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Mainframes,Millennials and A Tale of Two Nigerians

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For those who may think mainframes were history, think again. Mainframes are the silent engines behind today’s industrial and commercial behemoths, namely, banks, phone and ATM networks, transportation systems, oil exploration and production operations, smartphone apps and more.

So, the mainframe never really went away.The reality is that mini-, micro- and mainframe computers have all benefited from advancements in hardware miniaturization and processor speed engineering. And while almost anyone can easily identify what a laptop or desktop computer looks like, mainframeswere the building blocks (the genesis) of modern computing and remain the pillars of enterprise computing today.

Empirical evidence shows that Nigeria’s (nay Africa’s) business and technology industries remain keenly in touch with mainframe systems. But even more importantly, millennials, today’s high school and university students are also rediscovering the versatility of modern mainframe computing concepts and techniques as evidenced by two Nigerian students, Salisu Ali of Bayero University Kano and David Ntekim-Rex of the University of Lagos, who have emerged regional winners in the annual “Master the Mainframe” competition, organized by AngelHack, a global hackathon company and the IBM Z Academic Initiative.

Salisu Ali, 21, and David Ntekim-Rex, 19, came 1st and 2nd respectively in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, and were also among the top 12 finalists globally. Both student’s entries, according to the judges, showcased innovation and their clear understanding of software security and utility principles, two key attributes of mainframe systems. The other 10 finalists are from Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, Nepal and the USA.

The Winners:

NameCountryAgeUniversity
Anna McKeeU.S.22University of North Texas
Brendan EarlyU.S.16UT High School
Trung ChuJapan29Nagoya University
Hiro FuchiueJapan27RWTH Aachen University
MuriloAndrandeBrazil34Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos
Diego DeFrancoBrazil33FATEC Rubens Lara
Sebastian WindGermany26University of Leipzig
Christian ZieglerGermany20Hochschule Coburg
Salisu AliNigeria21Bayero University Kano
David Ntekim-RexNigeria19University of Lagos
Prince DeyIndia23RCC Institute of Information Technology
Dinesh PoudelNepal23Tribhuwan University

 

More than 17,000 young people from around the world participated in this year’s Master the Mainframe contest, an introduction to programming and application development competition designed to teach students how to code and build new innovations using the mainframe. 80% of registrants were new, and 23% were female. Students were introduced to the enterprise systems behind their smartphone apps and gain hands-on experience to inspire interest in pursuing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers.

 

By participating, students learn, prepare for careers and can win prizes. Attracting participants from more than 120 countries across six continents, this year’s contest “was truly a global contest” and drew the largest turnout since the contest began in 2005, according to Brian Collins, IBM Technical Solutions Manager and Ross Mauri, General Manager, IBM Z Team.

 

They observed that “millennials were a perfect match for mainframes”and that in a world where the focus often seems on designing the latest app, these contestants entered the competition with the hope of getting a job working on the mainframe, which was first introduced in the 1960s.

 

Even though the mainframe was built before many of these contestants’ parents were born, tech savvy millennials are increasingly intrigued by the significant role the mainframe plays globally. Mainframes are the backbone of 92 of the top 100 worldwide banks, all 10 largest insurers, 23 of the largest 25 airlines and six of the 10 top global retailers and powering every ATM transaction on earth.

In Nigeria, West Africa’s largest economy, 80% of the country’s 20-plus commercial banks including the financial industry regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria, depend on IBM enterprise systems to run their most critical operational tasks.

As creativity, innovation, big data analytics and machine intelligence increasingly become the currencies of Africa’s fast developing economies, the need for mainframe skills cannot be overemphasized.

Thankfully, the “Master the Mainframe” competition has helped to showcase the fact that today’s millennials see mainframe skills as a path to a good-paying job and career path. Glassdoor currently lists more than 6,380″mainframe” jobs in the United States, and based on current growth patterns, IBM predicts that approximately 37,200 new mainframe administration positions will emerge worldwide by 2020.

 

“Ali and David’s performance in this year’s edition of the “Master the Mainframe” contest reflects well on the ongoing efforts of IBM and other technology firms which continue to invest significantly in Nigeria’s technology ecosystem. This is a positive development,” says Dipo Faulkner, Country General Manager, IBM Nigeria.

