General News
IT and Communication Ministry Will be Focused-Uwadia
Professor Charles Uwadia is president, Nigerian Computer Society and director, Centre for Information technology and Systems, University of Lagos.
He has been a visiting Fellow to Universities and Institutions in the United States of America, United Kingdom, Italy and Australia.
Uwadia recently delved into the networking, congestion control and management aspects of information technology and has over 30 publications in both local and international journals with three books to his name.
A renowned expert, he spoke to Chike Onwuegbuchi on a wide range of issues.
Curriculum and Computer Education
Curriculum review especially in the university and polytechnic is normally handled by two bodies. For the university, you have the National University Commission (NUC), that is the regulatory body and for the polytechnic and college of technology, you have the National Board of Technical Education. Those two bodies are government agents and are charged with ensuring minimum academic standards for the universities and polytechnics. Of course, within that framework we still have to examine that of the university; we have the senate of the university. The senate of the university is in charge of academic matters and the curriculum falls within that same purview. So, you would expect that the senate of the university is entrusted with the relevance of the curriculum for the programmes. That is the structure. Now coming to the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS), the NCS in partnership with Computer Professionals Registration of Nigeria (CPN) is interested in the quality of graduates that we produce for the industry. So, we also have a role to play in the curriculum. While the NUC and the NBTE would be looking at the curriculum from the academic point of view, the NCS and the CPN would be looking at the curriculum from the professional point of view. Then, you have accreditation. We already have the guidelines for the accreditation of institutions. These guidelines are being circulated to the institutions. We also have our own minimal standards for professional practice. This is also circulated to institutions. I think what is lacking for now is the political will; the wherewithal to be able to apply sanctions on institutions that fail to meet these minimum requirements. The NUC has already started doing that, 10 universities lost their accreditation; I’m not going to mention names here. In second generation universities, computer science/computer technology was instantly denied accreditation. What that means is that that institution is not supposed to admit students into that programme. What it implies is that university is deficient in that area. The curriculum is not the only criterion, we have other criteria but that is the core area. So to the question, we have school curriculum review regularly, at the NUC level, NBTE, CPN and NCS levels. It is then the duty of these institutions to ensure that there is conformity to the curriculum. What you notice is that it goes beyond just designing and reviewing the curriculum. When you review the curriculum, you also need capacity to be able to implement the curriculum. Implementation requires training of teachers to enable them teach subjects in new areas; to be able to adapt rapidly to new paradigms in programming. Newer technologies are coming up, teachers also need to be carried along and somebody must provide that. We need to equip the labs as new platforms are needed to teach new technologies. It then takes us back to the issue of funding. We would require funds to implement curriculum review. One of the areas of implementing curriculum review is to go into some kind of partnership with institutions abroad where you can source capacity building.
Proposed ICT Ministry
I think it will go a long way. At least, it will be better than where we are coming from. It is not the ultimate. The ultimate which is practically what we asked for, which is found in some countries that place IT at a high pedestal is to have a Ministry of Information Technology. That is actually what we demanded for. But the proposed ministry is the ministry of IT and Communication which is not a bad idea because of the convergence between computing and telecoms. So, it is not a bad idea because in that ministry you have agencies and commissions that can work together; NITDA, NCC, CPN. The Ministry of Information will just remain an organ for the propagation of government’s information. The proposed ministry of IT and Communications will be a more focused ministry than the structure we have now. That is our expectation.
Patronage of Locally Made Software
Well, yes we can assist in monitoring the patronage of locally made software. We have actually asked our member companies to be on alert and monitor software so we can engage graduates. You see, having a policy is one matter and implementing it is another matter. What you actually find is that some of the agencies do not even know about the quality of these softwares. We see adverts that were put out requesting for some quantities of locally produced software. When we see such adverts, what we do is to get in touch with the ministry or agency, show them a copy of the publication and usually, they find them attractive. Having said that, what could be disturbing would be a situation whereby ministries or agencies that are aware still go abroad and source software that have equivalents here in the local market. When we get that of course, we take it up; we have one or two cases that we are currently pursuing. I’m not saying that the government has been supportive because when this comes to our attention, all we do is to bring it to the attention of the Head of Service and it can be taken up from there.
Certification of Local Software
You should note that the private sector is at liberty to source for software from any outlet as government policies may not affect them much. We should not talk about the issue of quality and standards because some of our software meet international standard and yet, they are not patronized. It is not just the issue of quality and standard. Don’t forget that some of these companies we talked about, their interests lie outside the country, so they are not under any obligation to patronize made in Nigeria software even when these software have been proven to the world. If you have a bank that has a chairman from the U.S, he might just decide to source for software from there. There are quite a number of undertones when it comes to sourcing for software. We all know why in some situations people source for them abroad even they are here. I think we need to continue to sensitize people and make the industry aware of software that are available here and their quality. We continue to engage our local producers; nobody is asking for anything less than the international standard. Nobody is talking about the Nigerian standard-we are in the global market now thus, local software developers need to be given a chance; they need all the encouragement to continue to be in the industry. Don’t forget that the more patronage you have, the more you are encouraged. Even the cheaper the software becomes eventually and you would be able to attain the level of big developers. We are not saying that quality or standards should be compromised, we continue to encourage our members to do things to global standards.
