E-Business
Why National Progress Is Not Immune to Digital Transformation
Mohammed Amin
Technology is a platform on which collective human progress is built, transforming the fundamentals of commerce and production, and the ways we work and live. As an accelerator of development, it is also highly disruptive, redefining jobs and skills while also reshaping industries.
Given the reach of digital technology and the change it promises, there is a need to shepherd these exciting technologies without diminishing its energy and potential – a role that nicely aligns with government priorities.
The world around us continues to evolve with artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, 5G, cryptocurrencies, and the Internet of Things (IoT), improving how we communicate and exchange information.
Increased digitization and the growing interconnectedness of people, organizations, and machines is already having a profound impact on the world’s economies. Recognizing this potential, government strategies today are emphasizing the role of digital in accelerating economic diversification, promoting sustainability and ensuring citizen happiness.
The digital sector in the Middle East and Africa region is poised for success like no other, with the tremendous push for digital transformation from national leadership, as well as the rapid adoption of digital technologies across the public and private sector.
From robots to flying taxis to AI discoveries, the region is home to technological breakthroughs that were once figments of our imagination.
With the goal of improving citizen experiences and fueling economic growth, governments across the region have launched ambitious national transformation plans with a major focus on enabling digital transformation.
Specifically, across Africa, digitization has become the pillar that is driving growth and shaping the future digital economies in the continent.
For example, the Government of Morocco has put in place a new set of policies and reforms in the Morocco Digital 2020 strategy that aims to shift the country’s focus to positioning itself as a digital economy to promote the effective use of and access to technology across various sectors.
Similarly, South Africa’s National e-Strategy aims to accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies to transform and facilitate economic and social inclusion. And lastly, even countries in Emerging Africa such as Kenya and Nigeria have also taken significant steps to drive economic transformation, sustainability and future skills development through technology.
These digital transformation agendas represent nation’s efforts towards unlocking the region’s potential to radically improve healthcare, education, public services, among others, all with a view to making a positive contribution to society and building the extraordinary future we will live in.
Building centers of knowledge and innovation
Reaping the benefits of digital transformation comes with the need to build skills and capabilities to drive efficiencies. As the government does more to attract, retain, and develop people with the required skills and capabilities, the country prospers.
There is also scope for growing the exchange of knowledge and experience to address the unique growth and development challenges faced by the country or region.
Dell Technologies recently partnered with the Institute for the Future (IFTF), to examine how emerging technologies will reshape our economy, lives and work over the next decade. The experts concluded that we’re on the cusp of the next era of human-machine partnerships.
Essentially, we’ve worked and lived alongside machines for centuries but by 2030, these partnerships will become deeper, richer and more immersive than ever before, helping us surpass our own limitations.
These machines, fueled by exponential increases in data, processing power and connectivity will open-up new possibilities, beyond our grasp today. So, when we look at future skills development and building the workforce of the future, we need to understand that these areas allows us to unlock a lot of potential for the future growth of digital economies.
New technologies can unlock new kinds of value and revenue generation. Thanks to automation, workers can spend time on more valuable, mission-critical work and less time on repetitive, automate-able tasks.
Innovation with regards to social welfare has also resulted in better health and wellbeing with the introduction of new services. We are also seeing this in the development of clean energy, which is a clear and present priority for Governments and organizations the world over.
Expanding business opportunities
Digitization spurs the development of new industries as in the case of e-commerce, mobile financial services, IoT, and cloud computing. These contribute to national GDP in multiple ways while also promoting growth of allied industries such as logistics, infrastructure, and payments.
These opportunities are not only limited to the ICT industry, but also disrupts traditional industries to unlock speed, lower costs, and ensure higher quality. For instance, the manufacturing sector has been transformed with the incorporation of sensors and devices into equipment and machinery within an IoT network allowing for the speedier analysis of data and increased efficiency.
This in turn leads to an increase in the region’s productivity and competitiveness – lowering unemployment rates and creating higher-wage and higher-impact jobs.
Exceptional citizen experiences
Creating a digitally connected environment also helps governments serve its citizens better. For instance, today’s citizens expect public services to be digital, personalized, and responsive and the use of advanced analytics allows governments to leverage data to do so.
Social media and mobile platforms are replacing traditional channels to interact with government, report concerns, and provide feedback. In addition, technology helps enable and enhance citizen services that are key to improving the overall quality of life, which in turn promotes economic growth and increases the global competitiveness of countries. Across the Middle East and Africa region, we are seeing an immense number of initiatives where governments are rolling out robust e-government programs to transform the services they offer.
In summary
Winning in the digital economy requires a combination of technical understanding, pioneering leadership, and a sense of vision and determination to encourage an ecosystem of innovation. Leaders who engage with these possibilities today could be reshaping the economy of 2030 for the greater good.
By placing new digital and ICT transformation programs at the heart of their national plans and through collaborations with leaders and entrepreneurs committed to building a better future, governments across the region are already leading the way in securing a viable future for their citizens while also raising their national competitiveness profile at a global level.
Mohammed Amin, Senior Vice President – Middle East, Russia, Africa, and Turkey, (MERAT), Dell Technologies
Fifty selected young unemployed Nigerians have completed a four-week intensive digital skills bootcamp under the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative, gaining practical training in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and IT Essentials.
The programme, a collaborative effort between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Cisco, was hosted at NITDA’s South West Zonal Office in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa , the Head of the South West Zonal Office, Mrs. Chioma Okee-Agugwo, described the initiative as a vital component of Nigeria’s digital future. “This is not just a closing ceremony. It is the launchpad for new journeys—anchored in digital knowledge and powered by innovation,” she remarked.
