Telecom
Huawei Partners UNESCO to Enhance Learning in Nigeria Through Technology
Huawei has partnered with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to enhance learning in Nigeria through the use of technology.
Huawei said it is also making similar efforts in other developing countries, including Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, and Pakistan.
The company made this known during the Digital Talent Summit co-hosted by Huawei and the Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) as part of the company’s lead-up to the Mobile World Congress 2023 held in Barcelona, Spain, from Monday, February 27, 2023.
According to Huawei’s Vice President of Corporate Communications, Vicky Zhang, the company is proud to be joining forces with UNESCO top better deliver enhanced learning experiences in developing countries through the use of technology
“Getting the right education is often the key to success in life. As a major player in the technology sector, Huawei feels it is responsible for providing technical skills in all parts of the world, trying our best to include as many people as possible,” she said.
Zhang disclosed that Huawei started the Seeds for the Future program, a sub-project of the National ICT Talent Development, in 2018 by signing an MOU between the company and the government of Nigeria. She revealed that ten talented Nigerian students are selected each year for two weeks of ICT development and Chinese culture training.
She added that the program is expected to yield significant social impact and contribution that will inspire and help students find new solutions for the future ICT development of Nigeria and help the country develop rapidly.
Speaking during the summit, the Director of UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), David Atchoarena, commended Huawei for its commitment and contribution towards enhancing educators’ use of technology in developing countries.
While inducting the company into the Global Alliance for Literacy (GAL), Atchoarena said, “Our rapidly changing world calls for concerted efforts and strong partnerships to achieve quality education and lifelong learning for all. Huawei’s expertise in innovation in learning will be a great asset to the Global Alliance for Literacy. Collaborative projects like ours will ensure no one is left behind on this journey.”
A beneficiary of Seeds for Future Nigeria, Anthony Oshiobugie Ugheoke, who was also one of the co-hosts of the Digital Talent Summit, described the program as a life-changing opportunity that has changed his broadened his horizon and changed his perspectives on life, especially as it relates to ICT.
On the opportunity given to him by Huawei to co-host the summit, Ugheoke said, “I am excited to be nominated to attend the Huawei Digital Talent Summit, which is part of the activities at the ongoing NWC23 here in Barcelona, Spain. This is one chance that I will forever cherish as a young Nigerian to be on a global stage like this and share the stage with giants such as the Director of UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), David Atchoarena, and the Secretary General of the African Telecommunication Union (ATU), John Omo.
He thanked Huawei for the unique opportunity and urged future program beneficiaries to make the best use of the learnings to positively impact their lives, the country, and the continent at large.
Nigeria has exactly 156,662 active fixed wired internet subscriptions as of mid-2026.
This is a tiny fraction compared to mobile GSM networks, which dominate the market with over 154 million subscribers.
The fixed wired market primarily consists of homes and offices using direct physical cables like fiber optics.
Fixed wired services use physical cables, like glass fiber or copper wire, to bring internet directly into a building.
It is like a dedicated, private water pipe for your home. It provides very fast speeds, unlimited data, and is reliable.
In contrast, mobile GSM uses radio waves transmitted from tall towers to phones, acting more like a sprinkler that sprays a signal across an entire neighborhood.
Because laying physical cables across cities is expensive and hard to do, these subscriptions are very rare.
However, the market has seen recent growth, driven largely by Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services.
The top players are: MTN FibreX with 110,564 subscribers, which is roughly 88.7 per cent of the entire market.
SWIFTNG accounts for about 13,945 connections.
The others are ipNX and 21st Century Technologies which make up the number.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is intensifying efforts to implement Nigeria’s planned 112 national emergency number following its approval by the National Economic Council (NEC).
NCC
The commission disclosed this during a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and an NCC delegation led by the Chairman of its Governing Board, Chief Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Briefing the Vice President, Olorunnimbe said the NCC had already established about 35 Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) across the country to support a unified national emergency response system.
He said the next phase of implementation would focus on closer collaboration with state governments and emergency response agencies to ensure the effective rollout of the initiative.
The development follows the recent approval by the NEC, chaired by the Vice President, for the adoption of 112 as Nigeria’s single national emergency number across all tiers of government and emergency response agencies.
The council also approved the establishment of a multi-agency implementation committee to be jointly coordinated by the Office of the Vice President and the NCC.
Olorunnimbe stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on the commitment of state governments to support and maintain emergency communications infrastructure, as well as the readiness of response agencies to promptly attend to distress calls.
“We need commitment at every level of all response agencies—from top to bottom—including the Nigeria Police Force, ambulance services across the states and, at the national level, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),” he said.
Responding, Shettima directed the NCC to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the nationwide implementation of the single emergency number in line with international best practices.
He also urged the commission to work closely with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), citing the agency’s experience in disaster management, relief and rehabilitation.
The Vice President assured the commission of the Federal Government’s commitment to sustaining the initiative, saying funding would be mobilised through the National Economic Council and partnerships with the private sector.
He also called for greater dedication from all emergency response agencies to ensure the success of the programme.
The adoption of 112 is expected to harmonise emergency communications across Nigeria by providing a single number through which citizens can quickly access police, fire, ambulance and other emergency services.
The initiative is also expected to replace multiple emergency contact numbers currently in use and improve coordination and response during emergencies.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it was strengthening collaboration with state governments and industry players to develop a transparent, cost-based pricing framework for sharing telecom ducts as part of efforts to speed up broadband expansion across Nigeria.
Ayuba Shuaibu, director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC, disclosed this at the Stakeholders’ Forum in Abuja.
Shuaibu said the initiative was designed to build consensus among all parties.
“The primary purpose of this forum is to ensure seamless synergy between the Commission and all stakeholders,” he said.
The director said the consultation was prompted by longstanding complaints over permits, levies and other charges imposed by different levels of government.
He said bringing together state commissioners, telecom operators, tower companies and representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had helped improve understanding of the issues.
“This engagement is a work in progress. We expect more input from stakeholders before presenting the outcome to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum,” he added.
Dr Helen Adeneye, commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Kogi State. welcomed the consultation, saying Nigeria needs a harmonised policy that clearly defines the responsibilities of both the federal and state governments.
“We need a harmonised policy that allows states to collaborate better with telecom operators and creates a more business-friendly environment,” she said.
Dr Adeneye added that adopting the Dig-Once policy would establish a uniform pricing system and help resolve disputes over charges for telecom infrastructure deployment.
Chidi Ajuzie, chief executive officer, WTES Projects Limited, whose firm is conducting the consultancy study, said the proposed framework would introduce a common cost structure for duct sharing to support broadband investment and economic growth.
“The study is designed to create a uniform pricing model that will drive broadband growth, economic development and wider adoption across the country,” he said.
Ajuzie explained that the consultants had developed preliminary floor and ceiling prices to guide operators while allowing flexibility within the approved range.
He added that the recommendations remain open to industry input before the NCC finalises the framework.
The Dig-Once Policy is designed to reduce the cost and disruption of deploying broadband infrastructure by requiring fibre ducts to be installed whenever roads are constructed or rehabilitated.
The NCC is developing a cost-based pricing framework for sharing these ducts to promote fair pricing, reduce duplication of infrastructure and encourage investment.
The proposed model is expected to support the Federal Government’s broadband expansion targets while improving collaboration between telecom operators and state governments.
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