Telecom
NITDA to Showcase Six ICT Innovation Startups @ GITEX 2018
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in its continuous efforts to foster the growth of the technology ecosystem, plans to showcase the country’s ICT innovation at this year’s Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX 2018).
GITEX is an annual Information and Communication Technology trade show, exhibition, and conference that takes place at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
In a statement released on Thursday by Mrs Hadiza Umar, Head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations, National Information Technology Development Agency, stated that the agency’s aim at this year’s GITEX is to showcase the global technological advancements and innovations in the domain of consumer electronics.
According to her, “The event provides a platform for accelerating investment-ready startups; expose them to international investors, networking opportunities, partnerships and access to witness emerging technologies that are changing the world.
“Previous attendance has recorded several successes with Nigerian startups coming top in pitching sessions and winning cash prizes as well as acceleration opportunities.
“Generally, startups have reported encouraging feedback on the effect of GITEX to their businesses.
The statement further states that “NITDA’s subsidiary, the Office for ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIIE), coordinates startups’ participation at the event.
“This year, the process started with a call for pitch deck submission from technology and technology enabled startups on 24th July 2018 through our websites, social media platforms, tech and traditional media, broadcast messages and emails to all attendees of previous NITDAs events.
“Due to the wide reach of the call for application, over 500 submissions were received.
“The rigorous selection was carried out in three stages with judges drawn from Government MDAs, Technology Hubs, academia, investors, professional associations and the ICT industry.
In the first stage, idea stage startups were disqualified, resulting into the short listing of 143 startups with technology products or technology enabled enterprisers for the second stage.
The second stage of the selection was a critical review of the successful stage one pitch decks based on criteria such as innovativeness, the startup is solving a real life problem, business model, traction, competitive advantage and team structure.
In the third and final stage, online pitching was conducted for two (2) startups from each region and the best six (6) startups emerged and represent the 6 geopolitical regions.
The successful startups are:
- Arone(SE) -A technology, transport and logistics company to solve the problem of lack of accessibility to medical supplies.
- Beepower (NE) – The product allows the use of one single source to power up multiple devices with different power requirements.
- Domenium (SS)- A solution designed to help police obtain evidence for crimes.
- Max (SW) – A technology, transport and logistics company that makes moto-taxis safe, efficient, and accessible to users in West Africa.
- Off-k.com(NW) –An online platform that helps students conveniently locate and securely pay for accommodation off campus.
- Wattlinq (NC) – A power technology with a website which provides services that monitors and manages energy availability and usage in homes.
Startups will undergo a one week bootcamp with seasoned resource persons in the ecosystem to equip them with state of the art skills to get the best of GITEX.
To ensure continuous support of the ecosystem, the story for startups who did not make the GITEX list does not end there, 10 startups from the GITEX submission were selected to participate in Startup Friday, Abuja, which will take place on 30th October 2018.
Twenty (20) more were selected for eNigeria, scheduled for 5-7thNovember, 2018.
Both events will also provide startups opportunities to pitch to investors, sponsorship for incubation, training on key entrepreneurship skills, access to network and a cash prize for the best startups.
Telecom
Celebrating African Creativity: Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ Returns for Its Fifth Year
The “Made by Africa, Loved by the World” campaign is back for its fifth year, celebrating African creativity and global influence. This year’s theme, “Where Culture Meets Connection,” highlights how social media fosters conversations around cultural moments worldwide.
The campaign features three cinematic films premiering on the Meta Africa page, showcasing the groundbreaking work and personal stories of six dynamic African creatives.
These artists, from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, represent diverse disciplines, including rap, animation, dance, photography, fashion, and videography.
Here are some of the featured talents:
- Ladipoe (Nigeria) – A BET-nominated rapper known for blending global hip-hop with African rhythms.
- Fatboy Animations (Kenya) – An animation studio founded by Michael Muthiga, recognized by Forbes for its original African storytelling.
- Lisa Quama (Ghana) – A dancer who gained fame after appearing in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video.
- Gilbert Asante (Ghana) – A photographer and creative director featured in GQ and Glam Africa.
- David Tlale (South Africa) – A fashion designer whose bold designs have been showcased at major fashion events, including the Met Gala.
- Ofentse Mwase (South Africa) – A filmmaker with over 24 international awards for his unique visual storytelling.
Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director for Africa, Middle East & Turkey, emphasized that the campaign not only celebrates individual success stories but also showcases how culture and social media drive meaningful connections and inspiration.
Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has raised the alarm over a diesel supply crisis caused by an ongoing strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Mr Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON in a statement said that the fuel supply disruption is critically affecting telecom base stations, pushing them to the brink of a shutdown and threatening millions of mobile and internet users in the region.
“This strike, which stems from the persistent harassment of tanker and petroleum product drivers by police officers in Lagos State, has effectively halted all truck loading operations and fuel movements,” Emoekpere stated.
He explained that diesel supply to telecom infrastructure has been severely impacted, leaving critical sites with dangerously low fuel levels.
According to him, if urgent measures are not taken, the situation could escalate into a full-blown network blackout, disrupting essential services, including mobile and internet access, business operations, emergency response systems, and daily communications.
ATCON has called on the governors of Lagos and Ogun states to intervene immediately by facilitating the release of diesel from depots to telecom operators to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
“This is not just a telecom issue—it is a national emergency that could cripple economic activities and compromise public safety,” Emoekpere stressed.
The association also appealed to security agencies and petroleum unions to resolve the crisis swiftly to safeguard Nigeria’s connectivity and economic stability.
ATCON emphasised that a prolonged disruption in fuel supply to telecom infrastructure could have far-reaching consequences for both businesses and individuals who rely on stable communication networks for daily operations.
In 2023, Nigerians spent a total of about ₦5.3 trillion on telecommunications services, which includes calls, data, SMS, and other telecom services, according to the Leadership.
Specifically for voice calls, Nigerians made approximately 408.5 billion minutes of local calls, generating around ₦3.28 trillion from outgoing calls and ₦3.23 trillion from incoming calls, totaling about ₦6.51 trillion in call-related revenue according to projections based on 2023 call volumes and tariff data.
However, the ₦5.3 trillion figure represents the overall telecom sector revenue, with voice calls being a major component but also including data and other services.
For individual spending, MTN subscribers spent an average of ₦2,508 monthly on voice calls in 2023, showing a 14.4% increase from 2022, while Airtel customers spent about ₦1,694 monthly on voice calls.
Total telecom spending (calls, data, SMS, etc.): ₦5.3 trillion in 2023
Estimated revenue from voice calls alone: around ₦6.5 trillion based on call minutes and tariffs
Average monthly spending on calls per subscriber: ₦1,694 to ₦2,508 depending on the network
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