Telecom
NITDA, ECOWAS Partner to Foster Cybersecurity Talent in West Africa

National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have joined forces to empower West African youth with the skills and knowledge needed to safeguard the region’s cyberspace.
A regional security hackathon held in Abuja, Nigeria, showcased the talent and potential of young participants from across West Africa.
The event aimed to identify and nurture cybersecurity experts who can combat the growing threat of cybercrime in the region.
NITDA Director General Kashifu Inuwa, represented by Oladejo Olawumi, emphasised the importance of harnessing the energy and creativity of young people to address cybersecurity challenges.
He stressed the need for countries to adhere to regional regulations and implement robust measures to protect critical institutions.
Olawumi stressed the importance of tapping into the region’s youthful talent to combat cybercrime.
He emphasised NITDA’s ongoing commitment to supporting future initiatives and stated, “The vibrant competition within the technology sector is encouraging. By harnessing the energy and creativity of our youth, we can effectively fight cybercrime and prevent them from engaging in criminal activities.”
On his part, the ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, highlighted the urgency of protecting the region’s cyberspace and the role of the hackathon in identifying and supporting talented individuals.
He emphasized the collaboration between ECOWAS, NITDA, governments, private sector, and academia in making the event a success.
The hackathon, which was the third in the series, attracted participants from 12 West African countries.
Winners and participants received cash prizes and gift items as recognition for their achievements.
In addition to the competition, the event included training programs sponsored by donors and partners to further enhance the skills of the young participants.
After 30 hours of intense competition, the TeamERROR from Nigeria emerged third and got a cash prize of $6000 with laptops for each member of the team.
The M3V7R team from Benin Republic came second with a cash prize of $8,000 and laptops for its members, while the First Prize went to Shell X Roots from Cote d’ Ivoire with a cash prize of $10,000 and laptops for members of the group.
A highlight of the event was the recognition of Hannah Bangoura from Sierra Leone, who won the Best Female Participant award.
Her achievement underscored the growing influence of women in the field of cybersecurity across West Africa.
Earlier at the opening of the competition in Abuja, the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, commended ECOWAS for its commitment to promoting regional unity in addressing cyber security.
He emphasised that the Hackathon represents a powerful symbol of unity and cooperation among ECOWAS member states, noting that “As threats become increasingly sophisticated and transnational, collaboration between nations is no longer optional, but essential.
“Making partnerships with relevant Cybersecurity outfits in various countries and a call for global Cybersecurity strategies is vital.”
Inuwa explained that the global Cybersecurity workforce places a gap with billions of jobs unfilled for the coming years, noting that the Hackathon is a response to that challenge.
Represented by the Director of IT Infrastructure Solution Mr. Oladejo Olawumi, Inuwa explained that participants need to be provided with opportunities to showcase their abilities to ensure that the youths have pathways to recognition, employment, and growth in this field.
“Our efforts also extend to fostering home-grown solutions towards our annual Hackathons, which offer startups to showcase real world problems.
“This Hackathon coincides with the National Cybersecurity Awareness month, during which we conduct extensive awareness to educate the public about the trending cyber threats and how to stay safe,” Inuwa said.
He added that the Hackathon competition saw 1,500 teams participate, including 139 teams led by female captains. With 1,362 female participants out of 5,341, the event highlighted the significant contributions women make to Cybersecurity in the region.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy, and Digitalisation, Mr. Seido Douko, while welcoming the participants, commended their dedication to addressing the pressing Cybersecurity challenges affecting the region
He stated that “ECOWAS passionately believes in harnessing the power of innovation and collaboration to drive progress. As technology continues to evolve, mere vigilance is no longer enough.
“To stay ahead of emerging threats, we must foster adaptability, creativity, and collaboration across borders, building a robust and resilient cyber ecosystem that benefits all member states.”
“Today’s event embodies the spirit of collaboration and innovation, bringing together talented young minds to tackle a critical regional challenge.
“It is not just about competition, but about collective contribution and creativity, fostering innovative solutions that will drive meaningful change and resilience in our region,” he added.
While maintaining that the competition is more than just a contest but a collaborative effort to combat cyber threats, he advised for a push to the boundaries of what is possible, harnessing collective creativity and expertise to develop innovative solutions.
The 30-hours ECOWAS Cyber Security Hackathon competition brought together over 40 young tech talented enthusiasts drawn from fourteen countries in the West African sub-region.
