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NCS Visits ComTech Ministry, NITDA
Two delegations from the Nigeria Computer Society led by Professor David O. Adewumi, its president, recently paid two separate courtesy visits to the Ministry of Communication Technology and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
At the Ministry of Communication Technology, Professor Adewumi, said the visit was to identify with the Minister and to further engage on how NCS and Ministry of Communication Technology can accelerate the pace of IT development in Nigeria together.
He noted NCS’s admiration of the progress being made with Mrs. Johnson, as the Minister of this dynamic arm of government. Adewumi particularly appreciated her noteworthy impact toward developing Nigeria’s information Technology (IT) sector as well as her remarkable coordination of the activities of all focal ICT agencies of the nation.
Professor Adewumi further commended the Minister for collaborating with NCS, most recently through her strong presence at the last NCS conference at Iloko Ijesa, Osun State, where she participated fully in NCS activities for two solid days. The team was warmly received by the minister, Mrs. Omobola Johnson.
In statement made available to Nigeria Jide Awe, chairman, Publicity and Events Committee, Nigeria Computer Society, added that at NITDA, the NCS team was received by Dr. Ashiru Sani Daura, acting director general, NITDA and other top management officials.
Professor Adewumi also commended the acting DG of NITDA for his presence at the last NCS conference at Iloko Ijesa, Osun State, Sponsorship of the conference and the strong presence of NITDA staff at the conference.
He noted that the worthy goals of NITDA are in line with NCS core objectives. Adewumi praised the efforts of the Acting DG towards developing Nigeria’s outsourcing sector, stating that NCS is proud that NITDA which was born out of the NCS vision and initiative is firmly established and waxing stronger.
On both visits the NCS President solicited for strategic partnerships in programs and projects relating to research and development, Cybersecurity, IT enabled employment generation, promotion of Excellence and Professionalism in Industry and the Profession, and IT Policy Formulation that are of immense benefit to the country.
During the two visits, the Minister and the Acting DG congratulated the newly elected President and National Executive Council (NEC) of NCS.
The Minister agreed with the importance of strategic partnership between NCS and the ministry while expressing government’s desire and efforts to improve IT in all such areas. Mrs. Johnson assured all that she and her staff would address the partnership issues and not hesitate to partner with NCS when the need arises.
She commended NCS for its efforts towards developing IT in the country. She asked NCS, as the umbrella association of the IT industry and profession, to work towards seeing that all the registered interest groups such as ITAN, ISPAN, ISPON, etc are united and that their aims and objectives are harmonized towards achieving a common goal for the good of the country and meeting the promises of the nation’s transformational agenda.
According to her, NCS should look at building capacity in the areas of software development, training and skills acquisition especially on newer technologies and local content.
The Acting DG confirming that NITDA was created through multistakeholder involvement in which NCS played a major role, agreed on the need for a mutually beneficial relationship of support and collaboration to move industry forward and ensure IT gets its rightful place.
Daura noted that there was a lot of ignorance inside and outside government. Massive enlightenment is required as Nigeria is lagging behind as shown by Nigeria’s position on the global e-readiness index.
“Even though penetration is improving we should be doing much more and be front runners in Africa. And this can’t happen without collaboration. The transformation agenda and achieving Vision 20:2020 also requires IT”.
Noting that NCS had been playing an important role in accelerating IT development in Nigeria, Daura recommended that NCS and NITDA should meet to create an action plan on the issues mentioned, advising that both organizations should strengthen their relationship for better mileage and benefit for the nation.
The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) is the nation’s foremost network of Information Technology (IT) practitioners comprising IT professionals, Interest Groups and Stakeholders. Members of the NCS delegations on both visits: Deacon Orjinta Orji-Alala, Provost, NCS College of Fellows, Mr. Jide Awe, Chairman, NCS Publicity and Events Committee, Mr. Raphael Omosola, Ex-Officio – Computer Professionals Registration Council Representative, Mrs. Aderonke Bello, Ex-Officio – Computer Professionals Registration Council Representative, Prince Igho Majemite, Chairman, Abuja Chapter, Mr. Ebenezer Ajayi, Chairman, Kogi State Chapter, Uche Onwuka and Songo Sunday of the NCS Abuja office.
Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has awarded a total of N13 million in grants to three standout tech startups at the 2025 Techpreneur Summit held in Lagos, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and inclusive growth among Nigeria’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The winners include: BuyScrap, a digital marketplace for recyclable materials – N6 million; Qiqi Farms, which connects local farmers to hospitality and export markets – N4 million; Eco-Cyclers, a youth-led recycling initiative based in Enugu – N3 million
Alongside the grant awards, DBN also launched a new digital data asset, a first-of-its-kind platform aimed at enabling data-driven decisions within the MSME ecosystem.
