General News
NCC, Other Stakeholders Extol NITRA @ Inauguration
The inauguration of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) was a move that will engender faster industry growth through collaboration with industry stakeholders on different fronts in and outside the country.
This was the position of the Nigerian Communications Commission and other industry stakeholders and supporters of NITRA including the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON); Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Nigeria Internet Group (NIG); and the Nigeria Internet Registration Associations (NIRA), Electronic Providers Association of Nigeria (E-PPAN) at the official inauguration of the association held at the Function Room of Sheraton Hotels and Towers, in Ikeja, Lagos at the weekend.
Other industry players that supported the NITRA inauguration include the Zinox Computers, Computer Warehouse Group; MTN Nigeria, Visafone, Signal Alliance, Globacom, Resourcery, Teledom International, Airtel, Samsung, Cisco and Ericsson, JSP Communications, The Quadrant, Xlr8, as well as Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology, among others.
Speaking at the NITRA inauguration, Dr, Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman of the NCC, said the formation of NITRA was strategic to proper coordination among journalists for driving ICT development.
Juwah, in a keynote address on ‘Broadband Penetration: Opportunities for Business Growth and Sustainability’ underscored how broadband is accelerating growth in every facet of the economy.
The NCC boss, who was represented by Engineer Bako Wakil, assistant director, Technical Services, however, stated that the Commission solidly identifies with the vision and mission of NITRA.
He said: “Let me first congratulate you for being able to coordinate this event which is a culmination of your efforts in forming better platform for effective coverage of the industry. It is also heart-warming that your vision is to drive ICT Development through your mission to ensure ethical accurate, regulators and other key stakeholders for sustainable development of the ICT industry.
“We can say that we already share a common aspiration with these ideals as have been expressed and we promise to continue supporting NITRA as a critical stakeholder in the industry.”
While describing NITRA as a good platform which ICT journalists can leverage to contribute meaningfully to the industry, Dr. Emmanuel Ukuwem, chairman of the occasion, said it should be run selflessly toward the realization of its mission and vision.
Mr. Lanre Ajayi, ATCON’s president, and Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, ALTON’s chairman, who expressed their readiness to work with NITRA leadership, advised the association’s leadership to be transparent in its activities to members.
Speaking earlier, Mr. Emma Okonji, president of NITRA, said the decision to inaugurate NITRA was borne out of the need to create an industry-wide awareness about the association and to formally unveil its activities to the industry stakeholders.
Highlighting what the mandates of NITRA would be, Okonji said as critical stakeholders in the ICT industry, NITRA would continue to play our role of keeping the government and its agencies on their toes by assessing their performance in terms of policy formulation and implementation with a view to ensuring that ICT continue to be a major contributor to the nation’s economy.
“This is in line with our cardinal role as journalists, as contained in the Section 22 of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution, which states, inter alia, that “The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to….uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people.”
“It is NITRA’s belief, therefore, that the extent to which we, as journalists, recognise this constitutional role bestowed upon us and allow it to reflect in our daily account of activities in the industry reportage both from the government and private sector perspectives, the better for the industry as whole.
”While carrying out this important role, we would also continue to seek strategic collaborations, where necessary, with industry stakeholders in moving the industry forward, by championing its course for the good of the industry,” he said.
The NITRA President added that NITRA shall not hesitate, from time to time, to issue position statements on burning industry issues and make such positions known to the government for possible considerations and, by extension, implementation.
Established in November 2013, NITRA is the umbrella body of all ICT journalists in Nigeria, cutting across the print, broadband and online media.
The association has a vision to drive ICT development through a mission of ensuring accurate and robust reportage and deepening collaborations with industry stakeholders and the regulators for a sustainable development in the ICT industry.
NITRA is an affiliate of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The trial of three employees of Wema Bank Plc and four others accused of orchestrating N8.9 billion cyber heist has been stalled due to the Eid-el-Kabir public holiday.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the bank staff—Samuel Asiegbu, Fabian Onyeimachi, and Kingsley Kejim—alongside four alleged accomplices: Hannah Okunlola Adesokan, Hamza Zakariya, Achionu Ubaku, and Sunday Osademe, before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos on May 25, 2025.
The seven defendants face an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cybercrime, and obtaining money under false pretences. They were accused of hacking into Wema Bank’s computer systems in January 2025 and unlawfully transferring N8,568,090,500 to various accounts.
According S.O. Larry Peters, counsel, EFCC, the defendants acted in concert with two other suspects—Nurudeen Ibrahim and Alhaji Sulaiman—who are currently at large. The syndicate allegedly manipulated the bank’s data using sophisticated digital tools to cause financial loss and confer illegal economic gains on themselves.