Telecom
Gaps on Phone Number Recycling Fuel Identity Theft, Data Breaches- ICIR

When Okezie Kelechi lost his SIM card, the one he had used since his secondary school days, he didn’t think much of it.
He was shocked weeks later to find out it had been reassigned to someone else.
“I had no idea that if your SIM card has been inactive for more than three months, they will resell it,” he wrote on social media.
“They recycled my SIM card and sold it. Same number, I have had it since secondary school.”
Kelechi’s story is far from unique.
Across Nigeria, more people are waking up to the realities of what is known as SIM recycling, a process where telecommunication companies reassign inactive phone numbers to new users. While allowed under existing rules set by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the practice is now raising serious concerns over data privacy, fraud, and national security.
A regulatory gap with real-life consequences
Experts in Nigeria’s telecommunications and security sectors are increasingly warning that the NCC’s failure to establish stronger oversight of SIM recycling is endangering millions.
“Beyond the data breaches, this issue posed a big threat to national security. I have always maintained the need for a central data system in Nigeria,” said Daniel Makolo, a retired senior official of the Nigerian Immigration Service to The ICIR.
“There’s much more to this if we don’t pay attention to an appropriate central data mining system that gives us a history of each person in the country.”
Ayodele Ajayi, an engineering professor at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, explained the security risks from his own experience.
“I used to have one Airtel number, but I travelled out. Before I came back, it was reallocated to another user,” he said.
Because phone numbers are tied to Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) and National Identity Numbers (NINs), reassigning them can expose people to identity theft and financial loss.
The NCC should find a way to notify users when their numbers are at risk of being deactivated, Ajayi urged.
He also recounted an incident he witnessed at a bank, “a woman was narrating how she used to have a particular number but lost it. Somebody saw the number and started using it.
The woman said that before she could act, the person who got the number had started using it and had connived with a bank office to almost wipe out all her savings.
“Upon arriving at the bank to check her account balance, she found out that she had only N50,000 left from about N5 million she had saved up.”
Ajayi emphasised that while recycling is a practical move for telcos to manage limited number availability, more caution is needed.
“Let people know so they can migrate their data to another line, particularly now that almost every channel we use is linked to the phone number, including our bank verification number (BVN)”, he stated.
Kelechi recalled that his number was reassigned to another user despite still being active on WhatsApp.
“I used to wonder why random Hausa boys were always messaging me and calling me baby.
He added that “when I finally visited MTN office in Nigeria, I was told the line has been sold to someone else. E pain me, I no go lie.”
Another social media user Elizabeth Kandi, @DrETKandi warning others about the hidden risks of SIM inactivity alleges that when reassigned the new user can have access to your USSD banking.
“If your Nigerian number was connected to your Nigerian bank accounts for USSD, if you didn’t use it for long, the network provider can disconnect and sell the number to someone else…but that person would be able to access your money via USSD,” Kandi wrote.
Her post underscores the growing fear that recycled numbers, still linked to sensitive services like mobile banking, can open the door to fraud and financial loss
Why do Telcos recycle SIMs?
At a virtual stakeholder meeting in April 2025, NCC Executive Vice Chairman Aminu Maida acknowledged the concern noting that with the evolving landscape, it has become necessary to address emerging challenges that could undermine consumer rights.
He further noted that the Quality-of-Service Business Rules 2024 stipulate that a prepaid line without a revenue-generating event for six months must be deactivated.
This means if a prepaid SIM card goes unused for six months (i.e., no calls, texts, or data use), it must be deactivated.
If the inactivity continues for another six months, the number may be recycled/reallocated to a new user.
In Section 28 of the NCC’s draft business it is stated that all recycled SIMs must be purged of any NIN attached to allow a new user to link their own NIN. But real-world cases suggest that in practice, many recycled numbers are not properly sanitised before reassignment.
The business case for SIM recycling
For telecom operators, recycling isn’t just a technical choice, it’s economic.
Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), explained that subscribers do not have ownership rights to SIM cards in their possession, as the telecom operators pay procurement and recurring costs for each registered subscriber.
He further explained that SIM cards are “recycled” to prevent number exhaustion while reducing the cost of generating and maintaining them.
“SIM cards are reassigned to reduce the dormant subscribers, as telcos are profit-oriented organisations,” Adebayo said.
In the exercise of its powers under Section 70 of the NCC Act (2003), the commission made provisions for the development of a new numbering plan for Nigeria. Under the provision, telcos are obligated to pay a sum that is the ‘numbering plan fees’ to maintain their allocated numbers.
