E-Business
MainOne @ #NCSEnugu2014, Harps on Domestic Data Hosting
Data remain the currency in a knowledge-based world, hence the process of harnessing and warehousing of such is crucial for every individual, oraganisation or nation to make gain from it, said Ms. Funke Opeke, chief executive office, MainOne Company.
Speaking though Mr. Temitope Osunrinde, marketing support analyst at the Company, during a presentation at Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) national conference in Enugu, Opeke, said that for broadband access to become a reality, at least three key issues must be seriously tackled.
The three areas are content development and management; regulating/policy and infrastructure.
According to the MainOne CEO, infrastructural development is primary, for without adequate infrastructure no organization or a nation can achieve meaningful development.
“Today, we have infrastructure in few places. Most commercial organizations concentrate on business hubs-Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. The reason is simple. Those areas are where they have more businesses. How about infrastructure for use by other people? We need to build infrastructure across board.
“We commend the Infraco initiative; the open access initiative, of the ministry of communication technology. The regulators have done well in that regard. The regulators have done well in that regard.
“Now, we have to look at content. Who is providing this content? Who is warehousing it or hosting the content? Content is your currency in you digital economy. So, you have to be careful where you put your currency.
“Thus, policies should be there to encourage indigenous hosting of these contents in Nigeria. For instance, there is now a regulation in the oil & gas industry that you must host your content within the country, so why can’t we replicate such across board? It should be made to stand in the manufacturing, education, among others”.
She added that MainOne saw the need for such domestic hosting of contents generated in the country which spurred it to building the largest data centre in West Africa.
Also speaking to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek at the conference, Mr. Oluwagbenga Osinoiki, head, Public Sector Sales at MainOne, said that the West Africa’s leading open access submarine cable company will soon unveil its recent milestone in the subregion, been a $25 million (approximately N4 billion) Tier-III Data Centre in Lagos.
He said that the MainOne Data Centre, the largest of its kind in West Africa at 1,500 square metres with a 600 rack capacity shows the Company’s readiness to ensure the present and potential customers heave sigh of relief in terms of data management.
“We are delighted with this project because of the immense benefits it will provide our customers. Internet penetration has been a huge issue in Nigeria especially to the hinterlands. The project is such that the new Data Centre will leverage on MainOne’s network which is peered with leading operators and internet exchanges worldwide to provide global reach to our customers across all locations.”
“Our performances since the inception of our submarine cable in 2010 distinguish us in this field. We have not experience any major outages since operation began three years ago.” She attributed this to the team of dedicated professional staff engaged by the firm.
“In an investment of this magnitude, you cannot afford to cut corners. We deploy the state of the art monitoring technology device, using GPS surveillance equipment round the clock on our undersea cable. We cannot afford to fail our clients,” he said.
Osinoiki added that the Data Centre, which is expected to be commissioned in Q4, 2014 when fully operational will have redundancy such that there is no single point of failure within the facility.
He added that the MainOne Lekki Data Centre will pave way for the establishment of additional Data Centres and Point of Presence (POPs) across Nigeria and other West African nations.
He said that the multi billionaire project is further proof of MainOne’s commitment to enhance infrastructure within its primary markets.
The head, Public Sector Sales, said, “The new MainOne Data Centre is expected to transform West Africa into a digital economy. The project will also aid reduction of information technology costs and risks while enhancing business efficiency and profitability.”
He said that one of the unique features of MainOne is its direct access to MainOne Metro and International fibre and all the major interconnection with telecom networks in Nigeria and Ghana.
MainOne recently signed a $100 million refinancing facility syndication from a number of local and international banks to help fund its infrastructure expansion including fibre around the country, metro Lagos, and nationwide POPs.
It promises to complete construction of 200 km of a metro-presence across the Lagos metropolis before end of 2013.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has clarified that all its verification service platforms remain fully functional and accessible to all authorized partners, including security agencies.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, DG, NIMC
In a statement on Thursday, the Commission firmly denied claims that it had denied the Police Service Commission (PSC) access to its verification server.
Dr. Kayode Adegoke, head of Corporate Communications, NIMC, described the reported “inability of the Police Service Commission to access the NIMC verification server” as misleading and inaccurate.
He suggested that any challenges faced by the PSC may be due to internal issues within the commission itself, not from NIMC’s end.
The statement reads: “To set the record straight, the NIMC granted verification access to all Nigerian Police formations for the verification of the National Identification Number (NIN). The NPF, PSC and other security agencies have been enjoying uninterrupted verification services for over five years.
“NIMC has provided top-notch verification services for recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force, as conducted by the PSC and at no time have there been any complaints or issues regarding NIN Verification by the NPF or PSC.
