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NITDA DG Extols Benefits of Web in Driving Digital Economy

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Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has said the web is the backbone of the digital economy. As it serves as a pathway to opportunities in the Digital economy through connectivity, data, and digital platforms.

Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA),

Abdullahi who was represented by Dr Muhammad Aminu Lawal, Special Assistant on Digital Transformation to the Director General, said this while delivering a keynote address at the World Wide Web Day, a hybrid event organised by the Centre for Cyber Awareness Development (CECAD). With the theme “The World Wide Web: Creating Opportunities for the New African Digital Economy”.

He said internet connectivity ensures that value is created and captured; it also ensures global access to products and services 24/7 in the digital economy, adding that through the Web, digital data continue to drive the evolution of the digital economy.

“The Web provides access to massive volumes of data used for analysis on virtually every aspect of our lives”, said the DG.

The DG noted that another significant contribution of the Web in driving the digital economy is the development of digital platforms. “Many businesses, social and personal activities are happening on various digital platforms; these leave tons of digital footprints that provide huge amounts of data for analytics”, he said.

He opined that by leveraging on the world wide web, many digital economy potentials lie ahead for Africa; these potentials will increase growth and productivity as exploiting the Web will reduce the cost of production and distribution of goods and services; improve management efficiency and communication with stakeholders; increase competition and broaden markets; provide options for customers and improves marketing and pricing.

The NITDA boss emphasised that the Agency through its strategies, has come up with numerous regulations and initiatives to ensure that opportunities are created and utilised to achieve a digital economy.

Some of these initiatives, according the DG are: Encouraging free domain registration for public institutions through Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NIRA), Facilitating Digital Literacy Training and Awareness, Digital Content Creation and Indigenous Language Translation, Effective Digitisation of Government Services (e-Government) as well as other e-services, Deployment of IT intervention projects that facilitate Digital Literacy and Skills development, Development of Nigeria Government Enterprise Architecture (NGEA) and Nigerian e-Govt Interoperability framework (Ne-GIF), Funding capacity building & Innovation initiatives to facilitate digital jobs creation, Establishment of National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR).

Earlier in his opening remarks, Dr Bayero Agabi convener of the event and Executive Director (CECAD), said the world wide web day is a global celebration dedicated to web browsing, online activities that brings wealth of knowledge to your fingertips.

“It is a chance to celebrate the way the internet created an environment for collaboration and business growth while also taking a deeper look into its evolution the past years”, he said.

Adding that the purpose of the event is to come up policies that will help create a sane secure digital society.

Among Dignitaries in attendance the Director General of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Aliyu Aziz, Managing Director Galaxy Back Bone Limited (GBB), Prof. Muhammed Bello Abubakar, President Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Prof. Adesina Sodiya, President of ATCON, Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, Former President NCS, Alhaji Ladi Oguneye, Chief Executives of IT companies and other relevant stakeholders.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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9mobile Nigeria Inks Agreement to Roam with MTN

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9mobile, Nigerian operator, has reportedly gained approval for roaming on the MTN Nigeria network in a deal that some commentators suggest could improve its position in the market and, more specifically, tempt back lost subscribers.

9mobile Nigeria Inks Agreement to Roam with MTN

After finally gaining regulatory approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), 9mobile plans to launch national roaming services on the MTN network from this month.

Under the agreement, 9mobile subscribers will gain access to MTN’s infrastructure for calls, texts and data in areas where 9mobile’s coverage is weak or unavailable.

For 9mobile, the deal offers a cost-effective way to expand coverage without the heavy investment required for nationwide infrastructure.

According to ITWeb Africa, the decision comes nearly five years after initial discussions – much longer than expected due, the Techloy news service said, to regulatory bottlenecks, shifting market conditions, and unclear execution timelines.

It may, however, prove pivotal for 9mobile, whose market share has dwindled to 1.72% in April 2025, down from 6.6% in 2020 when the proposal was first submitted. Indeed, in 2015 the company once known as Etisalat Nigeria had over 23 million subscribers and a 15.7% market share.

Of course, there’s also something in this for MTN. In exchange for network access, MTN gains utilisation rights to 9mobile’s underused spectrum in the 900MHz, 1800MHz, and 2100MHz bands – key frequencies for expanding coverage and improving data capacity.

For MTN, which serves over 84 million subscribers, this additional spectrum could reduce congestion and improve service quality.

