General News
NCC Appoints Reuben Muoka as Director of Public Affairs
The Management of the Nigerian Communications Commission has appointed Reuben Muoka, an innovative journalist and consummate public relations practitioner, as its new Director of Public Affairs (DPA).
Reuben Muoka takes over from Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, who has assumed duties as the Director of Special Duties Department of the Commission.
The new NCC’s spokesman was recently promoted a substantive director, alongside Ismail Adedigba, now Director of Research and Development (R&D); and Gwa-Tobi Mohammed, who has also assumed duties as Director/Secretary to the Board of the Commission.
Muoka was in 2021, appointed to head the Special Duties Department, which superintends the International Relations Unit; Emergency Communication Centres Unit; the Public Private Partnership Unit; and the Security Services Unit of the Commission. He was promoted as Director of the Department before his current redeployment to lead the Public Affairs Department, the arm of the Commission mandated to manage the image and visibility of Nigeria’s telecom regulator and a leading light of the Nigerian public service.
Muoka is expected to bring his rich and versatile experience in both specialized and traditional journalism, public relations, integrated marketing communications (IMC), corporate communication and people management, to bear on the Commission’s vision to expand the frontiers of its public goodwill and the impact of its reputational assets.
A former Deputy Communications Editor of the Vanguard Newspapers, former Deputy General Manager at MTS First Wireless (Nigeria’s first mobile telephone operator), Muoka joined the NCC in 2007 as a Principal Manager, and was deployed to the Public Affairs Department where he headed the Media and Public Relations Unit.
He later rose from the rank of Principal Manager to the position of an Assistant Director in 2010, and by 2015, as a Deputy Director, appointed to head the re-engineered Public Relations Unit of PAD.
In 2017, he was redeployed to the Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis Department to head the Economic Analysis unit of department.
Muoka earned M.Sc. degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos, specialising in Public Relations and Advertising, where he had earlier successfully completed a Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) in the same field of Mass Communication. Much earlier, he had obtained a bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts at the University of Ilorin.
As a mark of his distinctive journalism career, Muoka received a fellowship of the Egyptian Embassy in Nigeria to undertake a Pan-African training and tour of Egypt in 1999, leading to an award of a continental Diploma Certificate in Journalism at the instance of the Egyptian Ministry of Information, and the African Journalists Union (AJU) in Cairo, Egypt.
The focused, innovative and illuminating coverage and analysis of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the pre and immediate post liberalisation period of telecom industry in Nigeria is credited to the insights of visionary journalists like Muoka, whose pioneering initiative led to the establishment and institutionalisation of the Hi-Tech Desk in Vanguard Newspapers in late 1990s. As the Chairman of the League of Communications Correspondents (LECCO), Muoka led his colleagues to give voice and focus to the advocacy for the liberalisation and deregulation of the telecom industry in Nigeria in the 1990s.
During his active days in journalism at Vanguard Newspapers, Muoka served concurrently as Africa’s contributing editor to the London-based CommunicationsWeek for four years beginning from 1998, during which he undertook copious reportage of the African telecom landscape. The London-based magazine shared Muoka’s work to an enthusiastic global audience in a rare showcase of Africa’s promise as a flourishing point for the emergent converging telecommunications industry.
Between 1995 and 2001, Muoka leveraged his expertise to provide part-time public relations consultancy to notable companies and institutions in the telecommunications industry, including the Nigerian Mobile Communications Limited, Abuja; Multi-links Telecommunications Limited, Lagos; Satellite Telecommunications Limited, Lagos; Pulse Marketing Communications Ltd, Lagos; and the Nigerian Communications Commission, Abuja, years before he joined the Commission as a staff.
Reuben Ejike Muoka is a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ); a full member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (mnipr); and an associate member of the Registered Practitioners of Advertising (arpa), regulated by the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON).
