Telecom
MTN Launches “See Naija” to Showcase Nigeria’s Rich Cultural Heritage
MTN Nigeria, a leading telecommunications company in Africa, has set an adventurous mission of changing the perceptions and narratives surrounding Nigerians and Nigeria through a thoughtfully curated, culturally sensational, and socio-economically intentional platform and campaign called “See Naija.”
“See Naija” aims to harness the rich diversity, culture, resilience, uniqueness, and “can-do-it” spirit of Nigerians worldwide through an individual lens while also positioning Nigeria as a viable tourism hub among the community of nations.
According to available data, Nigeria’s tourism sector could be losing between $5 billion to $10 billion annually, while the contribution of tourism to GDP is only around 1.2% to 1.5%, compared to 7-10% in other African nations. Furthermore, a significant drop in international arrivals and the potential to create over 2 million jobs remain unfulfilled. Experts estimate that investments of $1 billion to $3 billion are needed to improve travel conditions.
Speaking about the idea that birthed the “See Naija” campaign and platform, Emamoke Ogoro, General Manager, Brand and Communication, MTN Nigeria, noted that although there are many positive things Nigerians are known for, most of the information available on the internet is largely negative, thereby setting the tone for wrong perceptions about what Nigeria and Nigerians represent.
“The essence of ‘See Naija’ today is to erase all the negativity Nigeria is known for as a country. We are our brand; every Nigerian is unique. When you travel anywhere, you can spot a Nigerian easily, by the way we talk, dress, and express ourselves,” she explained.
“This platform will showcase to the world, not only to Nigerians, what we are made of: our food, our fashion sense. Even as a Nigerian, there are so many waterfalls I have never been to. We want Nigeria to be a place people search for when they want to explore tourism—where to go in Nigeria, and we want travel agencies and hotels to be part of this clarion call. At the end of the day, we aim for organized tours, with guides who can talk about Nigeria and our uniqueness.”
She recounted a personal experience: “I attended a program abroad, and we had about eight nationalities in the group. We were supposed to talk about our countries—the things that make them the best, the investment opportunities, and more. One evening, someone from Poland gave me a sneering look, likely due to the negative information about Nigeria, like corruption and so on.”
“When it was my turn to showcase Nigeria and discuss opportunities such as agriculture and oil, which is our economic stronghold, he asked where I lived. I replied I lived in Lagos, the commercial hub of Nigeria.
“He pressed further and asked me to show him Lagos on Google. Of course, I typed ‘Lagos,’ and you can guess what popped up: Oshodi, with dustbins and yellow buses—almost everything negative.”
“This was highly embarrassing to me and all the other people from Saudi Arabia and other countries who were staring at me. However, there was someone else who could relate to the better sides of Nigeria as a beautiful place. Immediately I got back home, I told my team we needed to put a program together to show what Nigeria is really about to the world because I had a very awkward experience.”
“I realized that typing my country into Google yields too much negativity. I know there are algorithms, but by flooding the internet with our good things—our resilience, our outspoken nature, and many positive attributes that distinguish us—we can change this narrative.”
Ayham Moussa, the Chief Operating Officer at MTN Nigeria, noted that MTN is leveraging its trailblazing, path-finding, and audacious approach in Africa to celebrate the “World Tourism Day” and honor the Nigerian fighting spirit, winning spirit, and progressive spirit.
“Today, the whole world celebrates tourism, and at MTN Nigeria, we cannot let that pass without recognition. We are known for making noise, for making progress, and tourism allows people to see the beauty and culture in places,” he said.
While reminiscing about his heartwarming experience joining MTN Nigeria, he stated, “When I joined MTN Nigeria a few weeks ago, the first thing I noticed was the warm welcome and acceptance. I see Nigerians as fighters, winners, and people willing to do everything it takes to progress. We at MTN Nigeria stand for Africa, but Africa is Nigeria. We stand for progress and for showcasing the amazing things about Nigeria. I am excited about what the team has put together today; they have done a lot to promote and make people ‘See Naija.’”
“See Naija” also registered a colorful display of Nigeria’s top-notch cultural elegance and artistic brilliance, offering Nigerians the opportunity to showcase beautiful and notable places in Nigeria.
Speaking, Ololade Otusanya, Manager, Digital Marketing, MTN Nigeria, said the “See Naija” campaign and platform provides opportunities for Nigerians to upload 2-minute videos on their social media handles and on [www.mtnng/see-naija](http://www.mtnng/see-naija).
“Now that you have seen Naija—the culture and the beauty in our diversity—we are calling on everyone to come together and join us in this narrative to change the story positively. There is the ‘See Naija’ challenge today, and we all need to be part of it.
