Telecom
NCS President Canvasses for Technology-Driven Economy
Prof. Adesola Aderounmu, President, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), has called on the Federal Government to raise modern manpower that could sustainably drive the nation’s economy.
Prof. Aderounmu made this call recently while giving Keynote Address at the first International Conference on ICT for National Development and its Sustainability organised by the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Ilorin, to mark its 10th anniversary.
In his lecture, entitled “Leveraging ICT for National Development and its Sustainability”, the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), he lamented that the country’s economy has not fully embraced technology as its driving force.
Prof. Aderounmu said that nearly 90% of technologies used in Nigeria are imported despite the huge knowledge infrastructure of 162 legally recognized universities, 125 polytechnics and more than 500 agencies.
The NCS President said, “It is sad that after 58 years of independence, Nigeria had failed to come up with neither a globally recognized company nor product originating from Nigerian indigenous technology because the national economy had not been technology-driven”.
He then called on the Federal Government to develop the Information Technology Industry through research centres, technology parks and incubators, provision of reliable and affordable infrastructure and provision of fiscal incentives for indigenous software developers.
He further suggested that the government could develop the sector through the creation of a special fund to assist start-up businesses as well as grow existing developers, enactment of a law that mandates MDAs to patronize indigenous software while mandating the immediate implementation of the approved Scheme of service for IT professionals.
While recommending that priority should be given to registered IT professional in the award of IT contracts in the country, Prof. Aderounmu equally tasked the academia to promote productive collaborations and partnerships both internal and external and create learning opportunities for the students.
He said, “The system of mentoring, apprenticeship and tutelage, which existed in the past should be re-introduced and strengthened.
“Split-site arrangements should be encouraged to enable young researchers to be acquainted with new trends, globally. Spend a considerable portion of its yearly budget on global promotion activities”
Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, while declaring the conference open, assured the participants that the University would do everything possible to ensure conferences are successfully held in the institution.
He submitted that conferences are crucial to the students’ development and growth as it gives them exposure and cross-fertilization of ideas, adding that students should be invited in large numbers to attend conferences.
Prof. Abdulkareem revealed that discussion is ongoing to mobilize the Faculty leaders and talented students to work together to house the University’s ICT incubation room so that the entire University processes could be automated.
He also disclosed that facilities required in improving ICT research activities for staff and postgraduate students have been identified.
Dr. Rasheed Gbenga Jimoh, Ag. Dean Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, In his welcome address, explained that the conference received over 100 articles from over 41 different academic institutions nationally and abroad cutting across computing, library and information science, telecommunication science, mass communication and media technology, information and cyber security and information technology.
Dr. Jimoh said that a major hindrance to national policy implementation is lack of full integration of ICT, which he submitted, has prevented the nation from being able to retrieve vital information for effective decision making.
He said, “The Faculty under my leadership is therefore committed to doing everything possible to assist the University to realize her dream of becoming a citadel of learning to be reckoned globally with full integration of ICT”.
Awards were later presented to some distinguished Nigerians for outstanding services.
Notable among the recipients were former Vice-Chancellors of the University, Prof. Shuaibu Oba Abdulraheem (OFR), Prof. Is-haq O. Oloyede (OFR), and Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali (OON); as well as the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem’ the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Osun State, HRM Oba Abdur-Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi.
Other awardees are Former Deans of the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, Dr. Omenogo Mejabi, Prof. Lenrie Aina and Prof. Joseph Sadiku; as well as the pioneer Head of the Department of Mass Communication, late Nureni Doyin Mahmoud were also awarded at the Gala Night that marked the end of the conference
National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), a telecoms subscriber body, has warned Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) not accede to demands by telecommunications companies in the country to hike tariff, insisting that such increase would unleash further hardships on its members.
Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, president, NATCOMS said in statement that the group in a recent emergency meeting over the planned tariff hike of telecommunication services, unanimously voted against any tariff hike.
Ogunbanjo, said telecoms services are taxable services under the Value Added Tax Act.
The Act was amended in 2019 by the Finance Act of that year to raise the tax rate from five per cent to 7.5per cent which was 50per cent increment and the increment has been borne by the consumers of rateable telecom services.
“That increment brought about untold hardship to our members many of who have been forced to cut back on their telecom requirements.
“As if that was not bad enough, the Federal Government got the National Assembly to enact the Finance Act of 2020. Section 37 of the Act amended Section 21 of the Customs, Excise Tariff etc. (Consolidation) Act by imposing an excise duty charge on Telecommunication Services. The then president, President Muhammadu Buhari by an order prescribed five per cent as the rate of the excise duty charge, chargeable for telecommunication services. The additional tax burden was greeted with public outcry and this association, at the prompting of our members, challenged the excise duty charge in court, in the case of Registered Trustees of National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) V MTN Nigeria Communications Limited and Others – Suit No: FHC/L/ CS / 189) 2023 on the ground of double taxation which is illegal and unconstitutional.
