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AfriTECH 4.0 Unveils Prestigious Lineup of Speakers
Organizers of Africa Tech Alliance Forum [AfriTECH 4.0] have announced the distinguished lineup of speakers for this year’s Forum themed: “Leapfrogging Digital Transformation for Future of Africa’s Economy”.
Scheduled to hold on Thursday, November 07, 2024 at Oriental Hotels, Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria, AfriTECH 4.0 [https://africatechallianceforum.africa/] will bring together leading voices in technology, telecommunications, ecommerce, software, finance, emerging technologies and government to explore key innovations and challenges shaping Africa’s digital transformation.
AfriTECH has become one of Africa’s most anticipated technology events, and the 2024 edition will feature a stellar lineup of industry experts, innovators, and policymakers who will provide insights into how emerging technologies are propelling Africa’s digital economy.
Special Guests:
Dr. Aminu Maida, a distinguished leader in telecommunications and digital transformation, serves as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
With over two decades of experience in the ICT sector, Maida has become a pivotal figure in driving Nigeria’s digital economy, overseeing regulatory frameworks and initiatives that foster innovation, investment, and inclusivity in Nigeria’s telecom industry.
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, is a transformative leader in Nigeria’s technology landscape, currently serving as the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Under his guidance, NITDA has driven impactful initiatives supporting Nigeria’s digital economy, fostering innovation, digital skills development, and creating an enabling environment for tech startups and entrepreneurship.
He will deliver the keynote address at AfriTECH 4.0.
Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju is the CEO of Galaxy Backbone, a key government-owned technology and digital infrastructure company. Under his leadership, Galaxy Backbone focuses on strengthening Nigeria’s digital ecosystem by providing secure and innovative ICT infrastructure to government agencies and businesses, supporting national development and e-governance initiatives.
Biram Fall, the Regional Managing Director, QNET, a leading e-commerce-based direct selling company.
In his role, Mr. Fall oversees QNET’s operations and growth strategies across several markets, focusing on enhancing regional reach and ensuring the company aligns with local business needs.
Known for his expertise in direct-selling and his commitment to sustainable business practices, Fall has been instrumental in expanding QNET’s footprint in Africa and other emerging markets.
Ebehijie Momoh is a renowned financial services leader with over 20 years of experience in banking and payment technology, currently serving as CEO of AfrigoPay Financial Services Limited, where she leads the company’s mission to provide innovative payment solutions across Africa.
With a background in financial services and a deep understanding of digital payments, Momoh brings extensive experience to her role, focusing on transforming the financial landscape through accessible, secure, and efficient payment systems.
Her leadership emphasizes financial inclusion, driving AfrigoPay’s efforts to reach underserved communities and promote economic empowerment across the continent.
Dr. Muhammed Sirajo Aliyu is a visionary leader in Nigeria’s information technology sector. He is the incumbent President of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), the foremost association of IT professionals in Nigeria.
With an extensive background in computer science, IT governance, and digital innovation, Dr. Aliyu brings over 25 years of experience to his role, where he champions the advancement of technology and professional development within Nigeria’s IT ecosystem.
Dr. Temitope Alakija, a renowned academic and statistician, is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Statistics at Yaba College of Technology [Yabatech] Lagos. With a deep expertise in data science, statistical analysis, and quantitative research, Dr. Alakija is dedicated to advancing the field of statistics and training future leaders in data-driven decision-making.
Holding a PhD in statistics and with numerous publications, Dr. Alakija’s research contributions have significantly influenced both academia and industry, particularly within Africa. Her commitment to academic excellence and her role in fostering a data-literate society make her a highly respected figure in the statistical community.
Adesola Akinsanya – President, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA). Akinsanya brings decades of expertise to his role, where he advocates for technological innovation, professional growth, and policy advancement in Nigeria’s IT landscape..
Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON). Engr. Adebayo is a prominent figure in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry, with over 25 years of experience in telecom and ICT. He is known for his advocacy for industry development, regulatory reform, and the provision of accessible telecommunications services across Nigeria.
Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere – President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON). With an extensive background in telecom management, digital strategy, and regulatory advocacy, Emoekpere is dedicated to advancing Nigeria’s telecom industry and fostering an environment that promotes innovation, investment, and inclusivity.
Key Speakers for AfriTECH 4.0:
Engineer Ikechukwu Nnamani – CEO, Digital Realty (Nigeria). In his keynote presentation at AfriTECH 4.0, Engr. Nnamani is expected to share his expertise on building resilient telecommunications infrastructure to support Africa’s digital future.
For over 16 years under his leadership the Digital Realty datacenter in Lagos is rated the most interconnected facility in the West African sub-region being the number 1 peering point for the region and boosting all submarine cables in the region, long distance providers, metro fiber providers, mobile services providers, fixed services providers, OTT providers, Internet Exchange, VAS providers, and global Tier1 service providers, amongst others.
