He said the emergence of Technology-as-a-Service (TaaS) stands as a beacon of innovation, providing businesses with the tools to adapt, grow, and thrive in the ever-evolving dynamic environment.

Maida, who described this convergence as a paradigm that not only fosters innovation and growth but also democratizes access to cutting-edge solutions for businesses of all sizes, implored service providers to embrace this transformative concept.

Speaking while presenting his keynote address at the Africa Tech Alliance Forum (AfriTECH 3.0) held at the Providence Hotel, Ikeja GRA on Wednesday, Maida stressed the need for service providers to leverage infrastructure deployment to drive Technology-as-a-Service, which will propel the country into a future where technological barriers are minimized, and possibilities are limitless.

Represented by Mr. Reuben Muoka, Director, Public Affairs at the NCC, Maida said that through infrastructure deployment within the TaaS model, businesses have the power to access and utilize cutting-edge technology, catering to their needs without the shackles of long-term commitments or heavy investments.

“At the heart of the five pillars of the Strategic Blueprint of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy is Infrastructure. The role of critical infrastructure in enabling TaaS cannot be overemphasized; it is thus the goal of the Commission to boost Nigeria’s broadband penetration rate to 70% by the end of 2023 through the laying of 95,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables across the country.

“In a similar vein, and in line with the vision of the Ministry, we are targeting the provision of coverage for at least 80% of the country’s population, especially the underserved and unserved populations by the end of 2027,” Maida said.

The EVC, who stated that the deployment of infrastructure forms the backbone of TaaS, noted that by leveraging scalable and efficient infrastructure, organisations can harness cloud solutions, edge computing, and other advanced technologies, adding that the dynamic nature of infrastructure deployment ensures that businesses have the right tools at the right time without the constraints of physical infrastructure.

He stressed that the cornerstone of TaaS lies in its ability to revolutionise how technology deployment is approached, emphasising that traditionally, organisations would grapple with the complexities of infrastructure ownership and management, which is often a costly and inflexible endeavour.

“However, through infrastructure deployment within the TaaS framework, there is a paradigm shift where the burden of infrastructure ownership is alleviated, and the focus is shifted to accessibility, scalability, and service-oriented solutions.

While noting that the significance of TaaS is underpinned by infrastructure deployment, the NCC helmsman remarked that this marks a fundamental change in how businesses consume technology.

“It enables on-demand access to a vast array of technological resources and services, providing the flexibility to scale resources according to immediate needs, without the constraints of traditional ownership models. It is about unlocking the power of technology without being encumbered by the weight of infrastructure maintenance and management.

“This innovative approach carries with it a multitude of benefits. Firstly, it diminishes the financial burden by transforming capital expenditures into operational costs. This allows businesses to redirect resources to innovation and growth rather than fixed infrastructure expenses.

“Secondly, it offers unparalleled agility, enabling organisations to pivot, expand, or contract rapidly in response to market demands. Moreover, Infrastructure Deployment within TaaS ensures that the latest technologies and updates are readily available, eliminating the overhead of constant maintenance and upgrades,” Maida stated.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, will deliver the keynote address at the third edition of the Africa Tech Alliance Forum (AfriTECH 3.0) scheduled for tomorrow, November 8th November, 2023 at the Providence Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Aminu Maida | Biography, NIBSS, Arca Payments, BT Group, Cisco and NCC

AfriTECH 3.0 themed: “Technology-as-a-Service (TaaS) in Emerging Economy”, reminds us that with technology transforming at a record pace, offering strategic and flexible solutions is critical to staying ahead of the competition and growing your business. On the consumers/clients’ side, TaaS is simply a comprehensive, flexible solution that provides more value at less cost – allowing them to adjust to changing economic/business conditions.

Dr. Aminu Maida was recently appointed the EVC/CEO of NCC by President Bola Tinubu, GCFR.

Dr. Maida holds MEng in Information Systems Engineering from Imperial College, London in 2002, and in 2006, he bagged a PhD in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath, United Kingdom.

Between 2018 and 2019, Maida completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship (FinTech Pathway) program at the Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Until his latest appointment by the President, Dr. Maida was the Executive Director, Technology and operations at Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), the country’s central switch company owned by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and all licensed Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria.

Similarly, Engineer Ikechukwu Nnamani, the Chief Executive Officer, Digital Realty Nigeria (formely Medallion Data Centres), Nigeria’s premier carrier neutral data centre operator, will deliver a keynote presentation. In 2021 Digital Realty a real estate investment trust acquired majority stake in Medallion in a joint venture with Pembani Remgro.

