TECHDIGEST – For enhanced productivity and sustainability, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta, has advised businesses to adjust to the potentials of disruptive technologies which have been adopted across the globe.

Danbatta gave the advice to the industry leaders and Information and Communication Technology, ICT, innovators, who gathered at the 2023 edition of the Information, Communication, Technology and Telecommunications, ICTEL, expo organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, in Lagos.

Danbatta, who was represented by the Director of Consumer Affairs Bureau at the Commission, Mr. Alkasim Umar, said technology has always played a significant role in shaping the world people live in. He, however, said that in recent years, advancements have accelerated at an unprecedented rate.

The NCC helmsman said as the world grapples with the 4th Industrial Revolution driven by the Internet, advancements in many facets of ICTs are fundamentally changing all aspects of people’s lives and reshaping economic, social and cultural paradigms across the world.

He listed such disruptive technologies to include Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain Technology, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Fifth Generation (5G) and other emerging technologies which have demonstrated the potential of transforming industries and business models.

“Today, we find ourselves amid a digital revolution, where the boundaries between physical and virtual worlds are blurring. So, as we navigate the era of tech disruptions, it is crucial for businesses to embrace innovation and adapt to the changing landscape. Companies that are agile and willing to experiment with these emerging technologies will gain a competitive advantage in their respective industries,” Danbatta said.

The NCC CEO further assured that the NCC’s strategic management plan represents the Commission’s commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to transform industries and drive positive change. “By embracing tech disruption, we are empowering individuals, businesses, and communities to thrive in the digital age. Together, let us build a Nigeria where technology is a catalyst for inclusive growth, innovation flourishes, and the benefits of connectivity reach every Nigerian,” the EVC said.

President of LCCI, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, who appreciated the Commission’s efforts in providing a predictable telecom regulatory environment, noted that the theme of this year’s edition of the ICTEL Expo had been carefully chosen considering the far-reaching impact disruptive technologies are having on businesses around the world.

NCC’s Zonal Controller, Lagos, Engr. Yomi Arowosafe, who was part of the team to the well-attended ICT Expo, received an LCCI Appreciation Award.

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TECHDIGEST – The Nigerian Communications Commission has stated its resolve to collaborate with other relevant security agencies to ensure that policies against cyberattacks and threats to businesses are more effective.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, disclosed this at the 10th edition of Business 360 Clinics organised by Abuja Enterprises Agency.

Danbatta, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Digital Economy, NCC, Paul Okeke, said, “As a regulator of telecommunication, the commission is in active collaboration with other agencies in the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, as well as with other public sector institutions such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and Office of the National Security Adviser to ensure that policies become effective in curtailing cyber-attacks and threats on businesses.”

During a panel session titled “Technology Adoption: A must for MSMEs Sustainability and Competitiveness (Challenges and Ease of Use)”, Okeke stated that the NCC had partnered with various organisations including the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, which birthed initiatives such as the Digital Economy Academy, where business owners learn about security risks and online threats in a 12-course programme for three months.

Speaking on the theme of the event, “Technology Utilisation and Innovation: Effects on SME Profitability and Productivity”, the NCC boss also committed to continually driving initiatives that accelerate broadband deployment to increase penetration and make internet connection available to telecom consumers.

Cyberattacks have grown tremendously in Nigeria with the NCC constantly releasing advisories through its Computer Security Incident Response Team.

READ ALSO: TikTok and Minimizing Security Risks When Adopting New Technologies

According to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, the increase in cyberattacks was threatening the growth of the continent’s digital economy.

Quoting a recently published ‘Africa Cybersecurity Report,’ he disclosed that cyber-attacks in Africa increased by 300 per cent in 2022.

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TECHDIGEST – National Institute of Security Studies (NISS) has engaged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to advance strategic collaboration that would enhance the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) towards improving national security.

Speaking during a visit to the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta at the NCC’s Head Office in Abuja recently, the Institute’s Director, Research Estimates and Library Services, Dr. Adegboyega Karim, said the visit was on a fact-finding mission to enrich ongoing research that focuses on globalization and regional integration for sustainable development in Africa.

