Telecom
Galaxy Backbone Partners Interra Network to Connect S/East and S/South with STORM ISP
Galaxy Backbone (GBB) and Interra Networks have officially launched an Internet Service Provider, codenamed STORM.ng, for the benefit of the South East and South South regions of the country.
The project, under the Nigeria National Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure Backbone (NICTIB) Phase I, was launched in Enugu State on Tuesday.
The GBB and Interra Networks, through STORM, would cover Enugu, Ebonyi, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Awka, Onitsha and Asaba under its national fibre roll out programme.
Dr Isa Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, at the launch of the project expressed delight with the unveiling of STORM as a fibre connectivity and digital services platform powered by GBB, which aligned with the vision of the present administration.
The minister, who joined virtually, explained that STORM would open up massive opportunities for corporates, small businesses and for homes looking to improve the quality of internet services in those regions.
“I would like to congratulate Galaxy Backbone and its project partners for achieving this great feat, which will provide fast and efficient delivery of Internet and hosting services for the South-East and South-South regions.
“Since 2019, the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy has championed the country’s digital transformation agenda in efforts to position it as one of the leading Digital Economies in the world.
“To achieve this aim, we developed the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) (2020-2030) with the clear vision ‘to transform Nigeria into a leading Digital Economy providing quality life and digital economies for all.”
He said the mission was “to build a nation where digital innovation and entrepreneurship are used to create value and prosperity for all.”
He, however recalled that STORM initiative was in line with the National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria (2020 – 2030).
Pantami added that STORM was a significant milestone in support of the Federal Government’s efforts to accelerate broadband penetration across cities and underserved communities in the country.
He expressed optimism that Digital Services would expand and strengthen development since Nigeria was endowed with enormous potential.
He congratulated GBB and Interra Network teams for putting the launch in place and urged them to work together in order to ensure wealth and prosperity was expanded in the nation.
“In particular, it supports the implementation of Pillar 3 (the Solid Infrastructure Pillar). It is also in alignment with the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020 – 2025).
“Broadband connectivity plays a major role in the economic fortunes of countries around the world.
“A 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration can lead to growth in Gross Domestic Product in the region of 0.6 per cent to 2.8 per cent.
“Furthermore, the use of broadband technology goes beyond facilitating socialisation.
“Rather, it supports key sectors of the economy, such as the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
“These enterprises are a critical part of the Nigerian economy and broadband access enables them to extend their services beyond their physical locations through the use of e-commerce platforms.
“It will support government’s effort in meeting the target of the NNBP, which aims to achieve a 90 per cent broadband penetration by 2025.
“Through platforms like STORM, we are extending the provision of internet services beyond major cities in the country, thereby deepening broadband penetration across the country to overcome the existing digital divide,” he said.
Recall that Galaxy Backbone had deployed fibre optics to 17 major cities across the federation under the first phase of NICTIB.
Prof. Mohammed Abubakar, managing director of GBB, said the plan to launch the project in year 2020 was aborted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abubakar, who also joined virtually, expressed optimism that with the official launch of STORM, GBB and Interra Networks were ready to unleash broadband services to organisations and homes in South East and South South.
He informed that STORM would bridge the notable gaps in the market in terms of reliable internet service.
According to him, change is the only constant thing in life and as people living in a fast changing digital world, I am sure you all know how important it is to ensure we embrace change,
“So, that we are not left behind at the speed of light transformations taking place all around us.
“We are confident that by making fast and reliable internet services available in urban and rural communities, greater number of job opportunities will emanate and we can lift more people out of poverty.
“History has shown that in every major pandemic, one or two sectors begin to thrive and lead to the transformation of the lives of entire communities and indeed the world.
“In this case, Digital Technology has taken centre stage, especially in Nigeria, where we have observed its great contributions to the GDP of our country in the last quarter of the year 2020.
“We are not unmindful of the strides recorded by most of our competitors in this industry.
“We are confident that the broadband internet connectivity and hosting service being offered by STORM will lead to an experience that you will find efficient, reliable and with great support.”
Speaking on ‘”Partnering to Serve: The Storm Value Proposition”, Mr David Onu, president, Interra Networks, , said that the service would enable greater youth participation in technology and digital economy drive.
