The Digital literacy App marked a leap in technological innovation and inclusivity with its design to interact seamlessly in four local languages: Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, and Pidgin.

The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, who was the special guest at the launch, recalled how NITDA and UNICCON Group had signed an MOU earlier in the year to partner on developing the digital literacy app.

The DG was excited as he revealed that he was privileged to represent the former Vice President to launch Omeife, the first Humanoid robot in Africa, in December 2022. Three months later, he came on a facility tour of UNICCON group, and thereafter, challenged the Chairman, Dr. Chucks Ekwueme, to develop the Digital Literacy App. “We need to use the technology to solve existing problems and decide on digital literacy because it is the currency to a digital economy”.

Inuwa assured of NITDA’s commitment towards investing in UNICCON Group in terms of research, and called for developmental partners to collaborate to achieve this vision. He further, commended the efforts of GIZ who are currently working with NITDA on the policy dialogue to implement the National Digital Literacy Framework (NDLF).

“As a government regulatory body, NITDA is saddled with the responsibility to deliver on the administration’s ambitious target of achieving 95% digital literacy by 2030, to enable Nigeria become a global superpower in digital economy, and Nigerians needs to be digitally literate,” said the NITDA boss.

He noted that the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, recently, unveiled a blueprint with a mid-term target of achieving 70% by the end of 2023, by training 70% of 200 million within four years in, in-person training. “That’s why we need this kind of technology”, he added excitedly. 

He further encouraged the UNICCON Group to attend the upcoming policy dialogues scheduled to hold in Lagos, Kano, and Port Harcourt, to provide a platform to exhibit Omeife and get possible feedback on how to improve on it, to make it the primary or main tool to implement NDLF in Nigeria. 

Accordingly, he explained that the policy dialogue is a forum where critical industry stakeholders participate to enable co-creation of the policy. Adding that Nigeria is invested in the application of AI, which is embedded in the blueprint launched by the Minister, and the President has given the mandate to grow the nations’ GDP and economy through technology. 

“AI has become an important technology in the world today and if humanity can develop it right, it would be the last invention needed as humans, because AI can do anything we want,’’ said Inuwa.

He disclosed more benefits available in AI, stating that if applied to its fullest there would be algorithms creating algorithms and robots working for humans. With the application of AI in biology, it will accelerate a lot of innovation. 

“There is the projection about a bio 3D printing human organ, likewise, there is conversation about growing plant and meat from stem cells. When there is a convergence of AI with biology, all these are possible”, he asserts.

“Today, we are building the technology here in Nigeria, for Africa. If we exempt our local contents from the AI we are building, our culture and values would be forgotten,” he added. 

Therefore, according to Inuwa, Nigeria and Africa should not be left behind in this fourth industrial revolutions (4IR). With emerging technologies, what is paramount is the talent and the people, which Nigeria has in abundance given our teeming youthful population.

“Technology cannot work without the people. It is like a ying and yang, the technology, and the people”, he affirmed.

Speaking further, he added that there is need to build and invest in digital literacy and talent in general and NITDA is happy to partner with UNICCON Group to make this a reality. 

He applauded the UNICCON Group for the convergence of the different sectors of emerging technology in their company. “This is revolutionary and a game changer to the future which is arriving faster than we expected. Thank you for taking up the challenge and delivering in a significant milestone”, he concluded.

Dr. Chuks Ekweme in his opening speech said that Omeife App is tailored to meet the Nigerian and African experience to users. “The App can be used both by the literate and the illiterate. We are working on making Nigeria become one of the superpowers in the world”. 

He said, Omeife is built with the capacity to provide an interactive, personalised experience for anybody acquiring the digital literacy skills.

Speaking during the unveiling, Dr. Chuks Ekwueme, the Chairman of UNICCON Group, shared insightful statistics to illustrate the poor inclusion and adoption of the blockchain ecosystem in Africa.

Today, the SmartAfri Token was one of the products that was unveiled during the official launch of SmartAfri Labs – Africa's Premier Web3 Ecosystem. #smartAfrilabs #blockchain #web3 #crypto #nfts #ecommerce #smartafri #uniccongroup #africa #africantech pic.twitter.com/RcAsUJMvKb

— UNICCON Group (@uniccongroup) March 30, 2023

“Africa has less than a 5 percent stake in the projected $1.1 trillion the industry promises. We have created technology and platforms to drive inclusion by up to 25 percent by the year 2025. Our VR headsets for example are more affordable, and will not exclude poor Africans from using the technology. This is inclusion.  It is erroneous to view blockchain technology as being crypto. It is much more than that, and that notion should be vacated. We have built this platform, which is a fusion of Web 2.0 and 3.0 and we are keen on being key participants in the 4IR. There is a huge market in our NFT marketplace as Nigerians and Africans from the creative and other industries can tap into it to generate wealth and add to the GDP”, Ekwueme said.

