News (1576)
Nigeria aims to expand its fiber optic network to at least 125,000 km to ensure complete coverage and offer high-speed internet services to its entire population.
Nigeria's Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced the approval of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) on May 14. The SPV will oversee the construction of an additional 90,000 kilometers of terrestrial fiber optic cables, significantly expanding the country's broadband infrastructure.
This decision, made during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, is expected to benefit Nigerians across the board, particularly the nation's burgeoning startup ecosystem.
"Building on our existing work with the Broadband Alliance," Tijani wrote on a social media platform (formerly known as Twitter), "this increased connectivity will help plug the current non-consumption gap by connecting over 200,000 educational, healthcare and social institutions across Nigeria, ensuring that a larger section of our society can be included in the benefits of internet connectivity."
Partnering with public and private stakeholders, the SPV will build the additional fiber optic network, extending Nigeria's national connectivity backbone to at least 125,000 kilometers, up from the current 35,000 kilometers. Upon completion, this will position Nigeria with the third-longest terrestrial fiber optic backbone in Africa, behind Egypt and South Africa.
The fiber optic expansion is expected to have a substantial impact on the Nigerian economy. It is projected to increase internet penetration beyond 70%, potentially reduce internet access costs by over 60%, and connect at least half of the estimated 33 million Nigerians currently without internet access. Additionally, it could drive GDP growth from $472.6 billion in 2022 to $502 billion within the next four years.
Samira Njoya
By mitigating cyber threats and ensuring the integrity of digital transactions, this move demonstrates a commitment to strengthening regulatory frameworks to support the burgeoning digital economy, which is essential for driving innovation and advancing economic development across the continent.
President Bola Tinubu (pictured) has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to pause the implementation of the controversial cybersecurity levy policy for a comprehensive review. This follows the House of Representatives' call last Thursday, May 9, to retract the directive imposing a 0.5 percent levy on electronic transactions.
The CBN circular issued on May 6, 2024, mandated financial institutions to enforce the levy under the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) (Amendment) Act 2024. President Tinubu's directive urges a pause on the levy's implementation, reflecting his commitment to easing economic burdens on Nigerians amidst ongoing reforms.
The levy proposal was met with resistance from Nigerians, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Under the leadership of President Joe Ajaero, the group argued that this imposition could worsen the economic plight of Nigerians. Ajaero emphasized the need for withdrawing the levy, highlighting broader concerns regarding its potential adverse effects on efforts to promote financial inclusion. He asserted, “We propose a joint effort between the government, regulatory bodies, and stakeholders to develop sustainable cybersecurity strategies that won’t impose an undue burden on the people.”
In the 2021 report “Taxing the digital economy in sub-Saharan Africa,” authored by Celia Becker and published by the International Bar Association, Professor H Sama Nwana, a technology and telecommunications consultant with Cenerva, highlights the adverse effects of digital taxes. He states, “Digital taxes in various forms are not only regressive, but they also disenfranchise poor and marginalized groups such as the informal sector, women, and the youth in rural areas – who need the internet the most.”
Hikmatu Bilali
Cameroon is making a strong push towards digitizing services for its citizens. As a result, the biometric identity card has become crucial for accessing these services.
Cameroon and German-Portuguese consortium INCM-Augentic have partnered for a new secure identification system. According to reports by national radio CRTV, on May 13, Cameroon's Delegate General for National Security (DGSN), Martin Mbarga Nguele, signed a contract in that regard with Labinot Carreti, CEO of INCM-Augentic. Financial details were not disclosed, but Augentic will reportedly finance the turnkey project.
This project includes the construction of 68 state-of-the-art multifunctional centers across Cameroon's 10 regions and 58 departments. Additionally, it involves the renovation of 219 existing identification stations to modernize them. The new identification system will introduce an application for scheduling appointments online and will ensure widespread availability throughout the country, stated Labinot Carreti. "We will also ensure the dispatch of cards through all identification stations across the Cameroonian territory," he added. This system is expected to enable the issuance of the National Identity Card (CNI) within 48 hours of submitting the application, by the end of 2024.
On December 29, 2023, Martin Mbarga Nguele announced that the Head of State authorized the establishment of this new system, including an online pre-enrollment platform. Three autonomous CNI production centers will be built in Yaoundé (Centre), Douala (Littoral), and Garoua (North), as well as modern enrollment centers in each regional capital, he explained. He affirmed that this new system would be operational this year, based on assurances given during the New Year's greetings presentation on January 24. It will be similar to the system implemented for biometric passports, for which a contract worth XAF131 billion (200 million euros) was awarded to INCM-Augentic.
Increase in Costs
This contract mandated the consortium to build and operate the infrastructure. According to the German embassy in Cameroon, the company invested 30 million euros in constructing the national passport production center. The investments made by the providers justify the increase in the cost of the stamp, which rose from XAF75,000 to 110,000, stated the Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motaze, at the time. According to the head of the Cameroonian Police, the investment made by the providers will justify an increase in the CNI cost, whose current issuance fee is XAF2,800.
