News
NIS2016: NCC, Dokita, SFH, Others Discuss Innovation in Nigeria
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.
Yahoo Mail has announced a major shift in its storage policy, slashing the free email storage cap to 20GB and rolling out a new subscription model starting at $1.99 per month for 100GB.
The change, which takes effect immediately, marks a significant downgrade for many long-time users who have grown accustomed to Yahoo’s previously generous storage offering.
In a notice sent to users on Tuesday, the company urged account holders to review their current storage usage and consider paid upgrade options to avoid disruptions.
“Once you reach the 20GB limit, you will no longer be able to send or receive emails unless you either delete existing messages or upgrade your account,” the notice warned.
While access to inboxes will remain intact for now, users will be forced to clean up their accounts or move to a paid tier to maintain full functionality.
Yahoo has unveiled two new storage plans which are 100GB for $1.99/month and 1TB for $9.99/month.
For those seeking a more premium experience, Yahoo is also offering Yahoo Mail Plus, which includes 200GB of storage, an ad-free interface, and additional features. However, users opting for the 100GB and 1TB tiers will still be served ads, a move likely to frustrate those paying for expanded capacity.
To ease the transition, Yahoo is rolling out new tools to help users manage their inboxes more efficiently. These include real-time storage tracking, a usage dashboard, sorting options for large emails, and an attachment manager to help clear out space-consuming files.
Despite the enhancements, the abrupt downgrade has sparked concerns among users, particularly those with email archives spanning more than a decade. Critics argue the change could pressure many into paying for what was previously free, without a proportionate upgrade in value, especially considering ads remain in place for all but the premium Plus tier.
Yahoo’s new model brings it closer to competitors like Gmail, which offers 15GB of free storage shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. Google’s paid plans also begin at $1.99/month for 100GB, but offer additional benefits such as photo backups and expanded cloud services. Gmail also provides a cleaner experience, with minimal ads even on its free plan.
Yahoo Mail’s new 20GB limit applies exclusively to email storage, a slight advantage for users who don’t rely heavily on broader cloud services. But the real test will be how users respond to the newly imposed constraints and whether the value proposition is strong enough to convert them into paying subscribers.
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Nigeria has announced a significant move to strike off approximately 100,000 dormant companies from its register due to their failure to file annual returns for over a decade.
This initiative, aimed at cleaning up the nation’s business registry, was confirmed in a statement released by the CAC on Tuesday, 29 July 2025. The commission has granted these companies a 90-day grace period to submit all outstanding annual returns or face permanent removal from the database.
The CAC’s action is grounded in Section 692 (3) (4) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) No. 3 of 2020, which empowers the commission to delist defunct or inactive companies.
The statement, published on the CAC’s official website, urges affected companies to file their overdue returns and notify the commission via email at activation@cac.gov.ng to avoid being struck off.
The commission has also made it clear that it is illegal to conduct business under the name of a delisted company, as such entities are considered dissolved.
Registrar General Garba Abubakar previously noted that nearly 90% of registered companies in Nigeria are dormant, highlighting the scale of non-compliance. This crackdown is part of a broader effort to enhance transparency and ensure a robust business environment in Nigeria.
The CAC has advised stakeholders to verify the status of companies before engaging in transactions, warning that dealing with a dissolved company could lead to legal repercussions. Only a Federal High Court order can reinstate a delisted company, underscoring the gravity of the process.
The list of affected companies, numbering around 100,000, has been published on the CAC’s website, allowing businesses to check their status. Companies that have already filed complete annual returns but find themselves listed have been instructed to provide evidence of compliance by emailing compliance@cac.gov.ng within the 90-day window.
This initiative follows earlier warnings from the CAC, including a December 2024 announcement to delist 91,843 companies and a subsequent removal of 80,429 companies in November 2024, which included notable names like Innoson “Vinod” International Limited and Jolly Food Industries Ltd.
The 90-day grace period, starting from 29 July 2025, offers a final opportunity for these companies to regularise their status.
