E-Business
Raft of Commitments on Harnessing Data Revolution, Data Crisis
International governments, businesses and civil society today pledged to take action to tackle the data crisis that threatens to hamper the fight against extreme poverty.
Wide-ranging commitments – including funding pledges, the opening up of valuable data sets, technological innovation and analytic support – were made in Addis Ababa, as the first step in a major drive to harness the data revolution to support inclusive growth and sustainable development.
World leaders are set to agree new Sustainable Development Goals in September, but these must be backed with a rapid escalation of robust, high quality data to track resources to results.
To drive that forward, more than 20 international organisations, including the governments of Belgium, Kenya, Mexico, Senegal and the United States, the World Bank Group, UNSDSN, CIVICUS and Mastercard have also committed to be Champions for the formation of a Global Partnership on Sustainable Data, to be launched in September 2015.
Michael Elliott, CEO of The ONE Campaign said, “We live in a world where millions of people matter so little that they are uncounted. Their births are not recorded; they can’t access basic healthcare, enough food or an education. This year we expect ambitious new global goals to end extreme poverty, but if we don’t deal with the crisis of inadequate data for monitoring and achieving the goals, we can’t have full accountability or a clear picture of progress. Fixing it needs political support, funding and practical action.”
The commitments announced it will catalyse tangible progress in filling known data gaps so that the lives of the poorest and most excluded can be improved.
Amadou Ba, the Senegal Minister of Finance said, “The commitments made in Addis Ababa today are a great step towards making the data revolution a reality. We have seen new pledges that will drive progress in health, food production and help fight corruption. Harnessing data can drive inclusive growth, and allow governments, citizens and civil society to track resources to results. The Government of Senegal is honoured to champion the formation of the Global Partnership on Sustainable Development Data.”
The initial group of champions of a Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data made specific commitment to invest in, share and use data for decision-making.
They drew particular attention to the need to mobilize new resources, noting that at least $1 billion will be required each year to successfully monitor the new sustainable development agenda.
They also joined a call to action to form a partnership that will accelerate efforts to increase the availability of high quality data to help improve the lives of those citizens who are currently left behind.
A Global Partnership on Sustainable Development Data will, promote new data principles and norms and strengthen those that already exist; incentivize data generation to fill key data gaps that make a difference to people’s lives, in particular the poor and excluded; expand open data access to increase the timeliness, interoperability, use and value of data that already exist; and support capacity building and peer learning of users and producers with a view to measure, monitor, evaluate progress and deliver the Sustainable development Goals.
The Champions aim to build a growing network that will politically launch a Global Partnership on Sustainable Development Data during the Sustainable Development Summit and United Nations General Assembly in September.
As a first step, more than 20 organisations announced commitments at the event, including:
The ONE campaign will launch the ‘Follow the Money’ portal, a one-stop-shop for the best examples of citizens using data to track corruption, advocate for better budget allocations, and make sure public money gets to where it is most needed.
The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) will invest $22m in Country Data Collaboratives. The Collaboratives will strengthen country-led health data systems and decision-making.
The Mexican Government is committed to the development and launch of an international Open Data Charter; and to provide personalized, timely and focalized information to pregnant beneficiaries of Prospera, the world’s second largest conditional cash transfer program, via SMS to help empower women’s health through scalable data-driven platforms.
The Sustainable Development Solutions Network will launch a thematic group on data and information systems for development to identify new innovative approaches to data collection for the SDGs, and to make this input useful for policy makers.
CIVICUS will work to build the capacity of civil society, particularly in the Global South, to produce and use data for the SDGs through its DataShift initiative.
MasterCard, in partnership with Datakind, will organize data scientists to partner with public sector leaders to develop responsible protocols around data collection and usage; and provide the technical horsepower to analyse, interpret and translate data into concrete development solutions.
The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation will invest $20 million in improving data on coverage of nutrition interventions and other key indicators by 2020 in at least four countries.
More Champions are expected to join in the lead up to the UN General Assembly in September.
The federal government and the United Kingdom signed an agreement Tuesday to combat the growing threat of cyber-crime. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed following a courtesy visit by David George Hanson, minister of the home office, UK, to the Nigeria Police Force headquarters, Louis Edet House in Abuja.
Transnational crime is a big problem for both the UK and Nigeria, so the governments intend to strengthen existing collaboration efforts to crack down on cyber-criminals and protect their industries from unlawful activities.
Offences such as online fraud, identity theft, digital extortion, and ransomware , operate across many jurisdictions, and frequently necessitate sophisticated cooperation efforts, according to the two governments during a press conference.
Furthermore, Lateef Fagbemi, Nigeria’s attorney-general and minister of justice, established the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime, which aims to address the need for a coordinated and robust approach to combating cybercrime, as stated in the Cybercrimes Act of 2015, which criminalises cyber-related offences.
