Telecom
Mastercard Partners JAN to Empower Next Generation of Digital Entrepreneurs
Mastercard has partnered with Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN) to help bridge the digital and financial literacy gap amongst school students and young adults in Nigeria.
Through a series of programs, the students will be equipped with essential skills to prepare them for future success as digital entrepreneurs.
JAN is part of Junior Achievement Worldwide, the world’s oldest and largest non-profit economic education organization operating in 120 countries.
The partnership forms part of Mastercard’s global commitments to connect 25 million women entrepreneurs to the digital economy, reach 50 million small businesses and financially include 1 billion people in the next five years.
Leveraging the expertise of Mastercard employee volunteers, the partnership with JAN will inspire young adults across Nigeria through three unique activations:
Mastercard Girls4Tech Program: An inquiry-based STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program, Girls4Tech inspires young girls to build the skills they need in STEM to become problem solvers and the leaders of tomorrow, thereby expanding the employment pool for women STEM professionals in the future. The program incorporates Mastercard’s deep expertise in payments technology and innovation, and includes topics such as algorithms, digital convergence and cryptology.
Mentoring participants of the JA Company Program: JA Company Program teaches senior secondary level students how to start and run their own business, develop a product or service, and market their brand. Mastercard employees will volunteer as mentors to the six finalist teams (companies) who emerged from JAN’s Virtual Company of the Year competition, by helping them refine their business proposals as they compete for the National Company of the Year Award.
Digital Payments Literacy Webinar: Together, Mastercard and JAN will educate over 200 young adults on the future of payments in Nigeria. Participants will range from senior secondary students to National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members. This session will enlighten the next generation on their role in building and driving the digital economy through technology.
The partnership will also see the first Junior Achievement – Mastercard prize awarded to the most outstanding student company during the virtual edition of the National Company of the Year (NCOY) competition.
Ifeoma Dozie, director, Marketing and Communications, Sub-Saharan Africa at Mastercard, said, “Creating inclusive, equal opportunities is a key priority for Mastercard.”
“Through this partnership with Junior Achievement Nigeria, we are able to broaden our commitment to Nigeria’s next generation of women leaders and young entrepreneurs.
“By encouraging students to embrace subjects and mentoring them through challenges that will prepare them to be part of tomorrow’s workforce, we are collaborating to develop a talented supply of skilled professionals to aid the country’s future economy.”
While commenting on the partnership, Oduolayinka Osunloye, director of Marketing and Innovation, Junior Achievement Nigeria, expressed her gratitude to Mastercard adding that the partnership is a huge step in achieving JAN’s vision of developing 1 million digital entrepreneurs over the next five years.
“We are very pleased to be partnering with Mastercard to develop young digital entrepreneurs.
“It took us 20 years to reach our first million students but with technology and the support of organizations like Mastercard, we are determined to equip and empower another million digital entrepreneurs over the next five years.
“We are certain our efforts will help our beneficiaries own their economic future, as JAN is committed, more than ever to build conscientious business leaders leading a vibrant economy.”
JAN has built a record of accomplishment over the past 20 years by delivering high quality entrepreneurial, financial literacy and work readiness programs to secondary school students and out-of-school youths across Nigeria and recently hit a major milestone of one million students reach.
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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