E-Business
Olufuye Seeks Enhanced Cooperation on Internet Governance
Dr. Jimson Olufuye, chairman, Africa ICT Alliance, (AfICTA), has said that enhanced cooperation on internet governance would encourage digital inclusion of Nigeria and rest of the African sub-region.
He stated this at the just concluded United Nation Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) open consultation on enhanced cooperation on public policy pertaining to the Internet held in Geneva, Switzerland
According to the former President of Information Technology Association of Nigeria, (ITAN), enhanced cooperation (EC) was about encouraging, deepening and enriching cooperation and collaboration through dialogue on diverse public policy issues pertaining to the Internet.
He added that with enhanced cooperation, developing economies like Nigeria, will be able to climb up the ladder of development through a stable, predictable, secure and sustainable Internet governance made possible by increased North–South, South-South and North-North cooperation in many areas including removal of bottlenecks to access through increased dialogues with all stakeholders on for example IPv6 adoption.
More so, encouragement of innovation by promoting reward system, plugging gaps in the security of the Internet through increased Research and Development, enthroning the rule of law on the Internet thereby mitigating increasing crime waves on the Internet through collaborative enforcement and administration of justice, creation of Internet based jobs to tackle massive unemployment in the developing world through increased adoption of eApplications, eGovernment, eHealth, eBusiness, among others .
According to him, EC should have ramifications not only at the regional and international level but most importantly at the national level where law and policy issues emanate in tandem with the bottom up, multi-stakeholder approach to Internet Governance.
He told the gathering that his submissions above were premised on the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) Tunis agenda paragraph 34, 35 and 70.
“The WSIS Tunis agenda directs that the enhanced cooperation process should include participation by relevant international organizations, including inter-governmental, multi-stakeholder and private-sector led organizations. It is the position of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) – the voice of the global ICT industry, that dialogue among all stakeholders takes place continuously to sustain the momentous impact of the Internet on the global economy” he added.
He said that, so far at least 10 international organizations handling Internet policy issues have been playing leading roles in demonstrating enhanced cooperation in their operations and policy making as facilitated by the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs through its Division for Public Administration and Development Management.
The ten organizations he said are not limited to Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Council of Europe, Internet Society (ISOC), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Number Resource Organization (NRO) and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
Of the ten organizations listed above, he informed that five are private sector led, adding that they have all enhanced their collaborative mechanism among their stakeholders with ramifications at the international, regional and national level of decision making.
“Enhanced cooperation therefore infers that existing organisations in their unique roles in the Internet ecosystem enhance their cooperation within their respective organisation and among other stakeholders with a view of building trust, stability and confidence on the Internet” he explained.
On the way forward, he quoted paragraph 71 of the Tunis agenda which clearly states that “all stakeholders” and “all relevant organizations” should be involved in the enhanced cooperation process, and provides that enhanced cooperation should be a multistakeholder process, not a governments-only process, he noted that this principle of inclusiveness is critically important to success in achieving enhanced cooperation.
As a way forward, he said that greater cooperation among existing organizations does not require the creation of new entities or processes, and that such actions could impede progress and our businesses.
According to him, the objectives of information sharing, creating more awareness, and, where appropriate, coherence in work programmes, and collaboration must guide the relevant organizations that address Internet related issues in order to facilitate enhanced cooperation.
He said that all relevant organizations, including those that are private sector-led, those that are intergovernmental (IGOs), those that represent civil society, the Internet technical and academic communities through several organizational structures and those that are multi-stakeholder are engaged in facilitating enhanced cooperation.
He said that a measuring system/ indicators be developed to measure the degree of compliance of stakeholders to Enhanced Cooperation on Public Policy issues pertaining to the Internet.
Such a measuring system, according to him, may have a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest maturity level for Enhanced Cooperation on Public Policies (ECPP), adding that a multi-stakeholder group of experts can determine the parameters for the rating.
As a follow up to the above, he recommended that a yearly meeting can take place to among other things review the ratings which can be assessed by a group similar to the current IGF MAG.
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.
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.
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.
Dr Adebowale Adedokun, director-general, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), has reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to data protection in Nigeria.
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.
Mafab Gets 0724 Number Series, Launches Mcom 5G Brand
NASRDA, Galaxy Space Firm Sign MoU on Satellite Connectivity
Bank Customers Petition CBN over Illegal Deductions, Demand Action
DBN Awards N13m in Grants to Tech Startups
NCC to Name, Shame Telecom Infrastructure Vandals
General News2 days agoNASRDA, Galaxy Space Firm Sign MoU on Satellite Connectivity
Telecom2 days agoOver 1m Nigerians Reached through MTN Staff’s Digital and Community Outreach
Telecom2 days agoMafab Gets 0724 Number Series, Launches Mcom 5G Brand
News2 days agoDBN Awards N13m in Grants to Tech Startups
News2 days agoFCCPC Shuts France, Belgium, and Italy Visa Centres in Abuja Over Alleged Consumer Rights Violations
Telecom2 days agoNCC to Name, Shame Telecom Infrastructure Vandals
News3 days agoHow and Why N210 Trillion is Missing in NNPCL – CFO
General News3 days agoIHS Nigeria, United Nations Global Compact Host High-Level Dialogue on Sustainability and Greener Business Practices in Nigeria