E-Business
Over 4.8Bn Lack fast, Affordable Internet Connection-Google
Google has announced a first step toward a new, experimental method of providing Internet access to rural, remote and underserved areas: balloon-powered Internet access, aimed at galvanizing fast and affordable internet connectivity.
Project Loon as it is called is experimental technology that uses balloons, carried by the wind at altitudes twice as high as commercial planes, to beam Internet access to the ground, providing connection speeds similar to today’s 3G networks or faster.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, public relations manager, Google Nigeria indicated that for every 10 percent gain in Internet penetration, a country’s GDP growth rate increases by 1.4 percent.
But for 2 out of every 3 people on earth, more than 4.8 billion people, a fast, affordable Internet connection is still out of reach.
There are many terrestrial challenges to Internet connectivity – jungles, archipelagos and mountains. In addition, the cost of an Internet connection is more than a month of income in most of the countries in the southern hemisphere.
Michael Cassidy, director, product Management at Google[x] said: “We believe that it might actually be possible to build a ring of balloons, flying around the globe on the stratospheric winds, that provides Internet access to the earth below. It’s very early days, but we hope balloons could become an option for connecting rural and remote areas, and for helping with communications after natural disasters. The idea may sound a bit crazy – and that’s part of the reason we’re calling it Project Loon – but there’s some solid science behind it.”
“Many projects looking to provide Internet access via high-altitude platforms have used tethered balloons or dirigibles – but that means you’re fighting against the wind, and this adds major cost and complexity. So our starting point was to free the balloons from any tethering, letting them sail on the winds, while figuring out how to control their path through the sky. We’ve now found a way to do that, using just wind and solar power: we can move them up or down to catch the wind at the speed and direction we want them to travel in. That solution then led us to a new problem: how to manage a fleet of balloons sailing around the world so that each is in the area you want it right when you need it. We’re solving this with some complex algorithms and lots of computing power.”
Over time, Google plans to expand the group of pilot countries to others at similar latitude as New Zealand, including South Africa, Argentina, Australia, Chile, and Uruguay.
On his part, Luke Mckend, country director, Google South Africa, said: “If successful, Project Loon could be an affordable, scalable way to help address the digital divide in South Africa, a large country with many towns and communities still isolated from broadband Internet access. Last year’s Internet Matters study by World Wide Worx showed that the Internet contributes up to 2 percent (or R59-billion) of the country’s GDP. We think that more Internet access can boost economic development and job creation, which is highly pertinent in South Africa’s current climate”.
Arthur Goldstuck, managing director at World Wide Worx, said, “Rural Internet access remains a real challenge in South Africa. The country is connected to six international submarine cables and the national fibre optic backbone is estimated to be around 60,000 kilometres. However, this backbone is concentrated in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Project Loon could potentially become part of a public/private partnership to help solve some of South Africa’s access challenges.”
James Mwangi, global managing partner at Dalberg said, “Dalberg’s research in several African countries has shown the positive socioeconomic impact of Internet-enabled services on the public and private sectors, in areas ranging from agriculture and health, to education and SME growth. Internet access, and related experiments to improve access, are critical to this. There are big opportunities for cost savings for businesses in the shift to online enterprise systems.
“In agriculture, for example, access to online information can create price transparency, improve supply chain management and provides climate and growth data, which ultimately reduces costs and increases farmer incomes. Where policymakers can foster the right conditions for the Internet to make a real difference to their economies, including investment in core Internet infrastructure, there is significant potential for economic growth and clear social gains.”
Google acknowledges that it still has a long way to go with it’s Project Loon “moonshot”, but the company is looking forward to seeing if it is possible to make the balloon-powered Internet into a reliable resource in areas that don’t have sufficient Internet access today, and a valuable tool to help people regain communication quickly following natural disasters.
E-Business
Jumia Replatforms its Retail Media Program to Mirakl Ads to Enhance Marketplace Advertising
Jumia, e-Commerce platform in Africa, has partnered with Mirakl to elevate its marketplace advertising capabilities by deploying Mirakl Ads, a retail media solution uniquely designed to optimize performance for both first-party and third-party sellers.
This move strengthens Jumia’s efforts to deliver more value to its sellers, enhance the customer experience, and unlock profitable and sustainable new sources of revenue. Retail media is a rapidly growing sector within the e-commerce industry, expected to reach $204 billion by 2027 with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.2%.
Jumia’s adoption of Mirakl Ads positions the company at the forefront of digital advertising innovation in Africa, unlocking significant opportunities to increase revenue generation. With growing usage across its platform, Jumia is well-placed to capitalize on this momentum by delivering improved advertising tools to sellers and more relevant, personalized product recommendations to customers.
