Telecom
Key Takeaways at the Just Concluded NIS 2023
Nigeria Innovation Summit 2023 which was held on October 6th, 2023 with the theme: Innovating for the Future, was successfully concluded with the participation of delegates and stakeholders across the globe, who participated in the hybrid event.
The Summit in its 8th year is an annual event that brings together stakeholders from different sectors of Nigeria’s economy, governments, investors, policymakers, and players in the tech and innovation ecosystem to discuss ground-breaking ideas, trends, and opportunities to innovate solutions that solve unique challenges within Nigeria, and the African continent at large.
This year’s NIS explored topics such as Digital Opportunities for African Youths in Today’s World; Fostering a Thriving Startup Ecosystem through Partnerships and Collaboration; Digitization and the Future of Business; Transforming Industries of the Future through AI & Emerging Techs; Digital Assets & Future of Payments, among others.
The highlights of the summit were the Nigeria Innovations Experience Talks (NiX Talks) which was powered by TotalEnergies. The NiX Talks focused on The Green & Clean Tech, and the Future of Energy. Other summit features were fireside chats, panel discussions/interactive sessions, VR Games, innovation showcases and exhibitions, and expert insights on emerging technologies and their applications in solving local problems.
Some of the speakers and panellists include Kumar Iyer, DG, Economics, Science and Technology at the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO); Jonny Baxter, British Deputy High Commissioner, Omotayo Hassan, Renewable Explorer, TotalEnergies; Ibrahim Maigari Ahmadu, Founder/CEO, RiceAfrika; Dr. Funmi Adewara, Founder/CEO, Mobihealth International; Chukwuemeka Eze, Founder/CEO, Revive Earth; ‘Gbenga Sesan, Founder, Paradign Initiative; Chibuike Goodnews, CEO, Dochase; Dr. Victor Odumuyiwa (Nithub, Unilag); Jude Adejuwon, Practice Lead, HEI, CcHub; Hakeem Onasanya, Head, Startups, Lagos Innovates (LSETF); Oyinlola Israel, Founder/President, African AI Foundation; Yakubu Musa, National Coordinator, Office for Nigeria Digital Innovation (ONDI), and others.
The crowning of the Nigerian Innovation Summit (NIS) 2023 was the Nigeria Innovation Awards Night (NIAN) 2023. The Nigeria Innovation Awards recognises and awards key innovators at the forefront of the Nigerian Innovation landscape, as well as disruptors bringing positive and empirical impacts as well as progressive solutions to unique challenges.
The submissions from the 2023 NIS Awards prove that there is a need to build innovative business solutions, and develop an ecosystem in Nigeria across all sectors to drive innovation by promoting local content development, and locally-relevant technological solutions to impact significantly on the socio-economic development of Nigeria so that local innovation can solve local issues.
Of the hundreds nominated for the Nigerian Innovation Awards 2023, only eight organisations and individuals emerged as worthy recipients of this year’s awards, given their impressive track record of innovatively tackling problems and measurable impacts in keeping the Nigerian innovation landscape sustainable, and have embraced innovation to move Nigeria forward through their works. And for the first time, individuals showcasing creative and innovative works in technology, art, and entertainment were recognised.
The 2023 NIAN awardees include Nigeria Communications Commission for Pioneering Access For A Digital Economy; RiceAfrika, Driving Growth In Agriculture Through Technology; Fundall: Digitizing Financial Inclusion In Nigeria; Betapawa Solutions: Providing Access To Clean Energy For Nigerian Communities; Revive Earth: Innovating In E-Mobility In Nigeria; Skill Up With Kahdsole (SUWK): Social Innovation Of The Year; Gugu Robotics, the Most Innovative Startup In Nigeria, and PlastiBuild Creative Solutions for Innovating For A Greener Future Through Upcycling.
The Nigeria Innovation Summit 2023 had in participation delegates from government agencies, diplomats, academic communities and research institutes, international organisations, investors, entrepreneurs, business/thought leaders, innovators, startups, and students.
The 2023 NIS concluded with an Innovation Tour to Zinox Tech Experience Centre/Cisco Lab, where we deepen the conversation and relationship with those bringing true innovation and disruption into the Nigerian innovation ecosystem.
