General News
Computer Society is Critical In Knowledge Economy – Adewumi

Professor David Adewumi, president, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) is a Professor of Computer Science and dean, College of Information and Communications Technology, Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State.
He is also visiting professor of Computer Science to many Universities in Nigeria.
Adewunmi holds impeccable records as a seasoned and highly respected academic administrator and leader with over 40 Journal Publications in reputable journals of international standing, authored many Books in Computer Science, among others.
He has previously served NCS as the chairman, Credentials Committee (1997-1999), 2nd vice president (2007-2009), 1st vice president (2009-2011). He spoke to peter ugwu on the journey so far.
Drive towards Nigeria’s Knowledge Based Economy
The thrust of NCS’ input, particularly, and as will reflect in our next conference coming up in Enugu, is building a knowledge based economy: the role of IT.
We will be at Obafemi Awolowo University between March 4 and 5, 2014 on a research and development workshop on which people will come to discuss research finding and current issues in the IT sector.
The topical issue in IT is broadband; it was not available in most places, especially in Nigeria. Following the policy thrust of the present government and supported by NCS, it portends that in no distant time most Nigerians, organizations will have better access to broadband.
Satisfied With the IT Development Processes in the Country
I have not implied that in my statements. I know that the government is trying to build the local content strength of the country as regards in IT.
Local content, by and large, it is about software and hardware. Majorly, our attention is on software, whereby our young ones, the academics, middle-age professionals will be able to make their inputs directly into the local content.
India, Malaysia, China and other emerging markets; developed and developing worlds are looking at that direction too. And that is one of the easiest ways we can tackle unemployment in our domain.
Marginalization of IT Professionals by the Government
NCS should be involved, not only in the National Conference, but all matter related to IT.
The issue is that for you to have knowledge based, forward looking and an inclusive economy you need to involve IT professionals.
Today, IT and technology drive development. That is why we could call the world a global villlage.
Job Creation
Whatever plan or approach we adopt is geared towards that. If we succeed in making government buy into programmes that will galvanize software development driving local content, broadband penetration, among other various articulated plans, of course, we would have achieve great deals for job creation.
For instance, when there is an available and cheaper broadband, definitely, the challenges we face in the oil and gas, agriculture, e-health, education, manufacturing, aviation, other cottage industries shall be taken care off.
NCS’ Stake in National Broadband Policy Implementation
We are incorporated into the membership of the national broadband council (NBC). Therefore, we had made our input at the council level.
We are also there to support the Honourable Minister’s drives. NCS is not averse to the Minister designs in the way of master plan for broadband penetration drive and the industry at large.
We believe that the giant strides will bring about available and cheaper broadband regime. By the time, economically and otherwise, we are going to witness massive changes in the way we live. Several efforts have been made, for instance, to checkmate rural-urban migration.
There is this light at the end of the tunnel that broadband will make lives in the rural areas become improved, so it is a win-win thing for all.
In addition, job creation is sure. It will open the information high-way we have been talking about. The attitude expected of private sector is that of acceptance, articulating progressive arguments and support towards the proposed national plan. The success of the government in this case is the success of all.
Motivation to Vie for the NCS Presidency
I was convinced that as a long standing member of NCS, the first vice president and having served in the council for a long time also, I have all that was required to contest for the position of the president.
Aside that, I want to leave indelible marks in the heart of NCS by the time I will be leaving office.
I had participated in the elections for more than twice, but this time it pleased God and NCS members to give me the opportunity to serve.
NCS Presidency Seven Months After
Immediately the election results were announced, I told participants at the NCS conference then that we are going to take the Society to another level by building on the development centers and make them the most relevant in the country.
After then, I have listed the eleven-point developmental thrusts of the present administration. We have done a lot since then, particularly on the area of moving to the next level in the sense that we are re-structuring the secretariat.
We are creating awareness about NCS, so that the Nigerian public can get to appreciate our goals as a Body.
We have reached out to the corporate members of NCS and we have recorded a lot of responses in the way of support from them.
Recently, Zinox Computers and Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) donated a bus and a salon car to the Body, respectively.
