Telecom
NCC’s Experiences at ITU Bolstering Nigeria’s Digital Transformation – Danbatta
Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that the vast experience as a long-standing member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has served as a booster to the Commission in its effective implementation of government policies, and in stimulating regulatory initiatives focused on advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation.
L-R: Prof.Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); and Ayuba Shuaibu, Executive Secretary, Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council Session, that took place in Geneva, Switzerland recently.
Danbatta stated this while addressing global actors in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry at the ongoing Session of the ITU Council taking place in-person at the ITU Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, from March 21-31, 2022.
Speaking at the Council session, Danbatta said the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the important role ICT will continue to play in ensuring peace, security and prosperity around the world.
“It is as a result of the enabling experiences in the ITU ecosystem that Nigeria continue to be active and forward-looking regarding the activities of the ITU as the leading organ of the United Nations (UN) in the area of ICT,” he said.
He emphasised that, as a long-standing member of Council, Nigeria has utilised ICT as a driver of socio-economic development not just for herself, but also for the benefit of the sub-region and the continent, given its role as a founding member and flagship promoter of the West African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA).
“Over the years, as a member of ITU, Nigeria has chaired World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC)-15; chaired ITU Council Standing Committee on Administration and Management (SC-ADM), in 2019 and 2022; as well as chaired the Ad-Hoc Committee on ITU Regional Presence”, the EVC said to underscore the strategic, symbiotic relationship between Nigeria and ITU.
Reinforcing the intensity of his assertion on the contribution of Nigeria in ITU, Danbatta said, “Nigeria had also chaired ITU-Standardization (ITU-T) Study Group 20 Regional Group for Africa; served as Vice Chairman, ITU-T Study group 20; served as Vice-Chair, ITU-T Study Group 12; Vice-Chair, ITU-Development D Study Group 2; as well as provided Financial Support to ITU Headquarters Building, among others”.
The EVC said this robust experience in ITU has continued to enable Nigeria, through NCC, and was particularly instrumental to the recent management of a globally-acclaimed transparent auction of Fifth Generation 5G licence in 2021; achieve 40.88 per cent broadband penetration in Nigeria as at December 2021; implement robust financial inclusion initiatives; as well as in the promotion of universal access across institutions and communities in Nigeria through the NCC’s Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF).
“All these were made possible through the successful launch and implementation of policies to foster use of ICTs across all sectors and enhance a digital economy,” he said.
Meanwhile, the EVC has used the opportunity of his brief remarks during the Council session to announce Nigeria’s intent to seek re-election to ITU Council during the forthcoming Plenipotentiary Conferences.
According to Danbatta, having Nigeria re-elected will help the country to continue to collaborate with and support ITU’s development agenda, ensure effective and efficient implementation of ITU Resolutions, implement inclusive programmes to foster universal use of ICT across all divides, and provide focused and strategic partnership.
“We look forward to a robust Council session and subsequent support for Nigeria during the forthcoming elections,” Danbatta stated.
The ITU is governed by the Plenipotentiary Conference and the Administrative Council. The Plenipotentiary Conference is the supreme organ of the Union. It is the decision making body which determines the direction of the Union and its activities.
The Council, on the other hand, acts as the Union’s governing body in the interval between Plenipotentiary Conferences. Its role is to consider broad telecommunication policy issues to ensure that the Union’s activities, policies and strategies fully respond to today’s dynamic, rapidly-changing telecommunications environment.
The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference for this year is scheduled to take place in Bucharest, Romania, from Monday, September 26 to October 14, 2022
Nigeria’s mobile subscriber base fell 30.09 percent to 153.32 million in September 2024, following deactivation of Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) not linked to a verified National Identification Number (NIN) by the mandated deadline.
The SIM-NIN linkage initiative, aimed at enhancing security and identifying potential criminal elements, now requires that all SIM users have a verified NIN, with registration restricted to individuals over the age of 18. This move reinforces that SIM registration represents a legal contract, valid only for adults.
Earlier, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), over 153 million SIMs have now been successfully linked to a NIN, achieving a compliance rate of 96 percent, up from 69.7 percent in January 2024.
In collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the NCC disclosed that it has discovered multiple cases of excessive SIM ownership, with some individuals reportedly holding over 100,000 SIM cards.
To maintain the integrity of Nigeria’s mobile network, the NCC emphasised its commitment to working with security agencies to eliminate the sale of pre-registered SIMs.
The NCC urged Nigerians who still need to complete their NIN-SIM linkage, or those with verification issues, to update their details promptly through service providers or approved self-service portals. It also reiterated that the sale or purchase of pre-registered SIMs is illegal and encouraged the public to report any such incidents via its toll-free line, 622, or through its social media channels.
Last week, key stakeholders in Africa’s internet ecosystem gathered in Lagos for the Nigerian Peering and Interconnection Forum (ngPIF), where they explored strategies for expanding Nigeria’s rapidly growing internet infrastructure.
