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Opinion

Locating Nigeria in the Global Digital Landscape by Y. Z. Ya’u, CITAD

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Late last year, the Portulans Institute, an independent, nonpartisan research and educational institute based in Washington, DC, released the 2024 Global Network Readiness Index (NRI 2024). The NRI annually ranks countries across over 100 indicators grouped into four broad areas or pillars: technology, people, governance, and impact. The extensive data used for the ranking allows for an assessment of countries’ progress (or lack thereof) in the preceding year.

In the 2024 ranking, Nigeria is placed 112th out of 133 countries, positioning it near the bottom of the ladder. This ranking indicates a lack of progress, as the country dropped from 106th last year to 112th. Nigeria is not even among the top 20 performing countries in Africa.

The results show that Nigeria’s performance declined in three of the four pillars. For instance, in the Technology pillar, the country dropped from 88th last year to 94th in 2024, while in the People pillar, it fell from 96th to 112th. Similarly, in the Impact pillar, Nigeria moved down from 116th to 118th. The Governance pillar also reflects a low ranking, holding steady at 114th.

Among the three sub-pillars of Technology, Nigeria performed relatively well in Content, being ranked 49th. However, in Access and Future Technologies, it was ranked 110th and 99th, respectively. Access remains a key challenge to the effective utilization of digital technology in the country. With the arrival of Starlink, there is presumably universal coverage, which should improve access. However, affordability has worsened over the year due to predatory pricing by Starlink and the collapse of the national currency. This situation is expected to worsen as telecom operators plan to increase tariffs. Additionally, there have been no significant efforts to improve both connectivity and accessibility in the country.

Despite advocacy for community networks as a means to bridge the digital divide in underserved communities, the country has yet to embrace this solution. While the recent launch of the National Broadband Alliance includes an ambitious plan to roll out more fiber, the reality is that fiber deployment without initiatives to reduce costs will not effectively bridge the connectivity gap.

In the Governance pillar, Nigeria’s rankings are 119th, 113th, and 114th for Individual, Regulation, and Inclusion, respectively. In the Impact pillar, the country is ranked 98th in the Economic sub-pillar, 105th in Quality of Life, and 112th in SDG Contribution.

The overall picture becomes even more worrisome when examining the scoring details. Nigeria’s overall score dropped from 35.73 in 2023 to 34.87 in 2024. Similarly, the Technology pillar regressed from a score of 34.42 in 2023 to 32.50 in 2024. Notably, the Access sub-pillar score fell from 55.57 in 2023 to 38.87 in 2024. The People pillar also saw a decline, from 33.89 to 32.50, while the Governance pillar score fell from 37.40 to 28.40. A slight improvement was observed in the Impact pillar, which increased from 37.20 to 39.89.

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Among the indicators where the country performed relatively well are Regulatory Environment (ranked 46th), Cybersecurity (55th), Data Capabilities (55th), Annual Investment in Telecommunication Services (27th), AI Scientific Publications (13th), and Domestic Market Scale (26th). However, indicators such as e-commerce, where Nigeria scored 75.00, reflect a ranking of 87th, indicating that most countries performed well in this area.

It is concerning that several of Nigeria’s higher-ranked indicators are not directly related to digital technology. For instance, the highest score of 86.90 for Regulatory Environment reflects the policies and regulations in place rather than technological achievements. Similarly, the scores for Domestic Market Scale (69.39), AI Scientific Publications (61.77), and Annual Investment in Telecommunication Services (63.90) emphasize the size of the population, academic activity, and speculative investment rather than tangible technological outcomes.

Once again, as in the previous year, many indicators for Nigeria had no data available, which negatively impacted the country’s score. These include critical areas such as Internet Access in Schools, Robot Density, Gender Gap in Internet Usage, AI Talent, Government R&D Expenditure, and Quality of Education.

It seems that as a country, we have not learned lessons from previous rankings. No deliberate efforts have been made to ensure data availability in areas where zero scores were recorded in prior years. Despite advocacy and repeated commitments from the government to bridge the gender digital divide, there is still no relevant data to determine whether these efforts are yielding results. This lack of interest or inability to collect disaggregated data along gender lines highlights the absence of a genuine commitment to addressing the gender digital divide. Progress cannot be achieved within a gender-blind framework.

The government has developed a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, but it has yet to move to the implementation stage. Meanwhile, two bills are currently before the National Assembly, both aimed at ensuring the “proper control of AI usage.”

