The African Development Bank, AfDB, and technology giant Intel have formalized their cooperation to equip 3 million Africans and 30,000 government officials with AI skills.

The partnership aims to transform the African digital ecosystem, according to a statement released by the Bank.

Sealed at the recent African Development Bank’s Annual Meetings in Nairobi, Kenya, the deal will help create a critical mass of Africans proficient in Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) skills to accelerate growth and productivity and position Africans as contributors, not just consumers of 4IR.

AfDB added that the training will address socio-economic challenges and boost productivity in key growth sectors such as agriculture, health, and education, thereby disrupting traditional growth cycles.

Speaking on the partnership, African Development Bank’s Acting Director of Industrial and Trade, Development, Ousmane Fall, emphasiszed the importance of digital skills for Africa’s youth.

“With advancements in digital technology, our world is rapidly evolving, and so is our youthful population, projected to reach 830 million by 2050. To develop skills on a large scale and at the necessary speed, we need everyone’s cooperation.”

“The Bank is thrilled to collaborate with Intel to work towards this shared commitment. Together, we are shaping the digital future of Africa and empowering our youth,” he said.

Also speaking, the Director of Government Affairs Africa and IGA CTO Liaison at Intel, Bienvenu Agbokponto Soglo, stated,

“Intel looks forward to furthering its collaboration with African governments to make advanced technologies such as AI accessible to all, breaking down barriers related to geography, gender, and ethnicity, and enabling widespread participation in the digital economy.”

The partnership is also expected to support African countries, regional economic communities, and continental organizations in developing harmonized policy and regulatory frameworks in AI, 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, data, and cloud.

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In a bid to enhance service delivery and reduce costs in Nigeria’s telecom sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has advocated for increased infrastructure sharing among industry players. This call was made by the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Commission, Aminu Maida, during the 2nd edition of the West African Telecoms Infrastructure Summit and Exhibition held in Lagos.

Maida emphasized the importance of partnerships between government, industry, and academia to drive innovation and development in the sector. He highlighted the capital-intensive nature of developing telecoms infrastructure and suggested exploring public-private partnerships, infrastructure funds, and innovative financing models like Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

Addressing the challenges faced by the industry, including uneven service distribution and infrastructural deficits, Maida underscored the need for operators to leverage emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) to optimize their networks. He also advocated for the development of smart infrastructure to support various smart city applications.

Regarding the evolution of telecom technologies, Maida noted Nigeria’s active participation in global trends with the rollout of 5G, which promises higher speeds, lower latency, and greater capacity. Looking towards the future beyond 5G, he discussed the potential of 6G, which would further enhance network capabilities and integrate AI for improved service delivery.

Maida highlighted the transformative potential of the 6G revolution across industries, including agriculture and healthcare, emphasizing the need for telecoms to adapt to the increasing number of connected devices and evolving data management strategies associated with the Internet of Things (IoT).

The NCC’s advocacy for infrastructure sharing and innovation reflects a strategic approach to addressing challenges and maximizing opportunities in Nigeria’s telecom sector, ultimately aiming to enhance service quality and promote digital innovation nationwide.

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In a significant step to be part of the global community in leveraging the benefits of emerging technologies, Federal Government of Nigeria has signed a global Act for adoption of Sixth Generation Technology (6G) and other facilities related to Radio and Telecommunications.

Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani signed the Act on behalf of Nigeria at the just concluded World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC) 2023.

This development was part of the record landmark decisions taken at the conference.

The 6G Technology Act comprised both the new and revised provisions of the Radio Regulations, an international treaty governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits.

Those who attended the conference were the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida and the Managing Director of Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat Ltd), Mrs. Jane Egerton-Idehen

The WRC-2023 is a global, inter-governmental treaty conference held every three to four years by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations-affiliated international organization for telecommunications.

At the end of each conference, countries signed an updated Final Act, the outcome of agreements on agendas put forward by country administrations.

The Public Affairs Director of the NCC, Mr Reuben Muoka quoted the ITU as saying that, “the agreement to the updated Radio Regulations identifies new spectrum resources to support technological innovation, deepen global connectivity, increase access to and equitable use of space-based radio resources, and enhance safety at sea, in the air, and on land.”

Mr Reuben Muoka said “Among the decisions reached, the Conference also identified spectrum for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), which will be crucial for expanding broadband connectivity and developing IMT mobile services, also known as 4G, 5G and, in the future, 6G.

“The conference also identified new frequencies for non-geostationary fixed-satellite service Earth Stations in Motion (ESIMs) that would provide high-speed broadband onboard aircraft, vessels, trains, and vehicles. These satellite services are also critical following disasters where local communication infrastructure is damaged or destroyed.

“Provisions were also included to protect ship and aircraft mobile service stations located in international airspace and waters from other stations within national territories.

“Nigeria’s delegation at the conference comprised seasoned engineers and experts in telecommunications and satellite regulations and governance from the Ministry, NCC, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), NigComSat Ltd, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), telecom operators and other practitioners from the telecommunications industry in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, Tijani, who led the Nigerian delegation at the WRC-23, thanked the delegation for their sacrifices which, he noted, were made for the collective benefit of the future of Nigeria.

He also enjoined the Nigerian delegation to commence preparation for future conferences to ensure the preservation of the country’s interest by developing capacity through investments in extensive research and inter-agency collaboration.

Also, during an engagement with the Nigerian delegation at the conference, Maida commended the delegation for collaborating towards Nigeria’s best interest. He emphasised the conference’s significant importance for Nigeria.

According to him, “The agreements reached at this year’s conference will provide valuable spectrum resources that will benefit the Commission’s stakeholders, especially ordinary Nigerians by enhancing service quality and bridging the digital gap in rural areas.

“Additionally, the establishment of international standards for radiocommunications and the decisions made at the conference will impact the development and implementation of new technologies.

“These outcomes align with Nigeria’s overall objectives and the Honorable Minister’s Strategic Plan for the Ministry particularly on expanding broadband connectivity, in harmony with the global transition to 5G and future 6G technologies, as well as improving quality of experience and providing equitable access to all Nigerians.”

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TECH DIGEST – China has successfully launched the world’s first 6G satellite into space to test the technology.

It went into orbit along with 12 other satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the Shanxi Province.

High-speed technology will be trialled, which will be one of the core elements of sixth-generation communications.

The satellite also carries technology which will be used for crop disaster monitoring and forest fire prevention.

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