The GSMA yesterday announced the global launch of a new Innovation Fund offering grants of £100,000 to £200,000 to support small and growing enterprises using mobile and digital technologies to accelerate the green transition in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The GSMA Innovation Fund for Green Transition for Mobile (the Innovation Fund), a GSMA-funded initiative supported by its members, builds on the GSMA’s commitment to advance inclusive and sustainable connectivity, and the mobile industry’s ambition to achieve net zero emissions.

The Innovation Fund will support commercially viable innovations that expand access to clean energy and promote circularity in mobile devices – including renewable energy solutions, smart metering, refurbishment models and responsible e-waste management – to advance digital inclusion and industry climate action.

The initiative aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, recognising the critical role of mobile technology in enabling inclusive, sustainable development.

Targeting enterprises operating across Africa, Central and South America, and South and Southeast Asia, the Innovation Fund will focus on solutions that strengthen digital inclusion, affordability and socio-economic empowerment, while delivering environmental impact.

Philippe Bellordre, Acting Head of Mobile for Development, GSMA, said: “Through this Innovation Fund, we are investing directly in enterprises that are using mobile and digital technology to advance digital inclusion and enable a clean energy transition – while also scaling practical, circular solutions that extend the life of mobile devices and make connectivity more affordable for underserved communities.”

Driving circularity and improving handset affordability

Another core focus for the Innovation Fund is extending the lifespan of mobile devices through circular economy approaches, including repair, refurbishment and reuse, reducing e-waste while increasing access to affordable handsets for underserved populations.

The Innovation Fund will support solutions such as take-back and trade-in schemes, leasing models, refurbished device marketplaces, traceability tools, and responsible e-waste collection and recycling. By keeping devices in circulation for longer, these initiatives lower environmental impact while reducing the cost of ownership and expanding connectivity for low-income communities.

Building evidence for industry climate action

Beyond supporting individual enterprises, the Innovation Fund is designed to generate practical insights and lessons that contribute to the mobile industry’s wider climate and ESG priorities. This includes evidence that supports enabling environments for clean energy and circular economy solutions, informs policy discussions, and helps scale sustainable business models across emerging markets.

Who the Innovation Fund is for:

The Innovation Fund is open to for-profit small and growing enterprises with up to 250 employees that are:

• Operating in LMICs across Africa, Central and South America, or South and Southeast Asia

• Using mobile or digital technology as a core part of their solution

• Demonstrating commercial revenue and active users

• Able to contribute at least 25% matching funding

What the Innovation Fund provides:

Selected enterprises will receive:

• Grants of £100,000 to £200,000 over 15-18 months

• Technical assistance

• Support to connect with investors and build partnerships with mobile network operators

• Monitoring, evaluation and learning support

• Visibility through GSMA platforms, publications and industry engagement

Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has underscored the importance of deeper collaboration with state governments, saying sub-national alignment is essential to achieving Nigeria’s digital economy objectives.

He spoke online at the South-South Regional ICT Stakeholders Forum, which brought together policymakers, technology leaders, civil society organisations and ecosystem players to chart a path for accelerated digital development across the region.

The NITDA boss noted that while the Agency has made notable progress at the federal level, the real measure of success lies in how effectively national policies are translated into actionable programmes within states. According to him, digital transformation can only be sustained when states domesticate policies and establish clear implementation structures.

He referenced key frameworks, including the Nigerian Startup Act and the National Digital Literacy Framework, observing that although several states have created ICT-focused ministries and agencies, some still lack comprehensive enabling laws and structured governance mechanisms. NITDA, he assured, remains ready to provide technical guidance to states seeking to strengthen their digital ecosystems.

Digital literacy, he stressed, remains central to inclusive growth. Under the National Digital Literacy Framework, NITDA aims to achieve 95 per cent digital literacy nationwide by 2030. Working with the Federal Ministry of Education, digital skills have been embedded in school curricula, with teachers across the country undergoing capacity-building programmes to support technology-driven learning. States in the South-South were encouraged to ensure that educators in both public and private schools fully participate in the initiative.

The DG also highlighted ongoing efforts to upskill public servants. In collaboration with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, more than 54,000 federal civil servants have enrolled in structured digital skills training. Similar programmes, he said, are being considered for rollout across South-South states to enhance governance efficiency and public service delivery.

On partnerships, Inuwa pointed to collaborations with Cisco, which provide access to self-paced digital courses, and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), whose digital champions conduct community-based sensitisation in markets, worship centres, motor parks and among senior citizens. He urged stakeholders in the zone to strengthen coordination and co-create practical initiatives to expand digital inclusion.

In his contribution, the Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation in Cross River State, Dr Justin Atiang Beshel, reaffirmed the state’s resolve to leverage technology for sustainable development.

He said Cross River is prioritising broadband expansion and digital infrastructure as the backbone of e-government services, skills development, innovation and job creation. Improved connectivity, he noted, would unlock economic opportunities and enhance service delivery statewide.

Despite challenges such as limited rural connectivity and funding constraints for large-scale ICT projects, the Commissioner expressed optimism about strategic partnerships. He described collaboration with NITDA and private sector players as critical to narrowing the digital divide, boosting cybersecurity resilience and ensuring inclusive participation in the digital economy.

Beshel maintained that sustained investment and coordinated action would position Cross River as a competitive digital hub within Nigeria’s growing technology landscape.

TAJBank Limited has received A1 credit ratings from Agusto & Co and Datapro, marking an upgrade from the Bbb+ rating assigned by Agusto about two years ago and placing the non-interest lender among the highest rated operators in Nigeria’s non-interest banking space.

The rating agencies attributed the improved score to the bank’s high quality balance sheet and strong earnings ratios in the 2025 financial year. The assessment also covered credit risk and operational resilience.

Despite the prevailing economic challenges, the bank was noted to have strengthened its position through operational efficiency and customer-focused services in line with ethical banking principles.

Speaking on the development during an interactive session with journalists on the sidelines of a banking stakeholders’ event in Abuja, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Hamid Joda, described the ratings as evidence of the bank’s focus on risk management and internal controls.

He said, “TAJBank Limited latest ratings by these reputable agencies have again validated the management’s commitment to world-class standardisation of the bank’s operations, especially in terms of innovative, real time, techno-powered services and risk management for our growing customers on a sustainable basis.”

Joda added that the bank’s priority remains the deployment of high operational standards to protect customers’ interests.

“As we have consistently maintained, our primary goal is to deploy world-class operational standards and services to protect the interest of our customers with a view to surpassing their expectations and retaining TAJBank at the leading edge of the NIB subsector on a sustainable basis.

“The message these latest best ratings by Agusto & Co and Datapro of our bank is sending to our customers, investors and stakeholders in the non-interest banking space is that with TAJBank, they can be rest assured of safety of their investments, transactions and readiness of the bank’s management to give all that it takes to grow their businesses and support their individual socio-economic wellbeing come rain or shine,” he said.

Also commenting on the ratings, the bank’s Executive Director, Sherif Idi, said the A1 scores reaffirmed management’s commitment to best practice standards.

“The A1 ratings by Agusto & Co and Datapro, the foremost ratings agencies in the country, have reaffirmed TAJBank’s management’s unwavering commitment to best practice standards through prioritisation of investment in human capital, innovative technologies and branch network expansion to consistently make our bank the preferred choice for customers in the NIB subsector of the banking sector,” he said.