Telecom
Revocation of SSPA: Death Call for Nitel
Government claimed that that Transcorp had breached the condition precedent on which the investment deal in Nitel/M-Tel was consummated, the implication being that Transcorp had walked away from the deal on its own.
Christopher Anyanwu, director general, Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) and member National Council on Privatization (NCP) said that the NCP is of the opinion that Transcorp has opted out of the Nitel/M-Tel because it has failed to meet the condition precedent, and that it has been withdrawn. He noted that it is void because it never existed in the first place due to their failure to keep with the terms of the transaction agreement.
He said Transcorp is aware of this fact and that they have already given us the power of attorney (waves the paper) for their equity in the investment.
"Accordingly, the Federal Government has stopped the further sale of all assets of the two companies, whether core or non-core. In the same vein, all sold assets are to be reviewed and any found to have been arbitrarily and unjustifiably sold are to be recovered.
He added that the government was desirous of having the two companies and other privatized non-performing enterprises back on stream and would not leave any stone unturned in this direction.
The BPE boss explained that Transcorp might have sourced their investment funds from banks and other entities, government may open up discussions with the affected institutions to assist them claim their investments.
Before the recent action of government, Transcorp had left Nitel with a debt overhang of $500 million owed a consortium of banks.
By a Shares Sales and Purchase Agreement (SSPA) signed between the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and Transcorp on November 14, 2006, 51 per cent equity of Nitel was transferred to Transcorp while the government retained 49 per cent.
Under the Post-Acquisition Plan (PAP), Transcorp agreed to inject a minimum of N8 billion new funds into Nitel to prepare it for competition within 30 days and 100 days after the take-over. The PAP was to start the transition of Nitel and its mobile subsidiary, M-Tel, to a profitable and strategic telecommunications operator.
But 30 months after, Nitel’s fortunes have nose-dived with its workforce reduced from 13,000 at take-over to less than 1,000 and telephone exchanges and other immovable assets such as switches in comatose.
NCP under the chairmanship of Vice President Goodluck Jonathan approved the constitution of a technical board to manage the affairs of Nitel/M-Tel until a new core investor emerges.
Alhaji Ikra Bilbis, Minister of State for Information and Communications, who read the resolution of the NCP meeting, said the revocation was arrived at after discussing "the outstanding issues in Transcorp’s management of Nitel/M-Tel and other issues contained in the Shares Sales Purchase Agreement (SSPA)."
According to him, the decision was based on "serious breaches of the terms and conditions of the SSPA, particularly: exiting of British Telecommunications (BT) as the technical operator, which is condition precedent in the SSPA; failure of Transcorp to inject N8.9 billion cash into Nitel within 100 days of its take-over to address the immediate liquidity problem facing Nitel.
Others include, failure to pay interconnectivity debt totaling about N17 billion; inability to pay workers’ salaries in the past 11 months; and failure of Transcorp to maintain Nitel/M-Tel as a going concern, resulting in complete loss of market share from 15 per cent to 0.03 per cent.
Bilbis said it is clear that "Transcorp has deviated and voided the contract in its entirety."
This decision of government sounded good as an effort to revive the ailing used to be telecommunications giant in the country, but there still remain issues that demands explanation which put this effort in doubt. Why is it that whenever serious effort is made to get a technical partner or core investor to revive Nitel that government will come up with revocation of its agreement with Transcorp on Nitel sale? It would be recalled that in 2008 Transcorp had concluded arrangement to sign an agreement with a new investors who were already in the country for the signing ceremony when government suddenly revoked the sale to Transcorp on a Saturday, a non working day. Again in line with federal government and Transcorp the two owners of Nitel agreement to relinquish some percentage of their share holding to a would be core investor, BPE commenced process towards finding a core investor which has been schedule to be completed in September this year, another revocation of agreement was announced.
Transcorp also initiated effort that would have gone a long way in putting Nitel back on its feet with the signing of a project agreement Cisco which was truncated. Under the project deal, Cisco, a leading global information technology firm, agreed to raise $10million to rehabilitate and transform Nitel’s fibre optic cable that is lay waste to ensure that Nigerians get speedy and reliable connection to the super highway. The project would also expand Nitel’s capacity by six times and create huge volumes of bandwidth in commercial quantity for corporate organizations in telecoms, oil and gas and other multinational firms in the country.
The first phase of the project would have generated between $100milliom and $150million to Nitel every year once it is completed. Government as well directed Transcorp in a letter to stop the contract for no stated reason.
Industry watchers are of the view that, with all these revocation and interference by government it will be very difficult to get foreign core investor for Nitel aside skepticism shown by some foreign investors in investing in a country with poor infrastructure and other business challenges.
