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Half of surveyed financial firms yet to start CBN data localisation -NITDA

HALF of the Nigerian financial institutions surveyed by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have yet to begin implementing the Central Bank of Nigeria’s payment data localisation requirements, exposing gaps in preparations ahead of the January 1, 2027 deadline.

Findings presented at a joint regulatory dialogue in Lagos on October 28 showed that 22 of 44 respondents had not started implementation, although 26 institutions, representing 59 per cent, said they had completed the necessary work or expected to finish on time.

Introduced through a CBN circular on 15 June, the directive requires banks, mobile money operators, payment processors and other licensed participants to store and manage payment transaction data generated in Nigeria within the country. This potentially requires changes to cloud hosting, backup systems and technology contracts.

Implementation remains uneven, despite indications that domestic infrastructure providers can accommodate additional demand. Only 25 percent of surveyed financial institutions had secured executive approval and budgets, 23 percent had contracted local providers, and 18 percent had begun migration or remediation. Meanwhile, 79 per cent of responding infrastructure providers reported capacity to take on new financial-sector workloads.

Regulatory uncertainty adds to the challenge, with 64 percent of financial institutions requesting a clearer definition of payment transaction data and 38 percent seeking clarification on what domestic management requires.

CBN Payments System Supervision Director Rakiya Yusuf said the regulator would consider institutions’ implementation difficulties while retaining sanctions for deliberate non-compliance. ‘Indeed, the Central Bank of Nigeria issued a circular that speaks to localising the data, the payments data in Nigeria effective 1st of January 2027,’ Yusuf told stakeholders at the dialogue. ‘And there have been several conversations around it, concerns and clarity to be provided. So we want to have a joint conversation and planned this event to be a dialogue platform that provide clarity and to speak to every stakeholder that we all need to come together to ensure that 1st of January 2027 is a reality.’

She noted that the survey showed more than 50 per cent of the industry were ready to comply. ‘And ultimately we’re looking forward that by 2027 January that everyone will be on board to have a data, payments data localised. Because it’s about our sovereignty, it’s about clarity, it’s about visibility over our transaction data. And it’s about ensuring financial system stability, which is the mandate of the Central Bank of Nigeria.’

On enforcement, Yusuf stressed a collaborative approach. ‘Sanctions is really not the first in our mind when it comes to enforcement. So what is really first in our mind is to ensure that everybody is hand-holding to be able to achieve compliance with the regulation. However, where we see that there’s a deliberate attempt to scuttle it, of course sanctions will come. There will be sanctions for non-compliance.’

She highlighted the strengthening of oversight following the creation of the Payment System Supervision Department in 2025 under Governor Olayemi Cardoso, equipping examiners to supervise the ecosystem effectively. Yusuf also confirmed that the bulk of CBN’s own data is already localised, with remaining secondary data being brought onshore.

The dialogue brought together banks, fintechs, infrastructure providers and international investors, underscoring the collective push to meet the deadline and safeguard Nigeria’s financial system.

Nigeria’s refining capacity rises by 13,540 percent to 682,000bpd in five years

Following the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says domestic crude oil refining capacity has increased to 682,000 barrels per day, from just 5,000 barrels per day in 2021.

The figure represents 13,540 percent increase in five years, signalling a major shift in the country’s petroleum industry.

NMDPRA’s Chief Executive, Rabiu A. Umar, disclosed this at the 20th edition of the OTL Africa Downstream Energy Week 2026 in Lagos, saying the growth in refining capacity reflected the transformation taking place in the midstream and downstream petroleum sectors since the PIA came into force in 2021.

According to him, the expansion of domestic refining is strengthening the country’s energy security, reducing dependence on imported petroleum products and positioning Nigeria as a potential refining hub for West Africa.

Umar said domestic refineries now supply about 74 percent of petrol consumed in the country, compared with approximately 44 percent in September 2025.

He added that petrol imports had declined by 54 percent within one year, falling from 22.1 million litres per day to 10.2 million litres per day.

The NMDPRA boss said the development demonstrated the growing capacity of local refineries to meet domestic demand, while reducing Nigeria’s exposure to disruptions in the international petroleum market.

He, however, stressed the need to diversify domestic refining sources, noting that a substantial proportion of local petrol supply currently comes from one large refinery, which operated above its nameplate capacity in September.

He said the authority would continue to support modular refineries and work with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) towards the return of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries.

