Telecom
NCC Presents N54.7m Research Grant to 9 Universities
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC yesterday presented research grants worth N54,755,846 to the winners of the 2016 and 2017 Research Proposals from nine universities for development of the telecommunication industry.
The nine successful research awardees (universities) include: Covenant University, Ota which received N9.3million for development of low-cost GSM system for rural areas; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi received N5.9million for design and construction of customer identification system in telecom industry; Enugu State University of Science and Technology – N1.4million for development of a home-grown electrical power charger for cellphones from cooking heat; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife -N12,3million for Design, fabrication, experimental characterization of plastic optical fiber cable and the exploitation of its potentials in Nigeria telecom industry and University of Port Harcourt – N5.3million for design and construction of 1 to 10GHz Anechoic chamber for 3G, 4G and 5G Antenna measurement.
Others are: Nigeria Air Force Institute of Tech. Zariawhich got N5million for design and construction of a power line communication modern for domestic LAN; ELizade University, Ondo – N5million for GSM-Based Smart Energy Meter and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria – N7million for Development of wearable e-band tracking system.
Presenting the awards, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta said the Commission instituted the Research and Proposals Grant project in recognition of the role of the academia in the development of the telecom sector.
The EVC explained that the scheme is focused on commercially viable prototypes of research and innovative use of telecoms to solve national problems. ‘‘The relevance of the academia in the growth, sustainability and continuity of the telecommunications industry in Nigeria cannot be emphasized. The academia provides the research results that govern growth, transformation and facilitate innovations in the industry.
‘‘The academia impacts knowledge to the growth, turning them into thinking and transformational citizens, with innovative ideas capable of revolutionalizing the industry and reshaping our world.
‘‘The presentation of this award is to underscore the critical role, expectations from, and the confidence we have in the academia, in working towards national reengineering and transformation.
We are aware that most of these projects are collaborative efforts with other academics in your universities.
‘‘NCC welcomes and demands collaboration in all you do. It is for this reason that we have insisted on the involvement of your graduate and undergraduate students in the research projects.’’
‘‘We have set out clear terms and conditions for the Grant.
We expect you to abide by all the terms of the award. You are not under any circumstance to showcase the work or the prototype to any bodies, organization at any exhibition until the Commission has received the final prototype and signed off on it.
‘‘We will always show concern for the quality, relevance and efficiency of the product we want to push into the industry On extension of the collaboration to the telecom operators,
Prof. Danbatta said: ‘‘we will advise the telecommunication companies to key into this important initiative of collaborating with the commission in the area of research and development.
We will leverage our influence asking them to equally put resources that will drive research and development in the telecommunications industry.’’
Earlier, the Chairman of the Inter-Agency Committee of the NCC for the Research Proposals from the academia, Prof. Junaidu Muazu said one of the major focuses of the research proposals is to consider the relevance of those proposals to telecom industry and how they leverage on the existing infrastructure of the telecom industry.
‘‘This is important because it is trying to bridge the gap between the academia and the industry to provide solutions to the problems facing the industry.’’
Responding on behalf of other award recipients, Prof. Sulaiman Sani of Ahmadu Bello University said that would be bounded by patriotism for the nation to be role models in the area of telecom innovation.
He also charged the NCC to encourage telecom operators in the country to join hands in collaborating with the academia to proffer more problem solutions for the telecom sector.
‘‘I want to suggest that the initiative be extended to the telecom companies in the country, saying that it would be worthy to see them collaborate with the academia in developing the sector through research and development.
‘‘It will not be out of place if telecom companies invest in research and development in relation to telecom industry,’’ he added.
Of the 9 award recipients, 3 were selected from 56 proposals received from the academia in 2016 and 6 from 96 proposals received in 2017 after stringent evaluations by the Inter-Agency committee set up by the NCC.
Under the project, tertiary institutions submit detailed and well thought out research proposals to the Commission on innovative use of telecoms to solve national problems.
Spacecoin, US-based, has announced the signing of recent agreements with local authorities and operators to launch satellite connectivity pilot projects in Africa.
