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NCC Seeks Lagos Support on QoS, Right of Way

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Dr. Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has sought the  support of Babatunde Fashola, SAN, Lagos State governor, for resolution of identified problems associated with right of way and multiple taxes and levies at various levels of government which have become impediments to realizing good quality of telecom services in Nigeria.

Dr. Juwah who paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Fashola at his Alausa office, in company of two commissioners and other officials of the Commission, informed the governor that the nation has about 119 million active subscribers while teledensity reached more than 85 per cent from some 0.4%, while contributing more than 7 .8 per cent to the national GDP, and that Lagos State controls more than 15 per cent of the mobile phone subscriber population in Nigeria, hence its position is seen as critical in matters that affect telecommunications services.

He said while it is important to reiterate that quality of services in Lagos, and indeed, other parts of the country, is not desirable, there are challenges contributing to this with the Right of Way issues being the most critical.

He said that “We are already aware that you are involved with other governors in the National Economic Council in discussing and finding solutions to the issue of RoW in the country as currently being championed by Vice President Namadi Sambo. We urge you to continue to support these patriotic efforts so that the objectives of providing easy passage for telecommunications infrastructure, to accelerate and encourage more investments in the country, are realized”.

He also acquainted the governor with the level of the nation’s infrastructure deficit with reference to the paucity of masts and towers in Nigeria with less than 25,000 base stations compared with a country like UK with  up to 65,000 base stations adding that a 2009 survey by the NCC showed that out of a total of 6, 196 masts and towers in Lagos, 48 per cent belonged to corporate bodies and individuals, 25 per cent belonged to telecom operators, 18% to banks, 8% to unidentified owners and 2% to the broadcast industry.

The NCC boss said even if the number of base stations owned by operators, which was 2, 975 then, had increased by 100%, it would still have fallen short of what is needed to serve Lagos subscribers alone”, he said.

“Your Excellency, this situation is made worse by multiple taxations and regulations that await the service providers at the various levels of government, including state governments, local governments, and even some communities. In most cases, unfortunately, telecom masts and towers easily become specific targets for multiple taxes and regulations even where there are other masts and towers in existence, or even when appropriate taxes have been imposed at the Federal Level. 

Given the scenario of infrastructure deficit that we have painted above, the situation on ground becomes very discouraging as some of the service providers depend on very few base stations to serve the populace. 

“We have noticed that some of these regulations exist in Lagos and it is our hope that this progressive administration will be disposed to taking a serious look at some of them with a view to eliminating double and inequitable taxation. This will in turn engender an enabling business environment that would encourage more investments and accelerate deployment of more telecom infrastructure and facilities”, he said.

Dr. Juwah also brought the attention of the governor to vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure which has taken its toll on the quality and availability of services, and the need to support the Commission in pursuit of the critical infrastructure bill at the National Assembly as Lagos is mostly affected in any of these vandalism incidents.

The NCC boss also invited the governor for collaboration in the  implementation of the Emergency Communications Centres, ECC, across the country as the pilots have already been commissioned at Awka  and Minna, so that Lagos will be a model city for this national assignment which the Commission has elected to bring to the nation.

Governor Fashola in his response, commended Dr. Juwah “for the thoughtfulness and initiative of the broadband”.

“You will regulate the allocation of frequencies, you will regulate bandwidths and so many other things but you cannot regulate where the towers and mast are positioned, you need me as indeed you need all of my colleagues to determine where the right of way will be and under what conditions and this was the point that we took”, he said

He regretted that a lot of time have been lost in the legal process in the matter of approvals for the operators for erection of masts because of the disagreement with his government which refused to grant approvals for new installations and government’s insistence on  collocation, payment of levies, and quality of installations.

He promised to bring the dispute out of the courts for amicable settlement.

He disagreed with the use of the term multiple taxation as a proper way to  describe levies being imposed on operators for services rendered to them at state levels as the operators’ licenses for operation does not foreclose payment for the land and other associated fees.

“It is an incidence of the nature of business that they have entered, the issues we should be talking about is how to mitigate cost and that is what I’ve told my colleagues that we cannot make revenue from the cost of right of way or from the cost of setting up masts and towers”, he said.

“Lagos State does not seek to do so, we see the revenue in the business growth that ICT and stronger broadband and fiber optic capacity give to citizens, that’s where I see money. The revenue that comes from businesses, more people employed, paying more income tax is much more than what any government could ever collect”, he said.

He however, chided the operators for not applying appreciable level of corporate governance as  is evident in the types of contractors that they use, resulting in damages to infrastructure like roads already built by the government.

“There must be a sense of patriotism from the contractors and I choose my words very carefully, by the contractors being used by the telecom operators in laying their infrastructure, a sense of ownership and duty to protect the existing public asset. They’re not enough, so the few that we have, we must protect, it can’t be I want to do business, I want to give people telephone, I don’t care if we get lost, so this really is the heart of the matter”, he said, while promising to “get the parties out of court, so that we can set a regulatory regime in which everybody can work together”, he said.


