Telecom
NASENI Empowers 200 Imo Youths On Electrical Installation, Maintenance

Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, executive vice chairman/chief executive officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s focus on job creation and employment generation in the Renewed Hope Agenda, even as NASENI, at the weekend, empowered 200 Imo State youths in modern Electrical Installations and Maintenance.
Mr Halilu said that the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government has inspired NASENI to embark on training of 200 young individuals from Imo State who benefited from the five-day comprehensive training in the special vocation of electrical installation and maintenance, which began on Monday and was concluded on Saturday 28th October, 2023.
Speaking during the closing ceremony of the NASENI Skill Acquisition Training & Youth Empowerment programme, held at the Rockview Hotel located at Okigwe, Owerri, Imo State, the EVC/CEO said NASENI took the participants through access to capacity enhancement modules in modern electrical installation and maintenance and advanced training tools like multimeter testers and cordless drilling machines, aimed at equipping them with necessary skills and knowledge to undertake electrical installation and maintenance with enhanced proficiency.
According to Halilu “in the 21st century, the significance and value of technical and vocational skills cannot be overemphasised, especially in a developing country like ours. The economic opportunities are limitless, for those who realize the value and commit themselves to learning and re-learning”
Halilu said further “More so President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government’s focus on job creation and youth development aligns perfectly with the goals of NASENI and the program. As a federal agency, he explained, NASENI remains steadfast in its commitment to realising the renewed hope agenda and opportunity for the people”.
He recalled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 8-point Renewed Hope Agenda which identifies crucial sectors for economic development: Food Security, Poverty Alleviation, Economic Growth & Job Creation, Access to Capital & Consumer Credit, Inclusivity, Improved Security, a Fair Playing Field & Rule of Law, and Fighting Corruption.
The EVC/CEO expressed NASENI’s gratitude to President Tinubu for creating enabling agency to organise the training and capacity building program for the youths in Imo State.
He said it is through the President’s vision and dedication that NASENI, established in 1992, continues to drive the development of science, technology, engineering and innovation in Nigeria.
The Executive Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma whose State’s citizens benefited from the NASENI 5-Day training programme joined in praising the President for focusing on critical issues of job creation and youths’ empowerment especially at this time when the nation is going through a difficult economic phase.
He said “youth empowerment and giving fresh skills to citizens to cope with new trends in service delivery into their various vocations is the only measure to keep them in their jobs and make them relevant”.
The Governor said he was grateful to President Tinubu and the EVC/CEO of NASENI for considering Imo State’s citizens in the implementation of the Skill Acquisition Training and Empowerment Programme.
He said he felt fulfilled each time he was able to put smiles on the faces of the youths in the State because they are the future of the State.
He said he believed that this initiative by NASENI has the potential not only to empower the youths but to create wealth and to chat a viable economic future for the participating youths.
Imo State, he said, was the only place where NASENI has empowered about 200 youths. For other States, he said usually 100 participants were selected.
Governor Uzodinma said he was impressed that such an empowerment opportunity came during his administration of the State and under the watch of a new administration of President Tinubu.
According to him, the empowerment of youths is a priority agenda of the State, especially in innovation and digital skills to make the citizens self-reliant.
The Governor announced a cash donation of N100,000 to each of the participant, in addition to the N20,000 for transportation which was given to them by NASENI, as start off fund as they move into practicing of modern Electrical Installation and Maintenance.
The NASENI boss used the opportunity of the closing ceremony to hand over to 300 vulnerable women in the State the NASENI Save 80 Efficient Cook Stove.
On this gesture, again, the governor expressed his heartfelt appreciation to NASENI and the federal government for remembering the poor and the vulnerable women in Imo State.
On his part, Mr. Halilu appreciated the Governor for his commitment to improving the lives of the people of Imo State, and for his invaluable support for the NASENI initiative.
He said the Governor’s dedication has been instrumental in making this program a resounding success.
The 200 trainees were carefully selected from those already working in the field of Electrical Installation and Maintenance. Having completed their training, they were handed a complete set of electrical tools.
The new tools will enable them apply their newly-acquired knowledge to install electrical systems in buildings and vehicles, and to identify, rectify and mitigate electrical faults.
