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E-Business

Signal Alliance Says Local Content Essential for Indigenous Companies’ Survival

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(L-r)‎: Adanma Onuegbu, CEO, Signal Alliance (3rd from right) flanked by panelists, guests and staff, during the Company’s 2015 Customer Week Workshop held in Lagos.
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Adanma Onuegbu, chief executive officer, Signal Alliance, has identified local intellectual property (LIP) safeguard as essential in achieving the country’s economic and technological advancement.

Onuegbu who spoke to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek at the Company’s Customer Week Workshop (CWW) held in Lagos during the week, opposed the cravings among individuals and organization that caused avalanche-influx of foreign products into the economy.

According to her, with an official rebase of the GDP last year the need to diversify, innovate and grow as a strategic template can be applied to guide decision makers and realign the economy, while local content policy implementations must not be neglected.

Founded in 1996, Signal Alliance, an end-to-end IT Company which specializes in systems integration, has grown to be a most vibrant, forward moving ICT company in Nigeria.

For four years now, the Company schedules a-week long activities to celebrate the customers and beam torchlight on matters deserving attention in the Nigerian cum global IT space.

The theme for this year is, ‘Diversify, Innovate and Grow’; this according to the CEO was chosen in order to further draw attention to the challenges and opportunities in the Nigerian economy.

On challenges faced by the private sector in the industry, she said, “One of the challenges we have is the influx of other multinationals to Nigeria. Why am I saying this? We have this mentality that, ‘if it were not done by a foreign company, it is not genuine’. We have to groom our intellectual property and see values in what our local industries are doing. People tend to think it is only when you products from China, India, etc or companies from there that you have genuine products, but it is beginning to change. For instance, agencies like the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), which tires to encourage the growth of local contents by ensuring no matter what you have, even if it is not available in Nigeria, you have to partner local companies to deliver it. Such means will boost the local partners’ growth and global relevance.

“Nevertheless, we are doing what we can in the local contents, because no matter what they do out there and they come to deliver in Nigeria, the support has to be done locally.

On specific industry solutions which Signal Alliance had pledged to help deliver, for instance, to the electricity distribution companies (DISCOS), Onuegbu said, “Signal Alliance has a range of solutions that we can deliver alongside OEMs like SAP and Cisco to the customers. The DISCOs at the moment still have a lot to do before they can ensure of stable services. They are still in the teething stage, but in no distant time, we hope they will overcome. We are looking at a situation they can use software to address the metering challenges. But we discovered that the funds are not there yet for them to move to the next level.

“The infrastructure they inherited were not in the optimal state; and they had to revert to borrowing from banks and venture capitals to sponsor their programmes. 

This is the fourth edition of the customer week. We use the opportunity to celebrate our customers for the year as a way to say ‘thank you’ while assessing the business climate.

“If you look at what has been happening since last year when the oil price started dwindling, economies are going down in a lot of places and it gives us the initiatives to think inwards. Business is not as usual. What it means is that we need to think outside the box, looking at other ways to reinvent ourselves.

“It is either you grow with IT or you depreciate without it. Businesses are dying for the sheer reason of neglect of IT potentials. Technology changes every facet of life today. So, through the workshop we have looked at improving our services to ensure the customers get 100% satisfaction, so that business continuity can always be there.

She said, the theme is not just about Signal Alliance but any entrepreneur that is thinking about survival.

On Signal Alliance’s input, helping organizations to cater for their IT solution needs, and inject skill sets into the industry, she said, “What we have done over the years is that we started an Internship programme for instance, to bridge the skills gap in the industry. This programme was targeted at fresh graduates. We give them about two year intensive training afterwards they are retained or released to be engaged by other companies.

“We have seen the impact of the training on the industry too. It brings out the best in them. Other companies are looking at that model too. We shouldn’t be waiting for only those who have gotten experience to be engaged for work. You have to spend and groom the people.  We believe other service providers can try the model too”.

Several activities were lined up for the week which includes, customer interactions, workshop on Nigeria economy & technology, CSR programme and Customer appreciation / award ceremony.

With solid industry experience spanning across the major sectors of the Nigerian industry, Signal Alliance offers services in the areas of Technology Support, Network Infrastructure, Enterprise Applications and Service Assurance.

The Company boasts of highly skilled and certified consultants as well as major strategic partnerships with World industry giants such as Microsoft, Cisco and CA Technologies.

The company prides itself on its ability to gain a thorough understanding of clients’ businesses and using appropriate technology as a bridge between where the client is and where it wants to go.

