E-Business
TD Africa Scoops Multiple Awards @Huawei Connect 2024 in SA

The multiple award winning, Africa’s number one distributor of cutting – edge technology solutions, TD Africa Limited, once again took the centre stage as it was decorated with multiple awards at the just concluded Huawei Connect 2024 which took place at the Sandton Convention Center, Johannesburg, South Africa.
The event which was themed: “Accelerate Industrial Intelligence,” attracted policy makers, tech enthusiasts and industry leaders to among other things celebrate outstanding partners in its distribution chain and unveil new additions of its solutions.
TD Africa’s honour was first, for its outstanding performance in unrivalled after-sales support services which engender customer satisfaction; second, for its exceptional distribution channel which reflects its understanding of the market, extensive network, and strong relationships across the continent; and third, for its unwavering commitment to skills development, equipping partners and resellers with the requisite knowledge and expertise to effectively sell and support Huawei’s products.
To these three, TD Africa bagged the awards for: Authorised Service Centre in Africa, Distributor Partner of the Year, and Training Partner of the Year, respectively.
These awards buttress the Nigerian company’s position as a trusted partner and a key driver of Huawei’s success in Africa as its dedication to service, distribution excellence, and skills development resonates with the broader themes of collaboration and capacity building that underscored the 2024 edition of Huawei Connect.
While Huawei emphasised its commitment to developing digital talent in Africa through various initiatives and collaborations to further unlock the region’s digital potentials, it also showcased its cloud computing solutions designed to empower businesses with scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency.
Buttressing this commitment, Mrs Chioma Chimere, the Coordinating Managing Director at TD Africa, said collaboration in driving digital transformation and bridging the digital divide cannot be over emphasised citing TD Africa’s existing “Technology as a Service (TaaS)” initiative, which enables SMEs to embrace digital transformation by converting upfront capital expenditures into manageable operational expenses.
Her words: “TDAFRICA is committed to empowering Africa through these initiatives and more and will continue to drive its commitment of empowering individuals and businesses on the continent, making transformational technologies accessible, affordable and usable through these initiatives.”
The solutions unveiled by Huawei at the event cut across public sector, finance, power and intelligent services and they include: Xinghe Intelligent Network Solution, Xinghe Intelligent Campus, Xinghe Intelligent Fabric, Xinghe Intelligent WAN and Xinghe Intelligent Network Security.
According to the company’s President, data communications product line, Leon Wang, “these comprehensive offerings leverage AI technology and the Net5.5G target architecture to address the evolving needs of businesses in the intelligent era.”
While experts at the conference critically looked into the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing, the two-day conference also called on governments and employers of labour on the continent, to equip their workforce with requisite skills, such as TD Africa is doing, for a digital future.
To this, Panyaza Lesufi, the Premier of Gauteng Province, South Africa, tasked governments and businesses on embracing digital transformation with innovative solutions like those offered by Huawei to enhance service delivery to remain competitive in the global arena.
E-Business
BPP Partners NDPC to Strengthen Data Protection

Dr Adebowale Adedokun, director-general, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), has reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to data protection in Nigeria.
He disclosed this in a statement at the weekend by Zira Nagga, head of Public Relations, BPP, following a courtesy visit by a delegation from the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
Adedokun stressed that data protection is vital to Nigeria’s economy and development, particularly in areas such as demography, health, education, and other key sectors.
He emphasised that no country should leave its data unprotected, as it plays a crucial role in future planning and national development.
“Data governs the world. It is essential to technological progress and must be protected for a country or business to be taken seriously,” he said.
Adedokun described the visit, aimed at fostering partnership on data policy implementation and protection, as timely and aligned with national goals.
He said the BPP would collaborate closely with the NDPC to boost data development, capacity building, and enhance the procurement system.
“The BPP will support compliance as part of the ‘Nigeria First’ Policy, although it is not a core procurement eligibility requirement,” he explained.
He suggested a hybrid training model to help build strong capacity in data protection, privacy awareness, and policy understanding.
According to him, a dynamic training approach will reduce logistics costs and improve public confidence in data safety and privacy.
Dr Vincent Olatunji, CEO, and national commissioner, NDPC, praised Adedokun and the BPP for supporting data protection initiatives.
He said the partnership supports President Bola Tinubu’s vision and will strengthen data privacy across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
“The collaboration will create awareness and train BPP staff to ensure a firm grasp of data protection principles and policies,” he stated.
Olatunji said the NDPC would establish a working group to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding beneficial to both institutions.
He added that President Tinubu signed the NDPC into law on 12 June 2023 to uphold citizens’ rights and protect national and business data.
Olatunji also noted that strict legal measures were in place to enforce data protection and ensure full compliance nationwide.
Both agencies agreed to form a team to sign the MoU and focus on capacity building and data management in procurement and beyond.
E-Business
FG Mulls Fibre Optic Layout to Bridge Internet Gaps