The company has also had financial difficulties in the Nigerian market due to the naira’s substantial depreciation; this deal could support better service provision at a reduced cost.

That said, MTN Nigeria’s results for the first quarter to March 31 2025 were apparently much improved, and the company recently announced a massive capital expenditure drive for 2025 of some NGN900 billion (US$568.5 million) as it seeks to significantly enhance network service quality in major cities like Lagos and Abuja and extend improvements to other areas.


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Banks, Telcos to Start Deducting USSD Charges from Airtime  Today

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Banks and telecom companies will begin deducting USSD banking charges directly from customers’ airtime instead of their bank accounts beginning from today, June 3.

Banks, Telcos to Start Deducting USSD Charges from Airtime  Today

USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, is a communications protocol used by GSM cellular telephones to interact with a mobile network operator’s computers.

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) announced this change in an e-mail message to customers, following a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Key details:

Each USSD session will cost ₦6.98 per 120 seconds, charged by your mobile network.

You will be asked to approve the charge before it’s deducted from your airtime.

If you prefer, you can use other banking channels like ATMs, mobile apps, or internet banking.

This change is part of a move to end the long-standing debt dispute between banks and telecoms over unpaid USSD fees.

As of late 2024, banks owed telecom companies ₦160 billion. For example, MTN was owed ₦42 billion by Nigerian banks.

By shifting USSD fees to customers’ airtime, the telcos aim to recover these debts and avoid future issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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IHS Nigeria Moves to Enhance G4S Secure Solutions Site Patrols and Increase Operational Efficiency with Patrol Vehicles

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L-r: Sylva Ifedigbo, Associate Director, Corporate Communications, IHS Nigeria, Dominic Ekesiobi, Electronic Systems Service Director, G4S Secure Solutions, Sadisu Jibrin, Director, Administration Operations, and Jubril Saba, Vice President, Operations, both from IHS Nigeria with Jonas Ahl, Managing Director, G4S Secure Solutions, Bukky Bademosi, Head of Sales, G4S Secure Solutions, and Bukola Konkwo, Associate Director, Operations Excellence, IHS Nigeria, at the commissioning of 65 response
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IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of IHS Holding Limited and one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared telecommunications infrastructure in the world by tower count, has formally commissioned 65 Response, Patrol, and Escort (RPE) vehicles to G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited, its long-standing security partner.

The commissioning ceremony which held in Ikeja GRA, Lagos, underscores IHS Nigeria’s commitment to operational excellence, safety, and strategic partnerships.

The fully equipped vehicles, customized with radio systems, public address systems, medical kits, ladders, and amber lights, are expected to significantly enhance G4S’s patrol capabilities and enable proactive risk mitigation across IHS Nigeria’s infrastructure footprint in the country.

Speaking at the event, Jubril Saba, Vice President, Operations at IHS Nigeria, remarked: “IHS Nigeria is delighted to formally hand over these Response, Patrol and Escort (RPE)  vehicles to our valued security partner, G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited. As a company, we recognize that the success of our operations lies not only in our technology and infrastructure but also in the strength of the partnerships we build and sustain.

G4S has been an essential partner in protecting our sites, supporting our teams, and ensuring operational continuity across the country. This initiative is more than just a commissioning of vehicles; it is a reaffirmation of our commitment to the safety of our people and assets, our drive for operational excellence, and our belief in strong partnerships.

We understand that securing our infrastructure and communities is critical to sustaining high-quality services nationwide, and we are confident this fleet will enhance G4S’s capacity to support us.”

Also speaking at the event, Jonas Ahl, Managing Director of G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited, expressed his appreciation for the partnership:

“We are proud to receive these 65 custom-built patrol vehicles from IHS Nigeria. Each unit is fully outfitted to meet the specific security needs of our operations, equipped with communication systems, emergency response tools, and visibility-enhancing features. These vehicles will not only improve our response times and field presence but also enable us to reduce risk and deter criminal activity more effectively.

I would like to thank the IHS team for their excellent collaboration throughout this project. We are proud to serve IHS and remain committed to protecting the assets that power connectivity across Nigeria.”

This strategic gesture reinforces IHS Nigeria’s position as a socially responsible and security-conscious industry leader, while highlighting the value of operational synergy with trusted partners like G4S.

The deployment of these vehicles marks another milestone in IHS’s mission to secure its infrastructure and deliver uninterrupted service to millions of users across the country.

 


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