Telecom
ITU Marks 150th Anniversary with Global Celebrations
ITU celebrated its 150th anniversary on 17 May, marking a long and illustrious history at the cutting edge of communication technologies.
“ITU has earned its global reputation for resilience and relevance,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, applauding the agency’s many contributions as the oldest member in the United Nations system.
“Telecommunications – as well as information and communications technology – drive innovation. The digital revolution has transformed our world. New information and communication technologies can help boost the economy and protect the environment.”
“The remarkable history of ITU exemplifies its stellar role in connecting the world to the most advanced and innovative means of communication, from the days of the telegraph to the Internet and mobile broadband, which now allows us to be in touch anytime, anywhere with friends, family, colleagues and even things,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao.
“Throughout our 150-year history, we have promoted international cooperation, working to achieve practical solutions to integrate new communications technologies as they develop, spreading their benefits to all.”
ITU was established on 17 May 1865 with the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in Paris to facilitate the transmission of telegraphy across international borders.
ITU was initially headquartered in Berne and moved to Geneva in 1948, soon after it became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1947.
Ms Doris Leuthard, Minister of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications of Switzerland, delivered the keynote address on behalf of the host country.
The ITU 150th anniversary was marked by celebrations in some 50 countries around the world. A special ceremony was held in Paris to mark the signing of the First International Telegraph Convention on 17 May 1865.
A ceremony was also held in Madrid, attended by King Felipe VI of Spain, to commemorate the re-naming of the International Telegraph Union as the International Telecommunication Union in 1932.
Looking towards the future as the leading UN specialized agency for telecommunications and ICT, ITU is focused on driving innovation together with the Union’s 193 Member States and membership of over 700 private sector entities and academic institutions.
A panel discussion focusing on ICTs as drivers of a sustainable future was anchored by BBC correspondent Imogen Foulkes, brought in key thinkers and doers: Philip Walton, COO, BRCK; Luis Von Ahn, CEO & founder, DuoLingo; Gabriela Styf Sjöman, CTO, Telecom Italia Group; Jian Wang, CTO, Alibaba; and Ulf Ewaldsson, CTO, Ericsson.
ITU 150th anniversary Awards
ITU accorded recognition to the Founding Member States that signed the convention in 1865. With the re-drawing of national borders over the years, the original twenty are now represented by sixteen countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. Long-standing industry members were also recognized, including Telecom Italia (hailing back to 1925), Exelis and Telefónica (since 1929); and Sirti (1931).
The ITU 150 Awards were presented to eminent laureates who have contributed to ITU’s work: Martin Cooper, Robert E. Kahn, Mark I. Krivocheev, Ken Sakamura, and Thomas Wiegand. Bill Gates was given special recognition for his contributions and his ongoing work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Martin Cooper is a pioneer in wireless communications and referred to as the ‘father’ of portable cellular telephony. He is an inventor, entrepreneur and futurist who conceived the first portable cellular phone in 1973. Cooper knew then that people needed the freedom that comes from anywhere, anytime telephony.
Robert E. Kahn played a pioneering role in the development of the Internet. Kahn has developed the concept of a digital object architecture to provide a framework for interoperability of heterogeneous information systems and is the co-inventor of Knowbot programmes – mobile software agents in the network environment.
Mark Krivocheev is best known for his pioneering work in forging a world television digital standard and for HDTV standards, which have made it possible for us to receive high quality sound and picture in our homes.
Ken Sakamura designed the TRON open computer system architecture, which will be useful for ubiquitous computing of the future, and helped produce a series of Recommendations, including ITU-T H.642 “Multimedia information access triggered by tag-based identification”, which is a critical element as we move to the age of the Internet of Things and Big Data.
Thomas Wiegand has contributed significantly towards the standardization for multimedia and co-chaired for the development of the ITU-T H.264/MPEG-AVC video coding standard, which facilitates video streaming on mobile devices and was recognized with a Primetime Emmy Award from the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, led the company that became the worldwide leader in business and personal software, services, and solutions.
As co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he shapes and approves grant-making strategies, advocates for the foundation’s issues, and helps set the overall direction of the organization.
MENXTT TECH NG, a Lagos-based technology company, has launched an initiative to make quality Dell laptops more affordable for Nigerians through flexible payment plans and extended warranty support.
The company said the initiative was aimed at helping students, entrepreneurs, professionals and small businesses acquire reliable computing devices despite rising technology costs.
According to the company, customers can now purchase premium pre-owned Dell Latitude, Dell Precision and Dell Inspiron laptops at competitive prices, with selected models available under staggered payment arrangements.
The laptops, it said, are designed to meet the needs of users ranging from students and office workers to architects, engineers, software developers, graphic designers and video editors.
Speaking on the initiative, the Co-Founder of MENXTT TECH NG, Mr Anthony Emeka Nwosu, said access to quality technology should not be limited by financial constraints.
“A laptop is no longer a luxury; it is an essential tool for education, business and career development.
“Unfortunately, many people are forced to settle for unreliable devices because of the high cost of new laptops.
“At MENXTT TECH NG, we want to bridge that gap by providing durable Dell business laptops at affordable prices, backed by a full one-year warranty and flexible payment plans.
“We want every student, entrepreneur, freelancer and business owner to have access to technology that helps them succeed,” he said.