The platform offers deep insights into business trends, sector-specific challenges, and growth opportunities—supporting smarter policymaking and targeted investments.
In his keynote address in Lagos, Tony Okpanachi, managing director/ CEO, DBN, described the event’s theme, “CTRL + SHIFT: Tech Empowered Movement for Naija,” as a strategic call to reimagine enterprise development in Nigeria.
“This isn’t just a keyboard shortcut,” he said. “It’s a mindset reset—powered by technology—to build a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient business landscape. From financing to innovation, DBN remains committed to enabling MSMEs to thrive.”
Okpanachi emphasized that the Summit aligns with DBN’s AMPLIFI Strategy, which integrates digital transformation, sustainability, and scalability into its core programs.
He highlighted initiatives such as the Digital Shift Workshops and the Eco-Innovation Challenge as key steps toward embedding innovation in Nigeria’s MSME sector.
Encouraging young innovators, he added: “The future belongs to those bold enough to imagine and build it. DBN is proud to support the ideas that will shape tomorrow.”
A major highlight was the unveiling of the DBN Data Asset—a digital platform designed to provide real-time, evidence-based insights into Nigeria’s MSME landscape.
The platform combines DBN’s proprietary data with external sources like the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to offer a comprehensive view of MSME performance by region and sector.
Jeremy Dan Okayi, DBN’s Head of Strategy, Policy & Innovation, described the platform as: “A reservoir of insight, potential, and direction—built on two years of collaboration and shared vision. This tool will support informed decision-making across the public and private sectors.”
News
FCCPC Shuts France, Belgium, and Italy Visa Centres in Abuja Over Alleged Consumer Rights Violations
In a bold enforcement action, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), supported by the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has sealed off the visa application centres of France, Belgium, and Italy in Abuja over alleged consumer protection breaches and obstruction of regulatory investigations.
The affected centres—located at Mukhtar El-Yakub House in the Central Business District and operated by TLS Contact, a Teleperformance Company—were shut down following reports that they refused to accept formal correspondence from the FCCPC regarding a consumer complaint. The Commission cited further infractions, including obstruction of investigation and alleged assault of its officers during lawful duties.
Speaking to journalists at the scene, Mrs. Boladale Adeyinka, Director of Surveillance and Investigations at the FCCPC, explained: “This is an enforcement operation against TLS. On March 25, 2025, we served them a letter to address a consumer complaint, which they refused to accept. Instead, TLS officers assaulted our team, and in a subsequent visit on June 17, they also allegedly assaulted uniformed police officers.”
Citing Section 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), Mrs. Adeyinka emphasized that failure to comply with Commission directives constitutes a criminal offense, punishable by imprisonment, fines of up to ₦20 million, or both.
TLS has been ordered to appear before the Commission on June 20, 2025, to provide testimony, submit evidence, and make formal depositions. The company may be held liable for any financial losses suffered by applicants due to the disruption of visa services.
Despite multiple requests for comment, management at TLS Contact declined to respond as of press time.
Adedapo Segun, chief financial officer (CFO), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), has explained why there is a missing sum of N210 trillion in the company’s audited financial statement spanning from 2017 to 2023.
According to Segun, the missing funds are cash calls requested by joint venture (JV) partners and settlement to the JVs.
He spokeat a session of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Aliyu Wadada.
Segun was responding to an alarm raised by the committee over missing N210 trillion in NNPCL’s audited financial statement.
Recall that Wadada issued a one-week ultimatum to NNPCL to account for the missing N210 trillion.
Reacting, Segun said, “The N103 trillion and N107 trillion are made up of joint venture cash calls that have been requested by the JV operators and JV cash call payments made by NNPCL, which are yet to be reconciled because governance procedures were not done at that time.
“That is why you see the description reflecting those two items would be washed out because they are two sides of the same transaction, which is the cash calls by JV partners and the settlement by NNPCL.”
However, Habu Sadeik, a financial analyst, in a post on X on Thursday, said Segun’s response was unsatisfactory.
Saidik faulted NNPCL’s response about the fund discrepancies, noting that something is not right with the audited financial statement.
“Forget about the senators’ lack of knowledge.
“The CFO’s response is not satisfactory. Are you saying that cash calls worth hundreds of trillions are just appearing on your FS only in 2024 without 31 disclosure?
“If it’s a cash call, why hasn’t the disclosure said so?
“Which cash call is over 100 trillion?
“Something is definitely not right, and I hope they retrospectively correct that FS.
“Someone somewhere did a chef’s work,” he wrote on X.
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