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RoW Reforms Will Deepen Broadband Penetration in Nigeria-Danbatta

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BY LINDA JACOBS, Lagos, Nigeria

The executive vice chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, has stated that the Technical Assistance on Right of Way (RoW) reforms will assist in our quest for deepening broadband penetration in Nigeria.

The Nigerian telecom regulator stated this at a one-day the first Nigeria Technical Conference on the Right of Way (RoW) virtual forum organised by in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the British Government through its Prosperity Fund’s Digital Access Programme.

The Prosperity Fund’s Digital Access Programme has taken the next step in its pledge to support and promote inclusive and sustainable digital access to unserved and underserved communities in Nigeria.

Reacting to the technical study and the next steps on, Danbatta, represented by the Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management (ECSM), Mr. Adeleke Adewolu also thanked the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme for their support in championing reforms on RoW to deepen digital inclusion in Nigeria.

 “The Technical Assistance on RoW reforms will assist in our quest for deepening broadband penetration in Nigeria. NCC is willing and ready to advance the reforms noted in the technical study and will collaborate with stakeholders to effect it in the short, medium and long term,” he added.

Speaking earlier, Hon. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isah Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) who gave the keynote address and said: “I want to thank the UK Government for supporting the Nigeria Digital Economy agenda.  Earlier the UK Government supported us in the development of the new national broadband plan through the Digital Access Programme.

“Nigeria has in the last on year of my time as Minister, added 10% to the broadband penetration level in the country. RoW reforms is the key to unlocking Nigeria’s digital economy for inclusive digital growth and we have worked with the Nigerian Governors Forum to achieve some important results already.  We will continue to champion this reforms on RoW and work on the challenges identified by the technical study.”

further aggregate views from key stakeholders, towards the advancement of policy and regulatory reforms on Right of Way (RoW) and Issuance of Planning permits for Mast and Towers.

The virtual forum is one of the key deliverable of the UK’s Technical Assistance project on RoW, which was initiated in April 2020 to assess the existing strategy, charging regime and measure that against economic development indicators.

Funded and overseen by the Digital Access Programme, Greenfields Law, a leading telecom policy, law and regulation firm in Nigeria had engaged with key stakeholders and proposed effective solutions based on the evidence gathered, while taking into account international best practice.

Delivering the opening remarks, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing commended the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and said:

“Nigeria has seen great progress in the effort to provide inclusive digital access to millions of its citizens. The COVID19 pandemic has however, made the world rely more heavily on internet connectivity for access to basic necessities – health, education, work, shopping, convenience and other services. As such, substantial digital inequities have been revealed.

“The UK is keen to support the promotion of affordable, inclusive, safe and secure digital access for underserved or excluded populations, and this conference is a significant step to discuss the technical findings of our preliminary study, outcomes, lingering challenges and the way forward.

“I hope that today’s deliberation will culminate into an increased digital inclusion as a basis for a more thriving local tech ecosystem, generating skilled jobs and innovative solutions for local development challenges.”

Applauding State Governments that have announced the reforms on RoW, the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme Adviser and Country Lead, Idongesit Udoh, said:

“This project will help accelerate the roll-out of backbone connectivity infrastructure, to underserved communities which is the key to unlocking Nigeria’s digital economy for inclusive, digitally-enabled growth, development and job creation for Nigerians.

“The Digital Access Programme is also working on other projects such as cybersecurity essentials upskilling for SMEs around the country and basic digital literacy to promote inclusive economic growth and development.”

What’s the Objective of DAP?

The Digital Access Programme is a UK Government Prosperity Fund flagship initiative led by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and delivered in partnership with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). The programme covers five countries: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil and Indonesia.

The objective of the Programme is to catalyse affordable, inclusive, safe and secure digital access for underserved or excluded populations, and to use increased digital inclusion as a basis for a more thriving local tech ecosystem, generating skilled jobs and innovative solutions for local development challenges.

Govs in Attendance

Other stakeholders at the virtual forum include the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, His Excellency Governor Kayode Fayemi; HE Senator Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; HE Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State; HE Abdurrahman Razzak of Kwara State; HE Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State; HE Rt. Hon Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State; representatives of state governments; members of the Presidential Committee on Broadband Plan monitoring and implementation; industry and private sector leaders in tech and telecommunications sector, CSOs and the Media.

  • For more information on Greenfields Law, click here

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Africa’s Tech Skills Development Goes Beyond the Classroom-SAP

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Tech skills development in Africa is increasingly going beyond the borders of the classroom as organisations take novel approaches to addressing pervasive skills availability constraints.

