Infotech
ONE Africa Digital Summit spearheads multi-sectoral conference programme at inaugural GITEX AFRICA 2023
Powerful forum in Marrakech, Morocco gathers government and private sector leaders to steer Africa’s transformation into a single digital market
January 2023: ONE Africa Digital Summit will spearhead a power-packed programme of mind-stretching conference content at the inaugural GITEX AFRICA 2023 in Morocco, unifying government and private sector leaders, policy makers, investors and academics, to steer Africa’s transformation into a single digital market.
The one-day summit on 30 May 2023 at Mamounia Hotel, Marrakech, is poised to be the world’s most influential and outcome-focused forum for dialogues, exchanges and collaborative intentions, accentuating the vast potential of the globe’s youngest continent and shaping the vision for a more connected, sustainable, inclusive, and tech-driven digital economy.
Organiser KAOUN International expects impactful partnerships to be announced, from collaborations on digital infrastructure projects and capacity building initiatives, to agreeing on solutions to boost regional interconnection.
With more than 80 per cent of Africa’s population having mobile subscription, the digital economy is becoming one of the main drivers of cross-continental growth. This is coupled with strong talent development and a spike in public and private sector investments.
To ensure that positive developments continue at a fast pace, heads of States and Governments adopted a bold strategy to unify the continent into a secure Digital Single Market (DSM) by adopting policies and regulations, and leveraging Africa’s economies at scale.
For the common digital market to become a reality, a lot needs to be done with regards to mobilising investments in digital infrastructure and developing the common regulatory frameworks on national and regional levels which will be examined, debated, and pledged during One Africa Digital Summit.
That will be one of many lofty goals among specific high-level panel sessions on the day covering crucial topics from the state of play in Africa’s digital economy and fast tracking integrated and inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure, to amplifying Africa’s resilience towards global economic crises, and rolling out 5G connectivity across the continent.
An historic launch in the world’s next biggest digital economy
One Africa Digital Summit will raise the curtains and set the scene for the inaugural GITEX AFRICA, the continent’s largest all-inclusive tech event, connecting tech titans, governments, SMEs, start-ups, coders, investors, and academia, to accelerate, collaborate, and explore new ventures in the world’s next biggest digital economy.
The super-connector event will take place from 31 May-2 June 2023, launched in partnership with the Digital Development Agency (ADD), a strategic public entity leading the Moroccan government’s digital transformation agenda under the authority of the Moroccan Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration Reform.
GITEX AFRICA is the first overseas venture for GITEX GLOBAL, the influential tech brand trusted by international tech executives, its record-breaking 42nd edition in October 2022 at the Dubai World Trade Centre attracting more than 170,000 attendees from 176 countries.
More information is available at www.gitexafrica.com
The Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Malam Kashifu Inuwa, on Friday called for an overhaul of curriculums across all levels to meet the 21st Century digital skills.
Inuwa made the call during a meeting with the management team of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), led by its Executive Secretary, Prof. Ismail Junaidu, in Abuja.
The D-G said the review would be in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, to create millions of jobs by leveraging on digital technologies and achieving a digital literacy rate of 70 per cent by 2027.
“Digital technology has an important role to play in the design of the curriculum, content and processes due to evolution of technology.
“Disruptive technology has substituted the way of doing things worldwide, of which Nigeria as a country is not to be left behind.
“We must lead in developing a competency-based, outcome-focused curriculum that addresses the demands of the 21st century.
“This will enable us to produce a skilled workforce capable of meeting the needs of the Nigerian market and attracting investment from other countries,” he said.
According to him, integrating digital skills into the curriculum is crucial for national development and economic growth.
He further said that government policies and objectives, especially as relating to sustainable development, 21st century skills, digital economy, creative arts and digital technology, would create a pathway for nation building.
Earlier, Junaidu, the NERDC Executive Secretary, stated that they were charged with the primary responsibility of curriculum development for the country at all levels.
He, however, said it required inclusion of digital literacy as a critical area for the development of any country.
The ES noted that the visit was to scale up the existing partnership and to explore potential areas that both organisations would join forces for national development.
