Airtel Nigeria CEO urges adoption of intelligent technology platforms to accelerate national growth - ITREALMS

The Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, has called on corporate executives and business leaders to accelerate the country's digital trajectory by aggressively embracing intelligent technology platforms designed to spearhead innovation, maximize productivity, and anchor sustainable economic growth, reports ITREALMS.

Balsingh made the call while addressing a gathering of industry captains at the Lagos Business School (LBS) Breakfast Club, on the strategic theme, "From Telco to TechCo." The telecom boss asserted that the telecommunications industry is rapidly evolving beyond basic connectivity to serve as the foundational bedrock for enterprise transformation and the broader digital economy.

AI-driven networks and WiFi 7: TD Africa, HPE partner to accelerate edge-to-cloud infrastructure - ITREALMS

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Tech distribution giant, TD Africa, in partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) operated by Selectium, has hosted a high-level partner engagement session designed to chart the future of enterprise networking and digital transformation across the continent, reports ITREALMS.

The forum, held on May 14, 2026, brought together key ecosystem partners to analyze how organizations can deploy smarter, faster, and more secure network architectures to support a rapidly expanding digital economy.

Shell: How Nigeria can accelerate gas development – ITREALMS

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The premier gas distribution company, Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) has identified development of infrastructure and regulatory and fiscal stability as key drivers for the development of Nigeria’s gas resources, according to SNG Managing Director, Ralph Gbobo, reports ITREALMS.

“Major investments are required to develop large scale infrastructure along the gas value chain (pipelines, gas processing plants, gas distribution networks) as well as human capacity development,” Gbobo said recently at a panel session on “Accelerating gas development for domestic and global energy needs” at the Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Conference in Abuja.

ITU targets N46.2tn by 2026 to accelerate global digitalization - ITREALMS

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​​The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) issued today a worldwide appeal calling to increase the value of pledges for digitalizing the world from the current USD 30 billion to USD 100 billion, about N46,200 trillion by 2026, reports ITREALMS.

The appeal by the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies includes a focus on raising the level of resources for universal and meaningful connectivity and digital transformation in the world's least developed countries (LDCs).

cholera spread in Mozambique continues to accelerate, almost 1.8 million vaccines financed by Gavi

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With rising cholera spread in Mozambique, some 1.8 million vaccines financed by Gavi are on their way to eight affected districts, reports ITREALMS.

The International Coordinating Group (ICG), mandated to manage emergency supplies of vaccines, first approved a request from Mozambique to vaccinate 1,358,682 people over the age of one with a single dose oral cholera vaccine strategy on 9th March and last week approved an additional request to vaccinate 410,629 people with a view of supporting the country’s efforts to limit mortality and reduce the spread of the disease.

Digital Transformation: FICO, FPG Tech partner to help West African firms accelerate - ITREALMS

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The global analytics software provider, FICO is partnering with FPG Technologies & Solutions Ltd, to bring advanced decision management and analytics tools to companies across West Africa, reports ITREALMS.

FPG, a member of FlexiP Group, will sell, implement and support FICO Blaze Advisor decision rules management system and FICO Xpress Optimization, leading tools that businesses use to automate high-volume decisions, rapidly change strategies and leverage advanced analytics to improve performance.

NCC to accelerate deployment of emerging technologies - ITREALMS

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The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, has stated that NCC will not relent in the promotion of latest and emerging technologies to energize business and the sector in Nigeria for the benefit of the country and its citizens.

Speaking to a cross section of stakeholders at the just-concluded Cyberchain Abuja 2022, Danbatta said the telecom sector has been a key booster of the Nigerian economic activities, transforming the way people live and work as well as increasing efficiency in other sectors of the economy.

Competitiveness: NCC pledges continuous drive to accelerate digital infrastructure - ITREALMS

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), continuously drive initiatives to accelerate deployment of digital infrastructure, in order to enhance economic transformation of the country, reports ITREALMS.

Above was the position of the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta at the NCC Day, during the recently-concluded 43rd Kaduna International Trade Fair, organised by the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA).

Elumelu tasks ACP countries to help youth accelerate industrial revolution - ITREALMS

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Governments across the Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries have been tasked to help youth to be aware and accelerate drive to meet the challenges, capture and channel extraordinary opportunities through an industrial revolution across member countries, reports ITREALMS.

There are over 80 countries in the membership of ACP.

