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DG NITDA Calls for ICT-Academia Partnership to Empower Nigerian Students with Digital Skills

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The need for Nigeria to deepen Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) – Academia partnership has again been emphasised by Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), at the Huawei Education Summit 2022 (THES2022) which took place at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

Inuwa who was represented by Dr Usman Gambo Abdullahi, Director, Information Technology Infrastructure Solutions (ITIS), said it has become expedient to forge and strengthen linkages between the ICT industry and tertiary institutions due to the benefits.

According to him, NITDA as the apex IT regulator in Nigeria under the supervision of Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, is committed to ensuring that efforts in this regard are supported and sustained.

“We cannot go far as a nation if ICT adoption in our tertiary institutions is not systemic and coherent. The world is becoming digital and tertiary institutions are where our leaders of tomorrow come from. Hence, we must do everything possible to empower them”, Inuwa maintained.

While making reference to available statistics which he noted have shown that about 65% of Nigerians are aged 35 years or younger and they are mostly considered to be millennials, a highly-skilled tech-savvy generation, Inuwa observed that it is not therefore surprising that the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg during his visit to Nigeria in 2016, asserted that he was blown away with the talents he saw in the Country.

The DG avowed that developing digital skills for Africans and particularly Nigerian students is significant for the development and industrialisation of the continent, adding that Nigerian students are digital natives; what they need is an enabling environment.

“This can be seen in the successes recorded by Nigerian students in global competitions, especially the Huawei Global ICT Competition series.”

“You may recall that at the fourth series, the Nigerian team won the first prize in the Regional Final in South Africa and the third place in the Global Final while at the fifth series, three Nigerian teams entered the Global Final and won the Grand Prize in the Practice Competition in both the Network Track and the Cloud Track”, the DG recalled.

Inuwa further affirmed that humans are now living in an ever evolving digital world where ICT breeds innovation which has made digital skills highly essential to be successful.

He noted that the importance of ICT informed the identification of the Digital Literacy and Skills pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria (NDEPS, 2020-30), as the policy has an ambitious target of attaining 95% Digital Literacy and Skills by 2030.

“It is plain to see that acquiring digital skills and gaining new qualifications is the key to success in the modern age; whether you are a new entrant looking to climb the career ladder, the founder of a startup, or a senior executive in charge of a large team, failure to keep up with the times could prove disastrous. Regardless of where in the world you find yourself, regardless of the place you start, opportunity can be open for all in the digital economy”, Inuwa explained.

He enumerated other pillars of NDEPS include: Developmental Regulation; Solid Infrastructure; Service Infrastructure; Digital Services Development & Promotion; Soft Infrastructure; Digital Society & Emerging Technologies; and Indigenous Content Development & Adoption.

“NITDA, as one of the implementing Agencies of the Ministry, has been carrying out series of Intervention Programmes in Tertiary Institutions. These include the deployment of ICT Parks and Innovation Hubs, Hive Centres and Centres of Cyber Security Research,” he noted.

He added that the summit couldn’t have come at a better time, as it will avail participants the opportunity to discuss and share ideas on how best the Academia, Industry and Government can partner towards meeting the expectations of learners, industry and society at large.

He commended and expressed gratitude to Huawei Technologies for its commitment to promoting ICT development in Nigeria.

“Huawei’s effort at digital literacy and skills in the country in some was is to help the Agency achieve its mandates. Our presence here shows how committed we are in in the realisation of NDEPS’ vision of transforming Nigeria into a leading digital economy, providing quality life and digital economies for all as well as the mission of building a nation where digital innovation and entrepreneurship are used to create value and prosperity for all”, Inuwa said.

Other stakeholders described the event as key to empowering the teaming Nigerian students with the requisite skills to thrive.

They expressed the hope that it will also give the Heads and Principals of higher education real life, globally recognised solutions and standards to propel the Nigerian education sector in meeting the growing expectations, and delivering global standard in the quality of teaching and learning experience.

The Huawei Education Summit Themed ” New Approach in Meeting Rising Educational Expectation”, according to the organisers was convened in response to observed trends in the Nigerian Higher Education Sector – Increasing relevance of technology in higher education learning and teaching, Gender Equity and Inclusion in higher education, research and innovation in higher education campuses, teaching quality and relevance.

Moreso, the Summit provided rare opportunity to highlight the challenges in higher education system, with a view to setting up an agenda for education professionals, industry, government and regulatory bodies, both national and international, to discuss, share, present solutions and a way forward towards addressing identified trends.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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Airtel Recommits to Fraud Prevention after NCC’s N104m Fine for SIM Registration Breaches

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Airtel Nigeria has restated its commitment to transparency, customer safety, and regulatory collaboration following recent regulatory enforcement by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Airtel Recommits to Fraud Prevention after NCC’s N104m Fine for SIM Registration Breaches

The NCC had served Airtel Nigeria a notice of sanction over some alleged SIM infractions in Kano State and consequently slammed a fine of N104 million on the telecommunications firm.

NCC had in  a letter, addressed to Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, dated May 26, 2025, signed by Chizua Whyte, head, Legal and Regulatory Services, and Mohammed Dari, acting head, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement,  on behalf of Dr Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC,  titled: ‘Notice of Sanction: Non-Compliance with SIM Registration Directive in Kano,’ where the infractions were spelt out.

According to NCC, Airtel infractions include unauthorised SIM registrations using 198 unapproved devices, resulting in 8,275 registrations outside the 281 verified Airtel shops; premature activation of 63 MSISDNs prior to proper SIM registration, contrary to the provisions of the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations 2022; failure to conduct effective eyeballing, leading to 407 fraudulent SIM registrations with multiple NINs, contrary to the provision of the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations 2022 and failure to provide satisfactory explanation for SIM registrations conducted between 12.00 a.m and 6.00 a.m.

