WATISE 2026: ipNX identifies ‘3 As’ as critical catalysts for African AI adoption - ITREALMS

Nigeria’s leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) company, ipNX, has identified Accessibility, Affordability, and Availability (the "3 As") as the ultimate determinants that will dictate the pace, scale, and success of Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration across the African continent, reports ITREALMS.

This definitive position was the focal point of a lead paper presented on behalf of the company at the prestigious West Africa Telecoms Infrastructure Summit and Exhibition (WATISE) 2026, held on June 18, 2026, at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos.

ICANN87: AFRALO's new generation of African Internet leaders to take centre stage @Bali - ITREALMS

Leadership SENSE for Decision Makers

Ten African Fellows will represent the continent at ICANN87 in Bali, Indonesia, this October, strengthening Africa's influence in global Internet governance through enhanced policy engagement, technical capacity and multistakeholder collaboration.

As the global Internet community prepares to converge in Bali, Indonesia, for the 87th Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN87) Annual General Meeting in October 2026, Africa is set to make a significant statement through a new generation of Internet governance leaders emerging under the auspices of the African Regional At-Large Organisation (AFRALO), reports ITREALMS.

Far beyond a list of successful applicants, the selection of Africa's ICANN87 Fellows underscores AFRALO's unwavering commitment to developing technical expertise, strengthening multistakeholder participation, and ensuring that African Internet end-users are meaningfully represented in global Internet policy discussions.

The Truth Tariff: AI, data costs, and financial paradox of African newsroom by Remmy Nweke | Telecoms Clinic@ITREALMS

Telecoms Clinic@ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

Different trigger:
The tragedy of Major General Rabe Abubakar’s abduction was horrific enough. But as the news broke across Nigeria, the digital ecosystem pulled an entirely different kind of trigger. Along with the report, a viral photograph began tearing through social media channels. It was not General Abubakar. It was a completely different military officer, whose actual name was printed clearly on the uniform draped across his chest.

It was an error born of pure editorial laziness, but in the frictionless pipeline of the internet, it instantly hardened into digital cement.

PIN Report exposes widespread technology-facilitated gender violence across six African nations - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

67% of Respondents Victimised: Paradigm Initiative Study Uncovers Severe Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Crisis Across Africa

A new, landmark study by the pan-African digital rights and inclusion organisation, Paradigm Initiative (PIN), has exposed a rapidly escalating crisis of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) across Africa, reports ITREALMS.

The research, released on International Human Rights Day, reveals that a staggering 67 per cent of respondents reported being victims of at least one or multiple forms of digital violence.

Check Point launches 2025 African Perspectives on Cyber Security Report - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd, a pioneer and global leader of cyber security solutions, has released its African Perspectives on Cyber Security Report 2025, revealing a sharp rise in attacks across the continent and a major shift in attacker tactics driven by artificial intelligence, reports ITREALMS.

African organisations now face an average of 3,153 attacks per week. Among the key countries analysed, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Morocco; Nigeria recorded the highest number of weekly attacks at 4,200, while Ethiopia ranked as the most attacked nation overall.

Future energy leaders: Shell hosts African young professionals - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd (SNEPCo) has successfully hosted young professionals from Nigeria and other African countries at its Lagos office, in support of the growth of future leaders in the energy industry on the continent, reports ITREALMS.

The 25 engineers and geologists from Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Angola and Uganda, were part of the Africa Young Professionals programme attending the Nigeria annual international conference and exhibition (NAICE) of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) in Lagos last week.

Invest in continent's development, Dangote urges African CEOs - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, has called on African entrepreneurs, business leaders, and wealthy individuals to invest in the development of the continent, reports ITREALMS.

Speaking at a recent event, Dangote emphasized that with the right investments, Africa has the potential to grow and compete globally.

NCDMB, APPO plan 'Centres of Excellence in African Local Content Development' - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO) have recommitted their partnership towards establishing African centres of excellence in local content development. 

