E-Business
Technology in Africa: Why Nigeria Should Lead the Way
There is no doubt that Nigeria is one of the most developed countries on the continent of Africa. In spite of its current economic recession, it still leads the continent in various social and economic sectors. There is, however, serious doubts as to whether or not it is capable if leading the continent in the field of technology. In my view, I think that Nigeria is capable of leading Africa in the field of technology for the following reasons.
Availability of numerous youths with interest in technological
One of the things that stand Nigeria in good stead to lead the African continent in technology is the availability of numerous youths in Nigeria, who are interested in technology. There are many young Nigerians that are exposed to tech gadgets at an early age these days and this spurs innovative tendencies in these young ones. If these set of innovative young Nigerians are well coordinated and well directed, they will form the launching pad of a tech revolution that is capable of engulfing the country as well as take the whole of Africa by storm. It will interest you to note that some Nigerian youths have succeeded in developing some tech devices and are also providing some online services that have gone international in patronage.
Availability of Venture Capitalists to provide funding
It is one thing to innovate and yet another to actually get the products and services that are developed through these innovations to be produced and marketed to the final consumers. There is no gainsaying the fact that many innovators are not financially buoyant to produce and market these because the processes are not cheap to cone by. This is where Venture Capitalists come in and Nigeria has abundance of these. They are ready to invest in the ideas and innovations after proper assessment of the business plan and other prospects.
A ready market to dispose products and services
The fact that the Nigerian population, which now stands at about 200 million and one sixth of the entire population of the African continent, is a huge plus for the country in the development of innovative products and services because these innovators are assured of disposing them off to the large population in Nigeria after going into production. The large population in Nigeria encourages the consumption of technological products and services supplied and this gives impetus for many tech enthusiasts to venture into innovating. Other African countries andthe rest of the world will also benefit from these products. It is no wonder, then, that Nigeria is considered as a huge market for the products and seevices of different world renowned manufacturers of various gadgets such as smartphones, computers and cameras.
Establishing of ICT Hubs
Nigeria presently has a number of ICT Hubs spread across the country. These ICT Hubs provide a co-creation environment that is conducive for the generation of ideas that can be moulded into useful innovations. The Nigerian government is also planning on establishing ICT Hubs in all States in the country. Some State governments, such as Delta State for instance, have already set up ICT Hubs in their respective States. These are, no doubt, laudable moves by the governments at those levels. Many tech industry operators are, however, of the opinion that instead of the government venturing into setting up ICT Hubs itself, it should rather encourage the private sector to set these up and run them effectively with the government merely creating the enabling environment to make it easy for these Hubs to be set up. Other players in the industry also think that the government should carry this out through a Public Private Partnership arrangement, with the management of these Hubs left in the hands of tech experts. Either way, the establishment of ICT Hubs is a sure way to fast-tracking ideas and innovations to becoming realities in Nigeria, thus, positioning the country to be in the lead of technological breakthroughs in Africa.
This can be achieved through the setting up of mechanisms that are capable of recognising talents early and nurturing them, mentoring them and giving them the opportunity to express themselves and innovate. This will definitely give Nigeria the edge in leading the African continent in technology.
Like I always say, however, everything must be put in place to create the enabling environment for Nigeria to lead in tech in Africa. Start-ups, for instance, must be encouraged to survive and operate, with the government providing them with incentives such as access to start-up loans which are either interest-free or with very convenient interest rate charges, tax concessions, etc. Utilities, such as the provision of constant electricity supply and cheap internet data provision, must also be made available to minimize the running costs of these start-ups and other tech entrepreneurs. With all these in place, the sky is really the limit for Nigeria to be the leader in technology on the African continent.
CFA is the founder of cfatech.ng; presenter TechTrends on ChannelsTV, and host of other radio programmes.
Nigeria has taken a major step toward strengthening its digital governance framework as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) officially assumes control of the Nigeria Government Enterprise Architecture (NGEA) infrastructure.
