E-Business
For Africa to Catch Up in Tech Development
Africa is surely trailing behind other developing countries in the development of the tech ecosystem. These developed countries have gone far in the development of their tech ecosystem because they have created the conducive environment for it to grow and flourish in their respective domains.
For Africa too to achieve this feat, it must brace up to create those kinds of enabling environment that has assisted the developed countries to achieve that feat. Internet World Stats shows, for instance that, of the about 3.566 Billion internet users in the world as at June 2016, only about 333.5 Million of them are in Africa and this represents only 9.4%!
This, in my view, is a far cry when you compare the population of Africans to that of the rest of the world as well as the numerous benefits that can be derived from the tech ecosystem that many Africans do not have access to because of the slow growth.
In order to allow many more Africans to enjoy the benefits of the tech ecosystem, the continent must step up its game and tow the path of closing the digital divide.It should be noted that America, Europe and Asia, got to the height they have attained today by working hard to achieve it.
Below, therefore, are some of what Africa should be doing in order to bridge the gap between it and the developed world in the tech ecosystem. .
One of these is that African governments should make sure that each country solves the issue of epileptic supply of electricity. It is important to state that without stable and affordable electricity, not much can be achieved in the sphere of growing and sustaining the tech ecosystem.
Without solving the electricity issue, all other efforts to make progress in bridging the gap are not likely to bear adequate fruit as majority of African citizens cannot sustain running their devices on fuel-powered generators.
One other area where African governments should look into is speeding up the provision of high speed Broadband internet access to its citizens.
It is of interest to note that the speed of internet access currently provided by many Internet Service Providers in Africa is very slow.
It is, however, heart-warming to note that that various Broadband projects are on-going to improve the speed of internet access in Africa.
African governments should also make access to tech gadgets and accessories available and affordable to their citizens.
This can be achieved through the rendering of reduced, or completely waiving, of import duties on those gadgets and accessories.
This will give room for the reduction of their prices and enable more Africans to have access to them.
The next thing for Africa will, then, be to encourage its citizens to embrace tech and use it to solve their everyday problems.
One of the most important ways in which this can be achieved is to ensure that computer is introduced and taught in all schools in Africa right from the basic schools on through to the secondary and tertiary levels.
The teachings here should not just be on theory alone but the practical aspects of it. Africans should encourage the citizens to interact with the government agencies, etc., in their daily dealings.
More tech hubs should also be encouraged to spring up in Africa with a view to reaching out to as many innovative minds as possible.
Tech Hubs are co-working spaces where innovative minds, mentors, investors, financiers, etc., meet, with the facilities providing conducive environment, such as working space, uninterrupted electricity supply, air conditioners for cooling and very importantly, high speed Broadband internet connection, and many more to the numerous users.
It will do the investors and the governments of African countries a lot of good to ensure that anyone trying to set up a Tech Hub is given the necessary assistance to achieve this.
If this is sustained, African countries will soon catch up with the rest of the world in the tech sphere.
Africans should forge ahead by adopting Digital Inclusion. This is a process that provides digital literacy, most especially, to adults not already vast in tech. This is a sure way of bridging the digital divide between Africa and the rest of the world.
This can be achieved by organizing affordable training and workshops and seminars for its adult citizens. This way, many more will be made aware of tech and what it can do for them.
If these are done, we can then begin to look up to more innovations coming from Africa, towards solving some of the world problems.
CFA is the Founder, www.CFAtech.ng & Co-producer/Presenter, Tech Trends on Channels Television
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone, Rural Electrification Agency Commit to Deepening Digital and Energy Access Across Nigeria
In a major step towards deepening Nigeria’s digital and energy infrastructure, Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a brief but impactful ceremony held in Abuja.
The MoU signals a collaborative effort between both agencies to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda by integrating reliable energy solutions with cutting-edge ICT infrastructure, especially in higher institutions, Government institutions, underserved and rural communities across the country.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, Professor Ibrahim A. Adeyanju, described the partnership as “a landmark moment in Nigeria’s journey towards a digitally empowered, sustainably powered, and inclusively connected nation.”
“This partnership exemplifies what is possible when two visionary government institutions come together, united by shared goals and driven by the desire to improve the lives of Nigerians everywhere,” he said.
Professor Adeyanju emphasized that while Galaxy Backbone’s core mandate is to provide secure digital infrastructure that powers government operations, reliable and sustainable energy particularly in rural areas is essential to fully actualize digital transformation.
Major highlights of the MoU include:
- Solar electrification of some of GBB’s Metro Fibre sites in Abuja by the REA.
- Powering Hostels of Higher Institutions across the country through the Fibre to Hostel Project being driven by the Federal Ministry of Communications Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE).
