E-Business
Key Takeaways from BETT MEA & Turkey Leadership Forum 2016
Education and policy leaders drawn from Middle East, Africa and Turkey, recently, met at the inaugural BETT Middle East Leadership Forum held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates with the sole aim of achieving best practice guidance for (education) successful system change.
The 2-day Forum was unique in many ways, networking opportunities and inspiration from the world of education, especially, following world class contents shared by Microsoft Worldwide Education (MWE), the principal partners to #BETT_MiddleEast.
The thinking revolves round adopting technology to help improve education and learning, create opportunity, and raise living standards for people around the world, particularly in Middle East, Africa and Turkey.
Meanwhile, the African-America Institute “State of Education in Africa Report 2015” supports United Nation’s statistics which shows: “The Africa region has experienced an impressive increase in the number of students enrolled in primary school. Between 1990 and 2012, the number of children enrolled in primary schools more than doubled, from 62 million to 149 million children.
Unfortunately and “despite tremendous gains in primary school enrollment, no African country has achieved universal primary education.
“For a country to achieve universal primary education, all children must have completed a full course of primary schooling.
“Globally, 58 million children of primary school age were out of school in 2012. Of that number, 38 million children were in Africa. About half of all out-of-school African children will never step foot in a school in their lifetime”.
Anthony Salcito, vice president, Education for Microsoft Corporation’s Worldwide Public Sector organization, reminded the delegates, “This is a time in history that is very critical to push hard and drive for innovation and change in schools”. So we need to challenge each other to push harder and faster for the changes needed in the education sector. – See more: http://www.nigeriacommunicationsweek.com.ng/e-guest/tech-ll-fuel-changes-in-mea-education-sector-salcito#sthash.eGe61uhR.dpuf.
On this premise, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek key takeways from the Forum, are essentially summarized in Microsoft Education Framework christened “Ten Critical Components of School Transformation” (www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/school-leaders).
This decision was informed by Salcito’s presentation, who unequivocally, urged leaders from these regions to embrace the ten components of transformation that fall into two categories, relying squarely on Leadership and policy. The rest point at enhancing 21st century pedagogy
Feeling more educated on digitalizing education contents and localizing same, Mohammed Mahmud, a member of the Nigerian Parliament, even said, “What we learnt here are eye opening and impactful; as we return home (Nigeria), I will put up a team to assess how we can localize some of the things we learnt here. Truly and as advised by one of the speakers, we may not be able to do everything same time, but we will be doing ourselves a disservice if we don’t act now.
Leadership & Policy:
1.Establishing A Vision
2.Microsoft drums it loud that before school systems can embark on change they need a clear vision. Why? Defining one is complex because it touches on the perception, attitudes and everyday work of multiple stakeholders; involves the reallocation of fiscal and cultural resources; and disturbs the status quo. Thus, thrust of this anchores on helping policy leaders with examples from successful systems, and best practice to develop a cycle that includes a vision, strategic planning, implementation, and reflections on progress.
2. Partnerships and Capacity Building for Change
Microsoft’s message is that a public-private education partnership has the potential to be a significant catalyst for systemic change. This was even put forward by AAI, among other things, “Completing primary education helps to lay the foundation for building a skilled and better-educated workforce in Africa.
3. Organizational Capacity, Strategic Planning and Quality Assurance
A successful change strategy requires professional development, feedback and support for teachers along with a well-researched monitoring and evaluation system.
Professor Kate Omenugha, commissioner for Education, Anambra State, Nigeria nods in agreement to the aforementioned thus, “Coming back to ICT and looking at the curriculum in Nigeria, you need to start ICT teaching and learning, from the primary school…So the first thing was to demystify the new teaching tool for them. The past administration keyed into the Microsoft Academy which Anambra State is one of the 42 places across the globe where the Academy is being used. What does that mean to us? We have access to training facilities and certification of our teachers”.
4. Inclusion, Accessibility and Sustainability
Microsoft points to a direction that a commitment to personalized learning includes providing technology solutions that empower all students. We dare to say that for Africa to achieve the goal of raising globally competitive students, there is urgent need to personalized system of learning”. As Salcito said, this approach helps to build innovation, confident level & critical thinking of a child, and pays off in way of skill sets to meet challenges in today’s workplace.