Rather than progressing, Nigeria appears to be falling behind, as several countries have overtaken it, pushing it further down the rankings. After the release of the 2023 NRI, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) convened a stakeholders’ meeting to review the ranking and made recommendations to improve the country’s performance. One of the key suggestions was for Nigeria to localize the NRI process, conduct state-by-state assessments, and provide incentives to high-performing states to encourage competition. Unfortunately, this suggestion was never implemented, and the release of the 2024 NRI did not even elicit a press statement, let alone a stakeholders’ forum.

While the NRI itself does not fully reflect how countries use and benefit from digital technology, it provides valuable insights into areas for improvement. To address these challenges, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) offers the following recommendations:

1. Convene a stakeholders’ forum to review Nigeria’s performance and implement recommendations from last year’s forum. This would help the country develop strategies to improve its ranking and address the digital divide’s various dimensions.
2. Learn from global best practices by licensing a new tier of last-mile connectivity providers to address gaps while considering affordability. Community networks, managed by communities to meet their communication needs, should be promoted.
3. Reform the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to support community-based communication operators with loans, grants, and technical assistance rather than relying solely on private sector subsidies, which have proven ineffective.
4. Prioritize data collection and management. The lack of data for key indicators significantly affects Nigeria’s ranking. The government must take data seriously across all sectors, not just ICT.
5. Focus on inclusive policy-making through consultation with key stakeholders to address critical gaps, such as bridging the gender digital divide and improving connectivity. The Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy must pursue more inclusive processes to steer the country’s digital transformation effectively.

Opinion

From Zamfara roots to national vision: Aliyu Muhammad Adamu, seasoned media leader, returns home to serve his people.”

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Aliyu Muhammad Adamu was born on 29th December 1982 in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, into the respected Adamu Joji family.

He hails from a lineage that includes notable family members such as Alhaji Sanda Adamu Tsafe (Sarkin Yakin Tsafe), Alhaji Aliyu Adamu (Danmadami), Alhaji Sani Adamu, Hajiya Khadija Adamu (Gwoggo Dala), and Hajiya Amina, among others.

His father, Muhammad Adamu (popularly known as Nata’ala), later relocated to Kano State in pursuit of business expansion. As a result, Aliyu and his siblings were raised in Kano, where he began his early education at Da’awa Primary School, Kano.

Driven by a strong connection to his roots, Aliyu returned to Zamfara State for his secondary education, attending Unity Secondary School, Gummi. He subsequently gained admission into Bayero University, Kano (BUK), where he obtained both his Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree, graduating in 2010.

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After completing his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Aliyu faced the realities of life with resilience and determination, navigating through challenges that shaped his character and leadership capacity. In 2014, he returned to Zamfara State and began his professional career in the media industry with Gamji Television and Radio.

Through dedication, hard work, and professional excellence, he served the organization for nearly ten years, rising through the ranks to become the General Manager of the station, an achievement that underscored his leadership, administrative competence, and commitment to public communication.

In 2023, Aliyu voluntarily resigned from the media organization and relocated to Kano State in pursuit of broader opportunities and personal development. Today, driven by a renewed sense of purpose and a lifelong commitment to his people, Aliyu Muhammad Adamu is preparing to return to his hometown to seek the support and mandate of his people. His aspiration is to represent our parents, brothers, and sisters at the federal level, with a clear vision of contributing meaningfully to the development, unity, and overall progress of Zamfara State.

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Opinion

Opinion:The Anatomy Of A Hoax- Setting The Record Straight On Governor Abba Yusuf

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​By Ahmed Badamasi Tsaure

​The recent wave of political “scoops” regarding the purported defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has moved beyond mere speculation into a coordinated campaign of character assassination. Most notably, reports by Daily Nigerian claiming the Governor’s move was “postponed” are masterpieces of fiction, designed to paint a sitting Governor as indecisive and subordinate. As a witness to the political realities in Kano, I find it necessary to dismantle these fallacies with the facts that the purveyors of this rumor have conveniently ignored. In Nigerian politics, defection is a statutory process requiring a formal resignation from one’s current party. To date, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has not submitted any resignation from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). To claim that a “finalized arrangement” for a Monday registration existed is a procedural hallucination; one cannot join a new house without first stepping out of the old one.
​Furthermore, the narrative suggests the Governor’s plans were shelved because he failed to seek the “blessings” of local APC bigwigs. This is a laughable distortion of executive power. History is replete with Governors who defected based on executive conviction without the interference of local APC “big wigs.” We have seen this with the Governor of Delta vs. Senator Omo-Agege, the Governor of Bayelsa vs. David Lyon and Minister Heineken Lokpobiri, the Governor of Rivers vs. Nyesom Wike, and the Governor of Plateau vs. the current National Chairman of the APC. More recently, the defections of Governors like Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ben Ayade (Cross River), and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara) proved that when a Governor moves, he does so as the new leader of the party in his state. It is also historically hypocritical to label such a move as “betrayal.” When Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso defected from the PDP to the APC in 2013, he did not seek permission from any person or leadership—he led a rebellion based on his own conviction. If it was “principled politics” for the godfather then, it cannot be “betrayal” for the Governor now.

