Telecom
USPF, Stakeholders Seek New ICT Growth Paradigm
The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) was established with a mandate to ‘achieve universal access, universal coverage and universal service through a public-private partnership framework that stimulates economic and social development, private sector investment and market-based provision of basic affordable and quality ICT infrastructure and services to unserved and underserved areas, communities and populations.’
But sadly, the fund since establishment has struggled to meet its basic tenets. However, at a recent stakeholders’ conference in Lagos to preview its Strategic Management Plan – 2013 – 2017, the general consensus was that time has come for a new approach to streamline the Fund with the realities and demands of the ICT market.
Specifically, it was noted that the Fund would henceforth work in tandem with stakeholders and industry operators to give them greater opportunities.
Maikano Abdullahi, secretary of the USPF, agreed in his own words that the Fund had not met its set out goals. He pleaded with stakeholders to give the Fund the benefits of doubt as it was set for a new season of mutual cooperation.
“In the past, there has been this mutual distrust between the operators (especially the major players), and the Fund. Whereas, the Fund expected them (operators) to take what we give them, the operators see things differently. They first look at projects on basis of returns-on-investment. How beneficial would the project be to them economically? I think we have looked at all these issues and we’re ready to dialogue with every player in the industry to ensure full participation,” said Abdullahi.
And to ensure that the new SMP strategy would not be another ‘white Elephant’, Abdullahi said so much work has been included in the new plan which would see an addition of about 3,000 kilometres of fibre and 1000 Base Stations, deployed across Nigeria every year. Admittedly, noted that the last SMP which expired in 2011 had minimal success.
He noted that the last SMP which ran from 2007 to 2011 had targeted provision of 291 community communications centres across the six geo-political zones (which will provide shared access to telephone and internet services in the rural areas).
Sadly, at the close of the period, it ended up providing 224 which represented 77 percent of the target.
It also targeted deployment of 490 base stations which would subsidize the lot that operators have to deploy in rural Nigeria, but it succeeded in awarding subsidies for only 74 BTS which represented just 12 percent of its target.
Consequently, the Fund would now adopt a holistic approach to project selection by determining specific ICT gaps in regional clusters within the country and tailoring its projects and service delivery models to suit identified needs within the clusters. With this approach, the USPF shall ensure that its projects are relevant and appropriate for its beneficiaries,” said Abdullahi.
The new published SMP strategy also emphasized the need for the USPF to actively involve all stakeholder groups in the planning and execution of its programmes and projects in order to effectively address and close Nigeria’s universal access and service gaps.
The aim is to avoid previous operational model collapse due to its one-size-fits-all approach. It is also aimed at arresting operators’ apathy due to perceive non-economic viability by engaging in frank dialogue before a project is awarded, using the cluster-development group model.
It noted that the “USPF’s experience over the past five years and the lessons gleaned from the review of the USP service delivery models in other jurisdictions have indicated that USP projects implemented in rural areas often difficult to sustain doe to high costs associated with operating these projects. In a number of cases, operational costs have been known to outweigh the initial capital outlay required for implementing USP projects. Consequently, the USPF will ensure its subsidies take into consideration operational costs associated with running USP projects over a defined period.
This is expected to provide service providers with a ‘grace’ period within which they will have built up a stable clientele and established demand for the service being provided. The period over which operational support will be granted will be determined based on assessment of the time required for each project to generate revenues capable of meeting its operational costs.”
It also expects to “develop and implement a robust monitoring and evaluation framework which will define the metrics/indicators that would be used to determine effectiveness of UAS programmes and their impact on beneficiary communities. The defined metrics should measure the relative cost and benefits of each programme and must ties back into the overarching objectives of the USPF. “
Abdullahi said “effective monitoring and evaluation of USP projects will facilitate the early detection of potential projects sustainability issues and help to address and rectify these issues early on in the implementation process.”
