Telecom
WWW Day Celebration: Stakeholders Urge Youths to Leverage Internet for Productivity
Youths in Nigeria have been urged by stakeholders in the country’s Information and Communications Technology sector to leverage the Internet and be productive in their various field of endeavor, rather than Internet scam, which many people refer to as ‘Yahoo Yahoo’.
Cross photograph of panel members at the event
The stakeholders, while speaking at the World Wide Web Day conference, organized by the Center for Cyber Awareness and Development (CECAD) in Lagos, argued that the Internet presents a better opportunity for the youths to make a lot of money, without resulting in defrauding people.
For them, the Internet has completely transformed lives on an individual basis in many ways, ranging from the way we communicate through the way we socialize to the way we shop, travel and even do business. Thus, there is no need to be involved in fraudulent activities on the basis of the Internet.
Citing cases of young Nigerians making good money as a result of the opportunities the Internet presents, Mr. Frank Donga, an actor and tech enthusiast, disclosed that he is aware of many young Nigerians who are making a lot of money in foreign currencies.
He explained that most of these Nigerians work for companies outside the country from the comfort of their homes.
“It is irritating when people talk of young Nigerians making money from scams. The real money is made from young Nigerians, who are creative in their mind, developing content and post on Youtube,” he said.
Mr. Frank disclosed of a certain young man in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, who is working for a company outside and receives a lot of money as salary every month, stressing that the world of the internet is vast, growing more and more by the day with people making good money.
According to him, success is all about knowing how to be productive as successful people are great at their jobs, but continuously learn and expand their interests.
This is what is lacking among the youths as they want to make it through the fast lane, which at the end of the day is not always the best.
The Internet is an enabler. With policymakers and regulators putting efforts to have grown broadband penetration from 6 percent in 2015 to 45.02 percent at December 2020, indicating that 85.9 million Nigerians are now connected to 3G and 4G networks, which provide enhanced high-speed Internet that has continued to boost efficiency and increase productivity across the economic spectrum. Young Nigerians have no more excuses than to leverage.
“The point is the Internet has given opportunities for emerging technologies, which can help businesses, individuals and even the government to thrive. But the fact remains that such individual or business must innovate,” said Tinuade Oguntuyi of ICSL at the conference with the theme ‘Creating Opportunities for a new African Digital Economy.
Tinuade wondered the attraction behind the Internet scam, when young people all over the world are capitalizing on the Internet to create solutions that are solving societal challenges in the field of health, education, entertainment and even financial services.
She noted that what just needs to be done by the government is to create an enabling environment that will encourage the creation of jobs and other opportunities for the youths.
The World Wide Web celebration was organized by the Centre for Cyber Awareness and Development (CECAD) as part of the global celebration to review the growth of the Internet, which has led to the development of digital technologies helping to transform the economy of the world 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.
Speaking earlier in his welcome address, Dr. Bayero Agabi, National Coordinator of CECAD, explained that the World Wide Web Day is a global celebration dedicated to web browsing, online activity that brings a wealth of knowledge to people and societies.
He disclosed that the day was set aside as 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.
At the Nigeria event celebration, stakeholders took a look at policies to grow the space and the Nigeria information society through creating a sustainable digital economy.
“Today’s event provides an opportunity to deliberate on the impact of the internet, review its usage in terms of security, entrepreneurship and innovation across all sectors including entertainment, governance, business transaction, tourism and many more,” Dr. Bayero said, adding that CECAD as a Non-Governmental Organisation believes the Nigeria version will chronicle the impact of the internet, best ways to use the internet for good and economic development, its impact on the media, business, governance, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship.
The World Wide Web celebration was well attended by stakeholders from the various sectors of the economy, which is being impacted by the Internet in one way of the other.
Personalities in attendance either physical or virtual include the Director-General of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Aliyu Aziz, Managing Director Galaxy Back Bone Limited (GBB), Prof. Muhammed Bello Abubakar, President Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Prof. Adesina Sodiya, President of ATCON, Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, Former President NCS, Alhaji Ladi Oguneye, Chief Executives of IT companies and other relevant stakeholders.
Airtel Nigeria, telecom service provider, has announced that its AI-powered Spam Alert Service issued over 9.6 million spam alerts between March 13 and May 20, 2025.
As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting customers from unwanted and potentially fraudulent communications, Airtel designed the AI Spam Alert service to analyze traffic patterns and detect anomalies.
In the period since launch the AI pinpointed a total of 9,667,008 SMS as potential spam messages in the two months after its launch.
Of these, the system identified 528,080 on-net (Airtel-to-Airtel) and 9,138,928 off-net (from other networks) numbers as suspected spam messages, demonstrating the scale of the threat and Airtel’s advanced processing capability.