Other outstanding personalities confirmed as speakers include – Dr. Obadare Peter Adewale, Chief Visionary Officer, Digital Encode Limited; Mr. Emmanuel Amos, Founder – Programos Foundation/InnovationBed Africa; Chukwuebuka Ume-Ezeoke, Chief Technology Officer at CED Technologies; Dr. Oluseyi Akindeinde, Founder, Hyperspace Technologies; Happiness Obioha, Managing Director, Tecom Concepts Limited; Chukwuemeka Mbaebie, Convener, Lagos Blockchain Week; Akeem Ajisafe, Managing Director, Transblue Limited; Chika Nwosu, Managing Director, PalmPay; Jude Ozinegbe, Founder/Convener at Cyberchain; Mohammed Rudman, CEO, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria [IXPN]; Dr. Ayotunde Coker, CEO Open Access Data Centres (OADC); Kehinde Ogundare, country manager, ZOHO [Nigeria]; Ayodeji Ogunmola, Director, Products Management at Northsnow Ltd; Oluwakayode Durodola, founder, Otuntech Limited; Lovelyn Okafor, Country Head, Nigeria at Newmark; Olaniyi Ibraheem, Business Development Manager (Africa) at UBankConnect; Adedamola Bowale, Co-founder & Technical Lead at Avancee Pinnacle, and Moniade Adeniyi, Product Innovation & Business Growth Strategist, Northsnow Ltd.
Meanwhile, innovationbed Africa is set to host “Startup Showcase” at AfriTECH, a session dedicating to startup finalists for this year’s United Nations World Summit Awards. Discussants include – David-Bobola Ojoawo, the Producer for Compas.AI; Stephen Adeyemo of Expertplug; Siro Collins, CEO of Advanced Engineering Center (AEC), WSA Winner 2023; Elijah Moses, Producer for VerionX; Rasheed Aliu Producer for LOOPBOX; Musami Umar Musam, founder of RollMal; David Ezeonyekwere, the founder of CheapMarketDeal, and Sule Wisdom David, the founder of CyclexAfrica.
QNET is the gold sponsor of AfriTECH 40. Silver Sponsors – Galaxy Backbone, Digital Realty, Digital Encode Ltd. Bronze Sponsors – CED Technologies, AfriGoPay, Tecom, Northsnow UK, Hyperspace Technologies, Palmpay, OADC.
Ecosystem Partners: NCC, NITDA,, InnovationBed Africa, ALTON, ATCON, NCS, IXPN, NiRA, Lagos Blockchain Week, Newmark Group, all are supporting AfriTECH 4.0.
Media Partners include; Techeconomy, NigeriaCommunicationsWeek, ITPulse, Ravenews, TechTrends.Africa, TechBuild.Africa, GrassRoots, DigiVation Network, TechLifewithUgo, BusinessMetrics, BusinessRemarks, SwiftReporters, TechTV, Africa Hyperscalers Media, CyberEra, ITRealms, DigitalTimes, TechnologyMirror, TechandBizNews, ITNewsNigeria.
“AfriTECH 4.0 will also feature interactive panel discussions, workshops, and exhibitions that will explore other critical topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, fintech, smart cities, and sustainable innovation”, said Chike Onwuegbuchi, co-convener of AfriTECH. “We are grateful to the sponsors and partners”.
“Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with the speakers, as well as network with other industry leaders, innovators, and investors”, he added.
Participation
Participation is free, but you are required to pre-register: https://bit.ly/3ZPdi88
WIOCC, Africa’s Carriers’ Carrier, has partnered with Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB), a leading digital infrastructure and shared services provider, in a strategic infrastructure collaboration aimed at enhancing high-speed internet connectivity across the country. This partnership supports digital inclusion and drives Nigeria’s digital transformation.
By combining WIOCC’s extensive wholesale fibre network and expertise with GBB’s national fibre footprint, the collaboration will improve scalability, efficiency and service delivery for businesses and government institutions. It also aims to bridge the digital divide by expanding broadband access to underserved regions and foster partnerships with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to advance Nigeria’s digital economy.
A signing ceremony was held at Galaxy Backbone’s Corporate headquarters in Abuja, with Darren Bedford, Group Chief Development Officer at WIOCC and Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, Professor Ibrahim A. Adeyanju.
They highlighted the strategic alignment of both organizations in driving digital transformation to accelerate Nigeria’s digital future, setting a benchmark for innovation and connectivity that addresses the evolving needs of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem..
Professor Ibrahim A. Adeyanju stated, “Our mission is to provide robust digital infrastructure that underpins Nigeria’s digital economy. This partnership with WIOCC is a testament to our commitment to enabling digital inclusion and providing a platform for collaboration that transforms how businesses, governments and communities operate in today’s world.”
Darren Bedford added, “This collaboration with Galaxy Backbone reflects our shared vision for driving digital transformation. Together, we are creating a platform for innovation and economic growth that will benefit the country with world-class connectivity.”
Schneider Electric, has reiterated its commitment to accelerate growth in the data centre market across East and West Africa regions that have become vital due to rapid digitalisation and increasing Internet penetration.
