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Digital Encode Scoops 7 Awards @ BoICT 2020

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Digital Encode Co-Founders – Dr. Adewale Peter Obadare & Dr. Oluseyi Akindeinde receiving 'Cybersecurity Personalities of the Decade', as presented by the former President of the Institute of Software Practitioner of Nigeria (ISPON - middle), Chris Uwaje, at the 2020 BoICT Lecture/Awards held in Lagos over the weekend.
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Digital Encode, a leading consulting and integration firm, has received industry-wide accolades, for the specialties in the design, management and security of business-critical networks, telecommunications environment and other IT infrastructures, in Nigeria and indeed Africa.

After receiving massive votes, the team from Digital Encode received standing ovation at the year 2020 Beacon of Information and Communications Technology (BoICT) Lecture/Awards held on Saturday, November 28, 2020 at Eko Hotel Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

A range of awards won by Digital Encode Limited and the Co-Founders: Dr, Adewale Obadare and Dr. Oluseyi Akindeinde, at the 2020 BoICT Lecture/Awards held in Lagos over the weekend.

On a corporate level, Digital Encode was named the Cybersecurity Company of the Decade. Communications Week Media Limited, organisers of the award also disclosed that Digital Encode was voted the Compliance Advisory Company of the Decade.

At Digital Encode, technology serves two purposes: to save money and solve a problem.

To this end, the company has been recognized in the industry for its vendor independent perspective and expertise that lies in solving multifaceted, complex enterprise network security and audit problems.

Today, Digital Encode is notable for its effective and successful methodology for achieving compliance to ISO 27001 (IMS); ISO 20000 (ITIL), ISO 22301 (BCM), ISO 9001 (QMS) and several other international compliance standards such as COBIT and PCI DSS compliance.

The duo – Dr. Obadare and Dr. Akindeinde received (joint) Nigeria CommunicationsWeek Man of the Year award.

Digital Encode Limited and the Co-Founders: Dr, Adewale Peter Obadare (L) and Dr. Oluseyi Akindeinde (3rd right) receiving the Nigeria CommunicationsWeek ‘Man of the Year award’. On hand to present the award are the former President of the Institute of Software Practitioner of Nigeria (ISPON – 3rd left), Chris Uwaje and the Publisher of the Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, Ken Nwogbo (L), at the 2020 BoICT Lecture/Awards held in Lagos over the weekend.

Dr. Obadare Peter Adewale is arguably the most “Credentialed” and Multi-Award winning Pan- African Cybersecurity & GRC Thought Leader, He is a Fellow British Computer Society (FBCS), Fellow Institute of Management Consultants (FIMC), Fellow Institute of Information Management (FIIM), Fellow Enterprise Security Risk Management (FESRM), Fellow Institute of Brand Management (FIBM), Chartered Information Technology Professional (CITP), The First PECB Certified Data Protection Officer (CDPO) in Nigeria, The First Ec-Council Licensed Penetration Tester (LPT) in Africa, First Ec-Council Certified Blockchain in Africa, and Second COBIT 5 Certified Assessor in Africa Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Qualified Security Assessor (PCI DSS QSA).

He is a seasoned cybersecurity Expert and GRC Technopreneur with over 50 (Fifty) international professional certifications to his credit and was awarded Honorary Doctorate Degree in Cybersecurity from Trinity International University of Ambassadors Atlanta Georgia, United State of America.

Dr. Oluseyi Akindeinde has 18 years working experience in the IT and Information Security arena, but has spent the better part of the last few years exploring the security issues faced by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) and the Financial Transaction Systems (FTS).

He has mostly presented the outcome of his research works at several conferences; including the Information Security Society of Africa Nigeria (ISSAN), the E-Payment Forum, the Electronic Payment Providers Association, the Forum of the Committee of Chief Inspectors of Banks in Nigeria (CCIBN), Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), the apex bank – Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), as well as the senior management of 17 top financial institutions in Nigeria.

