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Python Nigeria Community Seeks to Connect Industry to Python Ecosystem

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Pius Okigbo Jr., Chairperson of the Python Nigeria Community,
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The Python Nigeria community is seeking to connect with industry in Nigeria to showcase its deep talent and skills. Python Nigeria is a 5,000-plus member, non-profit association, and a member of the Python Software Foundation (PSF). The PSF holds the intellectual property rights on the Python programming language.

This was disclosed by Pius Okigbo Jr., Chairperson of the Python Nigeria Community, at the plenary of its first PyCon Nigeria 2020, two-day, virtual conference which end on Wednesday, December 9th. The conference theme was fittingly, “Bridging the Sustainability Development Gap: Developing Sustainable Solution in a Post COVID-19 era.”

According to Mr. Okigbo, connecting and linking the community to industry represents a sustainable development approach to create value-added solutions that ultimately will lead to increased job opportunities and wealth creation.

“This year’s programme has been deliberately designed and packaged with the intent to connect our community to industry, share trending and innovative ideas, find ways to inspire our youth and celebrate our talent,” he said.

This, Mr. Okigbo said, a former President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), is the reason why powerhouse corporations and foundations—MTN, UBA Foundation, KPMG, Africa Fintech Foundry and the Tony Elumelu Foundation—sponsored, and partnered with, the PyCon Nigeria 2020 virtual conference.

Lorena Mesa, the Chairperson of the PSF, in her keynote address highlighted what the Foundation is doing to connect communities, especially in Africa. According to her, “the Foundation as part of its mission is to promote, protect, and advance the Python programming language to continue to develop programming skills and software development capacity in Africa.”

She said the Foundation supports and facilitates the growth of a diverse and inclusive community of Python programmers that are being spearheaded by local groups, individuals and initiatives working at grassroots level across Africa.

Following Lorena Mesa’s keynote, Ewa Jadlowska, Executive Director at PSF, in her presentation on the second day, highlighted the massive impact the coronavirus pandemic had on their revenue in 2020.

Guido van Rossum, the creator of the python programming language 29 years ago, in his welcome address expressed delight in being part of the PyCon Nigeria 2020 conference. Guido van Rossum recently “unretired” to join the Microsoft Developer Division, “in its committed effort to contribute to and grow with the Python community.”

Wes McKinney on the second day of the conference, spoke about his journey in creating the Pandas library for data analysis in 2008, and made reference to his new project, Apache Arrow.

Dr. Sakinat Folorunso, a senior lecturer at Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU, kicked-off the Day-1 sessions with a presentation about her joy in teaching artificial intelligence and machine learning, and touched on her research interests.

Ifeoma Okafor-Obi, the director of operation, Tony Elumelu Foundation, elaborated on the Foundation’s drive to build value-added entrepreneurship programs in Africa and offered a path for the Python Nigeria community to exploit.

The General Manager and Head of Digital Banking of UBA Plc, Sampson Aneke, represented the UBA Foundation and discussed the inevitable and seismic shift that is occurring in the banking sector through software technology.

Yomi Akinyemi of KPMP spoke on the drive for hiring python talent with data science skills to address the demands of their clients and what the python Nigeria community must do to meet its requirement for talent. Finally, the young MTN duo of presenters detailed the immense work they have done with python tools to handle their day-to-day operations.

The topics on Day-2 covered areas in Django, data analysis, artificial intelligence (AI), data science, machine learning, neural networks, python development optimisation, and for the first time, GeoAI—AI and geographic information systems.

In all, the PyCon Nigeria 2020 virtual conference was as “enriching and engaging” as promised by the organisers in seeking sustainable development solutions in a post Covid-19 era.


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DICON, Saudi Firm to Produce Drones, Satellites in Nigeria

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Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Homeland Protectors and Supplies Limited, a Saudi Arabia-based security company, to begin local manufacturing of drones, satellite systems, and advanced communication equipment.

DICON, Saudi Firm to Produce Drones, Satellites in Nigeria

The agreement, which was signed at DICON headquarters in Kaduna, will see Homeland Protectors bring in production lines and technology to Nigeria to manufacture satellite systems, laser equipment, border security drones, and sophisticated communications solutions.

Major General Babatunde Ibrahim Alaya, director general of DICON, shortly after signing the MoU, described the deal as a “major milestone” in Nigeria’s drive for defence self-sufficiency.

He said the collaboration would not only meet local demands but also position Nigeria as an exporter of security technology to other African countries.

According to him: “Today is another milestone for DICON. What Homeland Protectors is bringing on board is expertise and experience in the field of satellite, laser systems, communications, and border security drones.