Nwosu explained that every laptop undergoes comprehensive testing before delivery and comes with a one-year warranty, an original charger, a complimentary laptop bag, Windows 11 operating system and Microsoft Office Suite pre-installed.
He added that the company, an authorised Bitdefender Antivirus reseller in Nigeria, also installs genuine Bitdefender security software on every system to protect customers against cyber threats.
According to him, customers requiring additional productivity tools can also have licensed Foxit PDF software installed on their devices.
Nwosu said the flexible payment option was introduced in response to prevailing economic realities, enabling customers to spread payments over an agreed period.
He noted that the arrangement would make it easier for students, startups and growing businesses to acquire quality computers without placing excessive pressure on their finances.
Beyond laptop sales, the company provides information technology consultancy, computer repairs, software licensing, cybersecurity solutions and digital transformation services to organisations across Nigeria.
He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s digital economy by making dependable computing devices and enterprise technology solutions more accessible to individuals and businesses.
According to him, the initiative reflects MENXTT TECH NG’s vision of combining affordability, quality products and professional after-sales support to help more Nigerians participate in the country’s expanding digital ecosystem. (NAN)
African ministers responsible for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have adopted the 2026 Abuja Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa, committing member states to accelerate internet access in rural, remote and underserved communities across the continent.
The declaration was adopted at the Seventh Ordinary Session of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), held in Abuja.
The agreement seeks to address Africa’s widening digital divide by promoting policies and investments that will improve digital infrastructure, stimulate demand for internet services and ensure equitable access to digital opportunities.
In a statement endorsed by the participating member states, the ministers noted that Africa continues to lag behind other regions of the world in internet connectivity despite rapid global digital expansion.
The declaration, signed by Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, who assumed the role of Chairperson of the conference, highlighted the urgency of expanding digital inclusion across the continent.
According to the statement, global internet usage has reached about 68 per cent, rising to as much as 94 per cent in high-income countries, while internet penetration in Africa remains slightly above 38 per cent, the lowest among all regions of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The ministers expressed concern that the disparity continues to limit socio-economic development, innovation, education, healthcare delivery and access to digital public services for millions of Africans.
They agreed that closing the connectivity gap, particularly in underserved communities, should become a continental priority requiring coordinated action by governments, regulators, development partners and the private sector.
The declaration establishes a framework centred on expanding digital infrastructure, increasing broadband adoption, stimulating demand for digital services and promoting equitable access to connectivity.
It also encourages member states to implement policies that will improve affordability, strengthen digital skills and create an enabling environment for sustainable investment in telecommunications infrastructure.
“Affirming that closing Africa’s connectivity and usage gap, particularly in rural, remote and underserved communities, is an urgent continental priority,” the declaration stated.
The conference further called on international development partners, industry stakeholders and civil society organisations to align their investments and programmes with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa.
The ministers expressed optimism that stronger regional collaboration would accelerate digital transformation, foster inclusive economic growth and ensure that more Africans benefit from opportunities created by the digital economy.
Clydestone Ghana Plc has filed a writ of summons and statement of claim against MTN Ghana, MTN Group Limited and Mobile Money Fintech Limited, alleging unauthorized use of its intellectual property.
The company announced the court action at the Ghana Stock Exchange, confirming proceedings in the Commercial Division of the High Court of Ghana.
The case relates to work commissioned in 2007 that Clydestone alleges was later used without authorisation or compensation.
Clydestone said the claim involves proprietary intellectual property, confidential commercial information and operational methodology developed during the engagement. The company is seeking declarations, damages and equitable remedies.
In a statement, Clydestone said MTN Ghana engaged it in 2007 to develop a commercial and operational framework for a mobile money business.
“The work was developed and delivered by the company’s founder and Group CEO, Paul Jacquaye, and included a full mobile money ecosystem covering the commercial model, operational architecture, implementation methodology and business case.”
Clydestone said the work was commissioned on the understanding that a non-disclosure agreement and memorandum of understanding would be signed.
It alleges these agreements were not finalised despite repeated requests.
The company further alleges MTN Ghana later used its proprietary work and methodology without authorisation or compensation, including in MTN Mobile Money Ghana and other markets.
Clydestone said the alleged use has continued since the launch of MTN Mobile Money Ghana in 2009.
“The wrongful use of that work has been ongoing since 2009. What has changed is the availability of independently verifiable information that documents its scale and commercial significance,” the company said.
It cited the GSMA State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2026 and MTN Ghana’s 2025 annual report as evidence of the platform’s scale.
According to Clydestone, the reports show approximately 19.3 million active users and annual revenue of about GHS 6.0 billion ($516m).
The company said it reviewed its records following these publications and concluded there were sufficient grounds to initiate legal proceedings.
It added that it has received no payment or acknowledgement for the work since December 2007, and that pre-action correspondence in 2026 received no substantive response.
“The Board of Directors has unanimously authorised the commencement of these proceedings,” the company said.
Jacquaye said: “This case is about accountability for commissioned intellectual property.
“When independent publications in 2025 and 2026 revealed the scale of the mobile money business, we reviewed all documentation relating to the original engagement and concluded these proceedings were necessary.”
MTN Group Limited, named as a defendant, had not commented at the time of publication.
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