The handover ceremony held in Abuja, marks the culmination of a high-level partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
This transition signals a shift from fragmented IT projects to a unified, disciplined approach to national digital investment.
The NGEA initiative forms a core part of the e-Government Masterplan 2.0 (Ne-GMP 2.0), aimed at establishing a unified and structured approach to managing government IT investments and digital resources.
The framework is designed to ensure that technology deployment across public institutions aligns with national priorities while improving efficiency and accountability.
With the system now operational, government agencies are expected to adopt more integrated digital processes, allowing seamless data sharing and interoperability.
This is anticipated to reduce duplication, strengthen risk management, and translate policy objectives into measurable digital outcomes.
Over the past two and a half years, Nigerian technical experts worked closely with their Korean counterparts to develop the architecture framework, create reference models, and execute pilot programmes in key institutions.
These include the National Identity Management Commission, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and NITDA.
Officials say the NGEA represents a shift from fragmented digital efforts to a more coordinated, citizen-focused system.
The infrastructure is hosted by Galaxy Backbone Limited, providing a secure and reliable platform for nationwide deployment.
Looking ahead, NITDA is expected to work with government stakeholders to expand and sustain the system, while the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy will provide policy guidance to ensure its adoption across the country.
Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has said the government is shifting focus from expanding access to ensuring “meaningful connectivity” that drives economic growth and inclusion.
Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy
The minister made the statement on Friday while addressing stakeholders at the inauguration of board members of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) in Abuja.
He said that although Nigeria had made significant progress since the introduction of GSM services, millions of people, particularly in rural and underserved communities, remain either unconnected or unable to fully benefit from digital services.
Dr Tijani highlighted ongoing investments in digital infrastructure, including plans to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic network and nearly 4,000 telecom towers nationwide.
He said initiatives under the USPF had improved access through projects such as rural connectivity and digital facilities in schools but stressed that the next phase must prioritise effective usage.
“It is not enough to connect a community. We must ensure that schools can teach with digital tools and that small businesses can access market opportunities,” he said, citing a pilot project in the Kura community where connectivity has enhanced access to communication, education and healthcare.
Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also called for a shift towards meaningful connectivity, noting that while data usage had grown significantly, it remained concentrated in urban areas.
According to him, recent data shows that telecom usage has increased by about 160% over the past two years, largely driven by urban demand.
“When we drill down, we see that a lot of that growth is actually in urban centres. So, the gap between those who are not connected or not meaningfully connected is growing,” he said.
Dr Maida added that the trend underscored the need for the USPF board to intensify efforts to bridge both access and usage gaps across the country.
Both officials emphasised the importance of collaboration, sustainable investment models and improved digital literacy to ensure that connectivity translates into real economic benefits for Nigerians.
A jury in Los Angeles has found technology companies, Meta and Google liable for contributing to a young woman’s social media addiction, in a case being described as a landmark ruling.
The 20-year-old woman, identified only as Kaley, argued that she became addicted to Google’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram from an early age due to their attention-driven design features.
According to her testimony, she began using YouTube at the age of six after downloading the app on her iPod Touch to watch videos about lip gloss and online games.
Kaley told the court that she joined Instagram at nine, bypassing parental restrictions put in place by her mother, and spent extended periods on social media.
The trial, which lasted about a month, with arguments and evidence from both sides.
Jurors also heard testimony from Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive, Meta and Adam Mosseri, Instagram head.
However, Neal Mohan, YouTube chief executive, did not testify.
The jury found that the companies were negligent in the design of their platforms and failed to adequately warn users about potential harms. Meta and Google were ordered to pay the woman $3 million in damages.
Jurors also recommended additional punitive damages, including $900,000 against YouTube and $2.1 million against Meta, according to company spokespersons.
The jury apportioned 70 per cent of the responsibility to Meta and 30 per cent to YouTube.
Kaley was present in the courtroom when the verdict was delivered, alongside parents of other teenagers who say they were harmed by social media use. Both companies said they plan to appeal the decision.
“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal. Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online”, a Meta spokesperson said.
José Castañeda, Google spokesperson, said the case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site.
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