He also assured petroleum importers that the regulatory authority would maintain an open and competitive market, with import licences issued based on published and merit-based criteria applicable to qualified operators.

Umar acknowledged that domestic petrol volumes declined in September, from the August peak, as refinery exports increased, stressing the importance of balancing regional trade with local supply requirements.

Beyond petrol, he said domestic refineries supplied 93 percent of diesel received into the Nigerian market in September, while domestic aviation fuel receipts also recorded an increase.

He noted that the country’s LPG market had expanded by 50 percent, with supply rising from 1.2 million metric tonnes in 2021 to 1.8 million metric tonnes.

Similarly, he said the number of compressed natural gas (CNG) compression facilities increased from 17 in 2021 to 43, while CNG and liquefied natural gas autogas stations rose from 16 to 101.

Despite the progress, Umar said the country should address gaps in petroleum product storage and supply resilience.

He disclosed that petrol stock cover stood at approximately 24 days in September, below the 30-day threshold, while cooking gas stock cover was even tighter at 15.9 days.

He said the authority is targeting between 30 and 45 days of petroleum product sufficiency through improved supply planning, strategic reserves and investments in storage infrastructure.

Umar said the NMDPRA was working with NNPC Limited to operationalise a National Strategic Stock pilot at depots in Ibadan, Enugu and Suleja.

He added that the authority was also strengthening domestic crude supply arrangements through the Domestic Crude Supply Obligation and the Naira-for-Crude initiative to ensure that local refineries have access to feedstock.

Looking ahead, the NMDPRA chief executive said Nigeria required between $30 billion and $50 billion in fresh oil and gas investments to expand processing capacity, fertiliser production, LPG supply and flare-gas commercialisation.

He identified depots, jetties, coastal shipping and the revival of petroleum product pipelines as additional investment opportunities for private-sector participation through public-private partnerships.

Umar said Nigeria’s 215 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves, the largest in Africa, offered significant opportunities for industrialisation and regional energy development.

He urged investors, refiners, marketers and logistics operators to take advantage of emerging opportunities, stressing that sustainable energy security required collaboration among regulators, industry operators and financiers.

He said Nigeria’s ambition should extend beyond meeting domestic petroleum demand to becoming a major refining and energy supply hub for the African continent.

Uganda seeks single-origin recognition in rapidly growing Chinese coffee market

Uganda has launched an aggressive campaign to expand its direct footprint in China’s booming coffee market, seeking to establish direct trade partnerships with Chinese importers, roasters, and retailers following a dramatic 224 per cent surge in coffee exports to the Asian nation during the 2025/2026 financial year.

The renewed economic push was highlighted during a targeted coffee trade promotion and business-matching session in Guiyang City.

Organized by Uganda’s Consulate General in Guangzhou alongside the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF) and the Guiyang Coffee Industry Association, the event brought together key sector stakeholders from both nations to forge direct sourcing agreements, explore joint marketing opportunities, and secure long-term supply contracts.

Uganda stands as Africa’s top coffee exporter, yet national industry leaders have long struggled with market visibility in East Asia. Although Ugandan beans have increasingly gained traction among Chinese consumers, much of the supply historically reached the market through third-party intermediaries, often blended into products from other origins. Consequently, Chinese consumers frequently drink Ugandan coffee without knowing its country of origin. Government planners are now intent on shifting this dynamic by rebranding Ugandan exports as distinct single-origin and specialty offerings.

Leading the Ugandan delegation in Guiyang, Consul General Judith Nsababera emphasized the country’s natural agricultural advantages and its readiness to supply premium specialty beans to Asia’s expanding consumer base.

“Uganda is positioning itself as a reliable source of premium Robusta and Arabica coffee in the Chinese market,” Ambassador Nsababera said. “Our fertile soils, favourable equatorial climate, and two annual harvest seasons give us the capacity to supply high-quality coffee with distinct flavour profiles. Value addition and entry into high-growth markets such as China remain central to Uganda’s coffee export strategy.”

Ambassador Nsababera, who was accompanied by Mbale City Mayor Joyce Matuka Kidulu and senior agricultural diplomats, outlined concrete next steps to turn dialogue into commercial volume, including sending targeted coffee sample shipments and hosting Chinese buyer delegations in Uganda.

