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Solar Power, Solution to QoS – Hochet

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Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, DG, Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN)
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Nigeria could be on a path to sustainable growth and have one of the best telecom services in the world, if proper investment is geared towards building renewable sources of energy to power the country’s telecom infrastructure, Nigeria CommunicaionsWeek can now report.

Marcel Hochet, president of the Nigeria-France Chamber of Commerce and managing director of Schneider Electric Nigeria stated that the share size of Nigeria and the huge potential of abundant sun energy available all year round could make this happen.

Nigeria which has over 110 million connected mobile telephone lines also has one of the worst mobile experiences in the continent.

Operators spend huge chunks of their earnings on diesel to power BTS sites spread over the vast network over one million square kilometers. Several of the big operators have muted the idea of investing in alternative sources of energy to power their BTS sites.

In fact, Airtel Nigeria recently announced it has successfully converted about 250 of its BTS sites with green energy in a pioneering pilot project. MTN Nigeria is investing in the conversion of its BTS sites from diesel to clean renewable energy option.

Hochet stated that Nigeria is blessed with tropical climate and extracting renewable energy from the sun would be a better and cheaper option to power the BTS which would yield improved telecom quality of service.

He also stated that Schneider’s energy solutions are geared towards helping to save ICT customers ranging from mobile operators, ISPs or fixed wireless/fixed wired operators about 70 per cent on call data centre operations.

The company recently demonstrated the renewable energy efficiency option by embarking on installation of solar electric projects in rural communities in Nigeria. Hochet said the corporate social responsibility (CSR) project was to show the effectiveness of the green energy and a demonstration of faith in Nigeria.

Professor Abubakar Sani Sambo, Director General of Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), noted that one per cent of the country’s vast land mass is enough to generate 600, 000 megawatts of electricity for the nation’s notorious power supply system.

The ECN is a government agency set up to carry out overall energy sector planning and policy implementation, promote the diversification of the energy resources through the development and optimal utilization of all, including the introduction of new and alternative Energy resources like Solar, Wind, Biomass and Nuclear Energy.

He noted that the investment cost of the solar modules was very high, but said the life span of the solar panel could be as long as 25 years.

Poor performance of the mobile operators in Nigeria set them at variance with the regulatory body, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), early in the year which imposed fines of about N1.17 billion for not meeting key performance indicators (KPI) standard.

The NCC has set two per cent call drop rate and 98 per cent completion rate as threshold for GSM operators in the country. It also set two per cent call drop rate and a 96 per cent call completion rate for the CDMA operators.

 

 

 


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FBI Busts Alleged Cyber Fraud Ring Led by Nigerian ‘Tech Queen’

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A Nigerian tech enthusiast known online as the “tech queen,” Sapphire Egemasi, has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with a massive fraud scheme targeting U.S. government agencies.

Egemasi, a programmer with an active Devpost profile, was apprehended around April 10, 2025, in the Bronx, New York, reports The Nation.

She was arrested alongside several alleged co-conspirators, including Ghanaian national Samuel Kwadwo Osei, believed to be the ringleader of the syndicate.

The arrests follow a federal grand jury indictment filed in 2024, which charged the group with multiple counts of internet fraud and money laundering. The crimes allegedly took place between September 2021 and February 2023.

According to prosecutors, the syndicate defrauded the city of Kentucky of millions of dollars by creating spoof websites that mimicked official U.S. government portals. These fraudulent platforms were used to harvest login credentials and redirect funds into accounts under the group’s control.

Investigators say Egemasi served as the technical lead of the operation. She allegedly designed the fake websites and managed the coordination of wire transfers.

Records show that in August 2022 alone, the group rerouted $965,000 into a PNC Bank account and funneled another $330,000 into a Bank of America account.

Before her arrest, Egemasi was reportedly based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, though authorities believe she previously lived in Ghana, where she may have forged ties with other members of the syndicate.

To mask the origin of her wealth, Egemasi claimed on social media and professional platforms to have held internships with multinational corporations such as British Petroleum, H&M, and Zara.