 


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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.

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Farmers to Get Identity Card for Loans, Inputs

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The federal government, in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), is building a digital registrar that will identify farmers, their farmlands, type of soil and the crops they grow for targeted services.

Farmers to Get Identity Card for Loans, Inputs

The information and the National Identification Number (NIN) will be integrated into a multipurpose identity card that farmers can use to access financial services, inputs and other forms of government assistance.

The digitisation is expected to harmonise farmers’ data across all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Speaking at the national launch of the Policy Dialogue Initiative on the National Digital Farmers Registry (NDFR) recently in Abuja, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), said the new system would address the issue of portfolio farmers, whom he described as “farmers who have no farm.”

“We are going to register farmers and their farms. Not only that, farmers and the type of crop they grow, farmers and the locality they are, the type of soil they have on their farms. There is no farm that will not have a farmer. But there are many farmers who do not have farms.  This is an encompassing package.

“When we register these farmers, we are going to provide a physical and digital card for them. With the card, many things can be done by the farmers. It can be used as a means of identification, an asset to some gateway – just anything.  It is going to have a handshake with the database of the country, such that with that particular card, the farmer can enter any place and get things done. He or she can redeem inputs and even get a loan, depending on the financial entity,” Ogunbiyi explained.

He said that to accomplish this, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has taken decisive steps to transform their approach to farmer data management, adding, “Chief among these is our strategic partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to implement a far-reaching farmer registration and database project.  At the heart of this initiative is the integration of the NIN, which ensures that every Nigerian farmer is uniquely identified and seamlessly integrated into a national agricultural system.”

Mrs Dede Ahoefa Ekoue, country director/representative of the IFAD in Nigeria, said the United Nations (UN) organisation was proud to be part of the initiative on the National Digital Farmer Registry in Nigeria.

“Our role is to convene all the partners, development partners from the public sector, private sector and the international community to put our resources together to support the effort of the government in establishing and enabling a digital farmer registry for the country,” she said.

Mrs Ekoue said that although there were previous efforts to have a national database of farmers, it had the issues of fragmentation and sustainability.

“The government is now providing us with a sense of direction and matching orders to all the actors to work together. This is what we are doing today with several partners, including the African Development Bank, FAO, the World Bank, the EU, the Islamic Development Bank and UK. Also, what is very key is farmers’ organisations because it is about them, it is for them, it must be with them,” she added.

The country director said the IFAD was happy to bring together the private sector and different ministries, departments and agencies, adding, “It will be a game changer for having a strong, updated and sustainable national digital farmer registry.”

Dr Lekan Tobe, the country director of Heifer International in Nigeria, in his remarks at the official launch of the Policy Dialogue Initiative on the National Digital Farmer Registry, emphasised the critical role of partnership and data in transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

He said that this initiative, born from recommendations of previous policy dialogues organised in collaboration with the federal government, aimed to scale up innovative digital technology to enhance food systems across the country.

 

 


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Dyna.Ai Launches Operations in Nigeria

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Dyna.Ai, a global leader in AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS), has launched its operations in Nigeria with an exclusive closed-door ‘Nigeria Dyna Day’ event in Lagos, which saw the introduction and orientation of its suite of AI-powered products and solutions to Nigeria’s emerging financial ecosystem.

Dyna.Ai Launches Operations in Nigeria

The event, tagged ‘Nigeria Dyna Day’ and themed “AI Unleashed: Revolutionising Nigeria’s Financial Future,” brought together leading voices from the country’s AI, financial, fintech, telecom, and other key sectors, including representatives from government agencies and major enterprises.

In his opening remarks, Tomas Skoumal, chairman and co-president of Dyna.Ai,  emphasized the strategic importance of Nigeria and the broader African market, stating, “For us, it makes sense to start in Nigeria.

There is no bigger country in Africa—this is where the momentum is.” He noted that Africa is no longer just “the future,” but is actively transforming today, driven by rapid digitalization and fintech innovation.

“This is the perfect time to be here,” he added, highlighting that Dyna.Ai sees technology as a vital bridge to financial inclusion and long-term growth across the region.

Skoumal introduced Dyna.Ai’s advanced Agentic AI solutions, including its proprietary Agent Studio and industry-specific language models, designed to power intelligent automation across customer service, marketing, collections, HR and more.

He also underscored the company’s long-term ambition to invest in local talent, stating, “We’re not just here to sell a product—we’re here to build infrastructure, create local jobs, and scale innovation from Nigeria to the rest of Africa.”