Karim led to the Commission a team delegation of Executive Intelligence Management Course Sixteen Participants (EIM16), a study group with representations from various security agencies under the auspices of NISS, typically senior officers in security agencies, including the military, police, intelligence services, and other relevant agencies.

READ ALSO: Meta Launches “Take It Down” Program to Combat Teen “Revenge Porn”

He noted that the Commission has made giant strides advancing the course of digital economy development in Nigeria, and that its regulatory processes provide a good opportunity for the collaboration to enable the group to research further into matters regarding telecommunications and national security.

Director, Special Duties of the Commission, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, who received the team on behalf of Danbatta, affirmed the readiness of the Commission to collaborate with the Institute, and, indeed, any private and public institution that is focused on national development.

Reiterating on the advancements made in ICTs, Adinde said it is within this context that the Commission continued to promote the deployment of robust digital infrastructure capable of supporting and improving the security of lives and property.

“As a way of consolidating on the tremendous successes that had been recorded in the telecoms industry through effective regulatory regime emplaced by the Commission, the Federal Government has formulated a number of policies such as the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), among others, which serve as a compass for our efforts at building a resilient digital economy that supports security,” he said.

Adinde enlightened the visiting delegation on NCC’s efforts towards ensuring adequate protection for telecoms facilities, across the nooks and crannies of the country where it is treated as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), the building of Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) across states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as well as series of collaborations with relevant agencies to ensure effective connectivity to individuals and institutions.

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TECHDIGEST – Nigeria and Republic of Niger have signed a bilateral agreement in Abuja for coordination of frequency utilisation along their borders to ensure seamless deployment of services around within the two countries.

The agreement signing ceremony was one of the highlights of the two-day Digital Economy Regional Conference, hosted by the Nigerian government and facilitated by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, which ended at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja.

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, signed on behalf of Nigeria, while his Nigerien counterpart, the Minister of Post and New Information Technologies, Mr. Moussa Baraze, signed on behalf of his country.

READ ALSO: NDPB Investigates GT Bank, Zenith Over Data Breach Complaints

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta and Niger Republic’s Chairperson of the National Council for Regulation of Electronic Communications and Post, Mrs. Aichatou Oumani, were witnesses to the agreement, which applies to the co-ordination of frequencies existing in the Nigeria-Niger transboundary areas between 87.5 megahertz (MHz) to 30 gigahertz (GHz).

The agreement indicated it will help in effective coordination and sharing of frequencies and channels in the ‘buffer zone or area’ on borderlines between the two countries and also help to address one of the major issues of signal interference regulation that may arise in telecoms signal transmissions by terrestrial telecoms service providers, as it spells out the procedures for regulating such cases.

The agreement, according to the two parties, provides, in part, that in case of harmful interference affecting one of the parties, the affected party shall inform the other party in writing for necessary action to be carried out.

“Also, the party from whence the interference is originating shall ensure that all necessary means are used to resolve the harmful interference within 30 days of receipt of the notice”, the agreement says.

While the Agreement is without prejudice to the rights and obligations of the parties specified in the Convention, the Constitution of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and other inter-governmental arrangements, it states, however, that the land and mobile services whose use is restricted for security, maritime and national defence or for which information is not available, shall not be subjected to the provisions of the agreement.

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TECHDIGEST – The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta was at the weekend in Lagos, decorated with an Award of Exemplary Leadership in Public Service.

The award was conferred on Danbatta at the 12th Anniversary Lecture and Award of Nigerian NewsDirect, one of the long-standing media players in the Nigerian Communications industry, at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday.

READ ALSO: Nigeria is Best Global IT Talent Factory – Kashifu Tells Tech Visionaries in Germany

Danbatta, who was represented at the event by the Director, Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, said it was gratifying to have been considered worthy for the award in recognition of the initiatives deployed by the Commission in carrying out its statutory mandate.