Both organisations also encouraged African petroleum producing countries to develop specialised capacities in core oil and gas services, and patronise one another in their respective areas of expertise.

Local content: Pillars to African collaboration strategy by NCDMB boss - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has outlined some collaboration strategies to aid sub-Saharan African nations to keep pace with unfolding trends in the global oil and gas industry, reports ITREALMS.

This is coming as he also outlined some steps at adopting a unified approach in strengthening local content development, advancing industrialisation and fostering sustainable continent-wide economic growth.

Future African unveils 10 African winners - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

A total of 10 young African youths have emerged winners at the 2024 Future African Leaders Awards (FALA) Foundation, hosted by the reknowned Christ Embassy, reports ITREALMS.

Disclosing this to ITREALMS, Pastor Sylvester Ebhodaghe said weekend, the winners emerged on the event of the new year, from a programme participated by millions of youths from across the African continent.

AfIGF’24: Stop Internet shut downs, PIN boss advises African government - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The 54 members of the African Union governments have been advised to stop shutting down the Internet due to its attendant havoc and demerits, reports ITREALMS.

The Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, gave this advice at the just concluded 2024 African Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) during a high-level session held at African Hall, UNCC- ECA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while speaking on the theme: "Building our Multistakeholder Digital Future for Africa."

UBA sponsors Lagos International Trade Fair for sixth year, reaffirms support African SMEs - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The Africa's global bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc is sponsoring this year’s edition of the Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF), which marks the sixth in the series as the official financial partner, reports ITREALMS.

The LITF 2024, ITREALMS gathered is the 38th edition organised annually by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), and is scheduled to take place at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, between November 1st to 10th, 2024.

VP Quaynor emphasizes crucial role of public-private partnerships for African development - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

African Development Bank Group Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure, and Industrialization, Solomon Quaynor, recently concluded a two-day visit to South Korea, with emphasized on the crucial role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in advancing African infrastructure development.

During his September 9-10 visit, Quaynor delivered a keynote address at the Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference (GICC) and engaged with leaders from Korean government agencies and the private sector. He encouraged them to explore the vast investment opportunities in Africa and highlighted the upcoming Africa Investment Forum, set to take place in Rabat, Morocco, from December 4-6.

Partnership: SeerBit, Zoho simplify payments for African businesses - ITREALMS

Sponsored@ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The Africa’s trusted payment solutions provider, SeerBit, has announced a strategic partnership with Zoho, a global technology company that provides cloud-based business software, to unlock growth for businesses across Africa.

To scale their offerings and drive growth, businesses need to effortlessly manage and receive payments from their customers in Africa. Consequently, SeerBit noted that the partnership marks a significant advancement in simplifying financial transactions for businesses in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and other African countries who are utilizing Zoho Books.

African footballers: Destroyed by DNA paternity tests - ITREALMS

TelecomsClinic@ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

In the last decade, one thing that has remained worrisome is how African footballers’ homes are being destroyed by DeoxyriboNucleic Acid (DNA) paternity tests. REMMY NWEKE calls for verifiable research on why such has been the case in order to find a solution and give our footballers peace of mind at homes.

“I never knew somebody could give you what is not yours,” decried Afrobeat maestro, Femi Kuti, on realisation through a DNA test that two of his children were not his in 2014.

Of course, Femi’s revelation left Nigerians mouth agape, while the shock lasted. Though he made paid his promise to return the children to their supposed father.

Ibietan emerges Secretary-General @APRA - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and African Public Relations Association (APRA), who doubles as the Head, Media Relations at the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan, has emerged as the elected Secretary-General of APRA, reports ITREALMS.

Ibietan's emergence into a three-man Executive Council came at the ongoing 35th Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting taking place in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. He was elected alongside two others namely Arik Karani (Kenya), President, and Dr. Michele Mekeme (Cameroon), Vice President.