In arriving at the new SMP, the USPF also took into consideration factors such as Nigeria’s macroeconomic review and outlook, political landscape and outlook and an overview of the country’s telecommunication industry.
On the Macroeconomic review and outlook, the Fund notes that “Nigeria is a middle income and emerging economy which is predominantly agricultural – agriculture is the single largest contributor to GDP and is estimated to have contributed about 40.24 percent of the GDP in 2011.
However, while agriculture remains the largest employer of labour, petroleum, the leading mineral in Nigeria, is currently the major source of revenue (especially foreign exchange) for the country. Macroeconomic reforms introduced within the country since 2003 have created an environment for strong and sustained economic growth over the past few years and Nigeria is currently ranked 30th in the world in terms of GDP (purchasing power parity) as at 2011.”
Although the sustained civil democratic governance since 1999, (the longest since independence in 1960) has led to unprecedented economic growth, especially the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI), there are grey areas posing as new strands of challenges to this growth paradigm.
Chiefly, the recent escalation of security in North and the not so comfortable calm in the oil and gas producing Niger Delta belt is seen as a major threat to this political-economic stability.
The Nigeria telecom industry’s exponential growth since its deregulation is in 2001 has seen its rise to become the leading market in the Africa and Middle East (MEA) region.
With active subscribers in excess of 102 million, and teledensity of over 70 percent, Nigeria no doubts is seen as a fertile market. But despite these, there has been a steady decline in year-on-year growth in the past two eyar, declining ARPUs and a decrease in minutes of usage (MoU) indicate that the telephony market is Nigeria is fast approaching maturity.
However, data services have seen an upward growth in the last decade. The landing on the shores of Lagos of four submarine cables has increased bandwidth intake, thereby making broadband availability even at cheaper cost.
The mobile segment of the telecom industry continues to rule with much the growth coming from the GSM sector, while the CDMA operators lay prostrate.
The fixed line sector is non-existent in this market as there are no new infrastructural investments and operators seem to stay off course.
The USPF however believe, it could fasttrack development in the ICT sector through three strategic planks, viz-a-viz facilitation of an enabling environment for ICT (especially promotion of rollout of sustainable ICT service in rural, un-served and underserved areas), promotion of universal access and universal service that facilitate connectivity for development and Institutional development.
While stakeholders applauded the new USPF approach, they also expressed cautious optimism over the Funds’ ability to keep to its terms of engagement.
Ms. Funke Opeke, CEO of MainOne Cable, West Africa’s first open access submarine cable operator noted that the Fund’s implementation module has not transited to new reality of large the volume of bandwidth available in the country. She believes it could do better if it effectively engages every operator and stakeholder as promised in the new SMP.
Engr. John Ayodele, director of Post and Telecommunications in the Ministry of Communications Technology notes that government was addressing all grey areas that stand as cog in the wheel of ICT growth in the economy.
Amongst such impediments, the issue of right of way (RoW) is getting urgent government attention, he noted. While admitting that states have rights to legislate on relevant laws to increase revenue base, Ayodele stated all levels of government was discussing to address the issues of RoW and redress the much maligned multiple tax conundrum.
Titi Omo-Etu, former president of association of telecom operators of Nigeria (ATCON), welcomed the new SMP, but cautioned both operators and the Fund to stay on course to achieve the set goals.
“There appears to be a paradigm shift, because in the past, the USPF has failed to communicate effectively with operators. And this shift also calls for operators to give the Fund the benefit of the doubt so that together, we can all work together to achieve our objective of developing the industry of our dream,” said Omo-Etu.
Qualcomm Technologies Inc. has announced the successful completion of its third annual Make in Africa (QMIA) Startup Mentorship Program, marked by the virtual Make in Africa Finale 2025. The initiative underscores Qualcomm’s long-term commitment to fostering Africa’s vibrant innovation ecosystem through the broader Qualcomm Africa Innovation Platform.
