Telecom
Tezza Academy Partners PFN to Set up Software Testing Academy for Training Nigerian Youths
Tezza Academy is partnering with the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) to set up an IT specialization training facility in Lagos which covers software testing, software quality assurance, product development, technology stack specialization and customer experience management.
The facility will offer a broad spectrum of high-end tech skills to thousands of Nigerian youths irrespective of tribe or religion.
According to the PFN State Director, Community and People Development Directorate in Lagos, Dr. Eric Ighalo, “considering the diverse network of PFN across the country particularly in Lagos and its work with member churches where there are a lot of young people, we believe that partnering with Tezza Academy is a way of reducing unemployment and job insecurity that would add to the prosperity of our nation.”
Dr. Ighalo also stated that having an organisation like “Tezza will make it easier to hire IT professionals residing in Nigeria rather than constantly going in search for them abroad to head the different establishments in need of IT solutions in different industries across the country.”
Some of these establishments include the banking sector, oil and gas, insurance, healthcare, telecommunications and a host of others.
He said the PFN was committed to working alongside Tezza Academy in advancing the initiative of equipping and empowering a greater number of young Nigerians with industry specific knowledge and skills in technology.
Mr. Jide Modele a partner at Tezza Business Solutions, which facilitates Tezza Academy described the partnership as trailblazing to positively impact on Nigerian youths in terms of capacity acquisition and relevance in not just Nigeria but the global economy where skilled IT talent remains in huge demand.
With the partnership, PFN and Tezza Academy will expand opportunities for more young Nigerians to benefit from the no-cost residency training model that empowers them with cutting-edge IT competencies, aligning with the government’s initiatives to address the mounting issue of youth unemployment in the country.
“All our clients are currently in demand of highly skilled resources, and we cannot even meet current demand. I don’t see this problem going away anytime soon considering how many highly skilled resources have emigrated from the country in recent times.
“To cover the skill gap, it will take consorted efforts from both the public and private sector, and this is something that we are going to work together in years to come,” Modele added.
Since it launched last year, Tezza Academy is effectively helping to bridge the gap for the emergence of high-calibre local talents by implementing a curriculum specifically designed to cultivate robust IT professionals through a combination of structured instructional programs and hands-on field experience. The Academy fosters a collaborative learning environment that empowers trainees with a precise blend of IT skills, competence and real-world exposure.
Dr. Ighalo said the intent of the partnership is to also leverage PFN’s extensive network to secure placement opportunities for trainees upon successful completion of their training and attainment of the required certifications.
“While people are going abroad to start a new life, there are youths here in Nigeria who can be retrained to cover a lot of those skill gaps and what we have done at Tezza Academy is to develop a purposeful curriculum to address the strategic areas of competence gaps that we have as an organization,” said Modele during a recent interview with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).
Tezza Academy offers a free residency training model that empowers young Nigerians with high-end IT skills to complement the government’s efforts at addressing the growing number of youth unemployment in the country. Tezza Academy bridges the gap for future high-quality local talents and runs a curriculum designed to develop a robust IT professional through taught programs and hands-on field experience.
The Academy provides a collaborative learning environment that empowers interns with the right combination of skills, competency, and experience.
Telecom
Celebrating African Creativity: Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ Returns for Its Fifth Year
The “Made by Africa, Loved by the World” campaign is back for its fifth year, celebrating African creativity and global influence. This year’s theme, “Where Culture Meets Connection,” highlights how social media fosters conversations around cultural moments worldwide.
The campaign features three cinematic films premiering on the Meta Africa page, showcasing the groundbreaking work and personal stories of six dynamic African creatives.
These artists, from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, represent diverse disciplines, including rap, animation, dance, photography, fashion, and videography.
Here are some of the featured talents:
- Ladipoe (Nigeria) – A BET-nominated rapper known for blending global hip-hop with African rhythms.
- Fatboy Animations (Kenya) – An animation studio founded by Michael Muthiga, recognized by Forbes for its original African storytelling.
- Lisa Quama (Ghana) – A dancer who gained fame after appearing in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video.
- Gilbert Asante (Ghana) – A photographer and creative director featured in GQ and Glam Africa.
- David Tlale (South Africa) – A fashion designer whose bold designs have been showcased at major fashion events, including the Met Gala.
- Ofentse Mwase (South Africa) – A filmmaker with over 24 international awards for his unique visual storytelling.
Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director for Africa, Middle East & Turkey, emphasized that the campaign not only celebrates individual success stories but also showcases how culture and social media drive meaningful connections and inspiration.
Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has raised the alarm over a diesel supply crisis caused by an ongoing strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Mr Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON in a statement said that the fuel supply disruption is critically affecting telecom base stations, pushing them to the brink of a shutdown and threatening millions of mobile and internet users in the region.
“This strike, which stems from the persistent harassment of tanker and petroleum product drivers by police officers in Lagos State, has effectively halted all truck loading operations and fuel movements,” Emoekpere stated.
He explained that diesel supply to telecom infrastructure has been severely impacted, leaving critical sites with dangerously low fuel levels.
According to him, if urgent measures are not taken, the situation could escalate into a full-blown network blackout, disrupting essential services, including mobile and internet access, business operations, emergency response systems, and daily communications.
ATCON has called on the governors of Lagos and Ogun states to intervene immediately by facilitating the release of diesel from depots to telecom operators to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
“This is not just a telecom issue—it is a national emergency that could cripple economic activities and compromise public safety,” Emoekpere stressed.
The association also appealed to security agencies and petroleum unions to resolve the crisis swiftly to safeguard Nigeria’s connectivity and economic stability.
ATCON emphasised that a prolonged disruption in fuel supply to telecom infrastructure could have far-reaching consequences for both businesses and individuals who rely on stable communication networks for daily operations.
In 2023, Nigerians spent a total of about ₦5.3 trillion on telecommunications services, which includes calls, data, SMS, and other telecom services, according to the Leadership.
Specifically for voice calls, Nigerians made approximately 408.5 billion minutes of local calls, generating around ₦3.28 trillion from outgoing calls and ₦3.23 trillion from incoming calls, totaling about ₦6.51 trillion in call-related revenue according to projections based on 2023 call volumes and tariff data.
However, the ₦5.3 trillion figure represents the overall telecom sector revenue, with voice calls being a major component but also including data and other services.
For individual spending, MTN subscribers spent an average of ₦2,508 monthly on voice calls in 2023, showing a 14.4% increase from 2022, while Airtel customers spent about ₦1,694 monthly on voice calls.
Total telecom spending (calls, data, SMS, etc.): ₦5.3 trillion in 2023
Estimated revenue from voice calls alone: around ₦6.5 trillion based on call minutes and tariffs
Average monthly spending on calls per subscriber: ₦1,694 to ₦2,508 depending on the network
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