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Minister Urges Nigerians On Global Start- Up
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami, has urged Nigerian Start-ups to keep being innovative towards standing a chance of excelling at the global stage.
Pantami made the call when he officially received two Nigerian Start-ups that were among the winners at the LEAP Rocket Fuel Pitch competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in Abuja, recently.
The Tide source learnt that Nigeria’s participation, facilitated by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), happened because the nation is a member of the Digital Corporation Organisation (DCO).
DCO is a global multilateral body that aims at enabling digital prosperity for all by accelerating inclusive growth of the digital economy.
The start-ups were RiceAfrika Technologies, a tech-driven agriculture optimisation service provider and Wicrypt, a start-up innovation that enables for sharing of internet to people anywhere.
The Minister also commended the start-ups and added that their efforts promote the image of Nigeria at the global stage.
“This is supposed to be the beginning not the end, we need to have many of you that will emerge because Nigeria is so passionate about innovation.
“You are job providers not seekers because the challenge of unemployment, underemployment can only be addressed by promoting our digital innovation and digital entrepreneurship.
“We are more interested in supporting job providers and if there is anything the government can do to support you to be successful, we are always ready”, he said.
He noted that the Federal Government would continue to make efforts to provide the enabling environment for innovators and start-ups to continue to amplify the positive image of the country.
“Recently, we initiated the Nigeria Start-up Act which is among the most important legislations we have in Nigeria, particularly when it comes to addressing the challenges confronted by our innovators,” he added.
“Also, after my visit to the US SpaceX, few days later Nigeria happened to be the first country to have StarLink. As of today, Starlink covers the entire landmass of Nigeria approximately 920,000 square kilometres.
“These are some of the things that will drive the sector and the ecosystem to be successful”, he said.
He also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for approving for Nigeria to be part of the DCO and also the DCO for totally supporting 16 Nigerians’ participation in the competition.
According to him, Nigeria will actively promote the activities of the DCO and support the organisation for global success.
The Director-General of NITDA , Mr Kashifu Inuwa, recalled that 12 start-ups were listed from the country to participate in the LEAP 2023 pitch competition with over 10,000 applications.
Inuwa said the DCO shortlisted about 220 and eight were selected, while the DCO funded two persons from each start-up amounting to 16 persons.
“In the first round, 90 were selected to participate at the semi-final, all eight start-ups from Nigeria were among the 90 start-ups. Out of the 90, 12 qualified for the finals, while three are from Nigeria, the Wicrypt, the RiceAfrika and Scholar Limited and two became winners out of the six categories, Nigeria took two categories”, he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of RiceAfrika, Ibrahim Maigar, further added it was an honour to represent Nigeria at the global stage.
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NCC Assures Safe, Accessible Digital Space
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has assured Nigerians of accessible, resilient and safe digital space in the nation’s digital economy.
The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, NCC, Rimini Makama, gave the assurance at the NCC’s Digital Economy Sensitisation Forum, with the theme, “Leaving No One Behind: Digital Access, Equity and Empowerment” in Abuja.
Makama said that the commission remained committed to ensuring that Nigeria’s national telecommunications infrastructure remained resilient, accessible and secure.
“Digital empoScientists Advocate Shared Responsibility To Boost Food Securitywerment must be inclusive. Without inclusion and equity, the benefits of the digital economy will remain unevenly distributed.
“The commission, through its Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) and other initiatives, is actively extending digital opportunities to the unserved, underserved, physically challenged and vulnerable groups through several impactful programmes,” he said.
The Publicity Expert for the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Dr Nihinlola Fefa, said that the association had been an advocate of cyber security awareness and sensitisation over the years.
“ATCON has been a very key stakeholder in the ICT and telecom industry. We have always advocated for cybersecurity awareness and sensitisation.
“We have been giving our own input over the years. We interface with all the telecom companies. We do a lot of studies, and we also give our contributions in so many ways,” she said.
She commended the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, for deploying technology into rural communities.
According to her, though Nigeria is doing well in the area of cybersecurity, there is room for improvement.
“We are in a good position right now and we can do better from the government side,” she said.
Also speaking, the Head, IT and Cybersecurity, National Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Olorunisomo Isola, said that the commission had rolled out the necessary framework.