Highlights:
- The 2025 Qualcomm Make in Africa program supported ten innovative startups from Kenya, Tunisia, Nigeria, Benin and Senegal, each addressing local challenges by developing tech-enabled solutions across critical sectors such as healthcare, sustainable agriculture, climate resilience and mobility.
- This year, the program attracted more than 400 applications from 19 countries, showcasing remarkable talent across the continent.
- Farmer Lifeline, of Kenya, was announced as the 2025 Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund winner, recognizing its impactful use of wireless technology.
- Applications for Qualcomm Make in Africa 2026 are now open. Applicants can visit the Qualcomm website to apply.
As a flagship initiative of Qualcomm, the equity-free program shines a spotlight on the creativity and drive of African founders leveraging advanced technologies such as AI, 4G/5G, robotics, connectivity and IoT to address pressing real-world challenges.
Now in its third year, the program remains steadfast in its mission to accelerate early-stage technology startups by providing tailored mentorship, targeted business coaching, expert engineering consultation and comprehensive intellectual property protection guidance – exemplified by resources such as Qualcomm’s L2Pro Africa training. This holistic support empowers founders to transform their visionary ideas into sustainable, market-ready solutions.
“This year’s cohort has demonstrated incredible ingenuity, transforming complex challenges into scalable, tech-driven solutions that will drive social and economic impact across the continent,” said Elizabeth Migwalla, Vice President International Government Affairs, Qualcomm Incorporated.
“Innovation is the driving force behind Africa’s future, and this year’s startups are a brilliant demonstration of that. The African Telecommunications Union (ATU) is proud to partner with Qualcomm for the Make in Africa 2025 program,” said John Omo, Secretary General of the ATU. “We are working to harmonize spectrum management policies, regional standards, and open data practices, but we know that true progress relies on large-scale support. That’s why we call on governments, universities, investors, and industry to support these initiatives – and any endeavor that places African ingenuity at the forefront.”
The 2025 cohort includes the following groundbreaking startups:
- Aframend (Nigeria): Uses AI to explore African medicinal plants for new drug discovery and aims to turn local remedies into safe, affordable treatments for diseases.
- AmalXR (Tunisia): Offers AI-powered virtual rehabilitation sessions on everyday devices, enabling easy patient and clinician progress tracking.
- Archeos (Benin): Automates fish farming with solar-powered sensors and feeders, providing real-time data on water quality and feeding levels for improved fish health.
- ClimatrixAI (Nigeria): Installs connected weather and flood stations with an AI platform to forecast street-by-street risk, enhancing early warnings and disaster response for local communities.
- Ecobees (Tunisia): Builds smart hive monitors and a digital platform for real-time insights into beehive-health, to protect bees and crops that depend on them.
- Edulytics (Senegal): Applies AI on handheld ultrasound devices for early detection of liver disease, aiming to make this special screening widely accessible.
- Farmer Lifeline (Kenya): Deploys small, solar-powered devices that scan fields for pests and diseases and send alerts straight to farmers’ phones to protect crops.
- Pollen Patrollers (Kenya): A women-led agritech startup using connected hive technology and AI to keep bee colonies healthy.
- Solar Freeze (Kenya): Provides solar-powered cold rooms with remote monitoring enabling farmers to keep fruits and vegetables fresh and increase earnings.
- Pixii Motors (Tunisia): Designs electric scooters with smart batteries that can be swapped in and out at local stations, aiming to revolutionize urban mobility.
Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund Winner
Kenyan innovator, Farmer Lifeline, was announced as the winner of the 2025 Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund. The fund, sponsored by Qualcomm® Wireless Reach™ Initiative, champions the innovative use of wireless connectivity to address pressing community. As the winner, Farmer Lifeline will receive dedicated funding and tailored technical support to scale its groundbreaking solution.
“Farmer Lifeline stood out with its innovative small solar-powered devices that scan fields to detect pests and diseases. This technology enables local farmers to effectively protect their crops, significantly increase yields, and improve food security”, stated Erica Ciaraldi, Vice President, Wireless Reach, Qualcomm Incorporated.