“The session provided a platform for direct government-to-business engagement,” Nsababera noted. “Facilitating visits by Chinese buyers to Uganda’s coffee-growing regions will enable potential partners to appreciate our production processes firsthand and establish sustainable, direct commercial relationships with local exporters.”

Chinese municipal leaders and trade heads welcomed the initiative, highlighting growing domestic demand for authentic African coffees.

“We stand ready to support stronger international exchanges and foster mutually beneficial commercial partnerships between enterprises from both our regions,” said Mr. Yang Liu, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Guiyang City.

Echoing this commitment, Mr. Lu Yuan, President of the Guiyang Coffee Industry Association, revealed that businesses in Guizhou Province are eager to cut out middlemen and work directly with Ugandan producers.

“Chinese businesses are deeply interested in popularising Ugandan coffee as a recognized mark of quality in China,” Mr. Lu said. “Enterprises in Guiyang have so far imported more than 150 tonnes of coffee from Uganda, and we intend to significantly increase these volumes moving forward because of the exceptional quality of the coffee.”

As bilateral trade talks continue, Ugandan officials remain optimistic that direct-to-market channels will not only boost export revenue for local farmers but also establish Uganda as a premier household brand across China’s rapidly developing coffee landscape.

Military says NPA leader killed in South Cotabato encounter

A high-ranking communist instructor wanted for attempted homicide was killed in a legitimate law enforcement operation in South Cotabato last week, the military announced, directly contradicting rebel assertions that the man was an ailing, unarmed retiree allegedly executed by state forces.

The conflicting narratives center on the October 30 death of 60-year-old Noel Pamaong in Barangay Silway 8, Polomolok town.

In an official Facebook post of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID) Saturday, October 31, it said that Pamaong – known in the underground movement as ‘Lauro’ or ‘Santi’ – was a dangerous fugitive who headed the Regional Instructors Bureau of the New People’s Army (NPA).

According to the 6ID, joint elements of the army and police moved in to serve a July 2023 arrest warrant for multiple attempted homicide when the encounter occurred at around 8:30 p.m.

Authorities said they recovered a .45-caliber pistol and a hand grenade from the scene.

But for the National Democratic Front-Far South Mindanao Region (NDF-FSMR), Pamaong was hors de combat – a former combatant ‘entirely incapable of fighting’ due to severe ailments, including chronic kidney disease, rheumatism, and diabetes.

In an email to the Inquirer Monday, November 2, NDF-FSMR spokesperson Kim Montiza vehemently denied military claims of a shootout, stating Pamaong had been inactive and living with the masses since 2024.

Montiza accused state forces of planting the pistol and grenade to legitimize an ‘overkill’ operation, noting that Pamaong was simply traveling to visit a relative.

His civilian companion and driver, Laurence Porras, was also shot during the raid and remains in critical condition.

Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu, commander of the 6ID and Joint Task Force Central, lauded the operation, emphasizing the tight coordination between the 1st Mechanized Brigade, the 603rd Infantry Brigade, and the South Cotabato provincial police.

Catu credited the active support of local residents in helping authorities track the fugitive and neutralize the security threat.

The NDF, however, maintains the raid was a blatant violation of International Humanitarian Law and is calling on human rights advocates to launch an independent investigation into the killing.

Giving money to non-tithing Christians can bring hardship – Ibiyeomie

Founder of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, has claimed that giving money to Christians who do not pay tithes can bring financial hardship to the giver.

The cleric made the claim in a viral video while sharing an experience involving a fellow pastor who approached him for financial assistance.

He said, ‘There are christians you give offering to, you will be poorer than poor. Any believer who does not tithe and you give him money, things will be tight for you.’

Recounting the incident, Ibiyeomie said the pastor arrived with a baby who was less than two weeks old, claiming that he had been thrown out of his accommodation.

Moved by his situation, Ibiyeomie said he gave him N40,000 to secure accommodation, despite having less than N200,000 in his account at the time.

He said, ‘A man of God came with a baby of less than two weeks and said where he was staying, they pushed him out of the house. I said the man who pushed you out must be very wicked. How can this small baby with you be driven out?’

The pastor explained that N40,000 was a significant amount to him at the time, adding that he had less than N200,000 in his account.

According to him, he began experiencing financial difficulties shortly after giving the money.

‘The moment I gave him, my heavens closed. No breakthrough, everywhere shut down. I said, ‘What is this?’ Hardship of the highest order,’ he said.

