L-R Tobi Akinloye Instructor, Osas Osaigbovo Community Manager, Olufunke Akinloye Founder, Toosin Adesanya Project Manager, Funto Olanipekun Instructor at the Closing Ceremony of Code Zone 2023 in Lagos.

Code Zone 2023 has successfully come to an end amidst commendations and accolades from parent, participants and other stakeholders. This fifth edition of the annual summer coding program which commenced in 2019 and holds every August was themed Coding for Sustainability, the objective was to drive the consciousness of sustainability in the everyday lives of the participants, this can be said to have been met.

Code Zone 2023 ran through the month of August 2023, with both virtual and in-person classes holding every weekday for the one month. The program had thirty-one participants of it target audience being Teenagers and Pre-Teens enroll in in the available programs i.e. HTML/CSS, JavaScript and UIUX.

As a standard practice, participants after the intensive period of learning these new skills exhibited their knowledge by presenting their projects in their areas of interest, this varied from Sports, Fashion, Entertainment, to love for Dogs, Games, Music, Gadgets and so on. It’s been an amazing journey indeed.

The Founder Mrs Olufunke Akinloye at the closing presentation talked about why Code Zone was started and the reason for having this year Themed Coding for Sustainability. ‘We are glad to be consistently achieving the objective of starting Code Zone which is to upskill Teenagers and Pre Teens with tech knowledge so that they can be active participants in the world they are growing into.’

Olufunke further said ‘The participants did not only learn tech stills this one month, we are glad to say they got enlightened on the general idea of Sustainability i.e. making the world last longer and livable for generations after them. They got more understanding on the three Rs Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and the need to consider it before items are condemned as waste. Each participant had to create a mandatory Sustainability page as part of their project.

Mr. Eniola Ilesanmi, a parent of 2 participants in the Program said ‘I am awed at the amount of learning my children have been exposed to during this program. The enthusiasm the children display every morning waking up early to endure they don’t miss class despite being holiday period gives me great joy and is testament to the Value the program delivered to its participants. My children became Zoom experts overnight alongside the coding skills they acquired. I am very glad to have been a part of it and I am already looking forward to the next edition.

Mrs. Maria Akinfe, another parent and guardian of 8 participants said ‘I am glad my children and their friends were able to enroll for Code Zone this year. I am a returning parent as my children have participated in a previous edition so I have assurance that their time will be well spent. The additional value of exposing them to the concept of sustainability is what amazed me. So the children did not only leave the program with coding skills but a decision to Reduce, Reuse or Recycle Items which as a parent I intend to give them my utmost support’.

Code Zone 2023 as an initiative of an African Woman, got some support from the JAMII Femmes, an initiative of Coca Cola Foundation and Women in Africa to support African Women Entrepreneurs for sustainable impact. The entire team of Code Zone express gratitude for the support.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr. Khalil Halilu, has charged the management staff of the Agency to put forward ideas on how NASENI can effectively support the priorities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu such as large-scale switching of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles to alternative fuels to reduce the cost of living for Nigerians.

He stated this as he began receiving briefings from the Managing Directors of the Agency’s ten (10) Development Institutes, situated in Enugu, Minna, Awka, Okene, Nnewi, Kano, Jalingo, Akure, Ilesha and Nasarawa.

According to Halilu, “our Institutes are the engines of NASENI’s innovation and these briefings by each Institute are critical as we work together to craft the future of NASENI, as it relates to delivering on the President’s socio-economic agenda.”
In addition to the Managing Directors, Team Leads of various NASENI projects, as well as the Agency’s Research Directors, also made presentations to the EVC on their various projects and efforts.
The briefings, which commenced on Monday September 18, 2023, are taking place ahead of the EVC’s planned tour of NASENI facilities across the institutes scheduled to commence in October.
Also on Tuesday, September 19, the EVC/CEO inaugurated a Committee to look into staff welfare, as part of steps to fulfil his pledge, upon assuming office, to ensure that NASENI becomes “a public sector employer of choice in Nigeria.”
The EVC tasked the Committee—made up exclusively of middle-level and junior staff of NASENI—with producing a Human Resources (HR) revamp plan for NASENI. According to the EVC, “Our junior staff are indeed the ones on the frontlines of our work, bearing the biggest burdens, and therefore deserving of special attention, support and welfare.”
To round off the week, the EVC/CEO paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, on Friday September 22, at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja.
Commenting on the meeting, which discussed opportunities for collaboration in advancing research in methanol production, lithium mining, and natural medicine, the EVC/CEO said, both institutions were “keen to jointly commercialize existing research outputs,” adding that “I have no doubt that NASENI has a strong and committed partner, in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.”
Halilu also met with a young Nigerian innovator based in Maiduguri, Borno State, Mustapha Gajibo, who specialises in converting petrol-fired vehicles to use gas and solar energy.

“There’s no limit to what young Nigerians can achieve in science and technology, and at NASENI we want to be a part of these inspiring stories from every corner of the country,” said the EVC/CEO.

