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NIS2016: NCC, Dokita, SFH, Others Discuss Innovation in Nigeria

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(L-r): Yves Nicolet, Consul General of Switzerland; Prof. Wellington Oyibo, director, Research and Innovation Centre, University of Lagos; Tony Ojobo, director, Public Affairs, NCC and Dr. Victor, Odumuyiwa, at Nigeria Innovation Summit held in Lagos on Thursday.
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The innovative application of ICT in some other sectors of the economy in Nigeria has become one of the major successful outcomes of the country’s telecommunications regulations, according to Professor Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC).

The EVC who spoke through Mr. Tony Ojobo, director, Public Affairs at the Commission at the opening of two-day Nigeria Innovation Conference (#nis2016), cited the pharmaceutical industry where the authenticity of drugs are now verified through the use of mobile phones, as one of the innovations powered by telecommunications industry.

He said that in the agricultural sector, “We are all aware of the innovation where farmers were equipped with mobile phones and they are able to be reached for distribution of fertilizers and other critical infrastructure that have given them better yields.

“In the movie industry, as represented by Nollywood, the Commission has taken steps to collaborate with the actors and producers evolve better ways to distribute their contents to the worldwide audience and also to improve their production capabilities through the application of relevant technologies available in other parts of the world”.

The EVC said that innovation is one of the main eight-point agenda of the current leadership of the Commission. “The fourth item of that agenda, in particular, seeks to promote ICT innovation and investment opportunities. By this, the Commission makes conscious efforts to promote ICT innovations in ways that improve the nation’s ability to compete in the global economy, increase investments in youths, and promote SMEs for new businesses deliveries and breakthroughs”.

Speaking on ‘How Nigeria Higher Education System can drive Innovation: Opportunities for Collaboration and Partnership for Economic Development’, Dr. Tunde Adekola, senior education specialist at World Bank, said “What it means to be ‘innovative’ in 2015 may be different than it was in 1885 or 1985 (and it will perhaps be different still in 2085). That said, there is little argument that, whatever the year, and wherever you are, basic numeracy and literacy skills are fundamental to one’s education and ability to navigate successfully through life now require learning and innovation skills , statistical literacy,  digital literacy skills, life and career skills”.

He said that both innovation and higher education are important for national development and must be value added, as “In midst of competition, time is also of essence. It is not only about what we know but when do we know it. Innovation makes all the difference between a developed and marginalized economy “

“Developing countries will have little success boosting economic growth and reducing poverty unless they can close a growing “S&T Innovation” divide between themselves and richer countries. With on-going recession or depression and the resolve of this gathering to strengthening partnership collaboration and cooperation between states and non-state actors, there is now and unique opportunity for innovation, interconnectivity, invigoration and inclusiveness for quality and S&T education.

He added that quality education remains the critical determinant of a country’s economic growth and standard of living as learning outcomes are transformed into goods and services, greater institutional capacity, a more effective public sector, a stronger civil society, and a better investment climate.

Also speaking, Dr. Daniel Folukoya, founder and CEO, OneDokita, Healthcare Limited, said that as young inventors they were challenged by the poor patient-doctor interface in the Nigeria’s healthcare system, hence the development of 1dokita platform.

“On the course of our research, the need for reliable data in the healthcare system actually informed the innovation- Onedokita. For instance, we may want to pick up cases for treatment like Diabetes; we know people in England have such cases at different levels, because statistics are there to assist your programme. But when we are looking at the Nigerian situation, digitally, there is very little data on that. What we actually is that there are data on HIV, malaria and tuberculoses (TB).

“But these illnesses come and kill quickly in terms of the worst case scenario. But what happens is that as you are treating HIV, malaria and TB, the life span of each person becomes longer, however the lifestyle diseases like hypertension, if you ask anybody about the data, we do not know,” he said.

He however called for more flexible regulatory system to spur more innovations in the country. “Nigeria is economically in recession, but technologically we are turning a corner reaching a threshold that will ‘burst’ and expand, which will trigger a turnaround in the nation’s economy. Due to our optimism we are building relationships and trusts in the market. We just need to recognise innovation in whatever sector of the country by way of flexible regulations”.

Meanwhile, Sir Bright Ekweremadu, managing director, Society for Family Health (SFH), said that over time, the public health sector in Nigeria has experienced increase in the use of innovative strategies and technologies in the delivery of health care services.

He highlighted some of the innovations as include the use of mobile technologies in data management, task shifting strategies to curb the effect of shortage of human resources, the use of mobile doctors to deliver health services in emergencies by the Flying Doctors Nigeria, effective containment of Ebola Virus Disease through prompt case management, surveillance, contact tracing, communication and social mobilization by Ebola Alert among others.

Ekweremadu said that SFH as a leading public health non-governmental organisation in Nigeria, with over 30 years of experience in delivering public health services adopts various innovative strategies in the delivery of health services to empower Nigerians particularly the poor and vulnerable, to lead healthier lives in line with her mission statement.

The speakers unanimously called for improved support from the government for conducive environment, especially to protect ‘weak’ innovators from the giant companies.

 

 

 
 

 


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Legend Internet Repays N10Bn Commercial Paper

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Legend Internet Plc has announced the full and timely repayment of its Series 1 Commercial Paper under its N10bn multi-layered issuance programme, marking a key milestone in the company’s engagement with Nigeria’s debt capital market.

Legend Internet Repays N10Bn Commercial Paper

Aisha Abdulaziz, chief executive officer, Legend Internet Plc,

The repayment, completed on schedule and in full, underscores the company’s financial discipline and its continued commitment to maintaining strong investor relations in a tightening funding environment.