For this year’s contest, IBM had all contestants create their own application that dealt with flour, oil and sugar with over 600 different companies worth of data that needed to be sorted and tracked. Contestants needed to translate multiple flat files of data into dynamic applications that could run on the mainframe without error.

According to US-based technology writer Kristin Lewotsky: “By developing and implementing a plan to develop a skills pipeline before the need arises, organizations can place themselves in that smart category that allows them to continue to support their business operations and growth without a hitch.”

For more than five decades, IBM has continuously reinvented the mainframe to address the biggest challenges of today and tomorrow. The latest version of the IBM Z mainframe unveiled last year is now built to handle modern workloads such as AI, blockchain, data encryption, and deep learning.

Analysts reports show that IBM grew its mainframe revenue 71 percent year-to-year in the fourth quarter of 2017.


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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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PalmPay’s Bold Move For Social Impact in Northern Nigeria

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In the busy Fagge Market in Kano, Zahra Bello, a middle-aged entrepreneur who runs a fabric store, speaks about her experience with mobile banking and how this has simplified business transactions and improved her small business.

Behind the growth of these resilient women entrepreneurs lies a story of transformation powered by technology.

“My name is Zahra Bello, I’m from Dambatta in Kano State, and I’m a fabric trader. I first heard about PalmPay from my elder brother in March 2024. He told me how he used the PalmPay Target Savings feature to buy new machinery for his farm and even earned interest. That inspired me to try it too.”

Zahra downloaded the PalmPay app that very day. By December, she’d used the Target Savings plan to restock her shop with new fabrics, an achievement she never thought possible within such a short period. “I was so happy,” she smiles. “The interest I earned on my savings motivated me to save more. PalmPay has become my savings box. I use it for all my transactions now.”

Her story, like many others, is the inspiration for PalmPay’s evolving vision of inclusive banking in Nigeria’s underserved communities.

Women, SMEs, and Technology

Financial exclusion remains a critical challenge in Northern Nigeria. According to EFInA’s 2023 Access to Financial Services survey, an estimated 28.8 million adults in the North are excluded from the formal financial system, with exclusion rates as high as 47% in the Northwest.

Among women, especially those in rural areas, the figures are even more concerning, as these numbers represent the daily reality of millions of women who run informal businesses and contribute to household income without access to banking, credit, or digital tools.

PalmPay’s initiative addresses this gap directly. 5,000 female entrepreneurs in Kano and Kaduna will receive hands-on financial literacy training on mobile payments and their shops are rebranded with signages, aprons, and other kits that will enhance visibility for their businesses.

“I used to write down every sale in a notebook. Now I track everything with my PalmPay account,” says Rabi Abdullahi, a trader in Kano. “Customers trust me more now that I have a business name and branded store.”

PalmPay has done its due diligence to understand the challenges and has offered a tailored approach to solving these issues which includes this social impact initiative.

Social Impact and Strategic Growth

With over 35 million users in Nigeria, the company is keen to expand in regions where smartphone adoption is rising but digital finance penetration remains low.

Femi Hanson, Head of Marketing and Communications, explains: “We see this as long-term ecosystem building. When you give small business owners the tools to grow, you don’t just gain users, you build loyalty, trust, and sustainable impact.” This also aligns with Nigeria’s Financial Inclusion Strategy goal to reach 95% inclusion by 2025, a benchmark that can’t be reached without focused efforts in the North.

The project has earned the support of traditional leaders, most notably His Royal Highness, the Emir of Kano, Dr. Muhammadu Sanusi II, who praised the initiative and called for greater collaboration between the private sector and community stakeholders.

With the success of this initiative, PalmPay has continued to expand its solutions in these regions offering support to even more women.

In Northern Nigeria, where the need is great and the gap wide, PalmPay is proving that true impact goes beyond offering products to providing support and meeting the needs of its users at the grassroots.