The novel product, which is the first African blockchain technology, consists of SmartAfri Chain (blockchain node), NFT Marketplace (Create and sell NFTs), SmartAfri Verse (Metaverse), SmartAfri eMarket (fusion of 2.0 and 3.0) and UNICCON VR(locally made and subsidized headsets).

The project seeks to increase stakes for Africans, encourage more developers to get into the niche, and overall, to drive massive inclusion.

Photos from the official launch of @SmartAfriLabs today at UNICCON Group HQ, Abuja.#web3 #web3community #nft #blockchain #techtrends pic.twitter.com/HcoXuuDVwd

— UNICCON Group (@uniccongroup) March 30, 2023

Speaking during the welcome address, Kehinde Ake, General Manager, UNICCON, stated that SmartAfri Labs offers exceptional levels of security, transparency, and efficiency, granting users the ability to transfer assets, save data, and carry out smart contracts in a decentralized and fraud-proof network. “We have created this technology to allow Africans to stand tall, raise their heads, spread their shoulders, and take giant strides in an ecosystem that was once alien to them,” Ake said.

Keynote speaker John Paul Nwobodo,  who is an industry investment analyst with Adaverse, spoke about the monumental impact of blockchain technology in a wide variety of industries. Using the banking industry as a point of reference.

“According to the 2021 World Bank report, 66 percent of Nigerians are unbanked, and the banked are being recycled by existing financial services providers. The cost of cross-border remittance is very high and using blockchain can help reduce these numbers, making cross-border remittances  cheaper and defying geographical barriers”, Nowbodo explained.

Eval Esege, the company’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) presented SmartAfri Labs and took the audience on an experiential  journey of what it does, how it works, and its many bundled benefits.

“SmartAfri Labs was borne out of the need to create a blockchain ecosystem that represents African values and culture. We have set up a partnership opportunity available from today to allow those who resonate with our vision to join us on this journey.”

The launch had in attendance, representatives from the National Information Technology and Development Agency (NITDA), the Nigerian Computing Society (NCS), Adverse, the blockchain community, and the private sector.

Chris Ebosie, Group General Manager at Uniccon, closed the event with a vote of thanks to appreciate the management, staff, consultants, speaker,  guests, press and everyone who contributed to the success of the event. A larger number of the audience joined virtually via YouTube, Zoom, Instagram, Twitter, and Discord.

UNICCON Group has been at the forefront of creating innovative tech solutions to solve problems in Africa. Recall that the company launched the first African humanoid in December 2023.

It has also signed an MoU with NITDA, and is currently supporting the Federal Government in deepening digital literacy in Nigeria. This move will see the realization of 95 percent literacy in the country by the year 2030.

The Nigeria’s Top 50 Digital Economy Enablers 2023 holds this week in Lagos February 14, 2023 at the prestigious Providence Hotel in Ikeja GRA, Lagos.

“The Top 50 honours corporate entities and individuals, who embody the struggle, profound insights, stamina, infectious optimism and triumph in the extremely challenging but rewarding Nigeria’s digital economy sector. The Top 50 in itself has become an institutionalised agenda to identify the industry leaders in general and specific aspects of the market,” organises announced at the weekend in Lagos.

“The 2023 edition (with a micro conference) is a coming together of industry players including TechEconomy, TechTV, ITPulse; and TechandBiz.com led by IT Edge News.Africa, to anchor an appraisal of market perforce, market (indigenous) actors and their response to local and global challenges across industry verticals,” said Olusegun Oruame, CEO, Knowhow Media, publishers of IT Edge News.Africa.

The event is a gathering of regulators and operators as the industry recognises its champions to discuss its future in a changing global economy. Confirmed speakers are National Commissioner/CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, who will be joining other regulators including the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and other industry leaders to share insights on the sector’s opportunities and challenges.

According to Chairman, Top 50 2023, Dr. Sola Afolabi, this year worked through a multitude of identifiable metric as the Top 50 does not necessarily benchmark on “the largest tech companies by market capitalization; or by sales/net revenue; or by employment size.”