Ibiyeomie claimed that he later discovered that the beneficiary, who was also a pastor, did not pay tithes.

He said, ‘He said the man you gave does not pay tithe and he is a man of God. I heard you did it out of emotion, not compassion.’

The cleric further claimed that he sought God’s mercy and eventually used his own money to pay tithe on the amount he had given the pastor.

‘Then my heavens opened,’ he added.

Ibiyeomie said his wife was also aware of the experience, which he cited while warning Christians about giving financial assistance to believers who do not pay tithes.

OOM title very much up for grabs in PH Open

The 2026 Order of Merit title will be up for grabs starting next week at the Masters course of the Manila Southwoods in Carmona, Cavite, when the 108th Philippine Open presented by the Philippine Sports Commission tees off.

Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert holds a slim lead over Travis Smyth of Australia, and with 780 points due to the winner of the $1-million (around P64 million) event, former OOM champs John Catlin and Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand are still very much in the running.

The American Catlin is one of the biggest stars expected to play, having won six national opens in his career.

‘You know, anytime you can win a national open, I think it just adds a little bit of extra prestige,’ Catlin, who has victories in Australia, England, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Ireland, said after ruling the International Series’ Hong Kong leg last May.

‘Anytime you can win a national open is just incredible.’

Ian Snyman of South Africa is shooting to end the season with the second win of his career after he had broken through in Taiwan last May.

Taichi Kho of Hong Kong is running fifth behind Catlin, and the 2023 Rookie of the Year is also looking for his second win of the season after ruling the defunct IS stop in Morocco.

Miguel Tabuena is the highest-ranked Filipino in the Open field this month, sitting at No. 447 in the world and looking for a follow-up to his last win on local soil that literally came at his home course of Sta. Elena close to 14 months ago.

A full field of 132 players will answer the starting gun on Nov. 12, with the Philippines to enter as many as 29 players.

The final OOM standings of the local PGT, meanwhile, was released, with Angelo Que, a former Open champion, topping the list for the second straight year.

There will be 12 Filipinos from the PGT OOM that will make the main roster of the Open, as the host country will most likely be able to field a total of 29 players at the most.

Players like Que, who is a former champion, Clyde Mondilla, Sean Ramos and Lloyd Go already have slots because of eligibilities in different categories, giving those outside the top 12 in the OOM a chance to play from Nov. 12 to Nov. 15.

John Arcilla seeks justice for pets dumped in Bulacan, probe into crematoriums

John Arcilla has demanded justice for the 29 dogs and cats found dumped in a vacant lot in San Jose del Monte in Bulacan, as he called for a thorough investigation of pet crematoriums across the country following the incident.

In two social media posts over the weekend, Arcilla described the incident as a crime and accused questionable pet crematoriums of deceiving pet owners who pay for the proper cremation of their deceased animals.

‘Ito ay isang krimen,’ he said in his first post. ‘Kailangang panagutan at makulong ang mga may gawa nito. Ang may ari ng crematorium at ang mga staff na kasangkot.’

Arcilla also called for the closure of establishments that fail to comply with the necessary standards, saying it is a form of estafa toward pet owners or fur parents.

‘Ito ay panloloko at isang estafa. kumukubra ng pera pero walang produktong legal,’ the actor lamented. ‘Hindi ito makatarungan para sa mga nagbayad at nagtiwalang fur parents na ang mga abo na nasa kanila ay hindi naman abo ng kanilang mga fur babies.’

In a subsequent post, Arcilla shared his personal concerns as a pet owner, revealing that he had 11 dogs cremated after they died, mostly due to old age.

‘How can I confirm if all those urns contain the remains of my rightful furbabies?’ he said as he raised the possibility that some crematoriums could bury animal remains in their own properties while giving customers generic ashes instead.

Arcilla underscored that it is not an ‘overraction’ to demand accountability for cases like this.

‘Kailangan ma-investigate lahat ng pet crematoriums at ma-double-check ang kanilang facilities kung able and capable ba silang mag-operate. kung hindi at kahina-hinala ang kanilang operations, dapat ipa-close ito, at makulong ang mga may pananagutan, kasama ang staff na mga accomplice,’ he said.

‘Hindi ito overreaction. we pay a good sum for these services, out of love for our pets, whom we consider members of our families,’ added the veteran actor.