In a keynote address at the Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Business Summit in Nairobi, Kenya on Sunday, the founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Mr Tony Elumelu gave this charge, urging everyone to take time to check out the TEF Connect and learn more about how individuals could contribute to socio-economic development through mentoring young and eager entrepreneurs.

He observed that talent was not hard to find in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries nor was dedication, ideas and discipline which are the components of entrepreneurial success.

“These brilliant ideas cannot exist in a vacuum and it is up to the governments across the developing world to help the growth of Small Medium- sized Enterprises (SMEs),” said Mr Elumelu.

He also said that the enabling environment was the backbone of success with industrialisation and wealth creation for ACP countries, noting that without enabling environment, the dream of industrialisation will be a fleeting illusion.

“We must streamline our bureaucracies, provide infrastructure and stable access to power,” he said, stressing that there was need to promote implementable policies that support industrialization than those hindering people.

“Power is critical, in Nigeria, where I come from, about $10 billion yearly is spent by people and businesses who provide power for themselves. Now, imagine if that money was spent on more productive activities,” he asked.

Insisting that “We cannot hope to industrialize if we do not fix the issue of power, if our entrepreneurs spend so much money to power their businesses, how then are they expected to make the investments necessary to upgrade and industrialize?”

He equally called for a self-honest introspection, emphasising that “if we do not tackle these issues, we will be unable to achieve industrialisation, wealth creation and poverty reduction.”

ACP youthful dividends, he advised, cannot be allowed to waste or can we exclude “our women from our development agenda.”

In addition, he commended the European Investment Bank, represented by Mr. Ambroise Fayolle, for its initiative SHE INVEST, focusing on mobilizing 1 billion Euros for women across Africa, through innovative digital solutions, financial products, climate responsiveness as well as capacity building.

“We at the Tony Elumelu Foundation strive to reach the same goals of uplifting women out of poverty and empowering them with knowledge and resources. This is an invitation to join forces as we have done with the UNDP to lift 100,000 young African boys and girls out of poverty and thereby stemming migration challenges.

“We must develop our industry, improve our knowledge base, the technical capacity of our people must be up scaled. Power and infrastructure are crucial to our success if we are to compete in an increasingly interconnected world with rapidly advancing technology,” he said.

Further, Mr. Elumelu said that there was need for the private sector, governments and policy makers, development partners to all work together through positive engagement to create the right environment and give hope to young ones so that their latent talent can be realised for the development of ACP countries and for peace in the world.

Asked if the Tony Elumelu Foundation will open up physical offices in the sub-region, the Chief Executive Officer of TEF, Ifenyinwa Ugochukwu alluded to efficacy of technology in helping to spread message beyond the nations.

Ugochukwu equally explained why the entrepreneurs do not receive the full $5000 USD grant, saying that the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with awardees stated that it would be $5,000 at the Central Bank of Nigeria foreign exchange rate of N306 Naira, lamenting that in Nigeria there are two parallel markets.

“You have the official rate and the black market rate subject to wild fluctuations and as a company that earns in Naira we could not expose ourselves to that which is why we had to peg the currency exchange with the Central Bank which is stable,” said Ugochukwu.

Pointing out that any disparity that the entrepreneurs see is in that exchange rate, just as she acknowledged that they have gotten information that in other countries by the time the entrepreneurs get the grant money which is changed back to their own national currencies there are some limitations.

*Brenda Zulu reporting from Nairobi, Kenya.

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Pix: Ifenyinwa Ugochukwu, CEO TEF.

AfDB, UNIDO partner to accelerate Africa’s industrialization

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The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday, to step up collaboration to boost Africa’s industrialization, reports ITRealms.

The duo of Principal Communication Officer at AfDB, Olivia Ndong Obiang, and Communication Officer, Emeka Anuforo, confirmed this to ITRealms, quoting the African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina, as saying that the Bank launched in 2016 its Industrialization Strategy for Africa 2016-2025, which was the outcome of collaborative work with UNIDO and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

“The signing of the present MoU is key to our Strategy’s implementation,” he said, stressing that the Bank already benefits enormously from UNIDO’s expertise in developing policies, programmes and knowledge tools which supports our member countries to industrialize.”

Additionally, ITRealms gathered that in 2017, the Bank allocated US $1.2 billion to Industrialize Africa – one of the Bank’s High 5 development priorities – mostly to projects for financial sector operations.

The new agreement facilitates the Bank and UNIDO cooperation on joint activities of shared interest in areas such as agro-industry development, circular economy, eco-industrial parks, investment in innovation and technology, enterprise development, trade and capacity-building, and access to finance, among others. The MoU is in line with objectives set in the Bank’s High 5 strategy, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III), the UN’s Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the G20 Initiative on Supporting Industrialization in Africa.