Hosted by the Nigerian Network Operator Group (ngNOG) and the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), the forum attracted government officials, industry leaders, and technology experts committed to enhancing digital connectivity in Nigeria.
In his opening remarks, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, emphasized the critical role of internet connectivity in driving Nigeria’s economic growth and development. Represented by Ganiyu Oseni, Senior Adviser on Technology, Broadband & Innovation, Governor Sanwo-Olu reiterated the Lagos State Government’s commitment to fostering digital inclusion and expanding infrastructure.
“Digital connectivity is not just a tool for communication; it is a catalyst for economic transformation,” Oseni said on behalf of the Governor. “We are committed to supporting initiatives like ngPIF that push the boundaries of digital infrastructure and bring the benefits of connectivity to all Nigerians.”
The two-day forum featured a series of panel discussions and workshops, with participants focusing on key topics such as peering, interconnection, data centers, and the role of government in creating a conducive environment for digital innovation.
Prof. Wale Adedokun, National Coordinator of ngPIF, underscored the forum’s mission to bridge Nigeria’s digital divide, particularly between urban and rural areas.
“The essence of ngPIF is to foster collaboration among stakeholders to ensure internet resources are more accessible and affordable across Nigeria,” he told journalists.
Muhammed Rudman, CEO of IXPN, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of rural connectivity to ensure that all citizens can access the digital economy. “The government’s support is crucial for expanding internet access in underserved areas, particularly through mechanisms like the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF),” Rudman explained.
In addition, Ayotunde Coker, CEO of Open Access Data Centre (OADC), highlighted ngPIF’s role in building a robust peering community that includes infrastructure providers, content creators, service providers, and policymakers. “This forum has evolved into a vibrant community dedicated to advancing Nigeria’s interconnection and peering infrastructure, putting the country on the global digital map,” Coker remarked.
As Nigeria continues its digital transformation, ngPIF remains a vital platform for stakeholders to collaborate, innovate, and shape the future of the country’s internet landscape.
Polaris Bank, Nigeria’s leading digital retail commercial bank, again at the weekend proved its digital dominance in the Nigerian banking industry, winning the most-coveted award as the best in digital banking and the entire ecosystem for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
At the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Awards (BAFI Awards), financial industry’s prestigious awards, Polaris Bank’s trailblazing digital banking platform, VULTe was adjudged the best as “Digital Bank of the Year”, for the fourth consecutive year.
Polaris Bank was also awarded “Best Bank for MSMEs of the Year”, for the third consecutive year, underlining the bank’s well-known competitive lending and general supports for small businesses and the real sector.
With the weekend awards, Polaris Bank retains a pride of place as the only Nigerian bank to have won the coveted awards for that long, underscoring the bank’s continuous investments in human and technological resources.
The BAFI Awards Selection and Review Committee stated that Polaris Bank outperformed industry peers in all key metrics, including strength of strategy for attracting and gaining digital customers, accelerated user engagement, success in getting clients to use digital offerings, growth of digital customers, platform functionality and security.
BAFI Awards is well-regarded for its empirical and data-driven selection process, a practice that makes the awards, one of the most prestigious independent awards for the Nigerian financial services industry.
Commenting on the award, Mr. Kayode Lawal, managing directo/ceo, Polaris Bank, said the continuing recognition of VULTe as best digital bank emphasises the user-friendly and multi-functional strengths of the digital platform.
He pointed out that Polaris Bank has seen tremendous market gain in digital transactions and lending with digital lending totaling more than N10 billion in the first eight months of this year, on course to surpass the N12.8 billion recorded for the whole of 2023.
He said the bank understands the importance of user-experience in online transactions and thus prioritises convenience and safety, with sustained investments in bespoke technologies.
“We are honoured to receive this prestigious award, recognising our commitment to the digital banking ecosystem. We understand clearly that this consecutive vote of confidence on our capability is a responsibility, and we are doing everything to remain on the cutting-edge of technology and services.
“We are sure ongoing strategic initiatives will not only sustain our leadership in digital banking and supports for real sector, but also deliver sustainable growth that will firmly entrench our digital leadership across the financial services industry,” Lawal said.
He commended the organisers of the BAFI Awards, BusinessDay, for their commitment to empirical process.
A full digital bank that provides fast, convenient, and reliable solutions to banking needs; some of VULTe’s unique features include: QR payments, end-to-end account opening, instant loan request, debit card request, issuance, and activation, without the customers leaving the comfort of their homes, offices or wherever they may be.
The platform does not just cater to Polaris Bank’s customers alone, but non-customers alike who can also download and enjoy banking services on VULTe. Another key feature is VULTe’s API Banking, which allows merchants and businesses to integrate VULTe with other business critical systems, enabling a portfolio of services including risk assessment, bank statement requests, lien accounts, direct debits and more.
With its all-in-one solution, VULTe not only caters to individual customers but also SMEs, high net worth and retail customers. It takes few minutes to access collateral-free personal and business loans that enables individuals and enterprises of customers.
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