News
Nigeria Eager to Embark on Smart City Project- Shittu

Although, there is never a time to be fully ready for a smart city project, however it remains critical process in the wheel of city urbanization and renewal, said Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications.
According to Shittu, Nigeria is ready and eager to embark on that process. He made the remark during a presentation on the Proposed “Smart Cities Nigeria Summit”, scheduled to hold 8th -9th of August, 2017 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
Having said that, Shittu reminded the Local Organising Committee that (LOC) that it is a common knowledge that more than fifty four percent of the world’s population live in urban cities.
He said that continued urbanization will add more people to the urban population and invariably more challenges on government to make our cities more efficient, safer and conducive for our citizens.
“Our world is becoming more globalised, interconnected and intelligent. The systems and technologies that underpin so much of how the world works are smarter. We live in a time of unprecedented advances in every sector of human endeavour. In the ICT industry of developed economies alone, we are seeing the coming of age of a whole new generation of intelligent systems and technologies: more powerful and accessible than ever before.
“Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of our country. We are wrestling with both an infrastructure gap, after years of underinvestment, and an innovation gap from poor innovation performance in the business sector over the years. Improving both is essential to improve our fundamental economic prospects. By linking infrastructure and innovation, we increase the potential to help close both our infrastructure gap and our innovation gap”.
On the Nigerian Smart City Initiative, the Minister said, is not a silver bullet or a magic wand from government designed to make all cities and government operation ‘smart’ with one shot. “Rather, it is a conscious effort by government, working with the private sector and all other stakeholders to forge a public private partnership to develop scalable, replicable, interoperable and measurable solutions that will make our cities and citizens smarter.
“It starts by doing simple things, the smart way. One step at a time. That is why we are willing to work and partner with everybody in the IT space towards this unique and sustainable project.
IT companies will have the chance to team up with cities and infrastructure companies to help advance smart city/smart infrastructure technologies and systems in Nigeria. It is an opportunity to demonstrate and scale up Nigeria IT innovations and to show how IT can be linked with physical infrastructure to deliver business and public benefits”.
He said that the two day multi-stakeholders international summit will, among others, take a critical look at the level of preparedness, unique challenges, and emerging solutions necessary for a sustainable smart city initiative for the country.
Additionally, the summit will offer huge business opportunities for providers of smart city technologies to exhibit and pitch their solutions and products to Federal, States and Local Governments top officials, and private real estate developers who are all expected to attend the summit.
“The ‘Smart Cities Summit Nigeria initiative is not intended to be a one-off summit. More elaborate technical stakeholders’ engagements will continue to take place with different sectors in the ICT ecosystem well after the summit. We will also continue to work with our partners to design and proffer practical steps and solutions that will assist the Federal Government in formulating a unified and robust National Policy that will have a corresponding implementable framework towards the Smart Cities Nigeria initiative.
“That is why we have taken care in constituting members of the Local Organizing Committee of the Smart Cities Summit Nigeria to reflect the different sectors of Smart Cities development whilst also leveraging on their areas of core competences.
“We know that going smart would not be easy. In fact, it is a huge challenge, given the lack of critical infrastructure in the country. Non-availability of constant power, for instance, is a major challenge for any smart city initiative for the country. Cheap, clean and dependable power supply is the bedrock of any smart city project. So also, is effective broadband penetration and affordable data service. The Nigerian ICT Road Map 2017-2020, the National Strategic Plan 2016-2024, the Broad Band Policy and the new Power Sector Reforms of this administration, are some of the ways Government intends to address these challenges.
“There is never a time to be fully ready for a smart city project. It is a process in the wheel of city urbanization and renewal. Nigeria is ready and eager to embark on that process. This does not mean building only new smart cities, it also means making our existing cities and villages more efficient and more effective, using the technology available at our disposal. Again, doing simple things the smart way, one step at a time!
“In order to encourage healthy competition among Cities and States, the Ministry, in collaboration with its Partners, will soon launch ‘The Smart City Challenge’. The idea is to encourage Local Governments, Cities, State Governments, and the built industry to take revolutionary steps to go to the level of digital technology. Details of the competition and the prize money will be worked out with our Partners and made available to the Press”, he said.
News
DHQ Indicts Brigadier General Abubakar Sadiq, 15 Others in Alleged Coup Plot againt Tinubu

Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has made public the full names of 16 officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria indicted by a Special Investigative Panel over alleged serious misconduct, including an alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu.