All you need to do is upload a 2-minute video on any of your social media platforms and the MTN website. Don’t forget to tag #Naija. We can’t wait to see your lovely submissions.”
In his closing remarks, Friday Okuwe, Senior Manager, Brand, Media and Sponsorships, MTN Nigeria , reiterated that the “See Naija” campaign and platform aim to showcase the good features of Nigeria to the world.
“We are the brand Naija, and as we go from here, let us begin to carry the message forward because this program already showed us that Nigeria is a beautiful place—a place to excel and where dreams and aspirations can be achieved. It is the beginning of a great journey; when it will end is not feasible or in sight, as it is like an onion that one would begin to peel and peel.”
“And if you listen to the poem’s rendition, you will discover the different dimensions of who we are, both as a people in terms of culture and everything we represent. ‘See Naija’ is both a campaign and a platform. It is a campaign because we are telling the true story of Naija, and we are going to showcase it to the world.”
“It is also a platform because we have created a digital space where everybody can not just ‘See Naija’ and what is good in Naija, but also bring their content there. It is a platform where you can showcase the best of Naija. In a way, we are all part of this project. So whatever you know about Naija, capture it and bring it to that platform and encourage others to do the same. As we do this, we begin to change our narratives.”
“One step at a time, one day at a time, and in years to come, we shall see people paying money to come on holiday in Naija because there is so much to Naija. This is not just MTN’s project; it’s your project and our project because we are the Naija that people see. So let’s take it upon ourselves and begin to showcase everything good about Nigeria.”
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that Nigeria’s internet usage reached a record 1.24 million terabytes in November 2025.
According to the latest data from the NCC, the figure rose modestly from 1.235 million terabytes in October, reflecting steady growth in digital activity across the country.
Broadband penetration in Nigeria crossed the halfway mark in November 2025, reaching 50.58 per cent, up from 45.61 per cent in January, the telecoms regulator reported.
The figure, however, falls short of the 70 per cent coverage target outlined in the National Broadband Plan 2020–2025, which expires this month.
The country had roughly 109 million broadband subscriptions by November. Growth has been uneven, hindered by infrastructure and regulatory constraints, including frequent fibre-optic vandalism that triggers 30 to 43 network cuts daily, high right-of-way fees, and declining subscriber numbers earlier in the year.
Expansion of mobile networks, particularly 3G and 4G services, alongside limited 5G rollouts in urban centres, affordable smartphones, and competitive data plans, has driven uptake.
Investments in the National Communications Backbone and private-sector initiatives have also improved access, especially in underserved areas.
While Nigeria is gradually improving digital inclusion, achieving the original broadband plan remains challenging due to high infrastructure costs, coverage limitations, and deployment hurdles.
The NCC maintains that continued investment in mobile networks and broadband infrastructure will sustain gradual growth in the sector.
Commenting on the development, some Nigerian analysts attributed the surge to the broader mobile and broadband adoption and the growing appetite for streaming, online learning and other digital services.
According to the analysts, the figures suggest that internet connectivity is no longer a luxury but a necessity for both business and leisure, underscoring the slow but steady expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy.
Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) has named the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) among the top three Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government with the Best Ranking in Website Performance for 2025.
L-R: Head Special Projects, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Salamatu Andu; Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Engr. Abaraham Oshadame; Director General Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Head Customer Support Service, Galaxy Backbone, Rosemary Ehize; Secretary to the ES. Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Tahir Aminu at the BPSR award ceremony for top four MDAs in BPSR Website Performance and Ranking 2025 at the BPSR office on Tuesday, 23rd December, 2025.
This is coming barely three weeks after the telecom regulator was recognized as one of the top five best-performing Federal Government agencies for 2025 by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) – a testament to the Commission’s consistency in investment in technology for ensuring efficient service delivery.
In the BPSR 2024/2025 scorecard ranking of agencies’ websites, the NCC came second in the ranking, trailing behind Galaxy Backbone Limited, which came first while the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) clinched the third position, from a pool of 235 MDAs, whose website were evaluated.
BPSR deployed 14 evaluation criteria in include MDA’s website compliance with .gov.ng domain name, appearance and aesthetics (look and feel) of the website, content, relevance to MDAs mandate/government policy and the website’ structure.
Others include website’s responsiveness (device compatibility), security, load time, usability/ease of navigation, availability/uptime, functionality, interactivity, accessibility and capacity building.
The recognition was announced at the official release of Federal Government 2024/2025 Scorecard Ranking for MDAs’ Website held at the Federal Ministry of Finance Auditorium in Abuja on Monday (December 22, 2025) while the award presentation took place at BPSR’s Office on Tuesday (December 23, 2025).