The CAC’s decisive action signals a commitment to fostering accountability and compliance within Nigeria’s corporate landscape, raising important questions about the operational challenges facing thousands of registered businesses.
As the deadline approaches, the commission’s efforts are expected to reshape the country’s business ecosystem, ensuring only active and compliant entities remain on the register.
InfraCredit, a specialised infrastructure credit guarantee institution, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA) to boost access to long-term local currency financing for mini-grid and distributed renewable energy (DRE) projects across Africa.
The agreement aims to strengthen market development and address long-standing financing barriers in the mini-grid sector, especially in Nigeria and other underserved African markets.
The collaboration is aligned with InfraCredit’s Clean Energy Funding Programme (CEFP), which offers credit enhancement, due diligence support, and technical assistance to renewable energy developers.
“With an estimated 86 million Nigerians, alongside hundreds of millions across Africa—still living without electricity, bridging this energy access gap demands a pipeline of investment-ready, well-prepared projects that can unlock scalable capital and accelerate financial close,” said Chinua Azubike, CEO of InfraCredit.
“This partnership creates a practical pathway to scale the impact of our Clean Energy Funding Programme by equipping more developers to structure commercially viable mini-grid and DRE projects that qualify for long-term local currency finance,” Azubike added.
Through the agreement, both InfraCredit and AMDA will work together to facilitate technical assistance, share toolkits, and deploy credit modelling frameworks, including InfraCredit’s Distributed Renewable Energy Lending Toolkit (DRELT) and DRE Credit Rating Model. These tools aim to enhance the bankability of projects and improve developers’ ability to secure patient capital in local currency.
AMDA, which represents mini-grid developers operating in over 20 African countries, brings deep sector expertise and a strong network of DRE operators to the partnership.
According to Lamide Niyi-Afuye, CEO of AMDA, the collaboration addresses one of the most persistent challenges in the sector.
“We are pleased to collaborate with InfraCredit to address one of the most persistent barriers in the minigrid sector, access to affordable, long-term local currency finance,” said Niyi-Afuye.
“By aligning AMDA’s advocacy and technical support efforts with InfraCredit’s proven models and tools, we aim to accelerate the deployment of resilient, decentralised energy solutions that deliver tangible socioeconomic benefits in Africa. We view this partnership as a blueprint that will be used beyond borders, paving the way for broader regional impact,” he added.
The partnership will also support the development of transaction-ready pipelines, capacity-building initiatives, and investor-developer forums aimed at improving market transparency and accelerating the roll-out of commercially viable mini-grids.
By facilitating access to domestic blended finance and strengthening project preparation, the partnership hopes to unlock greater private sector participation, mobilise local capital, and expand clean energy access across unserved and underserved communities in Africa.
MTN Mulls AI Tech to Protect Infrastructure as Cable Cuts Hit 13,000 in 18 Months
Banks Reopen Naira Card Payments for International Tuition Fees
Attackers Target Employees with Fake HR Updates
Yahoo Mail Halts Free Storage Service, Caps at 20GB
Safaricom, PayPal Collaborate to Link Mobile Money with Online Payments
E-Financial3 days agoUnion Bank Rewards Customers with ₦5 Million Each in Save and Win Palli Promo Season 4 Grand Finale
E-Business3 days agoHuawei Unveils AI Computing System to Challenge Nvidia’s Flagship Product
E-Financial3 days agoEdun, Finance Minister Inaugurates NDIC New Management
News3 days agoLawyers Drags NLS to Court for Alleged Election Fraud, Data Violation
Telecom2 days agoGlo Boosts Network Capacity for Enhanced Customer Experience
General News3 days agoNew Tax Law Empowers NRS to Fine Offenders up to N10m
News2 days agoTranscorp Power Posts Strong Half-Year Profit, Declares ₦11.25Bn Dividend
Broadcasting3 days agoCourt Upholds AVRS Legal Rights to Licence Audiovisual Works in Hotels