The officers suspected to be involved in the coup plot include a brigadier general, a colonel, four lieutenant colonels, five majors, two captains, a lieutenant, a lieutenant commander and a Squandron Leader.
Major General Samaila Uba, director of Defence Information, disclosed this on Monday, stating that the panel had concluded its investigation and established that the affected officers had cases to answer.
According to him, the indicted officers will face a military Court Martial in line with established procedures and existing regulations.
Major Gen. Uba said the probe examined the circumstances surrounding the conduct of the officers and identified actions “inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards expected of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
He stressed that the exercise was purely disciplinary and aimed at preserving internal discipline, cohesion and operational effectiveness, adding that the Armed Forces remain loyal to the Constitution and Nigeria’s democratic order.
- Brigadier General Musa Abubakar Sadiq (Nasarawa, 44th Regular Course)
- Colonel M. A. Ma’aji (Niger, 47th Regular Course)
- Lieutenant Colonel S. Bappah (Bauchi, 56th Regular Course)
- Lieutenant Colonel A. A. Hayatu (Kaduna, 56th Regular Course)
- Lieutenant Colonel Dangnan (Plateau, 56th Regular Course)
- Lieutenant Colonel M. Almakura (Nasarawa, 56th Regular Course)
- Major A. J. Ibrahim (Gombe, 56th Regular Course)
- Major M. M. Jiddah (Katsina, 56th Regular Course)
- Major M. A. Usman (Federal Capital Territory, 60th Regular Course)
- Major D. Yusuf (Gombe, 59th Regular Course)
- Major I. Dauda (Jigawa, DSSC 38)
- Captain I. Bello (DSSC 43)
- Captain A. A. Yusuf
- Lieutenant S. S. Felix (DSSC)
- Lieutenant Commander D. B. Abdullahi (Nigerian Navy)
- Squadron Leader S. B. Adamu (Nigerian Air Force)
News
Court Fines Airtel N210m for Unauthorised Use of ‘Nigeria Go Survive’ Song

Justice Ibrahim Ahmad Kala of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on Monday awarded a total of N210 million in damages against Airtel Networks Limited for copyright infringement arising from the unauthorised use of a musical work titled “Nigeria Go Survive.”