Her LinkedIn profile portrayed a polished image of a successful tech professional, while her social media accounts featured images of lavish vacations to destinations like Greece and Portugal —trips prosecutors allege were funded by illicit gains.

Egemasi and her co-defendants are currently in federal custody, awaiting trial in Lexington, Kentucky. If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison, hefty financial penalties, and likely deportation upon completing their sentences.


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Abbas Jega, Ex-AMCON ED, Testifies, Says Arik Never Cooperated With AMCON

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A former Executive Director at Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Abbas Muhammed Jega, has shed light on the financial dealings between Arik Air and Union Bank, revealing that the airline’s debt to AMCON was over N100 billion as of 2015 and remained unpaid.

Testifying as the third prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Ahmed Kuru, former AMCON MD/CEO, and four others, Jega disclosed that AMCON acquired Arik’s loans from Union Bank and Keystone Bank, but not Zenith Bank, which was purchased after his exit.

According to Jega, AMCON discovered in a London meeting that Union Bank had sold them a guarantee rather than a loan, which was meant to cover foreign lenders in case Arik defaulted.

“We invited Arik to resolve the issue with Union Bank, but the arrangement disclosed by me never existed,” Jega said.

Jega attributed Arik’s inability to repay to over-trading, which led to their inability to service existing debts. He revealed that AMCON attempted to restructure Arik’s debt and even offered additional loan facilities to help the airline with working capital problems.

However, Arik failed to meet repayment obligations, prompting AMCON to propose two solutions: a debt equity swap and management control. Both options were rejected or delayed by Arik.

Under cross-examination, Jega confirmed that Kamilu Omokide and Captain Roy Ilegbodu played no role in the loan purchase or London meeting.

The matter has been adjourned to June 30, July 1, and July 2, 2025, for further cross-examination.

The case involves alleged financial misappropriation amounting to N76 billion and $31.5 million, with Ahmed Kuru, Kamilu Omokide, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, Union Bank Ltd, and Super Bravo Ltd as defendants, presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada.


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Minister of Information to Chair GOCOP Book Launch in Abuja

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Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation is to chair the public presentation of the book Nigeria Media Renaissance: GOCOP Perspective on Online Publishing, a publication of Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP). The event is scheduled for 110am on Tuesday June 17, 2025 at the Continental Hotel, Abuja.

President of GOCOP, Maureen Chigbo, who confirmed this development said the book presentation will be graced by eminent personalities from all walks of life, including government officials, captains of industry, media practitioners and other professionals, representatives of international organisations, directors of non-governmental organisations.

Alhaji Idris was sworn in as Minister of Information and National Orientation on August 21, 2023, following his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. With over three decades of experience in broadcasting, newspapering, public relations, and advertising, Idris has brought a wealth of expertise to the role.

His academic background includes degrees in English Studies from Uthman Danfodio University, Sokoto, and Bayero University, Kano. As an entrepreneur, he established notable media outlets such as Blueprint, WE FM radio station, and Rapid Television in Abuja.

He is a prominent figure in professional associations such as National Institute of Public Relations, African Public Relations Association, Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria, and Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria.

As the founder of Bifocal Communications, a leading public relations and communications consultancy, Idris has served both local and transnational corporations.

Beyond his professional endeavours, Idris is committed to social responsibility through the Mohammed Idris Malagi (MIM) Foundation, which has positively impacted many lives. As a reward for his contributions to the development of his immediate environment and beyond, The Etsu Nupe conferred “Kaakaki Nupe” on him.

A press statement by the GOCOP Publicity Secretary, Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, quoted the GOCOP president as saying that the proceeds of the book will be used to fund the N2.3 billion GOCOP MEDIA CENTRE, a multi-purpose resource centre comprising a secretariat, a 21st Century library and event halls, among others.

Nweke further noted that the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) was established to promote professionalism in online publishing, ensuring its members uphold the fundamental principles of journalism.

Comprising seasoned editors and senior journalists with distinguished career in print and electronic media, GOCOP’s membership has traversed the online publishing, recognizing its pivotal role in shaping the future of journalism globally. With 120 corporate publishers as members, GOCOP continues to uphold the highest standards of online journalism.


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