Airtel Nigeria is a subsidiary of Airtel Africa.
Commenting on this development, Dinesh Balsingh, CEO, Airtel Nigeria, restated Airtel`s commitment to protecting its customers.
“This milestone demonstrates the strength of our AI-driven infrastructure in combating the growing menace of spam and scam calls. At Airtel Nigeria, we are focused on connecting Nigerians and ensuring their safety and confidence while using our network.
“We understand that trust is the cornerstone of digital communication. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in intelligent systems that not only detect potential threats but also learn and evolve with data. As threats become more sophisticated, so will our solutions. As a company, we remain focused on leading the industry in innovation and customer satisfaction, ensuring that every Nigerian can enjoy a safer and smarter digital experience,” Mr. Balsingh said.
The Spam Alert Service is part of Airtel Nigeria’s broader strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into its core offerings to deliver smarter and safer experiences for its customers across the country.
Recall that the Spam Alert Service was launched on March 13, 2025. A groundbreaking and free solution from Airtel, it notifies users in real-time of suspected spam SMS messages by analyzing over 250 parameters.
The Airtel AI Spam Alert Service is available to all Airtel subscribers on smartphones and feature phones.
Vitel Wireless Limited, pioneer mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Nigeria has made another history by announcing the successful completion of interconnectivity with all major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Nigeria.
Kenneth Nwabueze, Chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless
Recall that Vitel Wireless, became the first Mobile Virtual Network Operator to receive a dedicated number series (0712) from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This breakthrough enables Vitel Wireless subscribers to make and receive calls with users on MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom (Glo), and 9mobile Nigeria.
It also marks the first time an MVNO in the country has successfully interconnected with all the major MNOs, setting a new precedent for Nigeria’s telecom sector.
Following the NCC’s licensing of 46 MVNOs, Vitel Wireless continues to lead the way in establishing a dynamic MVNO sector in Nigeria—Africa’s largest market and most populous nation.
The company has already achieved several historic firsts: the first MVNO issued a numbering plan and national and international routing codes, the first to launch a location awareness network in Africa, and the first to unveil a strategic nationwide rollout plan.
“We are gathering momentum for our big launch,” said Kenneth Emeka Nwabueze, chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless.
“We are proud to be showing what’s possible for MVNOs, while also creating a path for others to follow. By leveraging our years of experience in Nigeria’s telecom industry, we are opening up new possibilities where there used to be none.”
Interconnectivity was achieved through a combination of direct fiber connections with some MNOs and indirect routing via third-party providers.
This milestone was the result of a collaborative effort involving engineers from Vitel Wireless, Wireless Technology Labs (WTL), and Interconnect Clearinghouse Nigeria (ICN), working closely with engineers from MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile.
“We wish to thank the regulatory agency, the Nigerian Communications Commission, for their timely interventions and guidance, which were instrumental in achieving this interconnectivity and bringing the formal launch of the Vitel Wireless nationwide network one step closer to reality,” said Nwabueze.
The company entered a nationwide pilot phase in May 2025, with plans for a full rollout in July 2025, aiming to deliver next-generation mobile services to millions across Nigeria.
Layer3, One of Nigeria’s foremost ICT solutions providers, has once again solidified its place as a trailblazer in Africa’s technology landscape, emerging as the Enterprise Solutions Provider of the Year and Leadership Award in Cloud Services at the prestigious African Beacon of ICT Leadership and Awards held on May 24, 2025, at the Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos.
This year’s event brought together leading tech innovators, policymakers, and thought leaders to recognize organizations making extraordinary contributions to Africa’s digital transformation.
Among the many luminaries in attendance, Layer3 stood out for its 19+ years of consistent innovation, technical excellence, and client-centered service delivery.
Speaking at the event, the organizers praised Layer3’s pioneering work in delivering robust enterprise solutions across sectors, as well as its bold leadership in advancing cloud infrastructure and services across Nigeria and beyond.
“These awards are more than recognitions, they are a reminder of the fulfilment to our mission to deliver peace of mind to our customers,” said David Ita, the Head of Strategy and Business Development of Layer3.
“They speak to the impact we’ve made and the promise we hold for the future of the cloud and enterprise technology business in Africa. We dedicate this honor to our clients, partners, and the hardworking Layer3 team who continue to redefine excellence every day.”
Since its founding, Layer3 has championed a future-forward approach to ICT services offering cutting-edge solutions in enterprise networking, cybersecurity, broadband, cloud computing, managed services, and IT advisory. The company’s Layer3Cloud platform and managed service offerings continue to power the digital ambitions of Nigeria’s leading businesses.
These accolades underscore Layer3’s unwavering commitment to driving transformation and supporting digital economies through smart, secure, and scalable technology.
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