The fact that Transcorp has not shown enough seriousness in bringing Nitel to life once again in terms of technical and financial ability is not in doubt. The Federal government of Nigeria’s attitude to the whole arrangement also left much to be desired. Although it claimed to have 49 percent of Nitel, investigations show that since the coming on board of Transcorp, it has not invested a dime in its operations. This is definitely contrary to the dictates of the industry which demands constant investment to be able to catch up with the competition. Nigeria CommunicationsWeek investigations show that the politics and interest of some people in government had contributed immensely to frustrate all effort to revive the company by Transcorp. Government said that Transcorp did not inject N8 billion into Nitel within 100 days of its take over, but it was gathered that Transcorp took firm control of Nitel in 2008 two year after it acquired 51 percent share of the company.
It is important to note that the Federal Government which owes 49 percent equity has not made any investment since 2006. The last time an investment was committed to Nitel by government was in 2005 when it disbursed about N60billion into Nitel’s operation, the fund which was said to have disappeared into private pockets immediately Nitel’s account was credited.
According to Tom Iseghohi, group managing director, Transcorp, Transcorp invested over N5 billion in Nitel within the first year of its take over. This means that going by the share structure, government supposed to have brought in a commensurate investment of over N4 billion.
Mr. Bayo Banjo, vice president, Association of Telecommunications Company of Nigeria (Atcon), said Transcorp has found itself in this sorry state because it is ignorant of the fact that any dealing with government is very difficult because of inherent political interests.
An industry analyst said the entire scenario is a reflection of the fact that government has no business in business. He questioned how government is going to reconcile invest made by Transcorp in the payment of staff salaries when the company is not generating near what is use in running it.
Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (Alton) agreed that enough has not been by both parties in Nitel deal which is responsible for Nitel that controls about 25 percent of market share five years now controls 0.003 percent.
He urged for a complete re-engineering of Nitel before any other effort at reviving the company, especially maintenance of its network facilities that have not been maintained for the past five years.
He noted that, there is not going to be a smooth sale of Nitel going by the events that have happened, and that position of government in respite of the percentage of share to be sold will determine the direction and willingness of any core investor to invest in Nitel.
Adebayo suggested a 100 percent sale of Nitel as government does not have what it take to run business, adding that the current state of affairs in Nitel be made public.
Industry watchers have argued that the position of government to guide the revival process in Nitel is a mere effort to cover up huge debt owe Nitel by people in government as well as their interest.
Samsung Electronics has laid off hundreds of employees in its United States consumer electronics business as part of a headquarters relocation from New Jersey to Texas, amid mounting pressure on its mobile and home appliance divisions.
The South Korean technology giant said Samsung Electronics America (SEA) would relocate its headquarters to Texas, a move affecting 739 positions in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
The company said most affected employees had been offered relocation packages, while others were laid off.
In Plano, Texas, about 100 employees, including workers in Samsung’s mobile division, were also dismissed, according to a source familiar with the development.
Samsung said the relocation could lead to workforce changes involving employees unable to relocate and the restructuring of certain functions to align with business priorities.
Documents cited by Reuters indicated that affected employees were informed on June 30 of an enterprise-wide workforce reduction that would have a significant impact on staff.
Several employees also disclosed their departures through posts on LinkedIn, including senior sales and marketing executives based in Texas and New Jersey.
The layoffs come despite Samsung’s semiconductor division recording strong growth driven by rising global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips.
The company recently projected a 19-fold increase in second-quarter profit, supported by booming AI-related chip sales, and announced plans to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in expanding chip manufacturing.
However, Samsung’s consumer electronics business continues to struggle with higher semiconductor costs and increasing competition.
Its mobile division is expected to record its first-ever operating loss as it faces stiff competition from Apple, while Chinese brands, including TCL and Hisense, continue to gain market share in the television and home appliance segments.
Industry observers say the contrasting performance highlights Samsung’s growing reliance on its semiconductor business as consumer electronics revenues weaken.
Samsung denied reports of a broader global restructuring, insisting there was no company-wide overhaul of its consumer products division.
According to the company, relocating its U.S. headquarters is intended to improve collaboration and strengthen operations within Texas’ expanding technology and AI ecosystem.
Texas has increasingly attracted major technology companies due to its lower taxes and business-friendly environment, with firms such as Tesla and Oracle also relocating significant operations to the state.
Samsung already operates semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Texas, alongside its mobile operations hub in Plano.
As of the end of 2025, Samsung Electronics employed about 11,770 workers across the United States, including staff in its semiconductor business.
Meanwhile, Samsung SDS America, the company’s IT services affiliate, has also notified authorities that 179 positions could be affected by the relocation of its North American headquarters, although Samsung said the move was unrelated to layoffs or corporate restructuring.
Telecom
NCC Urges African Unity Ahead of ITU 2026 Conference, Calls for Stronger Telecom Collaboration
Nigerian Communications Commission has urged African countries to adopt a unified and technically coordinated position ahead of the 2026 International Telecommunication Union Conference, saying stronger regional collaboration is essential for the continent to influence global telecommunications and digital economy policies.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, made the call on Monday in Abuja while declaring open the African Telecommunications Union Conference Preparatory Committee meeting.