The EVC stated that the theme “Good Governance: Private and Public Sectors’ Roles in Raising Revenue, Growth and Positive Turnaround of Nigerian Economy” provides the veritable opportunity for all stakeholders to seek better ways of advancing the course of good governance both in public office and in the private sector of the Nigerian economy.

In giving concrete expression to the strategic vision of the Commission with respect to the theme of the programme, Danbatta said the Commission is ever determined to ensure collaboration with all stakeholders in the Nigerian communications industry and even beyond as it remains one of the surest ways of enabling a positive turnaround of the Nigerian economy.

Danbatta thanked the organisers of the programme for the award and acknowledged that it was a call for more work to be done to push the frontiers of good governance that ensures national development and economic growth.

While presenting the award, the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Nigerian NewDirect, Dr Samuel Ibiyemi said Danbatta was eminently qualified and deserving of the prestigious recognition on the strength of the huge role he has played in the attainment and surpassing of Nigeria’s national broadband target of 30 percent in 2018 and that he is currently among those leading the charge for the realisation of the new national broadband penetration target of 70 percent by 2025.

Dr Ibiyemi added that with the incontrovertible facts on the ground, it was easy for the board and management of his organisation to agree that through an effective regulatory regime and various cutting-edge initiatives, Danbatta has stabilised the telecom industry and strengthened the telecommunications sector as a major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and boosted telecoms investment inflows from $36 billion to over $70 billion between 2015 toll date.

Other eminent Nigerians who were conferred with various categories of awards at the event include the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami; Dapo Abiodun, Governor of Ogun State; Bello Hassan, Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation; and Mimi Adzape, Executive Chairman, Benue State Internal Revenue Service among others.

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TECHDIGEST – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has named the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta as its Special Ambassador in its renewed war against narcotics and use of other dangerous substances leading to addiction in the country.

Commander for Narcotics at the NDLEA Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammed Ajiya, who announced the Ambassadorial recognition by the agency during a courtesy visit to the Commission in Abuja last weekend, said the objective of the NDLEA’s visit was to partner with the Commission in order to reduce the number of drug addicts in the country through sensitization programmes.

READ ALSO: Data Governance will Ensure Maximum Value Derivation from Digital Economy – NITDA Boss

He said one of the aims for this collaboration is to explore the use of telecom platforms to disseminate information about its activities to sensitize the citizens. He said this has become strategic as nearly all Nigerian youths are telecom subscribers who interface with telecom platforms from time to time. Ajiya said NCC comes readily to mind as a good partner to the NDLEA to achieve the latter’s mandate of reducing cases of drug addicts among the Nigerian youths.

“The NDLEA has rehabilitation centres across the country. This shows that we do not only apprehend the drug addicts, but we have rehabilitation centres where we monitor and guide them until they are fully rehabilitated” he said as he expressed appreciation that the NCC boss considered and accepted this role in the fight against drug addiction in Nigeria.

NCC’s Director, Human Capital and Administration, Usman Malah, who received the NDLEA’s delegation on behalf of the EVC of NCC, assured the visiting team of the Commission’s commitment to supporting the drug agency in eradicating drug abuse and sensitizing the citizens especially the young generation, majority of whom are telecoms consumers, on the effect of drug. 

“Strategic collaboration and partnership is one of the key pillars of the two regulatory roadmaps of the Commission – the Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2020-2024; and the Strategic Vision Implementation Plan (SVP) 2021-2025 – and we would convey the NDLEA’s message to the Commission’s management to see how we can explore the areas of collaboration being requested by your agency,” Malah said.

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TECHDIGEST – It is gratifying when the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) ordered MTN and Airtel to immediately reverse the hike in their data tariff plan, which they had implemented on their respective networks recently

MTN and Airtel subscribers suddenly realised that the operators had commenced a new data tariff plan which was an upward review of the cost of their voice and data plan, without prior notice.

Following complaints by the telecom subscribers over the hike, NCC, in a statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka ordered the mobile network operators to reverse the hike.

According to NCC, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, had maintained that his priority was to protect the citizens and ensure justice to all stakeholders involved.

