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Huawei’s Academic Partnerships Aid Development of Digital Economy

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Eric Xu currently holds the rotating chairmanship of Huawei.
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Opinion

By Eric Xu

Recently my company Huawei was strongly criticized by several members of the US Congress. They asked the US secretary of education to investigate whether our co-operation with US universities on basic scientific research might threaten US national security.

 

I believe this criticism displays an ignorance of how contemporary science and innovation work and I recently described it as “ ill-informed” in a media interview.

 

I did not mean this as a personal attack. Rather I was seeking to highlight the importance of academic freedom as an essential feature of modern universities, one that underpins all technological development and helps cultivate the next generation of scientific talent.

 

Academic freedom is the cornerstone of higher learning. This freedom from political and other interference allows the US consistently to attract the world’s brightest minds to study and conduct research within its borders. It also supports the US’s continued status as a global technology leader.

 

I hold a doctorate in engineering and have experience in basic research, which the National Science Foundation defines as “study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding . . . without specific applications toward processes or products”.

 

While corporate research and development tends to focus on commercial outcomes, universities devote time to mathematics, algorithms, material science and other applications that might never make money. Even if the research pays off eventually, closing the gap between a theory and a commercial product can take decades.

 

Collaboration between universities and businesses can accelerate this process. The exchange of knowledge and resources among the private sector, academia, and research institutes, known as knowledge transfer, has become a vital driver of scientific and technological progress.

 

But US federal funding for higher education research has fallen steadily over the past decade. Today it represents less than 50 per cent of total American university research funding.

Huawei-Logo.jpg

Corporate sponsorship from companies such as Huawei provides much of the rest. The amount of money we allocate for research at US universities is relatively modest — approximately $10m last year. But it provides needed support in the form of funding, facilities, and laboratory equipment.

 

Our collaboration with universities gives college and postgraduate students the chance to receive training and hands-on experience. We provide this support with no expectation of direct commercial return.

 

Contrary to what our critics allege, the fruits of this research constitute a public good rather than a threat to America.

 

The findings made possible through our university partnerships are published and disseminated worldwide through dissertations and papers by professors, PhDs, and postgraduate students.

 

Like other corporate supporters of university research — including US businesses that support Chinese universities — Huawei does not gain exclusive ownership of, or access to, the findings of the research we support and we do not dictate what is published.

 

Science is borderless, and we hope that the results of our partnerships will reach as many people as possible.

 

Like any technology company, Huawei benefits from the general advancement of science and technology worldwide. Ultimately, however, our ability to provide competitive products is a result of our own long-term investment in R&D.

 

Last year, Huawei invested $13.8 billion in research and development globally, bringing our total investment over the past decade to more than $60 billion.

 

Huawei has been granted nearly 80,000 patents worldwide, including 10,000 patents in the US. Many of these are essential patents vital to the telecommunications industry. As such, they represent our modest contribution to the development of the digital economy.

 

Before any basic research can deliver tangible benefits to society, universities and businesses must set off together on a long and sometimes arduous journey.

 

This requires unstinting work by countless scientists and engineers. Such people deserve respect, not groundless accusations from skeptical politicians, for their efforts.

 

Unbiased political leaders should work to ensure that US universities continue to enjoy the academic freedom that drives American progress in science and technology.

 

Ideally, they will bring to that task the same depth of understanding, curiosity, and spirit of fact-finding inquiry displayed by the world’s leading scientists.

https://www.ft.com/content/79b8f72e-89ac-11e8-affd-da9960227309

Eric Xu currently holds the rotating chairmanship of Huawei.


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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9mobile Nigeria Inks Agreement to Roam with MTN

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9mobile, Nigerian operator, has reportedly gained approval for roaming on the MTN Nigeria network in a deal that some commentators suggest could improve its position in the market and, more specifically, tempt back lost subscribers.

9mobile Nigeria Inks Agreement to Roam with MTN

After finally gaining regulatory approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), 9mobile plans to launch national roaming services on the MTN network from this month.

Under the agreement, 9mobile subscribers will gain access to MTN’s infrastructure for calls, texts and data in areas where 9mobile’s coverage is weak or unavailable.

For 9mobile, the deal offers a cost-effective way to expand coverage without the heavy investment required for nationwide infrastructure.

According to ITWeb Africa, the decision comes nearly five years after initial discussions – much longer than expected due, the Techloy news service said, to regulatory bottlenecks, shifting market conditions, and unclear execution timelines.

It may, however, prove pivotal for 9mobile, whose market share has dwindled to 1.72% in April 2025, down from 6.6% in 2020 when the proposal was first submitted. Indeed, in 2015 the company once known as Etisalat Nigeria had over 23 million subscribers and a 15.7% market share.

