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E-Business

Rack Centre Now Positioned to Offer Cloud Computing Services – Coker

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Ayotunde Coker is the managing director of Rack Centre a data centre operator; he spoke to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek on the recent expansion of Rack Centre facility which enables it to offer commercial cloud computing services in Africa.

Cloud Computing and security. Do you think Nigeria, or Africa has the capacity to secure the data centres to guarantee local hosting of data?

Africa is ready for cloud. First, Data Centre business has been developing in Africa for few years now. I am delighted that Rack Centre is here in Nigeria; well-respected African brand. That is a good way to start.  We are certified to the highest tier level- the Uptime Institute. We are the first and only Carrier Neutral to be Tier III Constructed in Africa.

In Nigeria, there are two Data Centres companies that are certified constructed commercial facilities, the only country in Africa with such infrastructure. That is not a bad start. If you look at statistics South Africa has made an incredible start with Data Centres. The amount of capacity (that is ‘built’) available in South Africa is 50% of what is available in the rest of African countries. This is based on analysis by XALAM. It shows that there is a significant of untapped opportunity in the rest of Africa.

So, as a brand, we are prepared: we are scaling, doubling our capacity; certified to ISO 27:2001 and other certifications that give global bodies the confidence to do business with us.

Coming back to Africa; is the Continent ready for Cloud? Africa is ready for co-location and ready for cloud computing. We have seen the wave of what is happening in the use of technology- agriculture, for instance, start-ups and other big businesses are been created in this sector. I intentionally did not use FinTech’s, because it is not just about fintech (though they are very important). Technology is transforming banks, agriculture, oil and gas in Africa. Technology will be key in transforming government (e-government). States like Lagos are embarking on very crucial e-government initiatives.

So, there is a big room for co-location. Now, cloud needs data centres; if it is not in Nigeria it is elsewhere. A lot of African companies have been consuming cloud technology. But they have been consuming it abroad. Even a lot of them host their websites abroad. We have been hosting our website here in Rack Centre for about two years now and no downtime. So, we have started to see the shift

In Africa there is what I call the “Sachet Economy.” You know, people often won’t buy a packet of cigarettes; they will buy two sticks. They won’t buy a litre of milk but rather a small packet. Even water; they prefer to buy the sachets. And it has been very successful. But if you add the quantity of the sachet inside an empty bottle, the cost is about 50% higher; but that is what they can buy.

The only way you can turn IT to meet needs of the sachet economy is, first, to co-locate. Secondly, adopt cloud computing. Cloud enables you to buy what you need and consume and buy more as you grow or scale up. You don’t need to acquire big server when you only need 10% of it. There are a quite number of applications people want to use that require cloud, so cloud is what you can use to deliver services to the sachet economy.

An interesting part to it: if you look at Nigeria, one of the problems of consuming technology from abroad is due to latency. That ‘delay’ is annoying and it affects customer experience. Critical facilities hosted here take away that latency. And now you have Internet of Things (IoT) which requires quick ‘interactions. So, you host it closer to the point of consumption.

For instance, Nigeria’s population is near 200 million with a blessing of young middle-age (18-25 years); the age of consuming data. We also have a significant number of SMEs. If you add Micros businesses, they are about 35 million. So, 20 million SMEs (based on estimates that have been given over the last two years, the figure is more than the population of Belgium, Netherlands and Norway combined.

There will consume data if the services are available. Therefore, all we have to do is deliver cloud services. We have started doing that in Rack Centre. We bring down the threshold of the cost of access to technology through cloud services.

There is another angle to the SMEs. I call them the SMEs of the Professions- (every SME should be professional anyway). By SMEs of the Professions, I mean the accountants, doctors, engineering companies, law firms, etc. They are significant and need access to the right technologies at the right price. That is what cloud can provide.

Then, Nigerian broadband penetration is around 24% out of the target of 30% for this year. And there is still promise that we should hit the target before the end of this year. Now, as that continues grow alongside 4G LTE availability, it is really going to become an enabler to businesses.

So, from our point of view, our business is to going to transform the efficiency of the SMEs and it will impact the economy positively.

Cloud technology and data centre inter-relate and have the potential to transform our economy. It makes the SMEs, for instance, more efficient and productive and directly impacts the country’s GDP.

Your recent election as the Secretary General of African Datacentre Association (ADCA).

Actually, the Association was inaugurated early this year and there is a history to it. Last year, I was speaking at the Datacentre Conference in Morocco. We made a comment that Africa needs a Datacentre Association just like they have in Europe, because this is key infrastructure for Africa. The continent has chosen to leapfrog development using technology. So, we need to get the holistic view to build the industry and a voice for the industry in Africa.

So, one of the gentlemen there, Paul-Francois Cattier, MD (West Africa for Schneider Electric, Ivory Coast took on the task; to drive it. I met him at the Africa CEO Conference and he laid down some progressive reports and it took me just five minutes to say yes; we really have to make this happen.

We got calls from top leaders around Africa who aligned with the vision. Therefore, the Association was incorporated in West Africa (Ivory Coast). We then went on and launched it as African Datacentre Association at the Data Centre Conference in Morocco. which is a good indication of the importance of Africa in the global space in terms of cloud technology. It was a successful event.

We will be hiring an MD to operate the ADCA Secretariat. Also, the representation cuts across the entire continent. The Board has   Fatoumata Sarr Dieng of Sonatel Orange (Senegal) as the President. It is mixture of Francophone and Anglophone speaking countries; a good balance and pan-African representation.

I am delighted that we got it going and to have taken a role as the Secretary General. It is an honour.

 


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E-Business

Galaxy Backbone, Rural Electrification Agency Commit to Deepening Digital and Energy Access Across Nigeria

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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.


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NIMC Says NIN Services Back Online

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National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced the restoration of its National Identification Number (NIN) verification services nationwide.

NIMC Says NIN Services Back Online

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.

 


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Report Reveals African Organizations Dangerously Overestimating Cyber defences

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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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