The technology sector could unlock $800 billion in value across its value chain by 2030 if it puts nature at the heart of its operations and supply chains, according to a new World Economic Forum report launched today. This is part of the $10.1 trillion in business opportunity that could be unlocked if nature-positive solutions are adopted widely by the private sector.
 
Over half of the projected $800 billion comes from upstream activities in energy and extractives, such as expanding renewable power, improving resource recovery, and advancing circular manufacturing of electronics and appliances. This is according to the Nature Positive Role report developed in collaboration with Oliver Wyman. The new research also projects another third is expected from infrastructure and the built environment, including energy-efficient buildings, smart metering, wastewater reuse and sustainable construction. The rest may emerge from nature restoration and sustainable land use and cross-sector energy-efficiency opportunities enabled by digital innovation.
 
Tech sector growth is set to remain strong, propelled by artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, demand for high-performance electronics and frontier innovations, such as quantum computing. The growth of the sector brings with it a substantial nature footprint, including intensive water use, pollution and waste, greenhouse gas emissions and land pressures.
 
Over 1 trillion chips are sold each year, powering smartphones, cars, televisions and other everyday devices. Behind the scenes, more than 11,000 data centres are in use, and the demand for them is expected to rise by 19-22% annually to 2030. Semiconductor manufacturing alone uses over 1 trillion litres of water annually and depends on mining metals and critical minerals. Global data centres draw more than 60 gigawatts of power, exceeding the peak electricity demand of the whole of California. Hardware production contributes to more than 60 billion kilogrammes of e-waste each year, with less than a quarter currently being recycled.
 
Constraints on natural resources weaken operational efficiency and threaten business resilience. These can be addressed by adopting practices such as circular resource recovery, and by fostering partnerships across mining and minerals supply chains.

“Companies that invest in nature and transition towards net-zero, nature-positive and resilient business models will become better at managing risks and enjoy competitive advantages,” said Pim Valdre, Head of Climate and Nature Economy, World Economic Forum.

Tech’s rapid growth has led to a surge in infrastructure development, especially data centres, prompting increasing scrutiny from local communities and regulators. These advantages include stronger support from communities and regulators to grow, greater resilience to environmental shocks, as well as better alignment with what customers, employees and investors expect and new opportunities for growth and cost savings

The report finds that seven practical actions across water, pollution and waste, land use, greenhouse gas emissions, power, supply chain and policy engagement can help tech companies better manage their nature impacts and dependencies. By planning for the risks of nature loss, companies can limit disruptions, mitigate impacts from extreme weather events, policy or market transition and broader systemic issues, and reduce exposure tied to essential ecosystem services like clean water, while being first to capture nature positive opportunities.
 
As an example, the tech sector is currently responsible for around 4% of global energy use. By scaling renewable power, improving energy and water efficiency and advancing circular manufacturing and recycling models, the sector can reduce its nature impacts. Adopting innovations such as liquid cooling in data centers can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 21%, while circular material recovery initiatives have achieved up to 95% emission reductions compared to virgin mining.
 
As Nick Studer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Oliver Wyman, noted, “The tech sector has an opportunity to lead in both economic growth and the nature-positive transition – but there is no time for delay.”

The federal government said that it would invest N12 billion to fund digital economy research projects, ensuring the country benefits from the dividends of digital transformation. Bosun Tijani, minister of communications and digital economy, said this at the opening ceremony of the 18th edition of the International Conference on Theory and Practices of Electronic Governance in Abuja. Mr Tijani said that platforms like ICEGOV had created an opportunity for countries to research the capabilities of emerging technologies and balance them with policies as they affect societies.

He said Nigeria’s participation in ICEGOV of 2024 highlighted the need for the country to research the digital economy, adding that the records won the country the confidence of partners to host the 2025 edition.
“The Nigerian government is not just doing this as a show because immediately after ICEGOV last year, we funded over 55 research projects.

“At the moment, we are putting together about N12 billion to fund further research projects that are focused on the digital economy. We are setting up three research clusters of six universities, each one focused on artificial intelligence, and another focused on the biggest issue in our nation today, which is connectivity, where we are investing significantly. “Thirdly, because of our population, we are also funding another research cluster that is focused on digital skills and literacy,’’ Mr Tijani said. The minister also stated that digital technologies have become the core of human activities, noting that without them, societies would remain underdeveloped.

According to him, it is essential that these technologies are no longer viewed solely as economic tools, but as instruments to reshape and govern society as well. Elsa Estevez, chair of the ICEGOV Steering Committee, while reflecting on the conference theme, noted that AI and its associated risks necessitate cooperation among countries, entities, and governments at all levels. She said that securing the public digital space requires regulation, education, and awareness, all based on sound information ethics.

Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of NITDA, stated that the government had plans to integrate digital literacy skills into the school curricula by 2026. Mr Inuwa said the government needed to do that to ensure the country’s youthful population’s technology growth rate aligned with government initiatives. Mr Inuwa also stated that the government was implementing measures to ensure that public servants became digitally literate, thereby enabling better service delivery in the public sector.
(NAN)

Nigerian fintech firm Moniepoint Inc. said on Tuesday it had raised more than $200 million in a funding round led by Development Partners International, as it seeks to expand its digital financial services across Africa and beyond. The Series C financing, which also included LeapFrog Investments, Visa, Google’s Africa Investment Fund, and the International Finance Corporation, is one of the largest equity fundraisings by an African fintech this year. Moniepoint, formerly known as TeamApt, said the funds would support its expansion into new markets and enhance its offerings for small and medium-sized enterprises, which form the backbone of Africa’s informal economy. “This is a proud day for Moniepoint,” said Tosin Eniolorunda, the company’s co-founder and CEO. “We founded the company to widen financial inclusion and help African entrepreneurs realise their potential. This funding will help us accelerate that mission.”
Founded in 2015, Moniepoint has grown into Nigeria’s largest business banking platform, serving over 10 million active users and processing more than $250 billion in annual transaction value. The company has remained profitable at scale, a rare feat among global fintechs. The funding follows a string of product launches, including MonieWorld, a remittance platform targeting the African diaspora in Britain, and a bookkeeping tool for micro and small businesses. DPI, which led the first close of the round in 2024, said Moniepoint’s combination of growth and impact made it a standout investment. “Moniepoint continues to deliver innovation alongside sustained profitability,” said DPI partner Adefolarin Ogunsanya. “We’re proud to support its next phase of growth.”
LeapFrog’s Karima Ola said the investment aligned with the firm’s vision of building inclusive financial infrastructure across Africa. Lightrock, Alder Tree Investments, Proparco, Swedfund, and Verod Capital Management also participated in the funding round. Financial Technology Partners acted as exclusive adviser to Moniepoint.