Of course, there’s also something in this for MTN. In exchange for network access, MTN gains utilisation rights to 9mobile’s underused spectrum in the 900MHz, 1800MHz, and 2100MHz bands – key frequencies for expanding coverage and improving data capacity.

For MTN, which serves over 84 million subscribers, this additional spectrum could reduce congestion and improve service quality.

The company has also had financial difficulties in the Nigerian market due to the naira’s substantial depreciation; this deal could support better service provision at a reduced cost.

That said, MTN Nigeria’s results for the first quarter to March 31 2025 were apparently much improved, and the company recently announced a massive capital expenditure drive for 2025 of some NGN900 billion (US$568.5 million) as it seeks to significantly enhance network service quality in major cities like Lagos and Abuja and extend improvements to other areas.


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Banks, Telcos to Start Deducting USSD Charges from Airtime  Today

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Banks and telecom companies will begin deducting USSD banking charges directly from customers’ airtime instead of their bank accounts beginning from today, June 3.

Banks, Telcos to Start Deducting USSD Charges from Airtime  Today

USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, is a communications protocol used by GSM cellular telephones to interact with a mobile network operator’s computers.

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) announced this change in an e-mail message to customers, following a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Key details:

Each USSD session will cost ₦6.98 per 120 seconds, charged by your mobile network.

You will be asked to approve the charge before it’s deducted from your airtime.

If you prefer, you can use other banking channels like ATMs, mobile apps, or internet banking.

This change is part of a move to end the long-standing debt dispute between banks and telecoms over unpaid USSD fees.

As of late 2024, banks owed telecom companies ₦160 billion. For example, MTN was owed ₦42 billion by Nigerian banks.

By shifting USSD fees to customers’ airtime, the telcos aim to recover these debts and avoid future issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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IHS Nigeria Moves to Enhance G4S Secure Solutions Site Patrols and Increase Operational Efficiency with Patrol Vehicles

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L-r: Sylva Ifedigbo, Associate Director, Corporate Communications, IHS Nigeria, Dominic Ekesiobi, Electronic Systems Service Director, G4S Secure Solutions, Sadisu Jibrin, Director, Administration Operations, and Jubril Saba, Vice President, Operations, both from IHS Nigeria with Jonas Ahl, Managing Director, G4S Secure Solutions, Bukky Bademosi, Head of Sales, G4S Secure Solutions, and Bukola Konkwo, Associate Director, Operations Excellence, IHS Nigeria, at the commissioning of 65 response
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IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of IHS Holding Limited and one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared telecommunications infrastructure in the world by tower count, has formally commissioned 65 Response, Patrol, and Escort (RPE) vehicles to G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited, its long-standing security partner.

The commissioning ceremony which held in Ikeja GRA, Lagos, underscores IHS Nigeria’s commitment to operational excellence, safety, and strategic partnerships.

The fully equipped vehicles, customized with radio systems, public address systems, medical kits, ladders, and amber lights, are expected to significantly enhance G4S’s patrol capabilities and enable proactive risk mitigation across IHS Nigeria’s infrastructure footprint in the country.

Speaking at the event, Jubril Saba, Vice President, Operations at IHS Nigeria, remarked: “IHS Nigeria is delighted to formally hand over these Response, Patrol and Escort (RPE)  vehicles to our valued security partner, G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited. As a company, we recognize that the success of our operations lies not only in our technology and infrastructure but also in the strength of the partnerships we build and sustain.

G4S has been an essential partner in protecting our sites, supporting our teams, and ensuring operational continuity across the country. This initiative is more than just a commissioning of vehicles; it is a reaffirmation of our commitment to the safety of our people and assets, our drive for operational excellence, and our belief in strong partnerships.

We understand that securing our infrastructure and communities is critical to sustaining high-quality services nationwide, and we are confident this fleet will enhance G4S’s capacity to support us.”

Also speaking at the event, Jonas Ahl, Managing Director of G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited, expressed his appreciation for the partnership:

“We are proud to receive these 65 custom-built patrol vehicles from IHS Nigeria. Each unit is fully outfitted to meet the specific security needs of our operations, equipped with communication systems, emergency response tools, and visibility-enhancing features. These vehicles will not only improve our response times and field presence but also enable us to reduce risk and deter criminal activity more effectively.

I would like to thank the IHS team for their excellent collaboration throughout this project. We are proud to serve IHS and remain committed to protecting the assets that power connectivity across Nigeria.”

This strategic gesture reinforces IHS Nigeria’s position as a socially responsible and security-conscious industry leader, while highlighting the value of operational synergy with trusted partners like G4S.

The deployment of these vehicles marks another milestone in IHS’s mission to secure its infrastructure and deliver uninterrupted service to millions of users across the country.

 


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