Arcilla’s remarks came after the remains of 29 dogs and cats were found inside sacks in a vacant lot in Barangay Minuyan Proper, San Jose del Monte, even though they were originally brought to Ahjay Paws Aftercare Pet Crematorium in Bacoor City, Cavite, for proper cremation.

Bacoor City Mayor Strike Revilla later ordered the closure of the crematorium involved in the incident.

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), meanwhile, urged the owners of the 29 animals to pursue legal action against the establishment, saying the incident may constitute estafa by means of deceit.

More than a Microsoft story: Why there is a silver lining to ADC job losses for Africa

The developments concerning Microsoft’s Africa Development Centre (ADC) in Nairobi have been weighing on me, particularly because of what they mean for the people whose careers have been built there.

I think about the engineers who have spent years developing their skills, working with talented colleagues and contributing to technology with global relevance. I think about the uncertainty facing them and their families, and the disruption to careers they have worked hard to build.

An engineering centre is more than a collection of jobs. It is an environment where people learn from one another, tackle complex problems, exercise professional judgment and grow into engineering leaders. Over time, these interactions build institutional knowledge and technical capabilities that cannot simply be recreated overnight.

Having begun my career as a software engineer, this is personal to me. I have experienced technology from several perspectives: as an engineer in the US; as a Microsoft executive helping grow the business and its ambitions in Africa; through public-policy engagement to enable investment and innovation; and now as a board leader driving digital transformation across African businesses.

I spent 21 years at Microsoft, including helping establish its presence in Kenya and serving as a founding member of Microsoft4Africa. I understand the ambition behind investing in African engineering talent and the potential such investment can unlock.

My subsequent policy engagement reflected the same conviction: the right environment can attract investment, enable innovation and expand access to technology.

That journey makes this moment particularly poignant. Companies must make commercial decisions as priorities and markets change. But the human consequences and value built through years of investment in people must not be overlooked.

The question is not simply what happens to the jobs. It is what happens to the talent, experience and potential those jobs have helped develop.

Beyond the human impact

My concern extends beyond the uncertainty facing engineers and their families. It is also about the capabilities they represent and what these could mean for Africa’s economic future.

Through my board responsibilities, I see how digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping business competitiveness across the continent. Businesses need people who can understand complex technologies, develop solutions and translate innovation into commercial value.

The expertise developed in an engineering environment such as the ADC can help African businesses improve productivity, develop new products and compete internationally.

These benefits can extend beyond the company that makes the investment. Engineers carry knowledge into new roles and ventures, and can become entrepreneurs, mentors and investors. But this requires opportunities to apply expertise, access to capital and a business environment that rewards innovation.

AI raises the stakes

AI makes these questions more urgent. AI is changing how software is developed, how businesses operate and where competitive advantage is created. It offers opportunities to accelerate innovation and improve productivity, while changing the capabilities required to compete.

For African businesses, the challenge is not simply to acquire AI tools. It is to apply them intelligently to local markets, data, processes and customer needs. That requires technical expertise to identify valuable problems, develop appropriate solutions, integrate technologies responsibly and translate them into measurable business outcomes.

AI could help African businesses develop services and address challenges in agriculture, healthcare, financial services and manufacturing. But access alone does not create value. Human expertise remains essential to defining problems, designing systems, evaluating outputs, managing risks and exercising judgement.

The ability to build with AI, rather than merely consume products built elsewhere, will be an important source of competitive advantage. The capabilities developed in engineering centres such as the ADC therefore matter not only for today’s technology industry, but also for Africa’s participation in the next phase of the global digital economy.

Can the continent mobilise these capabilities to develop its own products, businesses and intellectual property, and help shape technologies that will influence its future?

Creating innovation conditions

Attracting international technology investment is important, but it should be part of a broader ambition to build sustainable innovation ecosystems.

Governments must create conditions in which technology businesses can invest and grow: reliable digital infrastructure, appropriate regulation, technical education, research and development, and effective intellectual property protection.

My policy experience reinforced the importance of these connections. Intellectual property protection is not merely a legal consideration: it influences whether innovators can commercialise their work, whether investors can assess its value, and whether businesses have confidence to commit capital to new products.

Similarly, engagement around dynamic spectrum allocation demonstrated how policy and regulation can expand affordable broadband access. Connectivity creates opportunities to participate in the digital economy; a supportive innovation environment helps people create value within it.