As such, anything that would bring more hardship at this critical time would not be accepted, they added.

Telecommunication plays a prominent role in the digital transformation of economies. Through various telecom technology, millions of people around the world can access information, communicate, and interact without any obstruction.

To be tech trendy means to evolve, to evolve means to innovate, and innovation backed by spontaneity and creativity is a unique advantage to achieve through telecom tech integration in the country.

READ ALSO: FG Directs MDAs To Comply With Nigeria Data Protection Regulation

Over time, the rapid growth and deployment of new technologies to upgrade telecommunications in Nigeria have repositioned the telecom sector as the wiring aid for digital communication across sectors of the economy.

Thus, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has relentlessly reaffirmed its commitment to promoting the deployment and adoption of emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), the utilization of Big Data, Blockchain, Virtual Reality, Robotics, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), among others, to stimulate a larger economic impact for the sector.

While addressing stakeholders at a Cyberchain conference in Abuja, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta noted that the telecom sector has been a key promoter of Nigerian economic activities, transforming the way people live and work as well as increasing efficiency in other sectors of the economy.

The rapid pace of technological advancement makes it imperative that network providers adopt digital solutions and platforms to deal with the telecommunications sector’s major digital shift.

Interestingly, IoT technology and location-based sensors like GPS will enable the creation of personal security solutions with location-tracking capabilities. Compared to previous tracking methods, GPS will provide extremely accurate location information for mobile objects and people. With the advancement in GPS technology and its capability to inform existing users’ location to the cloud platform for further processing, it will help evaluate data and translate it into easy-to-understand language-based encoded information.

For instance, with the advancement in telecommunications technology, Nigeria’s military communications in conflict zones will be able to detect enemies with relative ease. Communication and control methods that are network-based will enable the armed forces to be more efficient, support intelligence gathering and communication between allies, and sometimes come in handy for quelling or defeating adversaries.

Military neck microphones, handsets, headsets, speakers, combat network radios and accessories, high-frequency land/mobile radio tactical communications, and other gadgets used in warfare will be technologically upgraded to fight insecurity in the country. Telecom operators and users can also utilize GPS tracking technology to understand supply chains, track goods, locate workers, and improve business efficiency.

Today, many Nigerian businesses rely heavily on telecommunication networks to maintain effective and efficient contact between employees, workers, and clients/customers. By integrating network management, companies can better track and control existing telecom expenses and ensure an error-free network and improve performance which is intended to grow profit and reduce paper workloads.

Again, operations system support and business support (OSS-BSS) integration is expected to provide telecom operators with the opportunity for growth and increased profitability. As customer demands evolve, telecom operators need to integrate IT and network services to remain competitive. In the long run, this will lead to cost reduction and allow them to invest in unique opportunities.

The deployment of fibre optic cables and other telecom equipment by mobile network operators (MNOs) across Nigeria is entirely aimed at expanding the network infrastructure across the country to provide consumers with more efficient services in one visible step to telecom growth.

Another landmark shift was the growth leap of 5G technology to support the delivery of ubiquitous broadband services and usher Nigeria into a more robust Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

The advancement in telecom technology also calls for an increase in bandwidth. Considering that the demand for bandwidth is at an all-time high, the evolution of the IoT, mobile applications, cloud-based applications, and other high-capacity activities will continue to drive the need for further bandwidth.

An upgraded telecommunications infrastructure can help workers work more efficiently by improving the flow of data and ensuring user privacy and data security.

Presently, many businesses thrive on digital collaboration, from video conferences to cloud-based training. Thus, multimedia capabilities have become essential to connecting products and services to meet the needs of customers and employees.

Content creation has become a major source of income for many internet users. More and more subscribers/users are expected to create their content in the future. This is not to mention how digital giants spend billions of dollars on content creation to accelerate technological advances in their businesses.

As telecom technology advances, so do telecom sector operators. Nigerian telecom companies like MTN and Airtel have recently decided to expand their operations into the financial services sector to include the provision of different business models and distribution channels.

