Technology
ABI Launches Blockchain Hackathon for Students
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Africa Blockchain Institute (ABI) has launched the Campus Blockchain Hackathon to give students from institutions of higher learning in Africa early exposure to the career and business opportunities being presented by the Blockchain/DLT Digital Innovations.
The Hackathon will create a structured and sustainable community that nurtures and empowers awesome developers by providing and democratising access to knowledge, capital and mentorship.
The contest seeks students from academic institutions of higher learning across Africa to build Blockchain Applications on Free TON that will add value to both the continent and the Free TON network.
FREE TON is as a community of the Open Source (OS) project that was created by the developers of the Telegram Open Network (TON). TON OS is designed as a decentralised operating system to handle decentralised applications.
TON OS has a stack of components which can be used by developers to create powerful applications. By making these components open source, anyone or everyone can view and copy fragments of the code.
Speaking on this, Mr Kayode Babarinde, Executive Director of ABI, said, “The African continent has this year become the new hotbed for peer-to-peer cryptocurrencies trading, as shown by the chain analysis crypto adoption index that places, for the first time, Nigeria and Kenya featuring in the top second and eight of global nations, respectively.
“This presents not only an opportunity, but a call for immediate action in grooming indigenous Blockchain ideation, deploying needed solutions, and driving practical adoption,” he said.
Also adding his input, Mr John Kanyiri, FreeTON Africa Representative and the FreeTON Africa Team, explained that the entry of FreeTON into the African continent is by no means an accident.
“Our governance model of a decentralized community-driven initiative resonates well with our African culture where community-driven activities is a norm.
“Transfer of knowledge to the juniors is also a role of the senior members of the community. For that reason, partnering with educational institutions, particularly ABI, in support of our University students is an honour.
“As the African continent endeavours to be part of global innovators and solution providers, FreeTON Africa is committed to engaging and mentoring the continent’s blockchain community today and beyond,” he said.
The Hackathon is planned to engage the academia on everything and anything they need to know about Blockchain technology.
Topics covered will not only give participants a good understanding of the Blockchain and how it works but will also discuss current and future applications and how they are being implemented to change the world profitably.
Some of these include: Fintech infrastructure/Digital Wallets (to help those who do not have access to banking); Human rights protections; Land ownership and registry; National voting platforms; High tech job creation; and participants are allowed to specify any other applications that best serve the needs of Africa).
The contest is divided into country competition, regional competition, then the continental competition. While the country and regional competitions are virtual, winners of regional competitions will receive an all-expense-paid trip to visit Rwanda for the finals.
The organisers noted that this is not open to only experts as newbies will work with some of the best technical experts in the blockchain community who will be there to help them build their projects.
The grand finale will be hosted at the African Leadership University, Kigali-Rwanda with the application opening today, December 21.
From January 4 – 21, 2021, there would be idea screening and award, while the application deadline has been fixed for January 22, 2021, with the hackathon dates slated for February 1, 2021, to April 8, 2021.
The hackathon program is in partnership with the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA); Ministry of ICT & Innovation, Republic of Rwanda; Government Blockchain Association – Africa; African Leadership University; and TON Labs.
Interested applicants can apply here at – https://africablockchain.institute/campus-hackathon/
Technology
The Difference Between VPS and Dedicated Server Explained
Choosing between a VPS and a dedicated server can be complex. They run apps and webpages. But they operate differently. Understanding the difference between VPS and dedicated server solutions will help you prevent complications and save money later on. In this text we will explain everything in detail with examples from actual life.
VPS vs Dedicated Server: What Actually Sets Them Apart
One physical machine is divided into multiple virtual servers by a VPS. Through virtualization software, each user receives a portion of resources that are separate from those of other users.
A dedicated server operates in a different manner. One user owns a single physical machine. No neighbors, no sharing, simply complete hardware access.
This is the core of the vps vs dedicated server debate. Shared hardware means lower costs, while full ownership means more raw power. Finding the best vps hosting service often comes down to how well a provider balances performance with fair pricing on shared resources.
| Factor | VPS | Dedicated Server |
| Resource allocation | Shared pool, virtualized | 100% dedicated hardware |
| Performance consistency | Possible noisy neighbor effect | Guaranteed, stable capacity |
| Scalability | Instant resize | Requires hardware upgrade or migration |
| Cost | Lower entry price | Higher fixed cost |
Performance, Cost and Control: Where Each One Wins
In terms of raw performance, dedicated servers are superior. Each gigabyte of RAM and each CPU cycle are part of a single project. There is no competition for resources.
Flexibility is where VPS excels. It takes minutes, not days, to scale up. Pricing stays lower too, since costs get split across multiple users on the same hardware.
Shared hardware limitations rarely cause problems for smaller projects. Providers like Antihost allocate resources fairly, so performance stays steady even during traffic spikes. The gap only really matters once traffic gets heavy and consistent.
The contrast of vps vs virtual machine is also confusing people often. A VPS is a virtual computer in a technical sense, but it’s rented from a hosting company, rather than running on your own hardware.

Matching the Server to the Project: Real Scenarios
A dedicated server is rarely required for a small business website. A VPS can easily manage moderate traffic while maintaining low expenses.
