Telecom
Glo Powers NNPC to Automate Operations Nationwide
Total telecommunications services provider, Globacom, has developed a solution that will enable the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to ultimately automate its operations nationwide.
The solution by Globacom, called Intelligent Wide Area Network (iWAN), will power connectivity across NNPC’s 139 locations across the country. With the successful launch of the project in Abuja on Tuesday, the corporation’s different departments will be able to carry out their businesses with much more effectiveness in real time and also track their assets and operations all over Nigeria.
Unveiling the solution at the opening of a two-day CS-Connect programme and exhibition at the Amphitheatre at the NNPC Headquarters in Abuja, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, commended Globacom for delivering the project, and urged the corporation’s staff to utilize it to lead the corporation to greater efficiency.
“I implore all of you to make good use of the opportunities of the services of our partners to enhance your services that would lead us to greater efficiency”, he stated.
Also speaking at the unveiling, Isa Inuwa, Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services, NNPC, thanked Globacom for its support. He described the company as a reliable and committed partner in its CS-Connect project, which he described as the foundation for the full automation of its operations in the nearest future.
The CS-Connect programme, whose theme was “Integrate, Automate and Elevate,” availed NNPC the opportunity to exhibit to its staff from across the country “the achievements of the corporation in the areas of Policy Development/Reviews, project conception, execution and implementation,” among other things.
Inuwa said that the CS-Connect exhibition was also held as an interactive platform for all the corporation’s partners involved in the project. “It was meant for them to exhibit their products and services, as well as interact with top management of NNPC who hold different portfolios within the corporation”, he stated.
Globacom has since inception been the innovation leader in the telecoms industry, and this commitment has seen the company investing heavily in building first-class telecommunications infrastructure in the countries where it operates.
The company launched its efforts to connect Nigeria to the rest of the world with its own submarine cable in 2010, and has successfully positioned itself as the “Grandmasters of Data” with dependable and affordable data services.
Telecom
FG Plans EO to Criminalise Fiber Cable Damage Costing Telcos Billions
Nigeria will criminalize the destruction of broadband fiber cables following repeated complaints by MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and other telecommunications companies that they are losing billions of naira, according to people familiar with the matter.
Federal ministry of works, which supervises federal road constructors, is finalizing the regulation that will be signed as an executive order by President Bola Tinubu, said the people, asking not to be identified as they weren’t authorized to comment.
While there are presently laws against vandalism, the authorities are aiming to regulate construction firms more closely.
The order will enforce stiff penalties on offenders, said the people, declining to provide more details or say when it will be signed.
“Telecom assets are critical backbone that supports the economy across sectors,” said Temitope Ajayi, a senior presidential aide, who noted that the Association of Telecommunications Companies (ATCON) has been demanding the classification for years.
New rules will provide “further assurance that the Nigerian government will protect their investments against vandals and criminal elements.”
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) estimates that the sector will make up more than a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product by the end of 2027, up from 13.5% in the third quarter of last year.
The move will help alleviate pressure on the telecoms sector, which is facing increased operating costs and sales pressures from a sharp depreciation in the currency and a threefold increase in energy prices.
Repairs and revenue losses from damaged cables is estimated to have cost the sector almost 27 billion naira ($23 million) last year alone, documents seen by Bloomberg show.
MTN Nigeria, the biggest wireless operator in Africa’s most-populous nation, and Airtel Africa Plc bore the brunt of the costs, the documents show.
MTN suffered more than 6,000 cuts on its fiber cable last year, the documents show. On Feb. 28, a cut on its network in three different locations by a road construction firm, an oil serving company and someone burning rubbish in a manhole meant customers faced more than five hours of data and voice outages.
The operator relocated 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) of vulnerable fiber cables between 2022 and 2023, at a cost of more than 11 billion naira – enough to build 870 kilometers of new fiber lines to areas without coverage.
A presidential order on the matter would be welcomed, said Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria.
“When it comes to communication infrastructure, they are destroyed at will, so we are eagerly awaiting the president’s order,” he said. “It would be a great boost to the industry, and it will also encourage investment.”
Telecom
Telegram Eyes 1Bn Users amidst Political Pressures
Telegram, the messaging giant founded by Pavel Durov and headquartered in Dubai, anticipates hitting a remarkable milestone of one billion active monthly users within the next year.
Durov’s departure from Russia in 2014, prompted by governmental pressures to stifle opposition communities on his VK social media platform, underscores Telegram’s commitment to neutrality despite geopolitical challenges.
With 900 million active users currently, Telegram stands as a beacon of free speech in the digital realm, particularly influential in former Soviet Union republics and pivotal during conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine standoff.
Durov’s staunch advocacy for freedom of expression and opposition to censorship by tech giants like Apple and Google reinforces Telegram’s status as a neutral platform.
Opting for the UAE as its base, Durov cites its neutrality and openness as conducive to Telegram’s ethos, serving both opposition groups and governments alike while maintaining impartiality.
In Durov’s vision, the pursuit of freedom eclipses material gain, shaping Telegram’s trajectory as a bastion of digital liberation.
Telecom
NITDA, NIMC Announce Collaboration To Strengthen Digital Economy
To further strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have announced a collaboration on National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to enhance and create synergy between digital identity, payment ecosystem, and secure & seemless data exchange capabilities for Nigeria.
During the meeting between the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and Director General of NIMC, Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, with some management staff of both organisations, they discussed various initiatives, which include building DPI stacks for a secured and seamless data exchange and forming partnerships to transform the national identity system.
This collaboration also aims to harness the potential of the innovative ecosystem and emphasise the use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to drive digital transformation in Nigeria.
To ensure a smooth implementation, a 12-man committee was set up. This committee will play a crucial role in kickstarting and harmonising the initiatives. It is expected to deliver a comprehensive implementation report within the next 4 weeks
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