Commitment on the company’s drive, End User Sales Director, Anglophone Africa, Schneider Electric, Rohan de Beer, said, the African data centre market is witnessing unprecedented growth, creating a fertile ground for resellers and distributors to enhance their capabilities and foster stronger relationships with local end users.
De Beer explained that previously, Schneider Electric relied solely on external channels for market development, which sometimes led to missed opportunities and increased competition.
He noted that the new dual approach adopted by the firm seeks to address these gaps by enabling closer engagement with end users to influence technology decisions and secure a larger share of the market.
He added, “Crucially, these engagements will still be fulfilled through Schneider Electric’s extensive channel network.This strategy allows us to influence project lifecycles at an earlier stage while maintaining our channel-driven fulfilment model,” explained De Beer. “Our goal isn’t to increase direct business but to expand our market presence and share while empowering partners.”
“In addition to self-paced learning resources, we are hosting instructor-led training sessions across the Anglophone cluster. The first half of the year saw successful training completions in East, West, and Southern Africa, focusing on technical solutions for partners and distributors,” De Beer added.
By Tolu Aderemi-Cole
This year’s France–Nigeria Investment Forum, a major highlight of President Bola Tinubu’s visit to France, ended on a sound note and was mutually rewarding for both countries.
For some of us who have attended a few such forums in the past, this year’s edition stands out as the best from a Nigerian perspective, especially because of the organization and selection of relevant, successful Nigerian entrepreneurs who attended.
Though it was a government-to-government outing, the event was largely driven by the private sector, including experienced foreigners who functioned as moderators. In the past, the Nigerian government would showcase CEOs of companies that foreign investors found it difficult to connect with.
Also, this year, Nigeria’s leading women CEOs were presented to the French and global investment communities. I was impressed with the confidence Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, the CEO of Zenith Bank, Dr. Owen Omogiafor and Jumoke Oduwole, the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment exhibited during their respective presentations. This is good for the Tinubu administration and the Nigeria economy and in tandem with emerging global trends where women have been raising the bar in entrepreneurship and leadership.
However, what was exceptional to me as a Nigerian UK-based property investor, was the presentation of Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox and Konga Group as he was introduced.
He gave a completely different perspective to the event, speaking with confidence on the technology capacity of Nigeria to support foreign investors. He assured the foreign investors of the existence of world-class IT professionals in their thousands who are available to support these investors.
He pleaded with French investors to invest in the educational sector and partner with some Nigerian educational institutions to produce graduates who may become global citizens in the corporate world. It was a great eye-opener for the packed hall as he personally gave an example of what his companies have done in the tech sector for French companies in Nigeria over 30 years ago. Most of these companies had their CEOs present at the event.
Ekeh’s confidence was infectious, and you could gauge the impact of his audacious presentation from the faces of both the foreigners and Nigerians in the audience. I am sure there are many companies with the profile of Zinox and Konga Group that are yet to be showcased to the world.
People left the hall very impressed. Though I was unable to reach him as he had a few persons engaging him, and I left immediately after his presentation, I spent time on Google to check out this Nigerian who presented the Nigerian technology roadmap over 30 years back.
One of his most impactful impressions in his presentation was when he said that you cannot anticipate future investments anywhere in the world without technology as your enabler.
Google revealed a lot about this humble Africa’s leading tech icon. It was a great expose for a Nigerian who pioneered many tech initiatives on the continent. Very touching was what led him to transition Nigeria from analogue petrol dispensing pumps at filling stations to today’s digital dispensing pumps when he was cheated at a petrol station, amongst others.
His profile also mentioned how he lost over $28m in one swoop on an AI and Robotics investment that failed after he acquired the largest warehouse in the city of Lagos to install the intelligent, high-end project over eight years ago.
As I was travelling back to UK, I was reflecting on opportunities that abound in Nigeria. Today, we celebrate Elon Musk, the world’s richest man who has an African background but who made his money outside Africa, but I wager that Musk could not have made as much money if he had stayed back in Africa. Never!
Ekeh’s reason for not hitting the jackpot is that he is operating out of a very limited Nigeria economy with structural challenges and several infrastructural deficits.
The young Minister of Technology and Digital Economy Dr. Bosun Tijani, should be encouraged to produce more Dr. Ekehs to guarantee the future of Nigeria.
Ekeh in his narration talked about how as a young man he returned to Nigeria over 37 years ago with a vision to launch what he called ‘Digital Democracy’ by digitalising elections and electoral processes in the country. He also narrated his effort at consolidation of data through digital census to guide planning and investments to achieve his ambition of promoting Nigeria to the status of an economy the world can trust.
He may have achieved his vision for digital elections with massive tech deployment which his company handled, but I am not sure how he could achieve a trusted economy where 80% of successful persons in the country are in oil and gas, cement, road construction, all brutally controlled by government both directly and vicariously.
Tech is the present and the future, and the Nigerian government must be intentional by patronising and helping to grow indigenous players to ensure they remain competitive on the global stage. I must say that I am proud of Dr. Ekeh and his achievements as a serial tech entrepreneur. His work inspires confidence in Nigeria’s potential. However, the next two years will be pivotal in proving that this progress can be sustained.
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