According to Onu, ICT is considered to be the new oil worldwide and it is very interesting to see that just 15 years ago, the top six companies were oil companies.
“Today, those companies are no more in the top 10. The only one that has broken the top 10 record is the Exxon Mobil.
“And you ask yourself what has made it so. What have made it so are the IT services and data.
“It is something interesting, taken away from the corporate world and countries that were considered to belong to the third world 20 years ago.
“It is interesting to see how they have erased their poverty index; by empowering people, creating jobs and creating wealth.”
He, however bemoaned the misnomer in Nigeria, which was excessive reliance on natural resources, adding that the biggest strength had been intellectual resources.
“What has been going on today in the country is that silent revolution and it will soon take the country by storm with the engagement of our young people in technology.
“We hear of our young people getting investments from companies outside the country to expand; we hear of services that are being used Africa-wide and worldwide and we haven’t even started.
He hinged the launch of STORM on the harnessing of the capacity of young people and businesses in the regions to boost the economy.
Dignitaries present at the event included: Mr Osita Chidoka, former minister of Aviation; Sir Carl Obi Kama, commissioner, Enugu State Ministry of Science and Technology; Prof. Boniface Nworgu, commissioner, Imo State Ministry of Science and Technology.
Others were Rocky Ighoyota, director of ICT, Delta State Ministry of Science and Technology; Abdul-Malik Suleiman, group head, Regional Offices, Galaxy Backbone; Tope Dele-Oni, head, Regional Business & Operations, Galaxy Backbone (Lagos and South West), among others.
Telecom
IHS Nigeria Hosts Telecom Industry Stakeholders to Discuss Protection of Critical National Infrastructure in Lagos State
IHS Nigeria, part of the IHS Holding Limited (NYSE: IHS) (“IHS Towers”) group, one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count, recently hosted a high-level meeting of stakeholders in the telecommunications industry including regulators and law enforcement agencies, at its corporate headquarters in Lagos.
The meeting was organized to develop a multi-stakeholder action plan for the protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) assets in Lagos state.
Recognizing the importance of communications infrastructure as the backbone of national security, economic growth and social cohesion, the stakeholders at the meeting convened under the umbrella of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) agreed on the urgent need for collaborative solutions to ensure the protection of these vital assets.
The meeting was attended by senior representatives from the telecommunications stakeholder groups and regulatory bodies including the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA).
Also in attendance were representatives from the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), and InfraCos as well as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the security agency tasked with the protection of Critical National Infrastructure across the country.
Following extensive deliberations, the stakeholders resolved to establish a working group dedicated to addressing key industry challenges, including the vandalization and theft of telecommunications infrastructure, arbitrary shutdown of base stations, fiber cuts due to road construction and the denial of access by unauthorized individuals by leveraging technology for real-time monitoring and protection, strengthening security measures around telecommunication sites and collaborating more with the security and regulatory agencies to mitigate these challenges.
The stakeholders underscored the need to prioritize deterrence and prevention of these incidents and highlighted the importance of public awareness campaigns to sensitize the host communities and public of the need to protect telecommunications infrastructure in their localities.
Dapo Otunla, Senior Vice President & Chief Corporate Services Officer of IHS Nigeria, commented, “The protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) has been a critical concern for all industry stakeholders.
“We are experiencing daily losses of assets, which significantly impact on the quality of service delivered to subscribers. Addressing these issues is paramount to sustaining Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and meeting regulatory expectations.”
Over 1ooo athletes are already set to participate in the upcoming MTN Champs Continental Relays, taking place between April 9 and April 12 at the UNILAG and Yabatech Sports complexes. Organisers anticipate even more registrations before the April 2 deadline.
MTN Champs is Nigeria’s largest grassroots sports competition, a collaboration between MTN Nigeria and Making of Champs (MoC), providing a platform for young athletes to showcase their talents and potentially represent Nigeria on the global stage.
Osaze Ebueku, Senior Manager, Go-to-Market at MTN Nigeria at the opening ceremony of the MTN Champs Classics events in Benin had emphasised the long-term vision behind MTN Champs: “We’re building future Olympians for Nigeria. MTN Champs is about more than competition. It’s about changing lives.”