The agreement we have just signed is for them to bring the production line to Nigeria and start producing here, so we can satisfy the defence industry requirements, other security agencies, and export the excess capacity to other African countries.”

He expressed profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he called his “constant support and firm belief in DICON,” especially for signing the DICON Act 2023, which has now paved the way for international partnerships of this magnitude.

Alaya also thanked the Minister of Defence and Minister of State for Defence for their unwavering backing, stressing that their support made the joint venture possible.

Mr. Ali Hussain A. Aldayhani, managing director and chief executive officer, Homeland Protectors and Supplies,  who led the Saudi delegation to Nigeria, hailed the partnership as a game-changer for Nigeria’s security architecture.

“I am in support of this amazing job today in collaboration with Homeland and DICON. This is in support of the Nigerian President and the Minister of Defence to bring security satellite communication technology to Nigeria,” he said.

He disclosed that the venture was designed not only to meet Nigeria’s internal needs but also to open up export opportunities to other markets, stressing: “We are going to have a huge joint venture and also for export outside Nigeria with regard to technology communication.”

The Homeland CEO thanked the DICON Director General for what he called “the support of the huge success in signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).”

He assured that this would not be the last of such engagements, promising more frequent visits and deeper collaborations in the near future.

With this move, Nigeria joins a select group of countries on the continent working to domesticate critical security manufacturing — a step expected to save foreign exchange, create jobs, and bolster national security.

 


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FG Says No Going Back to Nuclear Testing

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Vice President Kashim Shettima has affirmed Nigeria’s unwavering stance against nuclear weapons testing.

FG Says No Going Back to Nuclear Testing

He made this known during a meeting at the Presidential Villa with a delegation from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), led by Dr Robert Floyd, executive secretary.

According to Shettima, Nigeria, like many other African nations, is grappling with numerous socio-economic challenges, including widespread poverty and the adverse impacts of climate change.

He stressed that Africa’s immediate priority is to confront these existential threats, not to engage in the pursuit of nuclear weapons capability.

“The outcome of any nuclear conflict is never a win-win situation; it is always the opposite. We are fighting poverty; we are fighting a war against the relationship between the economy and ecology in sub-Saharan Africa. We have no business dabbling in anything that has to do with nuclear weapons,” he said.

The Vice President also commended CTBTO for its broader civilian contributions, such as detecting tsunamis and seismic volcanic activity, and for supporting global ecological stability.


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Nnamani, CEO Digital Realty Nigeria Bags Digital Economy Icon of the Year @ Digital Innovation Awards in Ghana

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Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, Managing Director of Digital Realty Nigeria, has been honoured as the Digital Economy Icon of the Year at the 2025 Digital Innovation Awards (DIA), held at the Labadi Beach Resort in Accra.

The award recognizes his outstanding contributions to the advancement of Africa’s digital infrastructure, cementing his reputation as a transformative leader in the continent’s technology sector.

The Digital Innovation Awards, organized by InstinctWave, is one of Africa’s foremost platforms celebrating excellence in ICT and digital transformation. This year’s ceremony highlighted the pivotal role of data centers and digital infrastructure in shaping Africa’s economic future.

Mr Akin Naphtal, CEO, InstinctWave described Nnamani as an exceptional driver of the continent’s digital economy,” commending his strategic vision and hands-on leadership in building critical data center infrastructure.

“Engr. Nnamani’s work has laid the foundation for Africa’s digital growth, making him a standout choice for this honour,” Naphtal said, adding that his influence extends well beyond Nigeria, impacting the continent at large.

Accepting the award, Engr. Nnamani expressed deep gratitude and dedicated the recognition to the Digital Realty Nigeria team, industry partners, and his family. “This recognition fuels my passion to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation,” he remarked.

“I’m humbled, but I see this as a call to continue driving innovation for the continent’s prosperity.” Nnamani emphasized that the success of Digital Realty Nigeria is the result of collective effort, and he reaffirmed his commitment to fostering growth and innovation across Africa’s digital ecosystem.

The Digital Economy Icon of the Year accolade adds to a growing list of recognition for Nnamani in 2025. He had received the Datacenter ICON Award at the Africa Digital Economy Awards (ADEA).

These honours reflect his sustained leadership and vision in positioning Digital Realty Nigeria as Africa’s most interconnected data center facility and a primary peering point for the region.

Engr. Nnamani’s efforts have not only advanced Nigeria’s ICT landscape but have also contributed to the development of telecom and ICT infrastructure across multiple African countries.

His work has empowered businesses with access to world-class data center services, supported the localization of digital content, and attracted foreign direct investment into the region.

 

 


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