The EVC/CEO charged beneficiaries, to put this new expertise to diligent use. He admonished them “now that you have acquired these new skills, they belong to you, and only you can decide whether you will use them productively or not.
What is clear is that you now have in your hands the power to create economic opportunities for yourselves, and even for others. As you grow and expand in your line of work, you will be able to train, mentor and hire other people, and extend the circle of prosperity and fulfilment” he said.
“For us at NASENI, we will continue to operate in full alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for new investments, jobs, skills, exports, and industrialisation.
“We will support him to transform Nigeria into a global hub for digital and technological innovation, powered by a competent and capable workforce,” he added.
Telecom
MTN Mulls AI Tech to Protect Infrastructure as Cable Cuts Hit 13,000 in 18 Months

MTN Nigeria has said that there are plans to deploy an artificial intelligence (AI) technology to monitor and protect its fibre optic cables across the country.
Yahaya Ibrahim, chief technical officer (CTO), MTN, said the technology will detect vibrations, identify the cause, and alert relevant personnels.
According to Ibrahim who spoke during a session for the ongoing MTN Media Innovation Progamme, the proposed innovation comes amid concerns over the growing spate of telecoms infrastructure vandalism, which have led to multiple cable cuts, and the destruction of towers.
This, he said, would enable the company to promptly deploy agents to the site.
The system is being developed in collaboration with Huawei Technologies.
Providing data on fibre cut incidents in an email correspondence, the CTO said MTN recorded over 9,000 cable cuts in 2024.
He said 4,700 cables were destroyed as at the end of June 2025 alone, bringing the total to about 13,700 incidents in 18 months.
A breakdown of the incidents by zone showed that about 2,500 cuts occurred in northern Nigeria, 2,800 in south-west, while 3,500 were recorded in the south-east and south-south regions combined.
“If we look at the cuts per region, the Southeastern and South South states have more cuts and this is where we have the most hotspots for Fibre and site vandalism,” Ibrahim said.
“Akwa Ibom, Abia and Rivers stand out in states. While in specific locations Omoku and Egbema stand out for fibre vandalization.”
The MTN official said vandalism and road construction account for 69 percent of total cable cuts across the country.
Ibrahim said the incidents often disrupt services, with an average downtime of 15 hours recorded per month.
“Some regions are higher than others,” he said.
“All services will be down, that means no one will be able to use any services.
“We spent N17.6b in 2024 and budget for 2025 based on PO issued for maintenance and relocation is N26.3b.”
In addition to the expenditure, MTN is said to also conduct route patrol, route monitoring, and construction bypass — which involves the creation an alternative route that allows for the temporary or permanent relocation of essential resources around a construction site.
Ibrahim said the telco also invests in having a diverse route for resilience, relocation of fibre, holding stakeholder engagement, and working with communities for policing.
The technical officer confirmed that there are collaborations in place with state and federal authorities to secure fibre routes.
Telecom
NASENI and BPP Forge Nigeria First Alliance to Champion Local Goods and Services

National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) on Monday, 28th July 2025, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the implementation of “Nigeria First” Policy on Procurement, projects and other related matters.
The Nigeria First Policy is an initiative of the Federal Government, aimed at promoting Nigerian-made goods, services and utilization of Local content, infrastructures and other value chain.
As part of the Renewed Hope Agenda initiative of the Government, the policy seeks to encourage local production and consumption of Nigerian goods or services, also to support Nigerian business and entrepreneurs, foster economic growth and development, reduce dependency on imported goods and to promote Nigerian culture and identity. Also, by prioritizing local content, the policy aimed to create jobs, stimulate economic activity, and increase Nigeria’s global competitiveness.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony which took place at the Headquarters of Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) office in Abuja, the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said, with the signing of MoU and implementation of the Nigeria First Policy, 80% of challenges faced while trying to convince investors and foreign partners would have been solved, as Nigeria will cease to be dumping ground for foreign goods, while focusing on promotion of Nigerian products, goods and services.
Halilu said that with support now coming from BPP, the over 50 market ready NASENI products will be off the shelves and gain patronage of Nigerians, adding that NASENI has gained for the country over 2 billion dollars from its recent partnership activities with China alone.