 

Presenting the awards to the recipients, Former President, Institute of Software Practitioner of Nigeria (ISPON) and the current MD of Mobile Software Solutions, Chris Uwaje, (Oracle), described Digital Encode as a ‘fruitful seed’ that has distinguished itself in the African cybersecurity space.

Digital Encode Co-Founders – Dr. Adewale Peter Obadare & Dr. Oluseyi Akindeinde receiving Digital Encode’s Cybersecurity Company of the Decade at BoICT Award 2020 as presented by the President, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), Muhammad Rudman, at the 2020 BoICT Lecture/Awards held in Lagos over the weekend.

“I recall that team Dr. Obadare and Dr. Akindeinde are members of the team Nigeria in 2012 CyberLympics. That team conquered Africa and won gold at the global level. They repeated the feat in 2015.

“Today, see how far Digital Encode has gone; they have demonstrated resilience, skills and understanding of that space. I am super-proud of the team. The future is even brighter”, he said.

Ken Nwogbo, publisher/editor in-chief, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, said that the awards are testaments to Digital Encode’s critical role in the Continent’s cybersecurity space.

He said that the co-founders are well-recognized subject matter experts with numerous successful engagements to their credit in Africa.

Earlier in his keynote presentation titled: “Cybersecurity and its Critical Role in Nigeria Economy”, Dr. Obadare, said that cybersecurity can take Nigeria out of recession.

According to him, Nigeria needs to engage the digital natives more as IT is, presently, the elephant in the house that cannot be ignored.

“Check Point has predicted that next global crisis will be the Cyber Pandemic. Much is at stake.

“Thus, Cyber Crime is currently the 3rd biggest economy after U.S. and China as can be deduced from the rising losses which are put at $10.5trillion by 2025; according to Cybersecurity Ventures”, he said.

Co-Founder/COO of Digital Encode Limited, Dr. Adewale Peter Obadare, delivering BoICT keynote lecture at the Award ceremony held in Lagos over the weekend.

Obadare, who said that the keyboard is the new knife, stressed that Nigeria’s software industry should be bigger than it is today.

“Therefore, there is a need to build capacity to compete internationally”, he said while thanking Nigeria CommunicationsWeek for the Digital Encode at this year’s BoICT Lecture/Awards.

On his part, Dr Akindeinde, said that while every well-meaning Nigeria must condemn cybercrimes in the strongest of terms, however, the Company is concerned with the need to harvest the talents of our youngsters and transform them to become more productive to the economy and themselves.

“We have just been told that the global market needs 4 million skilled cybersecurity experts. Nigeria can benefit from this big time. So, we feel really honoured by the awards and testimonies shared here today. Our promise is to keep raising the bar”, he added.

Also present at the award include; President, Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Engr, Ikechukwu Nnamani; President, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), Mr. Muhammad Rudman; the President of ISPON was represented by the GMD of Fintrak Software, Mr. Bimbo Abioye, amongst other dignitaries.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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Airtel, SpaceX Partner to Bring Starlink’s Connectivity Solutions to its Customers in Africa

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Airtel Africa has announced an agreement with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s high-speed internet services to its customers in Africa. Currently, SpaceX has acquired requisite licenses in 9 out of 14 countries within Airtel Africa’s footprint. Operating licenses for the other 5 countries are under process.

With this collaboration, Airtel Africa will further enhance its next-generation satellite connectivity offerings and augment connectivity for enterprises, businesses, and socio-economic communities like schools, health centres in even the most rural parts of Africa. Airtel Africa will also explore rural coverage expansion through cellular backhauling.

Airtel Africa and SpaceX will continue to explore other areas to promote digital inclusion in the continent as well as SpaceX’s ability to utilize and benefit from Airtel’s ground network infrastructure and other capabilities in Africa.