Kholiwe Makhohliso, Managing Director at SAP Southern Africa,  says upskilling and mobilising Africa’s considerable skills base is a defining opportunity for the future success of the continent. “Digital technologies continue to shape industries and businesses throughout the continent, driving high levels of demand for professionals with relevant skills. As the pace of technological change continues to accelerate, organisations increasingly need new approaches to skills development to keep in step with the latest advances in cloud, AI and other transformative technologies.”

SAP’s 2023 report ‘Africa’s Tech Skills Scarcity Revealed’ laid bare significant challenges with skills availability among organisations in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. The report revealed that low levels of tech skills availability affect most organisations, with four in five companies reporting negative consequences from a lack of tech skills.

While the tech skills gap persists globally – with McKinsey finding that 87% of global senior executives reported their companies were not adequately prepared to address the skills gap – the situation can be more acute for African organisations.

Cloud, AI skills in high demand

According to Manos Raptopoulos, President: SAP EMEA, skills availability has become even more important in light of the ongoing impact of cloud and artificial intelligence on the region. “Enterprises throughout the region are leveraging powerful new cloud and AI capabilities to transform their business models and accelerate growth and innovation. As the business landscape becomes increasingly shaped by the power of these technologies, organisations need access to relevant skills to ensure they reap the benefits of the cloud and AI revolution.”

SAP launched new learning opportunities for developers in 2023, focusing on cloud and generative AI capabilities. SAP Build Code solutions offer AI-powered productivity tools for developers and draws on the power of SAP’s AI co-pilot Joule to boost productivity and embed code generation capabilities for a range of applications, from data model and application logic to test script creation.

The company also launched new role-based certification and free learning resources for back-end developers in 2023 as part of a global commitment to upskill two million professionals by 2025.

Work-ready skills for graduates

The SAP Young Professionals Program (YPP), offered by the Digital Skills Centre of SAP, extends the company’s skills development efforts to graduates. YPP is aimed at enabling young talent to utilise the latest SAP technology and innovation, and covers software functional and technical knowledge and certification, with a strong focus on the latest technologies and a range of soft skills to ease entry into the workplace.

Since its launch in 2012, the SAP Young Professionals Program has trained and graduates more than 4100 candidates across 41 countries, including over 1900 in Africa alone.

Vincent Mabeka, a 2023 graduate from South Africa, says the SAP Young Professionals Program helped him improve his skills, learn about new technologies and gain hands-on experience and unlock new job opportunities.

“The Young Professionals Program required dedication, hard work and passion, but rewarded me with guidance, feedback and recognition for my skills and capabilities. This has helped me secure a job as an SAP Solutions Advisor where I apply the knowledge and skills I learned to exciting projects. Thanks to the resources and network I developed during my time on the program, I continue to learn and expand my skills and abilities.”

Youth skills development in focus

With the world’s fastest-growing youth population, any digital skills efforts in Africa must extend to the continent’s young people. Africa’s working-age population is predicted to grow to more than 600 million by 2030, constituting a quarter of the world’s under-25s. But digital skills remain elusive among Africa’s youth, despite a projected 70% of jobs expected to require digital skills by the end of the decade.

Enter SAP Africa Code Week (ACW), a coding skills development programme aimed at youth that is held annually in partnership with UNESCO, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa, and Irish Aid.

Since its inception in 2015, ACW has successfully empowered 17 million young people across 54 countries with coding and computational thinking skills, while close partnerships with NGOs and governments across the continent has helped drive the inclusion of coding in national curricula.

Toward the end of 2023, SAP also announced a new pilot project in partnership with UNICEF and other public-private organisations aimed at preparing underserved youth for the digital workforce. The SAP Educate to Employ initiative targets youth aged 16 to 24 and provides soft skills foundational knowledge using the Student Zone portal on SAP’s learning site. The knowledge prepares youth for a possible career in technology, with potential roles in development, consulting and support.

Makhohliso says the support of a broad range of partners is essential to overcoming youth skills challenges on the continent. “By directly addressing youth unemployment and inspiring our vibrant youth to pursue careers in the exciting world of technology, we together with our partners hope to mobilise the potential of our continent to become leading players in the future digital economy.”

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Schneider Electric Targets 900m Africans With Sustainable Energy Solutions

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Schneider Electric said it is targeting 900 million Africans including 95 million Nigerians with universal access to sustainable energy solutions in rural communities by fostering a greener and more resilient future.

The global energy provider said it is committed to providing access to clean electricity to 50 million by 2025, and 100 million by 2030. To date, 46.5 million people have already benefited from Schneider’s energy access solutions.

The country president, Schneider Electric West Africa, Ajibola Akindele, speaking at the Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF) conference, held in Lagos, recently, said they have a wide range of Access to Energy solutions suitable for electrifying small homes and micro-enterprises, fundamental public services, up to villages and communities.

“Our mission is to be a global digital partner for sustainability and efficiency, empowering all to make the most of our energy resources, bridge progress and sustainability for all. At Schneider Electric, we call this Life is On,” he said.

