Immigration chiefs from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have agreed that it is urgent for member countries to expedite the issuance of the regional ENBIC ID card in order to foster regional integration and simplify travel.

The heads of immigration services from a dozen ECOWAS countries made the resolve during a recent ECOWAS Heads of Immigration Forum which took place in the Gambian capital, Banjul.

ENBIC is the acronym for ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card, a regional ID adopted in December 2014 as a tool for enhancing cross-border travel and economic integration among the countries that make up the west African political and economic bloc.

Since its launch, the rollout of the card has not been as strong as expected, but ECOWAS authorities have been pushing for its adoption as one of the ways of bringing down travel and trade barriers within the region.

The recent forum in Banjul was thus a platform for member countries to review the path so far covered, and to device ways of making the project more impactful in their quest of better addressing migration and mobility challenges.

It took place under the theme “Acceleration of the implementation of the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) and the abolition of the 90-day stay limit/residence permits for community citizens.”

During the meeting, participants discussed why it is important for the ENBIC to replace the hand-written ECOWAS travel certificates and residence permits, emphasizing that the regional ID will facilitate movements, residence and the right to do business in any country of the region without the risk of compromising the national security of the host country, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIN) said in a statement.

“The abolition of the 90-day stay limit, along with the deployment of the ENBIC, will significantly strengthen free movement, residence and establishment rights for ECOWAS citizens,” said KN Nandap, Comptroller General of the NIS, who was elected Chairperson of the ECOWAS forum during the Banjul meeting.

Among other things, delegates to the meeting also reviewed challenges related to irregular migration, human trafficking and border security. In the face of these, Nandap said there was need for a “coordinated and harmonized approach” to these problems in order to ensure effective border security and protection of citizens.

The Banjul meeting was not attended by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger who have turned their back on ECOWAS. Last month, they announced plans to launch a common passport to easy travel among their citizens.

This comes after Burkina Faso also launched a new passport without the ECOWAS logo.

There have been calls from regional authorities for their return to the ECOWAS fold.

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, Ghassan Azzi, Sales Director for Africa at Western Digital, has emphasized the importance of scalable, cost-effective data storage solutions in meeting the needs of modern businesses. As data generation continues to surge, particularly with the rise of connected devices and artificial intelligence (AI), Azzi pointed out that efficient data storage is becoming an essential consideration for datacenter managers worldwide.

Azzi acknowledged the widespread attention on flash storage due to its high performance and low latency, but warned that not all data requires such advanced storage technology. “Each application and type of data has its own access requirements, and it’s not always necessary to pay the premium for the speed of flash storage,” he explained.

According to Azzi, the difference between “warm” and “hot” data is a critical factor when selecting the appropriate storage solution. For example, a globally popular music video that attracts billions of views may need to be stored on high-performance SSDs or RAM, while videos with fewer views, like those of influencers or niche hobbyists, can be effectively stored on HDDs to keep total cost of ownership (TCO) in check.

Azzi stressed that data centers must consider multiple factors beyond performance, including capacity, power, cooling, and storage density. These factors influence the overall TCO and help leaders choose the most cost-effective storage options. “Datacenter leaders optimize storage solutions based on application requirements, all while aiming to minimize long-term costs,” he noted.

He also dismissed the idea of a competition between SSDs and HDDs, instead highlighting that the overall data storage market is growing, creating ample space for both technologies. “In the data center, SSDs and HDDs are not fighting over a fixed pie. The pie is growing rapidly as data storage demand continues to soar,” Azzi remarked.

AI’s Impact on Storage Demand

Azzi identified the AI-driven data cycle as a significant factor driving the demand for storage. AI systems generate vast amounts of data that need to be stored efficiently, and HDDs play a critical role in this ecosystem by handling both the ingestion of raw data and the storage of AI-generated content. “This dual role positions HDDs as a linchpin in the AI-driven data cycle, ensuring that data is available when needed and stored with the lowest TCO,” he said.

Citing Western Digital’s analysis, Azzi highlighted that HDD exabyte shipments are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% between 2023 and 2027. He noted that the rise of AI, big data, and cloud technologies will continue to push storage requirements higher, making HDDs an indispensable tool in data management.

The Cloud and Data Growth

Azzi also pointed to the increasing role of the cloud in data storage. “Virtually everything today, from social media to enterprise systems, is powered by the cloud,” he said. This shift has led to massive volumes of data being moved to cloud environments for storage, processing, and analysis.

Quoting IDC data, Azzi stated that global data creation is projected to increase from 132.4 zettabytes (ZB) in 2023 to 393.9 ZB by 2028. While not all of this data will be stored, Azzi pointed out that around 13.6 ZB will be stored by 2028. He emphasized that “approximately 85% of enterprise data is still stored on HDDs, and this percentage is only expected to decline slightly over the next five years.”

