E-Business
38m Facebook Users in Africa – Report
Data from the Internet World Stats website show nearly 38 million Facebook users in Africa at the end of 2011, out of a population of about one billion.
On the face of it, the numbers in Africa look promising. According to a recent study from the Internet research site oAfrica, the number of Facebook users across the continent increased 165 percent in the past 18 months.
But looking a little closer at the statistics, oAfrica notes that while new users signing on to the site are increasing across Africa as a whole, the numbers are less impressive in the most developed countries.
In Kenya, which has the third-largest number of Facebook users in sub-Saharan Africa, behind South Africa and Nigeria, only 10 percent of the population uses the Internet, and three percent are on Facebook.
The country boasts one of the strongest economies in East Africa, and mobile phone networks that offer Internet access to those in the most remote places.
Alex Maina, a social media consultant and the CEO of the Africa Center for Internet Marketing in Nairobi, said Kenyans initially went on Facebook because their phone services promoted it, but that times are changing.
“So yes, the growth of Facebook, in Kenya especially, is very fast, its extremely fast, but the question is for how long. Africans are naturally conservative even if you want to do a lot of stuff, but naturally you are conservative,” he said. “I can not imagine going to put all my pictures on Facebook so that other people can see them. That now has become like the clarion call on Facebook social networking looks like a nice thing, but how come businessmen are moving from Facebook and they’re all going to LinkedIn?”
LinkedIn, Badoo, GooglePlus and especially Twitter all are competing social media sites that are giving Facebook a run for its money in Kenya.
A recent report on Twitter usage in Africa found Kenyans were the second-most prolific tweeters on the continent, just behind South Africa.
Maina says most of his clients are seeking more exposure on Twitter, and that from a marketing perspective, it is clearly the way forward.
“The Twitter model is simple, very, very simple, very, very plain. Everybody can understand it and everybody loves it. So for me, that is probably the reason why I really don’t consider a very long future for Facebook at the trend that it’s going at. It will just plateau very soon,” said Maina.
Facebook’s most explosive growth was reported in the least developed countries with the smallest percentages of Internet users, including the Central African Republic, Chad and Somalia.
Africans increasingly are logging in to social networking sites as more undersea cables and high-speed lines hook up previously underserved parts of the continent.
Facebook also served as an important platform for disseminating information during the Arab Spring revolutions in North Africa. The company acknowledged in a report two years ago that countries like Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria were poised to become important markets.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) of Nigeria has launched a new digital identity verification tool called the NIN Authentication (NINAuth) application.
The initiative, which forms part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aims to strengthen the country’s national digital identity management framework.
The launch builds upon Nigeria’s comprehensive unified digital identity system that has been transforming access to financial services and government programs.
The NINAuth application introduces several key features focused on data security and privacy.
The platform requires explicit user consent before sharing identity information for Know Your Customer (KYC) processes, giving individuals greater control over their personal data.
The system provides seamless access to various government services, including SIM card registration, immigration applications, passport processing, tax filings, and financial transactions.
The development follows significant investment in Nigeria’s digital identity infrastructure, including a $45.5 million support from the World Bank as part of the Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) project.
As the official service for integration with NIMC’s backend infrastructure, NINAuth enables secure verification processes across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
The application is available for download on both the Google Play Store and Apple iOS App Store for users of the National Identification Number (NIN).
The rollout represents a significant milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to digitize government services and strengthen identity verification processes.
“NINAuth is a cutting-edge suite of services including web, API, and mobile verification designed to enhance data security, protect privacy, and simplify access to government services,” said Dr. Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC.
“The platform introduces a robust layer of protection, empowering individuals with greater control over their personal information.”
The implementation supports the objectives of the recently established Nigeria Digital Identification for Development Project Ecosystem Steering Committee, which oversees the country’s digital identity initiatives.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the launch of the NINAuth app and directed its use for verification and authentication across all MDAs.
The application provides a secure single sign-on solution for accessing government services and social protection programs while maintaining strict data privacy controls.
The centralized approach to digital identity management represents a significant step forward in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey and its commitment to modernizing government services.
Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has set in motion a machinery to checkmate the booming copyright piracy market in the country.
Copyright piracy is said to cost Nigeria an annual loss estimated at billions of naira.
Despite the absence of a coordinated or official statistics to gauge the quantum of loss, John Asein, director general, NCC, said as far back as 2019, Nigeria lost N918 trillion ($3 billion) annually to digital piracy.
The financial damages severely impact local businesses and innovation efforts.
The commission, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), has started a project to develop strategies and tools to address the menace.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on the WIPO project to address online copyright piracy in Nigeria, Asein said digital technologies have unlocked tremendous opportunities for the creative and innovation sectors.
The NCC boss said technology also poses serious challenges, including online piracy, which he said is growing rapidly.
He said: “Pirate sites continue to emerge rapidly, with statistics indicating a 6.7 per cent increase in user visits. A significant percentage of these users are students aged between 18 and 24, with social media and messaging platforms becoming major gateways for accessing pirated content.”
He added: “No industry is immune. The most affected sectors include television (43.6 per cent), publishing (27.5 per cent), film (12.9 per cent), music (7.0 per cent), and software (6.2 per cent).
“Far beyond mere statistics, the victims are no longer only foreign right owners. Many Nigerians in these sectors have also been bruised and their creative enterprises ruined.”
Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has signed an international mail partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines for improved delivery access to over 200 countries without middlemen.
Tolani Odeyemi, postmaster-general and chief executive officer of NIPOST, described the deal as a “major milestone” for the country’s logistics and postal sector.
In a statement on X on Monday, Odeyemi explained that the new agreement marks NIPOST’s first direct international airline partnership for several years.
“For a long time, NIPOST operated without any direct partnerships with international airlines, relying heavily on multiple third-party handlers,” the Postmaster-General stated. This often resulted in delays, higher costs, and uncertainty around the delivery of packages.”
She explained that under the new arrangement, KLM will directly handle all outbound international mail from Nigeria, eliminating the need for intermediaries.
“This translates to faster and more reliable delivery, reduced risk of loss or damage, lower handling charges, and access to over 200 countries through KLM’s global network,” the Postmaster-General stressed.
According to Odeyemi, NIPOST’s breakthrough came after it began settling long-standing debts owed to international carriers, a step she said was key to “rebuilding global trust” in Nigeria’s postal system.
She revealed that talks were also ongoing with Ethiopian Airlines to bolster regional and continental logistics, particularly on African and Eastern routes.
“Our goal is clear and unwavering: to connect Nigeria regionally and globally, efficiently, securely, and affordably,” Odeyemi asserted.
The NIPOST CEO described the development as a significant win for Nigerian businesses and small and medium-scale enterprises that rely on international shipping, stating, “You now benefit from quicker, more affordable international shipping, greater peace of mind with improved reliability, and new potential to reach and grow in global markets.”
Odeyemi commended the teams behind the scenes and pledged continued improvements in service delivery, adding that the deal signals a turning point for the agency.
Nigerians May Pay More for Calls, Data as Senate Okays 5 Percent Excise Duty
W’Bank Says Cash Transfer Missed Millions of Needy Nigerians
EFCC Tells Nigerians to Shun Ponzi Schemes Like CBEX, Others
NIMC Launches NINAuth Digital Identity Verification App for Govt Services
NCC to Checkmate $3Bn Digital Piracy Market
E-Business3 days agoNIN: FG Increases DoB Update Fee by 75Percent to N28,574
Broadcasting3 days agoAfreximbank Unveils Third Edition of Short Film Competition ‘Creative Africa Nexus’
General News3 days agoNIMASA Embraces Technology to Strengthen Regulatory Mandate
E-Financial3 days agoSEC Intensifies Fight Against Ponzi Schemes With Market
E-Business3 days ago10 Percent of Nigerians Affected by Data Breaches since 2004
Telecom3 days agoMTN Commits $10Bn to Nigeria’s Digital Infrastructure
News3 days agoSERAP Challenges CBN to Publish Local Government Allocations
Telecom2 days agoNigeria to Receive $3Bn Telecoms Infrastructure in June – Minister