Telecommunications giant, MTN is currently embroiled in a protracted legal battle with a former top executive, Mr. Ahmad Farroukh over the non-payment of his severance package.

The burgeoning legal battle with MTN, which still lingers more than six-years after he had exited the company is seen as a typical case that highlights the challenges some employees face when seeking fair treatment in the corporate world.

Farroukh had served MTN meritoriously and without blemish. However, his post-employment journey has taken a different course, marred by what many believe is an avoidable dispute over Farroukh’s entitled End of Service benefits had MTN been more judicious. The End of Service benefits accrued during his years with MTN and were at the time of his employment carried by Investcom, which was bought by MTN in mid-2006.

Mr. Farroukh, renowned for his illustrious career within the MTN Group for 9 years, served as the CEO of both MTN Nigeria, MTN South Africa and as Group Chief Operating Executive; managing 19 Operations, achieving remarkable milestones in growth and profitability, including the unprecedented growth of MTN Nigeria’s subscriber base from nine to forty million during his tenure. He was also the GCOE of MTN Group, superintending over 19 operations, the bulk of which, thanks to his instrumentality, were profitable. However, his glorious years of service has unexpectedly been marred by disputation.

Invariably, the bone of contention, it was learnt, revolves around Farroukh’ s claim for End of Service benefits entitled to him upon separation from MTN, which is believed to be in seven digits. It has now been six years since Farroukh initiated legal proceedings against MTN but the company is said to have engaged in delay tactics and stalling of the expeditious resolution of the case.

Many keen watchers of the case suspect that MTN’s intentions might be to deliberately prolong the case with a view to wearing Farroukh down, thereby pushing him to give up on his quest for justice or to incur exorbitant legal costs capable of deterring his pursuit for justice.

However, it was gathered that despite these obstacles, Mr. Farroukh remains resolute and finally, the court case is scheduled for October 16^th 2023. It was further revealed that his unwavering commitment to holding MTN accountable for what he believes is his rightful due has garnered attention and support from fellow employees and industry observers alike. Many view this present case as a test of whether MTN, a company that promotes fairness and champions employee rights, can live up to its public image as a responsible corporate citizen.

Mr. Farroukh’s plight raises broader questions about corporate accountability and the treatment of employees, even in successful and prominent companies. Efforts to reach Farroukh for his comments were unsuccessful at the time of going to the press. Similar attempt to reach MTN for comments was futile. But our very reliable source confirmed that neither of the warring parties is prepared to sheath the sword. As the legal battle commences, the world watches with bated breath, eager to see if justice will ultimately prevail.

The consensus among ardent followers of development in this protracted court case is that wheels of justice grind slowly but surely.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has extended the deadline for submission of applications and entries into the 2023 Talent Hunt through Hackathon to Saturday, September 30, 2023.

To this end, the deadline for application/entries into the contest, which opened on September 1, 2023, and initially closed today (September 22, 2023), has now been extended to close on the last day of September 2023.

The approval of the extension window by the Commission is to give ample time for more prospective and viable startups to tidy up their solutions in the required format for submission as well as to enable more upcoming technology entrepreneurs to participate in the competition.

The talent hunt is one of the means through which the Commission gives concrete expression to its Strategic Vision Plan 2023-2025, by encouraging the development of new technologies and indigenous content through cutting-edge research to stimulate sustainable economic growth and development in Nigeria.

Consequently, the Commission had invited the Tech Hubs, and Innovation-Driven Enterprises (IDEs) in Nigeria to enroll their start-ups and their solutions in the third edition of the NCC Talent Hunt Research through a Hackathon with a focus on three (3) thematic areas such as Blockchain-enabled Data Protection Solutions for Enhancing Regulatory Compliance; Assistive Technology Solutions for the Elderly and People with Disabilities, and Technology Solutions for Renewable Energy in Rural Areas.

The NCC Talent Hunt Research through Hackathon leverages Emerging Digital Technologies to facilitate the development of home-grown innovative solutions and local content development in the telecommunications sector while fostering economic growth and social advancement in Nigeria.

The competition enables the translation of novel ideas into the development of hardware/software solutions that address industry and societal challenges. The best three solutions, one from each of the three areas listed above will receive grants of N10 million each for the development of the solutions.

The Commission has set out eligibility criteria for those seeking to participate in the competition, which include that the Enterprise applying must provide a certificate of registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Enterprise must not have previously received support from the Commission, the project should have clear relevance to one of the three thematic areas above, it must provide a clear problem statement, proposed solution, and roadmap to deployment.

Other requirements include a proof of concept (which may also include technical feasibility of the idea with diagram, algorithm, existing models, or case studies; the solution must be novel with the applicant making a declarative statement on ownership of the intellectual property, the solution including prototype development shall be concluded within 6 months of receipt of the Grant and must propose a detailed commercialization plan of the prototype.