The continental relays mark the second leg of the MTN Champs Season 3, following the Classics competition in Benin, which saw 4,371 event entries from 2,056 athletes.
As of March 24, the Lagos leg had already recorded 2,821 event entries across different age categories, highlighting the growing enthusiasm around the competition.
The registered athletes are spread across four categories, with 174 in the Cadet (U-14) category, 388 in Youth (U-17), 270 in Junior (U-20), and 279 in the Senior category.
To ensure smooth participation, organisers have outlined important guidelines. Athletes in the Cadet, Youth, and Junior categories must submit a signed Parental Consent Form, while all registered schools and athletes must collect their competition bibs by April 8 at the competition venue to confirm their participation and secure their place on the start list.
Sports enthusiasts can look forward to an electrifying showcase of emerging talent, as young athletes seize the opportunity to prove their skills on a professional stage.
Telecom
Again, Labour Fumes, Threatens Shutdown of Telcos over Non-Implementation of 15 Percent Tariff Reduction
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is threatening to shut down operations of telecommunications companies over their refusal to comment on the 15 percent reduction in telecom tariffs.
Recall that that organised labour, through the NLC, forced the federal government and NCC to reduce the telecommunications tariff hike from 50% to 35% after threatening to shut down telecom operations and the NCC in response to what it saw as exploitative economic policies amidst excruciating suffering, hardship, and deepening poverty.
The government had previously formed a 10-member committee, consisting of five government and NLC representatives, to deliberate on the thorny topic of tariff hikes within two weeks and report back before making a final decision on the new telecom tariff structure.
Consequently, on Friday, February 21, 2025, the committee, at a meeting conducted in the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) that lasted nearly three hours, decided on a 15 per cent tariff cut.
According to reports, in accordance with the conditions of the agreement, an official communiqué announcing the tariff reduction was scheduled to be released on Saturday, February 22.
According to Chronicle,iIt was said that the meeting began at 4:00 p.m. and concluded around 7:00 p.m., during which NLC representatives insisted that the tariff hike be withdrawn.
According to sources, after significant pressure from NLC representatives in the 10-man committee, the government and NCC gave up and agreed on the 15% decrease, which the government or NCC should have announced the next day.
However, at the time of this report, no such announcement has been made.
Leaders of the labour union are not taking the government’s failure to announce or implement the 15% tariff decrease lightly, suspecting that they have been duped.
The Labour leaders have therefore resolved to directly confront the NCC and telecommunications operators next week.
Though it has been reported that the date for the start of the industrial action against the NCC and telecom providers has been set and mobilisation is underway, the information is being closely guarded.
One of the leaders of the NLC stated that “We have received directives to commence mobilisation since last week. In fact, the date for the commencement of industrial action against the NCC and telecommunication operators’ offices across the country has been fixed. We have been warned not to disclose the date because the plan is to take all concerned by surprise. We are not giving any notice because we thought we had resolved this matter over a month ago. It is as if we have been scammed. Therefore, we have decided to confront the matter head-on.”
On February 12, the NLC expressed outrage over telecommunications companies’ tariff hikes, despite an earlier agreement with the Federal Government and the NCC.
According to the Labour union, “If the telecommunications companies fail to revert to the old tariff by the end of February 2025, a total shutdown of their operations nationwide will commence on March 1, 2025.”
To demonstrate its seriousness, the NLC declared that, as a first step in resisting the arbitrary tariff hike, it directed that workers and other willing citizens boycott the services of MTN, AIRTEL, and GLO daily between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. until the end.
On Tuesday, February 11, NLC leaders issued a communiqué at the conclusion of their Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Lokoja, Kogi State, urging workers and citizens to suspend data purchases from telecommunications companies, which have also become one of their most effective tools for exploiting Nigerian citizens.
The communiqué, signed by Joe Ajaero and Emma Ugboaja, Congress’ President and General Secretary, respectively, instructed NLC State Councils and industrial union affiliates to quickly sensitise and mobilise their members and the general public in their jurisdictions.
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