Telecom
Stakeholders Seek Increased Technology Adoption in Public Sector
Participants at the just concluded “Technology As A Catalyst: Ease of Doing Business 2018 Conference’’ have said that we must leverage on technology in order to create the much needed enabling business environment in the country.
They made this call at the one day conference organised by Perchstone and Graeys, Knowledge and Resources Ltd. in Lagos.
The theme of the conference was: “Technology as a Catalyst: Ease of Doing Business 2018’’.
Speaking at the event, Dr Okechukwu Enelamah, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, stated that we must leverage on technology if we want to ensure sustainable change in the country.
He added that we should create the right enabling environment for businesses to thrive, adding that we need to leverage on technology in order to reduce cost of running business.
Enelamah applauded the organizer for putting the event together; stressing that if the outcome of the event is taken seriously could produce positive change in the country.
Azuka Azinge, Acting Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), extol the benefits of using technology in running the commission.
According to her, technology have played a pivotal role in streamlining the inter agency partnerships between them and other government agencies.
She added that technology has made it possible for applicants to do their company registration online without coming to CAC office.
She also revealed that technology has made it possible for the commission to run 24 hours registration, which they were not doing before.
In her words, “We have used technology to collaborate with MDA’s.
“We have been able to use technology to disseminate information through social media, like facebook, twitter and instagram.
“Online payment is now available at the commission because of technology.
“Technology has changed the face of how we do business now,” Azinge concluded.
Mr.Boboye Oyeyemi, Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said that the FRSC over the years have leveraged on technology in deploying its services in the country.
He noted that the deployment of technology have given them international recognition.
According to him, “Technology has made it possible for you to sit at your homes and renew your driver’s license.
“We also have deployed technology in solving major crash incidences being witnessed in the country, with the deployment of speed limit devices, to commercial bus operators in the country.
“Technology again has helped us solve the issue of payment, today you can make payment to us within the comfort of your home,” he added.
Dr Adebayo Shittu, The Minister of Communications, speaking at the event, said that Nigeria is gradually emerging as a centre for technology innovations cutting across all sectors.
Shittu described Nigeria as the largest and fastest growing ICT market in the world.
“World’s biggest technology companies are strengthening their investments in the country because Nigeria has made important stride toward improving most of its infrastructure compared to other African countries.
“It is no longer news that Information Communication Technology (ICT) plays a vital role in enabling the diversification of the country’s economy.
“Nigeria has witnessed accelerated socio-economic development resulting from the penetration of technology into all facets of its society, ‘’ he said.
Shittu said that infrastructure had made a net contribution of around 1 per cent point to Nigeria’s improved per capital growth performance, although unreliable power supply held growth back.
He noted that ICT was a catalyst to development and there was need for the country to move from resource-based economy to a robust ICT-driven one.
The minister said that the ministry, among other things, was planning to formulate forward-looking policies that would propel the Nigerian economy to a digitalised one.
In the wake of increasing geopolitical tension, Cassava Technologies has unveiled its National Sovereign Cloud offering for African governments.
The solution, the company claims, will help the continent’s governments ensure data is kept on infrastructure that remains under local legal and operational jurisdiction.
According to the official announcement, made yesterday, the solution provides “secure, locally-governed digital infrastructure that enables the deployment of AI-enabled public services”.
The overarching solution encompasses cloud, cyber security, AI computing infrastructure, as well as local language AI models and skills support for governments.
The announcement comes amid increasing uncertainty over the hosting of sensitive national data on cloud services operated by foreign hyperscalers, which are subject to legal frameworks, such as the U.S. CLOUD Act. The CLOUD Act opens the door to allow American authorities to access data stored on the servers of US hyperscalers, wherever those servers are physically located.
Cassava has claimed separately that currently, “approximately 33% to 45% of the world’s data is hosted in the USA”.
The company added: “A sovereign cloud reduces exposure to extraterritorial laws, improves cyber resilience, and ensures that model weights and training data for public AI remain under national custody.”
The Africa Data Centres Association’s 2026 Economic Report states that “data sovereignty has evolved from a legal aspiration into a strategic policy lever”.
Ahmed El Beheiry, Group COO and Group Chief Technology and AI Officer, Cassava Technologies said: “Across Africa, governments are accelerating their digital transformation agendas and are increasingly focused on ensuring that data and digital infrastructure remain secure and sovereign.”
Announced at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona, this week, the Sovereign Cloud offering launch accompanied the launch of Cassava’s Cloud Partner programme.
The partner programme targets mobile network operators and system integrators across Africa to resell and distribute AI, cloud, and other digital services using Cassava’s infrastructure and technology platforms.
El Beheiry added: “We are expanding Africa’s sovereign AI ecosystem to build solutions that address the continent’s unique challenges while creating new opportunities for growth and digital inclusion.”
The programme offers partners access to NVIDIA Cloud Partner solutions, Cassava’s AI Factory, its own native AI solutions and its AI Multi-Model Exchange, which supports both Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini models.
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
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