Dyna.Ai also showcased its advanced AI technologies at the event, including AvatarGPT, an AI digital human delivering interactive experiences; VoiceGPT, a voice agent featuring authentic local accents for seamless communication in Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo; along with live demonstrations showing how these innovations empower customer engagement and employee experience.

Delivering the keynote address at the event, Tokoni Peter Igoin, Special Assistant to the President on ICT Development and Digital Innovation, underscored the Federal Government’s vision for a secure and forward-thinking digital ecosystem.

“The government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is fully committed to responsible innovation. Our approach to AI and financial technology is rooted in a positive framework. It encourages creativity while ensuring transparency, data protection, and digital security”, he said

Also in his remarks, Olatunbosun Alake, Lagos State Commissioner of Innovation, Science and Technology,  gave insights from the government/regulatory perspective.

He announced that the Lagos State government is also taking steps towards the wide adoption and regulation of artificial intelligence in the state with the planned release of the first AI guidelines for the deployment and management of AI in the coming weeks.

 

 

 


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Survey Reveals Marketing Leaders See Strong Potential in gTLDS Despite Knowledge Gap

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A new global survey from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) reveals that 52% of marketing leaders believe generic top-level domains (gTLDs – the three characters or more that come after the dot in a URL) have strong potential for enhancing brand presence online; however, a knowledge gap is preventing many brands from taking advantage of the opportunities that a gTLD can bring.

The research surveyed over 2,000 marketing leaders across eight countries (Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, U.K., and U.S.) with the purpose of creating a picture of the evolving digital marketing landscape and understanding the levels of awareness around gTLDs.

It comes as ICANN prepares to open the next application window for new gTLDs in April 2026 the New gTLD Program: Next Round – the first opportunity in more than a decade for organizations to apply to operate their own gTLD.

Top-level domains are the letters found at the end of an Internet address (with gTLDs including .charity, .menu, .paris and .ceo). Brands can apply to run their own gTLD as a way to indicate the purpose of their organization or to clearly mark a website as being related to their brand.

The research shows that increasing brand awareness and visibility is the top priority for marketing leaders (54%) and that over half believe that gTLDs have strong potential for enhancing brand presence online.

However, the research also shows that almost a third (32%) of marketing leaders surveyed are unfamiliar with gTLDs, which suggests that operating a new gTLD may be a strategic opportunity that many organizations are currently overlooking.

Key findings from the research include:

  • After defining a gTLD, 92% of marketing leaders responded that they could see the potential benefits to gTLDs, with enhanced brand differentiation (46%), improved customer trust (45%), better control over online presence (44%), and improved SEO (44%) topping the list.
  • 19% of marketing leaders work for organizations that have previously applied for a gTLD.
  • Cost concerns (31%), knowledge gaps (27%), and insufficient resources (24%) were identified as the main barriers to application.
  • The research revealed notable regional variations, with Nigerian (74%) and Indian (61%) marketing leaders showing the strongest belief in gTLDs’ potential for branding and online presence. In contrast, marketers in China expressed more mixed views, with 50% seeing strong potential but 49% considering gTLDs an unnecessary investment with unclear Return On Investment.

The findings come at a time when marketing leaders are facing significant challenges in standing out from competitors (53%), attracting and engaging the right audience (52%), and keeping pace with digital trends (47%).

A new gTLD can be an innovative tool for commerce and communication. They allow businesses in specific countries, sectors, or niche markets to create an exclusive, descriptive, and memorable label on the Internet.

An entity operating a gTLD can provide its users and customers with an extra measure of confidence in its security and legitimacy online. This can be valuable in today’s environment, where users often don’t know whether they can trust the source on the Internet.

Theresa Swinehart, SVP, Global Domains & Strategy said: “The New gTLD Program: Next Round presents an opportunity for businesses, communities, governments, and others to apply to operate their own secure space online, tailored to fit their organization, community, culture, language, and customer interests.

Now is also the moment for brands to consider applying for a gTLD, and this research tells us there is still a lack of awareness. ICANN can help provide information and raise awareness of the Next Round and the opportunity it presents for global communities, organizations, and businesses, including brands.”

To help address the knowledge gap, ICANN is developing resources to help organizations understand the application process and potential opportunities for gTLDs ahead of the 2026 application window. ICANN also offers the Applicant Support Program (ASP), which provides financial and non-financial assistance to eligible applicants.

 


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