Telecom
Nigeria Gears Up for GITEX as NITDA Inaugurates LOC
In a bid to expand Nigeria’s portfolio of technology opportunities, ensure the country’s effective participation at this year’s GITEX and to also expose her startups, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has inaugurated the Gitex 2018 Local Organizing Committee (LOC).
According to a statement by Hadiza Umar, Head, Corporate Affairs & External Relations Unit, NITDA, the event is billed to hold from October 14 – 18, 2018 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) is the premier technology event in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
The event annually hosts over 184, 000 trade visitors and delegates from more than 140 countries, and over 4000 world class exhibitors from about 97 countries. GITEX Technology Week is a five-day event,” to become one of the most globe’s biggest technology gathering for governments and top decision makers.
Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Director-General/CEO, NITDA, while inaugurating the GITEX LOC as well as the LOC for eNigeria, said “We remain firm and committed to promoting technology deployment and building our local IT industry to world standard through participation in global events that further exposes the players to trends in the industry.”
Dr Pantami urged the GITEX LOC to explore rather than exploit opportunities at improving Nigeria’s participation at such global events.
He said “to explore requires that we keep thinking of how better a thing can be no matter the level of success already achieved.
“To exploit is to be contented with our achievement and not to desire to improve or to be dynamic to keep raising the bar.
“I urge you all to explore new ideas and new ways at which we can improve our continuous participation at GITEX, an international event and eNigeria, our own national event that is already having an international clout.”
The GITEX LOC which draws members from both public and private sectors has since gone to work with sub-committees for Startups, Pavilion Management, Media and Sector Profiling, and the GITEX LOC Secretariat.
Members were enlisted from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Bank of Industry, NIGCOMSAT Limited and Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
Others are from the Nigeria Computer Society and Pinnacle International Consulting LLC, the DWTC Sole Representative for GITEX in Nigeria and West Africa.
NITDA also revealed that they will be sponsoring some carefully selected Nigerian startups to exhibit and participate in the Global Startup Movement and Expo in GITEX.
To also enable more startups to participate in the GITEX Startup Sponsorship, the agency has extended the application to now close on September 2, 2018 as against the former date of August 25, 2018.
Some of Nigerian startups are expected to compete in the GITEX Future Stars (GFS) competition which further exposes the winners to a large pool of global venture capitalists, mentors and angel investors.
Dr Agu Collins Agu, Director, Corporate Planning and Strategy, NITDA, who is also the GITEX LOC chairman said “We plan to engage the international community and leverage on continuous exposure of our country’s investment potential in the IT sector.
“We need every member of the LOC to come up with strategic ideas on how the country can best leverage on this international exposure in line with how the director general has tasked us all.”
During the official inauguration, the GITEX LOC members were put through a PowerPoint presentation by Pinnacle’s Mr Olusegun Oruame on the value proposition of GITEX and how the event is impacting on countries and businesses in the last 38 years.
Dr Vincent Olatunji, Director, eGovernment Development and Regulation, NITDA and alternate chairman of the GITEX LOC said “NITDA is seeking to expose our young and talented startups to investors, global IT buyers and tech acquisition specialists keen to know more about the country and willing to explore partnerships and business opportunities,”
The LOC is expected to firm up invitations to those who will make the official list of Nigeria’s Official Delegation as well as manage the select exhibitors inside the Nigerian Country Pavilion.
Nigeria will be joining about 97 other countries to promote and explore technology opportunities; especially as the country seeks to improve the value of its non-oil sectors to her GDP.
The London Internet Exchange (LINX) announced today that it will extend its partnership with Digital Realty to West Africa, welcoming the data centre provider to its new interconnection fabric, LINX Accra.
Digital Realty is nearing completion of its new facility in Accra, ACR2. A modern data centre strategically positioned near multiple submarine landing cable stations in Accra’s downtown area.
Ghana is one of Africa’s most internationally connected countries, thanks to the presence of these six undersea cable systems. As a result, the country’s digital landscape has grown dramatically in recent years.
LINX Accra was announced in late 2024 and is anticipated to launch in the coming weeks.
LINX stated that a new internet exchange point (IXP) for Ghana will provide future-proof and scalable solutions to propel the digital ecosystem forward.
The new IXP will be LINX’s third facility in Africa since the opening of LINX Nairobi in 2023, marking an important milestone in the company’s overall strategy in Africa.
Nurani Nimpuno, head of global engagement for LINX commented: “We are excited to be embarking on this new journey with Digital Realty in Ghana. We have strong relations with our partners across our LINX hubs in the UK, US and Kenya so I’m confident this extension of the relationship will be a success.”
Digital Realty has been a key access point for LINX’s interconnection solutions in London and also in North Virginia, US for several years.
More recently, LINX launched their first steps into Africa with LINX Nairobi in November 2023 and LINX Mombasa in February of this year, both working closely with iColo: A Digital Realty Company.
Joseph Koranteng, managing director of Digital Realty in Ghana, commented: “We’re pleased to be welcoming LINX to our new data centre in Ghana, a key milestone as we continue to strengthen interconnection across Africa.
“As demand for low-latency connectivity grows, this collaboration will play a critical role in helping to shape the region’s digital future by enabling greater access, resilience, and integration with the global internet fabric.”
