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U.S. Unveils Digital Hub for Persons with Disabilities

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By peter oluka

Darcy Zotter, Acting United States Consul General, on Tuesday, unveiled a Disability-Friendly Digital Hub hosted at the Lagos office of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD).

A Nigerian civic organization, Project Enable, set up the digital hub with the support of the U.S. Government Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund of $25, 000.

The United States Consulate General in Lagos also provided additional funding of $4,401 to keep this digital hub running.

Speaking at the formal opening of the digital hub, Acting Consul General Zotter explained that promoting disability rights is an integral part of promotion of human rights. She added that discrimination against people with disabilities is not only unjust but hinders economic development and limits democracy and social cohesion.

“We are happy to identify with this initiative which seeks to promote the empowerment and social inclusion of persons living with disabilities in Nigeria.

Through this technology and entrepreneurship hub, over 250 people with disabilities will have free access to inclusive technology.

“An additional 20 young persons with disabilities will be trained and mentored in various technology-based skills at the hub,” Acting Consul General Darcy Zotter said at the event attended by civil society leaders and senior government officials working on disability issues.

The technology and entrepreneurship hub seeks to promote the empowerment and social inclusion of persons with disabilities. It will provide volunteer opportunities to young people with disabilities while serving as a center for their continuous development in entrepreneurship.

Project Enable is led by Mr. Olusola Owonikoko, a 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow and 2014 Fellow of the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI).

Through the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund, 68 grants of up to $25,000 each were awarded in 2017 to U.S government exchange alumni teams worldwide including Project Enable, to support their public service projects.

The U.S. Department of State created the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) in 2011 to support alumni initiatives that promote shared values and innovative solutions to global challenges.

Since its inception, the AEIF has supported more than 300 alumni-led initiatives around the world, and reached millions of people through trainings, awareness campaigns, leadership and empowerment initiatives.


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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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CAC Delists 247 Firms Over Invalid Registration Claims

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Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has announced the removal of 247 companies from its official database, citing improper registration.

In a public notice shared via its official X handle on Friday, the Commission stated that the affected entities were never duly registered as limited liability companies.

According to CAC, the Registered Certificate (RC) numbers allegedly linked to these companies were never assigned to them, rendering their incorporation invalid.

As a result, the Commission has delisted the companies and removed their names and RC numbers from its records.

The CAC urged the general public to disregard any claims suggesting that these companies exist as legal entities or possess any rights or obligations under Nigerian law.

This move is part of the Commission’s ongoing efforts to maintain the integrity of its corporate registry and protect the public from fraudulent business operations.


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Nigeria Hosts15th African Peering & Interconnection Forum (AfPIF)

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Nigeria is set to host the 15th edition of the African Peering & Interconnection Forum (AfPIF) from August 19th to 21st in the city of Lagos.

Over 500 leaders and experts from the global Internet industry will gather in Lagos to examine the current state of Africa’s Internet ecosystem and explore ways to promote infrastructure development, network interconnection, and content hosting. These efforts aim to reduce costs, enhance performance, and strengthen Africa’s digital sovereignty in an increasingly interconnected world.

Participants will include Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), data centers, content delivery networks, cloud services, submarine cable operators, Internet service providers, as well as government representatives, researchers, development agencies, community networks, academia, hardware vendors, and the media.

Hosted at the Lagos Continental Hotel, AfPIF 2025 will focus on the West African region’s policy environment, carrier neutral data center market, and content delivery ecosystem. The programme will feature workshops, keynotes, panel discussions, bilateral meetings, lightning talks, and networking socials to create a dynamic space for networking, knowledge exchange, and business development.

Organised by the African IXP Association (AFIX) with the support of the Internet Society (ISOC) and hosted by the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Rack Centre, and AF-CIX, AfPIF provides the African Internet community with a unique platform to address shared challenges and emerging opportunities.

“For over 15 years, AfPIF has united the African Internet community to advance local network interconnection and traffic exchange across the continent. This has spurred investment in data centers, content hosting, and cross-border infrastructure — reducing costs, boosting performance, and broadening access while strengthening Africa’s economic independence and digital sovereignty” said African IXP Association Executive Director, Kyle Spencer. “We look forward to continuing this work in Lagos.”