“The Commission has a robust and harmonious working relationship with the Nigerian Police Force and the Police Service Commission. The Information Communications and Technology (ICT) department of the Nigeria Police Force is actively managing the long-standing verification and integration service between the NIMC and all Nigeria Police formations.Entertainment tourism packages
“NIMC will continue to provide flawless verification services for the purpose of recruitment, security mapping, cybercrime control, and any other security matters.
“The framework by which NIMC provides services to the security agencies was recently restructured for standardization and effective implementation, following consultation with the Office of the National Security Adviser, and NPF has confirmed the verification services have continued to be available. We therefore believe that any service interruption experienced by PSC may be due to internal matters.
“NIMC is committed to providing excellent verification services to the PSC, NPF and all its partners but the terms and conditions inherent must be adhered to for uninterrupted flow of service.”
Nigerian government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has announced a strategic collaboration to strengthen cybersecurity and clean up the nation’s cyberspace.
Recognizing that cybercrime knows no borders, Nigeria also reaffirmed its commitment to fostering stronger global partnerships within the cybersecurity ecosystem.
This announcement was made during a press conference before the inaugural National Cybersecurity Conference, which is scheduled to take place in Abuja from July 9th to 11th, 2025.
Sa’ad Abubakar, national cybersecurity coordinator from the Office of National Security Advisor, said fighting cybercrime must take the whole of society and the whole of the government approach.
According to him, “Apart from the deterrent approach whereby government agencies such as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrest individuals, take them to court and prosecute them, the youth can be nurtured into better citizens who can showcase their capacity in better ways and be useful to the country.”
Similarly, Kashifu Abdullahi, director-general, NITDA, also stressed the need for collaborative efforts in fighting cybercrimes.
According to him “Then, in addition to that, we also want to build a stronger global collaboration with the global cyber security ecosystem, because when you look at cybercrime in general, it doesn’t respect the borders.
“Someone can commit a crime from Ghana using a Nigerian ID in the US. So you can look at him physically in a different jurisdiction, pretending to be in another jurisdiction, committing the crime in another jurisdiction.
“So without that kind of synergy and working together, it will be difficult to address these challenges. The third one is challenge. The third one is getting an alternative to cybercrime for our kids in Nigeria. We have this as a major challenge.”
Inuwa further highlighted the upcoming conference’s importance, noting that it would tackle key issues through workshops, discussions on emerging threats, cross-border cybersecurity collaboration strategies, and training programmes.
He also announced that the National Cybersecurity Conference 2025 would feature the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards, recognising top contributions in the field.
The DG extended an invitation to global partners to collaborate with Nigeria in building a safer digital future.
The press conference was attended by notable figures, including Ahmad Sa’ad Abubakar, National Coordinator of, the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC); Hanniel Jafar, Representative of the President, of Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN); Ankit Shukla, Managing Director, QNA Marketing Management LLC and members of the press and other stakeholders.
XIAN Telecom has acquired an 8% stake in pan-African e-commerce company Jumia Technologies, citing the platform’s fintech and logistics strengths as key drivers of its backing.
This marks the first major telecom investment in Jumia since MTN Group’s exit in 2020.
AXIAN, a fast-growing telecom and digital services provider with operations across Africa, disclosed the purchase in a Schedule 13D filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
While the financial terms were not disclosed, AXIAN Telecom CEO, Hassan Jaber, described the move as a strategic alignment with Jumia’s growth trajectory and digital ecosystem.
“Jumia’s achievements in digital retail and fintech, particularly through JumiaPay and its logistics network, make it a very attractive investment for us. We believe in Jumia’s potential to promote financial and economic inclusion, which aligns with our core values,” said Jaber.
Once dubbed the “Amazon of Africa,” Jumia became the first African-founded tech company to list on the New York Stock Exchange in 2019.
But years of underperformance, leadership changes, and competitive pressures dented investor confidence.
In October 2020, South Africa’s MTN Group offloaded its 18.9% stake for $138 million, well below the $698 million value it once held post-IPO.
Since then, Jumia has undergone a significant transformation. Under CEO Francis Dufay, appointed in 2022, the company exited low-performing markets like South Africa and Tunisia, cut costs, and doubled down on core markets – Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco.
The firm is now focused on high-growth verticals, including everyday essentials and digital financial services.
Jumia’s regional CEO for East Africa, Vinod Goel, recently revealed plans to scale up international brand offerings and open its logistics network to third-party businesses.
Jaber underscored that AXIAN Telecom’s investment signals renewed confidence in Jumia’s long-term potential.
The telecom firm’s CEO said the company views Jumia as a key player in advancing Africa’s digital economy, aligning with AXIAN’s mission through its fintech and digital infrastructure brands such as Yas and Mixx by Yas.
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