Telecom
Paradigm Initiative Calls out Kenyan Government over Privacy concern on Huduma Number
On February 18 2019, the government of Kenya publicly announced the rolling out of Huduma number, a single number that is linked to a resident’s personal identifiers including biometric and demographic data in digital form.
Huduma number was made law through the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act No. 18 of 2018 which introduced various critical amendments to the Registration of Persons Act, Cap 107.
This Miscellaneous Amendments Bill came into force on January 18, 2019, a mere 19 days after the President gave his assent with no public consultation.
Rebecca Ryakitimbo, Paradigm Initiative’s Google Policy Fellow, East Africa stated, ”the Act introduced a National Integrated Management system to maintain a national population register for all persons within Kenya including registered foreigners and merge several public registers including immigration register that has passport details”.
According to the Government of Kenya the said number would ease identification processes and public service delivery.
However despite the positive image painted by the government, human rights defenders and residents have urged that the Huduma number violates the right to privacy, equality, the right to non-discrimination in the bill of rights and the right to public participation.
On February 14 2018 Nubian Rights Forum (NRF) filed a case in the High Court of Kenya Constitutional and Human Rights Division against its rollout.
Other institutions like Kenya Human Rights Commission and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights filed similar cases on February 18 2019.
This cases stalled the roll out. However in April the High Court allowed the government to launch the Huduma registration but with several conditions pending hearing and determination of suit against the programme.
‘Gbenga Sesan, the Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative, noted, ”Among the conditions the court issued on the government included been barred from forcing Kenyans to register, using the data to withhold any services and sharing the collected information with international bodies. The State was also prohibited from including DNA in the biometrics”.
In effect to this the parliament of Kenya has drafted the Huduma Namba Bill 2019 to address some of the concerns raised over its roll out and has issued a public notice for comments on the said bill.
Ideally Huduma namba shouldn’t have been rolled out until the enactment of sufficient legal mechanisms such as the data protection law and the proposed “huduma namba bill”.
Rebecca Ryakitimbo added, ”The Huduma namba bill makes Huduma namba mandatory in payment of taxes at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), opening of bank accounts and undertaking land transfers among others.
“As a result residents may be denied their constitutional rights simply because they do not have one.
“The same applies for sanctions and fines that follow non-compliance taking away citizens control over their data”.
Tope Ogundipe, Director of Programmes, Paradigm Initiative, noted, ”The penalties under the bill are unrealistic and unreasonable.
“Some provisions such as registration of passports do not allow for due process, and residents cannot appeal if denied passports according to the bill.
“Provisions of the bill should not deny residents access to services by making huduma namba a de facto requirement to access public services, including health services”.
As the Parliament of Kenya deliberates on the bill it should look at the bill’s implication to the right to privacy and ensure it encompasses data protection principles and provide for principles of fairness and transparency, data minimization and accountability.
Understanding the nature and sensitivity of this kind of “data bank”, it is necessary that sufficient mechanisms are in place to ensure that the system is not vulnerable to breaches and that risk mitigation plans are in place.
MTN Nigeria has raised the bar for corporate disclosure in Africa after publishing its 2025 sustainability report in full compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards S1 and S2.
Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria,
The report, independently assured by Ernst & Young, marks the telecom operator’s seventh consecutive annual sustainability publication and third year as an early adopter of the global framework ahead of its mandatory implementation.
Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, said, “strong governance and ethical conduct are foundational to our sustainability strategy. We reinforced compliance through our Conduct Passport Framework and robust internal controls.”
He added that “in May 2025, we became the first telecommunications company in Nigeria to publicly present a sustainability report on the Nigerian Exchange Group platform, an important milestone in our commitment to IFRS S1 and S2- aligned disclosure and accountability.”
The company also secured Carbon Disclosure Project ratings of ‘B-’ for climate change and ‘C’ for water security.
Under the IFRS S2 framework, the telecoms operator disclosed climate-related risks linked to flooding, heat stress, regulatory changes and possible future taxes or charges on carbon emissions, following a climate scenario analysis completed in 2024.
The report also showed that MTN Nigeria now uses a digital reporting format – XBRL. This makes its sustainability and governance data easier for investors and ESG rating agencies to access and analyse through automated systems.
The Company also carried out assessments to understand how sustainability issues affect both its business operations and society at large, while measuring its overall economic, environmental and social impact from 2021 to 2024.
In addition, over one-third of MTN Nigeria’s biggest suppliers (based on spending) have committed to supporting the company’s net-zero emissions goals, although these commitments have not yet gone through an independent audit or verification process.
National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to promote locally manufactured renewable energy technologies under the Federal Government’s ‘Nigeria First Policy’.
L-R: EVC/CEO, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu; Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale Abraham Adedokun; and Dr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), at the signing of the MoU on implementation of Nigeria First Policy for offtake of NSSENI’s renewable energy products for rural electrification projects held on Friday, June 19, 2026 at BPP’s office in Abuja.
