ve seen too many videos and heard many stories on how whale and other aquatic animals get killed by the plastics in the ocean
Dell Technologies is also involved in an alliance with the Nigerian government and a couple of organizations on how we manage Electronic Wastes (e-Wastes) around the world because we believe there is a need for e-wastes to be discarded in a responsible way.
What Is Dell Technologies Doing About Empowering Women In Technology?
First of all, we have a large female population of Accounts Executives in our team and we are very supportive of our female employees. Also, we have a female Mentoring and Development Program that allows our female employees grow and advance their careers. In fact, it was an employee driven initiative where some of those employees mentored internally become mentors to females in Universities, developing and guiding young women on how to join and succeed in the technology industry.
This type of thing only happens when you create a culture that supports women and treat them as fair and equal partners. There is no gender discrimination in our organization and we are going to provide a frame work for that to be successful around the world.
Research and Development (R&D) Is The Centre Of Technology Evolution, But Most OEMs Seemingly Develop Product Based on ‘Perceived’ Needs Of Emerging Markets. What percentage of Dell’s resources is channeled towards R&D?
We are very passionate about R&D such that we invest about $4.5B in it annually. We have in excess of 15000 engineers around the world who are working on building and developing products- software, hardware and solutions. We believe we create great products, great solutions and great technologies.
Also, we ensure we maintain a direct relationship with our customers and when we get feedback we take it very seriously, report back to our team of engineers on how to improve and be better positioned for the future
What Do You Are The Areas That Needs Fine Tuning; Requiring Government’s Intervention To Give Nigeria’s Technology Market A Push?
I’ve observed in Nigeria that many people look, first, to the government ‘to do things for us’, but I believe that innovation is more likely to come from individuals, because they are the ones who know and have the needs to solve problems. However, the government can invest in innovation centers that would allow use of technologies for youths who don’t have access. Though, it’s not possible to provide overnight access of technology to all Nigerians, we need to start with what’s reasonable; maybe some small centers.
Secondly, once they have access to the technology, a bit of monitoring should be done to make sure they are using it productively.
If the youths have access to technologies you would be surprised at what they can do, but if you create some sort of policies to force it on people, it won’t come out of passion. That’s why I have the belief that innovations need to come from the people, give them the tools, the access and support they need.
General News
Moniepoint Commences DreamDevs Bootcamp to Transform 20 Top Engineering Talents into Industry-Ready Professionals
Following a call for applications in January 2026 and a rigorous selection process that drew over 9,000 applications from across the country, Moniepoint Inc., Africa’s leading digital financial services provider, has officially commenced the bootcamp for the second cohort of its flagship DreamDevs initiative aimed at bridging the tech talent gap in Africa by equipping recent graduates with industry-ready skills and real-world experience.
The initiative brings together 20 high-potential engineering graduates for an intensive nine-week programme designed to accelerate their development into industry-ready engineers. It will be recalled that candidates, who are recent university graduates from technology, computer science, and engineering fields were invited to showcase their foundational knowledge in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
The journey to the final 20 was marked by a multi-stage screening process designed to identify technical aptitude and learning potential. After the initial application review, candidates underwent an online HackerRank technical assessment. From this pool, 50 shortlisted applicants were invited to a physical code challenge, which determined the final participants selected to join the bootcamp.
“At Moniepoint, we believe that Africa’s tech talent can compete on any global stage if given the right environment. DreamDevs is our way of providing that bridge. We’ve seen the success of our first cohort, and this year we’re doubling down to not just to train, but to create a definitive pathway into full-time roles for those ready to engineer financial happiness across the continent.
DreamDevs is about building engineers who can think, solve problems, and contribute meaningfully to systems at scale. This bootcamp is where that journey begins,” said Felix Ike, Co-founder and CTO of Moniepoint Inc.
Delivered in partnership with Semicolon Africa, the bootcamp focuses on strengthening core engineering competencies through structured learning and real-world problem-solving. The curriculum is designed to move participants from foundational principles to production-grade software development, covering Java OOP foundations, data structures and algorithms, Spring Boot API development, and cloud infrastructure.
Participants will gain direct exposure to Moniepoint’s engineering environment, engaging with internal teams to understand how large-scale financial systems are built and maintained. Standout performers at the end of the nine weeks will secure six-month internship placements, with the strongest candidates eligible for full-time employment.
Wisdom Iyamu, one of the selected participants for the DreamDevs bootcamp expressed shock and appreciation.
“I was honestly shocked when I received the acceptance for the first stage. I have many friends who are equally talented and didn’t make it in, so I feel incredibly grateful and excited to be here. I actually applied because a close friend of mine, who is a huge fan of Moniepoint, convinced me to go for it. My expectation for this bootcamp is to learn exactly how to build products that scale. Whether it’s working at Moniepoint or being part of a team building the next billion-dollar idea, I want to be where high-impact engineering happens”, Iyamu noted.
