E-Business
Smile Harps on Professionalism, Partners 10 Bloggers
Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, the 4G LTE broadband provider renowned for superfast and reliable Internet service, has identified professionalism, passion and content creation as critical in enhancing capacity of bloggers in the West African region.
Mrs. Alero Ladipo, chief marketing officer, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, made the remark during a presentation titled, ‘How to Promote Your Blog’, at West Africa Blogger Conference (WABC) 2015, held in Lagos at the weekend.
Ladipo said that in as much as bloggers must ensure explicit, informative and clearly defined content delivered with passion and fun, they should not relent in professionalizing in order to attract right businesses to monetize the enterprise.
Essentially, she listed qualities that distinguish bloggers from others to including sticking to their already created niches built on professionalism, unique, responding quickly to trends, invest on the content design, while building loyal audience, relationships and reaching out to experts.
The Company is already preparing grounds to partner with ten (10) bloggers to support them in lifting the platforms to greater heights.
The Smile Communications CMO said, “People think that blogging is habit that anybody can just pick up and start practicing it. However, as we get more people entrenched in consistent growth, it becomes important we make it professional. Essentially, readers visit bloggers for a particular reason. By implication, a blog is not a dumping ground. Stick to the core reason you started the blog and adhere to your principles.
“There is a philosophy that you stick to certain principles even when many people are deviating; it is the same thing with blogs. When you maintain the professional competencies, people will come to partner with you. For instance, on the course of my presentation I randomly asked participants ‘sell me your blog’, which is simply to market the platform, but people fell-flat on their faces. It is important you know what your blog is all about and can sell it. Present it appropriately”.
Ladipo added that for bloggers to attain their expected heights, “they should improve on the marketing and how to communicate. A lot of people do not know how to use the available tools. For instance, everybody talks about social media, but nobody talks about how they can grasp onto the social media.
“People need to understand about target audience, segmentations, and how to retain people’s interest that they continue to visit your blog; keeping people interested and understand that you are one amongst many.
“That’s the strength you need to have; the tools of marketing and communication and it does not require long sessions of learning. It can be an hour session of going through the principles of marketing and communication at a 101 (introductory) level, because you are not trying to go deeper on the subject, but how to use the tools. Truly, content is king, but you needed to be smart about it. That is where marketing and communication aspect comes in”.
Meanwhile, the CMO speaking on why Smile Communications chose to support the conference, said, “We chose to support the Conference due to the link between our service offering and what the bloggers do. During my presentation, I asked how many people had internet connection in order to monitor what is happening now or what has happened in the last hour that could inspire your writing. How are they going to know if not with internet connectivity”.
According to her, internet connectivity is a utility that soon will be in the range of demands like water supply, electricity, etc. I will take it further to say blogging, internet provision and lifestyle are all connected. So, we partnered with the organizers as a way of bridging the gap between life style and communication”.
On the drive to partner with some bloggers, Ladipo said, “the organizers will help in screening ten bloggers that Smile Communications will partner with from our perspective”.
Earlier, Mr. Ayodele Oyebade, managing director, Advert Strikers Limited, and convener of the Conference, thanked Smile Communications magnanimity in supporting the conference where a new chain of professional bloggers will emerge.
Speaking specifically on the motivation behind the conference, he said, “We help bloggers to monetize their contents. We realized that majority of the exiting bloggers in the region need to learn a lot. Some of our clients in Nigeria, Asia, even Israel do complain that they are not getting the kind of mirage they expect.
“Meanwhile, premium bloggers in the category of Linda Ikeji, Bellanaija, etc, they have fixed rates. Clients know them and so talk to them directly. But we want every blogger to rise to the expectations. We want to say, regardless of the niche, you are an authority in your area, we want you to understand what the brands are looking for and you can relate with the audience.
“It goes beyond writing good articles, writing for fun, getting little AdSense and/or doing copy and paste from premium blogs. We are trying to expose the bloggers to the nitty-gritty of the profession. That’s why we partnered some corporate bodies like Smile Communications, Jumia, Google, MTN, etc. They have done very well in supporting this conference.
“In blogging you need to understand the dynamics and the ecosystem of how the platforms operate. For instance, you are writing about automobile. You have to be sure on what the audience want; you need to know the psychology, the general spare that will affect monetization and audience engagement.
“Smile Communications has informed us of their decision to partner with bloggers. I am particularly happy with Smile Communications because they are going to show them how to make money with their blogs with their content. Jumia is doing similar thing with it affiliate platform”.
Oyebade urged the participants to utilize the opportunity created at the conference to reach out to influencers and engage on self-assessment questions, adding that the future of bloggers have become even brighter in the present technology driven age.
Smile Communications Nigeria Limited is justly famous for its transformative objective of using the best and most innovative technologies to provide its customers with high quality, easy to use and affordable communication services. Smile’s vision and mission, remains the quest to be the broadband provider of choice in Nigeria and to enable its customers to fully benefit from the Internet world.
Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has emphasised that integrating intelligence, security, and sustainability is critical to driving Nigeria’s digital transformation and global competitiveness.
Inuwa made the remarks on Tuesday in Kano while delivering a goodwill message at the opening of the 19th International Conference (CONNOVATE 2025) of the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS), themed “Intelligent, Secure, and Sustainable Innovations for a Connected World.”
Represented by Engr. Salisu Kaka, Director of E-Government and Digital Economy Development, Inuwa said the three elements were now indispensable drivers of national progress. He highlighted the need for their convergence to unlock new opportunities in Nigeria’s technology sector, citing Estonia’s X-Road platform — which enables 99% of government services online — as a global model.
“In Nigeria, trust is the ultimate currency in our high-stakes digital environment, where scams and cybercrime are prevalent. Security builds and protects this trust,” Abdullahi said.
He stressed that while security provides the foundation, intelligence builds the structure, pointing to Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and data analytics as tools for addressing Nigeria’s complex challenges. Warning that “innovation without security is unsustainable,” he likened it to “a high-performance race car without brakes.”
The DG urged the next wave of Nigerian startups to go beyond digitising existing processes to creating new value, citing AI-powered wealth management and ML-driven remote diagnostics as examples.
He further highlighted the various Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) initiatives supporting this vision, including the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), the Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT), the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023, the national digital identity programme, interoperable payments, and human capital initiatives such as the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) and Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) programmes.
Inuwa cited example with International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) President, Antony Wong, that called for stronger protection and strategic use of data in the Global South to safeguard indigenous knowledge. He stressed the importance of legal clarity on data ownership as Nigeria’s cultural heritage in medicine, ecology, and art is digitised and incorporated into AI systems. Wong praised Nigeria’s role in the recent World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) treaty protecting genetic resources and traditional knowledge.
Delivering his welcome address, the NCS President, Dr. Muhammad Sirajo, said the conference would serve as a platform for IT professionals to address critical issues, including intelligent systems, fintech, sustainable energy, and innovations in agriculture, health, education, and national planning.
“This conference will provide an interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners, and educators to present and discuss recent innovations, trends, and solutions for improving technological systems,” Sirajo said.
The week-long event includes plenary sessions, a doctoral consortium, a youth and entrepreneurship forum, the Fellows Forum, the Annual General Meeting, an IT quiz competition for students, and an induction ceremony for new members. It will conclude with the election of new national executives, a dinner, and an awards night honouring contributions to the ICT sector.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) is betting big on Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a catalyst for delivering Africa’s ambitious Agenda 2063.
With hands-on training in tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, the Bank believes the results could redefine how the continent plans, measures, and delivers its development goals.
Through its Joint Secretariat Support Office, the AfDB has provided technical and financial support to the 5th annual training workshop for African Union member states, focusing on the use of AI to track and implement the second ten-year plan (2024–2033) of Agenda 2063.
The five-day workshop, held in Lusaka, Zambia, was co-organised by the African Union Commission and the African Capacity Building Foundation.
Participants from across the continent rolled up their sleeves for hands-on training with emerging AI platforms like Ailyse, Google AI Studio, and Perplexity.