The award, which is an important index metric of the National e-Government Masterplan for determining the Nigeria e-Government Status, was received by the Commission in recognition of its commitment to maintaining a world-class website that enhances service delivery to the citizens.
Receiving the award on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, the NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, appreciated the BPSR for the recognition, describing the award as “another encouragement for the Commission to be a better public service institution leveraging digital platforms such as our web presence to enhance public service delivery to our various stakeholders, thereby implementing the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy direction.”
While presenting the award to the NCC, alongside other two agencies, BPSR’s Director-General, Mr. Dasuki Arabi, commended the top three for their proactive decisions in maintaining world-class websites, which are compliant with the Federal Government’s policy direction in effective and efficient service delivery to the citizens.
According to the DG, the 2024/2025 MDA’s websites’ ranking represents a collective effort of federal public institutions in Nigeria to be transparent, accountable and open in governance, as well as a confirmation to align with global best practices in service delivery to the citizens.
Developed about six years ago, Arabi said as a result of the annual ranking, more public institutions have indicated readiness to embrace reforms, and align with the policy direction of the current administration’s Renewed Hope agenda on improve governance for effective service delivery, as introduced by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The ideals of harnessing and deploying technological tools for service delivery has become imperative following the COVID pandemic, and distortions of socio-economic system of nations, culminating in the evolution of competitiveness, cost effectiveness, and agile governance.
“As engine room of governance, it behoves on us in the public service to perform our statutory duties and we must put in place technological innovations and standardized websites to operate services as well as deliver service needs to citizens,” he said.
The Scorecard exercise, he said, is part of the BPSR reform broader function of conducting research on reform implementation efforts and presenting ‘best practice’ models to the entire Public Service, and to among others, improve access to government information, facilitate seamless financial transaction, eliminate corruption and cyber theft, as well as facilitate access to government services.
Speaking on the rigorous nature of the exercise that produced the top three winners, the DG said “in the past few weeks members of the Scorecard Jury drawn from inter-Ministerial Agencies, had worked tirelessly to mill websites of selected MDAs through a rigorous process of enduring criteria for the ranking and the outcome had also passed through a quality assurance mechanism to validate the outcome.”
Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, has dismissed reports that bank accounts not linked to a Tax Identification Number (TIN) will be frozen or automatically debited from January 1, 2026.
Taiwo Oyedele
Oyedele described the claims as false and misleading, warning Nigerians against panic over misinformation surrounding recent tax and financial reforms.
In a post on his X handle Tuesday morning, he wrote: “Don’t let anyone manipulate you. Your bank account is safe. Misinformation makes you panic and fear a reform that is designed to help you.
“When they tell you that your account will be frozen or automatically debited from January 2026, ask them for the evidence in the new law. Be wise.”
He stressed that no provision in the new tax laws authorises the freezing of bank accounts, adding that the rumours are part of widespread misrepresentation of the reforms.
The committee chairman reiterated that the reforms are intended to simplify Nigeria’s tax system and ease the burden on ordinary citizens, not to impose punitive measures on bank customers.
Ecobank Guarantees Seamless Digital Banking Services Throughout the Christmas and Year-End Period
Banks quietly move to enforce new ₦50 transfer levy from Jan. 1
Nigeria’s Internet Usage Hits 1.24m Terabytes – NCC
World Bank Reveals Obstacles to Growth of Mobile Money Accounts in Sub-Saharan Africa
NCC Ranked Among Top 3 MDAs for Best Website Performance in 2025
Nigeria Records Highest Weekly Cyberattacks in Africa — Report
Cyber Tsunami Hits Nigeria as Breaches Surge 1,047%, esentry Q3 Report Reveals
Minister Claims Bandits Exploit Poor Network, Bounce Calls Off Multiple Towers
GenAI Adoption Among African workers Outpace Global Peers
Jumia’s Data Shows Nigerians Turning to Digital Retail to Navigate Inflation Pressures
General News3 days agoWoherem Proposes Pragmatic Roadmap to End Terrorism and Banditry in Nigeria
News2 days agoFIRS Declares NIN, CAC Numbers as Tax IDs from 2026
E-Financial2 days agoWorld Bank Reveals Obstacles to Growth of Mobile Money Accounts in Sub-Saharan Africa
Telecom2 days agoNCC Ranked Among Top 3 MDAs for Best Website Performance in 2025
Telecom1 day agoNigeria’s Internet Usage Hits 1.24m Terabytes – NCC
E-Financial6 hours agoBanks quietly move to enforce new ₦50 transfer levy from Jan. 1
General News6 hours agoEcobank Guarantees Seamless Digital Banking Services Throughout the Christmas and Year-End Period