According to the Director General, the initiative is rooted in NITDA’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2.0) and reflects key focus areas including Digital Literacy, Emerging Technologies, and Youth Empowerment. It also aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to accelerate economic diversification through digitisation, innovation, and skills development.
Inuwa noted that the DL4ALL initiative forms part of Nigeria’s broader commitment to digital inclusion—ensuring that no one is left behind in the evolving digital economy. It also supports the ambitious goal of achieving 70% digital literacy by 2027, championed by the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani. This national vision aims to equip millions of Nigerians with the skills required to thrive in a tech-driven world.
He further emphasized the importance of empowering youth with globally relevant skills. “They are no longer just consumers of technology. They are creators, innovators, and future employers,” he said.
The NITDA boss explained that throughout the bootcamp, participants engaged in hands-on learning experiences designed to build both technical proficiency and digital leadership capabilities.
“This is only the beginning,” he stated. “Through our zonal strategy, we are bringing innovation closer to local communities. This is how we democratise access and unlock Nigeria’s full digital potential.”
Inuwa expressed appreciation to Cisco for delivering high-impact training and called on stakeholders to continue investing in partnerships, people, and platforms that drive digital inclusion.
He asserted that the newly certified participants are now equipped to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s digital economy—armed with the skills to build solutions, secure infrastructure, and launch tech ventures that solve real-world problems.
At the end of the bootcamp, participants demonstrated their knowledge through impressive presentations that showcased the integration of skills acquired across Data Science, AI, and IT Essentials. Many spoke passionately about how the programme had expanded their technical competence and sparked a drive to create job opportunities—not only for themselves but also for others—as entrepreneurs and digital solution providers in their communities.
Coinbase forecast a hit of between $180m and $400m from a cyberattack that breached account data of a “small subset” of its customers, the crypto exchange said in a regulatory filing on Thursday.
The company received an anonymous email on May 11, claiming to have information about certain customer accounts as well as internal documents.
While some data — including names, addresses and emails — was stolen, the hackers did not get access to login credentials or passwords, Coinbase said.
Still, it will reimburse customers who were tricked into sending funds to the attackers.
Hackers had paid multiple contractors and employees working in support roles outside the US to collect information.
The company has fired those involved, it said.
Separately, the New York Times reported that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was investigating whether the company had misstated its user numbers.
Coinbase shares extended losses after the report and were last down 6.5%.
“This is a hold-over investigation from the prior administration about a metric we stopped reporting two-and-a-half years ago, which was fully disclosed to the public,” said Paul Grewal, Coinbase’s chief legal officer.
“While we strongly believe this investigation should not continue, we remain committed to working with the SEC to bring this matter to a close.”
The SEC declined to comment.
The latest developments come days before the company is set to join the benchmark S&P 500 index, casting a shadow over what was expected to be a landmark moment for the crypto industry.
Security remains a challenge for the crypto industry despite its growing mainstream acceptance.
In February, Bybit disclosed a hack in which about $1.5bn worth of digital tokens were stolen — widely described the biggest crypto heist ever.
“The cyberattack may push the industry to adopt stricter employee vetting and introduce some reputational risks,” said Bo Pei, an analyst at US Tiger Securities.
Funds stolen by hacking crypto platforms amounted to $2.2bn in 2024, according to a report from Chainalysis, a US-based blockchain analysis firm.
“As our nascent industry grows rapidly, it draws the eye of bad actors, who are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the scope of their attacks,” said Nick Jones, founder of crypto firm Zumo.
Coinbase has refused to pay a ransom of $20m demanded by the attackers and is working with law enforcement agencies. Instead it has established a $20m reward for information on the hackers.
The company is also opening a new support hub in the US and taking other measures to prevent such cyberattacks, it said.
The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) presents its report on .ng domain name registration and renewal statistics for the first quarter of 2025, highlighting the continued expansion of Nigeria’s digital footprint. The data underscores a consistent and significant adoption of the nation’s Country Code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD), reinforcing its pivotal role in the burgeoning Nigerian digital economy.
During the period spanning January to March 2025, a total of 40,791 .ng domain names were recorded. This figure comprises 22,236 new registrations and 18,555 renewals, indicating a healthy balance between the acquisition of new digital identities and the sustained commitment of existing domain name holders to their online presence.
Analysis of the registration trends within the quarter reveals a notable upward trajectory, with a 13.92% increase in domain name registrations observed between February and March 2025.
This growth signifies an increasing recognition of the importance of a localized online identity by a diverse range of stakeholders, including individuals, startups, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), and larger organizations.
Notably, the .com.ng extension continues to be the dominant choice, accounting for over 60% of both new registrations and renewals. This reaffirms its status as the preferred domain name extension for Nigerian businesses seeking to establish a credible and locally relevant online brand presence while maintaining global accessibility. The sustained popularity of .com.ng underscores its perceived value among Nigerian entrepreneurs and enterprises seeking to secure their digital real estate.
This upward trajectory isn’t happening by chance. The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has remained intentional in its drive for digital inclusion and domain adoption. Through public education, training via the .ng Academy, outreach campaigns, and partnerships with stakeholders across the tech ecosystem, NiRA has consistently advocated for the importance of owning a local domain. The current standing of .ng as the second most registered ccTLD in Africa reflects the efficacy of these efforts.
Digital adoption in Nigeria is no longer just about being online—it’s about owning your digital identity. And with a .ng domain, Nigerians are better positioned to assert that identity, connect with local and international audiences, and gain better control over their digital footprints.
As we look toward the rest of 2025, the Q1 results serve as a strong signal: more people are embracing the digital future, and the .ng domain is increasingly becoming their first step.
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