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Local Content Development: FG Drums Support for Arravo

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Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy.
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Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has said the federal government will continue to support Arravo, a technology solution provider, on its local content development drive, which he added, would enhance digital transformation across the country.

Local Content Development: FG Drums Support for Arravo

Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami

Pantami who gave the commitment during the recent launch of Arravo’s new brand identity in Lagos, said the switch from BCX Nigeria, which hitherto had foreign stakeholders, to Arravo, which is a complete ownership by Nigerians, would enable the new owners to grow the company, using full local content that will benefit Nigerians.

According to the Minister, “FG is determined to advance our indigenous content in ICT within Nigeria, particular as it relates to our national digital economy policy for our digital Nigeria. Any effort that will promote digital economy and indigenous content in ICT, will be welcomed by government. Digital economy is currently dominating the world economy.

According to Oxford Economist, four years ago, digital economy was valued at $11.5 trillion and at that time, it was up to 15.5 per cent of the entire world economy.

Digital Economy in United States of America, in 2017, created up to 5.1 million jobs.

“The COVID-19 pandemic which ravaged global economy, compelled nations to adopt and deploy digital technology, which is a clear sign that Nigeria among other nations, must also embrace digital technology to promote our indigenous content.”

Our digital economy journey started October 24, 2019, when President Mohammadu Buhari consented to our request to upgrade the Nigerian ministry from Federal Ministry of Communications to Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy”, Pantami said.

He added, “From that time, we were mandated to develop national digital economy policy for our digital Nigeria, which we have already done and it was launched by President Buhari on November 28, 2019 in Abuja.

Since the launch, we have been working hard to provide the enabling environment on which digital economy will thrive in the country.

“We came up with eight pillars, which include: developmental regulation, digital skills, solid infrastructure, service infrastructure, digital services, software infrastructure, digital society and emerging technologies, and indigenous content development and promotion.

“Arravo’s vision for local content development is in line with the 8th pillar of government to promote indigenous content, and government will support Arravo to achieve this. We encourage all stakeholders to promote local content and produce what we need, while government will ensure that we consume what we produce locally,” Pantami said.

Mr. Ayo Adegboye, managing director/CEO of Arravo, said the parent company from South Africa decided to diverse their stake outside Africa and a few of us came together as investors to acquire the stake from BCX South Africa and BCX Nigeria. The bold step we took to acquire the multi-million dollar stake, has actually brought us to where we are today, with Arravo as the new brand identity.

“With the rebranding, we are on our way to becoming the industry giant and we are not going to achieve this all alone. We will be collaborating with industry players to achieve our goal of becoming the industry giant.

Our emphasis will be on embracing partnerships and we will try not just to be excellent, but to be exceptional, in order to engage, disrupt and deliver the best of technology solutions for business resilience,” Adegboye said.

Original Equipment Manufacturers present at the rebranding event, equally restated their commitments to continue partnering Arravo, even with its new brand identity.


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OADC Lagos Reinforces Commitment to Local Data Hosting and Digital Transformation @ NDPC’s National Privacy Week Summit

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Open Access Data Centres (OADC) Lagos has reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s data protection and digital transformation agenda through its sponsorship and active participation in the Nigeria Data Protection Commission’s (NDPC) National Privacy Week Summit.

The National Privacy Week Summit, organised by the NDPC, convened policymakers, regulators, technology providers, and industry stakeholders to promote data privacy awareness, strengthen compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), and advance conversations around data security, sovereignty, and responsible data governance.

As a sponsor of the event, OADC Lagos demonstrated its continued support for the Federal Government’s drive toward local data hosting and data domiciliation, which are increasingly critical to safeguarding sensitive information, enhancing regulatory compliance, and building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.

Through its carrier-neutral, Tier III Design certified data centre in Lekki, Lagos, OADC provides secure, resilient, and compliant infrastructure that enables government institutions and private sector organisations to host and manage data locally while meeting international best practices.

Commenting on the engagement, Adesola Adesugba, Country Marketing Manager, Open Access Data Centres Nigeria, said: “We are proud to have supported the Nigeria Data Protection Commission through the National Privacy Week Summit and to stand alongside the government in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives.

“Strengthening local data hosting and domiciliation is fundamental to national data sovereignty, improved security, and sustainable digital growth, and OADC Lagos remains committed to enabling this future.”

OADC’s participation at National Privacy Week Summit underscores its role as a trusted digital infrastructure partner to government and enterprise, supporting secure cloud connectivity, regulatory compliance, and the long-term development of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Open Access Data Centres is part of the WIOCC Group and operates open-access, world-class data centres across Africa, serving cloud providers, network operators, enterprises, and public sector institutions.