Telecom
Moniepoint Clinches Two IBSi Awards for Leadership in Corporate Banking and Digital Wallet Services
Moniepoint Inc, Africa’s leading fintech platform, has been named a Category Winner in two prestigious categories — Corporate Banking and Digital Wallets — at the IBS Intelligence (IBSi) Digital Banking Awards 2025.
The accolades recognize Moniepoint’s significant impact in advancing financial inclusion and operational efficiency through its innovative digital banking initiatives across the continent.
Moniepoint earned dual recognition with the Corporate Banking award for its end-to-end digital platform empowering SMEs across emerging markets through simplified working capital access and streamlined payment processes, while also being honored in the Digital Wallets category for its scalable wallet infrastructure that enables millions to seamlessly transact, save, and manage finances—both innovations supporting broader financial inclusion and economic empowerment goals.
The IBSi Awards jury highlighted Moniepoint’s achievement in delivering measurable business impact, its ability to scale efficiently, and its pioneering approach to integrating local market needs with cutting-edge financial technology.
The IBSi Digital Banking Awards recognize technology implementations and innovation across digital banking units worldwide. This year, more than 110 submissions from over 30 countries were evaluated.
The IBSi Digital Banking Awards celebrate the most innovative and impactful technology implementation projects in the global banking sector.
This year’s competition recognised outstanding achievements among digital-only banks, neo-challenger banks, and the technology partners driving digital transformation worldwide.
“We are thrilled to be recognised in two highly competitive categories,” said Tosin Eniolorunda, CEO of Moniepoint. “These awards validate our mission to power the dreams of African businesses and individuals by building technology that works for everyday realities.
“Whether it’s helping SMEs grow or enabling simple, fast, and secure transactions for millions, we remain committed to delivering impactful solutions.”
“These recognitions from IBS Intelligence reflect the hard work of our teams and partners, and the deep trust our users place in Moniepoint,” Eniolorunda added.
“We look forward to continuing to innovate and scale inclusive digital financial services that shape the future of banking across Africa.”
Nikhil Gokhale, Director of Research and Digital Properties at IBS intelligence, said, “Over the years, we’ve witnessed a remarkable transformation in the digital banking space — from the rise of nimble neobanks to the digital reinvention of traditional institutions.
“The IBSi Digital Banking Awards honour this evolution by recognising technology-led excellence across the global banking landscape.
“Now in its fifth edition, the awards continue to recognise banks that are redefining the digital banking landscape through bold strategy, customer-centric thinking, driving innovation, inclusion and meaningful impact.”
This award complements and validates Moniepoint market leadership having been listed for three years in a row in the CB Insights annual Fintech 100, a list of the 100 most promising private fintech companies in the world and described as high-momentum companies shaping the future of financial services as well as being ranked by the Financial Times as one of Africa’s fastest-growing companies for two consecutive years.
Moniepoint Inc. powers over 10 million businesses and individuals with access to seamless payments, banking, credit, and business management tools since 2019. As Nigeria’s largest merchant acquirer, it powers most of the country’s Point of Sale (POS) transactions while operating profitably.
Processing over 1 billion transactions monthly, with total payments volume exceeding $22 billion, Moniepoint enables businesses to digitize their operations and thrive in Africa’s rapidly evolving economy.
UK-headquartered IBS Intelligence (IBSi) is the world’s only pure-play Financial Technology (traditional and new-age) research, advisory, and media firm, with a global coverage, and a 360° portfolio of intelligence offerings.
For over 30 years, IBSi’s expert teams have delivered independent, in-depth, actionable insights, with a laser focus on everything Financial Technology, to the global banking, consulting, technology, and institutional investor world.
Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has declared the presentation of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) Report on eight key subsidiary legislations a turning point in the Commission’s regulatory framework.
Speaking at a high-level Stakeholder Engagement Forum in Abuja, Dr. Maida noted that the comprehensive RIA, conducted in 2024, embodies the NCC’s renewed commitment to transparent, participatory, and consumer-focused rulemaking.
“This innovation in our legislative process not only enhances accountability but also recalibrates our focus areas—consumers, licensees, and government policy alignment,” Dr. Maida stated.
The NCC boss emphasized that the RIA’s three-pronged focus aimed to assess regulatory performance across:
* Consumer impact, especially with regard to quality of experience (QoE)
* Market adaptability, with respect to competition, resource utilization, and market entry
* Policy alignment, ensuring legislations support overarching governmental objectives
He urged stakeholders to rigorously engage with the RIA findings to enhance regulatory outcomes and ensure market sustainability.
In her opening remarks, Head of Legal & Regulatory Services at the NCC, Mrs. Chizua Whyte, described the RIA as “an evolutionary step in our rulemaking journey,” adding that the extensive stakeholder contributions had strengthened the report’s validity.
“With emerging technologies and policy priorities, we needed to reassess our legal instruments. This RIA was both introspective and outward-looking,” Mrs. Whyte said.
Key areas assessed include licensing, SIM registration, subscriber management, enforcement procedures, spectrum trading, and infrastructure sharing.
Mrs. Whyte revealed that feedback from industry players was instrumental in identifying regulatory redundancies, clarifying legal obligations, and shaping future reforms.
The Legal Department, she noted, is already aligning next-phase reforms with the RIA’s recommendations to strengthen investor confidence and foster innovation across Nigeria’s telecom landscape.
The forum concluded with a call for continued stakeholder participation in shaping the Commission’s evolving legislative environment.
For the NCC, the RIA initiative signals a new era of smarter regulation—balancing flexibility, compliance, and consumer trust.
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