The chairman of the GSMA, Jon Fredrik Baksass, yesterday unfolded the direction of the mobile operator’s association for the developing markets before international audience at the ongoing GSMA Mobile 360 series Africa holding in Cape Town, South Africa.

Although the number of smartphones in Africa currently stands at 160 million, according to the latest report by the GSMA, to achieve more mobile connectivity in the sub-Saharan Africa, two giant service providers, MTN and Etisalat have said that cost of 3G enabled smart phones was still a key barrier to connectivity.

One of the top commercial banks in Nigeria, Access Bank, has disclosed that it has selected Ireland’s leading self-service banking software provider, CR2’s BankWorld omnichannel suite, to manage its self-service channels including ATM, Internet, and Mobile. With 5 million retail customers and over 1,500 ATMs, Access Bank was mindful of the importance of the self-service channels in supporting Nigeria’s retail banking growth. This strategic alliance was celebrated at Access Bank’s London headquarters recently.

Import bill for food in Nigeria is becoming alarming. At 11 percent per annum, it is growing in geometric acceleration that seems very difficult to sustain. Most unfortunate is that Nigeria is importing what it can produce in abundance, thereby hurting Nigerian farmers and displacing local production

Traditional communication as we know it is becoming extinct and the companies who will rule their industries in the future are those who embrace the latest developments in digital communication.