In the AI era, policy must also address computing infrastructure, responsible access to data, research capacity and the ability of businesses to experiment and scale. Talent needs opportunities to flourish; investment needs a wider ecosystem to realise its benefits.

Businesses have a responsibility too. Digital transformation should rethink business models, develop products and improve productivity-not simply acquire technology or automate existing processes. Boards must connect technology and AI strategies to commercial outcomes, responsible risk management and the people needed to deliver them.

Building capability

None of this suggests that global technology companies should maintain every investment indefinitely, or that Africa should pursue technological self-sufficiency in isolation. International partnerships and access to global technologies remain essential. The objective should be to ensure they contribute to local capacity to innovate, develop intellectual property and build globally competitive businesses.

Success should be measured not only by jobs created or investment announced, but also by expertise developed, knowledge retained, enterprises established and value created by African innovators.

For engineers affected by developments at the ADC, the immediate priority is their future and that of their families. For African businesses, there is an opportunity to mobilise talent that can contribute to competitiveness. States and educational institutions must recognise that developing skilled people is only part of the task; creating conditions in which their skills can be productively applied is equally important.

There may, nevertheless, be a silver lining in this moment. The availability of highly skilled engineers with experience developing technology to global standards could represent a significant opportunity for African businesses and governments.

If mobilised effectively, these capabilities could accelerate corporate and public-sector digital transformation, strengthen AI adoption, modernise public services and help African enterprises develop more competitive products. This requires businesses, governments and investors to connect talent with meaningful opportunities.

The priority must remain the people and families affected. We should also recognise the opportunity to turn uncertainty into investment in Africa’s own technological capacity.

For me, this is both a human concern and a strategic imperative. The people affected matter. The capabilities they represent matter. And so does what we do next.

The opportunity is not simply to find these engineers their next jobs. It is to enable their expertise to help shape Africa’s digital future.

Ministry of ICT urges varsities to end multinationals’ reliance on foreign tech

The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and National Guidance has called on Soroti University to position itself at the forefront of the country’s technological revolution, cautioning that major multinational corporations operating in Uganda continue to import software solutions that local public universities have the capacity to develop.

Speaking on Friday during an interface with students from the School of Engineering and Technology at Soroti University-located six kilometers from Soroti City along the Soroti-Moroto road-Mr. Amos Mpungu, the acting Commissioner for E-Services at the Ministry of ICT, underscored the need for local institutions to commercialize their intellectual capacity.

Mr. Mpungu expressed concern that financial and telecommunications giants in the country rely on external expertise for services that domestic students can deliver.

‘We wish to see Soroti University create innovations that are useful to the public. There is no reason why multi-billion companies operating in the country should source for soft technology that should ideally be a monopoly of our own students,’ Mr. Mpungu said, citing entities such as Stanbic Bank, MTN, and Airtel as examples of organizations sourcing solutions abroad despite local potential.

He noted that while the ministry has partnered with several public universities to establish innovation hubs aimed at fostering problem-solving technologies, the primary hurdle remains transitioning those concepts into viable commercial products.

‘Under entrepreneurship and innovation, the Ministry of ICT has partnered with a few universities by setting up innovation hubs where students can come up with innovations that are useful for the public. However, one of the challenges is that we have not learnt how to harness the intellectual property that we have to be able to generate money out of it. The problem that we have is attracting funding, where you get people to grow your innovation. Innovation is not the problem, but scaling it to the market is where the challenge lies,’ Mr. Mpungu explained.

To address these market gaps, the ministry is collaborating with international partners to expand global market access for local tech firms. Mr. Shimpei Watanabe, an ICT industry promotion expert attached to the Ministry of ICT through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), revealed that initiatives are underway to bridge Ugandan and Japanese technology sectors.

According to Mr. Watanabe, the ICT ministry requested JICA’s partnership to drive technological transformation through innovation hubs established at Soroti, Muni, Busitema, and Mbarara universities. These institutions are currently working to design targeted solutions for domestic challenges in health, agriculture, and infrastructure.

‘The Ugandan ICT industry is promising to be one of the best in the world; all that is needed is commitment from all stakeholders,’ Mr. Watanabe said.

Academic leaders at the university urged students to adopt a practical, commercial mindset to tackle pressing national needs. Dr. Florence Favor, senior lecturer and deputy dean at the School of Engineering and Technology, advised students against keeping their technical ideas dormant.

