Telecom
NDPC, Ondo State Partner to Upskill Youths, Create Jobs in Data Protection
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has expressed its readiness to work with the Ondo state government to promote a culture of Data Protection that would also help create employment opportunities for young people in the state.
Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner/CEO of NDPC revealed this when he received his excellency, the Ondo state Deputy Governor, Olayide Adelami, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
Dr Olayide said the purpose of his visit was to explore possible areas of collaboration between NDPC and the state in a way that fosters development for the people of the State.
According to him, “our government is passionate about youth development and one of the ways to ensure our youths are gainfully employed is to equip them with the right skills, needed for 21st century workplace. In view of this, we have identified ICT as one key area to upskill our youths and expand their capabilities so as to be globally competitive.
“My visit here today is to meet with the team at NDPC to establish a partnership that will enable us train thousands of young graduates in Ondo state as data protection officers, realizing the enormous opportunity in this field.”
Dr Olatunji, while commending the move by the Ondo government to explore the potentials of data protection in empowering its young citizens, decried what he described as the dearth of data protection officers in Nigeria, stressing that only 10,000 out of 500,000 available positions are currently filled.
He commended the Deputy Governor’s understanding of the importance of data protection. He said, “Unauthorised access to data will lead to breaches, and breaches will lead to lots of implications, such as reputational damage, financial loss and in extreme cases, death.”
He acknowledged the Ondo state government’s commitment to addressing this issue and its potential to enhance trust and confidence in governance.
Dr Olatunji warmly accepted the proposed collaboration, expressing the Commission’s eagerness to work with the Ondo state government to promote a culture of Data Protection, enhance capacity, and create employment opportunities within the state.
“Jobs will be available for the youths of Ondo state when they are trained and certified as Data Protection Officers, which will also give room for global competition.”
This collaborative effort between NDPC and the Ondo state government signifies a significant step towards harnessing data protection for youth development and governance enhancement, ultimately contributing to the progress and prosperity of Ondo state and Nigeria as a whole.
MTN Nigeria Communications PLC has announced that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved the renewal of the spectrum lease agreement between MTN Nigeria and Natcom Development and Investment Limited (NTEL).
Uto Ukpanah, Company Secretary in a statement released recently said that the agreement covers the lease of NTEL’s 5MHz frequency division duplex (FDD) in the 900MHz spectrum band and 10MHz FDD in the 1800MHz spectrum band, which spans 19 states.
The renewal is for another two-year period, effective 1 May 2025. Additionally, the NCC has approved a one-year lease expansion of the spectrums, covering the remaining 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), effective 1 January 2025.
Commenting on the transactions, MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola said, “We are pleased with the renewal of the spectrum lease agreement with NTEL, which now includes coverage for all states, including the FCT.
“The lease enables us to enhance our 3G and 4G user experience as we improve coverage and capacity by utilising the spectrums.
“This positions us to capitalise on the growing demand for data and improve the delivery of services to our customers.”
Nigeria’s technology company, Globacom, has extended warm felicitations to Nigerians on the occasion of the 2024 Christmas celebrations.
In a goodwill message released in Lagos, Globacom urged Nigerians to embrace the spirit of love and kindness during the festive season, especially in the face of prevailing economic challenges.
The company emphasized the importance of practicing the teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly the virtues of obedience to God and loving one’s neighbor as well.
“Christ taught many virtues including obedience to God and loving one’s neighbour as oneself”, the company said, adding, “Now is the apt time to practise these teachings by sharing with the needy”.
Globacom also encouraged Nigerians to extend the conviviality of Christmas beyond the festive season by fostering love, peace, and harmony, as demonstrated by God through the birth of Jesus Christ.
Assuring its customers of uninterrupted services throughout the Yuletide period and beyond, Globacom urged them to take advantage of its innovative products and services to stay connected and share the memories of the season with loved ones.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators to settle the long-standing N250bn USSD debt dispute before January 2, 2025.
The CBN and NCC also directed banks to pay the pre-Application Programming Interfaces (API) debt before July 2, 2025.
They also ordered that post-API debts be settled before December 31, 2024.
The directive was issued in a joint cirular titled, “2nd Joint Circular of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission on the Resolution of the USSD Debt Issue Between Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators.”
The circular dated December 20, 2024, was signed by Oladimeji Taiwo, acting director of the Payments System Management Department, CBN, and Chizua Whyte, head of Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC.
The regulators said, “In view of the foregoing, the CBN and the NCC hereby direct DMBs and MNOs as follows: 1. That 60 per cent of all pre-API invoices must be paid as full and final settlement.
“Payment plans (lump sum or installments) must be agreed upon between a concerned DMB and MNO by January 2, 2025. Installments must be based on equal monthly payments, with full payment due by July 2, 2025.
“DMBs must pay 85 per cent of all outstanding invoices issued after the implementation of APIs (i.e., February 2022) by December 31, 2024.
“Similarly, 85 per cent of future invoices must be liquidated within one month of service.”
According to the regulators, the transition to end-user billing will be activated only for DMBs and MNOs that comply with the payment conditions cobtained in the circular.
CBN and the NCC said they would provide further guidance on public enlightenment initiatives related to the transition.
The regulators also directed MNOs to implement the “10-seconds rule” for USSD invoicing.
This implies that any session lasting less than ten seconds will not be billable.
The regulators added, “Failure to comply with the terms outlined in this directive will attract necessary sanctions, ensuring that both DMBs and MNOs uphold their obligations.”
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