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UN Report Says Women are Most Promising Market for ICT

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Women are Most Promising Market for ICT
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A new report released by the Broadband Commission Working Group on Broadband and Gender of the United Nations has revealed that a significant and pervasive tech gap in access to information and communication technologies  (ICTs) exists between women and men in the world.

The report estimated that there are currently 200 million fewer women online than men globally and warned that the gap could grow to 350 million within the next three years if action is not taken.

The report, entitled, ‘Doubling Digital Opportunities: Enhancing the Inclusion of Women & Girls in the Information Society’, brings together extensive research from UN agencies, Commission members and partners from industry, government and civil society, to create the first comprehensive global snapshot of broadband access by gender.

It was officially launched by Helen Clark, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), who has led the Working Group since its establishment at the 6th meeting of the Broadband Commission in New York last September.

The report reveals that around the world, women are coming online later and more slowly than men. Out of the world’s 2.8 billion Internet users, 1.3 billion are women, compared with 1.5 billion men. While the gap between male and female users is relatively small in OECD nations, it widen rapidly in the developing world, where expensive, ‘high status’ ICTs like computers are often reserved for use by men.

In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the report’s authors estimated that there are only half the number of women connected as men. Worldwide, women are also on average 21% less likely to own a mobile phone-representing a mobile gender gap of 300 million, equating to US$13 billion in potential missed revenues for the mobile sector.

“This new report provides an overview of opportunities for advancing women’s empowerment, gender equality and inclusion in an era of rapid technological transformation,” said Helen Clark.

It calls for social and technological inclusion and citizens’ participation, explaining the societal and economic benefits of providing access to broadband and ICTs to women, small entrepreneurs and the most vulnerable populations.

Most importantly, this report shows ways in which we can further advance the sustainable development agenda by promoting the use of new technologies in support of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The report speculates that today’s untapped pool of female users could also represent a market opportunity for device makers, network operators, software and app developers that might equal or even outstrip the impact of large emerging markets like China or India.

“Promoting women’s access to ICTs – and particularly broadband – should be central to the post-2015 global development agenda,” said Dr Hamadoun I. Touré, ITU Secretary-General and co-Vice Chair of the Broadband Commission.

“The mobile miracle has demonstrated the power of ICTs in driving social and economic growth, but this important new report reveals a worrying ‘gender gap’ in access. We need to make sure that all people – and most crucially today’s younger generation – have equitable access to ICTs. I believe it is in the interest of every government to urgently strive to redress this imbalance.”

Research highlighted in the report indicates that, in developing countries, every 10% increase in access to broadband translates to a 1.38% growth in GDP. That means that bringing an additional 600 million women and girls online could boost global GDP by as much as US$18 billion.

The report also emphasizes the importance of encouraging more girls to pursue ICT careers. By 2015, it is estimated that 90% of formal employment across all sectors will require ICT skills.

Professionals with computer science degrees can expect to earn salaries similar to doctors or lawyers – yet even in developed economies, women now account for fewer than 20% of ICT specialists.

ITU’s ‘Girls in ICT Day’, established in 2010, aims to raise awareness among school-age girls of the exciting prospects a career in ICT can offer. This year, over 130 countries held Girls in ICT Day events, supported by partners including Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, ICT Qatar, Microsoft, the European Commission and many more.

To help older women get online and take advantage of new technologies, ITU also has a partnership with Telecentre.org which is on track to train one million women in ICT skills by the end of this year.

The Broadband Commission Working Group on Gender was initially proposed in 2012 by Geena Davis, actor, advocate and ITU’s Special Envoy on Women and Girls.

The group’s first face -to-face meeting in Mexico City in March 2013 attracted 69 Commissioners, special representatives and guest experts, making it the best-attended Working Group of the Commission to date.

The Group held its second face-to-face meeting in New York on 20 September, just ahead of the full meeting of the Commission. It was attended by Commissioners, representatives and special high-level guests, included Nigerian Minister for Communication Technology Omobola Johnson and Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

In addition to releasing the new report on Broadband and Gender, the Broadband Commission also released the second edition of its global snapshot of broadband deployment, entitled ‘The State of Broadband 2013’.

The report features country-by-country rankings tracking countries’ performance against the four broadband targets set by the Commission in 2011, as well as a new gender-related target set by the Working Group in March, 2013.


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Yahoo Mail Halts Free Storage Service, Caps at 20GB

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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.

 


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CAC to Delist 100,000 Dormant Firms After 90-Day Compliance Window

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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.


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InfraCredit, AMDA Sign Partnership to Unlock Local Financing for Africa’s Mini-grid Sector

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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.


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