Telecom
NITDA to prioritise stakeholders’ needs in programmes, projects
The Management of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) annual Retreat held in Lagos, has resolved to consistently focus on prioritizing the needs of their stakeholders in formulating policies, programmes and regulatory instruments that will further boast developmental regulation role for a sustainable Digital Economy.
The management of the Agency also emphasized a bottom-up approach as a modified method to its stakeholders’ engagement going forward, and increase private sector contribution in the formulation of standards, guidelines and frameworks.
Speaking at the event, the head of the management team and Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General/CEO of NITDA, stated the need to reshape the Agency’s future with collective leadership and individual accountability.
He implores heads of departments and units to always work with their team rather than in silos for the best idea to emerge.
He mentioned that he has done a lot in democratizing the leadership by giving free hands for individuals to perform their tasks using their ideas and innovations.
He said, this is the only way to train and duplicate leadership such that everyone takes responsibility for their actions and decisions, adding that part of their role as management staff of the Agency is to enable subordinates to gain perspective and content as well as to think and behave rightly.
“NITDA is winning today no doubt, as we are among the top Agencies in the country but that is not enough, we need to shape our tomorrow.
“If we think we are winning today and we are comfortable, tomorrow we would be forgotten because what helped us to win today will not help us win tomorrow,” he asserted.
The need to develop collective leadership skills and strategically position the Agency to consolidate on the present wins for a better tomorrow, and continuous dedication to the implementation of Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2021-2024), developed two years ago, was extensively discussed at the retreat.
The two-day management retreat with the theme “Connecting the dots for an Accelerated Digital Future” had resource personnel that addressed the management staff on “re-imagining NITDA’s role in Achieving a Sustainable Digital Economy in Nigeria”.
A stimulating presentation by the president of ISPON, Chineneye Mba-Uzokwu, wherein he applauded NITDA’s giant strides in so many respects while admitting that the interactions he had with the management has further earned the Agency his loyalty and respect being the first time he will come in contact with a public institution that operates with a private organization’s mindset.
The second presentation titled: “An Understanding of the Regulatory Function of NITDA as a Developmental Agency in a Digital Economy” by Kolawole Osinowo, tasked the management on creative thinking exercise where groups were given tools to build and create their perception of NITDA as a development organization. It was a thrilling exercise.
The annual retreat has become a tradition in NITDA, stemmed from the management’s decision to upscale the performance of the Agency through review of the past activities, evaluation of current programmes and initiatives while strategizing for future implementation.
Another presenter, Dr Nwachuckwu of Unilag and one of the resource persons took the health talk where he mentioned the importance of balancing the work-life approach for a healthy lifestyle, stating the need for regular checkups. He also disclosed the need for exercise because a healthy lifestyle consists of exercise, eating healthy meals and resting well.
At the end, the management resolved to continue to build trust with existing stakeholders while expanding frontiers of stakeholder’s engagement within the eco-system.
The Agency will continue to innovate, put people first and be professional in conduct as stated in its core value.
Telecommunications services disrupted in Kogi State have resumed following a resolution of the dispute between MTN Nigeria and the state government, the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has said.
Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of ALTON, told TVC News that the issues that led to the shutdown of telecom masts in the state, primarily affecting MTN, had been addressed, paving the way for service restoration.
TVC News earlier reported that businessmen and women were counting their losses as they suffered the impact of a shut down of telecommunication service in Kogi State
Over the past two weeks, telecoms connectivity had been erratic, with competing brands experiencing glitches, particularly in the Lokoja metropolis.
The State government suspended the operations of some telecom services citing unpaid taxes and fibre-related dues.
The shutdown stemmed from a compliance dispute between MTN and the Kogi State Utility Infrastructure Management and Compliance Agency, which accused the telecom giant of violating operational rules and under-declaring the extent of its optic fibre network coverage in the state.
The protracted Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) debt misunderstanding between the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and telecommunications operators appears to have been resolved.
This was confirmed by the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, Thursday, March 1, when he appeared on Arise TV to speak on the firm’s first-quarter 2025 result, where the telecommunications company reported over N1 trillion in revenue earnings.
Recall that the USSD debt had been a major issue between the DMBs and telcos and had lasted for about five years.
In the third quarter of 2024, the telcos had threatened to withdraw their service over the lingering debt, which was around N200 billion at the time. This led to the swift intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and an agreement was reached on payment.
As of November 2024, the NCC put the debt at N160 billion. However, earlier this year, when it appeared the banks were not forthcoming with payments, the NCC directed the telcos to withdraw the USSD services from debt-owning DMBs, where about 18 banks were listed.
This directive prompted the banks to look inward and start to comply with an earlier circular signed by the CBN and NCC, which articulated the payment patterns for the debt.
Speaking, on Arise TV this morning, May 1, Toriola confirmed that the matter has been fully resolved and that banks have made payments.
“I can confirm that the matter has been fully resolved. We have received payments in full. Special thanks to the CBN, NCC, the banks, and other stakeholders that intervened in the matter,” the MTN CEO stated.
Sterling Bank, Leading commercial bank and Africa’s most agile company has announced the introduction of AlwaysOn by Sterling, a bold new feature on its OneBank platform that will give eligible customers up to ₦1 million extra every month -even when their account balances are running low.
Launched on Workers’ Day 2025, the initiative is part of an ongoing movement to remove structural barriers to financial freedom and empower everyday Nigerians to move boldly, even in uncertain times.
AlwaysOn is a specialised, invitation-only feature for customers who maintain an active OneBank account for a while. It provides an advance to settle bills or make payments without delays, or any of the friction associated with traditional credit systems.
“This is not just about funds,” said Abubakar Suleiman, Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank. “It’s about freedom and dignity. It’s about backing our customers with the trust and tools to act boldly when life demands it.”
Suleiman emphasised that the new feature is not a product, it’s a logical shift in how the bank supports its customers.
“We’re building a financial ecosystem designed for momentum -for people with grit, urgency, and dreams too big to wait. If you’ve banked with us, you’ve earned our confidence. Now you’ll have our backing to match,” added Suleiman.
The introduction of AlwaysOn marks the next chapter in Sterling’s growing movement to create a fairer and more responsive financial system. It follows the Zero Transfer Fees initiative in April, which returned an estimated ₦13 billion to Nigerians by eliminating transfer charges across the OneBank platform. It also builds on Sterling’s Free Bus Ride initiative, which helped commuters get home from work for free during a time of intense economic pressure.
Together, these efforts reflect the bank’s bold, people-first approach to customer impact, now made possible by its adoption of SeaBaas, Nigeria’s first indigenous core banking platform.
“We’re not the kind of bank that stands on the sidelines while Nigerians hustle,” said Obinna Ukachukwu, Growth Executive for Retail and Consumer Banking. “We removed the fees that slowed them down. Now we’re giving Nigerians the financial freedom to seize opportunity when it shows up. We’re on the pitch with them.”
Sterling’s actions have sparked widespread public support and national recognition as they have continued to push the boundaries of what corporate citizenship can mean to everyday Nigerians.
Notable icons from various fields have canvassed their support and praised the bank’s stance in redefining financial services, inspiring other institutions to follow suit.
Nigerians are encouraged to apply to join the waitlist for the scheme when it goes live in later this month and ultimately, eligibility for up to N1M extra in relief advances.
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