In granting Payment Service Bank (PSB) licenses to the two major telecommunications companies, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) noted that it is enhancing financial inclusion and developing the payment system through technology-driven environments that are secure and reliable.

Despite Nigeria’s tech advancement, glitches in telecommunication and internet services make it difficult for businesses and banks to respond quickly to emergencies.

While many telecom infrastructures have been vandalized over time, and the issue becomes worse when poor telecom services affect service delivery, the fight to ensure technological integration by many telecom service providers promises a brighter prospect of achieving top-notch services in the telecom sector.

Additionally, the majority of telecom customers have experienced problems downloading and uploading content, thus the need to integrate and adopt new technological solutions in the telecom sector is a wake-up call for all players in the ecosystem.

Awareness, support, and inclusion of all to ensure a more vibrant and robust telecom sector is imperative to achieve a thriving digital economy. As NCC, NITDA, telecom service providers, and stakeholders are geared toward the 4th industrial revolution, they need to ensure the development and integration of seamless telecommunication services to achieve a smart society.

Zeenat O. Sambo is a Staff Writer Tech Digest and Economic Confidential, Wuye Abuja

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TECHDIGEST – The global body in charge of telecommunications, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has said it is working with the Nigerian Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to ensure that rural communities in the country have access to the internet.

Newly elected Secretary-General of the Union, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, who disclosed this at the weekend, said only 50% of rural communities in Africa are connected, hence the need to work with the governments to bridge the connectivity gap.

Specifically, she said the partnership with the Nigerian government will ensure that more women in rural areas have access to the internet. According to her, when more rural women have access to the internet, their productivity would increase.

READ ALSO: NITDA: Kashifu Inuwa Shares Insight on Nigeria’s Fintech

Speaking at an event organized by Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN) to mark the 2022 International Women’s Day, Bogdan-Martin said rural women in Africa are playing critical roles in food production and need to be connected to the internet to enhance their productivity.

“We are working with Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to connect Nigerian rural women. We want to make sure that every rural area in Nigeria is connected, especially for rural women that are producing most of the foods that we eat.

“We have discovered that 70% of Africa’s foods are produced by rural women but only 34% of them use the internet. These women need to be connected. Technology can help farmers in monitoring crops, predicting weather conditions as well as combating agricultural pests, and this is the area we are working with Nigeria to bridge the connectivity gap in rural areas,” she said.

Also speaking at the event, the executive vice chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, urged rural women, and farmers, to leverage technology to boost food production. While noting that modern agricultural technology increases employment, efficiency in production, and time and cost reduction, the EVC said:

“Today, the telecommunications industry plays a crucial role in providing the requisite support for the diversification of the economy through improving the knowledge economy using ICT as an enabler. It has enhanced human capabilities in areas such as health, education, agriculture, finance, transportation, commerce, and governance.”

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TECHDIGEST – Nigerian government agencies, under the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, have unveiled tech-based innovations they recorded in recent times, as part of accelerating Nigeria’s digital economy vision.

The successes recorded by the agencies were showcased at the ongoing Gulf Information Technology Exhibition, GITEX 2022. They were exhibited alongside some creative ICT inventions of Nigerian tech wizards and young start-ups at the Dubai World Trade Centre, venue of this year’s GITEX.

The Nigerian delegation at GITEX is led by Minister of Digital Economy, Prof Ali Isa Pantami with a clear objective to network and showcase indigenous tech solutions to the world and attract Foreign Direct Investment towards enhancing technology transfer, in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria.

The delegation includes the Executive Vice-Chairman of of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof.Umaru Danbatta; Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone ltd, Professor Muhammad Bello Abubakar Bello; the Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi; Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), alongside some Nigerian private sector ICT entrepreneurs.

Other exhibitors include National Automobile Design Development Council (NADDC), Nigerian Petroleum Exchange (NIPEX) and Bank of Industry (BOI).