“Advertising is a key growth lever in our marketplace strategy, and this partnership with Mirakl allows us to accelerate that journey with speed and scale.
“By integrating Mirakl Ads, we’re empowering our sellers with smarter tools and delivering a better, more personalized experience to our customers. It also positions us to unlock new revenue streams while deepening engagement across our platform. Importantly, this partnership supports our ambition to grow gross profit and accelerate our path to profitability,” said Francis Dufay, CEO of Jumia.
The collaboration is a testament to Mirakl’s ability to rapidly deploy enterprise-grade solutions, with Jumia launching Mirakl Ads in just two months. This showcases the platform’s ease of integration and fast time-to-value. Now live, the solution equips Jumia’s advertising ecosystem with advanced automation, AI-powered optimization, and seamless campaign management.
With Mirakl Ads, all advertisers – from the biggest brands to the smallest marketplace sellers – can now boost their sales by leveraging advertising campaigns in Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Ivory Coast.
“Jumia’s decision to replatform to Mirakl Ads is a powerful validation of our platform’s ability to deliver immediate and measurable impact for leading marketplaces. By combining Mirakl’s cutting-edge retail media technology with Jumia’s deep market reach, we are enabling sellers to grow faster and customers to benefit from a more relevant, engaging experience. This partnership is a true milestone, not only for Jumia and Mirakl, but for the future of digital commerce across Africa.” said Adrien Nussenbaum, cofounder and co-CEO of Mirakl.
Through this partnership, Jumia is taking a decisive step in accelerating monetization, improving customer engagement, and advancing its long-term financial performance and profitability.
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone, Rural Electrification Agency Commit to Deepening Digital and Energy Access Across Nigeria
In a major step towards deepening Nigeria’s digital and energy infrastructure, Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a brief but impactful ceremony held in Abuja.
The MoU signals a collaborative effort between both agencies to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda by integrating reliable energy solutions with cutting-edge ICT infrastructure, especially in higher institutions, Government institutions, underserved and rural communities across the country.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, Professor Ibrahim A. Adeyanju, described the partnership as “a landmark moment in Nigeria’s journey towards a digitally empowered, sustainably powered, and inclusively connected nation.”
“This partnership exemplifies what is possible when two visionary government institutions come together, united by shared goals and driven by the desire to improve the lives of Nigerians everywhere,” he said.
Professor Adeyanju emphasized that while Galaxy Backbone’s core mandate is to provide secure digital infrastructure that powers government operations, reliable and sustainable energy particularly in rural areas is essential to fully actualize digital transformation.
Major highlights of the MoU include:
- Solar electrification of some of GBB’s Metro Fibre sites in Abuja by the REA.
- Powering Hostels of Higher Institutions across the country through the Fibre to Hostel Project being driven by the Federal Ministry of Communications Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE).
- Support for the rollout of the 774 Local Government Digitization Initiative, beginning with six pilot Local Government Areas.
- Provision of LANs, access points, cloud services, colocation infrastructure, and temporary connectivity to enhance REA’s operational facilities nationwide.
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency Mr Abba Aliyu, in his remarks, expressed optimism that this collaboration will further bridge the digital and energy divide across Nigeria. He noted that by combining REA’s achievements in expanding energy access with GBB’s robust ICT backbone, both agencies are poised to create lasting impact across governance, education, healthcare, and entrepreneurship.
This partnership is also in direct alignment with the Renewed Hope Digital Transformation Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, which envisions an inclusive digital economy powered by innovation and sustainable energy.
The ceremony was attended by top management from both organizations as well as members of the media.
With today’s signing, Galaxy Backbone and the Rural Electrification Agency have set the tone for stronger, smarter, and more inclusive public service delivery powered by strategic inter-agency collaboration.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced the restoration of its National Identification Number (NIN) verification services nationwide.
This, according to the commission, follows the completion of a system maintenance exercise.
In a statement issued on Friday, the NIMC confirmed that all previously disrupted services have resumed.
“NIMC wishes to inform the general public that the recent technical maintenance has been completed and all services have been restored,” the statement read.
The NIMC urged Nigerians seeking to enroll for NIN to visit the its official website to locate the nearest enrollment centers.
The agency also encouraged individuals to make use of its self-service portal for tasks such as data modification, including name changes.
To further ease the verification process, the Commission recommended downloading the NIMC NameAuth app (oath.app) from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store for quick and secure NIN authentication.
NIMC expressed appreciation for the public’s patience during the service disruption, which had impacted banks, telecom providers, and government agencies that rely on NIN verification for their operations.
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