The goodwill has also rubbed off on the State Chapters like Lagos and Imo States. In fact, we have enlisted the interest of generality of our membership in terms of what we believe in. Nevertheless, the anchor of my leadership is the NCS’ National Executive Council (NEC). I believe in them. Whatever they decide I tend to carry them out.
Expectations of NCS National Conference Scheduled For Enugu
As the President of NCS, I expect every member to be present. The conference is going to have huge impact on the industry and the country at large, because we are focusing on knowledge based economy. We have seen that our oil wells are drying up.
Apart from that there are alternate energy generation schemes; government is faced with a lot of challenges.
So they have a lot of headache on diversifying the economy. The only viable and practicable option is the knowledge based economy. We hope our participants will open their eyes and ears, interact with each other, then there will be changes.
General News
Court Declines Access Bank’s Request to Freeze MTNN Account over N180Bn Claims

Federal High Court in Lagos has declined Access Bank Plc’s request to freeze the bank accounts of MTN Nigeria Communications Plc over a disputed N180.95 billion debt claim linked to a long-expired infrastructure-sharing deal with now-defunct Multi-Links Telecommunications.
Justice Akintayo Aluko, ruling on an ex parte application filed by Access Bank and three companies in receivership, Multi-Links Telecommunications Limited, Capcom Telecoms Limited, and Cyancom Limited, refused to issue an interim order freezing MTN’s funds.
The judge held that MTN must first be given an opportunity to be heard before any such drastic action is taken.
Access Bank, through its counsel Mr. Kunle Ogunba (SAN), had requested an interim injunction restraining MTN from withdrawing or tampering with funds across all its accounts in Nigeria up to the amount of N180.95 billion.
The bank claimed this figure represents a long-standing debt owed by MTN to Multi-Links.
As part of the orders sought, the applicants also requested that all financial institutions in Nigeria be directed to disclose, under oath, the balances in MTN’s accounts within seven days.
The suit, marked FHC/L/CS/1004/2025, essentially sought to lock down MTN’s funds pending the determination of the main suit.
However, Justice Aluko ruled that, while the plaintiffs presented a seemingly compelling case, MTN must be allowed to respond.
“Due to the peculiar nature of the case and the potential implications of the orders sought, especially in light of MTN’s correspondence marked ‘MTN 17,’ the defendant must be heard before any orders are granted,” the judge said, according to ThisDay Newspaper.
The court ordered MTN to appear and show cause within five days, with the case adjourned to June 23, 2025, for further proceedings.
According to Nairametric, at the heart of the dispute is a fibre-sharing agreement between MTN and Multi-Links dating back over a decade, sources say.
The deal gave both parties “irrefutable rights of use” of each other’s fibre infrastructure for 10 years, expiring in 2024.
However, due to financial and operational setbacks, Multi-Links reportedly underutilised MTN’s infrastructure while MTN made significant use of Multi-Links’ network.
As Multi-Links spiralled into financial distress, the company went into receivership under the control of Diamond Bank. Before it folded, Multi-Links attempted to sell its fibre assets to MTN, but negotiations collapsed over pricing disagreements.
Years later, a company named Hoop Telecoms emerged, claiming to have acquired Multi-Links’ fibre infrastructure. However, Hoop reportedly disclaimed any responsibility for Multi-Links’ past liabilities. Despite this, the company billed MTN nearly N170 billion, retroactively charging for years prior to its supposed acquisition of the assets.
MTN flatly rejected the demand, estimating its actual obligation under the original agreement at just over N1 billion.
The telecoms firm also took the matter to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which reportedly found that Hoop Telecoms lacked a valid telecom licence and thus had no legal standing to make such claims.
The situation grew more complex after Access Bank acquired Diamond Bank in 2019, thereby assuming control of Multi-Links’ receivership. According to sources familiar with the case, Access Bank aligned itself with Hoop Telecoms’ claims and pushed for a legal settlement, which MTN resisted.
One insider told Nairametrics that several vested interests, including political actors, saw the claim as an opportunity to pressure MTN into a payout.
