Telecom
FG Trains Kano State Executives Council Members on e-Governance, Digital Transformation
The Federal Government has kick-started a pioneer programme to train Members of Kano Executive Council on e-Governance and Digital Transformation.
L-R: Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Governor of Kano State and a guest during the 2-day event in Kano recently.
This is in line with government’s plans to ensure the provision of enabling environment for the development of National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), which is being driven by Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, under the leadership of Minister, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.
The programme was initiated to give special training to the top government officials in the state on modern technology adoption, in order to improve their performances at all levels while delivering services to the general public.
The 2-day event commenced on Monday, 2nd August, 2021, and was attended by Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, his Deputy, Dr Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, Commissioners, and other members of the Executive Council of the state.
While making his address, Dr Ganduje thanked the Federal Government, particularly the ministry for bringing various initiatives, including training of over 1000 youths on digital skills and other supports provided in the state.
The governor commended Dr Pantami for matching words with action, adding that the e-governance training was as a result of his visit to the Communications and Digital Economy Complex in Abuja where he initiated talks on the possible collaboration and partnership with the Ministry to foster ICT development in Kano state.
He also hinted his government’s commitment towards the realization of ICT policy in the state. According to him, ICT has been a critical element to governance, and his administration is making all efforts to ensure that the state taps on the immense benefit of e-Governace and digital technologies by simplifying government operations as well as limiting government spending.
He said, “It is imperative we apply the new system being used anywhere in the world, because the old system of government would not move the state forward.”
The governor assured that he would continue to come up with ways to streamline government operations and reduce the cost of running his administration.
On his part, Dr Pantami, while delivering his keynote address, noted that the training is the first of its kind in Nigeria at the state level, and there cannot be a better place to start than Kano State, according to him, Kano State is the most populous state in Nigeria and the commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria.
He said, historically, the people of Kano have always been known to be hardworking and industrious. “They were among the first people to establish major industries and conglomerates in Nigeria, trading in food and drinks, textile and footwear, tanning, ceramics, and furniture,” he added.
Dr Pantami stated that the commencement of the programme makes Kano State Executive Council Members the first beneficiaries, which at the end, Kano will be well positioned to develop a strong digital economy, and have a transformational impact on the state and the nation at large.
He said that in light of global trends in the delivery of government services which is increasingly being characterized by the digitization of processes, the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy developed the Nigerian e-Government Master Plan (Ne-GMP) with the vision “to create a world class, open and digitized government that connects with people to drive efficiency in public administration, responsiveness of civil services and transparency in governance leading to improvement of the quality of life of Nigerians”.
“This is in line with the Ministry’s mandate to Utilize ICT to drive transparency in governance and improve the quality and cost effectiveness of public service delivery in Nigeria. The Plan was developed with specific strategies that will improve the quality of citizen’s lives by enhancing national competitiveness, facilitating market economy, promoting participatory democracy, and improving transparency in the public sector.
“These strategies include the expansion of the number of public sector personnel trained on e-Government and the publicizing of e-Government initiatives at the Federal and State Level. Various Capacity Building Programs have therefore been developed to aid the attainment of this goal,” he said.
Dr Pantami stated that the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) was developed and launched in 2019 to reposition the Nigerian Economy in order to take advantage of the many opportunities that digital technologies provide.
“This is in line with the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari to diversify the economy of Nigeria away from the dependence on the oil and gas sector, he said.
“As you may know, the NDEPS is anchored on eight (pillars, one of which is the Digital Literacy and Skills Pillar which provides policy backing for massive training of Nigerians from all works of life in order to enable them obtain digital literacy and other digital skills.
“An objective of the NDEPS is to support training and Capacity Building among public sector employees in the development and use of digital tools and applications to improve the delivery of government services.
“Furthermore, the Service Infrastructure Pillar provides support for Government Digital Services and the provision of robust digital platforms to drive the Digital Economy.
“This pillar supports the provision of a online platforms for government to interact with citizens and investors. It supports the deployment of government digital services and a paperless system. A key objective of the Service Infrastructure Pillar is the implementation of the e-Government Master Plan,” he added.
