Today's top stories from Computerworld West Africa...

Expert wants government to decrease stake in NITEL
A Lagos telecommunications expert has suggested that the federal government decrease its ownership in Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL) as much as possible rather than allow for the continued deterioration of the company.

SocketWorks to promote e-culture in Sierra Leone
The Sierra Leonean arm of SocketWorks Global is working to establish an e-culture in the country, said SocketWorks CEO Patrick Taylor.

Nigeria sees growth in country's mobile phone use
Nigeria has achieved 80 percent phone penetration since the liberalization of the country's telecommunications sector eight years ago, Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) CEO Ernest Ndukwe announced this weekend at a public lecture.

Orascom Telecom and Western Union form alliance
The lucrative money-transfer market is set to take a new shape with an alliance between Western Union and Orascom Telecom, allowing for the use of mobile phones to remit money in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Portal aims to help NGOs connect with private sector
Nongovernment organizations across sub-Saharan Africa are set to benefit from the NGOConnect Africa portal launched at Microsoft's South African headquarters last month.