Author: ITPulse

Leading Cyber security and Governance Risk Compliance (GRC) company, Digital Encode and Artificial Intelligence (AI) firm, NeuRaL AI, have indicated interest in collaborating with ICT industry media body, the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) to host its forthcoming annual multi-stakeholder conference. Also partnering with NITRA for this year’s event is the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), the domain registry that manages Nigeria’s .NG Domain System, overseeing Nigeria’s country code top-level domain, .ng. The event, NITRA ICT GROWTH CONFERENCE, which is in its fourth edition, is scheduled to hold at the Citiheight Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on Wednesday August 28, 2024…

Nigeria’s technology ecosystem is rapidly advancing, fueled by a new generation of builders, including DevOps and software engineers, who are diligently supporting the continent’s essential digital infrastructure. As highlighted in GitHub’s 2023 report, Nigeria has been recognized as the fastest-growing developer ecosystem in Africa and the second fastest globally, with its talent pool expanding by 45.6% within a single year. Spanning areas from fintech to blockchain, cloud computing to developer education, these engineers are not just coding; they are constructing the foundation of Africa’s digital economy. Their contributions guarantee that systems remain operational, scale seamlessly, and create tangible benefits for…

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has imposed a fine of N555 million on Fidelity Bank PLC for violating the country’s data protection laws. The investigation, triggered by a complaint from a data subject, revealed that the bank had processed personal data without obtaining proper consent. A statement signed by Babatunde Bamigboye, Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, noted that the complaint was lodged with the Commission in April 2023 by the data subject, where the Commission reviewed the data processing platforms of Fidelity Bank and found that in certain critical cases, the Bank processes personal data without the informed…

A new report from Google reveals that Nigerians are increasingly turning to AI to enhance their creativity and boost their career prospects. Search trends have shown a significant surge in interest in AI-related topics, highlighting the country’s growing adoption of this transformative technology. Search interest in “AI” has reached a record high around the world and in Nigeria, where searches have more than doubled (+130%) since the same period last year. Searches in Nigeria for “what is AI” also increased by 30%, while searches for “how to use AI” increased by 40%. Nigeria has the sixth-highest search interest in AI…

In response to the growing challenge of unemployment in Nigeria, especially among the youths, Alliance for Youth, a business-driven movement decided to come together to address the gap by developing innovative solutions that create sustainable earning opportunities for young people across the country. A report by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics has shown that Nigeria’s youth unemployment rate among individuals aged 15-24 rose to 8.6% in Q3 2023, reflecting an increase of 1.4% from Q2 2023. Thus, the Alliance launched in August 2021, comprising organizations such as Nestlé Nigeria, Jobberman Nigeria, Big Bottling Company, the United Nations Global Compact Network…

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Federal Capital Territory Universal Basic Education Board (FCT UBEB) are teaming up to foster a digital revolution in FCT schools. A two-week intensive training program in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Coding, and Robotics will engage 24 promising young minds from six FCT schools. The third edition of the Reality House competition, a creative problem-solving challenge, will bring together 54 participants – three students and a teacher from each of eight schools, along with a 12-person support team. The program, starting on August 17, 2024, aims to nurture a new generation of tech-savvy…

Africa’s largest telecommunications operator, MTN Group, has said it remained optimistic despite a significant decline in its group service revenue for the first half of 2024. The company reported a 20.8% drop to 85.3 billion rands, down from 107.7 billion rands in the same period last year. “We remained optimistic about our underlying performance and growth prospects,” said MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita, while acknowledging the impact of external factors on the company’s performance, such as the devaluation of the naira and the conflict in Sudan that had the most significant impact on reported results.. Despite this, MTN’s service revenue…

The latest insights from tech industry analysts peg the value of the AI market to more than $2,740 billion by 2030. This growth underlines not just how AI is fast turning out to be but also puts a dent in the profound effect it will leave on the next generation. Geonode’s tech expert Jos Gordon says, “With that projection in mind, it becomes beneficial and critical for today’s children to engage with AI from an early age.” Hence, our team explored five tools necessary for your kids. Why Should Children Learn the Use of AI Early? Learning about AI early…

In the perpetually progressing arena of AI, the hypothesis that AI might soon surpass human intellect not only stirs a blend of awe and apprehension but also beckons us to look critically at the implications, both beneficial and hazardous. As Philipp Pratt, an expert from Geonode, attentively notes, “The wave of superior AI intellect could potentially redefine our societal fabric, workplaces, and privacy. It’s an innovation with the dual-edged power to solve and pose unprecedented challenges.” Predictions of AI Overtaking Human Intellect AI’s quest to eclipse human intellect is increasingly echoed in various forecasts by tech visionaries and scientific pundits.…

By Martin Ekpeke For years, Africa was often described as the digital frontier, a continent lagging in internet connectivity. However, a quiet revolution has unfolded, driven by a critical infrastructure component: Internet Exchange Points (IXPs). These digital hubs number about 56 in 48 cities in 36 countries in Africa, according to the African IXP Association, have been instrumental in transforming the continent’s internet landscape, propelling it from the digital periphery to a more connected and competitive space. Africa’s geographical expanse and diverse terrain have historically posed significant challenges to building robust telecommunications infrastructure. As a result, most of the continent’s…