News
Nigeria Seeks More India Supports, as TEPC Earmarks $10Bn for Indo-Africa

Adebayo Shittu, minister of Communications has called for more collaborative efforts with India to deepen Nigeria’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector growth.
This was contained in Shittu’s keynote address, Wednesday, during the Indo-Africa ICT Expo 2017, organised by the Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC) held in Lagos.
Coincidentally, the India Government said, it has set aside $10 billion for Indo-Africa trade aimed at promoting ICT innovation and development across African continent.
The Minister said that the partnership would ensure that Nigerian businesses tap into reservoir of knowledge among their Indian counterparts and develop technology-based solutions for the Nigerian, African and even the global market.
According to him, there are numerous opportunities for partnerships between both public and private sector of Nigeria and India.
”I implore Indian investors to explore areas to further enhance the lives of our people through technology.
”Nigeria has huge unmet ICT demand and businesses that were apprehensive till some time back have realised the potential of ICT and are willing to invest in this sector.
”The unmet ICT demand in Nigeria offer huge opportunities for Indian companies, arising in segment such as products and services related to mobility, security solution, telecommunications, education, capacity building among others,” he said.
Shittu said that according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), out of the 940 million people living in the least developed countries, most of them being in Africa, only 89 million people use the internet, corresponding to a 9.5 per cent penetration rate.
He said that ITU had projected that by the end of 2017, only 50 per cent households in developing countries would have access, compared with more than 80 per cent in the developing countries.
According to him, these statistics are a clear call for the need to identify opportunities for collaboration, sharing best practices and exploring inclusive technologies to drive the world into a truly connected community.
Indo-Africa: India Courts Nigeria On Digital Economy Agenda
Mr. Manoj Sinha, minister for Communications, Government of India said that the Country globally recognised as an outstanding example to all developing economies in Information and Communications Technologies, ICTs., has shown interest in assisting Nigeria actualize its digital economy initiatives.
Sinha reflected on how India has grown to be the world’s largest sourcing destination for the Information and Communications Technology, ICT, industry, accounting for approximately 67 per cent of the $124-130 billion market.
According to him, an efficient national identity management system is strategic to achieving digital economy, particularly in delivering services to the citizens.
He said that India’s investment footprints in Africa have always depicted ICT as critical to opening up the Continent for other sectorial growths such as telecoms, e-Governance, e-Health, agro-technology, ecommerce, among others.
India Earmarks $10Bn For Indo-Africa Trade
India Government has set aside $10 billion for Indo-Africa trade aimed at promoting ICT innovation and development across African continent, added Mr. Sanjay Nayak, co-chairman, TEPC and CEO, Tejas Networks.
He said Indian Government, via its Communication ministry, hopes that the move will ensure mutually beneficial growth between Africa and India as there is hardly shortage of ideas but shortage of capital in the continent.
Mr. Sanjay also revealed that India now boasts of lowest telecoms tariffs in the world thanks to years of technology innovation and deployment of latest, highest quality and lowest cost technology.
According to him, Indian companies can replicate such success in Nigeria and other African countries. “Indian IT services are what you can trust. You do not have to worry about it. Every ICT problems you intend to solve in the next five years India is ready to partner. We will make sure you grow your industry as we grow our own.”
He said that TEPC recognises the strength of building a design-led manufacturing ecosystem for telecom products and service, adding that TEPC is further committed to support the creation of domestic products and enable manufacturing with high domestic value-addition.
News
Lawyers Drags NLS to Court for Alleged Election Fraud, Data Violation

Two Nigerian lawyers have sued promoters of the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) over allegations of electoral fraud and unlawful use of personal data.
The legal actions follow the recent election conducted by the NLS, a breakaway association formed as an alternative to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), to elect its national officers.
In one of the suits, marked FHC/ABJ/05/1506/2025 and filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, a lawyer, Timothy Tersugh Ahua, is challenging the conduct of the election and the legitimacy of the electoral process.
Ahua named several NLS promoters, including prominent lawyers, as defendants.
They include Senior Advocates, Chief Mela Audu Nunghe, Dr. Ugoji Eze, Secretary of the NLS Electoral Committee, and Chief Bolaji, Chairman of the NLS.
Others named in the suit are Ferguson Chioma Blessing, Chief Emeka Ichoku, and Tejumola Adigun.
Citing provisions of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, Ahua is asking the court to declare that the NLS electoral process violated its constitution.
He is seeking a declaration that all unopposed candidates, including himself, be declared elected, as published by Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, the alternate Chairman of the NLS Electoral Committee.
Ahua claims he was duly nominated for the position of Secretary General but was unjustly excluded, accusing the defendants of hand-picking candidates in breach of the rules.
He further alleged that the exclusion caused him financial loss, reputational damage, and personal hardship, urging the court to correct what he described as a grave injustice.
In a separate suit before the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, another lawyer, Oluwadare Thomas, sued Chief Mela Nunghe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Ugoji Eze, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), over alleged violation of his data privacy rights.
Thomas is asking the court to determine whether the use and publication of his personal data by NLS election officials without his consent amounts to a breach of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
He also wants the court to consider whether the use of the NLS name for the election, despite a CAC notice and a pending suit, constitutes contempt of court and abuse of legal process.
He is seeking several declaratory and injunctive reliefs, including a court order restraining the continued use of his personal data and an order compelling NITDA and NDPC to investigate and sanction the respondents.
Thomas is also demanding N50m in compensation for the alleged unlawful processing and exposure of his personal information.
News
NASRDA Celebrates Chief Owolabi Salis on His Historic Space Mission

