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PPP Will Play a Critical Role in Accelerating Nigeria’s Digital Economy – NITDA DG

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NITDA DG
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Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has given a nod to the call for proposals to support the establishment of Digital Innovation Hubs in Nigeria.
NITDA DG
He made this known while delivering a keynote address on the topic “Public, Private Partnerships: Drivers of Digital Innovation in Nigeria’’ at the formal launch of the initiative by the Digital Transformation Centre (DTC) of the German International Cooperation (GIZ).
Represented by the Lagos Office Head of the Agency, Barrister Chioma Oke-Aguguo, Inuwa commended the German International Cooperation (GIZ), for the laudable initiative, noting that the idea is aimed at engaging stakeholders in the Nigerian innovation ecosystem, helping them to understand the Digital Innovation Hub concept, and generating interest from prospective entrepreneurs and innovators.
He averred that it is only through initiatives like the one proposed that the nation’s startup businesses will be able to emerge from the pandemic and grow into globally competitive companies.
The Director-General assured that as the apex regulator of the Information Technology (IT) sector in Nigeria, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will always appreciate and identify with every initiative aimed at boosting the growth of digital innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Digital innovation hubs are the surest way to help lift Nigerians out of poverty and support the government in its economic diversification efforts, through the creation or more Innovation-Driven Enterprises (IDEs)”, Inuwa maintained.
The NITDA Boss affirmed that since 2020, the Nigerian government has invested heavily to provide the much-needed digital infrastructure, digital services and platforms, as well as digital literacy and skills for all citizens, towards transforming the country into a world-class digital economy.
“This digital transformation has enabled rapid development across the country, positively impacting virtually all sectors of the economy, which has resulted in higher performance and efficiency, creation of new digital jobs and indigenous IT innovations, and has boosted economic growth in the country with an unprecedented GDP contribution, by the ICT sector, of 18.4% in the 2nd Quarter of 2022”, the DG recalled.
As Nigeria continues its steady recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, the DG said that it is evident that the successes recorded from the rigorous implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) must be sustained, adding that to achieve this, public-private partnerships (PPPs) will ultimately play a critical role in accelerating Nigeria’s digital economic transformation.
“PPPs are critical instruments for innovation in all sectors of the economy; they help governments become more inventive by creating a space outside the government structure that allows innovation to flourish.”
“They also help to inject a broader set of skills and talents, as well as a more diligent and responsive work culture into the government machinery and to create a solid foundation for innovative thinking and creativity”, the DG explained.
He further explained that according to “the World Bank, PPPs are a mechanism for the government to procure and implement public infrastructure and/or services using the resources and expertise of the private sector; Where governments are facing aging or lack of infrastructure and require more efficient services, a partnership with the private sector can help foster new solutions and bring finance.”
“PPPs combine the skills and resources of both the public and private sectors through sharing of risks and responsibilities.
“This enables governments to benefit from the expertise of the private sector and allows them to focus instead on policy, planning, and regulation by delegating day-to-day operations”, the Director-General stressed.
Inuwa made it known that almost every State has embraced the technological trend and provided its residents with facilities to advance their technical development, adding that many of such hubs are privately held, while others are supported by the Nigerian government through various Federal agencies and programmes meant to develop the Nigerian tech sector.
According to the DG, “the engagement of PPPs in Nigeria will require an enabling environment for dedicated public and private sector champions that address the challenges of digital infrastructure development head-on”.
“The Nigeria Public-Private Partnership Network (NPPPN) was established in 2011 through collaboration between the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Lagos State Public Private Partnership (PPP) office, and the Nigerian Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NIAF) to create a platform for all States (sub-nationals), Heads of PPP Units nationwide under the Chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.”
The Public Private Partnership Units Consultative Forum (3PUCF) was also established in 2013 as a forum designed to provide a platform for Heads of PPP Units in Federal MDAs for knowledge and experience sharing; ensuring symmetry of effort towards institutionalizing FGN PPP programme, provision of training and educational intervention among others, and meets quarterly,’ under the Chairmanship of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. ICRC also acts as the Secretariat”, Inuwa said.
The NITDA Boss avowed that the conceptualization, formulation, and passage of the Nigeria Startups Bill (NSB) is a unique outcome of the private and public partnership comprising all the key stakeholders from the government and private sector players.
He reiterated NITDA’s commitment towards being open to work with private sector partners that are committed to the development of digital innovation hubs in order to help further and expand the tech innovation ecosystem in Nigeria.
“The Agency will never relent in its avowed determination to continue supporting initiatives aimed at helping startups to innovate and develop more innovation-driven and globally scalable businesses”.
“Through innovations and investments, the Nigerian economy can harness digital data and new technologies, generate new content, link individuals with markets and government services, and roll out new, sustainable business models”, Inuwa advised.
He urged all relevant stakeholders in Nigeria’s digital innovation ecosystem to step up and join the organizers to develop infrastructure to help lift the country’s innovation-driven enterprises to higher levels of prosperity and economic stability.
“Digital technologies will spur innovation, efficiency, and productivity, and as a result will create mass jobs, bring about choice and opportunities for greater growth and inclusion”, Inuwa assured.