The initiatives, focused on Kenya and Nigeria, aim to serve areas where terrestrial networks remain limited or unavailable.
n Kenya, Spacecoin has obtained a transmission license from the Communications Authority, allowing it to test satellite-based solutions for connectivity and Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas with limited internet access.
According to the Kenyan regulator, internet penetration remains below 50% of the population, despite mobile penetration exceeding 130%.
In parallel, the company is continuing operations in Nigeria under an existing license issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This authorization supports initiatives aimed at delivering affordable broadband connectivity to isolated and underserved communities.
Spacecoin’s approach is based on a decentralized satellite network using nanosatellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).
Combined with blockchain-based protocols, this architecture is intended to offer more flexible and cost-effective connectivity services than traditional networks, while also enabling the integration of IoT solutions for a range of uses, from smart agriculture to infrastructure monitoring.
These projects are part of a broader strategy to help narrow Africa’s digital divide, where a significant share of the population still lacks access to reliable internet services.
Satellite technology is increasingly viewed as a complement to terrestrial infrastructure, particularly in hard-to-reach areas where deployment costs and geographic constraints remain high.
Beyond Africa, Spacecoin is also running pilot projects in Asia, working with local partners to test the viability of its model across different regulatory and geographic environments.
According to the company’s management, growing interest from regulators reflects a shift toward solutions capable of reaching populations that have long been excluded from internet access.
AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software, driving digital transformation and sustainability, today announces the appointment of Khaled Salah, 37 years old, as Vice President of Africa.
Khaled Salah
In this new role, he will be responsible for about 30 employees to ensure the successful implementation of AVEVA’s growth strategy. Khaled Salah will report directly to Jesus Hernandez, SVP of the EMEA region.
A 15-years + career across different industries and domains
With a MBA in management from the Warwick business school, UK, and a master’s degree in engineering from Ain Shams university in Egypt, Khaled Salah is an active advocate for driving sustainable progress in the industrial sector. With Sustainability in mind, Khaled is keen on making a positive business impact, while fostering progress for people and the planet.
He started his career at Schneider Electric, in 2013 in the global supply chain and evolved through various roles such as Europe procurement and supply chain strategy Manager, and Global Commercial strategy Director for the industrial automation business. Khaled Salah has developed a strategic understanding of all those fields.
After 12 years in Schneider Electric, Khaled joined AVEVA in 2022 to lead AVEVA and Schneider Electric global strategic partnership, across all industries managing a team of 30 people.
He has led the introduction of new AVEVA software solutions to initiate and develop significant growth areas across all Schneider Electric verticals.
Ambitious plans for AVEVA in Africa
In addition to his current role as AVEVA and Schneider Electric partnership Vice-President, Khaled now takes over the management of AVEVA’s activities in Africa.
Jesus Hernandez, SVP of the EMEA region says: “Africa is a strategic region for AVEVA. In this major industrial market, customers, world leaders in the fields of Energy, Metal & Mining, Chemicals, and Water, are looking for AVEVA’s expertise to accelerate and drive their digital transformation and sustainability strategies, as well as their energy transition projects.
“Khaled Salah’s qualities of leadership in a global environment will benefit his team spread across 12 countries including Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.”
Motivated by the prospect of capitalizing on the talent of his team to strengthen AVEVA’s presence in Africa in the years to come, Khaled Salah says: “Helping my team realize their professional potential is close to my heart.
“We will work together to support and accelerate the digital transformation of industries in Africa, in particular through CONNECT, our industrial intelligence platform, with the support of our ecosystem of partners. »
A Google-Ipsos report reveals Nigerians topping global AI usage at 88%, surpassing the 62% worldwide average, with sharp rises in education and business applications.
“Our Life with AI: Helpfulness in the hands of more people” shows 93% of Nigerians using AI for learning complex topics versus 74% globally, 91% for work assistance, and 80% for new ventures—nearly double the 42% global rate.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, stated: “Nigerians are creatively using AI to unlock opportunities for learning, growth, and economic empowerment, shaping their future with technology.”
Key findings highlight 91% viewing AI positively for learning access, 95% expecting benefits for students and educators, and strong optimism—80% excited versus 20% concerned, compared to global 53%-46% split. Frequent users show 90% excitement
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