NCC and other Federal Bodies are parties to the suit and the Federal Government as represented by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) entered an appearance and filed processes opposing the suit. The case is now pending before Hon. Justice Aluko, sitting at the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, and the case is slated to come up in the court on the 13th March, 2025,” Ogunbanjo said.
Mafab Communications, a Nigerian telecommunications company that acquired a 5G license in 2021, is set to begin operations by the end of the first quarter of 2025, according to Adebayo Onigbanjo, chief operating officer of the company.
Onigbanjo who shared this update with TechCabal, this launch will mark the first time Mafab’s services will be available commercially, nearly three years after the company entered the 5G market.
The company plans to roll out its 5G services with 102 operational sites located in Kano and Abuja.
Subscribers will need to purchase routers to access the network. Mafab is also working with multiple vendors to develop these sites in phases as part of its strategy for deployment.
Mafab Communications obtained its 5G license on the same day as MTN.
However, while MTN launched its 5G services within eight months, Mafab, being a newer entrant, experienced delays in deploying its network due to insufficient telecom infrastructure.
These challenges were further exacerbated by the company’s delay in receiving its Unified Access Service License (UASL) and numbering plan, which was only granted in July 2022.
This situation led Mafab to seek an extension from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), postponing its initial rollout deadline to January 2023.
Following its launch event in January 2023, the company began promoting the sale of 5G routers on its website.
However, buyers quickly discovered that they could not activate the service, as uncovered by TechCabal.
Consequently, the sale of these routers has been suspended while the company focuses on completing its infrastructure buildout.
Despite the early stage of the 5G market in Nigeria, these delays have put Mafab at a disadvantage, leaving it to catch up with competitors like MTN and Airtel, particularly in Lagos, the country’s bustling commercial hub where most 5G subscribers are currently concentrated.
Although Mafab is actively working on its Lagos sites, the company has yet to announce when services will officially launch in the city.
According to Onigbanjo, foreign exchange (FX) fluctuations have posed a significant challenge, leading to higher rollout costs than initially projected—a difficulty faced by many telecom operators.
Since its commercial introduction in August 2022, Nigeria’s 5G market has experienced steady growth, spearheaded by MTN Nigeria.
By October 2024, 5G services accounted for 2.33% of the nation’s internet subscribers, with MTN Nigeria commanding a 79% market share and Airtel Africa holding roughly 20%.
Mafab’s anticipated rollout in Q1 is expected to further drive 5G adoption, particularly in cities beyond Lagos and Abuja.
The company has prioritized building robust infrastructure and extending its coverage in Kano and Abuja to support broader access to 5G services.
According to Onigbanjo, this includes developing a Radio Access Network (RAN), transport systems, and intelligent networks designed to connect various user devices—ranging from smartphones to IoT gadgets—to the company’s core telecom network.
Telecommunication companies in Nigeria are lobbying their regulator for permission to double price tariffs to weather harsh economic conditions and inflation running near a three-decade high.
“We’ve put forward requests of approximately a 100% increase” to the regulator, Karl Toriola, chief executive officer of MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, told Lagos-based Arise TV.
“There’s no way that the industry could continue to sustain itself and provide the required quality of service under the present structure,” he said.
The industry has been stepping up efforts for permission to relax pricing rules that have been in place for 11 years, amid surging annual inflation that touched 34.6% in November, and the steep depreciation of the naira against the dollar.
If the pricing issue is resolved, Toriola is optimistic 2025 will be a good year for operators.
The unit of MTN Group Ltd. plans to grow voice and data revenue this year by increasing coverage of rural areas as well as 5G broadband penetration, he said.
Subscriber Group Rejects Telcos Push for Tariff Hike
Mafab Communications to Roll out 5G Services in Kano and Abuja this Quarter
Telcos Firms Seek 100 Percent Tariff Hike to Survive Economy
Agu, Space Engineer Urges NASRDA to Develop Nigeria’s Space Competence
Binance Hits 250m Users, Eyes for Billion in 2025
Nigeria Risks Missing out on $1.2 Trillion AI Opportunity- NigComSat
Firm Sues NIMC, Others On Digital Rights Breach Allegations
Ecobank Sends Important Message to Customers Over Service Disruptions
MTN Nigeria Renews Spectrum Lease Agreement with NTEL
NERC Discloses $5.7 Million Debt Owed by International Customers for Q3 2024 Electricity Supply
Telecom2 days agoSubscribers Say Telcos Cannot Hike Tariff Business without Consultation
Uncategorized2 days agoDecemberIssaVybe: FirstBank Sponsors ‘The Cavemen Concert’, Thrills Audience
Uncategorized2 days agoCorporate Blackmailers as Tinubu’s Enemies
E-Financial3 days agoCBN, SEC Approve FCMB Group’s N147bn Rights Offer
Telecom1 day agoTelcos Threaten to Shut Down Services in Some Parts of Nigeria over Tariff
News3 days agoCSCS Harps on the Role of Tech in Boosting Capital Market Activities
News2 days agoLassa Fever, Others Claimed 952 Lives in 2024 – NCDC
News2 days ago90 Percent of Workers to Pay Lower Taxes in Tax Reforms- PACFTR