General News
No Alternative to Internet Local Content-Kalu
Ndukwe Kalu is president, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) and also the chief executive, Amsco Telecom
Kalu is an accomplished engineer with robust credentials. He has been on the forefront of improving Internet penetration and inking Nigeria positively on the Internet map. He told emeka okafor how in this interview
Making .ng Lucrative
That is a very good question because clearly there are contentious issues about how national registry should operate. The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (Nira) board has taken a decision to grow the Nira domain and make it something that registrars would be want to be part of and in fact make it the number one preferred domain in Africa and one of the few domains for the world and the steps taken are the following:
First of all, we have radically changed our few key policies. We have proposed a retail price of N5, 000 during the consultation period and after consultation the published price now comes to N1,000 through the registrar. You know with competition, it would be low but that means .ng will be the cheapest domain second only to .com in the world at the price the registrars buy it. In fact, it is cheaper than .com if you factor in the charges on top of the domain that people pay for.com or registrars pay. That is for pricing. Secondly, we are trying to put together what we call the pioneer registrars and we have given a lot of concession like lowered price, paid some fees so that we can have registrars and we are going to have 10 expressions of interest from registrars outside the country. Some of them are Nigerians in diaspora while others foreigners. There’s a foreign company in Senegal that is applying so we are looking at registrars from across the world pushing the domain so that the domain becomes a primary preference.
The third area is technical infrastructure which is very fundamental. We are looking at immediate automated domain registration. We are looking at immediate domain propagation which means if you registrar your domain now it will just take a few minutes you will see it. It will be propagated all over in the internet. It won’t be like take 48 hours. No, it will now be propagated instantly and then you can register a domain 12 midnight or whatever time and it is done in seconds. We are very confident that before the end of this month (August) we will be able to achieve that particular payment of automated registration and immediate propagation so what means is like a domain of preference. I can access it if I meet the criteria and then once it’s registered, I can easily pick up my site, there’s no delay of one week, ten days, etc.
These are the three things that we are trying to do with provision of .ng as a primary domain for Africa and basically the domain of preference globally.
Plans Embrace .ng
First of all, the first plan we have is that we have made it cheaper. You know Nigerians love things that are very cost effective. They want the best of good ones at low price and high value and that is what we have been able to achieve with .ng.
Secondly, we are working on a major awareness campaign that we already have indicative interest from corporate sponsors that are multifaceted .We are talking about website competition across many categories that create the consciousness of the type of website you should put out there, whether in the public or private sector. We are talking about a drive for content with intent on the people are ready to put their money on, a site they feel will be +able to generate revenue. We are talking about a drive for content with intent on the one people are ready to put their money on , a site they feel will be able to generate revenue .We are talking about a drive for local role play, trying to push hosting providers to provide facilities that are of international standard. All these are geared towards ensuring that Nigerians can embrace .ng fully because if you remove the impediments of. .ng and bring them at par with those of other countries, if there’s awareness and facility to host and register it, if the price is cheap, then the issue is why shouldn’t I. So that is what we want to do. Then, you know there are issues of course it is not critical now of setting IP from Nigeria. It is not just. ng even if it is .com and the IP resolved is a Nigerian IP, Nigerian IP club , there are issues about that and we are working on that .Hopefully we feel with time we should be able to resolve that to ensure that something from Nigeria is respected except when there are issues of fraud then the necessary organizations, both the service providers like ISPON and ATCON and the enforcement agencies like the Nigeria police and EFCC can step in and do something but then Nigerians should be given benefit of the doubt that they are legitimate customers and not the other way round.
Shutting Out Fraudsters on .ng
Our conditions for registrars are stringent. There are two issues that tackle that. First are the conditions for registrars, second are the conditions for registrants. Now the registrars, we have an accreditation process to ensure that they are credible people and we also have a bond that they must deliver, because once you become a newly accredited registrar, the registrants will begin to meet you and give you money and say I want to register and if the registrar is not a credible person, he may pack up and go. So, that is why we insisted that all registrars must produce a bond. So, in the case of failure we can call on the bond to use it to compensate the registrants. So, we feel with the accreditation process and the bond , we should be able to ensure that we have minimal default from registrars. Now the other aspect is for registrants.
New registrant is listed for domain and we have said these are the criteria for getting a domain so if you don’t meet those criteria you cannot have a domain. Now if you have the domain and that is why we have also emphasized that every registrant will sign an agreement electronically and say I accept this agreement and if you are registering a domain you are to be enlightened both in competition and global best practice informing you that the registry which is like Nira from Nigeria has the ultimate right over that domain .It can be withdrawn from you because you manage it on behalf of Nigeria.
Also the listed things like pornography, fraud and generally other things that are against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are against charters Nigeria has signed to which you cannot use the domain for .