Director MEAS, Access to Energy, Schneider Electric, Thomas Bonicel, speaking on Schneider Electric’s Access to Energy (A2E) program, emphasized the program’s mission to empower communities through clean and reliable energy access including training & entrepreneurship programs, social & inclusive business, and investment funds.

“There are over 700 million people across the world without access to energy, 600 million in Africa and 95 million in Nigeria; at Schneider Electric, we have decided to deploy our Access to Energy solutions in Nigeria.

“Our major KPI is the impact measured by the quantity of connected people and with Villaya Flex, our latest innovation, we are ready to support independent electricity access and renewable energy adoption in remote villages and off-grid communities,” he said.

The commercial leader, Microgrid, Schneider Electric, Teina Teibowei, said, Villaya Flex, a packaged, comprehensive microgrid solution, is specifically designed for rural, off-the-grid communities and aims to ensure a dependable and sustainable energy supply to meet daily needs and power productive economic activities in these

Teibowei also noted the Nigerian government and the World Bank’s joint efforts to extend electricity access to rural Nigerian villages, adding that  Schneider Electric’s Villaya Flex microgrid solution is well-positioned to tackle the electrification challenges of these remote communities, potentially serving as a valuable asset for the World Bank’s Nigeria Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) project.

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Create AI Strategies In Line With Your Business Strategies – Deloitte West Africa Tells Firms

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Data Science and Analytics Leader at Deloitte West Africa, Jania Okwechime, has advised firms to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) responsibly and sustainably by creating AI strategies in with their business plans. According to her, businesses also need to put governance and risk processes in place so that they can innovate with trust and confidence.

Jania Okwechime disclosed this at an interview with the media at the sidelines of the just-ended 8th Ghana CEO Summit held in Accra. She mentioned that in this era, AI is transforming businesses more than anything else in the world and therefore called on institutions across West Africa to embrace AI.

Jania also advised businesses to take advantage of AI to improve and accelerate their products and services for the benefit of their customers. Although she acknowledges the growing adoption of AI in West Africa, she stated that the adoption of AI globally has moved from the Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) stage to more implementation stage.

“In the African continent, we are still experimenting with some of the opportunities that the AI can generate for the people. So, we see adoption, but it could get accelerated”.

“I think it is not going to be long before they would see the impact of AI. You already saw some of the presenters [8th Ghana CEO Summit] today specifically in the telecoms and advertising industry that, AI is already being leveraged by businesses. We are only going to see the acceleration in the next coming years”.

Why AI has become a buzzword

She noted that although Artificial Intelligence has been around for decades, AI has now become a buzzword.

According to her though Artificial Intelligence has been around for decades, businesses have now realised its importance and are now taking advantage of it because of the data explosion.

“Every time an action is created, data is formed. Every time we send a text message, every time we pick up the phone to make a phone call, every time we pick our favorite series on Netflix, it’s creating data. So, there’s a huge data explosion”, she mentioned.

“Ninety percent of the data that we used today were created in the past two years. So, you can imagine. Now we have no choice but to harness technology like AI to be able to gain insights”, she added.

Generative AI and the traditional AI

Touching on Generative AI and traditional AI, Jania reiterates the differences between the former and the latter.

In her words: “The difference is that Generative AI can perform tasks predominantly done by humans. Like reading documents, creating documents, generating videos, generating reports, etc.”

“Now, it is making AI more accessible to businesses in a way that they can harness in three different ways. They can change the way they interact with their customers and increase customer experience internally within their network and their internal organisations. So, that they can improve internal statistics”, she pointed out.

Continuing, she said by harnessing AI and generative AI, businesses can reduce cost by automating tasks, and can make things more effective and efficient.

“One thing that is key to also mention is why AI and generative AI are used today for automation tasks and improving the set of processes that businesses already have. Businesses that are going to be successful and thriving in the next five years are those which are harnessing AI to transform what they are doing. And this needs some more thinking”, she stated.

Concerns about AI leading to job losses

On concerns of AI leading to job losses and other things, she said: “So, that is the concern right? because I mentioned that there are certain things that AI and generative AI can do today that were predominately done by humans. So, that is a concern, and we understand why. However, it doesn’t need to be”.

We don’t need to worry

“We don’t need to worry about our staff and our talent losing jobs, but rather we must transform the talent.  So, things are going to change in businesses. Their staff are going to change the way they work. So, organisations are responsible for upscaling their staff”.

She added that “Because their roles are going to be transformed. Instead of one person being in charge of creating a report, now that person needs to know how to use and leverage AI solutions to be able to interpret that report to be able to make strategic decisions. So, AI has a big implication on talent and the responsibility and the responsibility of the organisations to invest in the talent and upscale it”.

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