On behalf of the Board and Management of the Commission, I heartily congratulate Reuben on his new role and look forward to working closely with him and his team in Public Affairs Department, as key internal stakeholders in the Commission’s re-engineering processes to meet and surpass Federal Government’s expectations for a robust telecommunications sector and a remarkably emergent digital economy.
Guinness Nigeria has officially begun rewarding consumers under its nationwide ‘Open For More’ National Consumer Promotion (NCP), with an impressive ₦17 million in rewards to 107 winners during the campaign’s first live draw held on July 31, 2026.
The inaugural draw instantly transformed the fortunes of consumers across the country, producing seven new millionaires, who each received ₦1 million, alongside 100 additional winners, who each walked away with ₦100,000. The milestone marks the beginning of a series of weekly live draws that will see hundreds more Nigerians rewarded throughout the promotion.
The seven ₦1 million winners are Marcus Barieepie, Ani Valentine Ogochukwu, Okafor Sochima, Taiwo Adebola, Zubair Rukayat, Oluwatobi Femi, and Ebubechukwu Okolo.
The live draw was conducted under the supervision of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to ensure transparency and fairness. Representatives of the commission present included Dr. Olubunmi Otti, Zonal Coordinator, FCCPC Southwest, and Mrs. Abosede Ogundeji, Surveillance and Investigation Officer.
Speaking during the draw, Ramanathan S, representing Guinness, said the promotion reflects the brand’s enduring commitment to celebrating and rewarding the consumers who have supported Guinness over the years.
“For decades, Nigerians have made Guinness a part of their milestones and celebrations. Today, we are proud to give back by putting ₦17 million directly into the hands of 107 consumers in our very first draw. This is only the beginning. Over the coming weeks, many more Nigerians will experience life-changing rewards as we continue to celebrate the loyalty of the people who have made Guinness part of their stories.”
He added that all weekly draws will continue to be streamed live across Guinness Nigeria’s official platforms, enabling consumers to witness the winner-selection process in real time and reinforcing the transparency and credibility of the promotion. He also encouraged eligible consumers nationwide to participate, noting that every valid entry presents another opportunity to win.
The ‘Open For More’ National Consumer Promotion offers consumers the chance to win ₦1 million every day, ₦100,000 cash prizes for 1,000 winners, and a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado as the grand prize. Altogether, the promotion will reward consumers with more than ₦400 million in cash and prizes.
To participate, consumers simply need to purchase specially marked bottles of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout or Guinness Smooth, locate the unique code beneath the crown cork or can lid, and enter the code via the designated campaign platform.
With ₦17 million already won in its opening draw, the campaign is off to a remarkable start, reinforcing Guinness Nigeria’s commitment to rewarding consumer loyalty through transparent processes and unforgettable experiences that go beyond the product. Consumers are encouraged to look out for specially marked promotional packs and follow Guinness Nigeria’s official communication channels for updates, winner announcements, and details of upcoming draws.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has expressed readiness to deepen collaboration with Nigerian universities to promote research, innovation and technology-driven solutions to local challenges.
NITDA, UniAbuja
NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, stated this when the management of Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja (UniAbuja), led by its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, paid a familiarisation visit to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Abdullahi said stronger collaboration between NITDA and tertiary institutions was essential to building a robust innovation ecosystem, developing practical skills and positioning Nigeria for technology-driven economic growth.
He stressed the need for increased investment in research, particularly in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, cybersecurity and cloud computing.
“We need to invest more in in-depth research with universities to build a robust research ecosystem that will help us develop solutions.
“Research will focus on harnessing AI, IoT, blockchain, cybersecurity and cloud technology, among other emerging technologies, to improve our lives and grow our digital economy,” he said.
The DG described universities as critical talent factories required to achieve Nigeria’s digital transformation aspirations.
“NITDA has a vision to make Nigeria a digitally empowered nation. You (UniAbuja) are the talent factory, and we cannot achieve our vision without talented Nigerians.
“The only way to achieve that is by working with institutions like yours. So, we need to build talent,” he said.
Abdullahi also advocated the integration of AI education across disciplines in tertiary institutions, saying students needed practical digital skills to remain relevant in the evolving world of work.
“We can work together to explore ways of introducing AI across the board as a general study course in tertiary institutions.
“Elements of AI should be included in every field of study to equip our students with the hands-on skills for navigating the real world,” he said.
According to him, NITDA is already collaborating with key education sector stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and National Commission for Colleges of Education.
He said the agency was also working to promote digital literacy programmes across all levels of education to ensure that graduates acquire skills relevant to industry requirements.
Earlier, Fawehinmi said the university’s visit was aimed at seeking NITDA’s partnership and support in strengthening digital infrastructure and technology-based training at the institution.
He expressed appreciation for NITDA’s contributions to the Digital Geoscience Centre at the university.
The Vice-Chancellor said the university was willing to collaborate with NITDA on joint research, capacity-building initiatives and innovation programmes capable of contributing to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
“We could go into partnership with you to provide data, collaborative engagements, staff exchanges and joint research hubs, so that we can produce high-level human resources.
“The university is committed to serving as a strategic academic partner to NITDA by providing academic expertise required to advance your national digital transformation initiatives,” he said.
The proposed collaboration is expected to strengthen the link between academic research and industry needs while creating opportunities for technology innovation, skills development and practical solutions to Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.
A New Mexico court has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to pay $567 million to address the alleged harms caused to young people by its social media platforms.
Meta
The ruling by Judge Bryan Biedscheid came in the second phase of a landmark trial concerning the impact of Meta’s platforms on children and teenagers.
The judge said $420 million of the amount would be dedicated to treatment services for young people, while the remaining funds would support awareness and prevention programmes, screening services and other related costs over the next five years.
The latest financial order comes on top of $375 million in civil penalties awarded against Meta in March after a jury found that the company knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed information about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
During the second phase of the trial, prosecutors asked the court to order fundamental changes to Meta’s platforms, including measures to reduce addictive features, improve age verification and prevent child sexual exploitation through stronger privacy settings and increased oversight.
The court subsequently ordered Facebook and Instagram to introduce banner notifications and informational screens explaining their safety features, recommended practices and tools for addressing inappropriate comments.
The platforms must also regularly display the information, while an educational campaign in New Mexico will be subject to review by the state.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the ruling sent a clear message that technology companies could be held accountable when their product designs knowingly exposed children to risks.
“Today’s decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online,” Torrez said in a statement.
Meta said it would appeal the ruling.
“We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content,” the company said.
The company said it remained confident in its record of protecting teenagers online and would continue to defend itself against what it described as claims that misrepresented the facts.
On age verification, the court said federal children’s privacy laws restricted Meta’s ability to apply certain verification tools to children under 13.
The court cited the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which limits the collection of personal information from children under 13.
Rather than imposing a blanket age-verification requirement exclusively on Meta, the judge ordered the company to continue improving its age-assurance tools in New Mexico.
The tools include the use of artificial intelligence to estimate users’ ages based on signals such as their social connections and the type of content they post and consume.
Meta was also ordered to attempt to develop a dedicated model for predicting whether users are under 13 within the next two years.
Additionally, the company must request proof of age from Facebook and Instagram users in New Mexico whom it estimates to be under 13.
Where Meta determines that a user is under 13, or under 18 but cannot determine a specific age, it must treat the user as being under the applicable age threshold until the user verifies their age.
The court further ordered Meta to partner with schools or a child-safety organisation to establish a reporting portal through which school officials can flag users suspected to be under 13.
Meta must also delete personal information it has collected from users under 13 and submit progress reports twice a year detailing its compliance with the court-ordered measures.
The ruling comes as Meta faces thousands of lawsuits from families alleging that children have been harmed by social media use.
The company is also preparing for another trial in California amid the growing litigation over the impact of social media platforms on young people.
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