“One thing that is clear when I took over the leadership of NASENI was the determination to move the Agency from just producing prototypes to commercialization of its technologies and products, this was complemented by the turn around which we did in rebranding the Agency.
“We have 50 market-ready Nigeria branded products. NASENI is building the biggest renewable energy park in Nasarawa and has entered into partnership with Abuja Technology Village to boost Technology Transfer and innovation, enhance local manufacturing capacity, transform NASENI’s research-focused installation into full production facilities, promote national brands and local production”, he further explained.
Buttressing the partnership between NASENI and BPP, he said that it is expected that the policy would have transformative impacts on Nigeria’s economy and human capital development, aligning with national goals for industrialization, youth employment, and economic diversification. “This also shows that our efforts are not in vain:”
Earlier in his speech, the Director-General of Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Dr. Adebowale Adedokun said that the MoU between BPP and NASENI offers a structured bridge between production and procurement and how to take locally made solutions off the shelves and to place them at the center of public service delivery, which aimed at aligning Government policies with national priorities as well as giving practical force to the Nigeria First Policy.
According to him, “NASENI’s innovations, from tractors to tablets, from surveillance drones to solar backup systems, will now be actively prioritized in the procurement plans by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. We are institutionalizing a framework that makes local options not just preferable, but the default option before all others.
Specifically, he said further that with the signing of the MoU, the “BPP will now integrate NASENI’s Product catalogue into the Nigeria Open Contracting Portal, NOCOPO, and therefore encouraging other MDAs to follow suit”
He noted that the “Nigeria First Policy is not an act of protectionism, but an act of patriotism grounded in performance, and it is targeted at fastracking Nigeria’s industrial revolution”. He remarked that “NASENI has invested in quality assurance. Its products are certified by national institutions such as SON and NAFDAC. This means NASENI’s offerings will now be visible, verifiable, and measurable across all MDAs. First, we are integrating NASENI’s catalogue into the Nigeria Open Contracting Portal, NOCOPO. Between January and June this year alone, NOCOPO’s enhanced price intelligence has helped Nigeria save over 173 billion naira, 155 million dollars, and 1.7 million euros.”
While calling on all MDAs to follow NASEN’s footprint in promoting Made in Nigeria products, he said that the BPP’s revised threshold is now five billion naira for goods and ten billion for works, meaning that MDAs can act faster, while they continue to strengthen post-review and audit mechanisms.
He emphasized that the role of BPP is to ensure that these standards are rewarded with access, and that MDAs no longer look outside when the best is being made inside. “For the avoidance of doubt, let me say here that we will be backing this commitment with reform actions”.
Telecom
Treepz Launches in Canada, Secures University of Toronto-Supported Program as First Corporate Travel Client

Treepz, Africa’s fast-growing corporate mobility technology company, has expanded its operations into Canada, marking a significant milestone in its global strategy. The announcement was made at Brampton City Hall, Ontario, with full support from the Mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown.
The event, which featured key stakeholders and dignitaries, included the official announcement of Treepz’s partnership with the African Impact Initiative, a University of Toronto-sponsored program. Under the agreement, Treepz will provide comprehensive travel logistics—including flights, accommodation, experiences, and ground transportation—for program participants visiting four African countries: South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Rwanda.
Speaking at the launch, Mayor Brown described the expansion as “a proud moment for Brampton,” lauding Treepz’s founders for creating a brand that has served over six million customers since its inception in Nigeria in 2019. He added that Treepz’s ability to manage mobility in Lagos, one of Africa’s busiest cities, is a testament to the strength of its operational capacity.
Onyeka Akumah, Treepz Founder and CEO, expressed gratitude to city officials and program partners, noting that the move solidifies Treepz’s role as a globally recognized African brand.
“This launch is a strong statement of intent, not just for Treepz, but for all African startups. We are proud to be serving clients in both Africa and North America,” he said.
Treepz’s entry into Canada was supported by several Canadian organisations, including the World Trade Center’s TAP program, the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance, and the BHive Program.
It follows Treepz’s participation in the Techstars Toronto Accelerator in 2021, which played a pivotal role in its expansion roadmap.
The launch signals a new era for Treepz’s operations and marks a historic moment for African-led innovation in the global travel technology space.
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