“There was talk that pushing MTN to pay could benefit everyone involved,” the source said. “But MTN stood its ground and sought legal protection.”
Caught in this web of legal and commercial ambiguity, MTN sought a court’s protection.
But to the company’s surprise, Access Bank approached a court seeking a Mareva injunction, a legal order to freeze MTN’s accounts across Nigerian banks to the tune of N180.95 billion. Such orders are typically issued when a plaintiff fears the defendant may dissipate assets to frustrate judgment enforcement.
Insiders suggest that Access Bank may not have been fully briefed on the intricate history and legal background of the Multi-Links-MTN arrangement and might now be reconsidering its position.
According to one source, MTN and Access Bank have since opened lines of communication to explore an amicable resolution of the matter.
The judge’s refusal to grant the Mareva injunction offers MTN some short-term relief, but the legal battle is far from over.
The company now has until June 23 to respond formally and argue why the court should not freeze its accounts.
MTN declined to comment when contacted, stating that the case is subjudice. Access Bank has yet to respond to Nairametrics’ enquiry as of press time.
While the final outcome remains to be seen, the case raises deeper questions about the enforcement of legacy telecom agreements, the legal risks around receivership claims, and the influence of non-commercial interests in high-stakes disputes.
General News
AfDB to Provide $184.1mfor Africa’s Largest Solar Energy, Battery Storage Project

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved a financing package of up to $184.1 million to support the development of the Obelisk 1-gigawatt solar photovoltaic project and 200MWh battery energy storage system in Egypt, which will be Africa’s largest solar power plant.
Located in Qena Governorate in southern Egypt, the project entails the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of a photovoltaic power plant with an integrated battery energy storage system. The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company will be the sole off-taker under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement.
The project’s total cost is estimated at more than $590 million. The Bank Group’s financing package includes $125.5 million of ordinary resources, as well as concessional funding from Bank Group-managed Special Funds the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) worth $20 million, and the Canada-African Development Bank Climate Fund ($18.6 million), a partnership of the Bank Group and the Government of Canada.
A further $20 million will come from the Climate Investment Funds’ Clean Technology Fund, with additional financing to be mobilized from a consortium of development finance institutions.
Under Egypt’s Nexus of Water, Food, and Energy (NWFE) platform, Obelisk has been granted a Golden License by the government, which recognizes it as a strategic initiative that will contribute to addressing Egypt’s energy constraints and advancing its energy transition.
Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, said “the Obelisk solar project is another important milestone for Egypt under the energy pillar of the NWFE program which has since its launch in November 2022 at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh delivered 4.2 GW of privately financed renewable energy investments, worth about $4 billion, with the support of partners such as the Africa Development Bank.
“The goal of NWFE’s energy pillar is to add 10 GW of renewable energy capacity with investments of approximately $10 billion, and phase out 5 GW of fossil fuel power generation by 2030.”
The project, expected to be fully operational by the third quarter of 2026, will generate an estimated 2,772 gigawatt-hours of clean, reliable, and affordable energy annually to the national grid. The battery energy storage system will help meet peak evening demand with renewable power while also mitigating the variability of solar power generation.
The project is expected to reduce annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by approximately one million tons and create about 4,000 jobs during construction and 50 permanent jobs during operation, with a special focus on women and youth employment.
“Obelisk is another landmark development under NWFE that leverages on Egypt’s and the African Development Bank’s leadership as well as commitment to harnessing the country’s renewable energy to enhance the resilience of the country’s energy supply to meet its fast-growing energy demand sustainably,” said Kevin Kariuki, African Development Bank Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate, and Green Growth.
“This project also contributes to Egypt’s ambition of producing 42 percent of its power generation capacity from renewable energy sources by 2030 while spurring economic growth and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,”
Ambassador of Canada to the Arab Republic of Egypt Ulric Shannon said: “Canada is proud to support solar energy development in Egypt. This initiative is a meaningful step toward enhancing energy security and stability, with direct benefits for the Egyptian people.
“We are pleased to collaborate with the African Development Bank and other partners in supporting Egypt’s transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy.”
