Federal Government announced on Monday, July 29, its ambitious plan to digitalise 80% of government activities by 2025, as part of President Bola Tinubu’s drive to modernise Nigeria’s public sector.

The digitalisation initiative aims to “enhance efficiency, reduce corruption, improve transparency, and align Nigeria’s public sector with global best practices in e-governance.”

Speaking at the launch of a digitalisation training programme for staff of the Office of the Vice-President, Senator Hassan Hadejia underscored the urgent need to transform government operations through digital technologies.

“If you don’t go digital, you get to a point where you will even fail to integrate with the rest of the world,” Hadejia stated. “Everybody is moving ahead, and you have to get to that level where you can at least get that connectivity.”

He emphasized the importance of enforcing compliance across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure the success of the initiative. “Compliance has to be enforced because if you wait for everybody to be ready, you will not achieve the goal,” he said. “If you have a situation where you are forced to present your requests or responses in a digital format, everybody will be forced to comply.”

Drawing parallels with the judiciary’s successful adoption of digital processes, Hadejia noted, “Surprisingly, the judiciary is almost at the forefront of digitization now. It simply happened because several years ago the Supreme Court said it will not tolerate paper processes from lawyers anymore.”

The initiative marks a significant step towards modernising Nigeria’s public sector, promising improved governance and greater integration with global digital standards.

Google today announced the 8th cohort of its Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program. This year’s cohort features ten innovative startups from Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa, selected from nearly 1,000 applications, highlighting the remarkable talent and creativity in the African tech ecosystem.

Startups play a pivotal role in driving economic development and technological innovation in Africa. By addressing local challenges with tailored solutions, these startups are not only creating jobs but also enhancing the quality of life across the continent. Despite the current “funding winter” in Sub-Saharan Africa, where investment flows have slowed, the resilience and ingenuity of African entrepreneurs continue to shine.

Since its inception in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has supported 106 startups from 17 African countries. These startups have collectively raised over $263 million and created more than 2,800 direct jobs, showcasing the program’s substantial impact on the African tech landscape. This year’s cohort places a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence, highlighting the growing importance of advanced technologies in addressing Africa’s most pressing challenges.

Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startups Programs for Google in Africa, said: “We are thrilled to welcome the 8th cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program. These startups represent the future of African innovation, harnessing the power of technology to solve real-world problems and uplift their communities. We are committed to supporting these founders by providing them with the resources and mentorship they need to succeed and scale their solutions.”

Meet the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa: Class 8:

CDIAL AI (Nigeria): Transforming multilingual communication across Africa with the power of artificial and collective intelligence.

Earthbond (Nigeria): Lighting up homes and businesses across Africa with affordable, reliable energy solutions, bolstered by carbon accounting and development finance.

Fixxr (South Africa): Putting car owners and businesses in the driver’s seat with transparent and convenient on-location vehicle maintenance and repair services.

Lifesten Health (Rwanda): Innovating health and wellness through cutting-edge screening and incentive-based programs focused on physical, mental, and nutritional health.

MyAIFactchecker (Nigeria): Equipping users with an AI-powered tool to combat misinformation and promote informed decision-making through fact-checking.

Nakili (Kenya): Bringing salons, barbershops, and spas into the digital age with a mobile-based app for streamlined management and enhanced customer experiences.

NextCounsel (Nigeria): Supercharging lawyer productivity with an AI-powered tool for contract management, solicitor engagement, compliance, and more.

Nobuk Africa (Kenya): Simplifying financial management for groups and collectives across Africa with a seamless platform for collecting funds, reconciling payments, and generating reports.

Rana Energy (Nigeria): Providing clean, reliable energy solutions to SMEs and communities through a data-driven ecosystem.

Triply (Kenya): Building Africa’s travel operating system, connecting travellers with seamless booking experiences and travel businesses with powerful management tools.

From July 29th to September 20th, 2024, these ten startups will participate in a structured program designed to support their growth. They will receive direct access to the expertise of Google mentors and seasoned entrepreneurs who have navigated the startup path. They will engage in technical workshops to refine their products, hone their business strategies, and strengthen their leadership skills. The program will also prepare them to secure follow-on funding from Google’s global network of investors.

The participation of these startups in the accelerator program marks a significant step in their journey towards scaling their solutions and increasing their impact.

Telecommunication operators in Nigeria, particularly MTN, Globacom, Airtel and 9mobile have started barring subscribers’ lines.

Investigation on Sunday shows that the telcos’ actions are based on the disconnection timelines set by the industry regulator to bar subscribers who are yet to link a national identification number (NIN) to their Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card(s).

Result of the investigation is contrary to the claims in some quarters that the telcos are barring subscribers’ lines as part of government’s agenda to scuttle the proposed national protests.

The history of NIN-SIM linkage dates back to 2020

You would recall that mobile networks based on a December 2023 directive from the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) had barred subscribers who had not submitted their NINs for verification as of February 28, 2024.

In addition, a second set of subscribers with five or more SIM whose NINs failed verification were also fully barred on March 29, 2024.

There have been several deadlines given in the past on the cut-off date for SIM cards not linked to NINs, the last deadline for July 31, 2024 was planned to be definitive as shown from the strict adherence to the previous deadlines in February and March this year. This decision was reached long before the planned protests.

The telecom regulator had embraced a phased SIM barring approach, as the directive for disconnection is being rolled out in stages.

The compulsory NIN-SIM linkage began in December 2020 when the government directed telecommunication companies to block calls from unregistered SIM cards and SIMs that are not linked to NIN.

Despite the extension of deadlines, many phone lines are yet to be linked with verified NINs.

Three years later, the issue of SIM-NIN linkage continues to have hitches, especially from the behavioural side of telecom consumers.

The Commission had set April 15, 2024, for the full network barring of the subscribers with four or fewer SIMs with unverified NIN details.

This deadline was moved by NCC to July 31, 2024, to give telecommunications consumers more time to ensure their submitted NIN details are properly verified.

The date of July 31, 2024, was set as the last date since April in well-publicised news and notices by the NCC.

Why NCC insists on NIN-SIM linkage

The NCC’s seemingly hard-line position hinged on its objective to clean the country’s SIM ownership database and enhance national security.

At a forum in Lagos, long before the planned nationwide protests, Dr. Aminu Maida, the executive vice chairman of NCC, expressed NCC’s commitment to ensuring that criminals do not take advantage of having multiple unlinked SIMs to carry out their nefarious activities.

Not linked to Planned National Protests

A source at the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, disagreed with social media users who accused the telcos of being used by the government to scuttle the planned national protests.

“This accusation about MTN or others barring people from its network is unfair, mischievous, and dangerous.

“Other networks have been disconnecting subscribers based on the extant policy in this regard. Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile, Smile Communications, VDT, etc., have been disconnecting non-compliant consumers, long before planned protests”.

“The NCC is considering extending the deadline against its wish, but that idea also came long before the scheduled protests.

“Nigerians need to demonstrate that they can reason and recall incidents and social issues and not allow themselves to be misled by those who are bent on bringing Nigeria down.