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Nelson Mandela University Confers Honorary Doctorate on Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho
Nelson Mandela University has conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Information Technology on tech expert, Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho, in recognition of her impactful contribution to technology ecosystems and policy development across Africa.
Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho,
The institution in a statement released on Friday said that the award will be conferred at the University’s graduation ceremony on 13 December.
Uwaje Begho, CEO of the Nigeria-based Future Software Resources Ltd., one of Nigeria’s leading digital and technology solutions companies, is a renowned digital transformation and brand marketing expert.
Over the years she has served on the leadership of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group Digital Economy Thematic Group, the Nigerian National IT Software Committee; and the Nigerian Electronic Voting Think Tank.
Her accolades include being on the Forbes List of Top Ten Female Tech Founders in Africa in 2014 and being selected as one of the Obama Africa Leaders in 2019.
She said, “The Honorary Doctorate is very unexpected and it is most gratifying to receive it from a Pan-African institution of Nelson Mandela University’s stature.”
Uwaje Begho said: “We can be proud of Fintech unicorns like Interswitch, Flutterwave and Paystack that successfully paved the way for Nigerian and pan-African payments. However, as a continent our focus should be on innovating around emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and IoT as they hold immense potential as drivers for sustainable socio-economic development.
“We need to invest in young talent in Africa and a tech-supportive policy environment to ensure we move from consuming technologies to creating them. It’s exciting to see generative AI companies like CDIAL.AI emerging from Africa, founded by Nigeria’s Olayinka Lyinolokan.”
To create an enabling tech environment, “requires policy-making tailored to Africa’s unique environment, not copy-and-paste from countries like India or elsewhere,” she added.
Addressing the international dimension, Uwaje Begho calls for internationally-recognised and enforceable laws and policies, facilitating confidence for investors in companies registered in African countries.
She highlights the missed revenue opportunities when policies and laws governing technology and the startup ecosystem are not consistent, thus forcing startups to register and raise investment in other jurisdictions.
To expand digital access, she stresses the significance of last-mile broadband penetration, to reach all areas in every country in Africa. She underscores the role of private telecom companies in extending broadband infrastructure to rural areas, emphasising the importance of forward-thinking leaders and reasonable right of way charges.
“I am pleased to see an increase in well thought through policies – like Kenya’s broadband plan, which is focused on enabling healthcare and education through the democratisation of Internet access.”
Quality education is an essential for talent development says Uwaje Begho who attended the German International School in Lagos before moving to Germany to further her studies, and in 2006 she graduated with a BSc. Hons. in Bioinformatics from Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU) & Technical University Munich (TUM) in Munich.
She emphasises the need for educational institutions to keep updating their curricula to remain relevant and keep pace with global IT and digital development is of equal importance. To those who have just graduated in the IT field she says: “There are so many opportunities for problem-solvers and critical thinkers. What you need to know, however, is that your learning journey has only just begun and you need to commit to lifelong learning.”
A firm believer in mentorship, Uwaje Begho regularly mentors founders in accelerator programmes such as Google for Startups Africa, WIA, W.Tec and Founders Institute Lagos.
“The increasing numbers of women in technology is a welcome development and we need to continue to put in the effort to get young African girls into technology and more importantly to ensure that they stay,” says Uwaje Begho who calls for more gender-lensed funding to empower and support female entrepreneurs on the continent.
“I am a proud member of the women only angel investment network Rising Tide Africa – a unique, trans-border women-oriented investment network funded by private investors who believe that they will bring about positive change by investing in the continent’s exciting start-ups and next generation to create a New Africa.”
Legit.ng recently joined forces with the Shade of Life Foundation to become a voice of autism, and drive advocacy for improved media support during Autism Awareness Month.
Participants at the event
Conversations around media support exploration was led by Joseph Omotayo, head of Department for Human Interest Stories at Legit.ng, and Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, founder and CEO of the Shade of Life Foundation,
This partnership is a response to the concerns raised by organizations like the Shade of Life Foundation about the level of support received from the media in discussing autism as a disability.
While other disabilities may receive attention, autism, with its critical developmental implications often lacks adequate representation in mainstream media.
Recognizing the importance of addressing these concerns, Legit.ng took proactive steps by integrating itself into the essence of autism awareness.
It facilitated a one-hour workshop with Dr. Nwokolo, the founder of the foundation, to deepen our understanding of autism, its various spectrums, and the language boundaries associated with it.
Other steps we took in advocating autism awareness in the media, can be seen in our attached press release.
Legit.ng believes that by amplifying the voices of autism and advocating for better media representation, we can contribute to creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all.
While 85 per cent of Nigeria is in darkness, Tanzania, an African country has shut down five hydroelectric stations in a bid to reduce excess electricity in the national grid.
Kassim Majaliwa, prime minister, Tanzania, has said the main plant, Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station, alone generated enough electricity to power major cities, including Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.
It is the first time Tanzania, which suffers chronic power shortages, has closed hydroelectric stations due to excess production.
“We have turned off all these stations because the demand is low and the electricity production is too much, we have no allocation now,” an official from state-run power company, Tanesco, said.
The 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam is said to be almost filled with water following heavy rains that started early this year.
Meanwhile, while the country has an installed capacity of 1,938MW and the grid installed capacity of 1,899MW, Nigeria which has an installed capacity of 13,000MW is struggling to electrify 85 per cent of its electricity consumers.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Jim Ovia, renowned banker and businessman, as the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
Jim Ovia
Ovia’s appointment is contained in a State House statement titled, ‘President Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as Chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,’ and issued on Friday by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the President, Media & Publicity.
The statement noted that “Ovia is the founder of one of Nigeria’s leading banks and a respected business leader, with a surfeit of efforts and benefaction towards nurturing and empowering young Nigerians.
“He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana.”
The National Student Loan Programme is a pivotal intervention that seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the implementing institution of this innovation, demands excellence and Nigerians of the finest professional ilk to guide and manage.
“The President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds,” the statement partly read.
Ovia’s appointment will also ensure “that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.”
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