The award comprises N200 million as general damages and N10 million as costs.
In addition to the monetary award, the court issued mandatory and perpetual injunctions restraining Airtel, its management, agents, servants, privies, successors-in-title and assigns from reproducing or further using the musical work, or any substantial part of it, for advertising, promotion, telemarketing, or other business purposes without the licence or authorisation of the copyright owner.
Justice Kala specifically ordered Airtel to remove “Nigeria Go Survive” from its list of songs used for advertising, business, telemarketing and promotional purposes across its network with immediate effect.
The judge held that Airtel’s use of the song without licence or authorisation amounted to restricted acts under the Copyright Act and constituted an infringement of the plaintiff’s copyright.
The judgment was delivered in suit No: FHC/L/CS/1822/2022, filed by Veno Marioghae Mbanefo, producer of the song.
In resolving the sole issue for determination, the court held that the plaintiff proved her case on the balance of probabilities.
Justice Kala noted that a perpetual injunction is granted after infringement has been established and is intended to protect the proprietary rights of the copyright owner and restrain continued infringement.
Accordingly, the court made the following orders: “That Airtel’s unauthorised use of “Nigeria Go Survive” for advertising, promotion and telemarketing amounts to copyright infringement.
“Mandatory injunction prohibiting Airtel from reproducing or using the musical work, or any substantial part of it, for business and promotional purposes.
“Perpetual injunction restraining Airtel from any further unauthorised use of the work.
“General damages N200 million awarded to the plaintiff for losses suffered as a result of the infringement. And N10 million awarded in favour of the plaintiff, considering the duration of the case, legal representation, expenses incurred, and the current value of the naira.
In the writ of summons filed by her legal team led by Clement Onwvenwunor, SAN, the plaintiff sought, among other reliefs, declarations that Airtel’s use of the song without attribution, licence or authorisation breached her statutory rights under Section 12 of the Copyright Act, Cap. C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
She also claimed substantial damages for copyright infringement and, in the alternative, requested an order directing Airtel to render an account of profits allegedly made from the infringement under the supervision of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Airtel Networks Limited, represented by counsel led by Babatunde Amoo, urged the court to dismiss the suit.
However, after reviewing the exhibits and submissions of counsel, Justice Kala resolved all issues in favour of the plaintiff.
The court refused the plaintiff’s alternative prayer for an account of profits but granted all substantive reliefs relating to infringement, damages and injunctive orders.
News
Tech Executives Double Down on AI, Talent and Adaptive Strategies to Lead in the Intelligence Age

KPMG’s Global Tech Report 2026 reveals that organisations worldwide are moving beyond pilots and seeking to embed AI into core workflows and offerings, striving to scale investments. The new report identifies that while expectations are high and adoption is rapid; scaling can introduce additional complexity and returns vary widely.