On the matter, the letter revealed that there were some letter exchanges and subsequent meetings on the infractions between the telecom regulator and Airtel, starting from January 12, 2025, March 19, 2025, March 24, 2025, and March 27, 2025, respectively.

Apparently, after investigations and responses from Airtel, the NCC was not satisfied and this led to the fine of N104 million, which was to be paid within seven days from the date the letter was issued.

Specifically, NCC fined Airtel N5 million, N12 million, N81.4 million and N5 million for the infractions respectively.

Reacting, Airtel, expressed appreciation to the NCC for uncovering the infractions, describing the development as a critical opportunity to strengthen internal processes and further align with national security and regulatory expectations

“We thank the NCC for its vigilance and continued support in protecting the integrity of the telecoms ecosystem. Airtel takes these findings seriously and is already implementing corrective measures,” a spokesperson for the company said.

Only recently, Airtel Nigeria’s CEO recently announced that the company is doubling its investment in the country, focusing on network expansion, fiber-to-the-street rollout, 4G/5G deployment, customer care upgrades, and digital infrastructure security.

These investments reinforce Airtel’s long-term vision of building a resilient and forward-looking telecom network that meets the evolving needs of Nigerians.

“Our systems are constantly evolving to stay ahead of scammers and malicious actors,” the spokesperson added. “This is not just about compliance; it’s about our responsibility to the millions of Nigerians who rely on Airtel daily.”

Airtel Nigeria says it will continue to work closely with the NCC and other arms of government to ensure high standards of service and safety for all telecom users nationwide.

 

 

 

 


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Kenya Beats Nigeria As the Most Progressive ICT Regulation in Africa

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Kenya is celebrating its regulatory ecosystem being ranked as the most progressive in Africa. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has ranked the East African country first in its most recent ICT Regulatory Tracker.

ITU’s ICT Regulatory Tracker is an evidence-gathering tool for decision-makers and regulators. It demonstrates the effectiveness of regulatory systems in the age of technology.

The ITU evaluates the design of the national regulatory authority, the scope of the regulatory mandate, the obtaining regulatory environment, and the robustness of the competition framework in member countries.

Kenya received 93 points, up from 92 in 2023, and now leads the continent in best practices for ICT regulations.

Nigeria and South Africa finished second and third, with 92 and 88 points respectively. Malawi, Egypt, Rwanda, Morocco, Uganda, Burkina Faso, and Senegal complete the top 10 list.

Globally, Kenya was ranked 20th out of 194 countries covered.Italy led the rankings, with 100 points.

The regulator, Communications Authority (CA) of Kenya, said the achievement underscored Kenya’s commitment to creating a robust, technology-neutral regulatory environment that supports innovation, affordability and access.

Steve Isaboke, permanent secretary for broadcasting and telecommunications, visited CA Centre in Nairobi following the announcement on Thursday.

“The ranking is a clear testament of the excellent work that CA has done in spearheading Kenya’s digital transformation and driving digital access for all,” he said.

“After 25 years, CA’s regulatory regime has attained maturity, and gained global recognition. This ranking shows that the CA staff and leadership are executing their work diligently.”


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MTN’s Female Leadership Surges to 41.4%, Doubles Industry Average

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MTN Nigeria Communications PLC has announced a significant increase in female representation within its leadership, with women now making up 41.4% of its workforce, a notable rise from 38.7% in 2023.

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This figure reportedly doubles the industry average, positioning MTN Nigeria as a frontrunner in gender diversity within Nigeria’s ICT sector.

The company’s recently released 2024 Annual Report highlights its sustained commitment to workplace inclusion and gender equality, aligning with its “Ambition 2025” strategy. Female representation within the executive management team has reached approximately 46.7%.

MTN Nigeria attributes this progress to dedicated initiatives aimed at empowering women professionally. These include the “Women in Tech” programme, which provides targeted upskilling in high-demand fields such as Cloud Computing, Software Engineering, AI/ML, Data Science, and Cyber Security.

The “MTN Y’ello Mums Internship Programme” also supports young mothers in their transition back into the corporate world after career breaks.

Odunayo Sanya, executive director of the MTN Foundation, was recognised as the CSI Personality of the Year at the Nigeria Tech Innovation & Telecoms Awards (NTITA), further underscoring the company’s impactful social initiatives.

Additionally, Uto Ukpanah, the company secretary, received the inaugural Global Corporate Secretary of the Year Award from the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA).

Speaking at a recent conference, Odunayo Sanya, emphasised the importance of balancing profitability and sustainability equation, saying, “Businesses today need to be purpose-driven. While the soul of business is profitability, it is not profitability alone that should matter to stakeholders.”

Uto Ukpanah, added, “Showcasing our corporate values and ethos to the world opens the door for greater collaboration with other organisations, as we believe there’s a lot to learn when we all come together. Governance continues to evolve. The challenges today are not the same as they were 10 years ago. Greater accountability is expected, and companies can only continue to do better.”

The company’s broader efforts in diversity and inclusion have been acknowledged with multiple accolades, including the Corporate Responsibility Award. MTN Nigeria also received the “Employer of the Year” award at the 4th Edition of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Employers’ Excellence Awards.

Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, in the report, reiterated the company’s commitment to building a purpose-driven organisation, emphasising that its success is intrinsically linked to its people and their dedication to a shared vision.

“Since we initiated our culture transformation journey in 2021, our culture transformation has significantly enhanced employee engagement and organisational cohesion. It’s directly strengthened our ability to deliver outstanding business performance and drive sustainable long-term value for all our stakeholders.”


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