21st Century Pedagogy
5. Personalized Learning
Personalized learning has the potential to overcome socio-economic, time and space limitations and maximize educational opportunities Clear guidelines from UNESCO present a roadmap towards individualized education.
UNESCO highlighted that “‘one size fits all’ approach to acquiring knowledge in today’s educational institutions does not successfully meet the needs of individuals of a knowledge society…”
6. Teacher and Leader Capacity
The need for “Building teacher and leader capacity is vital to successful transformation”, cannot be over emphasized.
7. Curriculum and Assessment
Responsive and creative use of technology is a powerful way to improve curriculum and assessment outcomes for students. For instance, exploring the allure of computer gaming makes learning fun.
“Educational games may be able to help circumvent major problems plaguing classrooms by placing students in a frame of mind that is conducive to learning rather than worrying about how smart they look,” said Paul O’Keefe, an NYU postdoctoral fellow at the time of the study and now at Stanford University’s Department of Psychology. It is imperatives that curriculum in the Nigeria’s education system be re-assessed to create room for digitization of the necessary areas.
8. Developing A Learning Community
A community of practice can provide a structure for fostering growth and development amongst peers to enhance learning goals.
9. Physical Learning Environments
The Microsoft Education Framework also contains the fact that anytime, anywhere virtual learning spaces are the manifestation of the connections that are redefining the 21st century school-community dynamics.
Thus, from whole-of-school transformation to mobile and smart learning solutions, these technology-enabled environments cultivate innovative learning and bring together all stakeholders in the building of a single ‘mega-learning space’.
10. Designing Technology for Effective And Efficient Schools
Combining cloud solutions that manage infrastructure with services and learning allows schools to operate more effectively.
Microsoft promised that not only does the technology they have support the running of a school, it also maximizes the potential of all students.
Thus, by unlocking and understanding student data educators can solve critical teaching challenges, improving learning outcomes and graduation rates. Reference: microsoft.com/en-us/education/school-leaders/school-systems-planning/components.aspx
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Nigeria has emerged as one of Africa’s most regulated online gambling markets, even as illegal operators continue to dominate the continent, according to a new report by Gaming Compliance International (GCI).
The report, the first comprehensive assessment of online gambling across all 54 African countries, showed that Africa’s online gambling Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) reached $23 billion in 2025.
However, only $5.2 billion (23 per cent) was generated by licensed operators, while $17.8 billion (77 per cent) remained in the unregulated market.
In West Africa, total online gambling revenue rose to $4.8 billion in 2025 from $4.3 billion in 2024. Of the 2025 figure, regulated operators accounted for $1.5 billion (31 per cent), while $3.3 billion (69 per cent) flowed to unlicensed platforms, highlighting the region’s persistent enforcement challenges.
Nigeria stood out as the region’s strongest performer, recording the lowest unregulated market share at 56 per cent, compared with the West African average of 69 per cent and the African average of 77 per cent.
The study also found that online gambling participation across Africa increased from 198 million people (13 per cent of the population) in 2024 to 215 million (14 per cent) in 2025.
Despite this growth, GCI estimated that illegal operators deprived African governments of about $3.55 billion in tax revenue in 2025. The number of unlicensed gambling platforms targeting African consumers also rose to 4,129, up from 3,644 in 2024.
Commenting on the findings, Matt Holt, chief executive officer, GCI, said the report provides regulators with the first continent-wide benchmark for strengthening oversight and consumer protection.
Ismail Vali, president, GCI, urged governments to develop competitive and well-regulated markets that encourage consumers to patronise licensed operators, boost public revenue and attract greater investment.
Online gambling in Nigeria is regulated by the Nation Lottery Regulatory Commission.
At the height of the Northern Hemisphere tourist season, demand for communications and mobile Internet services rises sharply. Kaspersky’s security experts have uncovered scams that target anyone purchasing mobile connections or SIM cards worldwide.
Fraudsters create counterfeit websites that look like the portals of major regional and international telecom providers to trick users into revealing their phone numbers, personal details or banking information.
Kaspersky is sharing several examples of these fake login pages that mimic legitimate telecom operator sites and giving recommendations on how not to be deceived.