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has congratulated Chief Owolabi Salis on his successful space flight. He becomes the first person of Nigerian birth to travel to space.
Chief Salis privately funded his space mission, demonstrating the deep interest of Nigerians to participate in scientific, exploratory, tourism and commercial space activities. His achievement highlights new opportunities for private sector engagement in space Program.
This milestone brings significant international attention to Nigeria’s space program, capabilities, while positioning the nation among countries where citizens actively participate in space activities.
In a statement signed by Dr. Felix Ale, director, Media and Corporate Communications, NASRDA, stated that chief Salis’s successful mission represents one pathway for Nigerian space participation. “His achievement complements NASRDA’s ongoing efforts to expand access to space exploration for Nigerian citizens.
“NASRDA received notification of Chief Salis’s mission through our partner organization, Space Research and Exploration Agency (SERA), prior to the flight. His success demonstrates the expanding opportunities now available to Nigerians in the space sector.
“However, it must be emphasized that the NASRDA-SERA collaborative mission, announced in June 2024, remains on course for an upcoming Blue Origin flight. This program represents a different pathway, providing opportunities for broader Nigerian participation through open competition.
“Our collaborative mission will enable Nigerian citizens to participate in astronaut selection and contribute to the development of research proposals. Eligibility extends to all Nigerian citizens aged 18 and above through transparent, merit-based selection criteria.
“Research priorities for the NASRDA-SERA mission will also be determined through public input from Nigerian citizens. This approach ensures the mission addresses national priorities identified by Nigerian citizens,” the statement added.
The application portal for the NASRDA-SERA program will open in the coming weeks. Detailed application procedures will be announced prior to the portal’s activation.
NASRDA celebrates Chief Salis’s contribution to raising awareness about space exploration opportunities for Nigerians. His private investment demonstrates the practical commitment of Nigerian citizens to advancing our national space participation.
Chief Salis’s achievement marks a defining moment for Nigeria’s space ambitions. Nigeria now has both private citizens and government programs actively pursuing space exploration, positioning the nation as an active participant in the global space economy.
For additional information regarding NASRDA programs or the SERA collaborative mission, contact the agency’s Media and Corporate Communication Department.
News
NIA Questions Legality of Reps’ Financial Probe

The Nigerian Insurers Association has urged the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions to respect the constitutional separation of powers as it carries out a probe on over 20 insurance firms.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIA, Mrs Bola Odukale, said the decision of NIA and the affected firms to approach the court was to seek clarity on the constitutional limits of the House Committee’s probe.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Monday is investigating no fewer than 25 insurance companies operating in the country for various financial infractions spanning financial reporting, claims settlement, premium remittance, and issuance of policies.
The Chairman, House Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Kwamoti Laori, during a meeting with the management of the insurance companies at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, said the meeting was convened following the receipt of a petition on infractions by the insurance companies.
In the statement, Odukale said, “The Association wishes to state unequivocally that all actions taken by the NIA and the affected member companies in response to the Committee’s invitations and pronouncements were based entirely on legal advice by its Solicitors. It was on the firm instruction of legal counsel that recourse was made to the courts.
“The objective of approaching the Court is to seek judicial guidance on the legality, propriety, and constitutional limits of the Committee’s intervention in order to safeguard institutional integrity, uphold regulatory independence, and ensure that legislative oversight remains within the bounds of law.
“The Court action seeks to determine whether the current posture of the Committee reflects an exercise of legislative judgment, which, by constitutional design, is the exclusive province of statutory regulators, such as the National Insurance Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Exchange, Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the National Information Technology Development Agency.
“This raises serious questions about legislative overreach and an erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.”
Odukale maintained that the NIA was committed to lawful and constructive engagement with all arms of government, provided that such engagement respects the autonomy of statutory regulators and the boundaries established by the Constitution.
“The NIA will continue to provide its full support to all member companies while upholding the principles of legal compliance and sector-wide integrity,” Odukale concluded.
17 of the companies that went to court were represented by their lawyer, Mr Abimbola Kayode, at the meeting with the committee.
- General News3 days ago
FG Plans N50m STEEM Grant to Support Student Innovation in August
- E-Business3 days ago
Transcorp Hotels Delivers Stellar H1 Results, Declares Over ₦1Bn Dividend
- E-Financial3 days ago
Cardoso, CBN Boss Risks Arrest over Alleged N5.2 Trillion Unremitted Funds
- Telecom3 days ago
MTN Media Innovation Programme Fellows Gain Insight into Nigeria’s Connectivity Backbone
- E-Financial3 days ago
NIBBS: Banks Close 29.4m Accounts, Dormant Accounts Hit 33.39m
- General News3 days ago
Experts Champion Sustainability at Lagos Green Economy Forum
- Telecom3 days ago
Driving Digital Inclusion: Anambra’s Mobile Tech Hub Brings Free WiFi to the People
- Broadcasting3 days ago
NDPC Hides MultiChoice Privacy Violation Details Despite FOI Request- FIJ