“Their visionary approach and dedication to agricultural resilience have positioned them as leaders in their field. They are driving meaningful change for smallholder farmers and inspiring others across the continent. This fund will empower them to scale their impact further, enabling broader reach and deeper influence across Africa and the world.”
In recognition of the groundbreaking innovations demonstrated by all finalists, each will receive stipends designed to accelerate their growth, support strategic development and safeguard their intellectual property. This comprehensive support underscores Qualcomm’s commitment to fostering innovation and ensuring these visionary projects can thrive sustainably.
Looking ahead: Launch of Qualcomm Make in Africa Startup Mentorship Program 2026
Building on the significant success of previous years, Qualcomm is excited to launch the fourth year of the program in 2026.
Applications for the 2026 Qualcomm Make in Africa cohort can be found at the Qualcomm website.
Fynd, an AI-native retail technology platform backed by Reliance Retail Ventures Limited, today announced its official expansion into South Africa, onboarding Surtee Group – one of the region’s most established luxury and fashion retailers – as its first strategic customer in the market. This milestone marks a pivotal moment for African retail, as legacy brands begin embracing digital transformation to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving consumer landscape.
Fynd
Fynd’s entry into Africa reflects its commitment to enabling digital transformation in high-growth retail markets worldwide. The move also comes at a turning point when South Africa’s e-commerce sector is projected to exceed R130 billion ($7.48 billion) in 2025, capturing nearly 10% of total retail sales – a fourfold increase since 2020.
According to Statista, South Africa is expected to have 11.7 million e-commerce users in 2025, with projections reaching 21.5 million by 2029. This growth is being driven by rising internet penetration, mobile-first shopping behaviour, and increasing trust in digital platforms. To meet rising consumer expectations, businesses are investing in AI and unified commerce platforms. Fynd’s scalable, AI-native stack is built to support this shift, enabling agility, personalisation, and operational efficiency.
“South Africa’s retail landscape is evolving fast,” said Ronak Modi, Chief Business Officer – Global at Fynd. “Consumers expect seamless, personalised experiences across every channel, and retailers need agile, intelligent infrastructure to keep up. Our platform is built to unify disconnected systems, speed up fulfilment, and elevate customer engagement; all without adding operational complexity.”
“South Africa is an exciting addition to our global footprint. The market is digitally ambitious, brand-forward, and ready for intelligent commerce infrastructure. Our goal is to help local retailers unify siloed systems, personalise engagement, and accelerate fulfilment without adding complexity.”
Surtee Group operates 94 boutiques and 2 e-commerce sites, comprising the multi-branded stores Levisons and the mono-brand boutiques, namely, Giorgio Armani, Michael Kors, Lacoste, Hugo Boss, VERSACE, TOD’S, Salvatore Ferragamo, Versace Jeans Couture, Emporio Armani, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Luminance, Paul Smith, Coach, and Armani Exchange. They will implement Fynd’s unified commerce stack, including Storefronts, Order Management System (OMS), Warehouse Management System (WMS), and Clienteling tools to connect in-store and online operations, streamline inventory visibility, and launch brand-specific ecommerce storefronts across its brand portfolio.
While online retail continues to surge, offline sales still represent the vast majority of revenue for retailers in the country. Fynd will enable Surtee Group to unify its offline inventory online, power ship-from-store capabilities, and improve both margins and sell-throughs. Additionally, products like Clienteling will empower in-store teams to engage customers better and drive incremental sales through personalised recommendations and seamless omnichannel experiences.
Fynd’s entry into the market is designed to meet this demand. Its AI-native platform enables real-time stock visibility, ship-from-store capabilities, dark store orchestration, and intelligent customer engagement all within a single scalable solution.
