Telecom
NCC, Defence Academy to Deploy Technology for Military Capacity Building
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) rose from talks at the weekend with a firm commitment to collaborate on boosting the NDA with high profile technology.
This is in realities that military battles no longer depend on weapons alone but on technology.
Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice Cchairman (EVC) of NCC, who held talks with Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, Commandant, NDA, at the NCC Headquarters, Abuja told his guests from NDA including Prof. Azubuike Nwankwo;, Air commodore A. S. Bulus, Academy Provost; Prof. F. N. Oguleka, director of ICT, Brig. Gen. I. M. Jallo Dean of Military Science, Registrar, among others that his experience as a visiting Professor to the NDA shows that “The NDA University has the tradition of military precision and strict adherence to timelines on academic activities, but not exempted from checks and balances”.
Danbatta, a Professor of Telecommunications Engineering told his guests that “intervening in boosting NDA technology infrastructure is to ensure the future of our country”, adding that NCC will also assist in boosting cybersecurity programmes of the academy.
He said although NCC had deployed and built two computer laboratories and optic fibre links for the two campuses in Kaduna through the Commission’s
Advance Digital Awareness Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADAPTI), Prof. Danbatta assured the visitors of NCC’s readiness to collaborate with the management to make NDA a world class institution.
Earlier, Major Gen. Oyebade, Commandant of NDA, told the NCC management led by Prof. Danbatta that the NDA which was founded in 1964 solely for military training has since 2007 metamorphosed into a degree awarding institution with several faculties where cadets are awarded degrees alongside their military trainings.
Indeed, the NDA now offers Post graduate programmes in several disciplines.
Oyebade admitted that the present and future military battles will depend on science and technology hence the need to hold talks with the NCC.
Oyebade, himself an alumni of the NDA said although “the NCC has in the past given us very robust support in the development of our ICT infrastructure, which we highly appreciate, we still crave for more support, hence this visit – to fill the gaps in our infrastructure needs”.
The NDA shopping list for the NCC include:
- The need for a server managed wired line infrastructure;
- Build two additional Computer Based Testing (CBT) centres fitted with up to and not limited to 350 computers;
- NCC should also open its doors for collaboration in manpower training for academic and nonacademic staff of NDA;
- Boost the existing end user electronics centre; and a
- Robust back up power to support the infrastructure among others.
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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