Telecom
FG Authorizes the Establishment of ICT Academy in 6 Geopolitical Zones
The Federal Government has approved the creation of ICT Academy in schools within the six geopolitical zones of the country to fast-track the innovations of students.
Malam Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education, said this at the inauguration of the UNITeS CISCO Internet of Things (IoT) Networking Academy at the Federal Government Girls College, Bwari on Friday.
Mr Sonny Echono, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, who represented the minister said as part of the initiative to fast-track ICT innovations among children, the gesture was apt as it would help transfer knowledge for the future endeavours of the students.
The IoT is the inter-networking of physical devices, vehicles (also referred to as ‘connected devices’ and ‘smart devices’), building, and other items embedded with electronics, software and network connectivity.
It is an ever growing network of physical objects with IP address for internet connectivity, and communication that occurs between them and other internet-enabled devices.
Adamu said that the gesture was also aimed at promoting the development of ICT in education through transfer of knowledge.
“As part of the ministry’s initiative to develop talents, it has approved the establishment of UNITeS Cisco Academy in the six geo-political zones of the country.
“The facility would also be located at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Bwari; Queens College, Lagos; Federal Government College (FGC), Enugu; FGC Bauchi; FGC Benin, and FGC Kano,” he said.
The minister said the initiative had also been approved in all federal unity colleges across the country.
He added that these centres would serve as a hub for open innovation to showcase talents and skills of the children.
He said it would also offer an infinite possibility for the children’s future endeavours.
He appealed to the students to begin to think of useful ways of engaging in internet productively rather than involving in criminal act through the internet.
He said that doing this would help the children use the technology to achieve the human development of the country.
Earlier, Mrs Stella Omu, Principal, FGGC Bwari, said the centre would afford the opportunity for young minds to become professionals outside their future choices of study.
She said that it would also leverage on the unique knowledge and experiences from IoT and getting connected to make lives better and society more developed.
Mr Toyin Olatayo, the Cisco Academy Support Contact, said the centre if properly harnessed, would transform the school into a smart school teaching and learning.
Olatayo stressed that the academy had made arrangement to establish the network of IoT innovation centres in secondary schools and universities across the country.
Telecom
FG Plans EO to Criminalise Fiber Cable Damage Costing Telcos Billions
Nigeria will criminalize the destruction of broadband fiber cables following repeated complaints by MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and other telecommunications companies that they are losing billions of naira, according to people familiar with the matter.
Federal ministry of works, which supervises federal road constructors, is finalizing the regulation that will be signed as an executive order by President Bola Tinubu, said the people, asking not to be identified as they weren’t authorized to comment.
While there are presently laws against vandalism, the authorities are aiming to regulate construction firms more closely.
The order will enforce stiff penalties on offenders, said the people, declining to provide more details or say when it will be signed.
“Telecom assets are critical backbone that supports the economy across sectors,” said Temitope Ajayi, a senior presidential aide, who noted that the Association of Telecommunications Companies (ATCON) has been demanding the classification for years.
New rules will provide “further assurance that the Nigerian government will protect their investments against vandals and criminal elements.”
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) estimates that the sector will make up more than a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product by the end of 2027, up from 13.5% in the third quarter of last year.
The move will help alleviate pressure on the telecoms sector, which is facing increased operating costs and sales pressures from a sharp depreciation in the currency and a threefold increase in energy prices.
Repairs and revenue losses from damaged cables is estimated to have cost the sector almost 27 billion naira ($23 million) last year alone, documents seen by Bloomberg show.
MTN Nigeria, the biggest wireless operator in Africa’s most-populous nation, and Airtel Africa Plc bore the brunt of the costs, the documents show.
MTN suffered more than 6,000 cuts on its fiber cable last year, the documents show. On Feb. 28, a cut on its network in three different locations by a road construction firm, an oil serving company and someone burning rubbish in a manhole meant customers faced more than five hours of data and voice outages.
The operator relocated 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) of vulnerable fiber cables between 2022 and 2023, at a cost of more than 11 billion naira – enough to build 870 kilometers of new fiber lines to areas without coverage.
A presidential order on the matter would be welcomed, said Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria.
“When it comes to communication infrastructure, they are destroyed at will, so we are eagerly awaiting the president’s order,” he said. “It would be a great boost to the industry, and it will also encourage investment.”
Telecom
Telegram Eyes 1Bn Users amidst Political Pressures
Telegram, the messaging giant founded by Pavel Durov and headquartered in Dubai, anticipates hitting a remarkable milestone of one billion active monthly users within the next year.
Durov’s departure from Russia in 2014, prompted by governmental pressures to stifle opposition communities on his VK social media platform, underscores Telegram’s commitment to neutrality despite geopolitical challenges.
With 900 million active users currently, Telegram stands as a beacon of free speech in the digital realm, particularly influential in former Soviet Union republics and pivotal during conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine standoff.
Durov’s staunch advocacy for freedom of expression and opposition to censorship by tech giants like Apple and Google reinforces Telegram’s status as a neutral platform.
Opting for the UAE as its base, Durov cites its neutrality and openness as conducive to Telegram’s ethos, serving both opposition groups and governments alike while maintaining impartiality.
In Durov’s vision, the pursuit of freedom eclipses material gain, shaping Telegram’s trajectory as a bastion of digital liberation.
Telecom
NITDA, NIMC Announce Collaboration To Strengthen Digital Economy
To further strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have announced a collaboration on National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to enhance and create synergy between digital identity, payment ecosystem, and secure & seemless data exchange capabilities for Nigeria.
During the meeting between the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and Director General of NIMC, Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, with some management staff of both organisations, they discussed various initiatives, which include building DPI stacks for a secured and seamless data exchange and forming partnerships to transform the national identity system.
This collaboration also aims to harness the potential of the innovative ecosystem and emphasise the use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to drive digital transformation in Nigeria.
To ensure a smooth implementation, a 12-man committee was set up. This committee will play a crucial role in kickstarting and harmonising the initiatives. It is expected to deliver a comprehensive implementation report within the next 4 weeks
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