The Obelisk Solar Project aligns with the African Development Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy, its New Deal on Energy for Africa, and its Country Strategy Paper for Egypt as well as SEFA’s strategic framework which aims to accelerate African countries energy transition by increasing the share of renewables and catalyzing commercial capital mobilization in the power sector. The project also advances Egypt’s commitment to achieve 42 percent generation capacity from renewable energy sources by 2030.
“This project exploits the abundant renewable energy potential in Africa and demonstrates how strong partnerships and innovative solutions contribute to balancing three core objectives in the energy sector, namely energy security, affordability, and sustainable economic development,” said Wale Shonibare, Director of Energy Financial Solutions, Policy, and Regulation at the African Development Bank. “It has high potential for replicability across the continent.”
General News
OSGOF, NASRDA Partner to Boost Geospatial Data, Others

Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGOF) and the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) have pledged to deepen collaboration in key national development areas, including geospatial data infrastructure, satellite technology, communication sector regulation, and population census operations.
This was the outcome of a high-level meeting held on Tuesday at the headquarters of OSGOF in Abuja, where Abudulganiyu Adeyemi Adebomehin, surveyor General of the Federation, received Dr. Matthew Adepoju, director general of NASRDA, and his management team.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by Henry David, head, Information and Public Relations, Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, titled ‘SGOF Pledges To Support NASRDA For Optimal Performance.’
According to the statement, the discussions at the meeting focused on the impact of upstream and downstream operations in Nigeria’s communication sector, challenges of mast proliferation near residential areas, and the broader implications for public health. Both agencies expressed concern over the unregulated installation of communication infrastructure and its potential link to rising cancer rates.
“The downstream sector of communication companies involves placing signal-receiving stations within living communities, which poses significant health risks due to radiation,” the two agencies said in a joint position. “Co-location of infrastructure, as practised in developed countries like the UK and US, should be adopted here to reduce radiation exposure.”
The two agencies called for stronger regulation of telecommunication operators, noting that television and radio signal disruptions—commonplace in Nigeria—are largely due to a lack of oversight, a situation that does not persist in countries with stringent telecom regulations.
Addressing issues of national data management, the agencies stressed the critical need for collaboration with the National Population Commission (NPC) in the upcoming national census. “Without the input of NASRDA and OSGOF, the census will remain speculative,” they jointly noted.
On geospatial data, both parties resolved to work together to strengthen the National Geospatial Data Infrastructure, which they described as vital for national planning and development.
In his remarks, Surveyor General Adebomehin expressed firm support for NASRDA’s initiatives. “I will defend NASRDA to the best of my ability. If you need software engineers, we have capable hands here,” he said. “Keep encouraging your staff. Behind every successful organisation in the world, you will find Nigerians. We are in full support of your mission.”
Adebomehin urged NASRDA to engage the Presidency directly in acquiring high-precision satellite systems. “You need a satellite that can deliver accuracy of less than 10 centimetres,” he said. “This will reduce the government’s losses from MDAs sourcing satellite services externally.”
Duniya Magaji Joseph, director of Geodesy at OSGOF, called for improved inter-agency collaboration, especially with the military. “Anytime the military collaborates with OSGOF, the outcome is always better,” he said. “We need to overcome the tendency to work in silos driven by funding concerns and instead focus on joint advantages.”
NASRDA’s DG, Dr. Matthew Adepoju, said his agency is working with the Ministry of Steel Development on mineral exploration projects, including the identification of new sites for raw materials such as steel and limestone. He stressed the importance of OSGOF’s technical input in these initiatives.
“We’ve agreed to support the Ministry of Steel Development in identifying new resource locations,” Adepoju said. “But I don’t want NASRDA to go it alone. We want OSGOF fully involved so that roles are clearly defined, and the synergy is more impactful.”
To mark the visit, NASRDA presented symbolic gifts, including a plaque and a vest, to the Surveyor General in appreciation of OSGOF’s commitment to partnership.
The meeting, held in Abuja, concluded with both agencies reaffirming their shared mandate to support national development through technology, data integration, and inter-agency cooperation.
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