Telecom
NITDA, NUJ Partner on Digital Journalism
In order to check quackery and the rising cases of fake news in the practice of journalism as well as provide eligible journalists with the latest technological tools with which they will carry out their jobs professionally and be at par with international best practices, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has given a nod to the proposed partnership sought by the national body of the fourth estate of the realm -The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
This was during a courtesy visit by members of the Union, led by it’s National President, Mr Chris Isiguzo.
Kashifu Inuwa, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), while emphasizing the relevance of emerging technologies in journalism, decried the adverse effect of fake news which he described as unimaginable and a huge threat to the profession.
“Today, anybody can be a journalist without knowing the journalistic ethics. So, how can we address that? We can only do that through this kind of engagement; by training and retraining because journalists need to understand that it is now about digital journalism and for you to engage in that, one needs to understand the technology and be able to verify information and it’s source before publishing or broadcasting”.
Although saddled with the mandate of regulating the use of Information Technology (IT) in the country, the DG noted that in recent times, the responsibility has gone beyond establishing the DOs and DON’Ts due to the dynamic nature of technology which he said has further necessitated the need to up the ante in making journalists acclimatized with requisite skills and ‘technology know how’.
“We need to always reskill, update our knowledge and understand how the technology works in order to harness the potentials and use it for better things because technology can be used as either a tool or a weapon; so it is left for the user to decide what should drive the purpose…so everyone has a part to play in ensuring that unscrupulous elements don’t misuse the tech to mislead people”.
While describing journalism as the best medium to sensitize the public on what the Federal Government is doing towards achieving a digital Nigeria, Inuwa said the partnership would greatly be beneficial to both parties.
“As a government, we have an ambitious target of achieving ninety five per cent digital literacy by twenty thirty. It is not possible for us to train ninety five percent of the population on one on one basis, so we need to be innovative; We need to find a way of leveraging on organizations like yours to achieve that because if we can have people writing about digital literacy, the reach would be far more wider than what we can do as a government so that’s why we had already even started engaging your members in some states of the federation; training and letting them know they have a responsibility of helping the government in sanitizing the system so that we can address the challenge of fake news misinformation and disinformation”.
On the forthcoming National Executive Council/ Workshop on Digital Journalism organized by the Union, the NITDA Boss expressed interest in the planned programme and assured the body of the agency’s support.
He also encouraged the team to work out the modalities for the interventions/ trainings as requested in order for NITDA to know the number of members and make adequate provisions toward kick-starting the process.
Speaking earlier, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), ChrisStrategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP- 2021-2024 Isiguzo while applauding NITDA for the different training sessions held for journalists in Jigawa, Kano, Gombe, Katsina States e.t.c. which he observed are usually accompanied with working tools, said the visit was to formally meet for the first time with the DG and also express the Union’s profound gratitude for the ongoing training packages so far and to seek for partnership at the national level.
“A journalist that is not exposed to constant training and retraining programmes is danger to the society and that’s why what you’re doing, we must applaud and we are also asking that we take it beyond and accommodate more of our people so that they will also benefit; that way, such issues about fake news which of course is about misinformation, disinformation and the rest of them would have been effectively tackled”.
Isiguzo also appealed for digital facilities to be provided for the Union’s National Secretariat and International Institute of Journalism in order to aid optimal operations.
“There’s need that we get those facilities because most of our colleagues especially those operating online always come back because they don’t have offices and that’s why the umbrella body there is more like a shade and was provided to everybody that come and when you have these people operate within one enclave control is easier.
“So we also want to demonstrate some level of control that’s why we are asking for your assistance with some of these facilities and I believe that it will go a long way in also helping the government and its message against fake news”.
The believe is that the partnership forged during the meeting will ultimately be a step closer towards making journalism practice in Nigeria more technologically driven and devoid of unprofessionalism while NITDA achieves some of it’s seven pillars in the Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP- 2021-2024) including Digital Literacy and Skills.
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.
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.”
MTN Nigeria Communications PLC has announced a significant increase in female representation within its leadership, with women now making up 41.4% of its workforce, a notable rise from 38.7% in 2023.
This figure reportedly doubles the industry average, positioning MTN Nigeria as a frontrunner in gender diversity within Nigeria’s ICT sector.
The company’s recently released 2024 Annual Report highlights its sustained commitment to workplace inclusion and gender equality, aligning with its “Ambition 2025” strategy. Female representation within the executive management team has reached approximately 46.7%.
MTN Nigeria attributes this progress to dedicated initiatives aimed at empowering women professionally. These include the “Women in Tech” programme, which provides targeted upskilling in high-demand fields such as Cloud Computing, Software Engineering, AI/ML, Data Science, and Cyber Security.
The “MTN Y’ello Mums Internship Programme” also supports young mothers in their transition back into the corporate world after career breaks.
Odunayo Sanya, executive director of the MTN Foundation, was recognised as the CSI Personality of the Year at the Nigeria Tech Innovation & Telecoms Awards (NTITA), further underscoring the company’s impactful social initiatives.
Additionally, Uto Ukpanah, the company secretary, received the inaugural Global Corporate Secretary of the Year Award from the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA).
Speaking at a recent conference, Odunayo Sanya, emphasised the importance of balancing profitability and sustainability equation, saying, “Businesses today need to be purpose-driven. While the soul of business is profitability, it is not profitability alone that should matter to stakeholders.”
Uto Ukpanah, added, “Showcasing our corporate values and ethos to the world opens the door for greater collaboration with other organisations, as we believe there’s a lot to learn when we all come together. Governance continues to evolve. The challenges today are not the same as they were 10 years ago. Greater accountability is expected, and companies can only continue to do better.”
The company’s broader efforts in diversity and inclusion have been acknowledged with multiple accolades, including the Corporate Responsibility Award. MTN Nigeria also received the “Employer of the Year” award at the 4th Edition of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Employers’ Excellence Awards.
Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, in the report, reiterated the company’s commitment to building a purpose-driven organisation, emphasising that its success is intrinsically linked to its people and their dedication to a shared vision.
“Since we initiated our culture transformation journey in 2021, our culture transformation has significantly enhanced employee engagement and organisational cohesion. It’s directly strengthened our ability to deliver outstanding business performance and drive sustainable long-term value for all our stakeholders.”
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