Telecom
NTITA 2021: Enugu State Leads Pack with Triple Nominations
Enugu State is leading the nomination list for the 2021 Nigeria Tech Innovation & Telecom Awards (NTITA), Nigeria’s IT and Telecoms industry’s Oscars holding this Friday in Lagos.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State
Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, and Governor Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu top nominees for Nigeria’s most profound digital leaders for 2021 as Governor Ugwuanyi ranks ahead for the coveted ICT Governor of the Year award.
Interestingly, Enugu is also leading the list for Tech Innovation Hub of the Year (Mentoring & Capacity Building); and Emerging Leaders in Innovation/Tech Advisory (Public Sector).
NTITA 2021, Nigeria’s most prized IT and Telecom event, operates as a collaborative platform with stakeholders majorly the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and the Africa Digital Economy Forum (ADEF). The event is powered by InstinctWave, an ISO certified company.
This year’s recognition is celebrating the country’s technology leadership, most promising innovations, companies and projects; and political leaders pushing the required willpower to foster right environment for ICT to flourish.
“The ADEF is proud to be associated with NTITA as a barometer to measure not just innovation but commitment to tech-growth by political leaders and other stakeholders,” said President of ADEF Olusola Teniola.
Pantami’s 2021 nomination rides on his sturdy profile as a leading light in ICT policy drive and a pathfinder for Nigeria’s steady push in digital economy. The minister was a top nominee in the 2020 NTITA and went on to clinch the coveted prize. His stellar achievements have attracted wide appeal from NTITA 2021 judging panel drawn from some of the most respected figures in the technology industry, media and academia.
Ugwuanyi’s consistent leverage of technology and strong ICT policy-thrusts to rework the economic future of Enugu state has drawn much admiration, earning the south eastern state top spot in the national drive towards a digital economy.
“Enugu is not an entirely surprising revelation. Unbeknownst to many people, the state has demonstrated strong focused on youth development and soft skill building.
“It has one of the best strategic collaborative drive to provision digital infrastructure and services. In addition, it has a robust policy thrust for fostering entrepreneurs and delivering of the best ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in Nigeria that has been recognized by the World Bank and other global institutions.
“This has really impressed the 2021 NTITA jurors,” said Mr. Akin Naphtal, CEO of InstinctWave, Africa’s premium B2B event and media specialists.
He added: “NTITA 2021 is spotlighting political willpower and tech innovations. Without political willpower, not much can happen; and without innovation, nothing significant can happen.”
“NTITA has become the reference to measure growth and achievements in Nigeria’s most dynamic industry with impacts across all sectors,” said President of ATCON, Ike Nnamani.
This year’s award categories are Nigeria ICT Governor of the Year; Digital Leader of the Year; Public Sector ICT Woman of the Year; Public Sector ICT CEO of the Year; Broadband Oxygenator of the Year; Telecom CEO of the Year; ICT First Lady for 2021; Tech Innovation Hub of the Year (Mentoring & Capacity Building); Emerging Leaders in Innovation/Tech Advisory (Public Sector); Emerging ICT CEO for 2021; Most Innovative and ICT Focused State 2021; Most Innovative Operator 2021; and a host of other awards.
The nomination criteria focus on persons or organisations at the forefront of promoting regulation, standards or best practice; persons or organisations actively driving technological innovation; persons who have used their office to bear on advancing technology innovations; and persons who are instrumental in the success of an ICT organisation or business; among others.
Every year the categories are updated to reflect the latest market trends and to ensure they do justice to our increasingly diverse industry. The new featured award categories allow us to recognize contributions from all parts of ICT sector; from communication service providers, solutions providers, banking, health, insurance, fintech, cloud, cyber security, digitization and consultancies.
According to Naphtal, the awards has grown over the years, in participation and prestige; setting the highest industry standard for honoring organizations and individuals in the Telecom & ICT sector in Nigeria. The platform has also become the benchmark for outstanding performances in the industry and a symbol of excellence that marks leadership, quality and innovation.
The need for Nigeria to think outside the box in its need to drive towards global relevance with innovations and scientific developments will be on the front burner at the NITRA Innovative & Scientific Conference scheduled to hold on Thursday July 23, 2026 in Ikeja, Lagos.
NITRA
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will lead other delegates to discuss and take far-reaching decisions at the event, which has its theme as “Bridging Nigeria’s Digital Divide With Scientific Innovation”.
Other companies that have indicated interest in partnering with NITRA include mobile communications company, Tecno; Africa’s premier end-to-end AI solutions company, Hyperspace; and telecommunications data infrastructure company, Digital Realty.
Speaking on the proposed event, the Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Chike Onwuegbuchi noted that the event will seek to create a platform for government and private organisations to deliberate on policies around scientific innovations in Nigeria, challenges, place of indigenous and foreign collaboration, roles of each stakeholder, and grassroots development in that regard, among others.
According to him: “The Federal government, with series of programmes and partnerships, has established the urgent need to create an ecosystem that thrives on scientific innovation, breeding institutions and individuals with a target of placing the country at the fore-front of Next-Gen development.
