Technology
Tijani Lauds Huawei on Driving Nigeria’s Digital Infrastructure
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, has lauded the Chinese multinational corporation and technology company, Huawei Technology Company Limited, for its investment in Nigeria’s digital sector.
He highlighted Huawei’s strong commitment to building national digital infrastructure and commended the company’s efforts in launching an Innovation Centre and fostering local talent development at the Huawei Day Nigeria 2025 Government Forum, held in Lagos.
He expressed appreciation for Huawei’s ongoing contributions to Nigeria’s digital transformation and emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between the ministry and Huawei.
The Huawei Day Nigeria 2025 Government Forum brought together top government and industry leaders to explore the transformative impact of digital technologies on governance, security, and public service delivery.
The forum featured a series of presentations with key leaders sharing their vision for the future of Nigeria’s digital landscape and the pivotal role of ICT in driving national progress.
The government forum organised as part of the activities in the ongoing Huawei Day Nigeria 2025 had speakers from various government MDAs share insights and best practices on digital transformation urban security， intelligent traffic and video surveillance, and ICT talent cultivation.
On his part, Mr Olusegun Olulade, the Executive Director, Centricity and Marketing of Galaxy Backbone stressed the importance of E-Government Network & Cloud in enabling Nigeria’s digital services.
He disclosed that “Galaxy Backbone’s cloud infrastructure is crucial for supporting Nigeria’s digital programmes by enhancing secure communication and data exchange across government ministries and agencies.
“It enables seamless interoperability, real-time data sharing, and improved decision-making, while ensuring robust cybersecurity.”
Furthering the discourse, Huawei Global Public Sector BU Chief Technology Officer, Mr Augustine Chiew, highlighted the cruciality of smart cities for Urban Digital Transformation.
“Smart city initiatives are reshaping urban environments by leveraging AI-powered surveillance, IoT platforms, and scalable cloud solutions to enhance traffic management, public safety, and overall quality of life.
“Cities like Lagos and Abuja are benefiting from these innovations, with a strong focus on sustainability, energy efficiency, and real-time connectivity, driving more efficient and livable urban spaces.
“Huawei smart city solutions accelerate public service digitalisation, serving 700+ smart cities in 100+ countries across the globe.
“Taking Lagos as an example, Huawei’s intelligent traffic solution has increased traffic efficiency, reduced traffic accidents, and decreased economic losses, which boosts city service efficiency and citizen satisfaction.”
The event had other speakers including the Director of Lagos State Vehicle Inspection Service, Mr Akin-George Fashola, who examined the importance of creating effective transportation systems in Lagos State.
He emphasised the need for the integration of big data analytics with video surveillance to enhance security operations and build public trust.
“This will contribute to multi-agency collaboration and improve emergency response capabilities, particularly in high-traffic and densely populated areas,” he said.
The government forum was an interactive platform for discussions on the impact of digital technologies on governance and public services in Nigeria.
The event underscored the need for enhanced collaboration between the public and private sectors to overcome infrastructure challenges, accelerate digital adoption, and build a more inclusive digital ecosystem.
Other speakers at the event include Deputy Comptroller General (ICT), Nigerian Immigration Service, Mr Mohammed Tukur Umar; Head, Infrastructure and Operations, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr Lanre Olaifa; ICT Director of the Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr Adeyinka Sorungbe; Head of Computer Engineering Department, Ahmadu Bello University, Professor Muhammed Muazu; and top Huawei executives.
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.”
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.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
WhatsApp has been updated with a web calling feature, allowing users to now make and receive audio and video calls, both one-on-one and group, directly from WhatsApp Web.
A notice from the Meta-owned messaging platform disclosed that this feature works without the need to download any app.
It was disclosed that this update was made to WhatsApp to make it easier for users to make calls wherever they are and on whatever device, phone or laptop.
Users will have access to features available on their other devices, including screen sharing, reactions, and a dedicated Calls tab with full call history and favourites, all from their browsers.
WhatsApp noted that calls from this feature are end-to-end encrypted, with no time limits and at no cost, as it is the same private experience they expect from the platform.
WhatsApp has also been embedded with easy call transfer, enabling the movement of an active group call from one device to another without hanging up. Users can seamlessly transfer calls to WhatsApp Web or Desktop when they arrive home to collaborate on a larger screen – or vice versa.
The platform further said it now has QuickHD, which allows for an improved video experience at the beginning of a call. With QuickHD, users can now enjoy high-definition video immediately in the very first few seconds of the call.
In addition, it has launched noise suppression to remove the background noise around callers so their voices come through clearly to the person on the other end, even in loud or busy environments. This can be managed at any time in in-call settings.
WhatsApp said these features are rolling out gradually and will be available to everyone soon, expressing its desire to make WhatsApp calling simpler to use.
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