- Support for the rollout of the 774 Local Government Digitization Initiative, beginning with six pilot Local Government Areas.
- Provision of LANs, access points, cloud services, colocation infrastructure, and temporary connectivity to enhance REA’s operational facilities nationwide.
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency Mr Abba Aliyu, in his remarks, expressed optimism that this collaboration will further bridge the digital and energy divide across Nigeria. He noted that by combining REA’s achievements in expanding energy access with GBB’s robust ICT backbone, both agencies are poised to create lasting impact across governance, education, healthcare, and entrepreneurship.
This partnership is also in direct alignment with the Renewed Hope Digital Transformation Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, which envisions an inclusive digital economy powered by innovation and sustainable energy.
The ceremony was attended by top management from both organizations as well as members of the media.
With today’s signing, Galaxy Backbone and the Rural Electrification Agency have set the tone for stronger, smarter, and more inclusive public service delivery powered by strategic inter-agency collaboration.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced the restoration of its National Identification Number (NIN) verification services nationwide.
This, according to the commission, follows the completion of a system maintenance exercise.
In a statement issued on Friday, the NIMC confirmed that all previously disrupted services have resumed.
“NIMC wishes to inform the general public that the recent technical maintenance has been completed and all services have been restored,” the statement read.
The NIMC urged Nigerians seeking to enroll for NIN to visit the its official website to locate the nearest enrollment centers.
The agency also encouraged individuals to make use of its self-service portal for tasks such as data modification, including name changes.
To further ease the verification process, the Commission recommended downloading the NIMC NameAuth app (oath.app) from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store for quick and secure NIN authentication.
NIMC expressed appreciation for the public’s patience during the service disruption, which had impacted banks, telecom providers, and government agencies that rely on NIN verification for their operations.
Many businesses are overestimating their defence against cyber attacks, which creates a significant human risk blind spot. A new KnowBe4 report exposes a worrying disconnect between what leaders think about their cyber security readiness and what employees experience.
According to the KnowBe4 Africa Human Risk Management Report 2025, based on insights from cyber security decision-makers across 30 African countries, despite high awareness, a critical gap exists in turning that awareness into actual readiness and resilient behaviour.
Key findings from the KnowBe4 Africa Human Risk Management Report 2025:
Confidence vs awareness: While cyber security awareness is high, leaders express uncertainty about their workforce’s ability to act on that awareness. Many feel employees may overestimate their capabilities in recognising, reporting and mitigating threats.
The need for adaptive and personalised security awareness training: Many companies fail to personalise security awareness training to specific roles or risk exposures.
Widespread BYOD usage: A large percentage of employees (between 41% and 80%) use their personal devices for work.
AI policy development is lagging: Many companies (46%) are still in the process of developing policies for using AI tools in the workplace.
Regional variation: Southern Africa trains more, East Africa governs AI better and West/Central Africa sees the most human-related security incidents.
This gap is significant because Africa has become an attractive target to cyber criminals, especially those that launch AI-powered attacks. A LexisNexis Risk Solutions study found 60% of South African organisations have seen an increase in AI-facilitated financial crime – above the 56% global average.
Kehinde Popoola, regional manager and key representative for West and East Africa at Rubrik, said digital transformation is gaining momentum in Africa and companies are more exposed to cyber risk. The Rubrik executive adds that amid an increase in threats, it is crucial that organisations adopt an assumed breach mindset.
The KnowBe4 research shows that cyber security preparedness and the actual structures required to support secure behaviour seem misaligned.
The report highlights that just 10% of cyber security leaders are fully confident that staff would report a phishing attack or other cyber threat, despite rating employee security awareness of cyber threats at four out of five or higher.
There is also a significant perception gap between decision-makers and general employees in Africa regarding security awareness training, with 68% of leaders believing that training is tailored to roles, compared to only a third of employees feeling adequately trained.
KnowBe4 asserts that many organisations only conduct annual or biannual training that is too generic to effectively change behaviour, contributing to uncertainty about its effectiveness.
According to another report, the KnowBe4 African Cybersecurity and Awareness Report 2025, which focuses on end-user based responses, only 43% of African respondents felt confident in their ability to recognise a cyber threat, and just one in three believed their security awareness training was adequately tailored to their role. This comparison suggests the development of a dangerous perception gap in many organisations.
“There’s a disconnect here – between what leaders think is happening and what employees are actually experiencing,” says Anna Collard, SVP content strategy and evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa. “The data shows that without procedural and cultural follow-through, awareness simply doesn’t translate into readiness.”
“The continent’s cyber security posture may be more confident than it is truly resilient,” Collard adds.
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