This initiative comes as some citizens have been waiting for a year or even years to obtain their CNI, thus exceeding the regulatory three-month waiting period. This situation led to a social media campaign under the slogan "Je veux ma CNI (I want my ID card)." The government attributed these delays to the need to secure the Cameroonian identity, in a context where frauds could compromise its reliability. In addition to the CNI, other identity documents such as residence cards, resident cards, refugee cards, police professional cards, and national disability cards will also be produced within 48 hours.
Patricia Ngo Ngouem
African countries are implementing various projects to keep pace with the continent's accelerating digital transformation. Senegal, for instance, is becoming the first Francophone country in Africa to explore digital terrestrial radio.
Senegal's telecoms regulator, the Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARTP), launched a pilot project for digital terrestrial radio on Wednesday, May 8th.
The initiative seeks an alternative to traditional analog FM broadcasting, which suffers from frequency saturation, particularly in some Senegalese regions.
"The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) set the standard for digital terrestrial radio in the VHF band (174-220 MHz) in 2006," said Abdou Karim Sall, ARTP director. "Stakeholders later explored solutions for FM frequency shortages in Africa, but studies proved inconclusive. Faced with this shortage, ARTP felt it was time to launch this project."
The switch to digital radio aligns with the ITU's goal of transitioning all television and radio signals to digital. The transition to digital television is underway in several African countries, though facing delays. Digital radio has had limited uptake on the continent, making Senegal the first Francophone country to explore digital frequencies.
The new technology offers several benefits, including improved sound quality (often impacted by distance, interference, and weather), access to more radio stations, and the ability to pause and record live broadcasts.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Kenya Space Agency launched its Strategic Plan 2023-2027 yesterday May 13 to boost the nation's space economy and socioeconomic development.
The plan targets key areas, including coordination, capability development, and research. It aims to create and deploy homegrown satellites, advance space education and research, and establish strategic alliances with international space organizations.
The global adoption of blockchain technology is accelerating. Governments around the world are taking notice, exploring its potential to bring greater transparency and efficiency to their operations.
Ghana is poised to become the first African nation to adopt blockchain technology for its government operations, according to Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia. The announcement was made during the 14th regional conference and annual general meeting of the heads of anti-corruption agencies in the Commonwealth of Africa, held in Accra from May 6 to May 11.
"We are going to adopt blockchain technology for government to ensure that all data and transactions in the Government space are transparent and tamper-proof, no one can change them, and so ours could well become the first blockchain-powered government in Africa," stated Bawumia.
This initiative is part of Ghana's Digitalization Strategy, which has been in place since 2017. The strategy has enabled the government to collect 201 billion GH₵ (approximately $14.2 billion) since 2023 through the digitization of public services via the Ghana.gov platform. Additionally, the new digital ID card has allowed the government to detect 404,707 fictitious names on the payroll of the National Service System and 29,000 phantom pensioners.
By adopting blockchain, Ghana aims to secure government data in a fail-safe manner. According to Bawumia, this technology will serve as a bulwark against corruption by monitoring every modification made to digital data.
Blockchain is an advanced database mechanism that allows for transparent sharing of information across a network. It can be used to record contracts, financial transactions, digital assets, votes, and much more, in a decentralized and secure manner.
Samira Njoya
Two months ago, about ten Central and West African countries experienced an internet disruption for several days. The inconvenience has occurred again.
Internet services have been disrupted in several East African countries since Sunday, May 12. NetBlocks, a British organization that monitors internet restrictions worldwide, attributes the incident to failures in the SEACOM and EASSY submarine cable systems serving the region. According to NetBlocks, the disruptions impact millions of users, including in Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Burundi, Rwanda, Madagascar, Comoros, Uganda, Somalia, and Kenya. Sierra Leone, a West African country, is also slightly affected by these disruptions.
This marks the second occurrence this year of internet disruptions in Africa due to incidents involving submarine cables that serve the continent. In March, similar outages affected the WACS, MainOne, ACE, SAT3, Seacom/TGN, AAE1, and EIG cables, impacting a number of West, Central, and Southern African countries. Some of these cables have yet to be repaired.
In the affected countries, efforts are underway to address the situation, involving both telecom operators and Internet service providers, as well as public authorities. Nape Moses Nnauye, the Tanzanian Minister of ICT, stated, “There are ongoing efforts to solve the problem. As they continue to solve the problem, we will have very low access to internet and international voice calls.”
Isaac K. Kassouwi
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, initiatives that transcend connectivity barriers are pivotal. They equip businesses to thrive in a competitive global arena. By enhancing connectivity, these efforts not only streamline operations but also catalyze the adoption of cutting-edge technologies. The expansion of markets, as a result, leads to a robust economic upturn and the creation of new job opportunities, marking a significant stride in collective progress.