The Entry Submission format indicated that the proposal must include ideation,

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and solution, Current Sweat Equity Investment, Product-Market Fit status, Verifiable Go-to-Market status, Growth Feasibility Assurances, Maturity Model and Timeliness; and Exist time: Disaster Recovery, where applicable

All applications should be made online and must follow the stipulated entry format and there is no financial cost to participating in the competition while full control and ownership of the intellectual property of the developed solutions remain with the Commission.

The entries must be made by a Tech Hub/Innovation-Driven Enterprise that must show evidence of the relationship with the Start-up/solution being entered, a 4-page Executive summary of the project concept, a 3-5 minute video of the pilot project, names, age, contact details, passport photos and profile of all team members and the website (if available) as well as an E-mail address of the applicant.

All interested and qualified enterprises should submit requested documents in a zip folder to https://ncc.gov.ng/talenthuntresearchhackathon2023 with the subject of the mail titled “Submission from <business name>” and the zipped file named after the business.

The Commission therefore wishes to notify members of the public that the deadline for sublimation has now been extended to September 30, 2023, when the application and enjoin the startup ecosystem to note their participation.

The Nigerian government has subscribed to a free and secure Internet for Africa, which is capable of bridging the digital divide and creating innovative opportunities within the continent.

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who canvassed this position at the just-concluded Africa Internet Governance Forum at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to engendering necessary collaborations and international dialogues to achieve these objectives.

The Minister, who addressed the forum virtually, said Nigeria, as the largest telecommunications market in Africa, is conscious of all the dynamics of emerging technologies around Internet usage and would continue to work with countries in Africa on different fronts to ensure that the Internet is effectively governed so its innumerable resources can be leveraged for citizens and nation’s growth.

“The need for our consistent collaboration to develop our economy collectively is preeminent in the agenda of the current administration in Nigeria. It is through this kind of forum that we can bridge the digital divides, enhance cybersecurity, ensure digital rights and foster innovation. It is, therefore, our collective duty to ensure that the Internet remains open, safe and beneficial for all,” Tijani told parliamentarians and other participants from Africa who attended the forum in Abuja.

The Minister encouraged all the stakeholders to prioritise a collaborative approach to creating policies and strategies that will shape the future of the Internet in Africa, the future that will reflect Africa’s shared values, aspirations and diversity.

Tijani specially commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other agencies that constituted the Local Organising Committee (LOG), on behalf of the Nigerian government as well as all sponsors, for a successful 2023 AfIGF. The Minister was delighted that their effective planning and dedication to driving change in Africa’s digital future is commendable.

Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who, at the opening and closing ceremony of the event as well as in panel discussions, provided insights on NCC’s commitment to driving a secure Internet ecosystem in Nigeria through various regulatory initiatives. Danbatta stated that Nigeria has attained tremendous growth in broadband penetration, basic Internet usage, and voice subscriptions and recorded impressive contributions to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The NCC CEO said that, as Nigeria hosted this year’s edition of the AfIGF, the country was focused on sharing experiences with other sister nations in Africa as well as learning from the AfIGF parliamentarians from Africa who gathered at the forum to collectively drive the frontiers of the ideals of proper utilization of Internet resources to promote socio-economic development on the African continent.

Chief of the Section on Innovation and Technology at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Dr. Mactar Seck, thanked the NCC and all entities of government that provided support and played a great role in ensuring the success of the event, said with a forum such as the AfIGF, African nations can continue to aggregate views that allow them to speak with one voice to get greater benefits for African economic development.

“I sincerely thank the EVC of the NCC, Prof. Danbatta, who is playing a great role in the development of digital technology in Nigeria. I also appreciate the AfIGF Secretary General, other sister agencies, and the Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) that made the event successful,” he said.

Also speaking at the weeklong event, the Secretary of the African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance, Honourable Samuel George of Ghana, called for free Internet “that is inclusive, safe and secured for all citizens of Africa.” He said this can only be achieved through collaborative effort by coming together to build an inclusive Africa.

“For Africa to be self-sufficient, it must create an enabling environment and laws and provide digital infrastructures for young innovators to strive. This will, in turn, promote indigenous and local content development in technological development,” George said.

This year’s edition of the AfIGF with the theme: “Transforming Africa’s Digital Landscape: Empowering Inclusion, Security and Innovation”, which took place at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, provided yet another veritable platform for African countries to discuss germane issues that will pave the way for the development of a more robust digital economy in the continent.

Meanwhile, after the event, a communique was issued detailing resolutions made at the event and concrete recommendations, based on which Danbatta urged the participants to ensure effective implementations when they return to their respective countries ahead of next year’s forum.

Before the AfIGF, which started from September 19-23, 2023, the 11th Africa School of Internet Governance (AfriSIG), took place from September 13-18, 2023 and was facilitated by the Association for Progressive Communications, the Africa Union, Research ICT Africa, the Africa Parliamentary Track and the United Nations-IGF Secretariat and the Africa Youth IGF.