‘Students should not remain cagey with their ideas. These concepts must be translated into real solutions, money-value output, and job creation. Before graduating, every student at the School of Engineering and Technology should have at least five working innovations intended for public use,’ Dr. Favor stated, urging learners to be solution providers rather than lamenting existing challenges.

Reinforcing the university’s institutional vision, Prof. John Robert Ikoja Odongo, Vice Chancellor of Soroti University, emphasized that building a self-sustaining innovation ecosystem is a national priority.

‘A strategic national imperative ensures that Uganda doesn’t merely generate ideas, but protects, develops, and translates them into technologies, enterprises, employment, and measurable public value,’ Prof. Ikoja said.

He further appealed to JICA and the Ministry of ICT to establish and fully equip a dedicated ICT incubation hub at the university, equipped with mentorship programs, prototyping facilities, enterprise development support, and direct industry linkages necessary to transition student and researcher concepts from the laboratory to the commercial market.

Our president’s ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’

I hope I won’t land in trouble if I interrogate the various reasons people go on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem. Some go to pray; some to play; some to meet and do politics; some to commit crime; some with their mistresses; some for medical treatment; some to japa.

The Northern Nigeria Annual Report for 1906-1907 recorded William P. Hewby, the Resident of Borno Province, observing a steady flow of some 5,000 people travelling eastwards to Mecca. ‘Not half of them return,’ the colonial officer wrote. The report called those people ‘pilgrims, or so-called pilgrims’ and added that ‘ a large percentage (of them) are Hausas and Fulani malcontents, of whom we are well rid.’ They were checking out not really to do Hajj, but to escape from the burden of tax placed on them by the authorities. The colonial rulers were not bothered that they were leaving.

An elephant is beyond ‘I glimpsed something’; if we have seen an elephant, let us say so. The colonial government evidently considered this ‘steady flow’ of their subjects no passing matter: it made it the opening paragraph of the Borno section of its 1906-1907 report.

So, what became of those who went and never returned? On 14 June 1958, The Nigerian Citizen newspaper carried a front-page report of a planeload of destitute Nigerian pilgrims repatriated from Saudi Arabia to Kano. Among them was a certain woman, Hajia Rakia of Danbatta, Kano Province, who had left Nigeria with her husband in 1925. The couple had made the ‘long and arduous journey on foot, alone, carrying their scanty possessions and precious store of water on donkey back.’ They completed the Hajj but stayed on.

Yet, unlike Rakia, some go and return; but while going, they took detours before attending to the religious purpose of their journey. In 1921, the Emir of Katsina, Muhammadu Dikko, went on the Hajj by way of England rather than overland across the desert like ordinary believers did. Historian Matthew M. Heaton, said Emir Dikko travelled by train from Kano to Lagos, then boarded a passenger liner to Liverpool. He spent several weeks in England and met King George V, becoming the first Nigerian emir to have a direct audience with a British monarch. Only then did he turn east towards Mecca.

Today, some Nigerian leaders undertake pilgrimages with itineraries that leave room for questions about where devotion ends and the business of politics and medicals begin.

President Bola Tinubu last week travelled to perform Umrah, the lesser Hajj. A statement from his office said the visit would provide the 74-year-old president with an opportunity for ‘spiritual reflection, devotion and prayers for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability and continued progress.’

René Descartes teaches us to begin every task with doubt. Besides, seeing someone in public is not the same as following them home. Our president’s enemies wanted to look beyond the announced purpose of the pilgrimage. They suspected a political or medical mission, perhaps even a detour to an undisclosed destination. One of them, Atiku Abubakar, demanded photographic proof. And he got still and moving pictures.

On Friday, October 30, after completing the Umrah, the president announced: ‘I feel fulfilled.’ Channels Television quoted him as describing the exercise as a spiritual experience and an opportunity to pray for Nigeria: ‘It’s a spiritual thing for me and the country, Nigeria. I’m grateful to Allah for this opportunity.’

In John Bunyan’s ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’, we see the pilgrim journeying towards salvation. What if I ask: What destination did our president’s pilgrimage promise a country perennially burdened by hunger and fear?

If I had had the opportunity, I would have asked the president what specific prayer he said for Nigeria. A prayer for leadership that cares? A prayer against electoral heist next year? A prayer for the hungry to have something to eat; for the satiated to be satisfied; and for our giants to take their boots off the nation’s face? What were the prayer points?