“This year marks a significant milestone for Africa’s peering and interconnection community and the AfPIF event. It is the first time the AfPIF event is taking place in Africa’s most influential country, Nigeria, and under the new leadership of the African IXP Association. There is no better place to reimagine the future of peering and interconnection for the continent than in Lagos.

“It presents a platform to unlock cross-border infrastructure and traffic exchange across West Africa and a unique opportunity to discuss the east-to-west Africa terrestrial infrastructure gaps that can improve the region’s Internet resilience. We value and remain supportive of the community’s effort to address these and other priorities to advance Africa’s digital future.” said Michuki Mwangi, the Distinguished Technologist for Internet Growth at the Internet Society.

On behalf of the local hosts, Muhammed Rudman, the CEO of IXPN, emphasized their excitement to host AfPIF in Nigeria this year.

“We look forward to welcoming key stakeholders from the peering and interconnectivity ecosystem to Lagos. Together, we can create a dynamic environment that fosters collaboration among African countries, strengthens our Internet ecosystem, and enhances Internet access for underserved and unserved communities,” he said.

 


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IHS Nigeria, National Commission for Museums and Monuments Launch Nigeria’s First Digital Museum of Antiquities

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IHS Nigeria, part of the IHS Holding Limited (“IHS Towers”) group, one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count, and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) are pleased to announce the launch of Nigeria’s first digital museum of antiquities, marking an important step towards digitizing Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

Unveiled today by the Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Olugbile Holloway, this landmark initiative represents a significant milestone in modernizing the preservation and promotion of Nigeria’s cultural assets and making them more accessible to a global audience.

The digital museum is the first significant project under the NCMM’s Digital Culture Initiative. Aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the initiative is designed to provide a platform for the exploration and appreciation of Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage. It also demonstrates the power of public-private sector partnerships and underscores IHS Nigeria’s commitment to sustainability and its role in helping foster cultural preservation and digital education.

Mohamad Darwish, CEO, IHS Nigeria, commented, “Today is a proud moment for us as we see the digital museum come alive. As a company deeply rooted in Nigeria, we are excited to have played a key part in this groundbreaking effort to preserve and promote Nigeria’s cultural heritage, while also making it accessible to people around the world.

“The success of this partnership with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, reinforces our commitment to the innovative use of technology to promote education, transform communities and drive economic growth. I look forward to seeing how this will help evolve the museum culture in Nigeria, as well as appreciation for Nigeria’s rich history globally.”

Hannatu Musawa, Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, commented, “This historic event marks a transformative milestone in the preservation, promotion, and accessibility of Nigeria’s vast cultural heritage. For the first time, authentic Nigerian antiquities will be showcased in an innovative digital space, making our rich history and artistic expression accessible to audiences both within and beyond our borders. This initiative not only preserves our heritage, but also projects Nigeria’s cultural legacy onto the global stage.

This remarkable achievement would not have been possible without the valuable partnership between the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and IHS Nigeria. Their collaborative vision and commitment to cultural advancement have set a new benchmark for public-private partnerships.

“This partnership exemplifies the power of collective effort in driving innovation, fostering national pride, and enhancing the creative economy. I urge all Nigerians and the international community to embrace this new era of digital cultural engagement, as we continue to celebrate and safeguard our national treasures for generations to come.”

Olugbile Holloway, Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, commented, “The launch of this digital museum represents a groundbreaking idea finally brought to fruition. The vision behind this museum is to make Nigeria’s heritage more accessible to a wider, younger, tech savvy audience. It is our hope that this first iteration of the digital museum will serve as a starting point for building a digital repository of real-life Nigerian antiquities that we will continue to expand over time.

In creating this digital museum, over 200 actual antiquities from our collection at the National Museum Lagos have been 3D scanned and placed in an immersive environment. Each object is also tagged with the relevant educational material to provide viewers with more information on the object being displayed.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank IHS Nigeria for their invaluable partnership and support in bringing this vision to life and look forward to future collaborations to further display Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage to an even broader audience.”


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