Telecom
Airtel Nigeria gets approval for three licenses
National Communications Commission (NCC) has granted three licences to Airtel Nigeria Telesonic Limited, a subsidiary of Airtel Africa.
These new licences will enable the company to expand its fibre network and enhance infrastructure to meet the growing demand for data services in Nigeria.
As detailed on the NCC’s website, the approved licences include National Long Distance, Internet Service Provider, and Sales & Installation Major licences.
“The companies listed below are those that have fully paid their licence fees and have received their licence documents for their respective telecommunications operations prior to the reclassification of licences into class and individual categories,” the NCC stated.
The NCC also highlighted that the National Long Distance licence, which is valid for 20 years, will be in effect from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2044. This licence will allow the operator to establish and manage networks that facilitate long-distance communications within Nigeria, covering voice, data, and video services.
On the other hand, the Internet Service Provider and Sales and Installation Major licences will be valid for five years, starting on July 1, 2024, and ending on June 30, 2029, as noted on the website.
Airtel Africa launched Airtel Nigeria Telesonic Limited in February as a wholesale fibre division, aiming to transform the continent’s data market.
This move comes after the launch of Nxtra in December 2023, a new data centre business built upon the success of Airtel’s Tier 3 data centre in Lagos, which opened in 2022.
At the Telesonic launch, Airtel Africa’s Chief Executive Officer, Segun Ogunsanya, emphasised that Africa is experiencing a digital revolution, with a significant rise in demand for data centres across various sectors, especially among the continent’s expanding youth population.
He also noted that Airtel’s objective is to bridge the digital divide and foster opportunities for innovation and economic growth through reliable and scalable infrastructure.
Currently, Nigeria has approximately 35,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables, with plans to extend this by an additional 90,000 kilometres to improve connectivity and promote digital inclusion.
This initiative is part of a larger strategy to connect all 774 local government areas and significantly boost broadband penetration, with a target of reaching 70 per cent by 2025, according to the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
Telecom
Instagram Unveils Teen Accounts with Built-in Parental Control & Privacy
Instagram is overhauling the way it works for teenagers, promising more “built-in protections” for young people and added controls and reassurance for parents.
The new “teen accounts” are being introduced from Tuesday in the UK, US, Canada and Australia.
They will turn many privacy settings on by default for all under 18s, including making their content unviewable to people who don’t follow them, and making them actively approve all new followers.
But children aged 13 to 15 will only be able to adjust the settings by adding a parent or guardian to their account.
Social media companies are under pressure worldwide to make their platforms safer, with concerns that not enough is being done to shield young people from harmful content.
UK children’s charity the NSPCC said Instagram’s announcement was a “step in the right direction”.
But it added that account settings can “put the emphasis on children and parents needing to keep themselves safe.”
Rani Govender, the NSPCC’s online child safety policy manager, said they “must be backed up by proactive measures that prevent harmful content and sexual abuse from proliferating Instagram in the first place”.
Meta describes the changes as a “new experience for teens, guided by parents”.
It says they will “better support parents and give them peace of mind that their teens are safe with the right protections in place.”
Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly viewed content about self-harm and suicide on Instagram before taking her life aged 14, told the BBC it was important to wait and see how the new policy was implemented.
“Whether it works or not we’ll only find out when the measures come into place,” he said.
“Meta is very good at drumming up PR and making these big announcements, but what they also have to be good at is being transparent and sharing how well their measures are working.”
Teen accounts will mostly change the way Instagram works for users between the ages of 13 and 15, with a number of settings turned on by default.
These include strict controls on sensitive content to prevent recommendations of potentially harmful material, and muted notifications overnight.
Accounts will also be set to private rather than public – meaning teenagers will have to actively accept new followers and their content cannot be viewed by people who don’t follow them.
Telecom
Federal Ministry of Youth Development, NDPC Sign MOU to train 5,000 Youths on Data Protection
In line with the 8 Presidential Priorities and the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to train youths on Data Privacy and Protection.
In his remarks during the signing ceremony, the Hon. Minister of State for Youth Development, Engr. Ayodele Olawande, expressed optimism about the opportunities being created for jobs and wealth creation by NDPC under the leadership of the National Commissioner/CEO, Dr Vincent Olatunji.
“No less than 80% of human capital development under the administration of the President are targeted at youths and this initiative is aimed at equipping 5,000 youths with the requisite technical skills for new jobs in the data protection ecosystem,” the Hon Minister remarked.
Read Also: Privacy Protection is Now Right of Citizens —Olatunji, NDPC Boss
While explaining the importance of the training, Dr Olatunji emphasized the importance of building trust and confidence as Nigeria repositions her economy to attract foreign direct investment.