- 68 percent of organisations surveyed aim to reach the highest level of AI maturity by the end of 2026, yet only 24 percent are there today.
- 88 percent are investing in building agentic AI into their systems.
- 74 percent say their AI use cases are delivering business value, but only 24 percent achieve ROI across multiple use cases.
- 90 percent plan to grow partnerships and tech ecosystems over the next year, yet 53 percent still lack the talent needed to bring their digital transformation plans to life.
- 78 percent agree they must take more risks on emerging technologies to stay relevant.
The report asks: Can ambition match reality, and can organisations keep one eye on the next wave of innovation while delivering on today’s agenda?
“The future belongs to leaders who turn intelligence into advantage. Our research shows organisations are pushing past the early phase of ‘AI roulette’, placing scattered bets on multiple technologies, and are now increasingly focused on delivering value. When ambition meets disciplined execution, value compounds.
“Our 2026 Global Tech Report provides a synopsis of the critical things that high performers are doing better than most; a checklist for tech leaders looking to improve their organisational performance, emulate the high performers, and deliver higher ROI”. – Guy Holland, Global Leader, CIO Center of Excellence, KPMG International
”As Africa enters the Intelligence Age, the differentiator is no longer access to technology, but the ability to build the skills, governance, and operating models required to scale it responsibly. While organisations are accelerating AI adoption to drive productivity and growth, the real determinant of value lies in workforce readiness, executive alignment, and disciplined execution.
Those that invest early in digital skills, human-AI collaboration, and adaptive leadership will be best positioned to translate innovation into sustainable commercial and economic impact.” – Marshal Luusa, Partner: Technology & Innovation Lead, KPMG One Africa
Key findings from the report
Tech maturity accelerates: Leaders set their sights on the top
Half (50 percent) of global tech leaders surveyed expect to reach the highest level of technology maturity in 2026, compared to only 11 percent today. This surge in optimism is fuelled by a move from isolated experiments to integrating AI and advanced technologies into core systems and scaling their impact.
High performers, those organisations leading in technology maturity, process maturity and value, are already reaping the rewards, reporting an average ROI of 4.5x, more than double the industry average of 2x. These leading organisations have progressed beyond pilot programs, prioritising the scaling of innovation and continually adapting to maintain a competitive edge in a fast-evolving environment.
Other organisations reporting higher ROI include smaller firms (3.6x), those with fewer cost pressures (2.6x), and transformation‑focused organisations (3.2x). The ROI pattern is equally nuanced: rather than a single investment ‘sweet spot’, clear ROI ‘zones’ emerge, from early quick wins to accelerating, enterprise‑wide value as maturity increases.
The age of agentic: AI adoption surges but innovation drives real business value
AI is now seen as a strategic necessity, not just industry hype. Sixty-eight percent of respondents are aiming for the highest level of AI maturity in their organisations. Eighty-eight percent of companies are already investing in agentic AI – autonomous digital agents transforming operations and decision-making. Seventy-four percent of respondents report that their AI initiatives are creating measurable business value, such as improved efficiency and reduced risk.
However, only 24 percent say they are scaling AI and achieving ROI across multiple use cases. This highlights the need for organisations to evolve KPIs beyond traditional financial and productivity metrics and build enterprise-wide alignment to fully realise AI’s potential.
The shift from AI experimentation to large-scale deployment is underway, with leaders working to embed AI into products, services, and value delivery.
Talent and agility power success: Human potential remains central
Human expertise remains central to digital transformation initiatives. Organisations are making significant investments in upskilling their workforce, building adaptive teams, and fostering cultures that embrace change.
Despite the rapid adoption of agentic AI, organisations still expect 42 percent of their tech workforce to remain permanent human staff by 2027 – only a five‑point drop from 2025.
High-performing companies plan to retain even more permanent human talent, with 50 percent remaining in place by 2027, revealing the continued importance of human expertise alongside AI. Despite these efforts, 53 percent of organisations report they still lack the talent needed to realise their digital transformation strategies.
Ninety-two percent of organisations surveyed anticipate that managing AI agents will become a critical skill within five years. The most successful organisations prioritise both technological advancements and people, empowering employees to innovate and adapt.
Strategic partnerships fuel growth: Ecosystems expand for the future
To overcome challenges and accelerate learning, 90 percent of organisations plan to grow partnerships and tech ecosystems over the next year. Strategic alliances are enabling access to specialised expertise, rapid innovation, and shared best practices.
As agentic AI and other advanced technologies become mainstream, organisations recognise the importance of building robust ecosystems that foster co-creation and continuous improvement. Nearly one-third of tech executives are planning to increase investment in centers of excellence, supporting cross-functional teams and controlled experimentation.
Preparing for tomorrow’s breakthroughs: Leaders embrace bold risks
The future is arriving fast, with quantum computing and Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) on the horizon. Leaders are already preparing for these breakthroughs, with 78 percent of organisations agreeing they must take more risks on emerging technologies to stay relevant.
The report urges organisations to maintain strategic foresight, invest in ethical frameworks, and build resilient, future-ready workforces. By balancing ambition with rational thinking and disciplined execution, tech executives are positioning their organisations to turn disruption into durable, compounding value.
News2 days agoAnambra Cuts Monday Pay to Kill Sit-at-Home
E-Financial2 days agoFirst Asset Management Receives Upgraded Ratings from Agusto &Co and DataPro
News2 days agoLIRS to Invoke NTAA to Recover Unpaid Taxes from Bank Accounts, Others
General News2 days agoNigeria Treats Religious Violence as Attack on State – NSA Ribadu
E-Financial2 days agoCBN Prepares Fresh Debit Card Rules to Improve ATM Services
E-Financial2 days agoNIBSS, Others Flag 13,417 Nigerian Fraudsters on Person of Interest Portal
News20 hours agoTech Executives Double Down on AI, Talent and Adaptive Strategies to Lead in the Intelligence Age
General News20 hours agoWEBINAR: Techeconomy Business Series Hosts Experts from MTN, Interswitch, BusinessPlus, others this Wednesday












