Telecom
300 Entrepreneurs to Receive N90m Grant as MTN Foundation Closes ICT and Business Skills Training
Three hundred young entrepreneurs are set to receive N90m in equipment grants from the MTN Foundation, following the conclusion of the sixth phase of the ICT and Business Skills training. The entrepreneurs were announced during the closing ceremony held virtually on Thursday, October 12, 2023.
Participants at the ICT and Business Skills Training Closing Ceremony on Thursday, October 12, 2023.
Present at the ceremony were the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. William Alo, Chief Technology Officer, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, Jonas Nzeagwu, Special Adviser, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Enugu State Government, Arinze Chilo-Offiah, and Special Adviser to the Governor of Anambra state on Innovation and Business Incubation, Chinwe Okoli, MTN Executives, participants of the training and training partners.
In his goodwill message during the ceremony, Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki encouraged the participants to further improve on the skills they have learnt and also ensure that they uphold the value of giving back. “The skills you have learnt over the past four weeks are applicable and I beg your support to continue to invest and improve on those skills.
“You should also understand that what you have done in the last four weeks is not an end in itself, if anything it’s just the beginning. Learning and upskilling is a lifelong experience, and you should continue to look for more opportunities to improve yourself. I must conclude by thanking MTN.
“You have been phenomenal; I recall the support MTN gave to us during COVID-19 when we had to deploy the EdoBest platform for kids to learn. They provided the bandwidth so that the kids could continue learning during the lockdown. Once again congratulations to everyone.”
Also speaking at the ceremony, Director, MTN Foundation, Dennis Okoro pledged the commitment of the Foundation to invest in digital inclusion. “Congratulations to every entrepreneur that participated in the training, we will continue to ensure we get everyone digitally educated.”
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. William Alo, Chief Technology Officer, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, Jonas Nzeagwu, and Special Adviser to the Governor of Anambra state on Innovation and Business Incubation, Chinwe Okoli, shared goodwill messages congratulating the participants and encouraging them.
The ICT and Business Skills training was designed to equip young Nigerian entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 – 35 years with digital skills that will be relevant to growing their businesses. This year, the training targeted at 3000 entrepreneurs in Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Kebbi, Niger, and Yobe states, was in partnership with Meta and Microsoft.
Nigeria’s technology company, Globacom, has extended warm felicitations to Nigerians on the occasion of the 2024 Christmas celebrations.
In a goodwill message released in Lagos, Globacom urged Nigerians to embrace the spirit of love and kindness during the festive season, especially in the face of prevailing economic challenges.
The company emphasized the importance of practicing the teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly the virtues of obedience to God and loving one’s neighbor as well.
“Christ taught many virtues including obedience to God and loving one’s neighbour as oneself”, the company said, adding, “Now is the apt time to practise these teachings by sharing with the needy”.
Globacom also encouraged Nigerians to extend the conviviality of Christmas beyond the festive season by fostering love, peace, and harmony, as demonstrated by God through the birth of Jesus Christ.
Assuring its customers of uninterrupted services throughout the Yuletide period and beyond, Globacom urged them to take advantage of its innovative products and services to stay connected and share the memories of the season with loved ones.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators to settle the long-standing N250bn USSD debt dispute before January 2, 2025.
The CBN and NCC also directed banks to pay the pre-Application Programming Interfaces (API) debt before July 2, 2025.
They also ordered that post-API debts be settled before December 31, 2024.
The directive was issued in a joint cirular titled, “2nd Joint Circular of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission on the Resolution of the USSD Debt Issue Between Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators.”
The circular dated December 20, 2024, was signed by Oladimeji Taiwo, acting director of the Payments System Management Department, CBN, and Chizua Whyte, head of Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC.
The regulators said, “In view of the foregoing, the CBN and the NCC hereby direct DMBs and MNOs as follows: 1. That 60 per cent of all pre-API invoices must be paid as full and final settlement.
“Payment plans (lump sum or installments) must be agreed upon between a concerned DMB and MNO by January 2, 2025. Installments must be based on equal monthly payments, with full payment due by July 2, 2025.
“DMBs must pay 85 per cent of all outstanding invoices issued after the implementation of APIs (i.e., February 2022) by December 31, 2024.
“Similarly, 85 per cent of future invoices must be liquidated within one month of service.”
According to the regulators, the transition to end-user billing will be activated only for DMBs and MNOs that comply with the payment conditions cobtained in the circular.
CBN and the NCC said they would provide further guidance on public enlightenment initiatives related to the transition.
The regulators also directed MNOs to implement the “10-seconds rule” for USSD invoicing.
This implies that any session lasting less than ten seconds will not be billable.
The regulators added, “Failure to comply with the terms outlined in this directive will attract necessary sanctions, ensuring that both DMBs and MNOs uphold their obligations.”
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a draft regulatory framework aimed at addressing fraud, spam, and other challenges in the Application-to-Person messaging sector.
The telecom regulator made this announcement in a statement.
The proposed framework, which was introduced during a virtual Stakeholders’ Forum, is said to be a key step towards enhancing the sector’s integrity and ensuring a fair, transparent environment for all parties involved.
The draft framework, presented by Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC, who was represented by Chizua Whyte, NCC’s acting head of legal and regulatory services, seeks to regulate the A2P messaging space.
The A2P messaging, used for notifications such as bank alerts, promotional campaigns, and government updates, has become a vital communication tool in Nigeria.
However, the sector faces significant challenges, including consumer protection concerns, fraud, and data privacy issues, as well as an unequal distribution of value within the ecosystem.
“The international A2P messaging space in Nigeria faces gaps that have led to issues such as fraud, spam, and data privacy concerns. These challenges threaten the sustainable growth of this communication tool,” the NCC said.
The proposed framework aims to address these challenges by protecting consumers, promoting fair competition, and holding service providers accountable.
“This forum marks a pivotal step towards addressing these challenges. We are here to engage with all stakeholders—operators, aggregators, businesses, service providers, and consumers—to refine the framework and ensure it meets the needs of the entire ecosystem.”
The NCC stressed the importance of inclusivity and collaboration in creating an effective regulatory environment.
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