E-Business
Cisco Forecasts 14-Fold Increase in MEA Mobile Data Traffic in 5 Years

Cisco® Visual Networking Index Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast for 2013 to 2018 indicates that worldwide mobile data traffic will increase nearly 11-fold over the next four years and reach an annual run rate of 190 exabytes by 2018.
However, Middle East and Africa are expected to witness 14-fold increase during the period.
The projected increase in mobile traffic is partly due to continued strong growth in the number of mobile Internet connections, such as personal devices and machine-to-machine (M2M) connections, which will exceed 10 billion by 2018 and be 1.4 times greater than the world’s population (United Nations estimates 7.6 billion people by 2018).
In terms of mobile data traffic growth rates over the forecast period, the Middle East and Africa region is projected to have the highest regional growth rate.
By 2018, the Middle East and Africa will have a 70 percent CAGR and 14-fold growth while Central and Eastern Europe will have a 68 percent CAGR and 13-fold growth.
Asia-Pacific will have a 67 percent CAGR and 13-fold growth while Latin America will have a 66 percent CAGR and 13-fold growth.
North America will have a 50 percent CAGR and eight-fold growth; and Western Europe will have a 50 percent CAGR and seven-fold growth.
Mr. Dare Ogunlade, general manager, Cisco, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra-Leone said that “Global mobile data traffic will continue its truly remarkable growth, increasing nearly 11-fold over the next five years, to reach an amount in 2018 that is more than 57 times the total amount of mobile data traffic just a few years ago in 2010.
“Such growth is not only indicative of mobility becoming a critical characteristic of almost every network experience and the value consumers and businesses alike place on it, but it also represents the immense opportunities ahead for service providers who sit at the center of the Internet of Everything.”
In terms of mobile data traffic generation, the Asia-Pacific region is projected to generate the most mobile data traffic. Asia-Pacific: 6.72 exabytes per month; North America: 2.95 exabytes per month; Western Europe: 1.9 exabytes per month; Central and Eastern Europe: 1.64 exabytes per month; The Middle East and Africa: 1.49 exabytes per month; and Latin America: 1.16 exabytes per month.
Also, from 2013 to 2018, Cisco anticipates that global mobile traffic growth will outpace global fixed traffic growth by a factor of three.
The trends that are driving mobile data traffic growth include the increase in mobile users; there will be 4.9 billion mobile users, up from 4.1 billion in 2013.
In terms of mobile connections, there will be more than 10 billion mobile-ready devices/connections—including eight billion personal mobile devices and two billion M2M connections, up from seven billion total mobile-ready devices and M2M connections in 2013.
There will also be faster mobile speeds, as the average global mobile network speeds will nearly double from 1.4 Mbps in 2013 to 2.5 Mbps by 2018. Plus mobile video will represent 69 percent of global mobile data traffic, up from 53 percent in 2013.
Globally, 54 percent of mobile connections will be ‘smart’ connections by 2018, up from 21 percent in 2013. Smart devices and connections have advanced computing/multi-media capabilities and a minimum of 3G connectivity.
Smartphones, laptops, and tablets will drive about 94 percent of global mobile data traffic by 2018. M2M traffic will represent five percent of 2018 global mobile data traffic while basic handsets will account for 1 percent of global mobile data traffic by 2018. Other portables will account for 0.1 percent.
Mobile cloud traffic will grow 12-fold from 2013 to 2018, a 64 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
M2M refers to applications that enable wireless and wired systems to communicate with similar devices to support global positioning satellite (GPS) navigation systems, asset tracking, utility meters, security and surveillance video.
A new “wearable devices” sub-segment has been added to the M2M connections category to help project the growth trajectory of the Internet of Everything (IoE).
Wearable devices include things that are worn by people such as smart watches, smart glasses, health and fitness trackers, wearable scanners with capability to connect and communicate to the network either directly via embedded cellular connectivity or through another device such as a smartphone via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
In 2013, M2M connections represented nearly five percent of mobile-connected devices in use and generated more than one percent of total mobile data traffic.
By 2018, M2M connections will represent nearly 20 percent of mobile-connected devices in use and generate almost 6 percent of total mobile data traffic.
Also in 2013, there were 21.7 million global wearable devices but by 2018, there will be 176.9 million global wearable devices or a 52 percent CAGR.
On impact of faster global mobile network connection speeds, Cisco said that, the average mobile connection is expected to nearly double from 2013 to 2018.
Mobile connection speeds are a key factor in supporting/accommodating mobile data traffic growth.
E-Business
Court Affirms ARCON’s Power to Regulate Ads on Social Media, Others

Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has declared that Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has the legal authority to regulate advertising across all media platforms, including traditional outlets such as print and broadcast, as well as digital and social media.
The landmark ruling strengthens the regulatory powers of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria.
The ruling was delivered by Honourable Justice Aluko in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1262/2024, filed by Digi Bay Limited (trading under the name and style of Betway Nigeria), Super Group Limited, and Otunba Kunle Olamuyiwa against the Attorney General of the Federation and ARCON.
The originating summons, dated 12 July 2024, sought a judicial determination of ARCON’s powers, particularly concerning advertising content published on digital platforms and by individuals not registered as advertising practitioners.
The court held that ARCON possesses the statutory authority to regulate all forms of advertising, regardless of the platform on which they appear.
The judgement also stated unequivocally that ARCON’s regulatory mandate extends beyond registered advertising agencies and includes private individuals who engage in advertising activities.
Justice Aluko emphasised that the determining factor is the nature of the activity—advertising—not the status of the individual or entity as a practitioner or non-practitioner.
One of the most significant outcomes of the ruling was the court’s position on social media regulation, affirming that ARCON, as the apex regulatory body in the nation’s advertising ecosystem, has the power to regulate advertisements on platforms such as Instagram, despite being privately owned.
The court noted that social media platforms are publicly accessible spaces used to broadcast advertising to wide audiences and, as such, fall under ARCON’s jurisdiction.
Regarding whether ARCON has the power to impose sanctions or fines on erring individuals or entities, the court provided clarity by affirming that ARCON may issue letters of violation or notices of infractions.
However, the power to determine and impose sanctions, it stated, resides solely with the Advertising Offences Tribunal, as prescribed by law.
The court also ruled that all advertising content—whether created by agencies, organisations, or individuals—must be vetted and approved by ARCON before being published or aired.
This decision reinforces ARCON’s role as the central authority responsible for ensuring that all advertising materials conform to ethical and professional standards, regardless of the platform.
Several practitioners in the nation’s advertising sector view the judgement as a significant legal victory for ARCON, especially in light of the increasing challenges it has faced since transitioning from the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) to ARCON under a revised legal framework, which extended the scope and influence of its powers.
In recent years, the agency has faced legal and media scrutiny from various quarters regarding the extent of its regulatory powers, particularly in the rapidly growing and often unregulated digital advertising space.
The decision, they argued, will have far-reaching implications for content creators, influencers, advertisers, and brands operating within the country, as compliance with ARCON’s vetting and regulatory processes becomes legally binding.
The ruling also signals a new phase in Nigeria’s advertising industry, where regulatory oversight will no longer be limited to traditional media and certain digital channels but will encompass the entire spectrum of public communication.
E-Business
Zoho Suspends $700m Chipmaking Plan

Zoho, Indian software firmhas suspended its year-long pursuit of a $700 million plan to expand into chip manufacturing, its co-founder said, confirming a story and dealing another blow to the Indian government’s semiconductor plans.
Zoho struggled to find the right technology partner required to advise on complex chipmaking processes, one source familiar with the matter told newsmen earlier.
Report said that Indian billionaire Gautam Adani’s group has also paused discussions with Israel’s Tower Semiconductor for its $10 billion chip project following an internal evaluation by the Indian group.
Zoho, valued at around $12 billion, offers cheaper alternatives to cloud-based software tools made by the likes of Microsoft.
Its billionaire co-founder, Sridhar Vembu is known for his popular and unconventional approach of locating business operations in rural villages.
Vembu confirmed the decision after the story was published, saying “we did not have that confidence in the tech,” in a social media post.
“Since this business is so capital intensive, it requires government backing, we wanted to be absolutely sure of the technology path before we take taxpayer money,” he said.
In a bid to diversify, Zoho had planned to invest $400 million in a semiconductor facility in Karnataka state in south India.
The entire chipmaking plan, first reported by newsmen in May 2024, has for now been suspended.
Representatives for Karnataka state did not respond to a request for comment.
Zoho’s retreat will be a setback to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has for several years tried to lure companies in his pursuit to make India a global chip manufacturing hub.
India does not have a single operational chipmaking facility.
Zoho, established in 1996, offers software and related services on subscription to businesses in 150 countries and has over 18,000 employees and more than 120 million users.
Zoho’s Silectric Semiconductor Manufacturing last year made a handful of hires and formed a board to oversee chipmaking efforts, the source, who gave the reason for the failed plan, said.
The Karnataka government said in December it had given landmark approval to Zoho’s planned $400 million facility in Mysuru region, which would have generated 460 jobs and been the first such project in the state.
E-Business
FG Partners UK to Combat Cross-border Cyber-crime

The federal government and the United Kingdom signed an agreement Tuesday to combat the growing threat of cyber-crime. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed following a courtesy visit by David George Hanson, minister of the home office, UK, to the Nigeria Police Force headquarters, Louis Edet House in Abuja.
Transnational crime is a big problem for both the UK and Nigeria, so the governments intend to strengthen existing collaboration efforts to crack down on cyber-criminals and protect their industries from unlawful activities.
Offences such as online fraud, identity theft, digital extortion, and ransomware , operate across many jurisdictions, and frequently necessitate sophisticated cooperation efforts, according to the two governments during a press conference.
Furthermore, Lateef Fagbemi, Nigeria’s attorney-general and minister of justice, established the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime, which aims to address the need for a coordinated and robust approach to combating cybercrime, as stated in the Cybercrimes Act of 2015, which criminalises cyber-related offences.
Hanson underlined the importance of ongoing cooperation efforts to combat international crime in a number of areas, affecting vulnerable individuals.
He said: “We need to look again at how we can build cooperation between the Federal Government, the federal police, and our police forces and National Crime Agency to take action against these international criminals, who are exploiting vulnerable people in a whole range of areas. The National Crime Agency, the Home Office Fraud Department, and the High Commission need to make sure we make a big impact on this transnational crime.”
“The collaboration between the Nigerian Police Force and National Crime Agency continues to serve as a model in international law enforcement cooperation. We have successfully conducted joint operations into many cases of cybercrimes and online fraud. With your [UK government] cooperation, we have continued to bust other criminal networks around the world,” added inspector-general of Nigerian Police Force, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun.
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