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2021 Africa Tech Alliance Forum to Center on Digital Transformation Solutions

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Annual Africa Tech Alliance Forum (AfriTECH) event has been scheduled to take place on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 by 10:00am (WAT).

Formerly known as Mobile & Disruptive Technology Forum (MoDiTECH), AfriTECH2021 will hold as a hybrid event: both Virtual and Physical with strict compliance to COVID-19 protocols and promises to be bigger, better and to serve as an interesting Forum for inter-sectorial cross-fertilization of ideas on economic impacts of COVID-19 on digital transformation and way forward for businesses.

#AfriTECH2021 Central theme is: ‘Embracing Change and Digital Transformation in the New Normal’.

The subthemes will dwell on boosting digital infrastructure for Cloud Hosting; digital tools for education & reskilling African youth; cyberSecurity: Pushing for privacy & data protection; and harnessing blockchain technology for digital economy growth.

Speaking on preparations for AfriTECH2021, Peter Oluka, editor, TechEconomy.ng recalled that the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) had devastating impacts which the global economy is still grappling with.

Apart from the negative health implications, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to job losses, pay cuts, travel restrictions and consequently fall in foreign trade and general business activities.

The businesses most hit are the Micro Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as recent survey by the International Trade Centre (ITC) revealed that the pandemic has strongly affected nearly two-thirds of micro and small businesses – compared to about 40% of large companies – with 20% of MSMEs feared to shut down permanently at some points soon.

Interestingly, the survey revealed that 40% of the companies that came out strong from the pandemic were mainly technology driven businesses.

“Though the pandemic has adversely affected our economic and social life, it has also created opportunities for us to look in-ward.

“At one time or another, nations and individuals confront crisis points – moments of existential challenge that also open up new possibilities. We believe in the technological possibilities to assist Africa recover fast from this pandemic.

“Therefore, we align with the school of thought that African countries face three possible outcomes post-pandemic: play catch-up, stand still or fall even further behind the industrialized world”, he said.

Oluka explained that AfriTECH2021 offers a platform to identify and showcase technological solutions that assist organisations tackle the problems thrown up by the pandemic.

The Editor said the theme was carefully selected to give particular attention to the disruptive potentials of emerging technologies such as the Blockchain Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Robotics, FinTechs and mobile phone economy around retail and service provisioning and the potentials to reposition both public and private entities in the post Pandemic era.

He added that maiden AfriTECH Awards has been instituted to honour or recognise organisations that demonstrated outstanding capabilities during the peak of the pandemic and others that have set themselves apart with turnkey; convenient, safe/secured, flexible, cost-effective and regulatory compliance solutions.

“We are also using this opportunity to call on Startups and other SMEs seeking for a platform to launch their innovative ideas to leverage on #AfriTECH2021 to achieve that purpose”, he announced”, he said.

Participation:

Oluka said that companies and individuals seeking to be part of the Forum & Award ceremony should contact the team via info@techeconomy.ng while the registrations have commenced via the link https://bit.ly/3CRxCI6.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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Telcos Plan Zero Tariff in Some Regions with Low Opex

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Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) is planning to encourage geo-political regions that grants zero charges for ‘Right of Way’ approvals as well not implementing arbitrary charges on telecommunications base stations in their regions with zero tariff.

Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON disclosed this to Nigeria CommunincationsWeek against the backdrop of incessant closure of base stations in some states.

He said that operators believe that the way out of this arbitrary charges and high cost of RoW approvals is regional tariffs.

“Operators are advocating for a regional tariff which means that geographical regions of Nigeria where cost of doing business for telecommunications operators is extremely high will attract high tariff compared to regions where there is low operating cost.

“Our advocacy of regional tariff is not based on a particular state but on regions. As at today there are regions where we have zero cost of “Right of Way” and low cost of doing business. Tariffs should reflect on operating environment. This means that national rate plan should consider high and low cost of doing business.

“If this is implemented, in a long run we could witness some regions having zero tariff because operational cost in such regions are friendly to operators,” he said.

It would be recalled that Kogi State recently shut down some operators’ base stations on account of local levies which raises the call for discriminatory tariff among geographical locations.

 


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FCCPC Warns Meta: Quitting Nigeria Won’t Erase Legal Liabilities

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Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has hit back at Meta Platforms Inc, warning the tech giant that its threat to exit Nigeria will not erase its legal responsibilities or liabilities under the Nigerian law.

Meta said earlier today, May 3, that it “may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures.”

Meta’s warning came after it lost a legal bid last week to overturn a ₦220 million fine imposed by the FCCPC for violations of data protection and consumer rights laws.

Reacting to Meta’s threat, FCCPC, in a statement on Saturday, May 3, described Meta’s statement as “a calculated” move aimed at “inducing negative public reaction and potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.”

FCCPC said that Meta threatening to leave Nigeria does not absolve the company of liabilities for the outcome of a judicial process.

“These infringements included denying Nigerians the right to control their personal data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorisation, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies,” FCCPC wrote on X.

“Interestingly, Meta had been fined for similar breaches in Texas ($1.5b) and only recently was asked to pay $1.3 Billion for violating E.U. Data Privacy Rules.

Elsewhere in India, South Korea, France and Australia, Meta had faced varying penalties for similar breaches. But Meta never resorted to the blackmail of threatening to exit those countries. They obeyed.”

 


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Fines: Meta Threatens to Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Nigeria

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Meta may shut down its Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in protest against the substantial fines imposed by multiple government agencies.

Fines: Meta Threatens to Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Nigeria

The tech giant has been ordered to pay nearly $300 million in fines in Africa’s most populous nation, following regulatory demands which Meta described as “unrealistic.”

In July 2024, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), imposed a $220 million fine on Meta for allegedly discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerian consumers.

The commission stated that Meta had failed to engage a Data Protection Compliance Organisation and had not submitted a Nigeria Data Protection Regulation audit report for two consecutive years.

Similarly, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), demanded $37.5 million over unapproved advertising, while the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), announced a $32.8 million fine for an alleged data privacy breach.

Meta challenged the decisions at the Federal High Court in Abuja but was unsuccessful, as the court upheld the fines in a ruling delivered last week.

The court directed the company to comply with payment by the end of June, but Meta has indicated it may not do so, according to the BBC.

“The applicant may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures,” the company stated in court documents.

Responding to the NDPC’s assertion that Meta’s data processing could expose Nigerian users to health and financial risks, the company said the agency had failed to “properly interpret the laws guiding data privacy.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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