Telecom
Pantami: The Gang-up Against Saviour of Nigeria’s Digital Economy
By Hashim Suleiman
Events have passed in the past week during the commissioningof the Emergency Communication Centre among other projects associated with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. Such events have as usual attracted interests from mischievious Nigerians as is always is with progressive stories. The question is: When are we going to learn to be more critical for crying out loud?
What makes one wonder even more is how much such writers do without researched information or understanding of how governance should be in the 21st century. Poorly written pieces laced with terrible grammar are what you see and some of them may suggest to you that it is a paid plot from very less strategic individuals who wish to drag every effort by the superstars of the Buhari Administration for trying to ensure the success of the administration of Mr. President in tandem with the loads of the expectations of the people. Such sponsors don[t have any business being in governance; their motive is other than progress.
People like me would have chosen to ignore such cheap shenanigans of politicisation of every little intent, but I won’t because my love for Nigeria has refused me to be beclouded by sentimental or political considerations on critical matters that pertain to national development and of which my nation so desperately require.
I read opinions suggesting why the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy would not enforce discipline in his Ministry even when the cardinal belief of his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari, is discipline. I wish there would be more Ministers in this administration who would take the matter of indiscipline as much as Dr Pantami does. Those cheap opinions only go to show how much indiscipline has eaten deep into us and we must do something about just like I am doing now.
Have we forgotten so soon how some of the populace were insisting on Buhari to be a little more harder on Nigerians as that was the only way we could get Nigerians into shape? Unfortunately, the man was guided by the principles of democracy and resorted to taking things easy.Even at that some people still complain of the fact that he is slow in his approach and what nots. Some others also think he is autocratic and all of them are various opinions of how confused we can be sometimes regarding what we really like and something to further indicate how difficult it is for leaders to bring about change in our society.
Going specifically into the event of the commissioning which created so much buzz, Mr President only chose to showcase his democratic part by allowing his appointees to do what is appropriate in correcting anomalies that he himself abhors. How then are people trying to mischievously pitch the Minister and his principal on the enforcement of the belief of the latter? Can’t you all see yourselves.
I heard and read the speech of the President and in it you could clearly see how he highlighted the synergy that the Honourable Minister had been able to create amongst the Ministry and agencies under its supervision. You could also see that the event that took place there was an idea that had been muted long before then during the unveiling of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, during the e-Nigeria Conference last year. He appreciated the efforts of the HonourableMinister so far in terms of the efforts being put at trying to redirect Nigeria towards the non-oil revenue earner. Dr Pantami or any other well-meaning leader would not allow all such achievements to be rubbished on the alter of politics or indiscipline. The Federal Ministry of Communications and DigitalEconomy is today arguably the Ministry with most synergy between it and its agencies. These successes could be the reasons some people, both internal and external, are not happy about.
Talking about who built the facility, even if it was Mango Park that built the facility and is standing with no usage, no sensible leader would come and start to bore people with stories of how it came by, the interest must be of how it was going to be utilised and in this case the matter was under the purview of the Communications and Digital Economy which Dr Isa Ali Pantami superintends over. Was there supposed to be arguments over who did or who did not? How has writing an article become this cheap for God’s sake? We should be bigger than that.
As a matter of education, let me share my little understanding of a Ministry while growing up. Ministries were all in all of the government, every aspect that pertains to issues relating to a particular Ministry were always championed by such Ministry and all correspondences to the President on such matters must be communicated appropriately. Unfortunately, the recent leaders of the past who themselves were bereft of indiscipline and have also transferred same to the citizenry have reduced ministries to be lower than some Parastatals. These issues cannot be disconnected with corruption in terms of which the CEO settles the most if you know what I mean. It is high time such is stopped and we should even be thanking Dr Pantami on efforts to restore the pride and essence of ministries rather than denigrating him.
Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami is the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and his responsibilities are those of the management of the Communications and Digital Economy sectors of Nigeria. We cannot then choose to drag him down over his attempts to make sure the sector works. Everyone has agreed to the fact that things have changed regarding the responsiveness of all of the arms of that sector and I can challenge anyone to an open public debate on the matter. Researchers and those sensible Nigerians who wish well for the nation would easily agree with me on this. From the NCC to NITDA and NIPOST, this is exclusive of the so many that are on the pipeline and that some of us are privy to. Is this the person we would want to denigrate for reasons bordering on indiscipline which we the citizenry are also absolutely guilty of? Capital NO!
