Telecom
DG NITDA Charges IT Stakeholders to Disrupt the Status-Quo
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director general National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has charged the Information Technology ecosystem stakeholders to disrupt the status quo.
He stated this in Lagos while in a meeting with the IT stakeholders during a three day working visit to the state.
He said, “Come up with new business model, ways to change things, new organizational structure and disrupt the status quo which would accelerate digitalization.”
Mallam Abdullahi said, “As NITDA we look at digital transformation from two lenses, digitization which is using digital technology to enhance existing services and digitalization which is delivering rapid business innovation but to achieve that we need you, the startups. Innovation starts from the startups. We look at innovation as a process, which is taking ideas from inception to impact which can be very difficult.”
The DG said President Muhammadu Buhari has expanded the ministry’s mandates to cover digital economy because communications is just a technology which is a means to an end, but digital economy is using the technology to improve the economic status.
According to the NITDA boss, stakeholders were engaged on the formulation of the National Digital Economy Policy and agencies under the ministry keyed into the implementation of the policy adding that “NITDA’s focus is on the startups and IT stakeholders.”
He said, “We are here to share the Strategic Road Map and Action Plan (SRAP) which is anchored on these seven Pillars: Developmental Regulation, Digital Literacy and Skills, Digital Transformation, Digital Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Cyber Security, Emerging Technologies; and Promotion of Indigenous Content for feedback because the Agency doesn’t exist in isolation” which is the reason we have to carry the Stakeholders along in our implementation processes.”
DG NITDA identified six key strategic stakeholders; the entrepreneurs who innovate and start up business, higher institutions which enhances talent, government which is an enabler, corporate organization who absorb the human capital, venture capital, angel investors funding and the media that will promote the products.
The Director General assured that with the inputs from stakeholders, the government, being an enabler would take immediate steps into all suggestions and concerns raised.
In his remarks, one of the representatives of the Innovation stakeholder, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji from Future Africa, was of the opinion that government must work with the ecosystem to create synergy.
He said “If the government doesn’t work with us as a matter of urgency, everything will crash, variants need urgent intervention”.
He said, “We can’t build talents in Lagos alone, it has to be from all parts of the country. If universities are being provided with laptops and internet connections, we as stakeholders can do the rest, especially when it comes to infrastructure; the government has to partner with private companies as well as building research facilities.
” We have all the available resources but it would only go far when with the government partners with them, he added.
Aboyeji lamented that “the biggest challenge and opportunity facing the Startup ecosystem is that most of its capital comes from foreign countries, unless NITDA empowers local capital, the returns will be going back to the foreign countries and Nigerians will not benefit from it and we have to work together to figure out the concerns that prevents our local companies from being able to incorporate locally.”
Another concern expressed by the stakeholders was the level of employability in IT hubs, how good the startup bill would be, public procurement and how to lower the barrier and the gaps between market and academic research.
Telecom
Celebrating African Creativity: Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ Returns for Its Fifth Year
The “Made by Africa, Loved by the World” campaign is back for its fifth year, celebrating African creativity and global influence. This year’s theme, “Where Culture Meets Connection,” highlights how social media fosters conversations around cultural moments worldwide.
The campaign features three cinematic films premiering on the Meta Africa page, showcasing the groundbreaking work and personal stories of six dynamic African creatives.
These artists, from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, represent diverse disciplines, including rap, animation, dance, photography, fashion, and videography.
Here are some of the featured talents:
- Ladipoe (Nigeria) – A BET-nominated rapper known for blending global hip-hop with African rhythms.
- Fatboy Animations (Kenya) – An animation studio founded by Michael Muthiga, recognized by Forbes for its original African storytelling.
- Lisa Quama (Ghana) – A dancer who gained fame after appearing in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video.
- Gilbert Asante (Ghana) – A photographer and creative director featured in GQ and Glam Africa.
- David Tlale (South Africa) – A fashion designer whose bold designs have been showcased at major fashion events, including the Met Gala.
- Ofentse Mwase (South Africa) – A filmmaker with over 24 international awards for his unique visual storytelling.
Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director for Africa, Middle East & Turkey, emphasized that the campaign not only celebrates individual success stories but also showcases how culture and social media drive meaningful connections and inspiration.
Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has raised the alarm over a diesel supply crisis caused by an ongoing strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Mr 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.
In 2023, Nigerians spent a total of about ₦5.3 trillion on telecommunications services, which includes calls, data, SMS, and other telecom services, according to the Leadership.
Specifically for voice calls, Nigerians made approximately 408.5 billion minutes of local calls, generating around ₦3.28 trillion from outgoing calls and ₦3.23 trillion from incoming calls, totaling about ₦6.51 trillion in call-related revenue according to projections based on 2023 call volumes and tariff data.
However, the ₦5.3 trillion figure represents the overall telecom sector revenue, with voice calls being a major component but also including data and other services.
For individual spending, MTN subscribers spent an average of ₦2,508 monthly on voice calls in 2023, showing a 14.4% increase from 2022, while Airtel customers spent about ₦1,694 monthly on voice calls.
Total telecom spending (calls, data, SMS, etc.): ₦5.3 trillion in 2023
Estimated revenue from voice calls alone: around ₦6.5 trillion based on call minutes and tariffs
Average monthly spending on calls per subscriber: ₦1,694 to ₦2,508 depending on the network
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