A NIMC female exhibitor, Mrs Jamila Muhammad told foreign visitors at the Nigerian stand that the National Identification Number (NIN) enrollment in the diaspora is ongoing in over 40 countries,

“The innovations we launched in order to modernize the NIN in Nigeria is world-class, especially using ICT technologies,” she said

Head of Marketing at Galaxy Backbone, Chidi Okpala, who is in Dubai for the GITEX, lauded the enabling digital environment in the country which is responsible for the robust tech innovations introduced at GBB Nigeria.

He told PRNigeria, on the sideline of the GITEX event, that their agency, in particular, has tremendously boosted CLOUD and DATACENTRE Services for ICT firms in the country.

“Some tech-oriented services we have launched recently include GBB web, GGB Colo + , GxCP Backup and GBB Cloud Platform – GxCP.

READ ALSO: GITEX 2022: AWS Hosts NITDA Boss, Nigerian Startups on Partnership Drive

“Our Tier IV Cloud and Business Continuity Data Centre provides colocation and cloud services as well as provide the back-up for the GBB Tier III Data Centre. It is a Prefabricated modular Data Centre with unique abilities to support Artificial Intelligence and provide high reliability and availability, as well as green and low level energy consumption,” he said.

The NCC, on its part, has earned a reputation as a foremost Telecom regulatory agency in Africa.

“The Commission is hoping to catalyze the use of ICT for different aspects of national development.

“The Commission has initiated several programs such as State Accelerated Broadband Initiative (SAB) and Wire Nigeria Project (WIN) to help stimulate demand and accelerate the uptake of ICT tools and services necessary for the enthronement of a knowledge society in Nigeria,” a leading member of the NCC’s delegation to GITEX said.

By PRNigeria

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TECHDIGEST – Nine Nigerian technology innovators and startups have booked their spots in the semi final of the Supernova Challenge Pitch Competition organised by North Star Dubai, at the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX), taking place in United Arab Emirates.

Supernova Challenge is the biggest pitch competition in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, where Startups have opportunity to become the next unicorn, with upto $200,000 in cash prizes up for grabs.

As officially announced by North Star Dubai on their website, the Startups are Identity Pass, 9JaCodeKids Academy, Floews, Medtech, Paddycover, Pricepally, LiveBic, Technyon Technologies, and Wellness Health Technologies.

READ ALSO: Pantami Unveils Packages for Start-Ups as Nigerian Innovator Secures $10mntami Deal at GITEX2022

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) while inaugurating the Nigerian pavilion, commended the Startups that have so far scaled the competition’s preliminary stages, and expressed confidence in the ability of the team to progress to the finals and hopefully clinch the ultimate prize.

Prof. Pantami said, “Each and every year, Nigeria has been attending the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition GITEX because of its enormous benefits; these benefits are many, critical among them is attracting foreign direct investment”.

Accompanied by the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, The Executive Vice-chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC), Engr Aliyu Aziz and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Muhammed Bello Abubakar as well as some Nigerian private ICT entrepreneurs, the Minister expressed delight in the highest number of startups at the 2022 GITEX.

“We have recorded significant milestones and great accomplishments in our bid to drive Nigeria’s economy digitally and our modest successes are verifiable”.

According to Professor Pantami, the federal government, in the last three years launched several programmes, policies and initiatives that are entrenching the trust between the tech ecosystem and the government towards strengthening the Nigerian digital economy sector.

The Director-General of NITDA Kashifu Inuwa CCIE also shared same optimism with the Minister as he noted that the Nigerian team will ace the competition and once again place the country on the global map.

Inuwa urged the tech innovators to ensure they also learn, unlearn and relearn by participating in other sideline events and conferences in order to build the necessary networks to add value to their craft.

GITEX Global 2022 is a meeting point for technology professionals and enthusiasts. The event is a thrust for the Global Startup Movement attracting world’s biggest technology mentors, angel investors and venture capitalists.

Nigerian startups are showcasing their innovative ideas to the world, interacting with other startups from different parts of Asia, Africa and Europe; luring investors to come to Nigeria and invest money in the country’s fast growing Digital economy.

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