Prior to being acquired in 2021, Medallion Data center operated two data centres in Lagos and Abuja.

Industry stakeholder; Engineer Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON); Dr. Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu, President, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS); Tony Izuagbe EMOEKPERE, President, Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON); Sola Akinsanya, President, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA); Muhammad Rudman, CEO, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN); Bimbo Abiyoe, President, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON); Amos Emmanuel, Founder/President, InnovationBed Africa; Dr. Babatunde Obrimah, Chief Operating Officer, Fintech Association of Nigeria (FINTECHNGR), and Jide Awe, Founder, Jidaw Systems, are scheduled to grace the Forum.

Speakers lined up for AfriTECH 3.0 include; Mr. Ifeanyi Akosionu, Managing Director, Inq.Digital; Dr. Obadare Peter Adewale, Chief Visionary Officer, Digital Encode Limited; Chika Nwosu, Managing Director, PalmPay; Kehinde Ogundare, Country Manager, Zoho Nigeria; Olufemi Ake, Country Manager, ESET Nigeria; Mrs. Aderonke Adeyegbe, Chief Executive Officer, Comercio Limited; Dr. Krishnan Ranganath, Regional Executive, West Africa, Africa Data Centres (ADC), Olayiwola Osoba, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Zone; Jude Ozinegbe, Founder/Convener – Cyberchain

According to the organisers, key topics to be explored include TaaS-driven last mile solutions, leveraging big data and artificial intelligence, inclusive product innovation, Driving ‘TaaS’ Model through infrastructure deployment, leveraging subscription model to survive tough economic times, cloud computing, omnichannel communications for improved CX, Consumer protection, fraud and data privacy, financial technology and blockchain, etc.

The past editions of AfriTECH were well attended by C-Suite executives, investors, innovators, senior government officials from within and outside the Continent. With over 1,500 participants and feedback on the events overwhelmingly positive, the 2023 edition is much anticipated.

Overall, AfriTECH 3.0 promises to be an insightful and engaging platform for networking with a vibrant and globally diverse community and an eclectic mix of offerings to enrich participants’ in-person and/or virtual experience.

Also, Africa Tech Alliance Forum Excellence Award (ATAEx Award) will recognize institutions, companies and individuals who play pivotal roles in the ecosystem in the development of Africa’s economy.

ATAEx award is merit centric for organisations and individuals that have contributed to the growth and development of the ICT industry in Africa.

AfriTECH 3.0 is sponsored by PalmPay, Zoho Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Digital Encode Limited, Inq.Digital, Notion Technologies, and Comercio Limited.

Others are, Africa Data Centres (ADC), Open Access Data Centres (OADC), Reliance Infosystem, Digital Realty, ActivEdge Technologies, WTES, ESET, Zone and host of others.

Techeconomy, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, RaveNewsOnline.com, ITPulse.com.ng, ITNews Nigeria, Swift Reporters, TechBuild.Africa, TechTrends.Africa, BusinessMetricsng.com, BusinessRemarks, DigitalTimesng.com, ITRealms.com.ng, GrassRoots.ng, TechTv, TechLifeWithUgo, DigiVation Network; TechnologyMirror, TechandBiz News; APNews, CyberEra, have demonstrated their support towards AfriTECH 3.0 actualization as media partners.

AfriTECH 3.0 is also backed by leading industry associations such as the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS); Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ATLTON); Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON); Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN); InnovationBed Africa; Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), amongst others.

Register here to attend free.

AfriTECH 3.0 is scheduled to hold this Wednesday, November 08 2023 at The Providence Hotel, Oba Akinjobi Street, GRA, Ikeja-Lagos, under the theme: “Technology-as-a-Service (TaaS) in Emerging Economy.

PalmPay a leading Africa-focused fintech platform committed to driving economic empowerment in Africa has been on the forefront promoting customer safety in the Fintech sub-sector.

Through its secure, user-friendly, and inclusive suite of financial services, PalmPay brings top-tier products into the pockets of everyday Nigerians.

PalmPay offers money transfers, bill payments, credit services, and savings on its app and via its mobile money agents.

Since launching in Nigeria in 2019 under a Mobile Money Operator license, the platform has grown to 30 million users, and 1.1 million businesses including 600,000 merchants and 500,000 agents are part of its cashless payment ecosystem.

The company has disclosed USD$140m of funding. The PalmPay app is available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store in Nigeria and Ghana, with more markets going live in 2023.