Airtel Africa MD and Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar said: “We remain deeply committed to our vision to enrich the lives of people of Africa. This partnership with SpaceX is a significant step to demonstrate our continued commitment to advancing Africa’s digital economy through strategic investments and partnerships.

Next-generation satellite connectivity will ensure that every individual, business, and community have reliable and affordable voice and data connectivity even in the most remote and currently under-served parts of Africa.”

SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Business Operations Chad Gibbs said: “We are very excited to work with Airtel to bring the transformative benefits of Starlink to the African people in new and innovative ways.

“Starlink is available in more than 20 African markets and this agreement with Airtel highlights how, once licensed, Starlink welcomes the opportunity to join forces with important industry leaders to ensure as many people as possible can benefit from Starlink’s presence.  The team at Airtel has played a pivotal role in Africa’s telecom story, so working with them to complement our direct offering across Africa makes great sense for our business.”


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How MTN Employees Are Driving Social Change Through the Power of Corporate Volunteerism

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In a world often dominated by corporate profit margins and bottom-line thinking, it’s easy to overlook the quieter revolutions happening behind the scenes.

In Nigeria, one such movement is being quietly driven not by executives in boardrooms, but by employees armed with a powerful sense of purpose to go make a difference.

Each year, MTN Nigeria’s staff volunteers set aside their day jobs to participate in Y’ello Care, the company’s corporate social responsibility initiative. But in 2024, they did more than volunteer — they raised over NGN20 million from their own pockets to renovate a crumbling school block at Iwerekun Community High School, Lakowe.

Iwerekun Community High School, before the intervention, was a picture of broken promise: dilapidated classrooms, leaking roofs, and a lack of basic facilities. Students struggled to learn in an environment that failed to inspire hope. Today, thanks to the hands-on efforts of MTN employees, the school boasts refurbished classrooms, a steady water supply, and even an inverter system to ensure stable electricity. More importantly, it offers a renewed sense of possibility.

Speaking about the 2024 edition, Tobe Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services & Sustainability Officer, MTN Nigeria, said, “Y’ello Care is the MTN Nigeria ecosystem giving back and contributing time, money, and resources to make a positive impact. Last year, we focused on education in remote areas, supporting three projects that will provide access to quality education for young Nigerians. And we are eager for the 2025 edition.”

Beyond renovations, previous editions of Y’ello Care have touched lives across Nigeria. Employees have organised vocational skill workshops, distributed learning materials through the KNOSK Charity Education Initiative, and mentored students to equip them for the future. From building digital libraries to delivering healthcare services through mobile clinics, MTN’s staff-led projects focus on long-term empowerment rather than short-term charity.

For many MTN volunteers, Y’ello Care is personal. Christiana Agyei, a participant in one of MTN’s earlier vocational training programmes, went from an unemployed single mother to a thriving entrepreneur. Today, she employs others in her soap-making business, a ripple effect that began with one employee-led workshop.

Over the past 18 years, Y’ello Care has grown into more than a CSR programme; it has become a culture within MTN, a living, breathing part of the company’s identity. Each initiative is not just a project, but a commitment to building the kind of Nigeria where opportunity isn’t determined by postcode or privilege.

At the commissioning of the Lakowe project, Honourable Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, Commissioner of the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, summed it up simply: “The education sector worldwide thrives on collaboration and commitment between public and private partners.

“MTN’s generous contribution is truly recognised, and I express my deepest gratitude for its unwavering commitment to supporting education in Lagos State.

“This new facility will provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning, enabling our students to reach their full potential.”

As Nigeria faces ever-evolving economic and social challenges, initiatives like Y’ello Care offer a template for how corporations can genuinely transform the communities they serve, not with slogans, but with sleeves rolled up and boots on the ground.

In the end, it’s not about NGN20 million or refurbished buildings. It’s about faith restored, dreams reignited, and the simple, radical idea that change begins with care.