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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. 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

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Salesforce Revolutionizes Business Intelligence with AI-Powered Tableau Next

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April 19, 2025

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Tableau Next leverages agentic analytics to allow users to collaborate with AI agents to speed up the entire data-to-action workflow.

Organisations today face a data paradox: they need to make fast, intelligent decisions but are overwhelmed by large volumes of often unreliable information. With over 75% of business leaders under pressure to prove data’s value, the demand for trusted, actionable insights has never been greater.
Salesforce’s Tableau Next introduces a new approach to business intelligence, evolving its flagship analytics platform with agentic analytics to address this challenge. This innovative, AI-powered solution simplifies and accelerates data interaction, empowering organisations to uncover insights, automate visualizations, and drive impactful business outcomes.

What is agentic analytics
Agentic analytics allows users to collaborate with AI agents to speed up the entire data-to-action process. Instead of relying on static visualizations, analysts can use AI to automate tasks like data preparation and ETL (extract, transform, load processes), freeing them to focus on deeper analysis. Business leaders can ask natural language questions and get instant, reliable answers along with recommended actions. This makes data-driven decision-making easier and more efficient, removing the need for technical expertise and manual effort typical of traditional BI tools.
Tableau Next leverages agentic analytics across the entire data-to-action workflow, empowering every user to:

  • Automate repetitive data tasks like data cleaning, transformation, and visualization generation, as well as the execution of complex, multi-step analytical workflows within and across different business areas. This builds on Tableau’s strength in simplifying complex data for users.
  • Proactively deliver faster, more comprehensive insights by autonomously detecting hidden correlations, outliers, and trends that might be missed by human observation. This enhances Tableau’s focus on user-driven insights by providing AI guidance.
  • Enable more contextual and effective action through natural language summaries, visualisations, and data-driven recommendations, insights delivered where people work with an enterprise-class workflow engine that enables users to kick off automated actions. This extends Tableau’s ability to drive action from data, making it more seamless within the Salesforce ecosystem.
How Tableau Next works:
Built on the trusted Salesforce Platform and leveraging the power of Data Cloud, Tableau Next delivers enterprise-grade performance, robust security, and flexible, zero-copy data integration for seamless data connectivity. Tableau Semantics, an intelligent semantic layer, provides a unified understanding of information, ensuring data consistency and accelerating the discovery of critical insights. The built-in workflow engine in Tableau Next seamlessly translates insights directly into actionable steps, dramatically accelerating the time to value. The key differentiator is the native integration with Agentforce, Tableau Next equips humans and AI agents with pre-built analytical skills to rapidly transform data into tangible business value, marking a significant leap forward in data-driven decision-making. It includes:

Agentic AI Skills to Supercharge Your Data:

  • Data Pro: Your Intelligent Data Prep Assistant. Instead of users manually cleaning up and changing data using complex steps (like in traditional ETL), Data Pro will give smart suggestions on how to do it and even automatically handle some of the complicated changes, saving time and effort.
  • Concierge: Instant Answers in Plain Language. Get immediate, reliable answers to data questions. Sales teams, for example, can simply ask “What are my best sales opportunities?” and receive clear insights with recommended actions.
  • Inspector: Proactive Data Monitoring & Insights. Continuously tracks your data for key changes, analyzes trends, and predicts improvements. Service teams can be instantly alerted to drops in customer satisfaction, enabling immediate action.