The Series 1 issuance had earlier attracted significant demand, recording a 119.7 per cent oversubscription at launch, reflecting strong investor appetite and confidence in the company’s credit profile, operational performance, and long-term expansion strategy.

Speaking on the repayment, Aisha Abdulaziz, chief executive officer, Legend Internet Plc, said the outcome reinforces the company’s credibility and operational strength.

“The successful repayment of our Series 1 Commercial Paper demonstrates Legend Internet’s unwavering commitment to meeting its financial obligations and maintaining the trust of the investment community.

This milestone further reinforces the strength of our business model, operational discipline, and long-term vision for building resilient digital infrastructure across Nigeria,” she said.

She added that investor confidence has remained central to the company’s funding strategy, saying, “We remain deeply appreciative of the confidence shown by our investors, advisers, issuing houses, and market partners during the issuance and throughout the tenor of the programme. Their support continues to position Legend Internet for sustainable growth and expansion.”

The Commercial Paper programme forms part of Legend Internet Plc’s broader capital strategy aimed at supporting broadband infrastructure expansion, strengthening working capital efficiency, and accelerating investment in Nigeria’s digital connectivity.

Legend Internet Plc operates as a digital infrastructure and broadband services provider, with a focus on fibre connectivity, enterprise solutions, and next-generation digital services designed to expand access and support economic inclusion across Nigeria

 


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FG Unveils AI Public Services Platform

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Federal government has launched GovGuideNigeria, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered digital platform designed to streamline access to public service information through WhatsApp and the web.

The platform consolidates information from more than 35 federal ministries and over 60 government agencies, marking a significant step in Nigeria’s drive to expand AI-enabled public infrastructure and digital government services.

According to Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s minister of communications, innovation and digital economy, the initiative aims to simplify interactions with government services, particularly for underserved communities that often face challenges navigating complex public-sector systems.

Developed in collaboration with the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Meta, and Publica AI, GovGuideNigeria uses conversational AI to provide real-time responses via WhatsApp and a web interface in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

Sade Dada, head of public policy at Meta, said the multilingual rollout highlights the growing use of natural language processing within African public institutions to improve digital inclusion and broaden access to services.

Ignatius Willie, chief executive of Publica AI, said the platform demonstrates how Africa’s next generation of digital public infrastructure can be developed locally using African languages.

GovGuideNigeria is intended to address longstanding challenges in Nigeria’s public information system, where citizens often struggle to access reliable guidance because of fragmented government websites, poor communication channels and the expense of travelling to physical offices.

Through AI-driven automation, users can obtain information on immigration procedures, documentation requirements, public programmes and agency-specific services through chat-based interactions.

The launch also reflects Nigeria’s broader ambition to integrate AI into digital governance, while strengthening partnerships between government agencies, global technology companies and local AI startups to modernise public service delivery.


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Elon Musk to Become First World’s Trillionaire with SpaceX Historic IPO

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Elon Musk is poised to become the world’s first trillionaire after  SpaceX, his company, confirmed plans to go public.

Elon Musk to Become First World’s Trillionaire with SpaceX Historic IPO

Elon Musk

Because Musk owns the majority of the shares, it could push his net worth over the trillion dollar mark.

The entrepreneur is known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, X, and xAI.

Musk has been the wealthiest person in the world since 2025; as of May 2026, Forbes estimates his net worth to be $788 billion.

SpaceX has filed for a blockbuster public listing in the United States, paving the way for what could become the largest stock market debut in Wall Street history.

The company, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies, announced plans to begin trading under the ticker symbol “SPCX” as early as next month.

The listing values SpaceX at about $1.25 trillion, with Musk’s majority ownership potentially worth more than $600 billion alone.

Combined with his existing holdings in companies including Tesla, the IPO could push Musk’s personal wealth above the $1 trillion mark.

The long-awaited filing also offered investors a rare look into SpaceX’s finances.

The company reported $18.6 billion in revenue last year but recorded a net loss of $4.9 billion. In the first quarter of this year, SpaceX generated $4.7 billion in sales while posting a $4.3 billion net loss.

Financial disclosures showed the company holds $102 billion in assets, including rockets, launch infrastructure and satellite systems, while carrying debts totalling $60.5 billion.

Despite the losses, analysts suggested investors were unlikely to be deterred given SpaceX’s dominance in commercial space launches and satellite internet services.

Ruth Foxe-Blader, managing partner at Citrine Venture Partners, described the planned flotation as “extremely exciting.”

“SpaceX is just an absolutely sprawling, enormous project with so many different selling points, and so many points that really point to the future,” she said.

SpaceX operates the Starlink satellite internet network and also owns Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI.

The IPO filing revealed that xAI recently reached a major commercial agreement with rival AI company Anthropic, maker of the Claude chatbot.

Under the arrangement, Anthropic will reportedly pay $15 billion annually to access data centre infrastructure linked to xAI operations in the American South.

The filing also disclosed that SpaceX expects to incur more than half a billion dollars in legal costs from multiple ongoing lawsuits and regulatory disputes.

Among the cases listed were claims alleging that xAI’s chatbot Grok had been used to create sexualised deepfakes of women and girls, alongside patent infringement disputes, music copyright claims, data breach allegations and investigations into compliance with European Union content moderation rules.

Musk has previously said he plans to dissolve xAI as a standalone company and pursue his AI ambitions directly under SpaceX.

The filing came shortly after Musk lost a high-profile legal battle against OpenAI and its chief executive Sam Altman.

Musk had accused OpenAI of abandoning its non-profit mission after shifting towards a commercial model, but a jury dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that he had waited too long to bring the claims.


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