Telecom
Coalition Urges Buhari to Review Decision on the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill
A coalition of civil society organisations promoting the objectives of digital rights in Nigeria and the rest of Africa has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to review his decision on the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill.
In a statement released on Friday, the Coalition said, “We write to express our disappointment in President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to decline assent to the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, which was meant to protect Nigerian Internet users against the infringement of their fundamental freedoms and guarantee human rights online in Nigeria.”
In his explanatory letter to the National Assembly, the President declined assent to the Bill on the grounds that it covered too many technical subjects.
He also pointed out that some areas covered by the Bill are also covered by ‘various bills pending at the National Assembly’.
The Coalition said, “We, however, believe that these reasons are not valid enough for the President to decline assent to the Bill.
“The ‘various bills’ as referred to in the letter are still merely Bills which may or may not become laws.
“For instance, the Data Protection Bill (HB. 02) has been pending at the National Assembly for up to 8 years.
“Why then would the President miss an opportunity to fill the lacuna for these subject areas when a Bill duly passed by the National Assembly has been presented for assent? We make this assertion with the knowledge that no law or Bill is perfect.”
This is why there exist processes for reviewing laws through repeals and reenactments.
It is clear that the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill does not conflict with any existing laws or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and it is uncommon that a Bill would be stood down because it could conflict with laws that might exist in the future.
We also cannot overlook the fact that Mr. President did not point out clauses of concern in the Bill as it was done for other Bills against which he had expressed his decision to decline assent.
It is important to indicate clauses of concern in order for citizens and observers alike to be aware of such clauses and review as needed.
Our opinion is that the decision not to sign the Bill is nothing short of a missed opportunity for Nigeria to send an important message to the rest of the world on its commitment to protect its citizens from abuse and create a positive regulatory environment for digital technology.
We, however, note the President’s expression of willingness to review the decision if concerns around the Bill are addressed.
As a coalition, we hereby assure Nigerians that we will be consulting all relevant stakeholders, including the National Assembly, to review this Bill and carry out the required legislative exercise and submit back to the President in earnest for consideration so that Nigerian citizens can be assured of the Buhari administration’s commitment to safeguarding human rights online in Nigeria.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a 90-day compliance window to telecommunications operators to resolve the long-standing issue of unutilised and unclaimed subscribers’ recharges.
This announcement was made at a high-level virtual stakeholders’ engagement forum held on Tuesday, targeted at refining and enforcing new guidelines that protect consumer rights in Nigeria’s evolving telecom landscape.
Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC, whose speech was delivered at the forum by Rimini Makama, executive commissioner, Stakeholder Management, emphasised that the Commission was taking proactive steps to address unused prepaid credit on inactive lines, an issue that impacts millions of subscribers nationwide.
“With the rapid growth of mobile subscriptions and the dominance of prepaid plans, it has become critical to ensure that consumer interests are not eroded through forfeiture of unused credit,” the NCC Boss said.
He stressed the commitment of the Commission to creating a regulatory framework that is fair, enforceable, and aligned with international best practices.
The current Quality of Service Business Rules provide that prepaid lines with no revenue-generating activity for six months be deactivated, and may be recycled after another six months.
The proposed guidance reaffirms the right of subscribers to reclaim their unused credit within 12 months, provided they can verify ownership.
In her remarks, Mrs. Chizua Whyte, head of Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC, presented the Draft Guidance on Unutilised and Unclaimed Recharges, which outlines clear procedures for managing inactive subscriber accounts.
She stated that operators will be required to carry out comprehensive audits of all churned numbers, ensure unused airtime is offered back to subscribers through service alternatives, and strictly avoid monetising forfeited recharges.
Whyte explained that these guidelines are not only aimed at protecting consumers, but also offering regulatory clarity to operators.
She added that the Commission is mandating full compliance within 90 days of the issuance of the final guidance, with non-compliance attracting penalties, including regulatory audits.
The forum attracted wide participation from across the industry, with discussions centred on striking a balance between protecting consumer rights and maintaining operational feasibility.
Participants agreed on the need for greater transparency, stronger consumer education, and consistent notification practices.
