Telecom
Scorecard: No plans to strip NCC of its powers – Pantami
Federal Government has no plans to strip the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) of its powers, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, has said.
Pantami said this on Thursday in his presentation at the 19th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Scorecard for 2015 to 2023 in Abuja.
The event was organised by the Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture.
Pantami said there was no iota of truth in insinuations that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), was designed to take over the powers of NCC.
He said that both the NCC Act 2003 and NITDA Act 2007 were obsolete and long overdue for review due to imperatives of new technologies.
According to him, old Acts did not address the fourth industrial revolution and emerging technologies.
Pantami said: “We are talking about Fouth Generation (4G) Technology and Fifth Generation (5G) Technology today as well as digital economy.
“The NITDA Act was specifically on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, while the NCC Act dwell more on telecommunications.
“I had a meeting with the Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC and the Director-General of NITDA and I directed them to work together.
“And there was an agreement that both Acts needed to be amended.”
The minister said that NITDA had over 30 stakeholders’ engagements were held, saying, “I am sure NCC was involved.
“It is unfair that someone will say because I was once a Director-General of NITDA and therefore tilted towards it.”
Pantami also said that he stood his ground for NIPOST over stamp duty issues and was threatened by the late Boko Haram leader.
He said that the threats came, when the government insisted on the implementation of Subscribers Identity Modules (SIM) with the National Identity Numbers (NIN) linkage.
“I protected NCC recently when an Agency took 42 billion belonging to it. The higher authority asked the Agency to return the money to the NCC.”Pantami said.
He said that what was being done regarding the amendments of the NITDA and NCC Acts were in the best interest of the country.
Pantami said based on assessment of independent consultants engaged by the Federal Government, the Ministry scorecard stood at “A” in all the eight priority areas assigned to it by Buhari.
According to him, broadband penetration as of November 2022 stood at 46. 2 per cent, as well as quarterly revenue generation from the ICT sector at N408 billion.
“Employment generation in the digital economy sector alone covered 2.2 million Nigerians within the last three years.
“The National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC), was able to capture NIN of over 95 million citizens on its database within two years.
This, he said, increased compared to a figure of 39 million Nigerians captured by the same agency for 13 years.
Pantami further said that through the implementation of the e-governance policy of the present administration, over N47 billion had been saved for the government.
He also said that he inherited only one National Policy, but as at today, 19 National policies had been implemented by the ministry.
Pantami said 18 Nigerian universities were being provided free unlimited broadband access and 20 Nigerian markets were also benefitting from such gestures free of charge.
He said all the policies being implemented by this administration would be concluded before May 29 this year as President Buhari would also inaugurate the 12 billion naira National Centre for Digital Innovation in Abuja.
He said challenges in the telecommunications industry were as a result of deficit in infrastructures and vandalisation of fibre optic cables.
He said that in one particular year about 13,000 cases of vandalisation of fibre optic cables were recorded in different locations across the country.
Pantami said the president should be commended by Nigerians for the far reaching policies implemented by his administration to change the narratives of the digital economy space and improve the living standards of the people.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NITDA bill is currently before the National Assembly for review. (NAN)
MTN Group has committed $2 billion to the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) Partner2Connect initiative, bringing the total funds pledged to $73 billion.
The announcement was made during the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC 2025) in Barcelona, Spain.
Partner2Connect, spearheaded by the ITU, is a global initiative aimed at enhancing universal digital access, strengthening infrastructure, and fostering meaningful connectivity.
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary-general, ITU, highlighted the significance of these commitments, stating, “Expansive digital infrastructure highlights how much humanity values and depends on meaningful connectivity. These new pledges bring us closer to delivering sustainable digital transformation to everyone, everywhere.”
According to the ITU, MTN Group has shown a strong commitment to investing in Africa’s digital future, spending approximately $2 billion annually on capital expenditures across its markets over the past five years.
Similar investments are planned over the next five years, focusing on expanding and improving voice and data networks to bolster connectivity and drive digital inclusion.
The ITU also announced a $2 billion pledge from Globalstar to expand its low-Earth orbit satellite network, providing seamless, energy-efficient connectivity solutions for remote regions and underserved areas.
These efforts will include direct-to-device (D2D) and IoT connectivity solutions.
As ITU celebrates its 160th anniversary, the UN agency has emphasised its dedication to bridging the global digital divide.
An estimated 2.6 billion people worldwide remain offline, according to ITU data.
The agency has called for $100 billion in commitments by 2026 to fund projects supporting global digital transformation, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.
With over 1,000 pledges spanning 147 countries, Partner2Connect is working toward ITU’s vision of a digitally connected and inclusive future.
Current estimates suggest $1.6 trillion is required for global connectivity hardware alone, with the majority of resources needed in developing nations.
The funds pledged by MTN Group and other partners are set to strengthen digital infrastructure, enhance connectivity in underserved areas, and accelerate digital innovations to support economic and social growth worldwide.
Telegram has rolled out a new feature aimed at enhancing user safety by flagging messages from unknown contacts.
When users receive messages from individuals outside their contact list for the first time, a detailed information page now appears.
This page includes details such as the sender’s country (determined by their phone number), their joining date on Telegram, any shared groups, and whether their account is verified.
The goal is to help users identify potential scams and impersonators more effectively.
In addition, Telegram now provides insight into when the sender last updated their username or profile picture, offering another way to detect compromised or hacked accounts.
The company has emphasised its commitment to transparency, promising “clear indicators” to distinguish official accounts, third-party verified profiles, and regular users.
Telegram Premium subscribers can now charge fees for messages received from users outside their contact list, a feature designed to reduce spam while allowing group administrators to monetise their communities.
Dubbed “Star Messages,” this new option enables users to set customisable fees for unsolicited messages.
The feature also provides flexibility, allowing certain users or members of specific groups to send messages for free.
Telegram’s Star Messages come with convenient options, such as single-tap refunds for payments, ensuring a seamless user experience.
By offering advanced controls and monetisation opportunities, the platform continues to prioritise user safety and satisfaction.
With these updates, Telegram strengthens its position as a platform focused on both user protection and innovative monetisation tools.
MTN Nigeria has strengthened its commitment to grassroots sports development following a visit to Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, at the Government House in Benin City on March 5.
The visit coincided with the upcoming launch of Season 3 of MTN Champs, an athletics competition that will commence in Edo State from March 13 to 15.
The initiative highlights MTN’s dedication to nurturing young athletic talent and aligns seamlessly with Edo State’s focus on sports development.
Idowu Adesokan, General Manager of Consumer Marketing at MTN Nigeria, expressed appreciation for Edo State’s contributions to previous editions of MTN Champs and emphasized the importance of collaboration to ensure this season’s success.
Governor Okpebholo reciprocated by pledging full logistical and administrative support to make the event impactful.
Season 3 of MTN Champs is set to engage thousands of secondary school students across Nigeria, kicking off in Edo State before moving to Lagos and Uyo in subsequent weeks.
This initiative reflects MTN Nigeria’s broader vision of fostering youth empowerment and revitalizing athletics at the grassroots level.
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