Connect with us

News

Access, Others Hobble Mobile Money Revolution

Published

on

Dr. Eugene Juwah, EVC/CEO, Nigeria Communications Commission (NC
Kindly share this post

Issues around access and sundry matters have conspired to threaten the roll out of mobile money services, dampening excitements, after initial hype touted mobile money as the next big thing, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can now reveal.
In effect, operators licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are still struggling with mass access channels to reach all market segments.
Though, the licensees are  actively rolling out services, building agent networks, deploying services to gain market share, the absence of telecom regulatory framework is a major challenge for the effective take off of the industry estimated at some N150 billion.
Other issues such as inadequate distribution or agency networks, lack of proper awareness and poor mass education have also served to hobble the burgeoning industry.
Peter Ilabuya, an internet marketing expert who has also done a lot of work on mobile money industry said there is no commerce without the community the products and services are meant for.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that mobile money service is the transfer of monetary value via the mobile phone. The system fundamentally rides on mobile networks.
But despite the ubiquity of the mobile phone, critical mass access channels are still in short supply.
And for mobile payment industry to change the way consumers interact with financial services and make payments, regulatory authorities must compel mobile network operators to up mass access channels like subscriber identification module toolkit and Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) for mobile money providers.
The SIM application toolkit allows for the service provider or bank to house the consumer’s mobile banking menu within the SIM card. 
The SIM application toolkit is a standard of the GSM system which enables the SIM to initiate actions which can be used for various value added services.
Emmanuel Okoegwale, principal associate, MobileMoney Africa, said that without opening up of the access channels by network operators, it will be an uphill task to reach the masses and provide an easy and convenient means to access the service.
According to him, if services are unable to reach the targeted people, how will they use the services?
Nodding in agreement, Ilubuya said mobile money service must be like the mobile phone where with just a click of the phone button, calls can be made to anybody with a handset connected to any network around the world.
Both Ilubuya and Okoegwale, agreed the industry needs to address the challenges if their quest to sign up millions of unbanked population on the mobile payment platform would be successful.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered since December last year when mobile money service effectively took off in Nigeria, there has not been any appreciable uptake recorded.
Okoegwale blamed the slow uptake on the providers’ mistakes of deploying services that are suitable for mid range and high end devices users while the main target of the scheme- the bottom of the pyramid and their peculiarities are ignored.
Elsewhere, server-side technologies built on a server; away from the consumer’s SIM or Mobile handset poses its own problem.
Examples of server-side technologies are SMS, IVR, USSD2 and WAP while client-side technologies are those applications, solutions and service offerings built or embedded on a consumer SIM or mobile handset. Examples of client-side applications are J2ME (JAVA).
On the other side, because mobile network operators power the infrastructure that are the primary back bone to network access for mobile money providers, they are either not ready technologically or in some cases do not have the commercial justification for such investment to develop infrastructure that may not deliver value to them since they are not directly licensed to provide mobile money services in Nigeria.
Okoegwale said that going forward; providers need to understand their target market and which devices they use as a way of mitigating the access issue.
They also need to articulate the best user experience and value proposition sufficient in the target market.


Kindly share this post

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

News

Lawyers Drags NLS to Court for Alleged Election Fraud, Data Violation

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Two Nigerian lawyers have sued promoters of the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) over allegations of electoral fraud and unlawful use of personal data.

Lawyers Drags NLS to Court for Alleged Election Fraud, Data Violation

The legal actions follow the recent election conducted by the NLS, a breakaway association formed as an alternative to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), to elect its national officers.

In one of the suits, marked FHC/ABJ/05/1506/2025 and filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, a lawyer, Timothy Tersugh Ahua, is challenging the conduct of the election and the legitimacy of the electoral process.

Ahua named several NLS promoters, including prominent lawyers, as defendants.

They include Senior Advocates, Chief Mela Audu Nunghe, Dr. Ugoji Eze, Secretary of the NLS Electoral Committee, and Chief Bolaji, Chairman of the NLS.

Others named in the suit are Ferguson Chioma Blessing, Chief Emeka Ichoku, and Tejumola Adigun.

Citing provisions of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, Ahua is asking the court to declare that the NLS electoral process violated its constitution.

He is seeking a declaration that all unopposed candidates, including himself, be declared elected, as published by Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, the alternate Chairman of the NLS Electoral Committee.

Ahua claims he was duly nominated for the position of Secretary General but was unjustly excluded, accusing the defendants of hand-picking candidates in breach of the rules.

He further alleged that the exclusion caused him financial loss, reputational damage, and personal hardship, urging the court to correct what he described as a grave injustice.

In a separate suit before the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, another lawyer, Oluwadare Thomas, sued Chief Mela Nunghe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Ugoji Eze, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), over alleged violation of his data privacy rights.

