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AfICTA e-NEWSLETTER 

11/February/2020 Vol 82

IGF 2019 LogoThe Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will be hosted by the Government of Poland in Katowice from 2 - 6 November 2020 under the overarching theme: Internet United...  read more

W.Tec Wins 2019 Equals in Tech Awards

The Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre – W.TEC was among winners announced at the 2019 EQUALS in Tech Awards held on Wednesday November 27 at a gala awards ceremony at Berlin’s Estrel Conference Center, as part of the programme of activities surrounding the annual Internet Governance Forum.

The awards, is hosted by the EQUALS Global Partnership, to recognize innovative solutions aimed at closing the digital gender gap.

The well attended event had in attendance high-level representatives from EQUALS for a...  read more

Co-Founder of the World Wide Web (WWW), Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Writes the Girls @ W.Tec

Time Magazine asked Tim Berners-Lee, Madeleine Albright, Michelle Bachelet, and other prominent personalities to write to a young person or people of their own choosing. 

These prominent personalities were chosen because they have “decades of experience in the fields of statecraft, human-rights work and innovation—and together their open letters reflect a feeling of hope that, despite the challenges young people face, they also hold the power to improve the planet”, 

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the co-founder of the World Wide Web (WWW), opted to write a letter to the girls at the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre ( W.TEC) in Lagos... read more

Nigeria: AfICTA Partners EDTECH Summit 2020 for Sustainable Educational Technology

AfICTA - Africa ICT Alliance as a strategic partner of EDTECH Summit (Nigeria Largest Educational Summit) 2020 holding @ the Exhibition Pavilion by ICC, Abuja, Nigeria from 3rd - 4th March cordially invites the participation of stakeholders from academic to the 4in1 event featuring Conference, Awards, Exhibition and Sponsorship opportunities. To register (Conference or Exhibition) now through AfICTA and enjoy up-to 10% discount please write Kayode via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. indicating what category you intend to register for. 

Educational Technology (EdTech Summit) is the Nigerian leading annual professional development conference and exhibition focusing on technology integration strategies... read more

Kenya: Is CBK Warming up to Crypto Currency?

While at the World Economic Forum at Davos last week, the CBK Governor Dr Patrick Njoroge sent out a flurry of tweets that caught the crypto enthusiasts in Kenya by surprise and sent them talking.

Essentially, the governor seemed to warm up to the digital currency or crypto conversation, in stark contrast to his 2015 circular to financial institutions.

In one of his tweets, the governor seemed to indicate support for digital currencies or cryptos, as long as there is a solid regulatory or a governance framework. It is difficult to tell what governance framework he has in mind, when he has not yet... read more

Global Technology Leaders Primed to Discuss Enabling Technology and All Things Cloud at #NerdsUnite2020

Over 500 IT professionals from enterprise organizations across West Africa will convene in Lagos on February 21, 2020 for MainOne’s 5th annual gathering of its flagship event, Nerds Unite themed: “Enabling the Digital Economy”.

This year’s event will showcase the launch of its Managed Cloud Services in partnership with Microsoft and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Operated by Selectium. The event will feature presentations and panel discussions on Cloud adoption, Cloud migration and all things Cloud with MainOne and its global partners.

Featuring over 10 speakers from global tech companies and leading West African Corporate... read more

MTN's 'Controversy-free' Time in Nigeria may be Short-lived

MTN has reduced the risk of a material regulatory penalty in Nigeria, but the telco is not off the hook, as it still has to overcome more hurdles in that country, according to analysts.

They say MTN is not yet off the hook in Nigeria, given the tax case has been referred to other parts of government and the central bank is still holding back on granting a mobile banking licence.

The telco recently received a fresh lifeline in Nigeria, following the decision by the attorney-general to withdraw a $2 billion tax claim. At the time, MTN stock surged 5.3% on the Johannesburg... read more

Telecel Zimbabwe Workers Down Tools

Workers at Zimbabwe's third largest mobile network operator Telecel Zimbabwe downed tools this week in protest over network inefficiency and poor resourcing within the beleaguered mobile telecommunications service provider.