A growing SaaS product usually starts on a VPS and expands as the user base grows. This adaptability is more crucial in the early stages than brute strength.
A database-heavy application benefits from dedicated hardware once query volume reaches a certain level. In this case, the lack of resource sharing and a constant disk speed are essential.
A game server depends on low latency and steady performance. Many game servers run fine on VPS today, especially with modern hardware. As David Heinemeier Hansson put it: “Personal servers have gotten really scarily quick, inefficient, and personal internet connections rival what we connected data centers with just a decade or two ago.” That shift makes VPS a stronger option than it used to be.
Here is a quick breakdown of what typically fits best:
- Small business website: VPS, for cost and simplicity
- Growing SaaS product: VPS, then scale to dedicated later
- Database-heavy app: Dedicated server, for consistent speed
- Game server: VPS, unless player counts get very large
Summary
In every situation, neither choice is superior to the other. Everything impacts the optimal selection, including the scale of the project, traffic patterns, and all growth plans. Scale from what works now when the numbers really demand it.
Technology
Damage to Fibre Networks Carries Significant Economic Consequences—NCC
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Aminu Maida, has reemphasised the need to protect the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure, especially fibre networks, noting that damage to fibre networks carries significant economic consequences.
Speaking virtually at the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) Critical Conversation Forum on Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) in Lagos recently, he described FTTH as a critical enabler of Nigeria’s digital future.
“FTTH is uniquely positioned to meet Nigerians' next phase of data demand. The quality of our broadband will increasingly shape the competitiveness of our businesses, the growth of our digital industry and the opportunities available to our citizens,” the NCC chief stated.
“We must uphold deployment standards. Nigeria needs fibre that is properly installed, properly documented, and properly protected,” Mr Maida further said at the event themed Fibre to the Home in Nigeria: Addressing Challenges, Strengthening Standards and Ensuring Sustainable Deployment.
During a panel discussion titled Policy, Governance and Regulatory Alignment, the Deputy Director of Strategic Business Initiatives at ipNX, Mr Segun Okuneye, highlighted the need for stronger collaboration across the telecommunications ecosystem to unlock the full potential of fibre broadband in Nigeria.
According to him, sustainable fibre deployment extends beyond technology and investment to include policy consistency, stakeholder alignment, infrastructure protection, and shared responsibility.
“Achieving universal fibre connectivity requires more than deploying infrastructure; it requires sustained collaboration between operators, regulators, government agencies and host communities.
“When policies are aligned, deployment standards are consistently enforced, and critical infrastructure is protected, we create an environment where investment thrives and more Nigerians can enjoy reliable, high-speed broadband.
“At ipNX, we remain committed to working with all stakeholders to build resilient digital infrastructure that will support Nigeria’s economic growth for generations to come.”
Earlier in his welcome address, ATCON President, Mr Tony Emoekpere, underscored the strategic importance of FTTH in achieving the country’s broadband penetration targets while calling for greater public awareness around protecting communications infrastructure.
“This forum is critical because Fibre-to-the-Home is the technology that will enable the country to achieve full broadband penetration. We all depend on communication infrastructure, and it must be protected,” he declared.
Drawing a comparison with power infrastructure in the country, he added, “If somebody comes to your neighbourhood to tamper with your transformer or power cables, everybody will come out. The same thing needs to apply for communications infrastructure. When we see people damaging fibre cables, we should raise an alarm.”
Technology
Financial Services Professionals Discuss Meeting Rising Customer Expectations
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Thursday, July 23, 2026, provided an opportunity for financial services professionals to converge on Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, to brainstorm on ways to meet the rising customers’ expectations.
The platform used for this purpose was Core by Interswitch. It is part of the company’s broader commitment to strengthening Africa’s digital payments ecosystem by fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing and operational excellence across the financial services value chain.
At the event, participants, numbering over 400, also highlighted the growing importance of operational excellence in sustaining resilient payment infrastructure.
As digital financial services continue to expand across Africa, closer collaboration among financial institutions, fintechs and payment service providers will be essential to improving responsiveness, resolving operational challenges more effectively and delivering consistently reliable customer experiences.
The Executive Vice President for Operations and Technology at Interswitch, Mr Babafemi Ogungbamila, said the forum reflects the company’s belief that exceptional customer experiences are built not only on innovative technology but also on the expertise, collaboration and commitment of the professionals who keep payment systems running every day.
“Every successful digital transaction is powered by professionals whose work often goes unseen but is fundamental to building trust in digital payments. Core by Interswitch was created to recognise their contribution, strengthen collaboration across the industry and create opportunities for shared learning that ultimately benefit financial institutions and the customers they serve.
“As digital payments continue to evolve, investing in the people and processes that power the technology is just as important as investing in the technology itself,” Mr Ogungbamila said.
Beyond recognising the professionals whose work often goes unnoticed, the programme underscored the value of creating stronger connections across the payments ecosystem.
By creating a dedicated platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration and professional development, Core by Interswitch aims to build a more connected community of payments operations professionals equipped to respond to the evolving demands of the digital economy.



