Telecom
Lagos hosts technology conference to integrate innovation into growth plan
In line with its transformational objectives, Lagos State Government is hosting a world-class conference in conjunction with Eko Innovation Center (EIC) to discuss integration of technology and innovation into the state growth plan.
The conference, tagged Art of Technology (AOT), scheduled to hold on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th December respectively at the Oriental Hotels in Lagos, will converge over 2000 Tech giants, Policy makers, Government officials, Venture Capitalists, Product Designers, Cultural Architects, Software Engineers/Programmers, Creative Architects, Innovators and Tech enthusiasts to deliberate on the evolution of a smarter and digital Lagos.
As a first-of its-kind in Lagos, the AOT conference will extensively discuss how technology and innovation will transform the state into a smart city, and review necessary collaborations between operators in the innovation ecosystem and Lagos State Government towards achieving this goal.
Specifically, deliberations will center around the ‘Impact of Innovation on The Nigerian Economy, Creative Funding, Stakeholders in Innovation, The Future of Work, Tech, Pain-Points and the Smart City’ to allow for diverse perspectives by the multi-disciplinary faculty assembled for the conference.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who is the chief host, will be joined by other notable speakers like Mr. Leke Alder, Principal Consultant, Alder Consulting, Ms. Megan Curran, West Africa Director, Acumen, Mr. Ayotunde Coker, Managing Director, the Rack Center, Ms. Juliet Ehimuah, Country Director Google Nigeria and kunle Oloruntimehin, Country General Manager, CISCO Nigeria at the high-level discussions.
Other notable speakers and panelists drawn from Africa and around the world, with expertise in Innovation, big data, block-chain and artificial Intelligence, expected at the 2-day conference to deliberate on new realities and ways local Tech Innovators can become and remain competitive are Tomi Otudeko, Head, Innovation and Sustainability at Honeywell Group, Amauche Emenari, Researcher at MIT, kola Aina, Founder at Venture Platforms. Uche Isiugo Jnr, CEO, Emerging Infrastructure Capital, Fareed Arogundade, Founder, Workstation amongst others.
After insightful keynotes and inspiring workshops, innovators will showcase some of the products and solutions they have designed to address Lagos’ problems.
This is in response to a call for innovative responses to some socio-economic challenges facing the state government, some of which include Food and Agriculture, Transportation and Traffic Management, Energy, Housing, security and Environment, Job Creation and Empowerment and others. The preferred submissions will win a deal from the Lagos State Government.
Earlier, Mr. Tobosun Alake, Special Adviser, Innovation and Technology as well as the Conference Convener had said “that AOT is a collaborative engagement that will create a path to the sustainable development of our State.”
He added that “Technology is one of the major pillars of our T.H.E.M.E.S agenda and we are keen on deploring its phenomenal capacity to leapfrog our state to the forefront of innovation and development across the entire spectrum of human endeavours”.
For its strategic importance to the innovation and technology ecosystem, the AOT conference has generated significant interest amongst operators and players in the technology sub-sector of the economy.
Notably, some of the leading names in the sub-sector including Microsoft, Huawei, IBM, Oracle, Acumen, Swift Networks and others are collaborating with Lagos State Government and Eko Innovation Center (EIC) on AOT.
Telecom
Celebrating African Creativity: Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ Returns for Its Fifth Year
The “Made by Africa, Loved by the World” campaign is back for its fifth year, celebrating African creativity and global influence. This year’s theme, “Where Culture Meets Connection,” highlights how social media fosters conversations around cultural moments worldwide.
The campaign features three cinematic films premiering on the Meta Africa page, showcasing the groundbreaking work and personal stories of six dynamic African creatives.
These artists, from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, represent diverse disciplines, including rap, animation, dance, photography, fashion, and videography.
Here are some of the featured talents:
- Ladipoe (Nigeria) – A BET-nominated rapper known for blending global hip-hop with African rhythms.
- Fatboy Animations (Kenya) – An animation studio founded by Michael Muthiga, recognized by Forbes for its original African storytelling.
- Lisa Quama (Ghana) – A dancer who gained fame after appearing in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video.
- Gilbert Asante (Ghana) – A photographer and creative director featured in GQ and Glam Africa.
- David Tlale (South Africa) – A fashion designer whose bold designs have been showcased at major fashion events, including the Met Gala.
- Ofentse Mwase (South Africa) – A filmmaker with over 24 international awards for his unique visual storytelling.
Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director for Africa, Middle East & Turkey, emphasized that the campaign not only celebrates individual success stories but also showcases how culture and social media drive meaningful connections and inspiration.
Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has raised the alarm over a diesel supply crisis caused by an ongoing strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Mr Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON in a statement said that the fuel supply disruption is critically affecting telecom base stations, pushing them to the brink of a shutdown and threatening millions of mobile and internet users in the region.
“This strike, which stems from the persistent harassment of tanker and petroleum product drivers by police officers in Lagos State, has effectively halted all truck loading operations and fuel movements,” Emoekpere stated.
He explained that diesel supply to telecom infrastructure has been severely impacted, leaving critical sites with dangerously low fuel levels.
According to him, if urgent measures are not taken, the situation could escalate into a full-blown network blackout, disrupting essential services, including mobile and internet access, business operations, emergency response systems, and daily communications.
ATCON has called on the governors of Lagos and Ogun states to intervene immediately by facilitating the release of diesel from depots to telecom operators to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
“This is not just a telecom issue—it is a national emergency that could cripple economic activities and compromise public safety,” Emoekpere stressed.
The association also appealed to security agencies and petroleum unions to resolve the crisis swiftly to safeguard Nigeria’s connectivity and economic stability.
ATCON emphasised that a prolonged disruption in fuel supply to telecom infrastructure could have far-reaching consequences for both businesses and individuals who rely on stable communication networks for daily operations.
In 2023, Nigerians spent a total of about ₦5.3 trillion on telecommunications services, which includes calls, data, SMS, and other telecom services, according to the Leadership.
Specifically for voice calls, Nigerians made approximately 408.5 billion minutes of local calls, generating around ₦3.28 trillion from outgoing calls and ₦3.23 trillion from incoming calls, totaling about ₦6.51 trillion in call-related revenue according to projections based on 2023 call volumes and tariff data.
However, the ₦5.3 trillion figure represents the overall telecom sector revenue, with voice calls being a major component but also including data and other services.
For individual spending, MTN subscribers spent an average of ₦2,508 monthly on voice calls in 2023, showing a 14.4% increase from 2022, while Airtel customers spent about ₦1,694 monthly on voice calls.
Total telecom spending (calls, data, SMS, etc.): ₦5.3 trillion in 2023
Estimated revenue from voice calls alone: around ₦6.5 trillion based on call minutes and tariffs
Average monthly spending on calls per subscriber: ₦1,694 to ₦2,508 depending on the network
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