Dr Pantami also seized the opportunity to express his sincere appreciation to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, for providing the vision and leadership as well as his unwavering support, saying that “we could not have been able to achieve what the Ministry and its Parastatals achieved without Mr President’s continued support and we are most appreciative.”
Earlier in his opening remark, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director general, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), said that the training programme is a milestone to the Kano State digital economy journey.
He emphasized that a lot can be achieved together, especially in e-governance and digital transformation which has five milestone; firstly, is about moving government services online for users to conveniently access government services as well as cost reduction, while the second one is to have open data for the state to engage its citizens, getting more information and data economy; and the third is using digital technology to inform decision easily by the data you have.
The DG added that, digital governance, which is fourth on the list, is beyond enhancing existing processes, he said it is about using technology as a source of inspiration to come up with new way of delivering services, using technology to come up with innovation in the way you do your business and unlock opportunities for the citizens.
He said the fifth one is to make the government smart by using emerging technology to predict what is going to happen, what the citizens are going to think and how to shape and equip the citizens’ mindset within the state.
“The programme is about how to design digital economy, position Kano State Government to key in to the Federal Government digital economy initiative, and this can be done through aligning three things: people, processes, and the technology. And this training is going to expose you, build your capacity to make governance easier,” he added.
Karl Toriola, chief executive, MTN Nigeria has defended recent tariff hikes by mobile network operators, stating they are essential for the “survival” of the telecoms industry in Nigeria, despite significant criticism.
Karl Toriola, chief executive, MTN Nigeria
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) granted mobile network operators permission to raise tariffs by up to 50% last month, a change reportedly implemented on 11 February.
The increase has sparked public outrage, as mobile connectivity has become a vital necessity in daily life across the West African nation.
In an interview with Developing Telecoms, Toriola pushed back against criticism that the price surge was excessive, arguing that tariffs should have increased by approximately 300% to reflect the naira’s sharp devaluation and the country’s soaring inflation.
Addressing the impact of currency devaluation, Toriola emphasised that MTN purchases network equipment and software in US dollars, a process that has become significantly more expensive. With the naira’s decline, operators are now receiving three times fewer dollars than they did in 2023, making operations more challenging.
In February 2023, businesses could exchange 460 naira for one US dollar, but the currency has since devalued sharply. At the time of writing, a single dollar was worth 1,510 naira.
As Nigeria grapples with the sharp devaluation, MTN has been severely affected.
The company was technically bankrupt in 2023 as its liabilities surpassed its assets—a deeply concerning issue for the wider MTN Group, as Nigeria remains one of its highest revenue-generating markets.
“Because of these factors, we’ve seen our costs rise dramatically. The cost of leasing tower space and supplying energy to cell sites increased by 120% in the first three quarters of 2024. So, in comparison, a 50% tariff increase is not that high,” said Toriola.
The IoT West Africa & Data Centre Cloud Expo 2025, co-located with Power and Water Nigeria, is poised to play a crucial role in boosting Africa’s digital economy, projected to reach $180 billion by 2025 and contribute 5.2% to the continent’s GDP.
Shitij Taneja, Vertex Next Managing Director
Organized by Vertex Next, the three-day event will take place from May 13th to 15th, 2025, at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos. It will convene government leaders, industry experts, investors, and innovators to explore the latest advancements in IoT, AI, cloud computing, digital infrastructure, and energy solutions.
In a statement made available to journalists in Lagos, Vertex Next Managing Director, Shitij Taneja, stated that this influential event will significantly contribute to the continent’s digital economic growth.
He assured that the expo will feature a comprehensive conference program focused on the transformative power of IoT, AI, and digital technologies across various African industries.
According to Taneja, discussions will center on how these technologies drive economic expansion, improve connectivity, and increase efficiency in key sectors like telecom, energy, finance, and e-commerce. Government officials and business leaders are also expected to collaborate on strategies for scaling digital infrastructure and leveraging data for innovation and sustainable development.
As demand for secure, efficient, and scalable digital infrastructure surges, Africa’s data center market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12% through 2030, reaching a valuation of over $5 billion.
The expo will feature high-level discussions on critical infrastructure development, investment opportunities, cybersecurity, and AI-driven data center expansion. Thought leaders from global cloud and data center giants will share insights into building future-ready facilities that power industries and drive economic progress.