In the first case, scammers exploit the brand name of an international telecommunications company operating services in Asia, Africa and Europe. Fake authentication pages encourage users to put in their phone number and credentials.
While the first example shows the different design, the second scam site closely mimics the original log in page, making it hard for users to tell the difference and spot a fake. Entering authentication or payment data on fraudulent web sites may result in money or data loss and become a reason for more frequent spam and fraudulent calls.
Another example is a scam page which poses as another international communications company, working in North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. In this scheme scammers encourage users to top up their mobile data/Internet plans by entering their personal information and bank cards details.
Kaspersky experts have also identified a scam when cyber criminals suggest users enter their personal data to check and pay a bill inquiry. Such scam schemes are usually aimed at gaining victims’ personal data for further fraud or account hacking and stealing money.
“Because of the active use of AI, scammers can now create fake pages with ever increasing accuracy and speed, targeting the most popular user interest areas. We constantly see scams revolving around sports events, music concerts, seasonal sales and holidays. Unfortunately, the telecoms industry is no exception.
To keep your data and money safe, be vigilant when purchasing mobile or Internet plans online. Using an eSIM – purchased through an official app – is one way to avoid fake telecom sites, as it eliminates the need to enter personal details on questionable web pages.
If you’re unsure about a site’s legitimacy, search for the brand name directly in a search engine and enable a security solution that blocks phishing links for you,” comments Tatyana Kulikova, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky.
In a strategic push to bridge the gender digital divide, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has partnered with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) to advance women’s digital inclusion and drive the nation’s transformation agenda.
Dr Aristotle Onumo and some NITDA staff, pose for a group photograph with the President of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Comrade Aisha Ibrahim, and members of the delegation following a strategic engagement at the Agency’s Headquarters in Abuja.
The partnership was cemented during a courtesy visit to NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, by a NAWOJ delegation led by National President Comrade Aishatu Ibrahim, who introduced the agency to the forthcoming Women in Security (WINSEC) Summit & Awards 2026.
Inuwa, represented by Dr. Aristotle Onumo, the Director of the Stakeholders Management and Partnerships Department, assured the association that NITDA would not only participate in the conference, but also support the success of the conference.
Inuwa hailed the NAWOJ for creating a platform for peacebuilding, dialogue on security and women’s inclusion, which he described as one of the critical areas NITDA is focused on to ensure that more women obtain digital literacy and skills under the National Gender Inclusive Strategy.
Beyond NITDA’s plan to participate in the conference, the DG noted that a robust partnership between the organisations would engender meaningful opportunities and initiatives through which many more women can access digital literacy.
“Inclusivity is the key to everything we do at NITDA. We clearly defined that 40 per cent of our programmes must recognise the issue of gender. We ensure that women are adequately represented and positioned to benefit greatly from the programmes that we organise in the agency.
“We graciously accept to participate actively in that conference. Apart from acquiring skills among journalists themselves, partnership with NAWOJ will also serve as a platform through which we can also reach out to various women’s groups across the federation,” Inuwa said.
Earlier, Comrade Ibrahim commended the DG for his visionary and transformational leadership which has continued to position NITDA as the catalyst for Nigeria’s digital economy through its various programmes.
She explained that the Women in Security (WINSEC) Summit and Awards 2026 is an initiative of NAWOJ designed to promote collaboration among government institutions, security agencies, technology experts, the media, and other stakeholders to address contemporary security challenges.
According to Comrade Ibrahim, the association also aims to recognise outstanding individuals and institutions that have demonstrated excellence in security, governance, and innovation while fostering meaningful dialogue on the role of technology in building a safer and more resilient Nigeria.
“We deeply appreciate your exemplary leadership, passion for innovation, and unwavering commitment to building a digitally empowered Nigeria. We respectfully invite the agency to partner with NAWOJ in making this landmark initiative a success.
“We look forward to establishing a long-term partnership with NITDA that will empower women journalists with cutting-edge digital skills, support digital inclusion and contribute to innovation, digital literacy, and human capital development,” the NAWOJ president added.
Both organisations expressed optimism that the meeting would lay a solid foundation for a rewarding partnership agreement with specific and clearly defined objectives that will support digital inclusion and contribute to innovation, digital literacy, and human capital development.
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