Telecom
Airtel Recommits to Fraud Prevention after NCC’s N104m Fine for SIM Registration Breaches

Airtel Nigeria has restated its commitment to transparency, customer safety, and regulatory collaboration following recent regulatory enforcement by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The NCC had served Airtel Nigeria a notice of sanction over some alleged SIM infractions in Kano State and consequently slammed a fine of N104 million on the telecommunications firm.
NCC had in a letter, addressed to Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, dated May 26, 2025, signed by Chizua Whyte, head, Legal and Regulatory Services, and Mohammed Dari, acting head, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, on behalf of Dr Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC, titled: ‘Notice of Sanction: Non-Compliance with SIM Registration Directive in Kano,’ where the infractions were spelt out.
According to NCC, Airtel infractions include unauthorised SIM registrations using 198 unapproved devices, resulting in 8,275 registrations outside the 281 verified Airtel shops; premature activation of 63 MSISDNs prior to proper SIM registration, contrary to the provisions of the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations 2022; failure to conduct effective eyeballing, leading to 407 fraudulent SIM registrations with multiple NINs, contrary to the provision of the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations 2022 and failure to provide satisfactory explanation for SIM registrations conducted between 12.00 a.m and 6.00 a.m.
On the matter, the letter revealed that there were some letter exchanges and subsequent meetings on the infractions between the telecom regulator and Airtel, starting from January 12, 2025, March 19, 2025, March 24, 2025, and March 27, 2025, respectively.
Apparently, after investigations and responses from Airtel, the NCC was not satisfied and this led to the fine of N104 million, which was to be paid within seven days from the date the letter was issued.
Specifically, NCC fined Airtel N5 million, N12 million, N81.4 million and N5 million for the infractions respectively.
Reacting, Airtel, expressed appreciation to the NCC for uncovering the infractions, describing the development as a critical opportunity to strengthen internal processes and further align with national security and regulatory expectations
“We thank the NCC for its vigilance and continued support in protecting the integrity of the telecoms ecosystem. Airtel takes these findings seriously and is already implementing corrective measures,” a spokesperson for the company said.
Only recently, Airtel Nigeria’s CEO recently announced that the company is doubling its investment in the country, focusing on network expansion, fiber-to-the-street rollout, 4G/5G deployment, customer care upgrades, and digital infrastructure security.
These investments reinforce Airtel’s long-term vision of building a resilient and forward-looking telecom network that meets the evolving needs of Nigerians.
“Our systems are constantly evolving to stay ahead of scammers and malicious actors,” the spokesperson added. “This is not just about compliance; it’s about our responsibility to the millions of Nigerians who rely on Airtel daily.”
Airtel Nigeria says it will continue to work closely with the NCC and other arms of government to ensure high standards of service and safety for all telecom users nationwide.
Telecom
Kenya Beats Nigeria As the Most Progressive ICT Regulation in Africa

Kenya is celebrating its regulatory ecosystem being ranked as the most progressive in Africa. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has ranked the East African country first in its most recent ICT Regulatory Tracker.
ITU’s ICT Regulatory Tracker is an evidence-gathering tool for decision-makers and regulators. It demonstrates the effectiveness of regulatory systems in the age of technology.
The ITU evaluates the design of the national regulatory authority, the scope of the regulatory mandate, the obtaining regulatory environment, and the robustness of the competition framework in member countries.
Kenya received 93 points, up from 92 in 2023, and now leads the continent in best practices for ICT regulations.
Nigeria and South Africa finished second and third, with 92 and 88 points respectively. Malawi, Egypt, Rwanda, Morocco, Uganda, Burkina Faso, and Senegal complete the top 10 list.
Globally, Kenya was ranked 20th out of 194 countries covered.Italy led the rankings, with 100 points.
The regulator, Communications Authority (CA) of Kenya, said the achievement underscored Kenya’s commitment to creating a robust, technology-neutral regulatory environment that supports innovation, affordability and access.
Steve Isaboke, permanent secretary for broadcasting and telecommunications, visited CA Centre in Nairobi following the announcement on Thursday.
“The ranking is a clear testament of the excellent work that CA has done in spearheading Kenya’s digital transformation and driving digital access for all,” he said.
“After 25 years, CA’s regulatory regime has attained maturity, and gained global recognition. This ranking shows that the CA staff and leadership are executing their work diligently.”
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