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NCS, Accenture Seek More Technology for Improved Education

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Professor David O. Adewumi, NCS President
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The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and Accenture Nigeria, while acknowledging the existence of many recognized value levers for driving national development, called for leveraging technology as the tool to deliver growth in education, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can report.

The duo highlighted that technology, apart from being a sine qua non in skills building in the contemporary society, if offer support to drives for national development.

Professor David Adewumi, president of NCS, while speaking in Enugu at NCS conference which ended on Friday, said that technology in education is the bedrock of achieving sustainability of human and equipment resources needed to move every nation forward.

According to him, NCS convincingly chose the Conference topic: ‘Building a Knowledge-Based Economy in Nigeria: The Role of Information Technology”, as measure to draw participants and the general public’s attention to the imperative of prioritizing IT inclusion in all sectors of the economy.

At the meetings Adewumi observed that though Nigeria has come a long way, it was not far enough. Despite some recent achievements and improvements in the digital landscape in Nigeria, the country needs to do more, practically, on the ground.

“The role of technology is vital in empowering citizens economically and socially and laying the foundations for sustainable development. However, talk is cheap. We have had more discussions on technology than ever before. But NCS is concerned that there is too much talking the talk without walking the walk.

He added that digital inclusion is still a challenge that can’t be covered up by empty sloganeering. Technology must transform people’s lives”.

In a paper titled, “Application of Knowledge Technologies & Engineering in National Development”, Mr. Niyi Yusuf, country managing director, Accenture Nigeria, identified that literacy level of a population has direct impact on national development.

Thus, the nagging challenges of low literacy rate at 51%; poor education funding; dearth of teachers; obsolete educational content; little/no access to schools and educational resources in rural areas; growing young population with significant numbers not learning and increasing cost of education, must be tackled as soon as possible using technology.

The paper highlighted that the application of knowledge technologies must be, accessible, cost effective, relevant, easy to use and relevant.

On Accessibility, Yusuf opined that “Knowledge resources need to be accessible to all who need them. This includes the historically under-served demography especially within the rural areas

“Cost Effective: A key feature impacting accessibility is cost, and in order to ensure that the target users are able to access the resources, it must also be low cost in order to be affordable

“Easy to Use: Solutions must be easy to use in order to facilitate adoption. The scenario where valuable resources are not utilized due to complexity is a common one, and must be avoided

“Relevant: Knowledge resources must be relevant both within the local and national contexts. Focus should be placed on skills that will benefit the individual, the community, and ultimately the nation”.

He added that Nigeria can leverage on three (3) key global trends that are reducing the historical challenges of lack of power and cost of technology required for practical implementation.

They are, cost of devices, device power consumption and solar power cost per watt.

“These trends will allow leapfrogging by utilizing e-content, low cost devices, cloud computing, and renewable energy sources,” he said.

In his words, “Make no mistake, the gaps are huge. We have only scratched the surface of the problem. Government is looking for innovative ways and smart ideas to resolve the issues. The challenge to us as technologists is  how far can we take this forward to help along the process in shaping the right models of knowledge technologies that can work in our environment”.


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

E-Business

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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