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​What, then, remains for a Governor who already holds the overwhelming mandate of his people? It is a known fact that Governor Abba Yusuf moves with the ironclad support of almost 95% of the Kano State House of Assembly, 50% of the National Assembly members from the state, all 44 Local Government chairmen, and the entire grassroots party structure. The desperate attempt by the NNPP National Working Committee to dissolve the Kano executive committees is a futile, “too-late” maneuver that only confirms their loss of control. When a Governor commands such total loyalty, he does not ask for permission; he leads. The defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is inevitable if he so wishes, as he carries the entire political soul of Kano with him.
​The theory that the APC postponed this move because Senator Kwankwaso is not coming along simply does not hold water. Kwankwaso’s refusal to join the APC is a settled matter; it is alleged the President offered him a ministerial position or the Chairmanship of the soon-to-be resuscitated Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), both of which he rejected after his demand to join the Presidential ticket was denied. Using this stalemate as a pretext for the Governor’s “indecision” is a transparent lie aimed at making the Governor look like a political appendage. It is disheartening to see Daily Nigerian abandon objective journalism to frame the Governor as a “betrayer.” If Governor Abba Yusuf chooses to move, he does so as a leader of a massive political movement. The media must stop concocting stories to mislead the public. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf remains focused on his mandate. These rumors are merely the desperate gasps of those who wish to see Kano in perpetual turmoil.

​Ahmed Badamasi Tsaure writes from Shanono Local Government, Kano State. He can be reached at ahmedtsaure28@gmail.com.

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Opinion

Your Excellency, the Governor of Kano State Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf: Welcome to APC the People’s Party

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By Abbati Bako,psc,bsis,mti,Kent,UK, former special adviser on public affairs to former Governor H/E Ganduje

It is with a heart full of joy and a spirit of unity that we welcome a true son of Kano State Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf into the fold of the APC, the people’s political party and the largest political party in Africa.

Governor Yusuf, an‑engineer by profession and the elected leader of our great State since May 2023 has already made a lasting imprint on Kano State. Sir, thanks.

His bold intention to declare a state of emergency on education allocating a remarkable 30 % (more than 26% of prescription by UNESCO) of the state budget to schools has turned the tide for countless children of downtrodden to be educated and enlightened. From solar‑lit streets that brighten our nights to a N50,000 monthly support for 5,200 women entrepreneurs to cushions economic precarity, his initiatives echo the APC’s vision of a prosperous future, inclusive of the benefits of former councillors in the 44 LGA of Kano State. Also, the benefits of pensioners which have not been paid a long time ago. I’m sure that the next special advisers’ benefit will be on the line.

Hence, the countless roads construction and rehabilitation at both metropolitan and rural areas has been going on without delay. Your Excellency, these gigantic policies by His Excellency have been the same with the central government under His Excellency President Bola Tinubu.

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The APC, under the steadfast guidance of Chairman Prince Abdullahi Abbas and the former national chairman His Excellency Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has repeatedly affirmed its readiness to receive Governor Yusuf “with open arms”. This invitation is not a political maneuver but a sincere call for unity, reconciliation, and collective responsibility values that will combine our strengths for the progress of Kano State and the entire nation. Take note that today Nigeria is on the way to political, economic and social reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria will be on the same pathway with other economic emerging markets of the Global Southern Hemisphere.

As we extend this warm embrace, we also look forward to the synergy of your seasoned leadership and the APC’s grassroots energy. Together, we shall:

*Strengthen our education sector, ensuring every child has a desk, a book, and a future especially on science, technology and innovation

*Boost agriculture, healthcare system, transport, security and strengthen women‑empowerment programmes that lift families out of poverty. Drive infrastructural development that lights up our streets and connects our markets. And again, this writing and understanding that there’s the need to create “New Kano” as has been done in other nations like Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria and other developing nations of the world.

Governor Yusuf, your presence today is a testament to the power of partnership and with that Kano State will be the next commercial centre of Africa. We pledge to walk hand‑in‑hand with you in APC, to build a Kano that shines brighter than ever before the creation of the State in 1967. With your presence in APC the election year of 2027 will be a work over in Kano State and the nation at large.

Thank you, and welcome home!

Abbati Bako,psc,bsis,pl.sc,political strategy and communications consultant and care taker chairman former special advisers to former Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje

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