Peters further revealed that two of the defendants—Hannah Okunlola and Sunday Osademe—provided personal bank accounts for the illicit proceeds. Investigators traced N199 million to Okunlola’s UBA account registered under Search Light Media Concept, and N2.25 million to Osademe’s Union Bank account.
The offences, according to the charge sheet, violate Sections 6(2), 8, 14(1), 14(5), and 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as well as Sections 17(a)(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004.
All seven defendants pleaded not guilty. Following their plea, the court remanded five of the accused in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services, while Kingsley Kejim continued on existing bail terms.
The court granted a special request by defence counsel to remand Hannah Okunlola in EFCC custody due to medical concerns.
Justice Aneke had adjourned the matter to June 6, 2025, for commencement of trial. However, due to the nationwide Sallah holiday declared by the federal government, the proceedings could not go ahead as scheduled.
A charge reads: “That you, Samuel Ihechukwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, and others now at large, in January 2025, conspired to alter Wema Bank data to cause the loss of N8.568 billion in order to benefit economically, thereby committing an offence under Section 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015.”
The case has drawn significant attention as one of the most audacious cybercrime cases involving bank insiders in Nigeria’s recent history.
The 2025 Ojude Oba celebrations kicked off on Friday evening with “Evening with Glo,” a special event organized by Globacom and headlined by Juju music legend Evangelist Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi and Fuji maestro Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM 1)
This year marks a significant milestone: Globacom’s 20th anniversary as sponsors of the Ojude Oba festival, an event it has helped transform into a globally recognized cultural spectacle.
The “Evening with Glo” was a vibrant mix of live music, delicious food, and captivating comedy from Gbenga Adeyinka, Bash, and Kiekie. The Conference Hall venue was packed as guests enjoyed more than two hours of Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi’s timeless hits, with the audience singing along and dancing.
Globacom organized the event as a gesture of appreciation to the Ijebu community for their unwavering support over the past two decades of the Ojude Oba festival. “We decided to bring together great sons and daughters of Ijebuland to celebrate our shared heritage, and indulge in the melodious rhythms that resonate deeply throughout Yorubaland,” the company stated.
The company explained their choice of musical icons, noting that the “ageless icon and Juju music maestro, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, has contributed decades of good, sonorous and philosophical songs to our society. His songs are still as fresh and full of inspirational messages as they were yesterday.”
Regarding KWAM 1, the company highlighted that “For decades, King of Fuji, K1 De Ultimate, the Fuji master, has been a great part of the music firmament in Nigeria, with his unique brand of Fuji that has elicited huge interest.”
The event saw a strong turnout of prominent Ijebu figures, including the Olori of Oba Awujale, Chief Mrs. Olukemi Adetona; the Coordinator of Ojude Oba Festival Planning Committee, Professor Fassy Yusuff; and a committee member and Iyalode of Ijebuland, Chief Mrs. Bisi Osibogun.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has emphasized the importance of developing policies that intentionally include approximately 35 million persons with special needs in digital literacy and technology empowerment initiatives.
Ms. Grace Jerry, executive director, Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) and Malam Kashifu Inuwa, director-general, NITDA.
This was stated by Malam Kashifu Inuwa, director-general, NITDA, in Abuja during a meeting with a delegation from the Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), a disability advocacy organization led by Ms. Grace Jerry, its executive director.
Inuwa noted that integrating persons with special needs into these programmes supports President Bola Tinubu’s agenda of economic reform and inclusive growth.
“This has brought to my attention the need to be more intentional in the way we design our programmes because there is no way we can achieve 95 per cent digital inclusion if we exclude 35 million Nigerians.”
“The agency has always been conducting targeted training for people with special needs in various parts of the country in the past.
“We will ensure that we expand our initiatives to all parts of country and our office facility have that in consideration but our programmes going forward will reflect this inclusion,” he said.
The Director General recommended including representatives from the disability community in national ICT committees tasked with setting standards, designing training curricula, and shaping policy frameworks.
He emphasized that their participation would ensure adequate representation and facilitate implementation beyond bureaucratic constraints.
He further advocated for the integration of disability-focused initiatives into national programmes such as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) tech schemes, women’s training cohorts, and other major technology-driven activities. According to him, these platforms offer vital opportunities for networking, skills development, and enterprise support.
“For us, it’s beyond just training. The real goal is empowerment, how we can train people to use IT to expand their businesses and improve their lives,” Inuwa said.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strategic collaboration and invited disability-focused organisations to partner with NITDA in shaping an inclusive digital economy.
Earlier, Jerry expressed appreciation to the agency for the engagement and highlighted the digital gap within the disability community.
She said the government’s goal of achieving 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030 would only be realistic if it was truly inclusive.
“Digital literacy is fast becoming a foundational skill for employment, and without deliberate inclusion, millions will be left behind,” Jerry said.
The meeting highlighted NITDA’s growing commitment to inclusive policy development, aligned with the nation’s economic reform agenda.
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