Innovations in HDD Technology

Recent advances in HDD technology, according to Azzi, are helping to solidify the role of hard drives in large-scale data storage environments. With technologies like conventional magnetic recording (CMR) and shingled magnetic recording (SMR), HDD capacities have reached new heights—up to 26 terabytes (TB) for CMR and 32TB for SMR.

“These capacity advancements enable organizations to optimize their storage infrastructure for lower TCO,” Azzi said. He illustrated the cost-saving benefits by citing the example of a data center needing 192 petabytes (PB) of storage. By utilizing 32TB HDDs instead of 24TB models, the data center could reduce the number of racks needed from eight to six, saving both physical space and cutting TCO by up to 25%.

In addition to lower TCO, Azzi mentioned that businesses are increasingly focused on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, making efficient, high-capacity storage solutions a priority. “High-capacity HDDs can reduce physical footprints and energy consumption, making them a key part of meeting sustainability targets,” he added.

The Future of Data Storage

Looking to the future, Azzi stated that industries generating massive amounts of data, such as media, healthcare, and financial services, will continue to rely on HDDs to meet their storage needs. “As data continues to grow exponentially, the role of HDDs will only become more critical,” he remarked, underscoring that HDD innovations will keep pace with rising data storage demands.

Azzi affirmed that the demand for scalable, efficient data storage solutions will only intensify. “HDDs, with their unmatched capacity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, are well-positioned to remain the backbone of data storage for years to come,” he said.

In a world where data is growing at an unprecedented rate, Ghassan Azzi’s insights underscore the ongoing importance of HDDs in providing businesses with the scalable, efficient storage they need to navigate the challenges of the digital age.

Prominent African leaders gathered at the World Trade Center in New York City for Africa Breakfast Convos, a high-profile event held on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly. Co-hosted by global communications firm Allison Worldwide and African public relations company BHM, the breakfast meeting brought together executives from various African nations and across the U.S. to discuss strategies for sustainable development and economic growth across the continent.

L-R: Matthew Della Croce, Chief Growth Officer, Global Client Experience, Allison; Claudine Moore, Managing Director, Africa, Allison; and Ayẹni Adékúnlé, Founder and CEO, BHM.

The event commenced with opening remarks from Claudine Moore, Managing Director, Africa, Allison Worldwide.

She emphasised the importance of leveraging communication and stakeholder engagement for Africa’s sustainable development agenda.

“By harnessing the power of communications and innovation, we can accelerate Africa’s socio-economic progress towards achieving its sustainable development goals,” she stated.

The discussions at the event highlighted Africa’s youthful population as a significant driver of future growth, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under 30. Projections indicate that by 2030, one-fifth of the global population will be African, underscoring the continent’s increasing importance on the world stage.

A panel on technology and finance featured insights from Iyin Aboyeji of Future Africa; Tobe Okigbo of MTN Nigeria and Anie Akpe of African Women In Tech (AWIT).

Okigbo expressed how impressive the business landscape on the continent has become saying, “African businesses are not just solving local problems; they’re turning billion dollar problems into billion dollar opportunities.”

Speaking about the opportunities available for Africa’s diaspora, Aboyeji added, “There is an opportunity for Africa’s diaspora to better orchestrate impact on the continent by facilitating its major inflows to deliver value on the ground.

“The diasporan community can, for example, leverage aggregated remittances as capital to establish sustainable infrastructure on the continent.”

The creative economy took centre stage during a discussion led by media executives Sam Onyemelukwe, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development, TRACE and Ayo Animashaun, Founder & CEO at Smooth Promotions, Hip TV, and The Headies.

Onyemelukwe highlighted the global impact of African pop culture and how African creatives are shaping global trends and narratives.

Animashaun spotlighted the economic potential of the creative industries, noting that the creative sector is a powerful engine for job creation and economic growth in Africa.

Speaking on the event’s significance, Ayeni Adekunle, Founder and CEO of BHM, asserted, “this gathering is an opportunity to have the right conversations about our continent – the opportunities and the challenges.

“We’re providing guests with a space where conversations can flow freely, turning ideas into impactful initiatives that foster sustainable growth across Africa.”

Throughout the event, speakers highlighted Africa’s potential for investment and collaboration. Recent data from the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) shows that although 2023 was a challenging year, foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to the continent remained relatively stable at $48 billion, although this represented just 3.5 percent of total global FDI.

Claudine Moore, Managing Director for Africa at Allison, added, “The Africa Breakfast Convos represents a unique opportunity to bring together influential voices and decision-makers from across Africa, the U.S. and beyond.

“We’re facilitating meaningful dialogue that will drive sustainable growth and social impact across the continent.”

The Africa Breakfast Convos aligned with UNGA79’s broader theme of global progress and sustainable development. Participants stressed the importance of public-private partnerships and engaging the African diaspora to drive economic growth on the continent.

As the event concluded, there was a palpable sense of optimism about Africa’s future and its potential to lead in sectors like renewable energy and technology, setting the stage for more productive collaboration and continued investment in the continent’s sustainable development.