Speaking ahead of the session on Future of Money, Security and CX session at AfriTECH 3.0, Chika Nwosu, Managing Director, PalmPay, said that in building solutions to bring more customers from the informal into the formal sector, players in the fintech ecosystem should work on building customers’ trust as this is a key factor because customers have a lot of panic due to past experiences of failed banks.

“At PalmPay, we are centred on balancing security and user experience. We employ a closed-loop risk management system that involves continuous monitoring, analysis, and response to security threats. It allows us to detect and prevent risks in real time, reducing the potential impact of security incidents”, he said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the AfriTECH 3.0, Adeloju added, “In PalmPay we are happy another the opportunity to educate our users on how to safeguard their wallets, educate them on fraud issues and proffer safety tips to apply to limit fraudulent incidents.

He reiterated PalmPay’s commitment to strict adherence to regulations by government agencies like the CBN and NDIC which gives PalmPay users the confidence to trust that their money is safe.

Hosted by TechCastle Foundation in collaboration with Techeconomy and partners, AfriTECH 3.0 is a unique engagement platform for global thought leaders, regulators, and other stakeholders to discuss and collaborate on contemporary strategies for accelerating technology ecosystem in the African continent and globally.

Speaking ahead of the Forum on Wednesday, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, co-convener of AfriTECH, said that other key topics to be explored include TaaS-driven last mile solutions, leveraging big data and artificial intelligence, inclusive product innovation, Driving ‘TaaS’ Model through infrastructure deployment, leveraging subscription model to survive tough economic times, cloud computing, omnichannel communications for improved CX, Consumer protection, fraud and data privacy, etc”.

The past editions of AfriTECH were well attended by C-Suite executives, investors, innovators, senior government officials from within and outside the Continent. With over 1,500 participants and feedback on the events overwhelmingly positive, the 2023 edition is much anticipated.

AfriTECH 3.0 is sponsored by PalmPay, Zoho Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Digital Encode Limited, Inq.Digital, Notion Technologies, and Comercio Limited.

Others are, Africa Data Centres (ADC), Open Access Data Centres (OADC), Reliance Infosystem, Digital Realty, ActivEdge Technologies, WTES, ESET and host of others.

Techeconomy, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, RaveNewsOnline.com, ITPulse.com.ng, ITNews Nigeria, Swift Reporters, TechBuild.Africa, TechTrends.Africa, BusinessMetricsng.com, BusinessRemarks, DigitalTimesng.com, ITRealms.com.ng, GrassRoots.ng, TechTv, TechLifeWithUgo, DigiVation Network; TechnologyMirror, TechandBiz News; APNews, CyberEra, have demonstrated their support towards AfriTECH 3.0 actualization as media partners.

AfriTECH 3.0 is also backed by leading industry associations such as the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS); Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ATLTON); Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON); Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN); InnovationBed Africa; Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), amongst others.

Register here to Attend AfriTECH 3.0 FREE.

Themed: “Technology-as-a-Service (TaaS) in Emerging Economy”, AfriTECH 3.0 is also supported by Comercio Limited, Open Access Data Centres (OADC), Datasixth Security Consulting, PalmPay, Reliance Infosystem, Digital Realty, ActivEdge Technologies, Africa Data Centres (ADC), WTES, ESET and host of others.

Hosted by TechCastle Foundation in collaboration with Techeconomy and partners, AfriTECH 3.0 is a unique engagement platform for global thought leaders, regulators, and other stakeholders to discuss and collaborate on contemporary strategies for accelerating technology ecosystem in the African continent and globally.

Speaking ahead of the Forum next week, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, co-convener of AfriTECH, reiterated that today, the boundary between hardware and software is blurring. Software is infiltrating more and more technology products that used to function only by mechanical rules and analog signals.

“Different models of driverless cars are navigating themselves with sensors and software. This trend is not stopping. Hardware-based technology companies often find themselves falling behind their innovative software counterparts in identifying new value for customers.

“In more dramatic cases categories of hardware technology got replaced by software. No one still buys radio or CD players anymore.

Thus, software is threatening to replace hardware-based networking. The “commoditization trap” for hardware seems impossible to escape without a product strategy backed by software innovation hence over 70% of the world economy has become services, and this percentage continues to grow worldwide.

As of 2020 the United States produced 79% of its GDP in services. Majority of the companies in Africa are strategizing to compete primarily on a service basis.

This approach referred to as Technology-as-a-Service (TaaS), which is the rising future for technology sectors, will be discussed at AfriTECH 3.0.