The Managing Director at UNIDO, Philippe Scholtès, said achieving Africa’s industrial potential will not happen by chance, but “strong partnerships such as the one our two organizations have now formalized are key. This partnership will create significant opportunities and facilitate our work together towards the operationalization of IDDA III (2016–2025).”

The two entities have already initiated working level collaboration including within the framework of UNIDO’s flagship Programme for Country Partnership (PCP) model, which helps synchronize development efforts and mobilize resources to support countries in accelerating industrialization. The Bank and UNIDO recently undertook a joint mission to Morocco as part of the initial development of the PCP and will continue exploring cooperation opportunities in the ongoing PCPs in Senegal and Ethiopia. Collaboration has also been initiated for the establishment of staple crop processing zones in a select number of African countries.

The Memorandum was signed by Adesina and Scholtès in Busan, Republic of Korea, on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the African Development Bank Group, held under the theme of “Accelerating Africa’s industrialization.” The signing ceremony was attended by African Industry Ministers, representatives of regional Member States, development partners and private-sector executives.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Mastercard acquires Oltio to accelerate digital payments in MEA

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Mastercard has completed the acquisition of mobile payments technology company, Oltio from Standard Bank Group, reports ITRealms.

The acquisition, ITRealms gathered, builds on Mastercard’s longstanding relationship with Oltio, a startup that pioneered and patented several mobile payments and banking solutions, including an authentication technology.

ITRealms reports that today, that technology enables consumers to authenticate Masterpass digital wallet purchases in South Africa using their bank PIN and mobile phone.

Over the coming months, Mastercard will leverage Oltio’s technology, people and infrastructure to enhance and scale its existing suite of digital solutions for merchants and issuers in cash-orientated, emerging markets  - in turn, enabling them to deliver more seamless payment experiences to the consumer.

“Too many consumers and merchants in the MEA region are stuck in a cash economy that doesn’t work for them,” says Mark Elliott, division president for Mastercard, Southern Africa. “By combining our joint expertise, technologies and reach, we can bridge the divide between the region’s cash economies and the digital future, bringing the benefits of digital payments to more people and businesses.”

Issuers will benefit from added functionality including person-to-person payments, bill payments, and airtime top-ups, which they can integrate into their existing mobile banking applications.

For merchants, Mastercard will enhance and scale its omni-channel acceptance solutions, enabling even the smallest businesses to accept digital payments using efficient and affordable technology, such as Quick Response (QR) codes.

“We have had a great relationship with Mastercard over the years, and believe that Oltio will thrive as part of an issuer-independent payments company with Mastercard’s vast global resources and innovative technology,” says Andrew Wilmot, executive, Group Card and Emerging Payments for Standard Bank.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Microsoft offers Ekovolt, 11 others grants to accelerate affordable Internet access

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Microsoft Corporation has awarded Affordable Access Initiative grants to 12 entrepreneurial businesses, including Ekovolt in Nigeria to scale-up their solutions and business models to increase affordable Internet access in communities around the world, reports ITRealms.

Each company, ITRealms gathered, received seedgrants, and resources including BizSpark tools such as free software, services and technology support to help extend the reach of their hardware, applications, connectivity and power solutions.

In Nigeria, the grant received by Ekovolt would enable simplify everyday life and connect people, places, and things with technology.

ITRealms also reports that with Affordable Access Initiative grant support, this wireless broadband and cloud services provider is expanding its solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises in Nigeria.

The Managing Director, Ekovolt, Mr. Emeka Ebo, the partnership would help in the application of new technologies in delivering Internet services to underserved markets and rural communities in Nigeria.

“As we combine Microsoft’s cloud solutions with Volt Internet services, we can offer bundled packages of customized Internet and Enterprise solutions for small to medium-sized businesses typically only found at large corporations,” he said. 

The executive vice president, business development at Microsoft, Peggy Johnson, pointed out that with more than half of the world’s population lacking access to the Internet, connectivity is a global challenge that demands creative problem solving.

“By using technology that’s available now and partnering with local entrepreneurs who understand the needs of their communities, our hope is to create sustainable solutions that will not only have impact today but also in the years to come,” Johnson said.

ITRealms recalls that Microsoft’s Affordable Access Initiative aims to democratize access to the Internet through grants, commercial partnerships, connecting new leaders and community engagement. 

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