Junaidu added that the institution was also responsible for undertaking and promoting book development.
He further said that the institution was also responsible for local authorship for quality assurance, conducting educational research for public policies formulation and implementation and developing Nigerian languages.
By Blessing Emmanuel, Abuja
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has taken a significant step towards driving the implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act (NSA) with the inauguration of a Startup Labelling Committee. This committee, inaugurated by NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, comprises representatives from both the public and private sectors.
Enacted on October 19, 2022, the NSA established a legal and institutional framework to foster the development and growth of Nigerian startups. A critical provision within the Act is the Startup Label, which recognises eligible startups and grants them access to various benefits outlined in the NSA. The issuance of the Startup Label hinges on a thorough assessment and validation process to ensure a startup meets the eligibility criteria as defined by the Act. The newly formed committee will play a pivotal role in overseeing this process.
In his address at the inauguration ceremony, Inuwa emphasised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s unwavering dedication to fostering an environment conducive to the growth and success of young Nigerian innovators. He acknowledged the pivotal role startups will play in propelling the nation’s economic development and the significance of the committee’s work in nurturing and supporting these enterprises.
Inuwa elaborated on the various initiatives and support mechanisms the government plans to implement, aimed at reducing hurdles and providing financial assistance and mentorship opportunities to young entrepreneurs. He expressed optimism about the future, asserting that with the right support, these budding innovators could transform their ideas into thriving enterprises, contributing significantly to job creation and the overall economic prosperity of Nigeria in line with President Tinubu’s priority to “reform the economy to deliver sustained inclusive growth.”
He urged stakeholders to join hands in creating a robust ecosystem that would empower the next generation of entrepreneurs to flourish and contribute to the country’s progress. Inuwa added that the committee will be instrumental in establishing a robust legal and institutional framework for the successful implementation of the Startup Act. Their collaborative efforts will ensure a participatory approach that benefits all stakeholders within the Nigerian startup ecosystem.
“The composition of the committee reflects the emphasis on collaboration. Representatives from government agencies, industry experts, investors, and startup founders will bring their diverse perspectives and experiences to the table. This collaborative approach is expected to lead to a more efficient and effective labelling process, ultimately benefiting the growth of Nigerian startups,” he stated.
The National Coordinator of the Office for Nigeria Digital Innovation, Victoria Fabunmi, outlined the terms of reference for the advisory committee. These include reviewing and evaluating startups’ applications for the label based on criteria defined in the Act, periodically updating labelling criteria to ensure alignment with industry trends, and conducting impartial evaluations of submitted applications.
Furthermore, the committee will recommend the issuance or otherwise of the Startup Label based on defined criteria, provide feedback and recommendations on areas of improvement for rejected applications, and engage startups for more clarity where necessary. It will also periodically review its activities and data on labelling to identify opportunities and gaps that policymakers may need to address, review workload capacity, and recommend a fair ceiling for the number of applications to be considered per period.
The Labelling Committee comprises nine members: four representatives of incubators (ISN Rep, North and South), two representatives of the public sector (NITDA, NSIA), two representatives of civil society, and the Portal Coordinator who will serve as Secretary.
The inauguration of the Startup Labelling Committee marks a significant milestone in the implementation of the Nigeria Startup Act. With a multi-stakeholder committee guiding the process, the Act has the potential to unlock the immense potential of Nigeria’s startup ecosystem and contribute significantly to the nation’s economic development.
Airtel Nigeria has appointed new agencies to handle its advertising and media activities in the country.
This was disclosed by the Director of Corporate Communications and CSR, Mr Femi Adeniran over the weekend.
According to Adeniran, “Following a rigorous pitch process, Airtel Nigeria is pleased to announce the appointment of three marketing communications consulting agencies to collaborate with the internal teams to drive Airtel brand communications, beginning July 1, 2024.
“Insight Publicis and The Hook were successful with their RFPs and have been appointed as advertising agencies while Algorithm Media has been charged with the responsibility for media strategy, planning and buying as well as digital marketing.
“MediaTrak Limited remains the media monitoring agency for Airtel Nigeria,” the statement revealed.
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