Telecom
Smile Telecom Supports 50 Schools with Internet Bundles
Barely seven months it launched in Lagos, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited has taken bold step towards enhancing education in Nigeria through information communication technology (ICT) by connecting 50 public schools, 25 each in Lagos State and Ibadan (Oyo State) to the internet.
With 4G LTE, Smile said that it delivers affordable, high-quality and easy-to-use broadband internet access and communications services to its customers.
While presenting to the media Mrs. Alero Ladipo as the new chief marketing officer, the Company also said that it gives free 30gigbyte of internet bundles to each of the public schools; will replicate same gesture in Port Harcourt and increase the subscription as the needs arise.
According to Mr. Kenneth Esenwah, general manager, Sales and Distribution at Smile, the corporate social responsibility was driven by Irene Charnley, Smile group CEO urge to give back to the society in a measure that will address challenges associated with e-learning.
He hinted that the process reflects the key agenda of Dr. (Mrs) Omobola Johnson’s led Ministry of Communication to connect schools, government institutions, businesses, homes and individuals tagged, “connected Nigeria”.
“We are out to pursue the course for e-learning in Nigeria and internet penetration. We have other plans in the offing which we will inform the public at the due date. For now, we shall continue to partner with the States to ensure the schools already connected are not starved of internet subscription. Our CEO has demonstrated her passion for this project too,” he said.
The Company has already launched services in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja and Port Harcourt and hopes to establish its presence in 13 cities before the end of 2014, while targeting 60 cities in 2015.
On the processes of selecting the benefiting schools, Mr. Gbolahan Thomas, senior manager, legal and regulatory at the Company, said they approached the State Governments for schools already equipped with basic infrastructure like laboratories.
Similarly, Mrs. Alero Ladipo, new chief marketing officer at Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, expressed delight for being part of the teams that possesses enough spectrums to turn around customer experience as regards internet usage in the country.
According to her, she was attracted to the sourced for the best technology available in order to create the innovative solutions required to provide world-class, yet cost-effective, communications services across Africa, after it was found in 2007.
She said, “I am delighted that Smile’s vision is encapsulated by its value statement: ‘Everything is possible when done with Humanity, Humility, Integrity and Inspiration’”.
Ladipo added that the statement puts in a nutshell the Company’s approach to every aspect of the services, “every service and product we offer and how we deal with our customers, partners and our staff”.
The new CMO also hinted that “Smile On” conversation continues, although the Company will review the process to accommodate more SMEs.
Ladipo promises to bring her experiences to bear in driving Smile’s marketing and communication strategies and ensure that customer experience rates high.
She pleaded with Smile’s customers not to hastate in contacting customer care officer via 08004444444 for prompt response to their complaints.
Before her appointment, Ladipo had worked as head, marketing and communications strategy at Union Bank of Nigeria Plc; Marketing & Communications Manager at Stanbic IBTC Bank; Group Communications Manager at The Standard Bank; Marketing Associate at Vic Lawrence & Associates; Research Asst at Nigerian Institute on International Affairs and Research Asst at WIPO.
She holds Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Law, University of Northumbira, Newcastle; Master of Laws (LLM) International Trade; University of Essex, Colchester and Bachelor of Law from the Nigerian Law School.
As technology improved, Smile evolved to focus on mobile broadband internet using 4G LTE technology, and it was with great pride that we launched Africa’s first 4G LTE broadband internet service in Tanzania, in March 2012.
Smile’s Tanzanian customers experience 4G LTE broadband internet service in Dar es Salaam and Arusha, with Dodoma and Mwanza receiving coverage in early 2014.
Nigerians living in Ibadan and Lagos already enjoy the country’s fastest and most reliable 4G LTE broadband internet service, brought to them by Smile.
Abuja and Port Harcourt followed in early 2014.
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Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that Nigeria’s internet usage reached a record 1.24 million terabytes in November 2025.
According to the latest data from the NCC, the figure rose modestly from 1.235 million terabytes in October, reflecting steady growth in digital activity across the country.
Broadband penetration in Nigeria crossed the halfway mark in November 2025, reaching 50.58 per cent, up from 45.61 per cent in January, the telecoms regulator reported.
The figure, however, falls short of the 70 per cent coverage target outlined in the National Broadband Plan 2020–2025, which expires this month.
The country had roughly 109 million broadband subscriptions by November. Growth has been uneven, hindered by infrastructure and regulatory constraints, including frequent fibre-optic vandalism that triggers 30 to 43 network cuts daily, high right-of-way fees, and declining subscriber numbers earlier in the year.
Expansion of mobile networks, particularly 3G and 4G services, alongside limited 5G rollouts in urban centres, affordable smartphones, and competitive data plans, has driven uptake.
Investments in the National Communications Backbone and private-sector initiatives have also improved access, especially in underserved areas.
While Nigeria is gradually improving digital inclusion, achieving the original broadband plan remains challenging due to high infrastructure costs, coverage limitations, and deployment hurdles.