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ABoICT Lecture 2025 to Focus on Governance, Standardization in Artificial Intelligence Era

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This year’s Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership lecture will focus on Governance, Standardization and cybersecurity in artificial intelligence era.

The lecture which will herald Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Awards (ABoICT Lecture 2025) hold on May 24, 2025 at Four Points by Sheraton and will be delivered by Prof. Adewale Obadare, Chief Visionary Officer, Digital Encode – Cybersecurity and GRC Expert.

The sixteenth edition of the award ceremony according Ken Nwogbo, editor-in-chief of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek the organizers of the event, “is a special edition to recognise and celebrate organizations and individuals in the ICT industry that have contributed to the growth of the sector.

“Most of these organizations and individuals have consistently being voted by our readers as leaders in their areas of operations and we have decided to reward them in this special edition, tag: ‘ICT Growth Edition 2025’ he said,”.

He added that, an AI governance framework outlines policies, principles, and practices to guide the ethical and responsible development and deployment of AI technologies, ensuring transparency, accountability, and fairness.

“In the AI era, cybersecurity faces both new threats and opportunities, as AI’s capabilities are used by both defenders and attackers to launch sophisticated attacks and defenses.

“This requires a proactive approach, including AI-powered security tools, robust data security, and ethical AI development, emphasizing real-time monitoring, threat intelligence, and collaboration among cybersecurity professionals and AI researchers.

“Artificial intelligence transforms cybersecurity by automating responses to risks, detecting unusual activity, and even foreseeing possible dangers before they occur.

“While AI has various perks, such as better efficiency and faster risk identification, it also has challenges. Without proper oversight, these systems can be misused or make errors. Strong governance and ethical frameworks ensure AI technologies are used responsibly and effectively.,” he said.

The Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Distinguished (ABoICT Lecture 2024) is designed to explore efforts to put Nigeria on the global Information and Communications Technologies map.

The lecture series however is reserved for distinguished achievers in the ICT sector.

Past lecturers included Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, then executive vice chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); Uche Orji, managing director/chief executive officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA); Biodu Omoniyi, Managing Director/CEO, VDT Communications; Ayotunde Coker, Managing Director, Rack Centre Limited; Peter Adedayo Arogundade, managing director and chief executive officer, Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited; Dr. Oluseyi Akindeinde, founder, Hyperspace & NeuraL AI and John Obaro, CEO and founder of Systemspecs; Prof. Isa Pantanmi, minister of Communications and Digital Economy; among others.


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Cabals Still Fighting our Refinery – Dangote

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Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and president of Dangote Refinery, has insisted that the ‘cabal’ in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector is still fighting against the success of his 650,000 barrels per day plant.

Cabals Still Fighting our Refinery – Dangote

Aliko Dangote

Dangote disclosed this, according to Semafor, a global news platform, at an investor forum in Lagos at the weekend.

He said, “For a very, very long time, those that have made a lot of money from government-subsidised oil imports into Nigeria were the ones trying to sabotage the $20 billion worth of refinery situated in Lekki, Lagos.”

He further stressed that “those groups have funded resistance to the Bola Tinubu government’s removal of petrol subsidies and are opposed to the refinery operating easily in the country.”

However, Dangote was confident that the battle between him and the groups would be won, priding himself on being a long-time fighter.

“We’re fighting, and the fight is not yet finished. But I have been fighting all my life, and I am ready and 100 percent sure I will win at the end of the day,” he was quoted.

Recall that Dangote Refinery kicked off the sale of petrol in September 2024, which had led to a significant drop in fuel imports into Nigeria.

In May 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the removal of the fuel subsidy during his inauguration speech.


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NPAN Hails Tribunal’s Ruling on FCCPC’s $220M Fine Against Meta

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Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) has welcomed the decision of the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCT) upholding the $220 million fine imposed on Meta Platforms Inc. by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

In a statement signed by its President, Mal. Kabiru A. Yusuf, and General Secretary, Mrs. Angela Emuwa, NPAN described the ruling as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to enforce digital accountability and protect the rights of its citizens.

“The decision affirms the importance of compelling global digital platforms to adhere to Nigeria’s laws and respect the rights of users,” the association said.

NPAN noted that the fine, resulting from a 30-month investigation spanning 2021 to 2023, was imposed due to Meta’s alleged unauthorized data sharing and discriminatory practices affecting Nigerian users.

The association also emphasized that Nigeria’s regulatory action aligns with global trends, citing similar penalties imposed on Meta in Europe, as well as actions against other tech giants such as Amazon, TikTok, Google, and Apple.

As an advocate for media freedom and fair digital practices, NPAN reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding intellectual property and ensuring fair remuneration for publishers in the evolving digital landscape.

It further urged sustained collaboration among government agencies, civil society, and industry players to strengthen Nigeria’s digital regulatory environment.


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