NCS and Exhibition of Local Software
We actually have these fora and we need to project our local developers more. The developers’ club summit sponsored by Microsoft brings developers together but only those using Microsoft tools to develop. That Microsoft is sponsoring does not necessarily mean that the outcome of such a venture is not local; the software summit sponsored by Microsoft brings together local developers and maybe others too, who use Microsoft development platform. What we are trying to do in the coming year is to see if we can get companies that support other platforms too. We are already talking to Oracle, Linux Group and others so that they can also organize fora on alternative development platforms and not just Microsoft platform. Besides that, we also have a software exhibition forum. Unfortunately, we could not hold that last year due to some hiccups but we are planning on this year as from August. We are already working on it; a committee is looking into that and that will bring exhibitors of various backgrounds together, to showcase what they have to the rest of the world. That will be termed ‘Nigeria Software Exhibition’. Note that the Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN) also organizes fora and exhibitions for hardware products. I think one of the things you would love to see is something of a big magnitude that will bring software, hardware together-an all inclusive exhibition of Nigerian initiative. We are working on that.
Formulation of IT Policy
The situation now is that the draft policy has been submitted precisely two Fridays ago. It is still a draft; I guess it still has some way to go. You see, when you talk about the process; making it an all inclusive thing, getting people involved, you still find out that people don’t react to certain things. The stakeholders’ fora in Abuja and Lagos were advertised and opportunities were given to people to make their inputs, pass their comments and I am certain that they did. I participated and know how it went; some people were aggrieved no doubt. Having said that, we advised NITDA to please take a step further and send the document to the ministries and the agencies, so that no one claims ignorance. IT policy is a very important document and should not be one mulled in any form of controversy. As it is, I believe people can still make inputs. It is not yet in form of a bill going to the National Assembly.
Ola Olukoyede, chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has raised the alarm that some corrupt Nigerian politicians are now hiding their illicit wealth in cryptocurrencies to evade scrutiny and detection by anti-graft agencies.
Ola Olukoyede, chairman, EFCC
The EFCC boss said the agency had uncovered a growing trend where fraudulent public officials now used cryptocurrency wallets to stash stolen public funds and conduct illicit transactions.
Olukoyede made the revelation at an event commemorating Africa Anti-Corruption Day.
The event was held simultaneously in Abuja, Lagos and Ibadan, Oyo State.
Other speakers at the event lamented that Nigerians usually fell victim to crypto fraud, including the recent CBEX scam, where Nigerians lost over N1.3tn.
Olukoyede said, “Virtual asset fraud is on the rise. Our findings show that fraudulent politicians are already perfecting schemes and hiding their loot in cryptocurrencies to beat the investigative blackness of anti-corruption agencies.
“Stolen funds and unexplained wealth are being warehoused in wallets and payment for services are being done through this window,” he said.
Olukoyede warned that while the rise of virtual assets had transformed financial transactions globally, it had also created new avenues for money laundering and financial crimes.
He said, “Technology is moving at a supersonic speed around the world.
“The advent of virtual assets is a response to one of the qualities of money as a store of value like it is known in our elementary economies.”
“However, as with every progressive innovation, fraud starts to usually evolve, evolve ways of perverting their genuine purposes,” he said.
He added that the EFCC was not helpless in the face of the sophisticated schemes, noting that proactive training and intelligence sharing had enabled the commission to identify and investigate such cases.
Airtel Nigeria, telecommunications and digital solutions provider, has reemphasised its commitment to national development with a two-day workshop for companies in Nigeria’s Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI) and utility sectors.
Held from July 8 to 9, 2025 at the Lagos Continental, the exclusive event brought together C-suite executives and industry thought leaders to co-create transformative and tech-driven solutions for these critical industries.
Themed “Banking on Innovation: Powering Financial Services with Connectivity” on 1 and “Accelerating Nigeria’s Digital Leap: Smarter Networks, Smarter Business” on Day 2, the sessions were designed to identify critical pain points, unlock business potential, and drive smarter, more connected operations across two of the nation’s most essential sectors.
Delivering the keynote address, Dinesh Balsingh, Managing Director/CEO of Airtel Nigeria, reaffirmed Airtel’s dedication to enabling and driving Nigeria’s digital transformation across the finance and energy sectors.
Speaking on the timeliness of the workshop, Airtel Nigeria’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dinesh Balsingh said, “From power and water to finance, transportation, and logistics, this is a defining moment for every sector. The real question isn’t whether to adopt digital solutions, but how quickly and intelligently we can do so. At Airtel Nigeria, we’re moving beyond basic connectivity and becoming a true digital partner to the industries we serve.”