The NCC maintains that continued investment in mobile networks and broadband infrastructure will sustain gradual growth in the sector.
Commenting on the development, some Nigerian analysts attributed the surge to the broader mobile and broadband adoption and the growing appetite for streaming, online learning and other digital services.
According to the analysts, the figures suggest that internet connectivity is no longer a luxury but a necessity for both business and leisure, underscoring the slow but steady expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy.
Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) has named the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) among the top three Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government with the Best Ranking in Website Performance for 2025.
L-R: Head Special Projects, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Salamatu Andu; Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Engr. Abaraham Oshadame; Director General Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Head Customer Support Service, Galaxy Backbone, Rosemary Ehize; Secretary to the ES. Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Tahir Aminu at the BPSR award ceremony for top four MDAs in BPSR Website Performance and Ranking 2025 at the BPSR office on Tuesday, 23rd December, 2025.
This is coming barely three weeks after the telecom regulator was recognized as one of the top five best-performing Federal Government agencies for 2025 by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) – a testament to the Commission’s consistency in investment in technology for ensuring efficient service delivery.
In the BPSR 2024/2025 scorecard ranking of agencies’ websites, the NCC came second in the ranking, trailing behind Galaxy Backbone Limited, which came first while the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) clinched the third position, from a pool of 235 MDAs, whose website were evaluated.
BPSR deployed 14 evaluation criteria in include MDA’s website compliance with .gov.ng domain name, appearance and aesthetics (look and feel) of the website, content, relevance to MDAs mandate/government policy and the website’ structure.
Others include website’s responsiveness (device compatibility), security, load time, usability/ease of navigation, availability/uptime, functionality, interactivity, accessibility and capacity building.
The recognition was announced at the official release of Federal Government 2024/2025 Scorecard Ranking for MDAs’ Website held at the Federal Ministry of Finance Auditorium in Abuja on Monday (December 22, 2025) while the award presentation took place at BPSR’s Office on Tuesday (December 23, 2025).
The award, which is an important index metric of the National e-Government Masterplan for determining the Nigeria e-Government Status, was received by the Commission in recognition of its commitment to maintaining a world-class website that enhances service delivery to the citizens.
Receiving the award on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, the NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, appreciated the BPSR for the recognition, describing the award as “another encouragement for the Commission to be a better public service institution leveraging digital platforms such as our web presence to enhance public service delivery to our various stakeholders, thereby implementing the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy direction.”
While presenting the award to the NCC, alongside other two agencies, BPSR’s Director-General, Mr. Dasuki Arabi, commended the top three for their proactive decisions in maintaining world-class websites, which are compliant with the Federal Government’s policy direction in effective and efficient service delivery to the citizens.
According to the DG, the 2024/2025 MDA’s websites’ ranking represents a collective effort of federal public institutions in Nigeria to be transparent, accountable and open in governance, as well as a confirmation to align with global best practices in service delivery to the citizens.
Developed about six years ago, Arabi said as a result of the annual ranking, more public institutions have indicated readiness to embrace reforms, and align with the policy direction of the current administration’s Renewed Hope agenda on improve governance for effective service delivery, as introduced by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The ideals of harnessing and deploying technological tools for service delivery has become imperative following the COVID pandemic, and distortions of socio-economic system of nations, culminating in the evolution of competitiveness, cost effectiveness, and agile governance.
“As engine room of governance, it behoves on us in the public service to perform our statutory duties and we must put in place technological innovations and standardized websites to operate services as well as deliver service needs to citizens,” he said.
The Scorecard exercise, he said, is part of the BPSR reform broader function of conducting research on reform implementation efforts and presenting ‘best practice’ models to the entire Public Service, and to among others, improve access to government information, facilitate seamless financial transaction, eliminate corruption and cyber theft, as well as facilitate access to government services.
Speaking on the rigorous nature of the exercise that produced the top three winners, the DG said “in the past few weeks members of the Scorecard Jury drawn from inter-Ministerial Agencies, had worked tirelessly to mill websites of selected MDAs through a rigorous process of enduring criteria for the ranking and the outcome had also passed through a quality assurance mechanism to validate the outcome.”
Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, has dismissed reports that bank accounts not linked to a Tax Identification Number (TIN) will be frozen or automatically debited from January 1, 2026.
Taiwo Oyedele
Oyedele described the claims as false and misleading, warning Nigerians against panic over misinformation surrounding recent tax and financial reforms.
In a post on his X handle Tuesday morning, he wrote: “Don’t let anyone manipulate you. Your bank account is safe. Misinformation makes you panic and fear a reform that is designed to help you.
“When they tell you that your account will be frozen or automatically debited from January 2026, ask them for the evidence in the new law. Be wise.”
He stressed that no provision in the new tax laws authorises the freezing of bank accounts, adding that the rumours are part of widespread misrepresentation of the reforms.
The committee chairman reiterated that the reforms are intended to simplify Nigeria’s tax system and ease the burden on ordinary citizens, not to impose punitive measures on bank customers.
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