DreamDevs aligns with Moniepoint’s broader vision of using technology to power the dreams of millions and engineer financial happiness across Africa. It complements the company’s existing talent development programs, including HatchDev – a collaboration with NITHub Unilag and the popular Moniepoint Women-in-Tech initiative, now in its sixth year.
The programme also sits in tandem with the federal government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative, for which Moniepoint serves as a key sponsor. By providing a specialised pathway from foundational training to employment, Moniepoint continues to invest in the people who will drive Africa’s digital economy forward while serving as the backbone of Nigeria’s small businesses and enterprises to catalyze economic prosperity.
Federal government has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to suspend the introduction and rollout of new policies, regulations, or major regulatory changes until full compliance with the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) Framework is achieved.
The directive, issued by Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, director general of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), is part of efforts to strengthen regulatory quality, ensure policy coherence, and improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria
According to the statement, the RIA Framework, which was formally implemented in January 2025, requires that all new policies or amendments introduced after the date must undergo review and approval in line with its provisions.
She noted the framework has already been circulated to MDAs by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and is also accessible on the PEBEC website.
MDAs are therefore expected to familiarise themselves with the framework and align their policy development processes accordingly.
Audu emphasised that while the government remains committed to working collaboratively with regulatory institutions, no new reform or policy would be allowed to proceed without being backed by clear and verifiable evidence.
She explained the directive aims to prevent policy shocks that could negatively affect businesses, investors and citizens, eliminate inconsistencies and frequent policy reversals, and institutionalise evidence-based policymaking across government.
The directive also seeks to enhance transparency, improve predictability, and boost stakeholder confidence in public policies, while ensuring adequate engagement to minimise resistance prior to implementation.
Consequently, all MDAs have been instructed to suspend any planned policy rollouts that have not yet been implemented, ensure that new policy proposals are supported by comprehensive RIA and necessary approvals, and integrate the RIA process into their internal policy formulation procedures.
They are also required to undertake structured and inclusive stakeholder engagement as part of policy development to improve acceptance and implementation outcomes.
The PEBEC boss added that MDAs can access the RIA Framework through its website or seek technical support from the council’s secretariat.
She, however, noted that exceptions would only be granted in cases of urgent national interest, subject to appropriate approval.
Audu stressed that cooperation from all MDAs is crucial to building a stable, consistent and business-friendly regulatory environment capable of driving sustainable economic growth and boosting investor confidence.
The Federal Government has unveiled a new digital platform, NITOUREY, aimed at showcasing Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and tourism destinations to global audiences.
The initiative, introduced at a press conference organised by the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, was described as a public-private partnership designed to project Nigeria’s diverse cultural assets.
Speaking at the event on Tuesday, the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, said the platform marked another step in repositioning Nigeria as a leading global destination for tourism, culture and creative excellence.
She explained that the digital project would harness the power of the creative economy and technology to amplify Nigeria’s cultural narratives while creating opportunities for young Nigerians, filmmakers, content creators and tourism operators.
Musawa said, “Today marks yet another significant step in our collective journey to reposition Nigeria as a leading global destination for tourism, culture and creative excellence.
“The initiative aligned with the administration’s economic diversification drive, noting that tourism had the potential to contribute significantly to national growth.
“President Bola Tinubu has a vision to use tourism as part of economic diversification and expansion, and NTDA can play a vital role in achieving that goal”.
She emphasised that NITOUREY would not only showcase destinations across the country but also create economic opportunities within the creative industry.
“Through this initiative, we are not only showcasing destinations across Nigeria but also creating opportunities for the creative industries, including filmmakers, content creators, tourism operators and young Nigerians within the creative economy,” she added.
The minister also stressed the importance of collaboration between government agencies, state governments and the private sector, noting that the platform was a PPP initiative designed to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s tourism and creative sectors.
“This is a commendable PPP initiative that demonstrates the collaboration required to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s tourism and creative industry,” she said.
She further assured stakeholders that the Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy would continue to support initiatives that enhance Nigeria’s visibility, attract investment and create jobs.
In his remarks, the Director General of NTDA, Ola Awakan, described NITOUREY as a transformative platform that will redefine how Nigeria is presented to the world.
He emphasised that tourism thrives on perception, visibility, and storytelling, noting that the platform will collaborate with key institutions, including the Nigerian Film Corporation, National Film and Video Censors Board, and the National Information Technology Development Agency, to deliver high-quality content.
Awakan added that the initiative is powered by a strong public-private partnership involving TOURCLIQ Creatives Limited and JM MiSA International Limited, underscoring the importance of collaboration in unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s tourism and creative industries.
He further revealed that NITOUREY will spotlight iconic destinations across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, including Zuma Rock, Yankari Resort and Safari, the Argungu Fishing Festival, Ngwo Pine Forest and Cave, Obudu Mountain Resort, and Olumo Rock, projecting them to a global audience.
The platform is expected to serve as Nigeria’s premier tourism streaming platform, projecting the country’s culture, creativity and destinations to both domestic and international audiences.
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