Ensuring Data Trust and Accuracy:

  • Tableau Semantics: Tableau Semantics serves as the semantic layer, providing Tableau Next and Agentforce with a unified understanding of business data. By establishing consistent definitions and context, it enables AI agents to generate accurate and relevant responses.

Boosting Efficiency:

  • Marketplace: Allows users to easily share and reuse data analysis components (like data assets, connections, metrics, visualizations, dashboards), saving time and ensuring everyone is working with the same information.

“Tableau Next helps businesses achieve faster, more impactful results with their data,” said Ryan Aytay, CEO of Tableau. “We’re shifting from basic reports to a world where AI is a collaborative decision-making partner. By combining AI agents with trusted data and easy-to-use tools, we’re making data accessible to everyone and transforming the data-to-action process into an automated, proactive, and insight-driven cycle. This empowers users to improve decision-making, boost efficiency, and manage risk more effectively.”


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Temu and Shein Raise U.S. Prices Amid Trump-Era Tariffs

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April 19, 2025

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Chinese-founded e-commerce platforms Temu and Shein have announced upcoming price increases for U.S. customers, citing higher operating expenses due to tariffs imposed during former President Donald Trump’s administration.

These tariffs include a 145% import tax on most goods made in China and the elimination of the “de minimis provision,” which previously allowed goods valued under $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free.

The changes, effective May 2, have disrupted the business models of both companies, known for their ultra-low prices and extensive digital marketing campaigns.

Temu and Shein, which specialize in affordable products ranging from clothing to electronics, have urged customers to shop before the price adjustments take effect.

The companies aim to minimize the impact on consumers while adapting to the new trade rules.

These developments come amid concerns from U.S. lawmakers and business groups about the competitive advantage of inexpensive Chinese goods and the potential entry of counterfeit products through the now-canceled exemption.


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Google Launches 2025 AI Startups Accelerator Program for African Innovators

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April 18, 2025

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Google has opened applications for the 2025 Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program, a three-month initiative designed to support early-stage startups using artificial intelligence to address Africa’s most pressing challenges.

Across the continent, startups are demonstrating how local innovation can solve deeply rooted problems. In West Africa, Crop2Cash – an agritech platform and alumni of the program – is using AI to digitally onboard smallholder farmers, build their financial identities, and provide them with access to credit, traceable payments, and productivity tools.

Through these efforts, Crop2Cash is improving agricultural outcomes and unlocking economic opportunity for farmers who have long been excluded from formal systems—illustrating the kind of impact that’s possible when African startups receive the support they need to scale.

The Accelerator is open to Seed to Series A startups based in Africa that are building AI-first solutions. Startups must have a live product, at least one founder of African descent, and a clear vision for responsible AI innovation. Selected participants will receive:

  • Dedicated technical mentorship from Google and industry experts

  • Up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits

  • Access to a global network of investors, partners, and collaborators

  • Workshops focused on technology, product strategy, people leadership, and AI implementation

AI’s potential to accelerate Africa’s development is real, and Google is investing in ensuring that African startups lead that charge. According to McKinsey, AI could add $1.3 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2030, but only if bold innovation is supported at the grassroots.

“Startups are Africa’s problem solvers. With the right resources, they can scale their impact far beyond local communities,” said Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa at Google.

“This program reflects our belief that AI can be transformative when shaped by those who understand the context deeply.”

Since 2018, the program has supported 140 startups from 17 African countries. These alumni have raised more than $300 million in funding and created over 3,000 jobs. Many are now regional and global leaders in their categories.

Applications for the 2025 cohort are now open. Startups interested in participating can apply at: https://startup.google.com/programs/accelerator/africa

For further information and updates, visit the Google Africa Blog or follow @GoogleAfrica on social media.


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