Structure in Place
You know it is not easy for a new organization by any stretch. When we came in, it was like coming in from all the issues, all the misunderstanding that happened. We were coming into a situation whereby there was really nothing on ground. We had no technical infrastructure, no physical infrastructure, basically nothing. So, we had to take a decision and priorities and our first priority went to technical because we felt if we have a wonderful office and people can’t register their domain still, it comes to nothing. So, we put everything into the technical infrastructure that you should be seeing this month . And the next thing we are tackling is the structure itself, the physical structure, the office and the manpower as it should be. We already have some reports about the structure of the operational base of Nira and it is our hope that when we finalize on that, get to the next stage of equipment, get to the next stage of acquiring an administrative office stage , we should have been able to tidy that and have it fully in place . Right now we have a temporary secretariat based here. Give or take, we are expecting that to take 3 months because we are going to choose the right set of people, get the right place and put it in order. We are feeling that by September/October, we should have tidied all that in place. But we are also working towards moving to the permanent site even with temporary structures in place. Our key priority is to ensure that we have a technical infrastructure that will pride the .ng goal in place.
Web Juries
Well, the intention of the board was to take over the web juries and expand it to various sectors and be a barometer for the value of content on the Nigerian .ng domain which is critical.
One or two companies have shown an enormous appreciation in value content. Some people have mentioned it to us that they look at some government sites, they look at some private sector sites and they are amazed that people could put out those candid things.
But unfortunately in our negotiations and discussions with Philip Consulting, we could not really find a common ground where Nira, a fully independent body could get managed and expanded working with them. So, the board decided to withdraw from that and rather set up a broad web assessment platform that will involve all sectors , not just banking, the industrial sector, the public sector itself .So, we are going to come up with web assessment platform that will truly become effective from 2009, but we are going to publish the details this year so that people will know the barometers, the inspections and so on and so forth and be able to integrate .So web juries will remain as it is but we appreciate what they had in mind and what they wanted to do by initiating a programme such as the web juries.
Increasing Local Content
Well, like I have said it over and over and people have said, well is that not over-emphasizing the issue and the issue of local content can never be over-emphasized. First of all, broadband plays a critical role in a nation’s development. It played a critical role for India, America. There is a report done in America 10 years about the impact of broadband and why some states were ahead of the others and so on. It clearly showed benefits from different areas from broadband. Then by having local content, let’s say most of your traffic end locally then it means that 80-90% of our cost for internet access will be cut simply because of going local. In china, over 95% of their traffic is local and the same in the U.S whereas n in the U.K it is over 90%. So the cost for them for internet access is the cost to get to that content which is within their country and the price of bandwidth within the country is less than 1% of the price of bandwidth to any other country which is likely to be the U.S which is called the backbone of the backbone. So with that you achieve a cost effective internet access. If you want broadband it will be affordable and there is no alternative to having local content. And when you are talking about local content, we are not just saying you build any site you see. No, you are talking about things people want. If you measure the traffic, a lot of it is on email, chat. you are going to build the same world-class email and chat that Yahoo and Google are known for . Anything short of that, Nigerians won’t patronize it and you are back to square one. So, it is a lot of effort but every country has done it by seeing the need for it and promoting it. They promote it through the internet exchange point and initiative that put people in them.
General News
MasterCard Predicts Africa’s AI Market to Soar to $16.5Bn by 2030

A new MasterCard report has predicted that Africa’s AI economy will more than triple in five years, reaching $16.5 billion by 2030 from $4.5 billion in 2025.
The whitepaper by the global payments technology company, with a presence in over 50 African countries, identifies responsible adoption, stronger data infrastructure, and aggressive skills development as the three pillars that will determine who benefits.
Mark Elliott, division president for Africa at MasterCard, emphasised that Africa stands at an inflection point, where smart technologies have the potential to make a real difference in people’s lives.
He likened AI’s potential to the continent’s leap into mobile money, which bypassed traditional banking infrastructure and brought millions into the financial system.
“Digital innovation, particularly AI, can drive real change on the ground by empowering communities and building a future where everyone participates in the new economy,” Elliott said.
The in-depth study flags several African frontrunners in AI adoption. South Africa tops the list, blending advanced infrastructure with strong research capabilities. It points out that Kenya is making strides with practical AI solutions, from credit scoring to healthcare services in local languages.
Nigeria’s vibrant start-up scene also gets a strong mention for attracting significant venture capital, while Morocco’s strong push in healthcare, agriculture, and energy, underpinned by bold national digital strategies, is another key driver.
Elliott stressed that success depends on powering electricity access, digitisation, and ensuring AI is fuelled by diverse, high-quality local data.
He added that inclusive transformation needs everyone involved, from small businesses to large corporations, policymakers, and communities. “The only good AI is responsible AI,” said Elliot.
Greg Ulrich, MasterCard’s chief AI and data officer, said Africa’s relationship with technology is one of active innovation, pointing to mobile payments as a homegrown success.
