E-Business
WAFICT Congress to Focus on Big Data, Cloud Computing
As big data and cloud computing increasingly occupy the core of global activities in service delivery for both private and public sectors, how can governments and businesses in West Africa key into those areas through robust infrastructure to provide broadband to transform their countries?
This is the central focus of discussions for this year’s West African Information and Communications Technology Congress (WAFICT 2014) whose theme is “Broadband for Transformational Development: Empowering peoples, governments and industries in West Africa with technologies and solutions to transform societies.”
When government officials, regulatory agencies in telecom and information technology, telecom operators, computing and software firms, technology companies, manufacturers, and other stakeholders converge this year, therefore, their task will be to provide answers on how to maximally utilise the infrastructures that already on ground in the sub-region as well as increase or add new ones in order to deploy broadband as a transformational tool for development.
Consolidating on the gains of past editions, the 2014 WAFICT Congress will open new frontiers for all-round economic development across West Africa using technology.
The two-day event, which will draw participants from across the sub-region, is billed to take place between October 30 and 31 at the Expo Hall of Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island, Lagos.
Running for the sixth consecutive year, the Congress is upping the ante this year, as it brings people at the highest levels of government, regulators, and operators as well as all stakeholders in the ICT industry together with one full focus of finding ways to leverage on technology for economic development.
Globally, broadband technology is seen as veritable tool in driving economic growth and this is not without verifiable evidences from countries with huge broadband penetration.
From Agriculture to power, education to healthcare, as well as commerce and financial services, how can Nigeria and West Africa leverage on broadband for an all-sector development? What progress has the sub-region achieved so far with broadband plans and blueprints? What is the current level of technology input in agriculture, healthcare, education etc. and how can this be improved upon? These and many more questions are waiting to be answered by industry experts, regulators as well as the operators.
According to the organisers, Africa’s foremost ICT magazine, IT & Telecom Digest, WAFICT 2014 is a grand platform to hear from Governments and Regulators in West Africa their policies, plans and strategies towards developing their economies with technology, especially as original equipment manufacturers as well as big data and cloud computing companies and professionals will feature prominently at the event.
The Congress, which holds alongside Exhibition, will provide an opportunity to beam further searchlights on cybercrimes and the challenging tasks for cybersecurity, as well as the way forward for local content in the telecom and ICT sectors in the sub-region. Telecom regulators and operators across the sub-region with top notch speakers will thus chart the course for the industry’s growth.
Mkpe Abang, editor in chief of the Magazine, in a statement, said WAFICT 2014 will be building on the success of previous events; but this year’s event presents delegates an even better platform as speakers and presentations will come from across many sectors, all of which sorely need broadband for their growth and the development of the society.
Right here in West Africa, the revolution also beckons but to what extent are the governments, regulators, operators as well as other stakeholders driving this revolution? How will this revolution result into enviable growth in agriculture, education and advancements in our healthcare systems? What policies and laws have governments in the region put in place to support and encourage investment in broadband, and expansion of the ICT industry? Could the governments have done more? Have they done enough? Could the regulators have been better partners in progress with operators than they have been? Are there still challenges preventing operators from rolling out broadband services to West African citizens? These and many more are the salient topics and issues that will occupy the focal points at WAFICT 2014” Abang said.
Big data is simply a blanket term for any collection of data sets are so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process them using on-hand database management tools or traditional data processing applications as we know them in today or in the past.
And, to deliver computing as a service rather than as a product already further compounds the challenges of big data for a region that has difficulties of infrastructure.
According to Abang, “this throws up the challenges of capture, curation, storage, search, sharing, transfer and analysis, among others. As can be seen, the challenges affect both public and private sector, and such challenges are even more in West Africa where the channels of communication are not broad enough; hence, the need for broadband.
While a number of undersea cables area already available in West Africa, last mile and other challenges still hold back the region from reaping the fruits of these cables and provide broadband for the citizenry, which would be a great source for transformation development. WAFICT Congress 2014 will be a great platform for discussion s on the way forward,” Abang stated.
Nigerian government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has announced a strategic collaboration to strengthen cybersecurity and clean up the nation’s cyberspace.
Recognizing that cybercrime knows no borders, Nigeria also reaffirmed its commitment to fostering stronger global partnerships within the cybersecurity ecosystem.