The NCC reiterated its commitment to fostering a fair, transparent, and consumer-first regulatory environment.
The 90-day deadline signals a new era of accountability in how telecom operators manage subscriber credits and reinforces the Commission’s role as a guardian of consumer trust in the digital age.
MTN Foundation has opened applications for its 2025 scholarship programme, reaffirming its dedication to strengthening the development of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), encouraging excellence in academic pursuit, deepening diversity and inclusion by empowering blind students in Nigeria.
The programme provides three categories of scholarships annually: the Science and Technology Scholarship (MTN STS), the MTN Scholarship for Blind Students (MTN SBS), and the Top 10 UTME Scholarship.
The STS is open to all 300-level Science and Technology students with a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.5 (Second Class Upper or its equivalent); SBS caters to the educational needs of blind students in 200-level with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 or its equivalent.
The top 10 scoring candidates of the UTME, as announced by JAMB, automatically qualify for the MTN Foundation Top 10 UTME scholarship.
As part of its ongoing investment in education, the MTN Foundation has awarded 14,728 scholarships in the past 15 years, worth over NGN3 billion.
The scholars are provided platforms to acquire relevant skills and practical knowledge to thrive in today’s evolving job market.
Speaking on the impact of the scholarship program, Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, said: “Education is the backbone of national development, and at MTN Foundation, we are committed to ensuring that no bright mind is left behind due to financial constraints.
“This scholarship is not just about funding education; it is about investing in Nigeria’s future leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers.”
Since 2024, the MTN Foundation has increased the scholarship award amount from NGN200,000 to NGN300,000 annually for three years until graduation, provided the scholars maintain the minimum grade point requirement.
The scholarship program is richly embedded with Mentorship, Internship and digital certification opportunities.
The application process is straightforward and conducted online, making it accessible for students nationwide.
Eligible candidates are encouraged to visit mtn.ng/scholarships/ and apply before the application deadline on April 25, 2025.
For more information, visit mtn.ng/foundation.
The second edition of Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON 2.0) is gathering momentum as organisers have unveiled a strong line of speakers.
Featuring keynote presentation, fireside chat, panel discussion, networking opportunities, PAFON 2.0 is scheduled to hold this week – Thursday, April 10, 2025 at the Function Room 1, Oriental Hotel, Lekki Road, Lagos from 9am-12(noon).
The event themed: “Bridging the Customer Experience Gap for Financial Inclusion Using AI”, aims at enabling knowledge sharing on key industry insights, issues, amongst key stakeholders, with the objective of ensuring a collaborative and proactive approach to push for policies that enable growth, tackling/mitigating fraud and limiting occurrences and losses in the payment industry.
Keynote:
Ebehijie Momoh (Mrs), managing director and chief executive officer, AfriGoPay Financial Services Ltd, will deliver the keynote address.
Special Guests:
Uche Uzoebo (Mrs), managing director and chief executive officer, Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF) Limited and Mrs. Chika Nwosu, managing director and chief executive officer of PalmPay (Nigeria), are the special guest of honour.
PAFON 2.0 Special Appearances: Olusoji Solomon Adeyemo, Azure Application and AI Specialist, Microsoft UK., Ibirogba Oluwagunwa, chairman, Lagos State Chapter, Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN), and Olusegun Gabriel Afolabi, co-founder & chief innovations architect, Face Technologies UK Ltd., will make special appearances at the event.
There will be a fireside chat featuring, Chukwuemeka Enoch Mbaebie, the convener, Lagos Blockchain Week, amongst other speakers, with Chidera Amuta, Marketing Manager, Vendocredit, as the host.
According to Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, co-convener of Payments Forum Nigeria, “this year’s theme, ‘Bridging the Customer Experience Gap for Financial Inclusion Using AI’, underscores the urgent need to safeguard digital transactions against emerging threats while ensuring seamless financial inclusion and innovation”.
Industry players such as Bankers, Fintech startups, mobile money operators, blockchain experts, Cybersecurity, etc., are among the expected attendees.
PAFON 2.0 participation is free, but pre-registration can be done here or use this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dE3ZHpSZcaZOL14oiI7s6OYbIeRTqNET7oH-NOm83Bc/edit
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