“Investors will be eager to do business in Nigeria if we are able to demonstrate accountability in relation to their data assets.
“There are at least 500,000 data controllers in Nigeria who are required to have at least one data protection officer each.
“Nigerian youths now have a great opportunity to become professionals to take up the estimated 500,000 new jobs in the ecosystem.
“In addition, we are also making sure that the subsequent certification will not be a burden on our foreign exchange.
Read Also: NDPC Boss Inaugurates Local Organising Committee for 2025 NADPA-RADPA Conference
“We have already licensed an in-country certification body who will issue globally recognized certificates to eligible trainees.” Dr. Olatunji stated.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Mr. Olubunmi Olusanya, lauded NDPC for its quest on data privacy and protection and expressed the preparedness of the Ministry to set the necessary machinery in motion in order to make the collaboration a success.
Telecom
GSMA MWC Kigali 2024 to explore role of connectivity in driving socio-economic growth across Africa
GSMA MWC Kigali will return to the Kigali Convention Center from 29-31 October 2024.
MWC Kigali, Africa’s largest and most influential connectivity event, will convene powerful innovators and political leaders from across the entire continent, geared towards driving the digital economy forward and enabling socio-economic growth.
MWC Kigali will deliver a range of keynotes and panel sessions hosted by industry thought leaders and leading enterprises, focussed around the four event themes: Connected Continent, The AI Future, FinTech, and Africa’s Digital DNA.
Recently confirmed speakers include Airtel Africa’s CEO, Sunil Taldar; Amini’s Founder & CEO, Kate Kallot; the GSMA’s Director General, Mats Granryd; the ITU’s Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin; Lelapa AI’s CEO and Co-founder, Pelonomi Moiloa; MTN Group’s FinTech CEO, Serigne Dioum; Republic of Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Hon. Paula Ingabire; Take Back the Mic’s CEO & Founder, Derrick Ashong and, Wi-Flix’s CEO, Louis Manu.
For the first time in Africa, the GSMA Ministerial Programme will be hosted at MWC Kigali, marking a new chapter in the commitment to advancing the digital agenda in Africa.
The programme will convene the most influential telecommunications leaders from across the African continent to discuss policy and regulatory topics key to the region.
The Mobile for Development (M4D) team will once again play a central role at the event, driving innovation in digital technology to reduce global inequalities. M4D will host the ‘Mobile for Development Theatre’, a dedicated space for keynote sessions, panels, and discussions.
Themes will range from AI for impact and humanitarian innovation, agriculture and climate, to digital inclusion and gender.
Also returning this year is the Mobile Money Leadership Forum, which will explore key trends and innovations in mobile financial services.
The MWC Kigali keynotes will cover some of Africa’s most pressing digital connectivity issues.
Keynote 1 will discuss how digital technologies are driving socio-economic development in Africa to address the continent’s unique challenges.
Keynote 2 will focus on the transformative potential of AI, including how it can drive sustainable and inclusive growth across Africa.
Keynote 3 will see speakers explore the rapid evolution of Africa’s Fintech landscape and the technologies impacting investment opportunities.
While Keynote 4 will explore how the evolving content landscape is allowing African content creators to be heard and celebrated globally.
An agenda of GSMA Summits will be hosted during the event, inviting industry leaders and policymakers to discover the issues affecting enterprises in areas from network security to diversity in tech:
The Security Summit will tackle the most pressing security challenges mobile network operators face today, in the context of a rapidly evolving cyber risk landscape.
The Digital Summit will explore the digital economy’s potential in Africa, exploring how digital technologies and policy reform can drive significant socio-economic growth in Africa.
The AI Summit will cover both the vast potential and the associated risks of AI technologies in Africa, as the technology’s prevalence grows in the global economy.
The 5G Summit will address the barriers preventing the technology’s widespread adoption and ways to unlock its potential for both enterprises and consumers.
The Diversity for Tech Summit will focus on the urgent need for greater disability inclusion in Africa’s tech sector, ensuring that people with disabilities have access to the tools and opportunities they need to succeed.
MWC Kigali is held alongside the Africa Health Tech Summit and FEWA (Future of Education and Work in Africa), offering an in-depth exploration of connectivity challenges and opportunities in the health and education sectors.
We are proud to have the support of our stellar line up of sponsors, exhibitors and event partners, including Africa CDC, Africa Union, Huawei, inABLE, MTN, the Republic of Rwanda, Smart Africa and ZTE.
For more information, follow our updates on the MWC Kigali Press Zone or visit www.mwckigali.com.
Accredited media are invited to register here for a complimentary pass, which is required for access to the press centre.
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