David Mhambare, secretary-general at the Communications and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe, said on Tuesday the strike was triggered by a massive shortage of raw materials.

Mhambare said workers at this company are the least paid within the telecommunications industry and added: "We're only demanding (for) resources to... read more

First Comprehensive Digital Awards to Hold in Lagos

The maiden edition of the annual GAGE Awards for the digital space in Nigeria is set to hold on Saturday February 22 at 6pm at the Eko Hotels and Suites to celebrate digital excellence and gauge performances recorded in the digital ecosystem last year.

The organisation disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Lagos State Commissioner of Science and Technology, Mr. Hakeem Fahm, at Alausa, Ikeja on Wednesday.

According to the convener of the awards, Mr. Johnson Anorh, the award aims to drive pace of innovation, attract new talents to the digital space in...  read more

Botswana: ICT to Form Basis for Resource Mobilisation-Minister

The new Minister of Finance and Economic Development has made his intentions clear in as far as Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the country. Speaking during a recent budget speech presentation to parliament Dr. Thapelo Matsheka said among other sectors, ITC is key. This development saw the ICT sector receiving an impressive tranche of funds from the government as compared to the previous years.

“As a demonstration of Government’s commitment to infrastructural development, and as promised in the ... read more

MTN Zambia Announces MoMo Hackathon winners

MTN Zambia has announced the top three winners of the Zambian edition of the 2019 MoMo Hackathon developer challenge which was launched in October 2019.

A Zambian Application Developer, Mr. Chilambwe Kasonde won the first prize in the MTN Zambia MoMo Hackathon competition - at $2500. Chiiko Mlangeni, an economist won the second prize at $2000 while Thulani Rex, a software engineer for Dot. Com Zambia won the third position for $1500.

Mr. Kasonde will travel to Johannesburg, South Africa on an all paid for trip to compete with other... read more

Smile Nigeria Commends MainOne, Globacom

Adopting ‘progressive’ spectrum pathway for increased connectivity 3 days ago FG seeks total overhaul of sim card registration 3 days ago First comprehensive digital awards to hold in Lagos 3 days ago Smile Nigeria, West Africa pioneer 4G LTE broadband service provider has commended MainOne and Globacom for helping the company overcome the challenge in a less hurtful manner.

This came against the background of the outage and disruption of service occasioned by the recent cut in submarine cable.Ahmad Farroukh, group chief executive officer, Smile commended both MainOne and Globacom for “the relentless support both...  read more

Botswana: Kgori Capital Joins the Online Business

Kgori Capital joins the online business Botswana based investment Management Company, Kgori Capital introduced an online transaction platform offering a convenient way for investors to transact online.

The platform is aptly named Kgori Secure Services and is geared towards both retail and institutional investors and designed to provide the most secure and convenient way for them to obtain and manage their portfolios and investments.

Speaking during the launch of the platform recently, Kgori Capital Managing Director, Alphonse Ndzinge said... read more

Nigeria to Revise SIM Policies

The Nigerian government has announced plans to revise its policies on SIM card registration and usage.

In statement, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy said:

The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, FNCS, FBCS, FIIM, has directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to revise the Policy on SIM Card registration and usage. This is in line with the Powers of the Minister as stated in Section 25(1) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003- "the Minister shall, in writing, from time to. .. read more

Airtel Redefines Video Streaming by Launching Airtel TV

Airtel Networks Zambia Plc has redefined video streaming experience for its subscribers by launching Airtel TV.

Speaking at the launch today, Airtel’s Marketing Director Hussam Baday said Airtel was committed to continue bringing innovative products and services and the new Airtel TV App enabled customers to enjoy news on the go as well as other programming such as movies, music, reality shows, children’s’ shows as well as documentaries which include BBC, Hollywood, Bollywood, and Nollywood channels.. .. read more

Zimbabwe: Legal Experts Question Zim's Tax Exemptions for Huawei

Zimbabwe's decision to grant tax breaks and back date refunds for Chinese tech firm Huawei has been criticised by legal experts who argue that this disadvantages local companies and other taxpayers. 

