Telecom

Ndukwe Lists Factors for Sustaining Telecom Growth

Published

16 years ago

February 1, 2010

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Ernest Ndukwe, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has listed the prerequisites for sustaining the successes recorded in the sector in the last ten years.
Engr. Ndukwe who spoke as guest speaker at the maiden edition of “Breakfast With ” , hosted by the alumni association of the School of Media and Communications at the Pan African University in Lagos, said such factors include a regulatory regime that is independent, transparent, and predictable; an updated national telecom policy and laws, a conducive operational environment; an efficient frequency spectrum management and allocation; improved power supply; expansion of the broadband infrastructure, capacity building of indigenous manpower, stable financial stability, among others.
At the breakfast meeting which held at the Ahmed Onibudo campus of the university and chaired by Professor Juan Elegido, the Vice Chancellor, the NCC boss noted that the successes recorded by the Commission in the past ten years is attributed to the successful sector reform, made possible by conducive environment with respect to policies and the regulatory regime.
“I think to sustain the growth, we must lay emphasis to a few things and I will start by advocating that we must maintain stability in the policy and regulatory environment”, he said. He said these two factors are critical for any investor to make an investment decision.
Engr. Ndukwe whose audience included Engr. Vincent Maduka, former director general of NTA, Professor Emevwo Biakolo, the dean of the School of Communications, Mr. Ben Egbuna, former director general of FRCN, Mr. Olukayode Olubunmi, president of SMCA, said the current telecom policy in Nigeria needs to be updated, while the forward-looking 2003 Act needs to be revisited to accommodate one or two emergent issues in the sector.
The NCC boss said with hindsight of experience, it is critical that the financial and operational independence of the regulator is maintained. “Why we moved as fast as we did over this period is as a result of fair amount of regulatory independence that the organization had”, he said. He said this independence is not just independence from the political hierarchy but also from the operating companies, which he said, makes financial independence very critical too.
He said it is not wrong for investors to make profit as it was government’s decision to invite the investors and without returns on such investments, perhaps, Nigeria’s paltry 400,000 lines in 2001 would not have grown to the more than 70 million active subscriber lines today. “Our focus should not only be that money is being made in the industry but that this decision of government has suddenly changed the landscape and provided phones in the hands of most
Nigerians, and provided telephone “access” because even if you do not own a phone, you will likely find a place to make calls near your location today”, he said.
Ndukwe said apart from efficient management of the frequency spectrum, the regulator must always ensure that frequencies are earmarked for new services are reserved in order to enable the country to be on same page with the rest of the world. He said this is the reason why Nigeria is quite active at the International Telecommunications Union, ITU, at the moment.
“I think also going forward, we must emphasize on growing broadband infrastructure, and not just growing it for the sake of it but catalyzing its adoption and usage, nationwide”, he said. He hoped that the ongoing optics fibre infrastructure deployment going on in the country will accelerate broadband Internet adoption and usage.
While relating this to his pet concept, Fibre Without Borders”, Engr. Ndukwe said “even within the African continent, we should encourage building of optic fibre that links the countries of Africa because that will help us do local peering of Internet, keep local networks linked to each other, reduce price of communicating within the countries in Africa and perhaps greatly increase broadband speed”.
He also noted that the much the nation is able to develop the manpower resources available for the industry will determine how the industry performs in the next ten years and beyond. He cited some countries like India that export such resources to other parts of the world. Ndukwe said the Digital Bridge Institute which was NCC’s contribution to this capacity budging requirement is currently waiting the approval of its application to the National University Commission, NUC, for approval as a university.
He said some areas that are external to the telecom industry but very critical for its success are the power sector and banking and finance sectors of the economy. He advocated for an idea regional management where each state of the federation will have the responsibility to generate and provide power to the state. He wondered why many countries that are less in geographical spread and population than any given state in Nigeria were able to enthrone uninterruptible power supply over the years.
Ndukwe who recalled his parts in the telecom industry as a private operator and President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria before he joined the NCC, said he has had an interesting and fulfilling time.
“It’s been a big part of my life and I consider myself really opportune to be in this place at this time especially in the past ten years in seeing the telecom industry transform to what it is today.
“And obviously, in thinking about sustaining the growth also means that it is still work in progress and there is still much to be done despite the achievements we have been made so far”, he said.
Professor Elegido praised Engr. Ndukwe for the transformational work he had bequeathed to the Nigeria’s telecom industry, and the Nigerian nation in finding its feet in the committee of nations.

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Telecom

Samsung Cuts Hundreds of U.S. Jobs as Consumer Electronics Business Moves to Texas

Published

11 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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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.

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Telecom

NCC Urges African Unity Ahead of ITU 2026 Conference, Calls for Stronger Telecom Collaboration

Published

11 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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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.

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News

NITDA Communications Director Hadiza Umar Named in 2026 PR Power List, Graces Glazia Magazine Cover

Published

1 day ago

July 20, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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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.

NITDA Communications Director Hadiza Umar Named in 2026 PR Power List, Graces Glazia Magazine Cover

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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