Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Connect with us

E-Business

Over 4.8Bn Lack fast, Affordable Internet Connection-Google

Published

on

Kindly share this post

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.


Kindly share this post

Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

E-Business

INEC Sets Up AI Division to Strengthen Electoral System

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division within its ICT Department.

INEC Sets Up AI Division to Strengthen Electoral System

This marks a significant stride toward enhancing electoral integrity, efficiency, and innovation in Nigeria’s democratic process.

This decision was reached at the Commission’s regular weekly meeting held in Abuja, following a series of consultations and engagements on the global and continental impact of AI on elections.

In a statement issued by Sam Olumekun, national commissioner and chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC underscored that the growing relevance of AI in electoral matters necessitated a proactive institutional framework to manage both the risks and opportunities it presents.

“Our interactions with electoral bodies across Africa highlighted both the risks of AI—such as fake news and content manipulation—and the vast potential it holds for data-driven decision-making, risk mitigation, automated voter services, and geo-spatial intelligence for logistics,” Olumekun noted.

According to him, the newly created division will centralise the Commission’s AI efforts, ensuring a harmonized approach to deploying intelligent systems that enhance decision-making, improve voter engagement, and boost the credibility of the electoral process.

“The creation of this division puts the Commission at the forefront of institutionalizing AI capabilities in electoral management.

It is also part of our ongoing reforms in areas where administrative action is sufficient to drive change,” he said.

He added that the AI Division will help INEC better coordinate its existing technological investments while providing safeguards against the misuse of AI technologies.

“We are positioning ourselves to maximise the positive impact of AI while mitigating its negative implications. This step strengthens the credibility and transparency of elections in Nigeria,” Olumekun concluded.

The initiative, INEC emphasised, reflects its commitment to embracing innovation in safeguarding democracy and improving electoral services nationwide.

 

 

 

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

E-Business

CAC, NIBSS Unveil Platform for Data Access to Private Firms

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in partnership with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has unveiled a new Application Programming Interface (API) integration system to allow private firms access company data from the Commission’s database.

CAC, NIBSS Unveil Platform for Data Access to Private Firms

Hussaini Ishaq Magaji (SAN), registrar general of CAC, who spoke  in Abuja at the unveiling said the system would give selected private organizations access to CAC services through technology-based companies, called “super agents.”

“This is a practical step to show that the Commission is committed to meeting the expectations of our customers,” he said.

Magaji explained that the integration allows the agents to retrieve data from the CAC database for use in specific client requests, outside the standard services provided by the Commission.

“Before now, only a few government agencies had this integration, especially those involved in investigations, anti-money laundering, and terrorism financing. Now, private companies that meet the criteria can also access it,” he said.

He said the system complies with the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023, and information such as residential addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth may be restricted.

“This is a call to law firms and companies with the right technology. We’ve started with NIPS because of their credibility. Embassies and banks can now authenticate company records directly through them.”

“There are prescribed fees. We already collect them on our portal, and now customers can also pay through these agents,” he explained.

He named NIPS, MoneyPoint, and OPE as some of the companies involved.

“OPE and MoneyPoint handle only registrations. But NIPS has moved further into validation and verification,” he said.

Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo, executive director at NIBSS, who represented Premier Oiwoh, managing director, said the service allows secure and efficient data verification.

“This is the result of years of effort to connect our systems with CAC. It will help users verify data within the limits of data protection laws,” she said.

She said the move is a way to lower costs and promote interoperability across the financial sector.

 

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

E-Business

FG Launches Online Citizenship, Business Management Platform

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Ministry of Interior has announced the launch of a new Online Citizenship and Business Management Platform in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

FG Launches Online Citizenship, Business Management Platform

A statement signed by Dr Magdalene Ajani, permanent secretary, Ministry of Interior’s said the initiative forms a key part of its ongoing reforms aimed at promoting transparency, enhancing operational efficiency, and significantly improving service delivery to the public.

The new digital platform is designed to streamline the application and processing of citizenship and business-related services, ensuring faster turnaround times and improved user experience.

The platform allows users to apply for and manage business permits, ensuring that both local and foreign businesses operate legally in Nigeria.

It includes an Expatriate Quota System to manage work permits for foreign employees, helping companies hire skilled workers while complying with Nigeria’s immigration laws.

The Citizenship Administration and Management System provides a streamlined online process for applying, tracking, and managing Nigerian citizenship applications and related services.

Members of the public, corporate entities, and other stakeholders are expected to access the platform through the ministry’s website: https://interior.gov.ng , Direct Portal Access: https://candb.interior.gov.ng , or contact candb-support@interior.gov.ng for support and inquiries.

“The Ministry of Interior remains committed to establishing a more efficient, transparent, and secure framework for citizenship administration, while continuously enhancing service delivery through digital transformation,” the statement read in part.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending