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Telecom

NCC Seeks N65Bn Bailout for Infracos

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Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is to seek the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) support in granting and disbursement of the planned N65 billion subsidy for Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) in the country.

 

InfraCos are licensed by NCC to provide Layer 1 (dark fibre) services on commercial basis; focus on the deployment of metropolitan fibre, and provide transmission services, available at access points (fibre-to-the-Node or neighbourhood – FTTN) to access seekers.

 

Already, the Commission plans to license seven operators – one provider for each of the six geo-political zones, and one specifically for Lagos.

 

Six operators have already been licensed.

 

The remaining InfraCo for the North Central, whose process had started, would be unveiled anytime soon.

 

Those licensed already include MainOne for Lagos; Zinox Technology Limited for South East, and Brinks Integrated Solutions Limited for North East. Others are O’dua Infraco Resources Limited for South-West, Fleek Networks Limited for North-West, and Raeana Nigeria Limited for South-South zone.

 

Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman of the NCC, said the Commission was “at the verge of sending the N65 billion request for supporting the already six infrastructure companies (InfraCos) licensed to roll out broadband infrastructure across the country, to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval.”

 

Danbatta,  who spoke through Bako Wakil, director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, at the recent MoDiTECH 2019 forum, themed, “Digital Services to Boost Nigeria’s Economy,” said to fully embrace the possibilities that digital technology has to offer both the private and public organisations have to be willing to use agile approaches in which requirements and solutions evolve over time.

 

Through adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early delivery, and continuous improvement agile development methods encourage rapid and flexible response to change.

 

Danbatta, said that through its regulatory excellence, the Commission is at the forefront of unleashing the digital economy that will spur industrial growth, job creation, and good return on investment (RoI) for investors.

 

According to him, the Internet is at the leading edge of digital revolution, which informed NCC’s support for operators to deploy more infrastructures.

 

“Today, Nigeria has started a test-run of 5G, the latest technology for delivering broadband services and such other services as Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI). The trial will last for three months. Nigeria hopes to join other countries which are in a rush to deploy the 5G technology because of its immense promise for digital communication,” he said.

 


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

Telecom

MTN Says New N6.98 USSD Charge Won’t Affect Airtime Recharge

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Lynda Saint-Nwafor, chief Enterprise business officer, MTN Nigeria, has assured the network subscribers that the new end-user billing system for the use of USSD services will jot affect them.

MTN Says New N6.98 USSD Charge Won’t Affect Airtime Recharge

USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data codes are commonly used for banking transactions, airtime recharges, and other mobile services.

The telco said that  there is no significant impact or change other than the fact that they will now pay the same N6.98 per session (120 seconds) with their airtime instead of direct bank debit.

Saint-Nwafor, said this during a chat with MTN MIP fellows, explaining that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered telecom operators to ensure that the new billing model resolves trust issues and ensures transparency in the billing process.

“Our regulator insisted that at the end of every month, we are going to be providing history and statistics on the performance of the service across the board”, she explained.

Saint-Nwafor added that the new billing model has standardized messaging across all operators and ensures consistent communication with customers.

“We will take all the error codes and map them into messages that are standardised across the board. So, if you initiate a transaction, you will know if it is failing. And, when the transaction fails, you will know if it is from your bank or the telco,” she explained.

 


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Crypto Scam Unmasked: U.S. Recovers Record $225m in Global Fraud Bust

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The U.S. government has recovered $225 million in what is now the largest seizure of funds linked to a cryptocurrency investment scam.

In a statement released Wednesday, June 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the recovery followed an extensive investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, using blockchain analysis and other forensic tools. The statement did not confirm whether any arrests had been made.

According to the authorities, the stolen funds originated from fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes that tricked victims into believing they were making legitimate investments. More than 400 individuals around the world, including dozens in the United States, were reportedly affected.

The operation involved a sophisticated money laundering network that carried out hundreds of thousands of blockchain transactions to obscure the source and ownership of the stolen assets.

“These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims,” said Shawn Bradstreet, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Secret Service office in San Francisco.

Bradstreet added that U.S. officials hope the recovered funds can eventually be returned to the rightful victims.

Cryptocurrency investment fraud accounted for over $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone, according to the statement.


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Nnaemeka Ani Calls on African Techies to Rewrite the Narrative

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Hon. Nnaemeka Ani
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In a rousing declaration that is electrifying minds across the continent, Hon. Nnaemeka Ani, Special Adviser on ICT to Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has called for a homegrown digital revolution under the banner “Africa Will Rise: By Code, By Courage, By Us.”

Hon. Nnaemeka Ani

The message, part challenge, part philosophical—seeks to galvanize African innovators to move beyond buzzwords and build technology with impact and legacy in mind.

“Let’s stop building for hype. Let’s start building for legacy,” Ani urged while speaking to ICT journalists over the weekend. “Let’s stop waiting for someone else. Let’s start creating the future—on our own terms.”

At the heart of Ani’s vision is a shift from tech consumerism to tech authorship. With innovation hubs sprouting across cities like Enugu, Lagos, Kigali, Jo’Burg, and Nairobi, and a growing community of developers, engineers, and entrepreneurs determined to solve Africa’s unique challenges, the movement is already taking shape.

Ani emphasized that Africa’s future lies not in flashy apps or international admiration but in persistent, intentional solutions that uplift communities—solutions that digitize public services, bridge rural-urban divides, empower women and youth, and build resilience in food and climate systems.

“We have the talent,” he said. “Now it’s time to harness it—to stop building for likes and start building for lasting impact.”

With support from leaders like Ani and rising momentum in Africa’s tech corridors, it seems that a new chapter is being written—one line of code at a time.


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