The Southern African country continues to lean on China for its tech programs. The most recent example of this was when TelOne partnered with a Chinese company to help set up Zimbabwe's first computer assembly plant.

Huawei is considered a major tech player in Zimbabwe because it provides network equipment used to upgrade the platforms of mobile phone operators NetOne and TelOne...  read more

Cisco Announces New Lead for MEA

Cisco has announced the appointment of Reem Asaad as its new Vice President for its Middle East and Africa region.

Cisco said in a statement that as digital transformation continues to change and evolve the business landscape at a rapid pace, Asaad, will be responsible for our Middle East and Africa business, growing its position as a leading technology company in the region.

The company added that with over two decades of experience across industries including technology, financial services, customer experience, Asaad's role will focus on strengthening collaborations. ..  read more

First Google Developers Space opens in Lagos

Google has launched its first Google Developers Space in Lagos, Nigeria. Previously referred to as the Google Launchpad Space, the Google Developers Space is a hub for African developers, entrepreneurs and start-ups.

The hub stems from a commitment made by Google chief executive officer Sundar Pichai in July 2017 to African entrepreneurs to begin the Launchpad Accelerator Africa program and launch a space to house these efforts in Nigeria.

Launchpad Accelerator Africa head of Operations, Onajite Emerhor said: "We have partnered. ..   read more

Malware Disguised Under Billie Eilish Brand Fools 9,000 in Nigeria

Cyber security firm Kaspersky says cybercriminals are actively abusing the names of artists and songs nominated for a Grammy 2020 award, in order to spread malware.

According to a statement released by the company, Kaspersky protection technologies detected a 39% rise in attacks (attempts to download or run malicious files) under the guise of nominees' work in 2019, compared to 2018.

The company said Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Post Malone were attackers' favourites, with these nominees' names used most often in 2019 as a disguise for malware...  read more

How South Africa’s Tech Industry can Create 500,000 Jobs in 10 years

A report from the South Africa in the Digital Age (SADA) initiative has stated that 500,000 new jobs can be created over 10 years through globally-traded services.

SADA is an urgent multi-stakeholder initiative to develop a forward-looking digital economy strategy for South Africa.

It is convened by Genesis Analytics in partnership with the Gordon Institute of Business Science and the Pathways for Prosperity Commission at Oxford university.

Genesis has since been appointed by. ..  read more

Egypt is Turning into Africa’s Top Tech Hub, Report

Egypt has been named as Africa’s first technology hub during the year 2019, according to Disrupt Africa’s Tech Startups Funding Report 2019.

The report said that 88 Egyptian tech startups managed to secure investment during the past year, more than their counterparts in other African countries, the investments accounted for 28.3 percent of the overall total.

The current boosting represents 159 percent growth on the 34 startups that secured investment in 2018, according to the report. In 2018, those 34 Egyptian startups received funds estimated at.. ..  read more

Uganda: Energy Minister Urges Women to Join Tech Industry

The Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, Mary Gorette Kitutu, has urged more women to join the technological industry to exploit the big number of opportunities available there.

Addressing the African Women in Technology conference at the Kampala International University main campus in Kansanga, Ggaba road, Kampala on Friday, Kitutu said women should not underestimate themselves, when it comes to going for opportunities in the tech industry.

“You should not underestimate yourselves. Apply for these tech courses and go for further.... read more

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AfICTA e-NEWSLETTER 

27/December/19 Vol 80

Merry Christmas in Arrears and Proseperious Year 2020

Reflecting on our achievemtns for the year 2019 which you are instrumental to, we want to wish you the Joy of the season and prosperous year 2020.

From AfICTA Secretariat

AfICTA Partners EDTECH Summit 2020 for Sustainable Educational Technology

AfICTA - Africa ICT Alliance as a strategic partner of EDTECH Summit (Nigeria Largest Educational Summit) 2020 holding @ the International Conference Center from 27th - 28th January cordially invites the participation of stakeholders from academic to the 4in1 event featuring Conference, Awards, Exhibition and Sponsorship opportunities. To register (Conference or Exhibition) now through AfICTA and enjoy up-to 10% discount please write Kayode via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. indicating what category you intend to register for. 