African elections under rising threat from online disinformation - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

In an unprecedented year for elections in Africa, the increasing use of digital disinformation poses a rising threat to democracy across the continent, researchers warn today.

New evidence shows that politicians have been undertaking increasingly sophisticated digital disinformation campaigns. Designed to intentionally disseminate false information on platforms such as Facebook and X, the campaigns are increasingly using tactics such as trolls, cyborgs and bots to disrupt debate and drown-out dissent.

1m vaccine doses administered to African children @IDPs - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

Some one million doses of life-saving vaccines have been administered to children living across Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, thanks to the Zero-Dose Immunization Programme (ZIP), reports ITREALMS.

Funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in the Horn of Africa, ZIP is responding to the humanitarian challenge of identifying and vaccinating zero-dose children living in fragile settings that are beyond the reach of government health services. More than half of the 2.71 million children in the region aged under five years have never received a vaccine in their lives.

AFAP appoints Akin-Olugbade to BoT - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) has appointed Nigerian corporate legal expert, Dr. Adesegun A. Akin-Olugbade to the AFAP Board of Trustees, reports ITREALMS.

Dr. Akin-Olugbade, ITREALMS gathered, brings with him a wealth of expertise and experience in the legal and financial sectors, spanning over three decades.

Digital Rights: CIPESA to unveil 10 African champions - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!


All is now set for the Uganda-based Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) to unveil, tomorrow, January 31, 2024, its latest report on 10 digital rights experts across the continent of Africa, reports ITREALMS.

CIPESA also said that the champions topped list of those who have played pivotal role in shaping the continent’s digital and Internet freedom advocacy landscape over the past 10 years.

Titled “A Decade of Internet Freedom in Africa: Reflections and Insights from 10 Change Makers,” the report launch will take place on January 31, 2024, via a webinar structured as a “Town Hall” discussion, where the featured experts will delve into their insights and reflections on the current state of digital rights in Africa. 

The focus will be on key lessons learned and considerations for the next decade in digital rights activities. According to CIPESA, this initiative aims to continue inspiring and informing efforts towards achieving greater internet freedom in Africa.

Dr. Wairagala Wakabi, the Executive Director of CIPESA, describes this report as a special edition commemorating the 10th anniversary of the State of Internet Freedom in Africa (SIFA) report and the annual convening of the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica). The goal is to share the reflections, insights, and perspectives of the featured experts, contributing to the ongoing pursuit of enhanced internet freedom in Africa.

ITREALMS gathered that some experts featured in the report include individuals such as Mr. Gbenga Sessan, the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative; Mr. Arthur Gwagwa, a Research Scholar at Utrecht University in The Netherlands; Mr. Edetaen Ojo, the Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda (MRA); Ms Emilar Gandhi, the Head of Stakeholder Engagement and Global Strategic Policy Initiatives at Meta (formerly known as Facebook); and Dr. Grace Githaiga, the Chief Executive Officer and Convenor of Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet).

In his foreword to the report, Dr. Wakabi emphasizes the challenges Africa has faced in achieving internet freedom, including state censorship, internet shutdowns, surveillance, and the use of repressive laws. He notes the persistent digital divide, highlighting limited internet access, poor infrastructure, high connectivity costs, and low digital literacy levels as ongoing obstacles.

Dr. Wakabi acknowledged the evolving threats to internet freedom, such as disinformation, information manipulation, and cyber-attacks, potentially fueled by artificial intelligence. 

ITREALMS gathered that the report sought to address these challenges by presenting insights and reflections from the featured experts, providing valuable perspectives for shaping the future of internet freedom in Africa.

Dr. Wakabi called for inclusive advocacy efforts, urging individuals to join the path illuminated by these changemakers. 

He, therefore, called for a more free, secure, and open internet in Africa to ensure that more people connect, no one is left behind, and no voices are silenced.

Remmy Nweke/DoP