Telecom
Danbatta Applauds Media Role in Nigeria’s Telecoms Development
Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has commended its media stakeholders for their role in accurate, timely and effective reportage of the telecommunications sector.
Danbatta gave the commendation while declaring open a two-day media capacity building programme organised under the auspices of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Abuja.
“I must applaud every member of NITRA for working assiduously to provide coverage for our activities, as well as provide a platform for our narratives in terms of the various policy initiatives and actions taken to support the national economy.
“Without your continuous cooperation, understanding and professionalism, the Nigerian audience would not have been properly informed about the activities of the NCC,” he said.
Represented by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, director, Public Affairs, NCC, Danbatta stated that the ICT industry in Nigeria is, indeed, the most dynamic and most resilient, as it continues to evolve by the day.
According to him, with the shutdown of almost every sector of the economy since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, telecoms sector has continued to provide government and businesses the platform to operate and transact online to ensure that the country’s developing economy is sustained.
The EVC, however, noted that the advancements in ICT have reshaped every facet of human endeavour from learning, teaching and communication to other sectors of the economy.
He said the dynamic nature of ICT industry has, thus, informed the NCC’s decision to continuously train journalists, with a view to equipping them with the necessary skills they need to report the industry, adding that the misconceptions and misinformation that have trailed the proposed rollout of Fifth Generation (5G) network in the country is a case in point.
“Therefore, we will not relent in our quest for an improved ICT industry in Nigeria and in pursuit of this objective, we will periodically assemble seasoned professionals to educate and enlighten you on the latest trends in the global ICT industry,” he said.
He said while the training is in line with the Federal Government’s recognition of the important role journalism has played in the development of Nigeria’s ICT industry, it is also consistent with one of the critical pillars of NCC’s strategic plan on strategic partnership and collaboration with various stakeholders, including the media.
He urged the participants to take the training seriously and take advantage of it to expand their horizons of knowledge on the ICT industry.
“This is very necessary so that when you report events or activities relating to the industry, you are able to translate them into a language that the common man will readily understand for the overall development of the industry,” Danbatta said.
“It is our duty and responsibility to ensure that whatever we want to introduce to the Nigerian telecoms space is well understood by Nigerians and all those who make use of our telecoms services and the media forms a part of our critical external stakeholders to make this happen,” the EVC added.
MTN Uganda is seeking input from stakeholders on a plan to structurally separate its mobile money service, MoMo, from its core telecoms business.
According to the company, the proposed change will be discussed at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on July 2.
If approved, the telco’s fintech business will be run by a new company controlled by MTN Group Fintech Holdings B.V. and a trust benefiting minority shareholders following a merger.
Additionally, the restructuring also aligns with MTN Group’s ambition 2025 strategy which aims to unlock value, attract new investors, and strengthen regulatory compliance by creating standalone fintech entities in Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.
The company’s fintech division has over 13 million customers, with an 18.4% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by 19.0% growth in mobile money services, 19.8% growth in transaction volumes, and a 31.4% increase in transaction value.
Reports say the decision is part of the telco’s compliance with the National Payment Systems Act 2020, which mandates mobile money businesses to operate as standalone entities, and to align with MTN Group’s regional fintech strategy.
MTN Uganda, which is led by CEO Sylvia Mulinge, highlighted that the implementation of the proposed transaction will be subjected to a number of conditions and regulatory procedures.
“The implementation of the proposed transaction shall be subject to a number of conditions, including the company and MTN MoMo receiving all required regulatory approvals and no-objections and complying with any regulatory conditions,” said MTN Uganda in notice.
Netflix has announced plans to invest more than €1 billion in Spanish film and television productions over the next four years, reinforcing its commitment to Spain as a key creative hub in Europe.
The announcement was made by co-chief executive Ted Sarandos at an event held at Netflix’s production studios near Madrid, celebrating the company’s 10-year presence in the country.
Sarandos emphasized that the investment would contribute significantly to Spain’s economy, create jobs, and enable the streaming platform to produce more local content. He was joined by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in unveiling the initiative.
Netflix first established its international production studios in Madrid in 2019, following the success of the Spanish-language hit series Money Heist.
Since then, its 22,000-square-meter facility has become one of Netflix’s major production centers within the European Union.
The company currently supports over 20,000 jobs in Spain, highlighting the nation’s growing influence in global entertainment.
The investment reflects Netflix’s ongoing strategy to expand its presence in European markets through original content and local talent.
Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) has raised alarms over a new wave of advanced cyberattacks targeting Android mobile phones through a malware campaign dubbed Tria Stealer.
The malicious software is designed to infiltrate Android devices, hijack messaging accounts, intercept One-Time Passwords (OTPs), to steal sensitive personal and financial data.
According to ngCERT, Tria Stealer spreads primarily through deceptive tactics, such as fake event invitations distributed via popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Unsuspecting users are enticed to download an infected (APK) file, often disguised as a harmless system application, to evade detection.
Once installed, Tria Stealer requests extensive permissions, including access to SMS, call logs, and app notifications.
It immediately commences data harvesting activities, sending stolen information to a Command and Control (C2) server operated via Telegram bots.
This trojan spreads through fake links, usually disguised as wedding or event invites, and tricks users into downloading malicious APK files
“Account takeover of messaging platforms. Impersonation of victim for fraudulent money transfer requests. Compromise of banking and financial applications. Identity theft and credential harvesting.”
In plain terms, if your phone is compromised, the consequences could be catastrophic.
Your financial apps are vulnerable, your reputation could be ruined by impersonation and even simple personal messages could be twisted into tools for scams.
Here’s what users should be doing now:
Don’t download apps outside the official Play Store.
Be suspicious of random invites or links, even from people you know.
Turn on 2FA for everything—banking, emails, social platforms.
Get a reputable antivirus and keep it updated.
If you run an organisation, you should already be taking this seriously.
ngCERT’s guidance says you should raise awareness, monitor mobile devices, and not let your team click on unverified links.
“Deploy network monitoring for suspicious outbound connections to known C2 domains,” it said, meaning, keep an eye on every digital door in and out.
This isn’t one of those cases where you wait to see if it affects you. By the time you realise it, it may already be too late.
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