As part of its digital transformation roadmap, Surtee Group aims to consolidate its leadership in luxury and fashion retail while expanding into e-commerce and improving omnichannel agility.
“We were looking for a partner who understood both the technical and strategic dimensions of unified commerce,” said a Surtee Group spokesperson. “Fynd stood out for their proven scalability, consultative approach, and deep experience with global fashion brands, many of which align with our portfolio. Their unified stack enables us to modernise operations while building a connected, brand-first customer experience.”
Fynd has already scaled across India, the GCC, and Southeast Asia, and now adds Africa to its regional presence. With Surtee Group leading the transformation, Fynd is positioned to play a key role in powering unified commerce adoption across South Africa’s growing digital economy.
Anambra State has taken another decisive step in digital governance with the BETA launch of SmartGov (https://smart.anambrastate.gov.ng), its digital government services platform designed to simplify how citizens access its over 31 public services anytime and anywhere.
Anambra Rolls Out SmartGov
SmartGov is powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), enabling citizens to interact with government through natural conversations rather than complex procedures or paperwork. At the core of the platform is NORA, an intelligent digital assistant trained on Anambra State government services, processes, and directories.
This launch further cements Anambra’s leadership in digital transformation, coming on the heels of its recognition at the recently held National Council on Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (NCCIDE), where the State won four major national awards, including Best Overall Performing State in Digital Technology Development and Best State in Human Capital Development.
SmartGov serves as a single digital gateway to official government information, services, and platforms across the State.
Using AI, the platform understands citizens’ questions and guides them accurately to the right service, requirement, or process.
Through a simple three-step interaction, citizens can:
1. Ask questions about any government service in plain language
2. Receive intelligent AI-driven guidance that directs them to the correct procedure, requirements, or platform
3. Get answers or complete transactions online, via WhatsApp, or through voice-enabled access
The platform currently covers eight major service categories, including Taxes and Revenue, Land and Property, Business Services, Health, Education, Security and Complaints, Transport and Vehicles, and Culture and Tourism.
With 24-hour availability and multilingual support in English and Igbo, SmartGov removes traditional barriers such as office hours, location, and unnecessary bureaucracy, making government services more inclusive and accessible.
From business-related inquiries to renewing vehicle papers, paying taxes, or locating the nearest health facility, SmartGov guides users clearly and seamlessly through each step of the process, ensuring accuracy and consistency across government interactions.
The BETA launch also showcases Anambra’s technical innovation by bringing together AI, voice-enabled access, and WhatsApp connectivity into one unified platform, all supported by a continuously updated government service directory.
This development positions Anambra as a national reference point for citizen-focused eGovernment, building on strong policy direction, sustained digital infrastructure investments, and a deliberate focus on human capital development.
Describing the platform and its functionality, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata (CFA), MD/CEO of the Anambra State ICT Agency, said SmartGov was built with citizens at the center.
“SmartGov is more than a service directory. It is an intelligent gateway that makes government interactions simple, fast, and reliable.”
He added that Mr Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, has consistently emphasized technology as the backbone of governance through the Everything Technology, Technology Everywhere vision.
“SmartGov is a practical expression of this vision. By embedding AI into everyday government services, Anambra State is making governance more transparent, accessible, and efficient for Ndi Anambra.”
As part of the BETA phase, SmartGov also has a dedicated feedback channel to support continuous improvement. Citizens are enjoined to submit feedback via https://smart.anambrastate.gov.ng/feedback
In addition to existing channels such as the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and official email platforms, NORA, the AI digital assistant, is also available to guide users through the feedback process where required.
“As we refine SmartGov during this BETA phase, we invite Ndi Anambra to explore the platform, use it actively, and share feedback to help us make it even better,” CFA concluded.
SmartGov is now live at https://smart.anambrastate.gov.ng, ushering in a new era of AI-enabled, citizen-centric governance in Anambra State and advancing Mr Governor’s Smart Mega City vision, where innovation is expected, not optional.
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