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Expert Tasks Nigerians On AI
An economist, Dr Chinedu Amadi, has urged Nigerians to leverage the opportunities inherent in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to become competitive in the global business and social spaces.
Amadi, who is also the President, Organisation of Youth in International Trade and Commerce (OY-ITC), gave the urge during an interview with newsmen , in Abuja, Monday.
Amadi noted that humanity has always advanced by expanding its intelligence and capabilities through technology across different eras pointing out that AI now drives economic systems, social interactions and competitive advantage among nations globally.
“The world is entering a phase where humans and intelligent machines will share cognitive functions, so Nigeria should innovate or risk being sidelined in the emerging global digital order.
“The next frontier extends beyond AI tools to a deeper relationship between human consciousness and machine intelligence. This phase has the dawn of shared human machine cognition shaping future innovation and development worldwide,” he said.
Amadi noted that countries like the U.S., Japan and China already integrated AI into national planning, logistics and defence operations.
He warned that a deeper wave of collaboration between humans and intelligent systems is rapidly emerging
urging Nigeria and other African nations not to remain passive observers in this technological transition.
“Nigeria must innovate urgently or risk missing another major industrial revolution. Future global leadership will favour nations that create, regulate and ethically manage advanced technologies,” he added.
He said that the youthful population is viewed as a potential cognitive economy capable of driving digital creativity.
He advised policymakers and institutions to develop indigenous technologies, reflecting national priorities and moral values.
The president, however, noted that energy and agricultural sector can gain efficiency through predictive AI and advanced computation, adding that governance can also benefit from digital systems that strengthen transparency and curb corruption.
While noting that neural interfaces and quantum processing would soon merge human thought with computationAmadi said that the evolution demands ethical guidance, empathy and deeper human conscience in education system.
According to him, nations worldwide are racing to regulate AI and Nigeria also needs to define its strategic position.
“The future beyond AI will favour societies that balance innovation with wisdom and uphold human dignity,” he said.
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NIGCOMSAT Expands Nigeria’s Digital Broadcast Subsector By 35%
The Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited says the country’s digital broadcast subsector has expanded by 35 per cent to 75 per cent utilisation in two years.
This, it said, represented a milestone in the country’s digital transformation drive.
The Managing Director, NIGCOMSAT, Mrs Jane Egerton-Idehen, made the remark at a retreat with the theme: ‘Aligning for the Future: Innovation, Collaboration, and Sustainable Growth”, in Abuja, Monday.
According to her the theme reflects NIGCOMSAT’s commitment to driving Nigeria’s digital transformation and positioning itself as a global satellite industry leader.
She said one of the notable achievements in its broadcast segment was the Digital Switch Over (DSO) project, describing it as not just a technical milestone but also a national service.
“This growth is a testament to the organization’s improved service delivery and stronger engagement with partners and clients.
“The DSO project, a collaborative effort with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), is a key milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation.
“NIGCOMSAT’s contribution to the project is enabling digital broadcasting penetration across the federation, cementing the organisation’s position at the centre of Nigeria’s digital transformation,” she said.
Egerton-Idehen said the achievements were expected to drive revenue growth, with target of three billion naira in annual revenue and eight billion naira in revenue within three years adding that the organisation’s expansion of broadband services and private sector partnership was key to achieving the goals.
“We cannot move boldly into the future without addressing the weight of the past. Our debt profile — both financial and operational — is a reality we must confront with strategy, discipline, and creativity.
“These are our headwinds. We acknowledge them openly because honesty is the first step toward transformation.,” Egerton-Idehen said.
She said in spite of challenges such as economic barriers and competition, the organisation remained optimistic about the future.
“We must out-innovate the market, deepen partnerships, and build a culture of solution-focused, profit-driven, and people-centered excellence.”
“The key initiatives include transitioning to software-defined satellites, expanding broadband services, and the NIGCOMSAT Accelerator for the Space Ecosystem.
“The organisation is prioritising public-private partnerships, branding, and communication, as well as investing in its people,” she said.
The Chief Executive Officer, Data Science Nigeria, Olubayo Adekanbi, said satellite-based economy could revolutionise key sectors such as agriculture, health, and education, creating new job opportunities and increasing productivity.
“By providing internet access to remote areas, satellite technology can bridge the digital divide and ensure no one is left behind.
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