Telecom
NITDA to Leverage on AfCTA to Build Digital Market in the World
As Nigeria is moving fast towards diversifying its economy using technology, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has proposed partnership with Republic of Namibia in the areas of Innovations and Entrepreneurship through African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA).
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi , Director General of NITDA
This is because Africa as a continent lost out during the First, Second and Third Industrial Revolutions due to the huge capital investments but with the Fourth Industrial Revolutions comes endless opportunities that all it needs is talent and vibrant, young technological driven generation.
It is therefore imperative for African countries to encourage “Made in Africa” products by exploring and exploiting opportunities provided by emerging technologies to build an enviable global market standard.
The agreement in finding a viable route for digital trade resolution was made when the High Commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria and Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, His Excellency, Mr Humphrey D Geiseh paid a courtesy visit to the Agency’s Corporate Headquarters, Abuja.
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi , Director General of NITDA, expressed his delight and privilege at the High Commissioner’s enthusiasm in seeking collaborations with NITDA in building a stronger relationship and developing technological products between the two countries.
Abdullahi stated that the Agency has been implementing the National IT Policy until 2019 when the Ministry’s mandate was expanded to cover Digital Economy.
He averred that this was because Communications was not an end but a means to an end.
He said it was important to calibrate activities and align them with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) which necessitated the Agency to come up with a new Strategic Road Map and Action Plan.
The DG stated that ‘Emerging Technologies’ which is a strategic pillar in the road map should be used to create and capture technological values in Africa.
“These emerging technologies come with promises and perils and the Agency’s focus is to avoid the perils and achieve the promises”, he noted.
He disclosed that the Agency established the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics specifically for researching best ways to apply these technologies in the Health and Agricultural sector just to mention a few.
“I will invite you to visit our Centre as well and see how you can borrow some of the ideas and domesticate it in Namibia”, Abdullahi said.
The DG mentioned that “Promoting Indigenous and Local Content, which is another strategic pillar of the Agency is aimed at supporting local start-ups and encouraging Made in Africa products.
He opined that African countries should share experiences and ideas in order to build world class product while laying emphasis that it is easier to procure products from neighbouring countries rather than other continents.
“Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the country provide about 95% of the workforce and produce more than 50% of the Nation’s GDP.
“It is therefore necessary to ignite processes in the digital ecosystem with the use of technology.
” Innovations don’t happen in isolation, you need to connect with what others are doing in other parts of the world and apply them domestically to create wealth for the Nation and the continent at large”, Abdullahi noted.
The DG said that Agriculture, which is one of the major sources of income in Namibia is one of the areas the Agency identified in which technology can be used as a game changer.
He stated that the National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture, (NAVSA) which is one of the initiatives of the Agency can help Namibia boost her productivity in Agriculture.
“This is an area we can explore partnership where we can get some startups who can develop solutions for you and on our part, also learn how you manage your agricultural business.”
“NITDA has a yearly flagship programme called ‘e-Nigeria’, an international conference and exhibition programme where local start-ups are invited to showcase their products, and this year’s programme would be tagged ‘Digital Nigeria’ because of the evolution from electronic to digital system.
“We are having a one-week Digital Nigeria International Conference and we are extending the invitation to you.
“You can bring people from Namibia to the conference to have a glimpse of our ecosystem where you will meet some of our startups, share ideas, challenges and see how we can use technology to grow our economy as a continent”, Abdullahi concluded.
His Excellency, Mr Geiseh in his earlier remark said that Namibia and Nigeria are both African countries who have been long standing friends since Namibia’s independence.
He disclosed that Namibia has a population of about 2.4 million and almost one-third of her population are internet users according to statistics as of 2018.
He mentioned that the country is committed to providing necessary opportunities for the youth to be exposed to concepts and technologies that will dominate their lives in the near future.
“In Namibia, we recognise the role of the youths in the development of the country in the future prosperity of the Nation which has prompted our visit today to basically know how your agency has advanced in the areas of ICT so we can identify common challenges and proffer solutions in areas where both countries can work together”, the High Commissioner disclosed.
Millions of citizens across Africa are being denied access to essential services due to the rapid imposition of biometric digital-ID systems, a new report by the African Digital Rights Network has revealed.
Biometric
The study, published by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), found that citizens are increasingly required to provide biometric and personal information as a condition for accessing fundamental rights and government services such as voting, education, healthcare, and social protection payments.
According to the report, marginalised groups including persons with disabilities, the illiterate, and those unable to afford mobile data or electricity for phone charging face significant barriers to registration, deepening existing inequalities.
It noted that many citizens also refuse to enrol due to fears of data breaches and mistrust of governments, with biometric identifiers such as fingerprints, iris scans, and facial recognition raising privacy concerns.
