Telecom
CBN, NIBSS Unveil ‘Afrigo’ Nigeria’s National Domestic Card Scheme
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Central Bank of Nigeria on Thursday officially unveiled the Nigerian National Domestic Card Scheme – AFRIGO, in conjunction with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems (NIBSS) Plc, the Bankers Committee, and other financial ecosystem stakeholders. Afrigo card is operated by AfrigoPay Financial Services Limited (AFSL), a national domestic card scheme duly licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The Nigerian National Domestic Card Scheme is a robust in-country scheme tailored to address the specific requirements of Nigeria’s payment industry and provide innovative offerings to empower Africa’s payment ecosystem. With the implementation of this scheme, the industry will reap benefits which include improved transaction security, data sovereignty, better pricing opportunities, interchange fee reduction, reduced demand for FX and less pressure on the Naira whilst developing local skills in the card and payment space. Other advantages include a boost to financial inclusion, value retention, flexibility not to mention it is a source of national pride.
Speaking during the event, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, expressed the central bank’s commitment to ensuring a secure national payment system in Nigeria. He stated ‘Millions of Nigerians are still unable to make use of payment cards to consummate transactions. We can no longer neglect the vast majority of Nigerians whose daily payment needs are micro payments.
“We need to capture them in national statistics, to further understand their transaction dynamics and properly target interventions.’ Indeed, Afrigo presents an opportunity to integrate the informal segments of our economy and bring more Nigerians into the formal financial services system.
The Deputy Governor, Financial Systems Stability, Central Bank of Nigeria & Chairman, NIBSS PLC, Mrs. Aishah Ahmad enthused ‘Today is a strategic turning point for payments in Nigeria and a source of deep national pride.
Afrigo is Africa’s most promising domestic card scheme given the rapid growth of electronic payments in Nigeria, the continent’s most populous nation. It is a monumental development for several reasons, not in the least is the fact that it gives us sovereignty over our data, saves cost for the industry, and presents a new vista of opportunities for the card business”.
In her presentation, she further detailed the rationale behind the name Afrigo – which represents the continents ethnic diversity combined with progress, empowerment and inclusiveness laced with our predominant Nigerian green.
Furthermore, the MD of NIBSS, Premier Oiwoh, highlighted the key benefits of the scheme to Nigerians. According to him, “one of the major values of the scheme is the reduced operating cost as well as other benefits such as a secured platform, loyalty scheme, credit cards, and virtual cards amongst others”.
The launch of the Nigeria National Domestic Scheme will present a new payment era in the Nigerian payment ecosystem and unveils the unique opportunities presented by the Nigerian financial industry.
Telecom
ATCON Warns of Nationwide Telecom Blackout over Diesel Shortage
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Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has raised alarm over a diesel supply crisis caused by an ongoing strike by National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON in a statement said that the fuel supply disruption is critically affecting telecom base stations, pushing them to the brink of a shutdown and threatening millions of mobile and internet users in the region.
“This strike, which stems from the persistent harassment of tanker and petroleum product drivers by police officers in Lagos State, has effectively halted all truck loading operations and fuel movements,” Emoekpere stated.
He explained that diesel supply to telecom infrastructure has been severely impacted, leaving critical sites with dangerously low fuel levels.
According to him, if urgent measures are not taken, the situation could escalate into a full-blown network blackout, disrupting essential services including mobile and internet access, business operations, emergency response systems, and daily communications.
ATCON has called on the governors of Lagos and Ogun states to intervene immediately by facilitating the release of diesel from depots to telecom operators to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
“This is not just a telecom issue—it is a national emergency that could cripple economic activities and compromise public safety,” Emoekpere stressed.
The association also appealed to security agencies and petroleum unions to resolve the crisis swiftly to safeguard Nigeria’s connectivity and economic stability.
ATCON emphasised that a prolonged disruption in fuel supply to telecom infrastructure could have far-reaching consequences for both businesses and individuals who rely on stable communication networks for daily operations.
Telecom
Globacom Continues Upgrade of Network Infrastructure Across Nigeria
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Foremost telecommunications company, Globacom, says it has continued the upgrade of its network facilities across the country in its determination to achieve network efficiency and service excellence.
The humongous operation was initiated last year and involves a comprehensive upgrade of existing infrastructure and the rollout of new base transceiver stations to ensure high-speed data and enhanced voice services for its growing customer base.
In the light of the recent increase in telecom tariffs, Globacom said it remained committed to building a world-class telecommunications infrastructure while maintaining competitive pricing for its voice and data services.
Said Glo, ” the network upgrade encompasses a wide range of enhancements, including nationwide rollout of new sites and upgrade of existing ones, core network upgrade, access network upgrade, transmission and IP network upgrade and fiber network expansion. It also includes access and backbone infrastructure upgrade, passive equipment expansion, including power and environmental upgrades”.
Globacom has successfully deployed hundreds of new sites in recent months in key locations across the country, including Lagos, Ogun, Nasarawa, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Kaduna, Kano, and Abuja.
This upgrade aims to expand network capacity, provide enhanced voice and data services, and alleviate congestion in high-traffic areas.
It has equally integrated hundreds of LTE 2600 sites in key markets, including Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, and Kwara, as well as in select tertiary institutions.
This enhancement aims to provide high-speed data services and prevent network congestion.
The company has equally created additional data network capacity and carried out enhancements across 1,700 sites in various states including Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Plateau States in tandem with the Federal Government’s broadband penetration initiative.
This upgrade will improve data throughput, network quality, and coverage, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction.
Globacom disclosed that it has also added hundreds of 2G, 3G and 4G base stations to boost coverage and enhance capacity demand across the country. In order to support these expansion projects, the company has upgraded its Glo1 submarine cable capacity to ensure maximum utilization.
“This upgrade will provide seamless access to ultra-high-speed services, ensuring a unique calling and browsing experience on the Glo network at all times”, Glo assured.
In the same vein, the data solutions provider has begun a massive nationwide drive to upgrade its power and fiber infrastructure, deploying thousands of new generators and replacing thousands of kilometers of old fiber routes while laying new ones.
This initiative aims to create redundancy for better network availability and enhance overall customer experience.
Telecom
Telecom Services Threatened: ATCON Requests Governors’ Intervention in NUPENG Strike
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Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has raised an urgent call for intervention following the commencement of a strike action by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch.
The strike, which began on Sunday morning, is in protest against the persistent harassment of tanker and petroleum product drivers by police officers in Lagos State.
As a result of the strike, all truck loading operations and movements have been suspended indefinitely, pending further notice.
This disruption has severely affected the diesel supply to ATCON members’ base stations in Lagos and Ogun States, leading to critically low diesel levels at numerous telecom sites, which now face potential service disruptions.
ATCON President, Mr. Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, has respectfully requested the urgent intervention of the Governors of Lagos and Ogun States to facilitate access to diesel from the depot, ensuring uninterrupted operation of the affected telecom sites.
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