President Bola Tinubu said that his administration has initiated a project to install fibre optic cables across the country, aimed at enhancing the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
His plans were contained in a speech he delivered at a joint session of the National Assembly in commemoration of Democracy Day on Thursday, June 12.
He said the fibre optic layout is part of other projects being embarked on.
“In addition, we have embarked on an ambitious project to lay fibre optic cables across the nation, a transformative step toward bridging the digital divide and fostering greater connectivity.
“This initiative promises not only to enhance the speed and reliability of internet access but also to revolutionise how businesses operate, how students learn, and how communities stay connected,” Tinubu stated.
He maintained that by extending this critical infrastructure, his government is empowering entrepreneurs, enabling digital education, and providing the tools for our youth to compete in a globalised world.
In a most recent report on Internet connectivity, The ICIR pointed out how Nigeria has faced setbacks in its deployment of fibre optic cables and needs a transformation.
The challenges revolve around vandalism, inadequate coordination between road construction and telecom infrastructure, and varying right-of-way (RoW) charges across states.
Among industry experts, these issues impact network outages, increase repair costs, and hinder broadband expansion efforts.
It has also further threatened the digital economy, leading to slower Internet speeds, dropped calls, and unreliable connectivity among others.
E-Business
African Startups Raised $345m in Funding in May

African startups raised more than $345 million across 65 deals in May, more than double the amount raised in the same period of last year, according to a report by Briter, a research and business intelligence firm.
The report disclosed that both the number of deals and participating companies declined, confirming a growing trend of fewer companies raising funds in larger sizes.
It said fintech attracted the highest share of funding in May, accounting for 34 percent of the total, while cleantech followed closely, driven by a debt deal from Sun King. The company raised $80 million (in local currency) to expand clean energy access in Nigeria.
“Equity remains the primary instrument in terms of total value. There’s no doubt about it; in fact, equity deals with disclosed amounts captured more than half of the total funding volume in May.
“However, debt financing is increasingly proving its weight. Although it accounted for only 8 percent of all deals, it represented 32 percent of the total funding, highlighting the typically larger size of debt transactions. With the rise of specialised vehicles targeting early-stage businesses, debt is becoming an increasingly important part of Africa’s innovation funding landscape,” it said.
Briter’s report added that grants continued to play a vital role in early-stage support, especially in the education technology (EdTech) sector. The Mastercard Foundation led the pack in grant activity, funding a new cohort of EdTech innovators in Nigeria and Kenya. Each selected startup is set to receive $100,000 in grant funding, in addition to mentorship and business development support.
Multilaterals also made a strong showing in May, it said. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a World Bank Group member, issued a $179.6 million guarantee to CleanTech firm KOKO Networks. The support will help scale its clean energy solutions across Kenya.
“This deal not only demonstrates growing international confidence in African climate ventures but also signals a promising pathway for other asset-intensive startups in clean cooking, agriculture, and renewable energy,” the report said.
From a geographic perspective, Egypt emerged as the continent’s fundraising powerhouse for the month, contributing 51 percent of all funding raised. The country recorded 12 deals across equity, debt, and bond instruments. Notably, FinTech platform MNT-Halan raised $50 million through a bond issuance, further illustrating the diversification of capital-raising mechanisms in the region.
Outside Egypt, funding was distributed across Africa’s three other key markets, which are Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya, with limited activity recorded in countries such as Ghana, Tunisia, Morocco, and Uganda, each registering between one and three deals.
In terms of exits, the African tech landscape continues to mature. Three companies—Baobab+, Qardy, and Shopa—were acquired in May, bringing the total number of exits this year to 22. This already surpasses last year’s count for the same period. Qardy was acquired by Catalyst Partners Middle East (CPME) in a disclosed deal valued at $23 million, the report added.
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