The Honourable Minister before assuming the Ministerial position has had this Digital Economy idea in him as showcased through his performance as the DG/CEO NITDA. For those of you who are blinded mostly by politics and mischief, you will do yourselves and the nation good by visiting Higher Institutions of learning around the country to find out NITDA’s intervention in ICT. One was just recently commissioned at the University of Port Harcourt. Not to mention areas like Data Protection and Regulation Frameworks, Smart Agric policies, Cybersecurity and securing for NITDA the ISO27001 certification amongst others. Little wonder why he made commensurate recommendation for the appointment of a Director General who would, in synergy with him and others, help to actualize a digitalized Nigeria. I have once heard where he has said NITDA’s books were open for the public to check and recent checks by the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives gave a clean bill to the Agency with commendation too. These are physical achievements and not rhetorics.
He has then catapulted to the Ministry and is trying hard in areas like broadband and SIM security. He has brought the various components of the Ministry to help achieve the very important mandate that does not require jokes, indiscipline and incompetence.
This is also an opportunity to call the attention of the President to the plot of these kinds of individuals, they whip up all kinds of nonsense by trying to take his mind away from the ball. They attack the shining lights of his administration so there can be a failure that they and their paymasters will latch on during elections or for the sole purpose of seeing appointments as avenues for amassing wealth or arena for display of indiscipline and impunity. Indiscipline and obedience of lines of duties must be enforced and the time cannot be farther from now.
Finally, let me call on the citizenry during this season of COVID-19 pandemic to understand that it is time for reflection over the activities of our beloved nation. The lack of certain critical infrastructure is today hunting us and majority of it was the lack of discipline in governance. We cannot as a nation continue to condone indiscipline and corruption, therefore we must be careful the kinds of things we defend or even waste our time on. All energies must be channelled towards identifying people in the likes of Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami and supportthem to continue despite the much resistance that people like those who wrote on the matter present. We must quit the Pull Him Down attitude and imbibe the Lift Us Up one.
By the way, I still insist on a public debate on this matter because it is no joke and its only through very critical engagements that peoples brains can be developed, not cheaply politicising every issue of development.
MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first listed company on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) to reach a market capitalization of ₦10 trillion, as its share price closed at ₦480 on Friday, August 1, 2025.
The telecommunications giant’s shares gained ₦8 or 1.69% during Friday’s trading session, pushing the company’s market value past the ₦10 trillion threshold.
This remarkable achievement comes just two days after MTN Nigeria released its stellar half-year 2025 financial results on Wednesday, which showed exceptional performance across all key metrics.
The timing is not surprising based on what was said in the company’s H1 results, which revealed a dramatic turnaround from losses to profitability.
The telecoms operator reported service revenue growth of 54.6% to ₦2.4 trillion, while EBITDA surged by 119.5% to ₦1.2 trillion with margins expanding significantly to 50.6%.
Most importantly, the company achieved a profit after tax of ₦414.9 billion, marking a stunning recovery from the loss of ₦519.1 billion recorded in the same period last year.
Speaking on the H1 2025 results that have driven investor confidence, Karl Toriola, CEO, MTN Nigeria, said: “We are excited by the progress made in the first half of 2025, reflecting the successful execution of the strategic priorities we previously communicated to the market.”
Toriola emphasized the company’s strong operational momentum, stating: “Building on the momentum from the first quarter, we delivered strong growth in service revenue for the period under review. This was driven by robust demand for our services, proactive customer value management and price adjustments, mainly in Q2.”
The CEO’s confidence in the company’s trajectory was evident in his commentary about future prospects.
“In light of the strong momentum in our business, we have upgraded our FY 2025 and medium-term guidance and we remain firmly on track to restore our balance sheet to a positive net asset position by the end of Q3,” Toriola declared.
This optimistic outlook, backed by upgraded financial guidance targeting service revenue growth of “at least low-50%” and EBITDA margin of “at least low-50%” for FY 2025, has clearly resonated with investors.
Toriola highlighted improving operating conditions that have supported the company’s performance: “The macroeconomic conditions in Nigeria showed notable improvements in the period under review, including a relatively stable naira, improved foreign exchange (forex) liquidity and easing inflationary pressures.”
He noted that “this backdrop helped to enable our improved business performance and set a more supportive context for increased long-term investments.”
The ₦10 trillion market cap milestone represents extraordinary value creation for shareholders.
Vitel Wireless, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), has announced the official launch of its nationwide network services in Nigeria.
In a statement, the company stated that starting yesterday August 1, it will release an initial batch of 50,000 SIM cards and eSIMs across all 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to selected subscribers, bringing reliable, affordable, and high-quality connectivity to millions of Nigerians.