Dr Tony Roberts, Research Fellow at IDS and co-editor of the report, said: “Worryingly, fundamental human rights, like education, healthcare and the right to vote are rapidly becoming conditional on enrolment in biometric digital-ID systems.”
He added that some visually impaired citizens are forced to pay others to help them use their digital-ID on mobile phones to access social protection payments.
‘Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative and co-editor of the report, said: “Many citizens do not want to enrol for a biometric digital-ID because they have good reason not to trust their governments with their biometrics and personal information.”
The report highlighted examples of massive data breaches and cases where personal data was used to surveil critics and opposition leaders.
It warned that most systems, estimated to cost at least US$1 billion across Africa, lack adequate legal frameworks, robust digital security, and accountability mechanisms for remedy when errors or breaches occur.
The authors concluded that governments must adopt strong legislation to protect citizens’ rights and privacy before rolling out biometric IDs, stressing that systems should be developed with citizen participation rather than imposed top-down.
The report, Biometric Digital-ID in Africa: Progress and Challenges to Date – Ten Country Case Studies, covers Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Tunisia.
Senator Natasha Akpoti has emerged as the most searched personality in Nigeria, according to Google’s 2025 Year in Search report, which highlights the interests and concerns that shaped the nation’s online activity during the year.
The report showed that political conversations dominated searches, with Akpoti’s prominence underscoring the intensity of national discourse. Nigerians also followed global developments closely, including the Israel-Iran War and the United States elections.
The country mourned the passing of former whose deaths prompted widespread searches recalling their legacies and contributions to national life.
Entertainment trends reflected Nigeria’s cultural vibrancy, with gospel hit “Oluwatosin (Jesus Is Enough)” by Tkeyz featuring Steve Hills topping charts, alongside Afrobeats collaborations such as Davido and Omah Lay’s “With You.” Director Kemi Adetiba and the local series “To Kill a Monkey” also drew significant attention.
Google noted that Nigerians displayed curiosity in language and lifestyle, decoding slang like “Labubu” and exploring recipes ranging from Pornstar Martini to traditional Chinchin.
Technology searches were led by interest in the iPhone 17 and Tecno Pop 10, reflecting the country’s embrace of new devices.
“This data offers a real-time window into the Nigerian psyche in 2025, showing a nation engaged, reflective, and creatively vibrant,” said Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s Communications Manager for West Africa.
14-year-old Oreoluwa Alayande has been crowned the winner of the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee 2025, following a thrilling grand finale that saw the top 20 contestants from schools across the country compete head-to-head.
MTN mPulse 2025 Spelling Bee
The grand finale of the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee 2025 competition was held on Saturday, November 29, at the MTN Plaza Rooftop. The event also had in attendance the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Basic and Secondary Education, Opeyemi Eniola and mPulse Spelling Bee 2024 winner, Ikenna Ikechukwu.
As the 2025 MTN mPulse Champion, Oreoluwa was awarded an Educational Grant of N5 Million Naira, the opportunity to be the MTN CEO for a Day, a brand new laptop and smartphone, and the title of the face of mPulse for a year. Her victory also benefits her school, which will receive a N10 Million flagship gift, 10 laptops, and 10 MTN 5G routers, while her teacher receives a N500,000 cash prize.
Oreoluwa, a student of St. Lawrence Metropolitan College, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, expressed her gratitude. “I’d like to use this opportunity to thank MTN for providing a platform that empowers youths and increases the vocabulary of students,” she said. “I’d also like to thank my family, everyone who has supported me so far, and my school,” she said.
Speaking at the grand finale, Babatunde Oyeleye, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, MTN Nigeria, acknowledged the parents and teachers. “Every year, we bring you all together to see who becomes the exceptional speller in Nigeria, and the participants always perform exceptionally,” Oyeleye stated. “I’d like to say a big thank you to the parents and the teachers. You dedicate your time to nurturing these children, and the feeling of pride is always evident on your faces. We are glad to be enablers of that smile and pride you feel,” Oyeleye said.
The second position, Samuel Babalola, was rewarded with a N2.5 Million Educational Grant, 1 laptop, and 1 smartphone, with his teacher receiving an N300,000 cash prize. Levi Kelechi Ebisike, in third place, won a N1.5 Million Educational Grant, 1 laptop, and 1 smartphone, along with an N200,000 cash prize for his teacher.
The grand finale was streamed live on the MTN Nigeria YouTube channel and on the Holiday Channel 198 on both DStv and GOtv, allowing Nigerians nationwide to watch the brilliant spellers.
The MTN mPulse Spelling Bee continues to be one of Nigeria’s most impactful development initiatives, reiterating MTN’s commitment to promoting literacy and digital inclusivity. The competition, a flagship initiative under the MTN mPulse umbrella, is designed to foster digital literacy, academic excellence, and healthy competition among Nigerian students.
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