Beyond Y’ello Care: MTN’s has had Broader Impact through its Foundation

Beyond Y’ello Care MTN Foundation has impacted the society through critical initiatives such as:

Healthcare Interventions: Through the Y’ello Doctor Mobile Medical Intervention Scheme, MTN provided free primary healthcare services to individuals across communities. Since its inception, the initiative has impacted thousands of Nigerians.

Vocational Training & Entrepreneurship Support: In collaboration with partners, MTN facilitated skill acquisition workshops that enabled over 500 Nigerians—including women and persons with disabilities—to launch small businesses. Over 65% of participants actively applied their new skills, and 50% successfully started businesses.

Scholarships & Digital Libraries: MTN Y’ello Care has established digital libraries and awarded scholarships to students, ensuring that quality education is accessible to as many young Nigerians as possible.

As Y’ello Care continues to grow, MTN remains dedicated to expanding its impact, especially in underserved areas. By investing in education, healthcare, and economic empowerment, the initiative is building a brighter future for Nigeria, one project at a time.


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Zoho Unveils AI-Powered Features in Zoho Creator for Faster App Development

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Zoho Corporation, a global technology company, today announces the launch of new services and features within Zoho Creator, the company’s low-code application development platform.

This milestone reflects Zoho’s commitment to investing in AI capabilities that offer real-time, practical, and secure advantages to business users.

Zoho Creator’s new AI assistant, CoCreator, facilitates faster, simpler, and more intelligent app building by using voice and written prompts, process flows and business specification documents. Powered by Zia, Zoho’s AI assistant, CoCreator drives shorter go-to-market timeframes and democratises app creation for users of varying skill levels—all without requiring add-ons to a customer’s existing subscription.

Zia has served as a bridge across Zoho’s entire product suite, including Creator, since its launch in 2015. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly central to business operations, Zoho’s complete ownership of its tech stack and deep AI integration provides customers with a higher level of contextual AI across all company workflows compared to competitors.

This empowers users with a system that truly understands their data and anticipates its usage.

“Since we introduced Creator in 2006, our mission has been to make app development simpler and faster, without compromising on functionality,” said Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head, Zoho Nigeria. “AI now takes us to the next level, shortening the time from an idea to an app. Today’s announcement significantly raises the baseline on speed of quality app creation with deep capabilities, without adding costs.”

Among the newly-launched capabilities is the Idea-to-App Generation feature, allowing businesses to utilise ZohoAI or OpenAI to develop full-fledged applications including contextual integrations, automations, permission sets and insightful dashboards.

By using text or voice prompts, process flow diagrams, or systems documentations like software requirement specifications (SRS), Creator will provide domain-specific suggestions, ideas for relevant fields, and modules tailored to a customer’s business

Contextual component generation AI enhances existing applications by offering prompt-based form generation.

Zia also proactively suggests contextual fields within forms, a functionality missing from many low-code development platforms.

Developers of all skill levels can generate and optimise code blocks contextually within apps using Zia’s prompter and also annotate existing code blocks for future maintenance.

Further advancing business capabilities, users can rapidly transform unstructured data from various file types and databases into custom applications and remove inconsistencies using the AI-driven data cleansing and modelling feature.

Additionally, the newly-introduced AI Skills enables businesses to build apps with specialised skills that interpret natural language instructions in the business context and automate complex chains of actions intelligently. This feature is currently available in early access and will be widely available from June 2025.

Additional enhancements now available include document uploads that allow extraction of relevant information into an application that can then be queried easily; voice-based app generation from mobile devices; and deploying custom AI models for deploying capabilities like OCR, prediction, and object detection.

Zoho Artificial Intelligence Differentiation

Zoho remains steadfast in its commitment to AI innovation guided by principles of customer privacy and delivering true customer value.

Its generic AI models across contextual, assistive, and agentic categories are not trained on consumer data, nor do they retain customer information, ensuring responsible AI use.

Zoho focuses on practical AI tools that assist workers by right-sizing models and without inflating customer costs unnecessarily.


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