Thomas is asking the court to determine whether the use and publication of his personal data by NLS election officials without his consent amounts to a breach of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.

He also wants the court to consider whether the use of the NLS name for the election, despite a CAC notice and a pending suit, constitutes contempt of court and abuse of legal process.

He is seeking several declaratory and injunctive reliefs, including a court order restraining the continued use of his personal data and an order compelling NITDA and NDPC to investigate and sanction the respondents.

Thomas is also demanding N50m in compensation for the alleged unlawful processing and exposure of his personal information.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

NASRDA Celebrates Chief Owolabi Salis on His Historic Space Mission

Published

on

Kindly share this post

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has congratulated Chief Owolabi Salis on his successful space flight. He becomes the first person of Nigerian birth to travel to space.

Chief Salis privately funded his space mission, demonstrating the deep interest of Nigerians to participate in scientific, exploratory, tourism and commercial space activities. His achievement highlights new opportunities for private sector engagement in space Program.

This milestone brings significant international attention to Nigeria’s space program, capabilities, while positioning the nation among countries where citizens actively participate in space activities.

In a statement signed by Dr. Felix Ale, director, Media and Corporate Communications, NASRDA, stated that chief Salis’s successful mission represents one pathway for Nigerian space participation. “His achievement complements NASRDA’s ongoing efforts to expand access to space exploration for Nigerian citizens.

“NASRDA received notification of Chief Salis’s mission through our partner organization, Space Research and Exploration Agency (SERA), prior to the flight. His success demonstrates the expanding opportunities now available to Nigerians in the space sector.

“However, it must be emphasized that the NASRDA-SERA collaborative mission, announced in June 2024, remains on course for an upcoming Blue Origin flight. This program represents a different pathway, providing opportunities for broader Nigerian participation through open competition.

“Our collaborative mission will enable Nigerian citizens to participate in astronaut selection and contribute to the development of research proposals. Eligibility extends to all Nigerian citizens aged 18 and above through transparent, merit-based selection criteria.

“Research priorities for the NASRDA-SERA mission will also be determined through public input from Nigerian citizens. This approach ensures the mission addresses national priorities identified by Nigerian citizens,” the statement added.

The application portal for the NASRDA-SERA program will open in the coming weeks. Detailed application procedures will be announced prior to the portal’s activation.

NASRDA celebrates Chief Salis’s contribution to raising awareness about space exploration opportunities for Nigerians. His private investment demonstrates the practical commitment of Nigerian citizens to advancing our national space participation.

Chief Salis’s achievement marks a defining moment for Nigeria’s space ambitions. Nigeria now has both private citizens and government programs actively pursuing space exploration, positioning the nation as an active participant in the global space   economy.

For additional information regarding NASRDA programs or the SERA collaborative mission, contact the agency’s Media and Corporate Communication Department.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

NIA Questions Legality of Reps’ Financial Probe

Published

on

Kindly share this post

The Nigerian Insurers Association has urged the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions to respect the constitutional separation of powers as it carries out a probe on over 20 insurance firms.

In a statement on Tuesday night, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIA, Mrs Bola Odukale, said the decision of NIA and the affected firms to approach the court was to seek clarity on the constitutional limits of the House Committee’s probe.

It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Monday is investigating no fewer than 25 insurance companies operating in the country for various financial infractions spanning financial reporting, claims settlement, premium remittance, and issuance of policies.

The Chairman, House Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Kwamoti Laori, during a meeting with the management of the insurance companies at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, said the meeting was convened following the receipt of a petition on infractions by the insurance companies.

In the statement, Odukale said, “The Association wishes to state unequivocally that all actions taken by the NIA and the affected member companies in response to the Committee’s invitations and pronouncements were based entirely on legal advice by its Solicitors. It was on the firm instruction of legal counsel that recourse was made to the courts.

“The objective of approaching the Court is to seek judicial guidance on the legality, propriety, and constitutional limits of the Committee’s intervention in order to safeguard institutional integrity, uphold regulatory independence, and ensure that legislative oversight remains within the bounds of law.

“The Court action seeks to determine whether the current posture of the Committee reflects an exercise of legislative judgment, which, by constitutional design, is the exclusive province of statutory regulators, such as the National Insurance Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Exchange, Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the National Information Technology Development Agency.

“This raises serious questions about legislative overreach and an erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.”

Odukale maintained that the NIA was committed to lawful and constructive engagement with all arms of government, provided that such engagement respects the autonomy of statutory regulators and the boundaries established by the Constitution.

“The NIA will continue to provide its full support to all member companies while upholding the principles of legal compliance and sector-wide integrity,” Odukale concluded.

17 of the companies that went to court were represented by their lawyer, Mr Abimbola Kayode, at the meeting with the committee.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending