Telecom
2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue: Maida Calls for Conscious Measures to Reduce Waste
Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has canvassed for conscious measures to reduce the electronic waste generated by the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools in the country.
L-R: Sir Remmy Nweke, Editor-in Chief, ITREALMS Media; Editor-in-Chief, Political Economist and Vice President, South, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), Mr. Ken Ugbechie; National President, Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN), Mr. Olugbega Adebola and President, Domain Name System (DNS Women) Nigeria, Mrs. Nkem Nweke, during the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue on the Theme: ‘You Can Recycle Anything with a Plug, Battery or Cable!’ in Lagos, recently.
Maida made this call at the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue which held at the prestigious Welcome Center Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos recently with the theme: You can recycle anything with a plug, battery, and cable.
The EVC who was represented by a Director at NCC from the Department of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Dr. Lawal Bello said that this has become imperative given the dynamism in technology economic changes.
Nigeria, EVC said, stands to benefit more by taking conscious measures to reduce the e-waste generated using ICT Tools and equipment in the country.
“This will not only save the country’s expenditure but also less e-waste to manage,” he said.
Maida listed some E-Waste benefits and opportunities associated with conscious efforts, asserting that the environmental and economic benefits of recycling telecom equipment abound.
Recycling telecom equipment, for instance, he said, could reduce Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, save energy, and prevent e-waste from polluting the environment.
“It can also generate value for telcos by reusing, repairing, or reselling hardware and devices,” he said.
The best practices of telcos embracing sustainability, he said, would entail that some telcos should launch initiatives to promote recycling and circularity, as UK Vodafone’s internal asset marketplace, which allowed operators to repurpose excess or decommissioned hardware, or its device trade-in programme, which encourages customers to return their old devices for recycling or refurbishment.
Pointing out that other telcos have set ambitious targets to reduce their carbon footprint and increase their use of renewable energy.
Nigerian telecoms operator and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) manufacturers, Maida advised could adopt device trade-in.
This, EVC advised, would be nudged to adopt similar ideas on device trade-in programs to reduce E-waste in the country especially for mobile phones and tablets.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Group Executive Editor of ITREALMS Media and convener of the E-Waste Dialogue, Sir Remmy Nweke, applauded participants and partnering entities like the NCC, Internet Exchange of Nigeria ( IXPN), Domain Name System (DNS) Women Nigeria as well as Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), Nigeria IT Reporters Association (NITRA), Waste Managers of Nigeria and E-waste Producer Responsibility Organisation of Nigeria (EPRON) for their consistency in supporting the advocacy, stressing the need to positively dispose our mobile devices for the sake of the future and environment.
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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