It is a known fact that digital and scientific innovations are crucial, not only to the survivability of a nation, but also to the sustainability of its growth and development, with significant effect on economic strength, global image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety, communication and digital footprint, among others.
The federal government is actively driving scientific innovation to foster economic diversification and build a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Efforts are heavily focused on commercializing research, establishing massive research funds, and funding strategic infrastructure, particularly in technology, biotechnology, and healthcare. Core government initiatives and policies include the newly instituted National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), which aims to mobilize about $500 million annually to support research and the commercialization of scientific outputs; and the Nigeria Genomic City, a multi-ministerial initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria into a leading hub for genomics, precision medicine, and biotechnology. It is designed to protect indigenous data, stimulate artificial intelligence in health, and develop a highly skilled scientific workforce.
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum will also be a vehicle to propagating the views of decision makers to the public, thereby furthering the cause of public awareness and information dissemination on the topic.
The focus, he said will be on how Nigeria can sustain digital innovative growth and scientific development in Nigeria
The board of global payments company, PayPal, says a 53 billion dollars takeover offer from financial technology firm, Stripe, and private equity company, Advent International, does not adequately reflect the company’s long-term value.
PayPal
According to reports, the proposed acquisition, valued at 60.50 dollars per share, remains under consideration, with the board yet to formally respond to the offer.
The directors are said to be evaluating not only the financial value of the proposal but also the structure of the financing, the timeline for completing the transaction and the likelihood of obtaining regulatory approvals.
They are also considering the possibility of competing bids emerging.
Although the offer represents a premium of about 28 per cent above PayPal’s recent share price, the board believes the company could deliver greater value to shareholders if its ongoing turnaround strategy succeeds.
Following reports of the bid, PayPal shares gained about two per cent to close at 56.73 dollars.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Stripe and Advent have secured approximately 50 billion dollars in debt financing from JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, while both firms would jointly contribute 17 billion dollars in equity.
Under the proposal, the two companies would jointly own PayPal instead of dividing its operations.
PayPal, Stripe, Advent International, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have all declined to comment on the proposed transaction.
The discussions come as PayPal seeks to strengthen its business after years of increasing competition from rivals including Apple Pay, Google Pay and emerging financial technology firms.
The company, which was valued at about 360 billion dollars in 2021, now has a market capitalisation of approximately 36 billion dollars.
Since assuming office as Chief Executive Officer in March 2026, Enrique Lores has embarked on a restructuring programme aimed at improving operational efficiency and restoring growth.
The restructuring includes the creation of three business divisions comprising Checkout, Venmo and Consumer Financial Services, and Payments and Crypto.
The company is also targeting 1.5 billion dollars in cost savings through the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
PayPal’s latest financial results indicated signs of recovery, with first-quarter revenue rising seven per cent year-on-year to 8.35 billion dollars, while total payment volume increased by eight per cent to 464 billion dollars.
If approved, the transaction would combine two of the world’s largest digital payments companies.
The combined business would process an estimated 3.7 trillion dollars in annual payment volume, significantly strengthening its position in the global online payments market.
However, analysts expect the proposed acquisition to face intense regulatory scrutiny because of the companies’ combined market share in merchant payment services.
To address possible antitrust concerns, the bidders have reportedly considered options, including separating PayPal’s Braintree business or other assets if required by regulators.
Sources said Stripe and Advent remain interested in pursuing the acquisition despite the board’s reservations, although negotiations are expected to continue.
Market observers are also awaiting PayPal’s earnings report scheduled for July 28 for further indications of the company’s financial recovery and future growth prospects.
Concerns over network reliability and its impact on Nigeria’s growing creator economy took centre stage at MTN Nigeria’s Data on Trial event, where content creator and streamer, Jarvis, challenged telecommunications operators to improve connectivity for digital creators.
Speaking during the event, Jarvis asked whether there were locations in Nigeria where uninterrupted internet connectivity could support real-life (IRL) streaming without network disruptions.
“Are there places where there is no breakage when streaming IRL?” she asked.
Her question highlighted the challenges faced by content creators who depend on stable internet services for live streaming, content uploads and real-time engagement with audiences.
Responding, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer, Mr Yahaya Ibrahim, said network performance depends on several factors, including location, network coverage, device capability and the number of users connected to a particular base station.
He noted that operators continue to invest in expanding network capacity to meet the growing demand for data services.
Earlier, MTN’s General Manager, Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Mr Michael Ndukwe, explained the evolution of mobile network technology in Nigeria, from first-generation (1G) services to the current fifth-generation (5G) technology.
According to him, each phase of technological advancement has significantly increased network capacity and enabled new digital services.
Ndukwe cited Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data showing that Nigerians consumed about 13.2 million terabytes of data in 2025.
He added that data usage reached approximately 4.06 million terabytes in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting the country’s increasing reliance on digital platforms and online services.
According to him, the growth is being driven by wider adoption of 4G and 5G networks, increased smartphone penetration, the proliferation of smart devices and expanding use of social media platforms.
Participants at the event noted that as more Nigerians build businesses and careers around digital content, access to reliable and high-speed internet has become critical to sustaining the country’s digital economy and creator ecosystem.
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