The agreement signing was facilitated by the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale Abraham Adedokun at the BPP headquarters in Abuja on Friday, June 19, 2026.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the Agency is focused on linking research, production, and commercialization to ensure that innovations are translated into market-ready products.
He said “NASENI would scale up renewable energy production, including solar panels and streetlights, through initiatives such as DefFrontier, to strengthen local manufacturing and reduce import dependence, adding that the Agency will meet the renewable energy requirements of REA.”
Instead of continuous importation of technologies, machines and equipment for producing renewable energy solutions, NASENI by this MoU will be committed to local manufacturing and domestication of the technologies, equipment and other ways and means of proliferation of renewable resource in the country and to increase the nation’s off-grid energy solutions.
The Managing Director/CEO of REA, Dr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the relationship with NASENI as a strategic partnership aimed at building Nigeria’s renewable energy ecosystem through local production and deployment.
He stated that “while NASENI provides the manufacturing and technological capacity for renewable equipment, REA will focus on deploying solutions to expand electricity across rural areas.”
Meanwhile, the Director-General of BPP, Dr. Adebowale Abraham Adedokun, said the Nigeria First Policy, exemplified by this agreement, is aimed at strengthening local content, ensuring value for money, and promoting accountability in public procurement.
He emphasized that implementation of the agreement will be performance-based, with strict monitoring to ensure compliance and measurable outcome. He added that the MoU is expected to deepen collaboration between NASENI and REA in expanding renewable energy and reducing dependence on imported technologies.
The MoU will be implemented through NASENI’s subsidiary company, NASENI Devfrontier Green Energy FZE and REA limited liability company, RAMco.The two Federal Government agencies seek to establish a strategic collaboration under which REA shall offtake PV modules, inverters, energy storage batteries of NASENI-Devfrontier Green Energy FZE directly or through its approved distribution companies/assembly and manufacturing factory.
As part of the agreement, REA shall provide institutional visibility to enable NASENI participate in electrification projects; facilitate opportunities for engagements between NASENI and eligible developers/contractors under REA programs; ensure that such facilitation is consistent with applicable procurement, local content, and transparency requirements; and also collaborate with NASENI in promoting standardized, high-quality PV technologies across its programme portfolio.
Telecom
TikTok, ICC Gather Nigeria’s Entrepreneurs to Drive Small Business Growth and Digital Transformation
TikTok, in collaboration with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), on Thursday convened hundreds of entrepreneurs, small business owners, digital creators and industry stakeholders in Lagos for a flagship Digital Commerce Labs (DCL) event aimed at accelerating digital skills development and economic inclusion across Sub-Saharan Africa.
TikTok
The event, supported by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), brought together participants from across Nigeria’s business and technology ecosystem to explore how digital platforms can be leveraged to scale enterprises, improve market access and drive job creation.
Speaking at the event, organisers said the initiative marks the beginning of a broader programme designed to train thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the region in digital commerce skills through both online and physical learning platforms.
According to TikTok, the partnership reflects its commitment to supporting small businesses and strengthening Africa’s growing digital economy.
“Digital commerce is reshaping how businesses grow across Sub-Saharan Africa, and Nigerian entrepreneurs are at the heart of that shift,” said Tokunbo Ibrahim, Acting Head of Government Relations and Public Policy, Sub-Saharan Africa, TikTok.
He said the initiative would ensure that small businesses benefit from emerging opportunities in social commerce and digital trade.
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said digital platforms have evolved beyond entertainment and are now key drivers of economic growth and innovation.
He noted that Nigeria’s youth population and growing digital adoption position the country to benefit significantly from the expansion of online commerce and creator-led businesses.
“At NITDA, our vision is to make Nigeria a digitally enabled nation, fostering inclusive economic development through technological innovation,” he said.
The ICC Deputy Secretary General, Julian Kassum, described the programme as a strategic effort to equip small businesses with tools needed to compete in the global digital economy.
He said the Digital Commerce Labs initiative would help expand opportunities for trade, entrepreneurship and employment.
The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) also announced support for the programme through capacity-building training in financial literacy, business structuring, record keeping, taxation and legal advisory services. It said participating businesses would gain access to funding opportunities after completing the programme.
Data presented at the event showed that Nigeria’s social commerce sector is projected to reach $2.04 billion in 2025 and nearly $4 billion by 2030, while Africa’s wider market is expected to grow to $9.43 billion within the same period.
Speakers at the event noted that social media platforms have become central to business growth in Nigeria, with many SMEs relying exclusively on digital channels to reach customers and drive sales.
The programme also featured keynote presentations, business training sessions, and a creator economy spotlight where Nigerian entrepreneurs shared experiences on building brands and scaling businesses through digital platforms such as TikTok.
Organisers said the initiative is expected to strengthen digital literacy, expand market access for SMEs, and deepen Nigeria’s participation in the global digital economy.
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