Programmes expected at AfriTECH 3.0 include keynotes by Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) & Dr. Ayotunde Coker, CEO, Open Access Data Centre (OADC), goodwill messages by industry stakeholders, fireside chat, commercial presentations/product launch and media sessions.

The prestigious Africa Tech Alliance Excellence (ATAEx) Awards will be conferred on individuals and organisations that have distinguished themselves in Africa by leveraging technology to enrich the lives of the people.

“Other key topics to be explored include TaaS-driven last mile solutions, leveraging big data and artificial intelligence, inclusive product innovation, Driving ‘TaaS’ Model through infrastructure deployment, leveraging subscription model to survive tough economic times, cloud computing, omnichannel communications for improved CX, Consumer protection, fraud and data privacy, etc”, Peter Oluka, the co-convener of AfriTECH, said.

“The past editions of AfriTECH were well attended by C-Suite executives, investors, innovators, senior government officials from within and outside the Continent. With over 1,500 participants and feedback on the events overwhelmingly positive, the 2023 edition is much anticipated.

As Media partners;

The Guardian Newspaper (Nigeria), Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, RaveNewsOnline.com, ITPulse.com.ng, ITNews Nigeria, Swift Reporters, TechBuild.Africa, TechTrends.Africa, BusinessMetricsng.com, BusinessRemarks, DigitalTimesng.com, ITRealms.com.ng, GrassRoots.ng, TechTv, TechLifeWithUgo, DigiVation Network, TechnologyMirror, TechandBiz News, APNews, CyberEra, have demonstrated their support towards AfriTECH 3.0 actualization.

AfriTECH 3.0 is also backed by leading industry associations such as the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS); Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ATLTON); Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON); Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN); InnovationBed Africa; Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), amongst others.

“Overall, AfriTECH 3.0 promises to be an insightful and engaging platform for networking with a vibrant and globally diverse community and an eclectic mix of offerings to enrich participants’ in-person and/or virtual experience”, Oluka added.

Similarly, voting has commenced for the Africa Tech Alliance Excellence (ATAEx) awards through the: https://vote.africatechallianceforum.africa/.

Today, the boundary between hardware and software is blurring. Software is infiltrating more and more technology products that used to function only by mechanical rules and analog signals.

Different models of driverless cars are navigating themselves with sensors and software. This trend is not stopping. Hardware-based technology companies often find themselves falling behind their innovative software counterparts in identifying new value for customers.

In more dramatic cases categories of hardware technology got replaced by software. No one still buys radio or CD players anymore.

Thus, software is threatening to replace hardware-based networking. The “commoditization trap” for hardware seems impossible to escape without a product strategy backed by software innovation hence over 70% of the world economy has become services, and this percentage continues to grow worldwide.

As of 2020 the United States produced 79% of its GDP in services. Majority of the companies in Africa are strategizing to compete primarily on a service basis.

This approach referred to as Technology-as-a-Service (TaaS), which is the rising future for technology sectors, will be discussed at AfriTECH 3.0.

Hosted by TechCastle Foundation in collaboration with Techeconomy and partners, AfriTECH 3.0 is a unique engagement platform for global thought leaders, regulators, and other stakeholders to discuss and collaborate on contemporary strategies for accelerating technology ecosystem in the African continent and globally.

Key topics to be explored include TaaS-driven last mile solutions, leveraging big data and artificial intelligence, inclusive product innovation, Driving ‘TaaS’ Model through infrastructure deployment, leveraging subscription model to survive tough economic times, cloud computing, omnichannel communications for improved CX, Consumer protection, fraud and data privacy, etc.

The past editions of AfriTECH were well attended by C-Suite executives, investors, innovators, senior government officials from within and outside the Continent. With over 1,500 participants and feedback on the events overwhelmingly positive, the 2023 edition is much anticipated.

Overall, AfriTECH 3.0 promises to be an insightful and engaging platform for networking with a vibrant and globally diverse community and an eclectic mix of offerings to enrich participants’ in-person and/or virtual experience.

 “Africa Tech Alliance Forum Excellence Award (ATAEx Award) recognises the pivotal role of the technology ecosystem in the development of Africa’s economy. ATAEx award is merit centric for organisations and individuals that have contributed to the growth and development of the ICT industry in Africa”, Chike Onweuegbuchi, the co-founder of TechCastle Foundation said, who called on tech enthusiasts to vote through the link. 

“In its 3rd edition, this edition we are introducing an online voting process for stakeholders in the sector to select who deserves to be awarded in each category”.