By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The acceptance of the Naira for payments for cloud services in Nigeria by global cloud leader, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has continued to excite its customers in the country.

Before now, Nigerians subscribing to the company’s cloud services were forced to purchase foreign currencies, particularly the United States Dollar (USD).

But to make transactions easier for its teeming clients in the country, AWS announced it was now accepting payments in local currency.

“With payments in their local currencies, customers can avoid foreign exchange costs associated with making foreign currency payments.

“This also removes payment friction for customers in countries where local regulations put limits on the foreign currency amount a customer can access,” the American firm said in a statement.

By lowering the barrier for Nigerian companies to pay for cloud services in their local currency, AWS has given itself an edge, but the growing local alternatives may still present a challenge.

The organisation said it is not just about price anymore—it’s about local relevance and helping businesses navigate the complexities of Nigeria’s economic environment.

The decision of AWS to accept naira payments comes in response to the growing appeal of local cloud providers in Nigeria.

Recall that in January 2023, the firm launched its AWS Local Zones facility in Lagos to reduce latency and improve performance for Nigerian businesses—often an important factor since many Nigerian companies host their services in AWS’s European region due to geographical proximity.

By offering a new payment option alongside this infrastructure, AWS can solidify its foothold in the Nigerian market, especially as local providers continue to present an attractive, economically aligned alternative.

“This is a welcomed development. We have been waiting for this to happen for a long time. I am glad it has finally become a reality. I don’t need to buy forex (foreign exchange) to pay for Amazon cloud services,” a tech enthusiast based in Lagos, Mr Kolade Adewale, told Business Post.

“I want to believe that the competition from Microsoft’s Azure may have forced AWS to include the Naira as a payment option. This is what competition does to the market. You can see such in the telecommunications and petroleum sectors with Dangote Refinery,” another tech enthusiast, Mr Goke Fashina, said.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, has said the federal government may consider between 30 and 60 per cent hike in tariffs and not the 100 per cent proposed by telecommunications companies in the country.

“I think it should not be more than anywhere between 30 and 60 per cent,” he said during an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday night, monitored by Business Post.

He said that even though the companies are insisting that a 100 per cent increase is what is needed to stabilise the sector, the government knows that such a level of increase will be harmful to the people.

“We have already made it clear that we are not going to approve 100 per cent. These companies are asking for 100 per cent, stating clearly that this is what they believe they need to get.

“But what we are looking at in terms of the sector is that if this is the sector that is responsible for driving growth in our country, it will be harmful to our people to allow MNO to increase by 100 per cent,” Mr Tijani said.

The Minister noted that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is still working on the tariff increase and is yet to arrive at a particular figure.

This points to continued standoff after it was widely expected that the tariffs will be announced last Friday.

According to him, it is necessary to look at the numbers, the implication any increase will have on the people and the sustainability of the sector for proper balancing.

Mr Tijani said that for mobile network operators to improve their service to the required standard, there is a need for them to keep improving their equipment.

Speaking recently, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr Karl Toriola, said telcos are proposing a 100 per cent increase in tariffs to the Nigerian government.

He, however, pointed out that it won’t get such approval but said a substantial change, beneficial to all stakeholders, could be agreed upon.

“So, I’m not sure they will give us 100 per cent, but I am optimistic they will give us something substantial and maybe progressively over the course of the year we can have smaller adjustments that will help us to get back to where we need to be,” Mr Toriola said.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria and the United States signed a new $2.1 million grant to lay at least 90,000 km of new fibre optic backbone infrastructure across Nigeria as part of efforts to boost broadband penetration to 70 per cent.

In a statement on Tuesday, the agreement was signed by Nigeria’s Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani; and the US Deputy Secretary, Mr Kurt Campbell, at the inaugural US-Nigeria Technology Dialogue in Washington, D.C. on January 10.

The project, funded by the US Trade and Development Agency, supports Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 with the goal of increasing the country’s broadband penetration rate from 42.27 per cent to 70 per cent and ensuring that at least 90 per cent of Nigeria’s population has access to affordable and reliable broadband coverage.

The US-Nigeria Technology Dialogue is designed to enhance bilateral cooperation in critical technology sectors and builds upon Mr Campbell’s earlier visit to Abuja for the sixth US-Nigeria Binational Commission (BNC) co-hosted with Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar on April 29-30, 2024, the US Department of State and Government of Nigeria-funded Global Inclusivity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) event held in Lagos on September 9-11, 2024, and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) AI event hosted by the US Department of State on September 23, 2024, in which Minister Tijani participated.

Now, the latest dialogue discussed enhancing the resilience and security of essential services and facilities; promoting digital trade, e-commerce, and innovation-driven economic growth; developing a skilled workforce to meet the demands of the digital age; expanding artificial intelligence partnership related to capacity building, infrastructure, and rights-respecting approaches to governance; and promoting information integrity.

The statement added that following the formal Technology Dialogue, the delegations joined a roundtable discussion with industry representatives hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce which saw participants included representatives from over 25 US and Nigerian companies active in technology sectors, highlighted opportunities for public-private partnerships and investment solutions to spur innovation and promote digital talent development through the US-Nigeria commercial partnership.

A second-panel discussion on the role of critical infrastructure in advancing the use of AI examined the interplay between the infrastructure that is essential to the development of AI and the governance frameworks that can help spur the deployment of emerging technologies to support inclusive growth.

Both countries agreed to hold a virtual expert exchange on AI-enabled biotechnology that will explore how the convergence of AI and biotechnology can spur progress in addressing global health, food security, and science – with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa.