Telecom
Digital Technology, a Veritable Tool in Combating Insecurity — DG NITDA
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said that warfare is no longer physical and therefore imperative for the Nigerian Army to embrace and adopt 21st century military infrastructures and technology in enhancing National Security.
The Director General made this call Tuesday when he received the Chief of Defence Communications of the Nigerian Army, Major General Elvis Njoku and his team who were at the Corporate headquaters of the Agency to seek collaboration with the aim of improving military operations.
Abdullahi said that the collaboration is necessary in addressing the current insecurity challenge faced by the country.
He asserted that it was important for the Nigerian Army to measure up with the global modernized military infrastructures which will help them in achieving their mandate.
The Director General said that NITDA was established to implement National IT Policy but the Federal Government has recently replaced the policy with the National Digital Economic Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria.
“Digital transformation is about using digital technology to enhance existing traditional processes and using it as a source of inspiration to come up with a new value proposition” the DG noted.
Mallam Abdullahi stated that technology has affected every aspect which includes security.
“It is important to know how to use technology not just as an enabler but a strategic design for your strategy in general which will inspire you to do more” he said.
The Director General said that the data resource of any organization regardless of their size or business activities otherwise known as Ubiquitous data which gives information about everything you want to know and how to use them, Connectivity, in which individuals can connect and communicate with anything such as smart cars, televisions, home appliances and Computing processing power are important parameters that Digital Technology has brought.
“When you talk about Defence and Intelligence, you need to have data, identify the enemy and have a technical know how of targeting them with minimal collateral damage” the DG averred.
The Director General said the Agency’s focus is improving on how things are being done using technology and innovations by creating an enabling environment and an innovation ecosystem which will allow a smooth digitized process.
Mallam Abdullahi stated that innovation does not happen in isolation but rather, with proper alignment and positioning in a relevant ecosytem which necessitates the proposed collaboration between the two parties.
The Director General noted that there is cross pollination between the ICT and the Ministry of Defence. “A lot of what started in ICT such as the OODA law; Observe, Orient, Decide and Act originated from defence” the DG said.
Abdullahi stated that apart from the good relationship and collaborations the Agency has with the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police Force and other paramilitary agencies in areas of capacity building and cyber security, it is willing to go beyond that and collaborate on more intensive areas.
“There is a National problem and we need to collaborate together to identify and solve the problem” he mentioned.
The Director General said that combating National insecurity challenge is a collective responsibility and assured the Major General of the Agency’s support in coming up with solutions, exploring technology to detect improvised explosive devices and exploiting all resources such as use of drones, artificial intelligence and robotics in ensuring optimal National security.
“Let us work together, develop solutions and as part of our mandates which National Security is priority, see how we can use emerging technologies in helping our great Nation, Nigeria” the DG concluded
Major General Elvis Njoku, chief of Defence Communications, earlier expressed his gratitude at the warm welcome received by the Agency despite the short notice.
He said that the new Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor mandated him to visit all Communications and IT related Government established institutions, collaborate with them with the purpose of tackling the contemporary security challenges.
He said that the use of technology is a force multiplier which will definitely impact positively in the Nigerian Army’s operations and hopes for a possible rich collaboration with NITDA which will help them in achieving their mandate.
MTN Nigeria is set to reignite the dreams of creatives with the launch of its Best of the Streets talent competition for the 2025 edition. This initiative aims to discover and nurture Nigeria’s next generation of creative talent.
L-R: Mobolaji Ogunlende, Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Lagos State; Dapo “D’Banj” Oyebanjo, Singer and Founder of C.R.E.A.M platform; Dandizzy, Rapper and Singer; A’isha Umar Mumuni, Chief Digital Officer, MTN Nigeria and Obi Asika, Nigerian music executive and Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture, NCAC., at the Best of the Streets press briefing on Wednesday, April 23 held at the MTN Rooftop Events Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Slated to commence on May 1, 2025, the competition offers unsigned artists a transformative platform to compete for life-changing rewards, including a grand money prize, professional music video production, and an EP recording deal.
At the press briefing on Wednesday April 23, A’isha Umar Mumuni, Chief Digital Officer of MTN Nigeria, emphasized the initiative’s impact.
“The premise of Best of the Streets is that there’s talent in every street in Nigeria, whether it’s acting, singing, dancing, comedy or other performance arts.
“Best of the Streets seeks to bring out that talent, to show Nigerian youths that there are opportunities everywhere; and at MTN, we are very proud to take part in creating these opportunities.”
Best of the Streets is in collaboration with C.R.E.A.M (Creative Reality Entertainment Art and Music), founded by Nigerian rapper, Dapo “D’Banj” Oyebanjo is a platform which provides talent management, publishing, and funding support to grassroots artists.
“The C.R.E.A.M platform provides solutions and services for talents, creatives and entrepreneurs, by granting them convenient access to showcase their skills and monetize their content. With our newly launched distribution arm, we are not just discovering talent, we are giving them the tools to take them global,” D’banj explained.
Chris Anokute, Nigerian-born LA-based American Executive, known for discovering global superstar Katy Perry, commended the efforts of this initiative in pushing local Nigerian music to the international stage. “Best of the Streets is the greatest artiste discovery platform I’ve seen come out of Africa.
“The music industry is, as of last year, a 30-billion-dollar industry. Afrobeats is the fastest growing genre in the entire world, over 1.1 million hours of music streamed out of Nigeria on Spotify this year alone.”
On the importance of empowering the creative capacities of the youth, Mobolaji Ogunlende, Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Social Development in Lagos State. “As a government, we have vowed not to leave anybody behind in Lagos state, irrespective of their background.
“There are about 30 million citizens in Lagos, and 60% of the youth. Not every youth will be able to go to school, but we still have the creatives, digital, fashion icons, among others. This platform is an avenue to encourage them.”
To participate, aspiring contestants can dial *463# on their MTN line, upload original content via the official @creamplatform, and mobilise votes from the public. Over 2584 creatives are set to be showcased and rewarded this year. Entries into this competition continue up until December, with daily, weekly and monthly winners, with a final winner who will secure the grand prize.
The Best of the Streets initiative reinforces MTN’s commitment to youth empowerment and creative innovation, aligning with Nigeria’s growing entertainment industry demands.
Meta has announced its intention to appeal the decision of the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT), which upheld a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) over its data practices.
The penalty follows a 38-month investigation conducted by the FCCPC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), which ran from 2021 to December 2023.
The investigation found evidence of unauthorised data sharing, insufficient user consent mechanisms, and discriminatory practices that treated Nigerian consumers differently from those in other regions.
In July 2024, the FCCPC imposed the $220 million fine on Meta and WhatsApp, citing violations of Nigeria’s data protection and consumer rights laws. Additionally, the ruling mandated corrective actions to ensure that Meta’s business practices comply with Nigerian regulations.
In a decision delivered on Friday, April 25, the tribunal upheld the fine, reaffirming the FCCPC’s authority and investigative processes. The tribunal also ordered Meta to pay an additional $35,000 to cover the costs incurred during the investigation.
However, Meta expressed disagreement with the tribunal’s ruling, stating in a statement on Saturday, April 26, that it would urgently seek to appeal the decision and apply for a stay of execution.
“We are urgently applying to stay the order and appeal today’s decision to avoid any impact to users,” WhatsApp said.
The company also contested the tribunal’s findings, claiming that the ruling misrepresented how WhatsApp operates and contained inaccuracies regarding its data practices.
Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal has upheld a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Meta Platforms Inc. and WhatsApp LLC for data privacy violations in Nigeria.
The Tribunal also awarded $35,000 in investigative costs to the country’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission .
In a statement issued by the FCCPC, the Tribunal delivered its judgment in the appeal filed by Meta Platforms Incorporated (Facebook) and WhatsApp LLC against the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), affirming the Commission’s authority and ruling in favour of its actions on nearly all contested issues.
According to the statement by the FCCPC, “The Tribunal specifically determined that the Commission adhered to prevailing laws, fulfilled its mandate, and exercised its powers by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“It ruled that the multiple actions by WhatsApp and Meta, for which the Commission made findings of violations, were correctly identified, and that the Commission did not err in making those findings.”
The statement revealed that WhatsApp and Meta’s legal team was led by Professor Gbolahan Elias (SAN), while the FCCPC was represented by Babatunde Irukera.
It added that both legal teams presented their final arguments on behalf of their respective clients on January 28, 2025.
“The FCCPC had on July on July 19, 2024, issued a Final Order imposing a $220 million administrative penalty after concluding that the companies engaged in discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerian consumers, the investigation started in 2020.
“The case arose from a 38-month joint investigation initiated by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) into the conduct, privacy practices, and consumer data policies of Meta Platforms and WhatsApp.
“Dissatisfied with the Order last year, Meta and WhatsApp appealed to the Tribunal, challenging both the legal basis and the findings of the Commission,” FCCPC said.
The Tribunal upheld the FCCPC’s authority and investigative procedures in Meta and WhatsApp’s appeal, resolving most of the contested issues in the Commission’s favour.
It confirmed that the FCCPC acted within its constitutional and statutory mandate, particularly regarding fair hearing, data protection, and consumer rights.
While it dismissed the majority of the appellants’ objections, it set aside one specific order (Order 7) for lacking sufficient legal basis.
While expressing satisfaction with the judgment, Tunji Bello, executive vice chairman/CEO, commended the Commission’s legal team for their exceptional diligence and forensic expertise in assembling evidence and presenting their case.
He reaffirmed the FCCPC’s unwavering commitment not only to protecting the rights of Nigerian consumers but also to promoting fair business practices in line with the FCCPA (2018) and the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Nigerian government.
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