Avanti Communications has partnered with Q-KON to introduce Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) satellite services in South Africa. The leading global multi-orbit satellite technology provider announced this in a tweet posted today May 13.
Kyle Whitehill, CEO of Avanti Communications emphasizes the partnership's strategic significance, catering to diverse customer needs and giving “our customers in South Africa the assurance that all their unique problems can be solved through our services. This is particularly important for our enterprise customers in South Africa where the need for resilience is key.”
This partnership addresses regional connectivity obstacles by harnessing Q-KON's Eutelsat OneWeb service, powered by its advanced Smart Satellite Service technologies. By integrating LEO services with existing GEO offerings, the alliance enhances Avanti's multi-orbit solution. The introduction of LEO connectivity holds the promise of improved solutions for South African businesses, highlighting a shared dedication to innovation and customer-centricity.
Space in Africa released a report in 2022 delving into the hurdles Africa encounters in connecting its population to the internet. Titled "The State and Future of LEO Satellite Internet Connectivity in Africa," the report identifies poor infrastructure, affordability issues, and a perception that some areas are not ready for internet access. Nonetheless, cooperative endeavors are starting to reshape the continent's internet landscape. Additionally, the report references MIT research indicating that due to limitations with terrestrial systems, satellites are poised to significantly increase connectivity across Africa in the next five years.
Hikmatu Bilali
Burkina Faso, like many other African countries, is currently working on digitizing services for citizens. The executive's goal is to fully digitize administrative procedures by 2025.
Burkina Faso's public administration is poised for a digital overhaul, with the Council of Ministers approving a decree on Wednesday to streamline the deployment of robust information systems and high-quality digital platforms.
This initiative, championed by Digital Transition Minister Aminata Zerbo/Sabane, targets a more efficient and effective public service. The decree aims to reduce processing times, facilitate citizen access to services, and ultimately deliver user-friendly, high-quality platforms.
The new measures address longstanding issues that have hampered past digitization efforts, including inadequate pre-launch testing, platform incompatibility, and poor communication between government departments.
This aligns with the National Strategy for the Modernization of Public Administration (SNMAP) 2021-2025, which envisions a model public administration by 2025, underpinned by republican values and focused on serving citizens.
An evaluation by the Ministry of Digital Transition in February revealed that, as of then, 83.97% of administrative procedures were undergoing digitization. The new decree is expected to tighten management of platform rollouts, ensuring the quality of e-services, user data protection, and ultimately, a more secure and efficient public administration.
Samira Njoya
French telecoms group Orange is active in several sectors in Africa. It has decided to enter the cybersecurity sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo with the assistance of its local subsidiary.
Orange RDC, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) subsidiary of French telecoms giant Orange, and Orange Cyberdefense, the group's dedicated cybersecurity unit, signed a partnership agreement on Thursday to enhance cybersecurity in the central African nation.
Under that agreement, Orange Cyberdefense is rolling out three services: “Microsoc” for securing various computer networks nationwide, “Penetration Testing” for vulnerability detection, and “Cyber Diag” for evaluating an organization’s cyber resilience and suggesting solutions in the event of security breaches.
The partnership comes amidst Africa's rapid digital transformation, where cybersecurity has become a crucial consideration. The International Telecommunication Union's 2020 "Global Cybersecurity Index" ranked the DRC 40th on the continent, surpassing only the Central African Republic but lagging behind South Sudan. SInce then, the DRC has made strides under President Félix Tshisekedi's leadership. Notably, the country ratified the African Union (AU) convention on cybersecurity and personal data protection in April 2023.
Africa’s cyberspace as a whole is vulnerable, according to a June 2023 Kearney report titled "Cybersecurity in Africa: Call to Action." “Africa’s cyber resilience is low, particularly around strategy, governance and operational entities and cross-sector cooperation,” the report finds.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
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Morocco is firmly committed to digital transformation. Recognizing that human resources are the cornerstone of this endeavor, the country is implementing initiatives to modernize educational programs by integrating digital skills from an early age.
The University of Moulay Ismail signed a partnership agreement with Cisco Network Academy, a global online learning platform offered by American technology giant Cisco Systems, on Wednesday, May 8.
This collaboration, established during a visit by a Cisco Network Academy delegation to Morocco, is designed to equip students and faculty with in-demand digital skills in critical areas like computer networking, artificial intelligence, programmable infrastructure, and cybersecurity.
The initiative aligns perfectly with Morocco's "Pacte Esri 2030," the National Plan for Accelerating the Transformation of the Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation Ecosystem by 2030. This strategic plan emphasizes preparing students with the necessary personal, cross-disciplinary, and digital skills to meet the evolving demands of the job market, reflecting both royal directives and the global digital revolution.
