Telecom
ITU Telecom Young Innovators Competition Seeks Solutions to Climate Change
ITU Telecom World Young Innovators Competition has launched a Challenge on Smart Cities and Climate Change in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), seeking innovative ideas on how information and communication technologies (ICT) can help smart cities mitigate or slow down the effects of climate change, in particular in the area of global health.
Two winning entries will be showcased at ITU Telecom World 2014, the leading platform for debate, knowledge-sharing and networking for the global ICT community, in Doha, Qatar, 7-10 December 2014.
The Challenge calls for young people around the world to work together on concepts for new and innovative social start-ups within the field of smart cities to help future communities adapt to or reduce climate change.
This might include, for example, new technologies, novel combinations of existing technologies, services and systems, physical devices such as smart grids, software such as big data processing, or services such as community building programmes.
Following the close of the competition on 7 October, two finalists will be selected to join ITU Telecom World 2014 in Doha this December, where they will pitch their ideas before industry leaders and national governments, participate in workshops, benefit from a year of ongoing mentorship, and win up to USD 5000 in seed funding.
“Extreme weather conditions, epidemics, outbreaks of infectious diseases and air pollution exacerbating non-communicable diseases are examples of how climate change is affecting the health of people around the world,” said Hamadoun I. Touré, ITU secretary-general
“ICTs can provide solutions to deal with these situations. This Challenge can entice socially conscious young innovators to find solutions to tackle climate change by developing smart cities that will help reduce emissions, improve economic sustainability and promote innovative use of green technologies.”
Dr Touré noted that it is vital to give young people an opportunity to engage with these key issues and work together as a community, as they will be the ones living with the negative effects of climate on health for generations to come.
“Developing the next generation of businesses and technologies to deal with climate change is something we need to do today, rather than tomorrow,” Dr Touré said.
This Challenge is the third in the Young Innovators Competition 2014, open to young people aged between 18 and 30 the world over.
Compared to former Challenges, which targeted existing start-ups, Challenge-3 is the first co-creation challenge in the 2014 series, where applicants from around the world submit seed ideas and work together to discuss, exchange ideas and elaborate their contributions to a concept. These are honed and developed further under the guidance of expert facilitators over the dedicated crowdsourcing platform at ideas.itu.int.
The ideas with the greatest potential will be identified and further refined into concepts, before the final two winners are selected to join ITU Telecom World 2014 in Doha. The deadline for submission is 7 October 2014 at 23:59 CEST (21:59 UTC).
MTN Champs Season 3 Lagos Continental Relays concluded on April 12, 2025, with a vibrant closing ceremony at the Yabatech Sports Complex.
This event marked a historic moment in Nigerian athletics, featuring the debut of the Olympics-approved mixed relays and showcasing exceptional talent across various track and field events.
The final day was a blend of intense competition and entertainment, drawing families, friends, and MTN Nigeria staff to the stands. Guests enjoyed music, games, and the much-anticipated MTN Staff Relays, where teams from different departments competed for medals and bragging rights. The Innovators emerged victorious, clinching gold in both male and female categories.
MTN executives also joined the fun, participating in 50m sprints and emphasizing the importance of physical activity. Chief Human Resources Officer, Esther Akinnukawe, highlighted the company’s Go M.A.D (Make A Difference) campaign, encouraging individuals to stay active and impactful in their fields.
The Lagos Continental Relays attracted over 2,500 entries from 155 schools, with participants competing in four age categories: Cadet (U-14), Youth (U-17), Junior (U-20), and Senior. The event not only celebrated athletic excellence but also reinforced MTN’s commitment to nurturing future Olympians and building a legacy of sports development in Nigeria.
Season 3 of MTN Champs continues with the grand finale scheduled to take place in Uyo at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium from April 30 to May 3.
MTN Group, Africa’s leading telecommunications provider, has joined forces with Meta to improve the quality and reliability of voice and video calls on real-time calling applications such as WhatsApp across 12 MTN markets.
The collaboration, which began at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024, focuses on optimizing application-aware networks and network-aware applications to deliver a seamless and high-quality user experience. By leveraging data analytics and conducting comprehensive testing, MTN and Meta have successfully developed solutions that enhance the interaction between mobile networks and real-time calling applications.
Nigeria, MTN’s largest market, was the first to implement these enhancements. Early results indicate a remarkable 50% improvement in key performance indicators (KPIs), significantly enhancing the user experience for MTN Nigeria mobile users.
“This implementation further demonstrates our commitment to enhancing our customers’ digital experience.
“We’re pleased with the remarkable improvement in our real-time communication services, reflecting our commitment to innovative customer solutions,” said Yahaya Ibrahim, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at MTN Nigeria.
Diego Marí, Head of Network Ecosystems Engineering at Meta, added, “The collaboration allows us to deploy advanced solutions for an unparalleled real-time experience in Nigeria and showcases our dedication to elevating service quality and improving user experience, while striving for continued efficiency in traffic delivery.”
The partnership underscores MTN and Meta’s shared vision of delivering cutting-edge solutions to enhance digital communication across Africa.
Rack Centre, West Africa’s premier Tier III carrier and cloud-neutral data centre, has unveiled its state-of-the-art 12MW IT Load Data Centre, the LGS2, in Lagos, Nigeria.
This innovative facility is set to redefine the digital landscape of Nigeria, offering unparalleled infrastructure, scalability, and reliability.
Speaking at the official commissioning on April 10, 2025, Rack Centre’s Chairman, Maher Jarmakani, emphasized the company’s dedication to innovation and sustainability.
He highlighted the LGS2 facility’s role in providing uninterrupted, energy-efficient solutions for enterprises, cloud providers, and financial institutions, reinforcing Rack Centre’s pivotal role in Nigeria’s digital transformation.
“This facility exemplifies our commitment to powering the nation’s digital future,” Jarmakani stated.
Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Sam Egube, praised the milestone during his keynote address.
He described the LGS2 facility as a cornerstone in Lagos’s journey toward becoming a globally competitive digital hub.
Sanwo-Olu also commended Rack Centre for prioritizing sustainability and energy efficiency in the centre’s design.
Rack Centre’s CEO, Lars Johannisson, expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Government for fostering an enabling environment to support the company’s vision.
Johannisson described the facility as a symbol of Nigeria’s commitment to cutting-edge technology, sustainable digitisation, and artificial intelligence.
He noted that with the LGS2 operational, Rack Centre’s data centre capacity would increase eightfold, solidifying its leadership in sub-Saharan Africa’s digital infrastructure space.
As a key player in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, Rack Centre continues to connect people, businesses, and ideas, driving technological progress and cementing its legacy as a trailblazer in Africa’s digital economy.
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