Hanson underlined the importance of ongoing cooperation efforts to combat international crime in a number of areas, affecting vulnerable individuals.
He said: “We need to look again at how we can build cooperation between the Federal Government, the federal police, and our police forces and National Crime Agency to take action against these international criminals, who are exploiting vulnerable people in a whole range of areas. The National Crime Agency, the Home Office Fraud Department, and the High Commission need to make sure we make a big impact on this transnational crime.”
“The collaboration between the Nigerian Police Force and National Crime Agency continues to serve as a model in international law enforcement cooperation. We have successfully conducted joint operations into many cases of cybercrimes and online fraud. With your [UK government] cooperation, we have continued to bust other criminal networks around the world,” added inspector-general of Nigerian Police Force, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun.
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing business registration laws in Nigeria, warning that individuals and organizations operating unregistered businesses will face prosecution.
In a statement, the CAC emphasized that conducting business without proper registration violates the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020, undermining transparency and accountability in the corporate sector.
The commission stressed that registration is not only a legal requirement but also a gateway to formal business opportunities, including access to bank loans, government grants, and partnerships.
The enforcement drive will be nationwide, targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), online vendors, and informal traders who have failed to comply despite previous awareness campaigns and registration amnesty windows.
The CAC disclosed that enforcement teams, in collaboration with security agencies, will be deployed to identify and prosecute defaulters.
The commission urged business owners to take advantage of its simplified registration platform to regularize their status, noting that compliance will boost investor confidence and improve Nigeria’s ease of doing business. It warned that ignorance of the law will not be accepted as an excuse.
Business owners are advised to act promptly to avoid legal consequences, as the CAC moves to ensure a more structured and regulated business environment in Nigeria.
Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has pledged to enforce its legal obligations to combat online intellectual property infringement and urged commercial music users to obtain proper licences from rights holders or their representatives.
The Commission stated that this ensures creators are fairly compensated, supporting the music industry’s sustainable growth.
In a statement commemorating the 2025 World Intellectual Property Day, themed “IP and Music: Feel the Best of IP,” the NCC announced plans to enforce the Copyright Act 2022, which allows for the takedown of infringing materials and blocking of websites hosting illegal content.
Signed by Mrs Ijeoma Egbunike, director of Public Affairs, the statement outlined an aggressive anti-piracy campaign in collaboration with the private sector, targeting the online environment.
Egbunike affirmed the NCC’s commitment to establishing enforceable standards for transparency, digital audits, and real-time royalty reporting to protect creators’ rights. She stated, “The NCC will continue to champion policies that support the growth of the music industry, improve the livelihoods of Nigerian musicians, and foster a culture of creativity and respect for intellectual property.”
Despite the global success of Afrobeats and other Nigerian genres, the NCC noted that many musicians face low royalty returns due to rampant digital piracy.
To address this, the Commission revised its Collective Management Regulations to enhance transparency and accountability among Collective Management Organisations (CMOs).
The NCC emphasised that proper licensing is a legal obligation and vital for Nigeria’s creative economy, stating, “Music must feel the beat of intellectual property for the full potential of creativity to be realised.”
The Commission highlighted that creators’ livelihoods depend on fair royalty compensation.
Recent enforcement measures include the NCC’s designation by the Attorney-General of the Federation as an authority under the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act 2022.
This, combined with the Copyright Act 2022, empowers the NCC to order takedowns and block illegal music distribution websites.
NITDA Inaugurates Start-up Consultative Forum
NFIU Alerts Nigerians of Rising Ponzi Schemes, Unregulated Crowdfunding Scams
Firm Warns Against AI Password Generation @ World Password Day
FG Partners UK to Combat Cross-border Cyber-crime
CBN Slams ₦250m Fine on Paystack Over Zap Wallet Operations
News2 days agoNBC Loses Appeal as Tribunal Upholds ₦190m Fine for Misleading Packaging
Telecom2 days agoMTN’s Talent Hunt Returns: A Stage for Nigeria’s Next Creative Stars
Telecom1 day agoEmerging Technologies, Cybersecurity, Others Form Key Focus of NCA 2003 Review
E-Financial2 days agoCBN Urges Banks to Source FX for PAPSS Settlement Through NFEM
News2 days agoUS Identifies Corruption as Key Barrier to Trade and Investment in Nigeria
E-Business1 day agoCAC to Prosecute Business Owners Operating Without Registration
General News2 days agoWanted CBEX Promoter Surrenders to EFCC Amid $1 Billion Fraud Probe
Telecom1 day agoMTN Nigeria Reports N1 Trillion Revenue