Telecom
CECAD Urges FG to Explore Benefits of World Wide Web Celebration
Centre for Cyber Awareness and Development (CECAD), promoter and organizer of this year’s World Wide Web celebration in Nigeria, which is scheduled for August 5th has adduced reasons why Nigeria as a country and corporate organisations should participate in the global celebration.
According to CECAD, Nigeria has made commendable impact in the growth of broadband and internet-based innovations. Thus, the country with over 154.3 million basic Internet users cannot be left out of such a global celebration.
“The growth of the Internet has led to the development of digital technologies helping to transform the economy of the country in several ways, such as reducing information and transaction costs, creating new collaborative models to increase the efficiency of workers, promoting innovation, and improving education and developing societies,” said Dr. Bayero Agabi, National Coordinator of CECAD, at an interactive session with selected Journalists in Lagos.
He argued that the internet and its related technologies played a major role in the growth and performance of the digital economy, which took the country out of recession in the fourth quarter of 2020, with a contribution of 12.45% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The digital economy sector, powered by the Internet grew by 17.64 percent in Q4 2020 from 17.36 percent in Q3 2020 and 10.26 percent in Q4 2019. Additionally, investment also grew from about $38 billion in 2015 to over $70 billion currently.
Meanwhile, broadband penetration moved from 6 per cent in 2015 to 45.02 percent at December 2020, indicating that 85.9 million Nigerians are now connected on 3G and 4G networks which provide enhanced high-speed Internet that has continued to boost efficiency and increase productivity across the economic spectrum.
Recent statistics also indicate that between 2015 and December 2020, active voice subscriptions have increased from 151 million to 204.6 million, with teledensity standing at 107.18 percent with basic active internet subscriptions growing from 90 million to 154.3 million during the period.
The World Wide Web Day is a global celebration dedicated to web browsing, online activity that brings a wealth of knowledge to your fingertips. It is a chance to celebrate the way the internet has created an environment for collaboration and business growth while also taking a deeper look into its evolution over the past three decades since its invention by Sir Tim Berners-Lee.
The Nigeria event celebration will chronicle the impact of the internet, best ways to use the internet for good and economic development, its impact in the media, business, governance, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship.
The event is put together by CECAD and Cyber Africa magazine is in commemoration with support from organisations such Medallion Communications, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, PFS, the Nigerian Communications Commission, WEMA Bank,NIRA, ITPulse, CKN News , Digivation Network on AIT, and National daily newspaper.
The conference is a celebration of the impact of the internet, gathering of stakeholders to discuss the opportunities of emerging technologies for business, raising additional awareness and exploring the strategies of safety on the web for individuals and businesses, infrastructure companies, innovators.
The event will also look at policies to grow the space and the Nigeria information society through creating a sustainable digital economy. The event, scheduled to hold at De Renaissance Hotel, G.R.A, Lagos provides a platform for Sharing organizational vision and strategic plan to drive the National ICT revolution and the digital space.
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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