Educational Technology (EdTech Summit) is the Nigerian leading annual professional development conference and exhibition focusing on technology integration strategies..., which will take place on Monday 27 & Tuesday 28 January 2020 at the International Conference Center, Abuja, Nigeria... read more

WIPO & Kenya Copyright Board Collaborate to Hold Mobile Apps Technical Workshop 

The World Intellectual Property Organization and the Kenya Copyright Board will from January 13th - 14th hold a technical workshop on Intellectual Property and Mobile Apps Legal and Business Issues @ NHIF Building 3rd Floor Nairobi, Kenya.

Are you a mobile app developer? this is your time! Register for this workshop and equip yourself with valuable skills. The event promised to touch global trends in mobile apps, relevance of IP in mobile apps, generating income in mobile app development, dispute settlement and many other Interesting topics.

Secure your free registration pass by January 9, 2020 as participation is limited to 80 person and enjoy opportunities to network and have a certificate of participation. Register... read more

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AfICTA e-NEWSLETTER 

30/January/2020 Vol 81

AfICTA @ the R40 2020 Event Discussed Technology as the Perfect tool to Manage Climate Degradation.

The 2020 edition of the Resilient 40 “tagged responding to climate change in Africa” was held @ the UK Wilton Park in Ethiopia on 16th January and gained the participation of youths (Aged between 18 and 35) who are African Union member state citizens, change-makers and engaged in climate change & resilience matters either personally or professionally. 

Representation of AfICTA - Africa ICT Alliance at the important meeting was Mr. Waddah Fadul who was a part of the “Disaster Preparedness and Management” working group. He spoke extensively on how technology could be adopted and be a very convenient tool that governments...  read more

Malawi Pens US$72.4-million Global Connectivity Contract

Malawi has announced a US$72.4m international connectivity contract to improve access to ICT infrastructure for the public and private sectors

The contract was signed recently in Blantyre and forms part of the Digital Malawi Project, a government initiative being implemented by the Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC) and funded by the World Bank.

According to the terms of the contract, PPPC has entered into an agreement with the Malawi Research and Education Network (MAREN) – the global connectivity capacity component of the main project – and UbuntuNet Alliance, a multinational research and education networking...  read more

Nigeria: AfICTA Partners EDTECH Summit 2020 for Sustainable Educational Technology

AfICTA - Africa ICT Alliance as a strategic partner of EDTECH Summit (Nigeria Largest Educational Summit) 2020 holding @ the Exhibition Pavilion by ICC, Abuja, Nigeria from 3rd - 4th March cordially invites the participation of stakeholders from academic to the 4in1 event featuring Conference, Awards, Exhibition and Sponsorship opportunities. To register (Conference or Exhibition) now through AfICTA and enjoy up-to 10% discount please write Kayode via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. indicating what category you intend to register for. 

Educational Technology (EdTech Summit) is the Nigerian leading annual professional development conference and exhibition focusing on technology integration strategies... read more

Kenya: Digital Security is as Strong as Weakest Link

The World Economic Forum’s 2019 Global Risk Report identifies cybersecurity as one of the biggest threats facing businesses and economies today. 

Cyber-attacks have exponentially grown in scale and sophistication. Just one, simple attack can lead to significant loss of data or financial fraud that impacts a company’s reputation and credit rating, shaking investor confidence and consumer trust. And it goes without saying that the cost of a breach can amount to millions of dollars, leading to catastrophic consequences. 

Experts predict economic loss due to cybercrime to reach $3 trillion by 2020, and 74 percent of the world’s businesses are expected to be hacked in the coming year. Statistics have further shown that the... read more

The Cable Lady: Opeke listed among ’20 Women Who Will Shape Events in Nigeria in 2020′

MainOne CEO, Funke Opeke has been listed among the “20 Women Who Will Shape Events in Nigeria in 2020” by THISDAY Newspapers. 