This milestone, it said, marks its commitment to transforming Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape by providing accessible and seamless mobile services to both urban and rural communities.
Commenting on the launch, Kenneth Nwabueze, executive chairman of Vitel Wireless Limited, said: “We are excited to bring Vitel Wireless’s innovative services to Nigeria, a vibrant and dynamic country with immense potential. Our goal is to deliver dependable connectivity that enables Nigerians to connect, communicate, and thrive in the digital age. This rollout is just the beginning — we look forward to expanding our services and making a positive impact across the nation.”
According to the company, with a focus on innovation, affordability, coverage, and customer satisfaction, it aims to bridge the digital divide and foster inclusive growth.
“More than half of the initial release will be made available through authorised retail outlets, Vitel Wireless Airport Kiosks, and mobile kiosks utilising Know Your Customer (KYC) verification via NIMC’s new SIM-NIN telecommunications registration platform.
“The remaining SIM cards will be allocated to subscribers for innovative value-added services, including Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, Safer Home AI camera systems (iSEEYOU), employment performance monitoring App (Oga-App), and location-based services solutions such as SecurMe and Push-My Location, among others. This initial deployment enables the company to rigorously test its network, optimise its MTN roaming partnership, and implement necessary adjustments prior to the full-scale launch in Q2 2025,” it added.
MTN Nigeria has rewarded the Nigerian Super Falcons with 150 million naira following their remarkable victory at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The announcement was made at a celebratory breakfast reception hosted by the technology company in Lagos, in the presence of Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) leadership and female executives across key sectors, alongside a host of MTN executives who came out to celebrate the champions and reaffirm the company’s commitment to football, inclusion and youth empowerment.
The Super Falcons’ win goes down as one of the most thrilling in tournament history. Facing Morocco on their home soil, Nigeria came back from 2-0 down to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory, clinching their 10th WAFCON title and reinforcing their status as Africa’s most decorated women’s team.
Delivering the opening remarks, MTN’s Chief Marketing Officer, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, highlighted the Super Falcons’ win as an inspiration for Nigerian women. “The Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is a championship that has been held 13 times and Nigeria has won 10 times. This is no small feat. It is a testament to how determined Nigerian women can be when they set out to achieve something. What you have achieved not only makes Nigeria proud, but it makes us, even we women, proud. Here at MTN, we believe, and one of our values is ‘Can Do’, can do with integrity. Your final match exemplifies that.”
As the official telecommunications partner of the NFF, MTN presented the 150 million naira reward to celebrate the team’s resilience and achievement. MTN director, Ifueko Okauru explained that 115 million naira would go to the players and 35 million to the technical team.
“At MTN we believe in the power of connection, not just through technology, but through our soul, through our spirits, what we share and what unifies us,” said Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO, MTN Nigeria.
Toriola described the company’s investment in the NFF as fruitful. “As proud sponsors of the Nigerian Football Federation, this long-term significantly financially-heavy investment in supporting the NFF has borne so many fruits. We followed you through every match, every challenge, every trial and some of them losses. We followed you and we continue to support you and today we are so proud to say our efforts have not been in vain. We followed you for the big things, we followed you for the smaller things.
He added, “To the Super Falcons, you are more than athletes, you are inspirations. You are an inspiration for everyone in Nigeria, every young lady to go out there and make a difference. You are role models, you are ambassadors, and you are proof that when Nigerian women rise, the world will take notice.”
Captain of the Super Falcons, Rashidat Ajibade, thanked MTN and its board members for their warm reception and support. “We appreciate you a lot. We feel valued, we feel honoured, we feel respected, and this only inspires us to do better, and keep inspiring the next generation.”
“This win is for all of us,” she said, dedicating the 10th title not just to the current Super Falcons squad but to all the players who came before. While grateful for the milestone, she made it clear they were not content. “We want to take this to the next level. We want to be global contenders. We don’t want to be just local champions. It’s time to take it to the next level. We understand the huge responsibility on us, and we hope that we can all work together, the Federation, the federal government, and also private bodies to keep investing and keep supporting the Super Falcons Council so we can all achieve this objective.”
The breakfast reception featured a classical string quartet, stirring soul-Afrobeats choir rendition that had the Falcons on their feet, dancing joyfully in celebration of their hard-won victory. Singer Praiz also delivered a performance that drew cheers from the audience and added to the festive energy in the room.
As the nation continues to celebrate their victory, this moment stands as both a reward and a reminder of what Nigerian women can achieve when backed by belief, investment and opportunity. The celebration was especially timely as it fell on Pan African Women’s Day, a fitting moment to honour the strength, resilience and achievements of Nigerian women on and off the pitch.
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