This year’s Summit received huge support from CcHub; Asoko Insight; the Office for Nigeria Digital Innovation (ONDI); the International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM); NITDA IT HUB (Nithub); VC4A; African AI Foundation; Lagos State Employment Trust Funds (LSETF); Virtual Domain; Zinox Tech Experience Centre, African Innovation Academy; DoChase; and PwC as partners and was proudly sponsored by CoinEx and TotalEnergies.
The summit also has the following as its official media partners Brand Times; Techeconomy.ng; Nigeria CommunicationsWeek; ITpulse; Coinnewsextra; Techbuild; Coinratecap; Technext; Innovation Village; Techtrends Africa; Lagosspy NG, and more. The Nigeria Innovation Summit was organized by InnovationHub Africa.
Google has launched its Search Live feature globally to over 200 countries, including Nigeria, where AI Mode is available, enabling voice-and-camera conversations in users’ preferred languages.
Powered by the new multilingual Gemini 3.1 Flash Live model, it delivers natural, real-time interactions via the Google app on Android or iOS—tap the Live icon under the Search bar.
Ideal for hands-free help, users can speak queries for audio replies, follow-ups, or web links. Camera integration adds visual context, like troubleshooting a shelving unit, or pairs with Google Lens for real-world chats.
From the app or Lens, Nigerians can now explore, learn, or solve tasks instantly, boosting everyday productivity worldwide.
Clean and reliable power for telecom networks in Ethiopia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will be expanded following a $45 million investment by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in IPT PowerTech.
The investment targets countries where limited power supply continues to slow digital connectivity and broader economic participation, the institution stated earlier this week.
To enable this expansion, the IFC is providing a $45 million corporate financing package consisting of an A-loan of $27 million and $18 million in blended finance.
The blended portion is sourced from the Canada-IFC Blended Climate Finance Programme and the IDA20 Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility.
The initiative marks the IFC’s first direct infrastructure engagement in Liberia in a decade and in Sierra Leone in six years.
It will help scale solar- and battery-based power systems that reduce reliance on diesel and support greener, more resilient telecom networks.
By improving the quality and stability of power to telecom towers, the initiative will strengthen mobile coverage and ensure that households, schools, health centres, and small businesses can depend on consistent digital services, said the IFC.
The funding supports the modernisation, operation, and maintenance of 2 235 telecom sites across the three nations. More than 90% of these are located in off-grid or weak-grid locations.
With new solar and battery systems powering these sites, mobile networks will experience fewer outages and improved service quality.
Optimising the energy mix is estimated to reduce power costs for operators by up to 30% in Liberia, 26% in Sierra Leone, and 52% in Ethiopia.
This transition is also expected to cut emissions by more than 10 624 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Furthermore, the partnership will promote gender inclusion by expanding opportunities for women in technical, operational, and leadership roles within the sector, says the IFC.
This agreement reflects a shared vision for a greener telecom industry and empowers the company to scale its innovative energy platforms, according to Nabil Haddad, CEO of IPT PowerTech Group.
Reliable and affordable power for telecom networks is a cornerstone of Africa’s digital transformation, said Nathalie Kouassi-Akon, IFC regional director for West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.
Through this partnership, the institution is supporting a scalable, private sector-led solution that enables mobile operators to reach underserved and fragile communities more sustainably, added Kouassi-Akon.
The project advances the World Bank Group and African Development Bank’s Mission 300 initiative, which aims to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
Expedier has unveiled “Expedier for Business,” an online pro-banking platform to simplify global payments, multi-currency transactions, and financial operations for expanding companies.
Kingsley Madu
The tool centralizes payments, invoicing, payroll, and treasury into one secure dashboard, tackling challenges like fragmented systems and poor visibility that hinder international scaling.
Kingsley Madu, Co-Founder and CEO of Expedier, said: “African businesses are increasingly global… Expedier for Business was built to simplify how companies manage money across borders while maintaining visibility, control, and compliance.”
Key features include customizable dashboards for payments, invoices, and workflows; support for USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, and more; virtual cards; automated payroll/invoicing; currency swaps; and real-time tracking.
Security measures cover two-factor authentication, KYC/KYB verification, and team access controls.
As cross-border trade and remote work boom in Africa, the platform aids firms dealing with international suppliers, teams, and customers. It is now available for organizations scaling globally.
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