The focuses on largely indigenous companies, including public institutions that have embraced change, inspiringly handled customer loyalty and retention; despite their size, and have demonstrated uncanny resilience, robustness and responsiveness to the challenges and inherent market opportunities in no easy way.

The 2023 list include Open Access Data Centres (OADC); FinTrak Software Co. Ltd; Ezzential Global Services Ltd; Crystalfix Nigeria LTD (CNL); Cedarview Communications Limited (CCL); Zora Communication Limited; Information Connectivity Solution Limited (ICSL); Unitellas International Limited; Swift Telephone Network Ltd (STN); HD Technologies; Smart Web Nigeria Limited.

The list also has among others: Skymax Integrated Network Limited; ipNX Nigeria Limited; Infratel Limited; Switch Solutions Limited; Broadbased Communications Ltd; Medallion Data Centres Limited; UNICCON Group of Companies (The UNICCON Group); Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN); Precise Financial Systems Ltd; Tezza Business Solutions; and Data Services Protection Limited (DSPL).

ALSO READ: Osinbajo Inaugurates ‘Omeife’, Africa’s First Humanoid

The Nigeria’s Top 50 Digital Economy Enablers 2023 is a rallying ground for private sector players to mutually advance the interest of the industry.

Kashifu Inuwa, Director General and CEO of NITDA has said the Agency is leaving no stone unturned in the implementation processes of the its Strategic RoadMap and Action Plan (SRAP 2021-2024).

He gave this hint during a virtual session with CDA Lead for Africa, Clayton Naidoo.

ALSO READ: NITDA Flags off TIES Scheme in Six geopolitical Zones

He said that NITDA has continued to collaborate with CISCO since 2019 when an MOU was signed, to build an incubation center that will foster digital skills and job creation for Nigerian Citizens.

Saddled with the task of leveraging on the opportunities available to Startups in facilitating a collaboration with CISCO, the NITDA Director General, today, led some members of his team to the Sharp Sharp Startup Company, one of the winners during the 2022 Gulf International Technology Exhibition (GITEX) in Dubai, on facility tour with the aim of facilitating collaboration between the startup and CISCO.

CISCO is a worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet with focus on networking, collaboration solutions, security solutions, wireless and mobility, data center, IoT, video, analytics, and software solutions. Partnership and collaboration with stakeholders, throughout value chain, and across the industry, allows NITDA to multiply its efforts and scale her impact.

In a similar vein, the NITDA boss, in company of Dr Yau Isa Garba, the Coordinator of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics NCAIR,  (A subsidiary of NITDA), also did a facility tour of the Uniccon Group of Companies Ltd, the Startup Company that built “Omeife” the first African Robot.

The NITDA boss recounted that during the unveiling of “Omeife” last December to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Hon. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), had encouraged NITDA to work with Uniccon Group on how to commercialise “Omeife”.

ALSO READ: Osinbajo Inaugurates ‘Omeife’, Africa’s First Humanoid

“We are willing to sign an MOU with Uniccon to infuse Omeife into our already established learning models if it has the ability to communicate in four identified Nigerian languages, namely, Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and Pidgin English, towards achieving 95% digital literacy in Nigeria by year 2030. This will, in turn, enable the citizens employ digital devices for economic purposes’’, he concluded.

Professor Osinbajo was represented at Friday’s inauguration ceremony in Abuja by Professor Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, who in turn was represented by the Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Omeife was developed by the Uniccon Group.

Omeife is with near-human resemblance, language competency, movement, navigation, and behavioural intelligence using AI and computer vision capabilities.

“We are living in an exciting time of advanced technological advancement, where the science fictions of yesterday are becoming the reality in products and services of today,” he said.

VP Osinbajo said the Federal Government had the responsibility to ensure the success of the project and urged stakeholders to key into it to achieve likewise success as well as develop new ones.

He also allayed fears that technology or artificial intelligence would take over human jobs and render people without employment, arguing that, after all, it was humans that created Omeife and other robots.

Chucks Ekwueme, CEO, Uniccon Group of Companies, said:

Omeife had the ability to speak eight different languages: English, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, French, Arabic, Kiswahili, Pidgin, Wazobia and Afrikaans.

He said the six-foot-tall female African humanoid provides language as a service for businesses that need to integrate native African audiences, adding that it is a multipurpose and assistance robot.