As part of its series on prognosis of what the new year has in stock for Nigeria and its citizens, THISDAY Board of Editors has announced a list of outstanding women it believes would have significant impact on the political and business environment that would shape events in the country. 

Dubbed ‘The Cable Lady’, Opeke is profiled for her company, MainOne’s achievements since its launch, from owning an open access 7,000... read more

Who Really Owns Your Data?

In this era of what is known as the knowledge economy, data is definitely the engine or the resource that enterprises extract to create value. 

With developments in the technology space, we find ourselves in a reality where we are generating data all the time, from any location, using multiple devices – even when we are asleep.

When you settle down to sleep at the end of your busy day, your mobile phone remains awake, telling your mobile service provider where you slept that night and what time you woke up, and where... read more

AI Set to Overhaul Manager's role – Gartner

By 2024, Artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies such as virtual personal assistants and chatbots will replace almost 69% of the manager's workload.

This is according to Gartner which claims these technologies are rapidly making headway in the workplace.

"The role of manager will see a complete overhaul in the next four years," said Helen Poitevin, research vice-president at Gartner. "Currently, managers often need to spend time filling in forms, updating... read more

Huawei Nurtures ICT Talent Growth in Botswana

It is now evident that stakeholders in the country are sweating it all out to sustain the development of Information and Communication Technology in the country. In Botswana, the Huawei ICT competition which started off in Botswana in October 2019 with roadshows in four universities across the country is here to stay according to the organisers.

The same competition is alive and up and running in 2020. With the theme “Connection, Glory, Future”, the Huawei ICT competition 2019-2020 aims to provide a platform for global ICT talents to showcase their ability, compete and communicate...  read more

MTN Cameroon Rewards Best MoMo Startups

MTN Cameroon has announced the publication of the results of the Cameroonian edition of the MoMo Developer Hackathon Challenge 2019 competition launched in October 2019. The winning teams were presented to the public on 23 January 2020 during a ceremony at the Akwa Palace Hotel in Douala.

The College Plan project driven by two students from the University of Buea ranked first at the end of the jury's deliberations. The idea of Takwi Gisele and Fonkam Loïc aims at helping young people to better control their ... read more

The Race to Dethrone Cash in Africa is on

No matter the sector; be it e-commerce, banking, logistics, agriculture, health or education, digitalisation is the future and companies have to adapt or risk becoming obsolete. This means that the demise of cash on the continent is unavoidable. Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria, recently had its central bank, the CBN, impose a cash-less policy, which stipulates an additional charges on cash-based deposits and withdrawals. Sparkle’s CEO, Uzoma Dozie, hit the nail on its head in his Medium post “by making cash more expensive, which is what the CBN is attempting with this policy, they are actively driving people and businesses into the financial system... read more

African Credit Scoring Startups Selected for ENGIE Challenge at Africa Tech Summit in Kigali

Five African credit scoring startups have been selected to pitch for the chance to secure a testing phase for their solutions with French utility company ENGIE.

French multinational energy utility company ENGIE was earlier this month confirmed as Gold supporter of Africa Tech Summit, which takes place for the third time on February 4-6, in Kigali, Rwanda.

The partnership between ENGIE and Africa Tech Summit Kigali offered credit scoring startups with the potential to provide innovative solutions...  read more

Why CIOs Should Approach Cloud Differently in 2020

In 2020 CIOs should adopt a different approach to the cloud and develop a formal strategy that links individual decisions with enterprise goals, according to Gartner. 

The company says cloud continues to be one of the fastest-growing segments of IT spend and in the new era of cloud, cost optimisation will be crucial. 

This is one of four factors Gartner believes will impact cloud adoption this year. "Through 2024, nearly all legacy applications migrated to... read more

African Women Empowered to Lead in Digital Economy

South African black female-owned digital technology firm SmartDigital Solution is to partner with the African Management Institute and Black Management Forum Sandton to launch the African Women in Digital Leadership Series, a platform designed to empower women to lead in the digital and data economy. 