“AI is accelerating this transformation, reshaping how people live, work, and connect,” he said. Ulrich described MasterCard’s fraud detection systems, trained in cities like Lagos, Nairobi, and Johannesburg, as proof that global expertise and local talent can combine to deliver secure, real-time services.
He also cautioned that with scale comes responsibility. “Trust is earned, one transaction at a time,” Ulrich said.
He believes that with one of the world’s youngest populations, Africa’s next challenge is turning strategy into delivery, building infrastructure, nurturing talent, and ensuring AI lifts all communities.
General News
Huawei Hosts MTN MIP Fellows for Immersive Tech Experience in Lagos

The fellows of MTN Media Innovation Programme (MIP) Cohort 4 recently embarked on an immersive tour of Huawei’s Innovation Center, Cloud Service Centre, and Network Support Centre in Lagos, as part of their ongoing industry exposure sessions.

L-R: Isaac Ogugua-Ezechukwu, Programs Administrator, Professional Education, School of Media and Communications, Pan-Atlantic University; Blessings Mosugu, Vice President, MTN Media Innovation Programme Cohort 4; Gavin Geng Xiaoyan, Director of Solution Sales\Chief Technical Officer, Huawei; Vanessa Ukamaka Richard, Secretary, MTN MIP Cohort 4 and Dr Chike Mgbeadichie, Programs Director, Professional Education, School of Media and Communications, Pan-Atlantic University, during the July session of the MTN Media Innovation Program held at the Huawei office in Victoria Island, recently.
At the Huawei Innovation Center, the fellows were introduced to a wide array of next-generation technologies. Demonstrations covered Huawei’s smart city solutions, advanced power technologies, cloud systems, and upgraded router and antenna designs. These solutions represent the core of Huawei’s contributions as a strategic partner in MTN’s journey from a connectivity provider to a digital enabler.
One of the highlights of the tour was a live demo of an AI-powered video generator, which transformed selfies into high-definition 30-second avatar-based videos. The videos, created and delivered within seconds via Bluetooth, showcased the real-time capabilities of 5G.
Speaking on how 5G is transforming digital lifestyle globally, the Deputy Managing Director, Marketing and Solutions at Huawei Nigeria, Gavin Geng, noted that “Huawei’s goal is to bridge the gap between global innovation and local demand by tailoring technology to meet Nigeria’s specific challenges. From delivering Nigeria’s first digital village alongside our partners, to launching Nigeria’s first local cloud service, we are committed to working with our customers to build infrastructure that serve both urban and underserved communities.”
He emphasised Huawei’s commitment to security and cutting-edge innovation, adding that “as an employee-owned company adhering to strict global security standards, we ensure that customers’ data and connectivity remain secure while they benefit from next-gen solutions such as 5G, AI, smart city technologies.”
The session underscored MTN’s readiness to meet the increasing demands of Nigeria’s data-driven population and support the country’s digital transformation goals.
Afterwards, the fellows received certificates to commemorate the visit and proceeded to the Huawei Service Centre. Spanning 4,000 square metres, the facility supports operations in telecoms, finance, transportation, power, and public service.
With a dedicated DevOps team, the centre customises its monitoring systems for different clients. It is ISO27001 certified, and all employees hold security certifications, reflecting its emphasis on data protection and operational excellence.
To wrap up the day, the MIP cohort was hosted to a dinner attended by MTN’s Chief Services and Sustainability Officer, Tobechukwu Okigbo. He encouraged the delegates to maximise the opportunity the programme offers and shared personal insights during an experience-sharing moment.
General News
NIMC Sets 48-hour Deadline for Diaspora Partners to Activate New Licences

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has given its Diaspora Front-End Partners (FEPs) 48 hours to obtain and activate their National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment licences on its newly upgraded diaspora enrolment platform.
The commission said the deadline followed the successful completion of a major upgrade aimed at improving the security, efficiency and reliability of NIN registration for Nigerians living abroad.
According to NIMC, the upgraded platform will offer a more seamless and robust service to diaspora applicants, ensuring faster processing and better data protection. To prepare for the transition, all FEPs have been onboarded onto the new system and taken through intensive training to equip them with the knowledge needed for effective management of the platform.
Once compliant partners activate their licences, Nigerians abroad will be able to access NIN enrolment services through them without disruption.
“The Commission apologises for any inconvenience the upgrade process might have caused and has set up a dedicated service team to resolve all issues related to diaspora enrolment,” NIMC said in a statement signed by Dr. Kayode Adegoke, its head of corporate communications.
Diaspora applicants experiencing difficulties have been advised to contact the commission for prompt assistance.
While the new system rolls out overseas, NIN enrolment continues across all centres in Nigeria, with applicants able to locate their nearest centres on the NIMC website. Nigerians at home or abroad can also modify their NIN data via the online self-service portal.
NIMC further encouraged NIN holders to download the NIMC NINAuth App on iOS or Google Play to instantly verify their NIN, control who can access their information, and enjoy secure authentication services.
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