Author: Akin Naphtal

2024 Theme: Leadership The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) launched the Girls-In-ICT project in 2012 to foster a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to pursue education and jobs in the rapidly increasing field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Since 2017, the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, led by Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister (MP, Ablekuma West constituency), has used the initiative as a platform to provide girls aged 9 to 15 (Upper Primary to Junior High School) with knowledge and skills in basic ICT and coding. Ghana adopted the Girls-in-ICT Initiative in 2012 on a…

Airtel Zambia has agreed with Zambia Industrial Commercial Bank (ZICB) to transform Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Zambia. This agreement is set to provide ZICB’s SME customers with advanced digital connectivity through 4G and 5G internet devices, enhancing their technological capabilities. The initiative tends to support the growth and development of SMEs by ensuring access to reliable and high-speed internet services. By leveraging Airtel’s robust 4G and 5G infrastructure, SMEs will have the tools needed to operate efficiently, access new markets, and improve their overall business performance. This partnership aims to drive digital inclusion and economic growth in Zambia.…

The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has launched the Ghana Girls-in-ICT Trust, a non-profit organisation built to support the digital training initiative for girls, introduced by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in 2012. The Trust was launched during the Climax ceremony of the Greater Accra Region Girls-in-ICT programme, which was held on Wednesday, 10th July, at the University of Ghana’s Cedi Conference Centre. During the ceremony, the Minister explained that the Trust was created out of “the desire of the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation to offer more girls a more in-depth training, with age-appropriate content, and a…

The Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD) has launched a two-day Mentorship and Climax session, to end its 10-day National Girls-in-ICT programme, themed, “Leadership.” The Mentorship session, held on Tuesday, 9th July, 2024 was held at the University of Ghana’s Cedi Conference Centre, where prominent female tech leaders shared their experiences to inspire the girls selected for the program. Chairing the event was Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann, an Associate Professor and founding Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Ghana, who encouraged the participants to seize opportunities, emphasizing that, “No experience is ever waste,” and that…

Ericsson has been named leader in the 2024 edition of Gartner Magic Quadrant for Communications Service Providers (CSPs) 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) Infrastructure Solutions. It would be recalled that Magic Quadrant is a series of market research reports published by Gartner- an American technological research and consulting firm, which relies on proprietary qualitative data analysis methods to demonstrate market trends, such as direction, maturity and participants. Gartner’s report unearths a comprehensive market overview of essential 5G radio access network (RAN) infrastructure capabilities, evaluating vendors based on Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute. The 2024 report exclusively focuses on…

American tech giant, Microsoft has increased prices of Xbox Game Pass, including the popular Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, in South Africa. This development will increase the cost of Game Pass Ultimate from $7 to $10 per month in the country. Additionally, the price of Game Pass Core, which offers a more limited experience, will increase from $26 per year to $43 per year. The increase occurs despite the South African rand maintaining relative stability against the euro and the dollar over the past year. For instance, in the US, the price of Game Pass Ultimate will go up by 17.7%,…

Global advocate for mobile operators, GSMA, has collaborated with TikTok, the leading short-form video platform, to transform digital literacy in Africa. This agreement paves the way for the TikTok module into the GSMA’s Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit (MISTT), a comprehensive set of free resources designed to impart essential digital skills. This initiative builds on previous digital literacy efforts, such as the TikTok and ThinkWifi partnership in South Africa, demonstrating a continued commitment to advancing digital access and knowledge. Integrating the TikTok module into the MISTT aims to equip individuals with the tools needed to navigate the digital landscape effectively,…

In the quest to drive Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reiterated its commitment to accelerate collective prosperity through technical efficiency in the digital ecosystem in the country. In a press release signed by the Executive Secretary, of Citizens Watch Advocacy Initiative (CWAI), Kenneth Aigbegbele, the agency emphasized that it’s necessary to leverage technology to bring the right level of economic opportunity. The Director-General of NITDA Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, made this statement while emphasizing on the need for a safe and inclusive online environment, responsible for human and artificial intelligence practices. Inuwa Abdullahi said:…

In a world where communication is key, Google Translate has committed efforts to break language barriers, enabling people to connect and understand each other better in the global digital ecosystem. Harnessing the latest technologies, Google aims to make this powerful tool accessible to a wider audience than ever before. In 2022, Google Translate made a significant leap by incorporating 24 new languages through Zero-Shot Machine Translation, an innovative method where a machine learning model learns to translate a language without any prior examples. This breakthrough was part of Google’s ambitious 1,000 Languages Initiative, a project designed to support the world’s…

US-based Esports organisation, Turner Esports, and Ghana’s KiddieeSports, have announced a partnership aimed at empowering children in Africa through the realms of video games, Esports, and innovative technology. This collaboration is driven by the belief that beyond entertainment, video games and Esports can be powerful tools for education, skill development, and personal growth. The partnership has five objectives, namely: Read2Play Flagship Program A cornerstone of this partnership is the flagship program, Read2Play. Now in its fifth year at the 21st Ghana International Book Fair, Read2Play merges books, literacy, and gaming, creating a unique platform for children to explore and discover.…