The partnership builds upon a tripartite agreement signed last December between the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, and Cisco.
Furthermore, this new collaboration aims to strengthen the training and certification programs offered through the "Centres code 212" hosted by Moroccan universities. Students and teachers will gain free, unlimited access to Cisco's partner training programs, along with support in preparing for industry-recognized certifications.
By prioritizing youth training and upskilling the population in digital capabilities, Morocco seeks to cultivate a robust pool of graduates equipped with specialized knowledge in innovative fields. This initiative aims to accelerate the nation's digital transformation journey and position Morocco as an attractive destination for both domestic and international investors.
Samira Njoya
At the 2nd Digital Entrepreneurship and Artificial Intelligence Fair in May 2023, the Benin government unveiled its project for an AI-based conversational.
Benin is embarking on a project to develop artificial intelligence (AI) systems that prioritize local languages. This collaborative effort brings together the Information and Digital Systems Agency (ASIN),the Ministry of Digital Affairs and Digitalization, Sèmè City, and iSHEERO, a group specializing in data science and AI expertise.
The data collection phase for local languages was launched on Wednesday, May 8th and the gathered information will be used to train large language models (LLMs) powered by AI.
This national initiative aligns with Benin's National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, adopted in January 2023. The strategy aims to harness the potential of AI in various sectors, including education, healthcare, agriculture, and tourism. Additionally, it seeks to position Benin as a leader in AI development within West Africa.
A March 2024 report, "AI and the Future of Government: Unexpected Effects and Critical Challenges", published by the Moroccan think tank Policy Paper, highlights the challenges faced by countries with limited language data when implementing AI models. Benin falls into this category, and this participatory campaign aims to address the potential digital divide arising from AI applications.
"The efficacy of these AI technologies hinges on the availability and quality of data, requiring datasets (corpus) that are not only extensive but also diverse and representative, to ensure their applicability across a wide spectrum of languages and contexts," the report emphasizes.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Digital solutions tailored for MSMEs can empower businesses across Africa to leverage online platforms, expand their market reach, and drive economic growth by creating job opportunities and fostering entrepreneurship.
Tappi has partnered with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) to launch the Sukuma Biz initiative.
The initiative, announced on May 2, is set to provide tailored digital services to KNCCI’s 30,000 business members to enhance their online credibility and identity. This digital commerce solution for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) enables business owners to easily customize their online presence through a user-friendly app, seamlessly integrating with Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads using airtime credit or mobile money.
“KNCCI is one of Kenya’s most trusted industry bodies and with its extensive network of local businesses, they’re an ideal partner to accelerate our mission of empowering MSMEs to effectively establish strong reputations of their own in an online setting,” said Griffith.
For a monthly fee of KES500 (US$4), KNCCI members gain exclusive benefits, including a personalized business landing page on tappi’s platform adorned with the KNCCI logo. Members also receive 50 customer reviews via SMS, WhatsApp, or other channels, seamlessly integrated into their landing page, and can send 250 text marketing messages directly to their customers.
Using tappi’s SaaS solutions, KNCCI members can swiftly generate SEO-optimized websites within minutes, guided by an intuitive chat tool. Leveraging AI, machine learning, and algorithms, each website's content and design will be tailored to its target audience and industry sector. Members can also distribute Google, Facebook, and Instagram ads effortlessly and access a range of supplementary digital services.
With Kenya positioned as the 74th largest market for eCommerce, boasting a predicted revenue of US$801.4 million by 2024, according to the ECDB (European Company Database), initiatives like Sukuma Biz are well-placed to capitalize on this growing market. This statistic underscores the potential for tappi's tailored digital services to empower MSMEs in Kenya and contribute to the country's economic development and digital growth.
Hikmatu Bilali
The Gambia has made significant progress in its digital transformation journey. To advance even further, the country is receiving support from the organizations it belongs to, such as ECOWAS.
The President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, and the Gambian Minister of Digital Economy, Ousman A. Bah, signed a grant agreement on Friday, May 3, during the 15th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
This $180,000 grant aims to strengthen The Gambia's digital infrastructure and enhance the country's governance through new technologies.
This initiative is part of an ECOWAS strategy to strengthen the digital capabilities of all its member states. It comes at a time when The Gambia is intensifying its efforts to accelerate digital transformation and improve telecommunications infrastructure to provide its population with innovative new services.
Currently, the country is working on a comprehensive digital strategy set to launch in the coming months. Additionally, The Gambia is preparing to connect to a second international fiber optic submarine cable, funded by the World Bank at a cost of $30 to $35 million. The government is also considering enhancing national connectivity via satellites.
The ECOWAS grant is expected to support the implementation of this strategy, which includes digitizing administrative services, improving citizens' digital skills, and creating a standardized digital identification system, among other initiatives.
Samira Njoya