With Africa’s power sector undergoing transformation, discussions will focus on smart grids, energy storage, and sustainable power solutions to support the continent’s growing digital economy.
The African Development Bank estimates that investment in energy and utilities must increase to $70 billion annually to meet rising demand. Industry leaders will explore the role of IoT and AI in optimizing utilities, managing resources efficiently, and developing smart, connected cities.
The rise of digital banking, fintech, and e-commerce is reshaping consumer experiences and financial transactions across Africa. The fintech sector alone attracted over $3 billion in investments in 2023, and e-commerce is projected to exceed $75 billion in value by 2028.
This expo will highlight how automation, AI, and IoT are creating secure, seamless, and scalable financial solutions, ensuring that businesses stay ahead in the fast-paced digital landscape.
Taneja disclosed that the IoT West Africa & Data Centre Cloud Expo 2025 aligns with Nigeria’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) and Agenda 2063 of the African Union, both of which prioritize technological innovation, digital infrastructure, and economic diversification.
By bringing together policymakers and industry stakeholders, the event aims to support regulatory frameworks for digital transformation, foster collaboration between the public and private sectors, encourage foreign direct investment (FDI) in ICT and energy, and accelerate initiatives such as Smart Cities and e-Governance.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its dedication to fostering an innovative ecosystem that balances regulation with industry growth. The agency is investing in cloud infrastructure, data classification, and AI applications to establish Nigeria as a leading digital hub in Africa.
Kashifu Inuwa, NITDA’s Director General, emphasized this commitment while speaking at the Africa Hyperscalers Digital Infrastructure Outlook 2025. The event gathered industry experts to explore Africa’s role in the expanding global AI-driven infrastructure boom.
In his remarks, Inuwa highlighted NITDA’s dual regulatory framework: rule-based regulation, involving strict compliance guidelines, and non-rule-based regulation, which allows for industry-led innovation with established benchmarks.
“Before we regulate anything, we need to be aware of the landscape, we need to be intelligent, we need to have data and make sense out of that data, we need to be dynamic because technology is fast-changing and we need to develop that agility within the regulatory framework,” Inuwa stated.
He also discussed the Cloud First Policy, introduced in 2019 to discourage excessive reliance on physical data centres. This policy encourages government agencies and private businesses to leverage cloud computing and digital solutions. Initially, businesses were granted waivers to use public cloud infrastructure, but NITDA is now pushing for local data centres to enhance their capabilities.
A major milestone for NITDA was its successful engagement with global hyperscaler providers, including Google Cloud, which pledged to collaborate with local data centres to drive cloud adoption and establish a hyperscaler data centre in Nigeria. This follows a meeting between Google CEO Sundar Pichai and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Paris, where the President shared his transformative ambition for Nigeria.
To further drive cloud adoption, NITDA is finalizing a framework that will mandate data classification, ensuring that certain data categories remain within Nigeria. This move is expected to attract more cloud service providers and bolster the country’s digital sovereignty.
Emphasizing the importance of AI applications, Inuwa disclosed that NITDA is prioritizing AI to enhance governance, regulation, and service delivery. He asserted that AI can revolutionize governance and business operations by automating processes, enhancing regulatory efficiency, and developing knowledge management systems.
Dr. Nadu Denloye, Co-founder of Telnet Nigeria Limited, also spoke at the event, highlighting Africa’s remarkable digital transformation driven by connectivity advancements, cloud adoption, data centres, AI, and a growing digital-native population. She expressed confidence in crafting solutions to drive Africa’s digital growth.
Other notable panelists included Dr. Ayaotunde Coker, CEO Open Access Data Centres and Chairman of the Africa Data Centres Association; Johnson AgboGbua, CEO of Kasi Cloud; Obinna Isiadinso, Data Centres Global Sector Lead at International Finance Corporation; Kazeem Oladepo, Chief Operating Officer at IHS; and Abibat Kazeem, Commercial Director at Bayobab.
This commitment by NITDA underlines its dedication to advancing Nigeria’s position as a digital leader in Africa through innovative solutions and strategic regulations.
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