The goal of Africa’s multilateral development finance institution is to turn complex development data into actionable insights that can drive smarter decisions, faster interventions, and more accountable governance.
AbibuTamu, lead programme co-ordinator at the AfDB, said AI was now an indispensable tool for Africa’s future.
“These tools are not only revolutionizing how data is collected, analysed, and reported, they are also enabling more targeted policy interventions and efficient resource allocation,” Tamu told delegates.
Agenda 2063, dubbed “The Africa We Want,” is the African Union’s 50-year blueprint for inclusive growth and sustainable development. The second 10-year plan prioritises industrialisation, digital transformation, and sustainable livelihoods.
With AI now in the mix, African policymakers can track progress in real-time, spot bottlenecks before they choke projects, and reallocate resources where they are needed most.
The AfDB’s backing underscores a broader strategy of boosting both human and institutional capacity that propels African states to harness the digital revolution.
Beyond technical skills, the Lusaka workshop doubled as a peer-learning platform, with countries sharing real-world success stories on integrating AI into national planning and reporting.
“If Agenda 2063 is Africa’s long-term roadmap, this AI training is about upgrading the continent’s GPS that ensures leaders not only know the destination, but also have the intelligence to navigate every twist and turn on the way,” said Tamu.
It is holiday season in many parts of the world. These days though, going on holiday does not always mean turning your back on office life – hybrid work cuts both ways.
Today’s widespread connectivity—available at airports, train stations, restaurants, hotels, and most indoor public spaces—makes staying connected easier than ever, with free Wi-Fi in many locations and reliable 4G or 5G coverage elsewhere, helping to facilitate a seamless blend of work and leisure even while on holiday.
This increase in connectivity among travellers has not gone unnoticed by cyber criminals. Kaspersky experts analysed nearly 25,000 free Wi-Fi spots in Paris ahead of the Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The analysis revealed that almost 25% of these networks had weak or no encryption, making users vulnerable to personal and banking data theft.
Travellers often have their guard down. The unfamiliar surroundings of a new location or a different language can throw up a useful smokescreen for a cyberattack, meaning additional care needs to be taken when logging on. Fortunately, a few smart tools and habits can help you stay protected while enjoying the flexibility of remote work.
Use a VPN for secure connections
A VPN is one of the most effective ways to safeguard users’ online activity, especially when working from unfamiliar locations. By encrypting Internet traffic, a VPN ensures that hackers can’t intercept sensitive data like login credentials or financial details. This is particularly important when accessing work emails or company files on public Wi-Fi, where cybercriminals often lurk.
Switch to an eSIM for reliable, secure mobile data
Another useful digital tool that provides a seamless way to stay connected using local mobile networks with no physical SIM card required is the eSIM. This is a game-changer for international travellers who want to avoid sky-high roaming charges or the hassle of hunting down temporary SIM cards in foreign countries.
With an eSIM, a user can download a local data plan before you even arrive at your destination, ensuring instant connectivity the moment you land. This eliminates the need to rely on unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots, significantly reducing your exposure to cyber threats.
Plus, many eSIM providers allow you to manage multiple profiles on a single device, making it easy to switch between work and personal data plans without juggling multiple phones.
Services like Kaspersky eSIM Store enables users to purchase and activate data plans in advance, track usage and top up as needed, all from a single app.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)
When travelling, people often leave devices unattended. To protect against unwanted people logging in, travellers should ensure two-factor authentication (2FA) is enabled on all critical accounts and that passwords are used on all devices.
Final tips for a secure workation
Even with a VPN, eSIM and 2FA in place, your devices still need strong defenses against malware, phishing scams and ransomware. Cybercriminals often target remote workers who may let their guard down while travelling, making real-time protection essential.
Modern antivirus software does more than just scan for viruses, it actively blocks malicious downloads, warns you about phishing attempts and even secures your passwords and financial data.
For the most robust security, consider a solution like Kaspersky Premium, which combines antivirus protection, a VPN and password management into a single, easy-to-use package.
By combining a VPN, eSIM and strong antivirus, you can work from anywhere with confidence, whether you’re sending emails from a poolside or joining a video call from a festival tent.
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