Organisers say the platform will cover leading women in the DRC, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa and will be rotated in different African countries. .. read more

Botswana: Government to Launch Automated Water Quality Monitoring

Since the quality of water is evaluated based on its physical, chemical and biological parameters, the Botswana government is moving towards automating water quality monitoring. This is in view of the recent advances in the technologies of sensors, robotics, and Internet of Things (IoT) which have led to significant progress in the applications of environmental telemonitoring.

In the field of aquatic monitoring, static stations or buoys with capabilities of automated measuring, data logging and wireless transmission have been widely designed by research institutes or deployed by environmental departments. .. read more

YouTube Appoints MD for Emerging Markets in EMEA

YouTube today announced the hire of Alex Okosi as managing director of emerging markets in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

The video-sharing platform says Okosi will be responsible for running YouTube's business and partnership teams across emerging markets in EMEA including Russia, the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The appointment comes barely a week after YouTube parent Google named Alistair Mokoena its SA country director...  read more

Zimbabwe Telecos Look to Raise Tariffs Again

Embattled Zimbabwe telecommunication firms are in talks with the Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz), for a possible third increase in service tariffs.

Mobile operator Econet Wireless Zimbabwe said this is because of the current prevailing economic environment.

The company added that the environment is undermining the national telecom sector at various levels, not just among consumers. ..  read more

Botswana’s Letshego and MTN Launch Mobile Money Loans in Eswatini

Letshego Holdings Limited, which is headquartered in Gaborone and has been publicly listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange since 2002, has partnered with MTN to launch mobile money loans in Eswatini. Letshego is steadfastly living by its sworn motto of “Let’s improve life.” According to information passed on to biztechafrica, Emaswati can now apply for Momo Quick Loans of up to E200 over 30 days all active MTN Mobile Money users can now apply for a Momo Quick Loan.

“MoMo Quick Loans support financial inclusion by extending the reach and ease in. ..  read more

Cable ship Leon Thevenin Heads to Angola

In a fresh announcement related to the undersea cable restoration mission, the cable vessel Leon Thevenin is said to have departed Cape Town harbour on 22 January 2020 and is heading for offshore Angola.

This is where the first steps of the physical repair on damaged undersea cables – South Atlantic 3/West Africa Submarine Cable (SAT3/WASC) and the West African Cable System (WACS), according to Openserve. 

In its latest statement, the company said: "Following delays caused by weather conditions...  read more

Nigeria: SIMs are National Resources, Telcos Have Right to Reassign Inactive Lines, Says NCC

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said the telecommunications companies have the right to reassign SIM cards once they’re inactive for a maximum of 180 days.

Dr. Henry Nkemadu, director, public affairs, NCC, said that telcos exercise the power to reassign dormant SIM cards without recourse to the previous owners so long as they remain inactive for the said number of days.

This is coming on the heels of commotion generated after Anthony Okolie, a Delta-based trader, was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) for using a SIM previously owned by Hanan Buhari, the president’s daughter. ..  read more

Tanzania, Uganda Criticised for SIM Card Registration policies

A report by UK-based pro-consumer website Comparitech claims Tanzania and Uganda have in place some of the harshest SIM card monitoring policies in the world.

Based on a point scoring metric  of 0 – 21 (according to which policy portfolios are evaluated from strongest to weakest – ie. the lower the scor e, the stronger the portfolio), Tanzania scored 19, while Uganda scored 15.

The report identifies Burundi, Kenya and Rwanda among those African countries with relatively good SIM card monitoring policies. Kenya scored 12 points, Rwanda scored 11 points and Burundi scored 9 points. ..  read more

Honeywell, Etisalat Misr, ACUD to Deploy Tech at Egypt’s Smart City

NYSE-listed technology giant Honeywell and Etisalat Misr, which is a subsidiary of Etisalat UAE, have inked a partnership agreement to deliver city management services for citizens at Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, which is projected to be one of the largest smart city projects in the world.

The agreement will see Honeywell deploy advanced Internet of Things (IoT) software and hardware solutions for a City Operations Center (COC) platform, as part of Phase 1 of the project. 

The central COC platform will include data analytics, a city-wide management dashboard, a smart city services citizen engagement portal... read more