Maida said Africa must strengthen cooperation to shape global telecommunications and digital economy policies, noting that the two-day meeting was expected to produce greater continental alignment ahead of ITU 2026, establish practical collaboration mechanisms between conferences and sustain Africa’s technical participation in ITU processes.
“Preparation is not a procedural step; it is the place where coherence is built,” he said. “Africa must prepare together, work together and arrive at global forums with solutions that are both coherent and technically compliant.”
He said the committee would review the ATU’s activities between 2023 and 2026 and prepare agenda items, resolutions, decisions and recommendations for the 18th Conference of the Union.
According to him, while the forthcoming ATU conference will determine the direction of the continental body, the ITU conference will shape global telecommunications leadership and priorities.
Maida stressed that Africa’s influence at international forums would depend less on the size of its delegations than on the quality of its preparation, the coherence of its positions and consistency in advancing them.
He identified spectrum management, artificial intelligence governance, data protection, universal access, cybersecurity and digital infrastructure development as priority areas requiring stronger collaboration among African countries.
“No administration can address these challenges effectively in isolation. Our regulatory cooperation must therefore become more continuous, more technical and more institutionalised,” he said.
The NCC boss also called for greater support for African experts to participate actively in technical discussions where international standards and frameworks are developed.
“Our objective in Africa is not to resist global standards. It is to help shape standards that are globally sound and sufficiently informed by African realities,” he added.
He commended the leadership of the African Telecommunications Union for strengthening the coordination of Africa’s positions at the ITU and other international platforms.
Maida reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to supporting the ITU process through technical expertise, regulatory experience sharing and peer learning among African administrations.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nadungu Gagare, described the meeting as critical to advancing Africa’s digital transformation agenda.
He said the committee’s recommendations would provide the foundation for decisions at the forthcoming ATU Conference of Plenipotentiaries and expressed confidence that the deliberations would strengthen the union’s capacity to promote inclusive and sustainable digital development across the continent.
“As we navigate an era of rapid technological advancement and digital innovation, the importance of collaboration among member states has never been greater,” Gagare said.
Also speaking, the Secretary-General of the ATU, John Omo, said the Conference Preparatory Committee plays a vital role in processing documents and proposals ahead of the main conference to enable member states to adopt common positions.
Omo disclosed that the union’s membership had increased from 49 to 52 countries, while associate membership had risen from 50 to 56, with 18 African academic institutions now participating in its activities.
He said the ATU had recorded progress in broadband development, satellite communications, spectrum coordination, internet governance, rural broadband, standardisation and digital infrastructure resilience.
However, he expressed concern over irregular financial contributions by some member states, warning that predictable funding remained essential for implementing the union’s programmes effectively.
Omo added that the forthcoming conference would elect members of the Administrative Council and a Secretary-General for the 2027–2031 tenure.
He commended the Federal Government, the NCC and the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy for hosting the preparatory meeting, which brought together representatives of African countries, academia, sector members and development partners to discuss the continent’s telecommunications and digital future.
News
NITDA Communications Director Hadiza Umar Named in 2026 PR Power List, Graces Glazia Magazine Cover
Mrs. Hadiza Umar, Director of the Corporate Communications and Media Relations Department at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has been officially recognised as one of Nigeria’s top public relations professionals in the prestigious 2026 PR Power List.
The definitive annual list, compiled by GLG Communications in partnership with The Guardian, was unveiled to commemorate World PR Day.
It celebrates 50 outstanding professionals within Nigeria and the diaspora whose strategic communication strategies have significantly shaped organisations, influenced public discourse, and advanced the profession over the past 12 months.
Adding to the momentous milestone, Mrs. Umar was hit with a major surprise at the exclusive PR Power List Soirée and Awards ceremony held at the Alliance Française in Ikoyi, Lagos, where she was unveiled as a front-cover personality for the Glazia Magazine PR Power List Special Issue.
The double recognition highlights her exceptional distinction and impact in public sector communications and narrative management.
Speaking on the dual achievement, Mrs. Umar expressed profound gratitude for the honours, describing the magazine cover appearance as a breathtaking surprise.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to be recognized on the 2026 PR Power List and to feature on the cover of Glazia Magazine alongside other exceptional industry titans,” Umar said.
“This milestone is a testament to the enabling environment and visionary leadership of the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, which has allowed us to strategically drive the narrative of Nigeria’s digital economy and technological innovation.”
Mrs. Umar, a highly respected corporate communications strategist, holds professional fellowships in the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (Chartered), the African Public Relations Association (APRA), and the Institute of Corporate Administration (CICA).
Under her supervisory role, NITDA’s media relations have consistently projected national information technology frameworks, start-up support frameworks, and digital literacy initiatives, to position Nigeria competitively on the global stage.
The 2026 PR Power List selection process involved a rigorous, independent evaluation led by a distinguished international jury.
The organisers noted that the class of 2026 represents professionals raising the standard of strategic communications and introducing new ideas to the industry.
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