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Kaspersky Launches OT Calculator to Align Cybersecurity Investments with Business Goals

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Kaspersky’s new online tool has been specially developed for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs associated with insufficient operational technology (OT) security.

By offering detailed financial forecasts, the calculator empowers senior management to make well-informed decisions regarding security investments.

Industrial organisations increasingly depend on interconnected systems, elevating cybersecurity to a critical factor in business resilience and profitability.

According to VDC Research, over 60% of industrial companies last year reported that cybersecurity breaches had led to significant costs. Despite this, a persistent disconnect remains between security teams and executive leadership as security professionals focus on minimising risk, while executives must balance cybersecurity concerns with broader business objectives. This misalignment often results in competing priorities and underfunded security initiatives.

To bridge this gap, Kaspersky has launched the OT Cybersecurity Savings Calculator, an innovative online tool designed specifically for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs of inadequate operational technology (OT) security¹.

The primary aim of this tool is to translate cyber risks into tangible financial metrics and support strategic discussions around priorities and budget allocation. By entering details such as their sector, sub-sector, region, company size, breach history, and existing cybersecurity measures, organisations can estimate their potential cost savings and receive customised, actionable recommendations.

The calculator benchmarks performance against industry peers and highlights the company’s position within the current threat landscape.

“We believe this calculator is a powerful resource for transforming complex cyber risk data into straightforward financial insights. It enables OT leaders, security professionals, and executive teams to develop clear, data-driven business cases and recognise the value of cybersecurity investments. With actionable guidance, it promotes a comprehensive approach to resource management and strengthens overall organisational resilience,” comments Andrey Strelkov, Head of Industrial Cybersecurity Product line at Kaspersky.


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Local App Developers Rake $1m in Sales in 2025- NOTAP

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National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has said Nigerian software developers have reached significant milestones with locally made applications generating over one million Dollar in sales across domestic and regional markets.

Local App Developers Rake $1m in Sales in 2025- NOTAP

Dr Obiageli Amadiobi, director-general of NOTAP, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday in Abuja.

Amadiobi said the development signified the growing strength of Nigeria’s digital innovation ecosystem and how local innovation powers digital growth.

She said it was also a direct outcome of targeted support initiatives led by NOTAP.

She added that the initiative helped to build capacity, protect intellectual property, and connect developers to market opportunities.

According to the NOTAP boss, the journey from concept to impact started with understanding and securing intellectual property (IP) rights, a step many local innovators missed.

“Whether it’s a literary work, a laboratory invention, or a creative digital product, the process of bringing an idea to life demands immense time, skill, and dedication.

“An innovator might wake up with a solution to a pressing problem; spend months testing and refining it and achieve remarkable results; so it is their fundamental right to patent that creation and claim ownership.

“Without this protection, someone else could easily replicate their work; patent it in their name; and legally control what was built with Nigerian brainpower,” she said.

Amadiobi said that the challenge was compounded by widespread digital piracy and counterfeiting, which hit the ICT sector hardest.

“From copied software applications to replicated content on social platforms like TikTok, unauthorised duplication has become a major barrier to growth.

“We see talented young creators develop unique digital content or tools, only to watch others rebrand and profit from their work within weeks,” she said.

The DG noted that most popular online personalities with distinctive styles often don’t realise they could protect their original contributions through IP registration.

She said that to address these gaps and unlock the value of Nigerian innovation, NOTAP implemented a multi-pronged strategy,- a cornerstone initiative – which is the Local Vendor Policy.

“The Local Vendor Policy mandates that foreign technology firms entering Nigeria partner with domestic counterparts,’’ she said.

Amadiobi said that among the performing apps are solutions addressing critical local challenges such as a mobile health platform that now serves 750,000 users across six states.

“There is also the agricultural marketplace connecting smallholder farmers to buyers; and an educational tool that has been adopted by 200 schools to improve learning outcomes,” she said.

She added that the apps were developed by teams that gained skills and resources through NOTAP’s Local Vendor Policy.

According to her, the policy requires foreign technology firms operating in Nigeria to allocate a portion of their technical service fees to local partners.

“Three years ago, many of these developers were only providing support services to foreign companies.

“But today, they are building their own products that compete globally. 60 per cent of last year’s sales came from other African countries, showing our developers can lead on the continent,” she said.

The D-G explained that the one million dollar figure represented sales from over 50 locally developed apps, with individual developers earning between 5,000 dollars and 80,000 dollars from their products.

“Looking ahead, NOTAP aims to double these sales figures by 2027, with plans to expand support to developers focusing on fintech, renewable energy management, and climate adaptation tools.

“These are the sectors identified as high-growth opportunities for Nigerian innovation,’’ Amadiobi said


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