By Modupe Gbadeyanka

All roads will lead to Radisson Blu Hotel in Lagos for the first Rural Connectivity Summit (RuralConnect Summit) slated for Wednesday, October 22, 2025.

The event is organised by a notable digital news platform, Business Metrics Limited, under the theme Rethinking Digital Connectivity to Unlock Rural Economic Potential.

The programme will bring together under one roof telecommunications operators, government regulators, policy makers, technology firms, financial institutions, donor agencies, civil society groups, community leaders and grassroots representatives.

These critical stakeholders will explore action points and practical solutions for extending digital access to rural Nigeria and reduce digital divide.

Dialogue at the summit is anchored on key pillars of unconventional infrastructure rollout, policy reforms, innovative financing models, digital literacy programmes, collaborations and use cases in agricultural technology integration, and enhanced access to healthcare and education.

The convener and partnership coordinator for RuralConnect Summit, Mr Omobayo Azeez, said the conference is a pioneering seven-year initiative designed to tackle Nigeria’s persistent digital divide and unlock the economic potential of rural communities.

It seeks to address the stark reality that, while cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt enjoy advanced internet infrastructure, over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s rural population remains digitally excluded.

Official estimates reveal that more than 20 million Nigerians currently lack any form of access to modern connectivity—a figure larger than the population of many African countries.

According to Mr Azeez, this situation not only reflects a serious access gap but also highlights a significant untapped opportunity for innovation, market growth and inclusive development.

“Digital transformation cannot be said to be successful if millions of Nigerians in rural areas remain cut off. The Rural Connectivity Summit is not just another conference – it is a movement to bridge the divide, create opportunities, and ensure that connectivity becomes a catalyst for national growth.

“We are setting a seven-year agenda that will continue to drive practical solutions until no community is left behind,” he stated, noting that the initiative builds on Business Metrics Limited’s strong track record of shaping national dialogues around Nigeria’s digital economy and telecommunications sector.

Its past programmes include the first national forum on 5G readiness in 2022, advocacy for a Dig-Once Policy to accelerate fibre deployment, high-level summits on indigenous content development, and Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) protection, among others.

With the Rural Connectivity Summit, Business Metrics Limited seeks to create a legacy platform where government, private sector, and development partners work hand-in-hand to democratise access to digital technologies and transform the fortunes of rural communities across Nigeria.

The October gathering will therefore not only mark the beginning of this multi-stakeholder journey but will also set measurable benchmarks for progress in the years to come, reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to inclusivity and sustainable digital transformation.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The chief executive of MTN Nigeria, Mr Karl Toriola, has said that Nigeria needs to invest in data infrastructure, power supply, and skills development to support the growth of Artificial Intelligence in the country.

This was part of assertions made as he presented his paper Toward a United AI Strategy for Africa at the ongoing 2025 Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) on Tuesday in Abuja.

He called on the public and private sectors to collaborate with it to address the challenges and opportunities inherent in AI development in the country.

Mr Toriola said the country required patience and capacity to build and implement AI solutions to maximise its potential.

“I would love to see a headline that says Nigeria has articulated a clear strategy on how to advance artificial intelligence.

“I would like to read that it has harnessed the resources, both private and public, and is executing them with discipline and labour,” he said.

Mr Toriola said that Nigeria had faced a significant gap in data centre capacity, with an estimated 90-megawatt gap.

The MTN Nigeria CEO, who recently became the VP for Africa at MTN Group, identified the country’s poor power supply as a major challenge, adding that AI data centres required massive amounts of energy, equivalent to one nuclear power plant per data centre.

He advised that the country should build sovereign data ecosystems, adding that it will require computing infrastructure collectively.

“There is about a 90-megawatt gap in terms of data centre capacity today. It is estimated that data consumption from AI will be 16-fold of what we are consuming today,” he said.

According to him, “What we, as a nation, are going to try to do is to build sovereign data ecosystems, which requires computing infrastructure collectively. We do have some connectivity, but it is a long way to go.

“AI data centre that are being built today are of the scale that they need one nuclear power plant per data center. And that is where we have a huge gap,” he added.

According to him, MTN will continue to invest, execute and deliver solutions to consumers, Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises that enable them to tap into AI opportunities.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has commenced a sector-by-sector investigation into organisations suspected of breaching the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act), 2023.

According to Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, Head, Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the commission, the exercise is aimed at safeguarding the fundamental rights, freedoms, and interests of data subjects as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, while strengthening the legal foundations of Nigeria’s digital economy.

Business Post reports that the NDP Act was enacted to ensure Nigeria’s trusted and beneficial participation in regional and global economies through the responsible use of personal data.

The action is in line with Sections 5(i), 6(a), 6(c), 46(3), and 47(1)-(2) of the Act, the Commission said. Adding that it has issued Compliance Notices to several organizations. The names of these entities were published on August 23, 2025, in major newspapers nationwide.

Companies under investigation include banks, pension firms, gaming companies, insurance brokers, and other corporate bodies.

The affected organizations have 21 days to provide evidence of filing their NDP Act Compliance Audit Returns for 2024, proof of appointing a Data Protection Officer with their contact details, a summary of technical and organizational data protection measures, and evidence of registration as a Data Controller or Processor of Major Importance.

The NDPC warned that failure to comply with the directive could lead to enforcement actions, including enforcement orders, administrative fines, or criminal prosecution as stipulated in the Act.

The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to promoting accountability and trust within Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem while ensuring the protection of citizens’ rights and the growth of the digital economy.

Recall that the NDPC had already sanctioned some companies including Meta, Multichoice, and Fidelity Bank in recent times.