This announcement was made during a press conference before the inaugural National Cybersecurity Conference, which is scheduled to take place in Abuja from July 9th to 11th, 2025.
Sa’ad Abubakar, national cybersecurity coordinator from the Office of National Security Advisor, said fighting cybercrime must take the whole of society and the whole of the government approach.
According to him, “Apart from the deterrent approach whereby government agencies such as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrest individuals, take them to court and prosecute them, the youth can be nurtured into better citizens who can showcase their capacity in better ways and be useful to the country.”
Similarly, Kashifu Abdullahi, director-general, NITDA, also stressed the need for collaborative efforts in fighting cybercrimes.
According to him “Then, in addition to that, we also want to build a stronger global collaboration with the global cyber security ecosystem, because when you look at cybercrime in general, it doesn’t respect the borders.
“Someone can commit a crime from Ghana using a Nigerian ID in the US. So you can look at him physically in a different jurisdiction, pretending to be in another jurisdiction, committing the crime in another jurisdiction.
“So without that kind of synergy and working together, it will be difficult to address these challenges. The third one is challenge. The third one is getting an alternative to cybercrime for our kids in Nigeria. We have this as a major challenge.”
Inuwa further highlighted the upcoming conference’s importance, noting that it would tackle key issues through workshops, discussions on emerging threats, cross-border cybersecurity collaboration strategies, and training programmes.
He also announced that the National Cybersecurity Conference 2025 would feature the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards, recognising top contributions in the field.
The DG extended an invitation to global partners to collaborate with Nigeria in building a safer digital future.
The press conference was attended by notable figures, including Ahmad Sa’ad Abubakar, National Coordinator of, the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC); Hanniel Jafar, Representative of the President, of Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN); Ankit Shukla, Managing Director, QNA Marketing Management LLC and members of the press and other stakeholders.
XIAN Telecom has acquired an 8% stake in pan-African e-commerce company Jumia Technologies, citing the platform’s fintech and logistics strengths as key drivers of its backing.
This marks the first major telecom investment in Jumia since MTN Group’s exit in 2020.
AXIAN, a fast-growing telecom and digital services provider with operations across Africa, disclosed the purchase in a Schedule 13D filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
While the financial terms were not disclosed, AXIAN Telecom CEO, Hassan Jaber, described the move as a strategic alignment with Jumia’s growth trajectory and digital ecosystem.
“Jumia’s achievements in digital retail and fintech, particularly through JumiaPay and its logistics network, make it a very attractive investment for us. We believe in Jumia’s potential to promote financial and economic inclusion, which aligns with our core values,” said Jaber.
Once dubbed the “Amazon of Africa,” Jumia became the first African-founded tech company to list on the New York Stock Exchange in 2019.
But years of underperformance, leadership changes, and competitive pressures dented investor confidence.
In October 2020, South Africa’s MTN Group offloaded its 18.9% stake for $138 million, well below the $698 million value it once held post-IPO.
Since then, Jumia has undergone a significant transformation. Under CEO Francis Dufay, appointed in 2022, the company exited low-performing markets like South Africa and Tunisia, cut costs, and doubled down on core markets – Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco.
The firm is now focused on high-growth verticals, including everyday essentials and digital financial services.
Jumia’s regional CEO for East Africa, Vinod Goel, recently revealed plans to scale up international brand offerings and open its logistics network to third-party businesses.
Jaber underscored that AXIAN Telecom’s investment signals renewed confidence in Jumia’s long-term potential.
The telecom firm’s CEO said the company views Jumia as a key player in advancing Africa’s digital economy, aligning with AXIAN’s mission through its fintech and digital infrastructure brands such as Yas and Mixx by Yas.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director general, National Identity management commission (NIMC) has said that the commission is set to register 95 percent of Nigerians into the National Identity Database before December 2025.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote,, DG, NIMC
She made this statement at a press briefing to highlight the commissions goal aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly on digital governance and inclusive development.
The mass enrollment drive will be powered by a combination of improved infrastructure, expanded registration centres, and robust public sensitization campaigns.
As of May 2025, NIMC reports over 120 million Nigerians have been enrolled, and about 100 million more would be captured by December.
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