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E-Business

MainOne @ #NCSEnugu2014, Harps on Domestic Data Hosting

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(L-r): Oluwagbenga Osinoiki, head, Public Sector Sales at MainOne, Sir Demola Aladekomo, immediate past president of NCS, professor David Adewumi, incumbent president of NCS, Emmanuel Agbo, sales manager and Temitope Osunrinde, marketing support analyst, both of MainOne Company, at the ongoing NCS national conference in Enugu.
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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.

 

 


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

E-Business

NITDA Ignites a Revolution for Gender Inclusion in Nigeria’s AI and Digital Economy

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In a powerful stride towards an inclusive digital future, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is spearheading a transformative drive to empower Nigerian women in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital economy.

This commitment was resoundingly reiterated by NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, at the “Innovate Her 25” conference, the 10th National Conference and 11th Annual Meeting of Nigerian Women in Information Technology.

Speaking at the event themed “Women in AI: Unlocking Resilience, Fostering Innovation and Leadership,” Inuwa, represented by Dr. Aristotle Onumo, Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, emphasised that true innovation blossoms not in isolation, but through synergistic partnerships and collective endeavor – principles deeply embedded in NITDA’s operational ethos.

Highlighting Nigeria’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy, Inuwa added that inclusivity is embedded as a core objective: “Our strategic roadmap mandates that at least 40% of our programmes directly benefit women and underserved groups. We have also developed a Gender Inclusion Strategy to guide interventions in areas such as training and infrastructure,” he explained.

Further underscoring Nigeria’s leadership in the digital space, Inuwa excitingly announced that in September 2025, NITDA will proudly host a Leadership Summit on AI. This landmark event will convene stakeholders from across the African continent, fostering a collaborative environment to forge a unified AI vision for Africa.

In alignment with the conference’s focus on empowering women in technology, the DG detailed NITDA’s diverse capacity-building initiatives spanning AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. “We work with partners such as the Renew Hope Initiative to train thousands of women across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones,” he revealed, highlighting the agency’s broad reach.

NITDA stands ready to collaborate with organisations like the Nigerian Women in Information Technology (NIWIT), actively encouraging proposals for bespoke programmes that cater to specific community needs. “We focus on targeted training with measurable outcomes, rather than generic approaches,” Inuwa affirmed, emphasising a results-oriented methodology.

He further spotlighted NITDA’s “Digital Literacy for All Initiative,” which seeks to equip 70% of Nigerians with digital literacy by 2027. Through strategic partnerships with the NYSC and the integration of digital literacy into national school curricula, the agency plans to train over 30 million Nigerians — with a dedicated focus on underserved communities and public servants.

Addressing critical concerns surrounding ethical AI, Inuwa emphasised the importance of developing indigenous datasets and large language models reflective of Nigeria’s unique realities: “We are working closely with stakeholders to build local datasets that safeguard Nigerians’ digital rights and ensure ethical AI use,” he assured.

NITDA is also championing mentorship for women in technology through impactful initiatives such as Women Innovate. The agency warmly welcomes collaboration with NIWIT to design structured mentorship programmes and is open to formalising such partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).

“NITDA is committed to fostering inclusive economic growth through innovation. Partnership and collaboration remain the way forward,” Inuwa declared.

The session concluded with a resounding call to action, urging women-focused organisations to leverage NITDA’s open-door policy and unite in advancing digital inclusion across Nigeria. The future of Nigeria’s digital economy is inclusive, and women are at its forefront.


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Amazon CEO Says AI will Reduce Number of Workers Needed

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Amazon’s management on Wednesday said that it expects that artificial intelligence software will reduce the number of office workers at the world’s largest online retailer.

Amazon CEO Says AI will Reduce Number of Workers Needed

Andy Jassy, chief executive, Amazon

“We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today and more people doing other types of jobs,” Andy Jassy, chief executive, Amazon  wrote in an email to employees.

He said it was difficult to predict how the overall workforce will evolve, but in the next few years, it is expected that AI efficiency gains will lead to a reduction in the number of office workers.

According to earlier reports, Amazon employed around 1.5 million people worldwide, with approximately 350,000 office employees in various roles.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the company does not anticipate further large-scale layoffs, as seen in 2022 and 2023, in the near future.

Instead, it expects that vacant positions will not be refilled.

However, layoffs are not ruled out, according to sources familiar with the matter.

“Amazon is focusing on so-called AI agents, software capable of independently performing tasks. These agents could, for example, summarise information from the web and data sources, write software, translate languages and automate many time-consuming tasks,” Mr Jassy explained.

“Agents will be teammates that we can call on at various stages of our work,” he added, urging employees to experiment with AI whenever possible.

The impact of AI on the job market has been a concern for many years.

Recently, Spotify, the leader in music streaming, announced that teams requesting additional staff would first need to prove that AI could not perform the tasks.

The creators of the language-learning app Duolingo plan to gradually replace external workers with AI.

 

 

 

 


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BPP Partners NDPC to Strengthen Data Protection

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Dr Adebowale Adedokun, director-general, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), has reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to data protection in Nigeria.

BPP Partners NDPC to Strengthen Data Protection

He disclosed this in a statement at the weekend by Zira Nagga, head of Public Relations, BPP, following a courtesy visit by a delegation from the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

Adedokun stressed that data protection is vital to Nigeria’s economy and development, particularly in areas such as demography, health, education, and other key sectors.

He emphasised that no country should leave its data unprotected, as it plays a crucial role in future planning and national development.

“Data governs the world. It is essential to technological progress and must be protected for a country or business to be taken seriously,” he said.

Adedokun described the visit, aimed at fostering partnership on data policy implementation and protection, as timely and aligned with national goals.

He said the BPP would collaborate closely with the NDPC to boost data development, capacity building, and enhance the procurement system.

“The BPP will support compliance as part of the ‘Nigeria First’ Policy, although it is not a core procurement eligibility requirement,” he explained.

He suggested a hybrid training model to help build strong capacity in data protection, privacy awareness, and policy understanding.

According to him, a dynamic training approach will reduce logistics costs and improve public confidence in data safety and privacy.

Dr Vincent Olatunji, CEO, and national commissioner, NDPC, praised Adedokun and the BPP for supporting data protection initiatives.

He said the partnership supports President Bola Tinubu’s vision and will strengthen data privacy across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

“The collaboration will create awareness and train BPP staff to ensure a firm grasp of data protection principles and policies,” he stated.

Olatunji said the NDPC would establish a working group to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding beneficial to both institutions.

He added that President Tinubu signed the NDPC into law on 12 June 2023 to uphold citizens’ rights and protect national and business data.

Olatunji also noted that strict legal measures were in place to enforce data protection and ensure full compliance nationwide.

Both agencies agreed to form a team to sign the MoU and focus on capacity building and data management in procurement and beyond.

 

 


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