Telecom
NCC Says USPF On Course for Availability, Accessibility & Affordability Services
Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has stated the strategic activities of the Universal Service Provision Fund, USPF, were targeted at ensuring availability of service, accessibility of service, and affordability of service which are the constitutive hallmarks of universal access.
Prof. Danbatta made this statement in Calabar through Kelechi Nwankwo, USPF’s Head of Strategy and Corporate Performance Monitoring, who represented him at the South-South Zonal Workshop on ICT Utilization and Sustainability organised by USPF.
He noted that the workshop was designed to enrich the experience of USPF implementing partners such as the Community Resource Centre managers and the desk officers of the School Knowledge Centre, as well as teachers, students and other stakeholders interested in deepening ICT penetration.
Meanwhile Opinion leaders including community leaders, government functionaries and the enthusiasts of the institutions of the civil society are also invited to key into faith in the alignment of rural ICT projects to the developmental goals and the real needs of the beneficiaries.
Danbatta told an enthusiastic assembly of over 250 youths, representatives of community-based organisations, journalists, government officials and development workers who gathered in Calabar for a two-day knowledge-sharing process designed to deliver concrete results on NCC/USPF determination to expand the frontiers of ICT penetration and usage among the citizens of Nigeria.
Ayuba Shuaibu, Secretary of USPF, represented at the workshop by Adejoke Atte, USPF’s Principal Manager for Strategy and Corporate Performance Monitoring, added to Danbatta’s voice when he declared that USPF mandate to promote availability of ICT services in rural, un-served and under-served areas will contribute measurably to Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan’s (ERGP) objectives on telecommunication and ICT.
According to him “These objectives are to: Develop sufficient, efficient, affordable and critical ICT infrastructure; as well as encourage rapid ICT penetration among all socio-economic levels and increase the current coverage of the active mobile broadband subscription per 100 from 20.95 to 50 percent by the Year 2020”.
He also revealed to the workshop participants that the programmatic drivers of these objectives within the context of USPF mandate include the Accelerated Mobile Phone Expansion Programme (AMPEP), the Backbone Transmission Infrastructure (BTRAIN) project, the Rural Broadband Initiative (RUBI), the School Knowledge Centre (SKC), the Community Resource Centre (CRC), and the E-Library, E-Health, E-Accessibility, as well as the Universities Intercampus Connectivity (UNICC) projects among others.
Shuaibu said “the USPF strategic goals for 2013-2017 include the promotion of universal access and service that facilitate connectivity for development; facilitate an enabling environment for ICT; and institutional development.
“Thus, the Fund’s vision of Equitable ICT Access for All will be given concrete expression by instituting processes that ensure universal access and service to ICT through market-based investment that stimulate development in rural, unserved and underserved communities.
“These are the underlying philosophies that birthed the zonal workshops.
The second day of the workshop was devoted wholly to training on technological transfer tagged: BOOTCAMP, where participants will be exposed to Web Development, Android Development, and Anduino – Robotics and Artificial Intelligence – also called Machine Learning.
According to an official of the consultant to USPF on the zonal Workshop programme, Edition 56, Cyril Nyulaku PhD, he said, “the bootcamp is a concrete practical session of the application of ICT to enhance agriculture, health, education among others.
“The intention is that when the participants get back to their base they will apply the knowledge as practically as possible” .
The faculty of the workshop at Calabar includes Dr. Francis Ohanyido, Yunusa Abdulrahman, Paul Nyulaku, and Hanson Johnson.
The workshop had earlier been held in the South-East and North-Central zones.
The next workshop is scheduled to take place in Yola, North-East Zone.
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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