Telecom
Cybercrime, Hate Speech and Fake News Inimical to Growth – Danbatta
For the umpteenth time, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned Nigerians against the use of Internet to engage in activities that qualify for cybercrime, hate speech and fake news.
In a keynote address with the theme : “The Internet We Want and the Role of the Regulator”, at a social media summit in Kano yesterday, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, executive Vice chairman of the Commission, said the Internet is a powerful tool for citizen engagement for any nation towards achieving greater socio-political and economic posterity in a country.
The Summit, organised by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) and its partners, was essentially to reflect on the usefulness and influence of social media in the current Internet-dependent society.
Danbatta stated that as the agency saddled with the responsibility of driving digital transformation and revolution in Nigeria, the NCC has ultimately deepened access to digital tools and services that are available to most Nigerians.
“With increased access to the Internet and more importantly, broadband, many telecom consumers can engage and be engaged, especially through social media platforms accessible on their various Internet-enabled mobile devices,” he said.
The EVC stressed that the core role of the Commission is to ensure widespread access to digital services, riding on Internet platform through ensuring availability, accessibility and affordability of telecom services in rural, underserved and unserved areas of the country, the role which, he said, the Commission has been delivering diligently.
He stated the Commission is focused on achieving what he referred to as ‘the Internet of Relevance (IoR)’ which speaks to the utilitarian value of the Internet to bring efficiency and effectiveness into different sectors of the economy inluding healthcare, commerce education, agriculture, politics among others.
Danbatta, noted that the Commission conceptualised the 8-Point Agenda upon his assumption of office as the EVC/CEO of NCC in 2015 in order to further facilitate Broadband penetration among others.
He also informed participants at the Summit that regarding the National Broadband Plan target of 30 per cent penetration set for the country for 2018, not only did the Commission achieve and surpass the 30 per cent Broadband penetration target, it has continued to deepen the penetration further, hitting 33.31 per cent as at June, this year.
“In this regards, we have issued six Infrastructure Companies (InfraCo) licences across geo-political zones with the seventh one being processed for Lagos alone being the hub of ICT in order to provide Access Points in the 774 local government areas of the country,” Danbatta, said “We enjoin Nigerians to use this pervasive Internet access the regulator is promoting for utilitarian purposes.”
Galaxy Backbone (GBB), the information technology and shared services provider of the Federal Government of Nigeria, has announced the successful expansion of its state-of-the-art fibre optic network to Lagos, Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State in southwestern Nigeria, and Ilorin, capital of Kwara State in the north-central region.
What is described as a remarkable milestone is part of Phase II of the country’s National Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure Backbone (NICTIB) project.
With a robust cross-country optical fibre backbone now extending over 5,000 kilometres and across 27 state capitals, GBB says it has solidified its role as the digital backbone of Nigeria. This development seamlessly integrates the nation’s six geopolitical zones.
The newly completed Abuja-to-Lagos route, traversing key cities such as Minna, Bida, Mokwa, ilorin, Ogbomoso, Oyo, Ibadan and Lagos, is a strategic enhancement designed to strengthen network reliability. By establishing a closed network ring linking Lagos – the nation’s economic hub – to Abuja, the capital city, GBB says it ensures service redundancy and minimises potential downtime.
Professor Ibrahim A Adeyanju, managing director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, says: “The expansion of our fibre optic network to Lagos, Ibadan and Ilorin is a significant step forward in our mission to bridge the digital divide and position Nigeria as a leader in the global digital economy. This advanced infrastructure empowers us to deliver innovative, customer-centric solutions that serve the needs of both the public and private sectors.”
He adds: “This expansion not only supports the government’s digital economy agenda but also sets the stage for meaningful collaboration with private sector organisations seeking to leverage our infrastructure.”
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported that over 25 million phone thefts between March 2023 and April 2024, according to its Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey 2024.
The Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey 2024, indicated that an estimated 17,965,741 people had their phones stolen during the reference period
Phone theft, which is a common individual crime in the country, shows that seven out of every 10 stolen phones happened at home or public places, with a mere 11.7% of people who reported to the police expressing satisfaction with their response.
Less than 10% of the victims of phone theft reported the case to the police, while over 90% failed to report to the police for various reasons.
“At the individual level, 21.4 per cent of Nigerians reported being victims of crime, and the most common crime was phone theft (13.8%),” the report read in part.
Airtel Nigeria has once again been recognized for its commitment to sustainable development, carting away the Partnership of the Year award at the 18th edition of the Sustainability, Enterprise, and Responsibility Awards (SERAS) held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Saturday, 14th December, 2024.
The award celebrates Airtel’s continued success with its Re-imagine Education Initiative, a ground-breaking collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) aimed at transforming education in Nigeria through technology.
Airtel’s consistent focus on creating social value through strategic partnerships reflects its position as a key enabler of progress in the Nigerian education sector.
Commenting on the award, Femi Adeniran, Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, highlighted the significance of the winning the Partnership of the Year award for the second time with the Airtel collaboration with UNICEF to provide digital access to quality educational resources for more than 1,200 schools in Nigeria.
“Winning this award for the second consecutive year is a reflection of our enduring belief in the transformative power of technology in education. We are deeply committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of Nigerians, and this recognition fuels our resolve to do even more,” he said.
The SERAS Awards, widely regarded as Africa’s most prestigious platform for celebrating sustainability and corporate social responsibility, brought together leaders from various industries to honour organizations driving impactful change.
Airtel Nigeria remains steadfast in its mission to foster inclusive growth, empower communities, and champion a sustainable future for its stakeholders and the environment.
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