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Moniepoint Demonstrates Commitment to Nurturing Africa’s Future Leaders

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Moniepoint Inc, one of Africa’s leading financial institutions partnered with the Mega Impact Foundation to support the 5th edition of the NextGen Connect Interschool Oratory Competition in Asaba, Delta state. This collaboration showcases Moniepoint’s unwavering commitment to youth empowerment and human capital development across the African continent.

The competition, which was held commemoratively to celebrate this year’s International Day of the Boy Child, brought together SS2 students from across Delta State to address the critical theme: “The Role of Financial Inclusion and Technology in Shaping a Brighter Future for Young People in Africa.” Moniepont has received critical acclaim over its core mission of advancing financial inclusion through innovative digital financial technology solutions and payment services..

The oratory competition showcased exceptional talent among Nigeria’s youth, with Otovo Praise of Crystalloid International School emerging as the champion.

His outstanding performance earned him a full-year scholarship through the Tosin Eniolorunda STEM Foundation, reflecting Moniepoint’s philosophy of investing in educational excellence. Second-place winner Audi Innocent of St Patrick’s College received ₦300,000, while third-place winner, Asher David of Glorious Kids Academy was awarded ₦200,000.

“At Moniepoint, we believe that driving sustainable innovation begins with future-proofing and expanding the talent pool by empowering the next generation with the tools that they need to succeed especially basic literacy skills which remain fundamental pillars in socio-economic development,” said Tosin Eniolorunda, CEO Moniepoint Inc.

“These young voices represent the future of African leadership, and their insights into financial inclusion and technology demonstrate the remarkable potential that exists within our communities. Through our various educational and developmental initiatives such as the CAD/CAM lab we donated to OAU last year or the Moniepoint DreamDevs programme, we are betting big on an investment in Africa’s future.”

The initiative extends beyond monetary rewards, creating meaningful platforms for young people to express their ideas on a global stage. Through its support of the NextGen Connect Conference and Tech-In-School conversations, Moniepoint is fostering an environment where youth can develop critical thinking skills, build confidence, and engage with pressing societal issues.

In her remarks, Founder, Mega Impact Foundation, Florence Ogonegbu said that “we reaffirm our commitment to building an Africa where every young person has simplified access to sustainable education, capacity building, and empowerment.

By leveraging technology and local initiatives, we are creating platforms that enable our youth to thrive and transform their communities. Together with partners like Moniepoint, we are not just shaping futures—we are driving a movement for social development that will resonate globally. Every boy, every young person, deserves the opportunity to unlock their full potential and drive lasting impact across our continent.”

The competition received additional support from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Delta State, highlighting the collaborative approach required to nurture young talent effectively.

 


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African Parliamentarians Seek Answers from Telcos on Quality of Service

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African legislators across the continent are increasingly demanding answers from mobile network operators for chronic poor service. Parliamentarians in Cameroon, South Africa and Zambia are demanding answers on data pricing, network connectivity needs in rural regions, contributions to job creation, data security and privacy, and adherence to universal service obligations.

Zambia is the latest country to question telcos over quality of service, and National Assembly speaker Nelly Mutti has ordered minister of technology and science Felix Mutati to deliver a ministerial statement on the Airtel network’s repeat outages and the steps being taken to resolve them.

Lawmakers have expressed concerns about the impact of inconsistent connectivity, particularly in rural areas where mobile communication is important for emergencies and essential services.

This come after telecoms regulator, Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) read the riot act to Airtel, after its most recent outage last week.

This was not the first time the telco had experienced service interruption, which prompted ZICTA to threaten the telco with a fine.

Meanwhile, the speaker of parliament declared that the nation has to be informed about the causes for the network provider’s bad service and the steps being taken to address the issue.

Mutti said: “This matter is affecting everyone. We need to know why the services are poor and what is being done to ensure service providers comply with stipulated guidelines.”

The move by the Zambian parliament comes a few days after South African parliament also summoned mobile network operators to respond to a range of concerns that lawmakers felt impacted consumers.

The following issues were considered by parliamentarians: network connectivity standards in rural areas, contributions to job creation, transformation, and economic inclusion and empowerment for blacks in general, women, youth, and people with disabilities, data security and privacy, adherence to universal service obligations, and spectrum conditions for universal connectivity.

 


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