He highlighted Airtel’s categories of enterprise solutions that has been created to improve quality of life. These groupings include Internet of Things (IoT) for such services as smart metering, leak detection, energy optimisation, and real-time asset tracking; Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS), which enables secure, multi-channel customer engagement via SMS, WhatsApp, Voice, and USSD; as well asl Network as a Service (NaaS), which delivers flexible, secure connectivity with cloud-ready agility.
Mr. Balsingh added that, “Nigeria’s power and energy industries are under growing pressure to modernise. Legacy infrastructure, fragmented systems, and lack of real-time visibility are major obstacles. Airtel is stepping in with the right tools, not just to connect, but to transform. With IoT, CPaaS, and NaaS, we’re laying the groundwork for smarter operations, improved service delivery, and better outcomes for businesses and consumers alike.”
Abhishek Biswal, Chief Business Officer, Digital Services at Airtel India, brought substantial insight to the discourse with a demonstration of Airtel’s IoT Hub and its transformative impact on energy distribution.
Biswal said, “The future of finance and energy is digital, and that future must be secure, scalable, and seamless. When financial players and utility providers partner with telcos like Airtel, we’re not just connecting systems; we’re building a smarter digital ecosystem for everyone.”
Reinforcing the CEO’s position, Ogo Ofomata, Director, Airtel Business, called for collaboration among the participating sector and their stakeholders.
“We don’t take lightly the trust you have put in us. Airtel operates in what we call the enabler industry. Sometimes we don’t even know there’s a problem until we come together like this. This workshop is about understanding your needs and working side by side to design solutions that truly fit,” she said.
In his remarks, Luc Serviant, Group Enterprise Business Director at Airtel Africa, highlighted the company’s role in driving digital transformation through sustained investments in 5G and LEO satellite connectivity, aimed at boosting remote operations and expanding access in underserved regions across the finance and energy sectors.
He said, “At Airtel, we understand that the future of is going digital, and reliable connectivity is the backbone of that future. From 5G to LEO satellite integration, we are investing in intelligent infrastructure that empowers service providers to operate more efficiently, respond in real-time, and deliver uninterrupted services to millions of Nigerians. This isn’t just about innovation; it’s about building the digital foundation that will power the nation’s next chapter.”
This workshop, which continues the series of sectoral engagements within Nigeria’s growing economy, concluded with feedback from stakeholders who called for the inclusion of regulatory bodies such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in future editions.
The Credit Fund of the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund has successfully closed its first investment, committing $10 million to Telecel Global Services Ltd, through a senior secured amortising loan.
The transaction marks a significant milestone in the operationalisation of the Fund. The Credit Fund is one of three Funds under the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund, established by the AfCFTA Secretariat and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to provide targeted transitional support to AfCFTA State Parties and private sector entities as they adjust to the requirements and opportunities presented by the AfCFTA Agreement.
Telecel Global Services, a subsidiary of the Mauritius based Telecel Group, provides wholesale voice and SMS services and enterprise connectivity solutions to more than 250 telecoms operators across Africa and globally.
With digital connectivity being at the heart of the trade and economic integration and success of the AfCFTA, this facility will support Telecel’s expansion in Ghana and Liberia, strengthen its infrastructure, and contribute to bridging Africa’s digital divide through enhanced connectivity and digital inclusion.
By investing in digital infrastructure in underserved markets, the Fund is helping reduce trade barriers, foster cross-boarder productivity and accelerate inclusive industrialization. Mr. Jean-Louis Ekra, Chairman of the Board of the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund Corporation, stated: “
The closing of our first deal marks a historic milestone for the Credit Fund and the broader vision of the AfCFTA.
This US$10 million investment in Telecel Global Services is a clear demonstration of how targeted capital can drive meaningful impact—accelerating digital connectivity, enabling intraAfrican trade, and supporting private sector-led development in priority sectors.
It is our commitment to ensure that such investments continue to bridge critical gaps, stimulate economic resilience, and unlock Africa’s vast potential.”
H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, noted: “This transaction demonstrates how the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund is beginning to serve its intended purpose – supporting State Parties and the private sector as we work to make this Agreement commercially meaningful.
By investing in digital infrastructure, we are addressing some of the most critical enablers of trade facilitation, industrialisation, and regional value chain development.”
Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, added: “Today, we make another bold statement of our unwavering intent to ensure that Africans reap the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
We are proud to have commenced the operationalisation of the Credit Fund. With this Fund, we will provide vital support to African corporates, helping them retool and expand their operations necessary to capitalise on the AfCFTA opportunities.
The investment strengthens a critical enabler, the digital economy and regional connectivity, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to transforming the structure of the African economy.”
Marlene Ngoyi, CEO, FEDA, the Fund Manager of the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund, said: “This investment exemplifies the strategic intent of the Credit Fund – to catalyse growth and resilience in sectors that are vital for Africa’s structural transformation.
We are proud to partner with Telecel, whose operations directly advance intra-African connectivity and digital trade.”
The Credit Fund will continue to prioritise commercially viable investments that enable trade, support diversification, and promote inclusive growth in line with the broader AfCFTA implementation agenda.
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