Telecom
Ihedioha Solicits NCC Partnership for ICT Innovation in Imo
Emeka Ihedioha, governor of Imo State has solicited the partnership of the Nigerian Communications Commission NCC, in his administration’s effort to embrace and deepen digital culture in Imo State.
Governor Ihedioha stated this recently in an address presented on his behalf by Gerald Irona, his deputy, at the opening of a 2-Day Research and Innovation Forum organised by the NCC for tech entrepreneurs and other stakeholders in the South East geopolitical zone.
The governor recalled that in its first 100 days, his administration has recorded strides through the creation of the Ministry of Technology Development, funding ICT training programmes for different categories of persons, and instituting the digitisation of the State’s tax and revenue collection processes.
The governor then solicited the support and partnership of NCC to enable Imo State government to expand its vision for ICT innovation and technological development.
In a keynote paper by Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman, NCC, who was represented by Haru Alhassan, director, New Media and Information Security, NCC affirmed the Commission’s commitment to collaborate with stakeholders in the country to deepen the impact of ICT research, innovation and utilisation.
Danbatta noted that the Commission “in its effort to encourage tech entrepreneurship and innovation in the ICT sector, has embarked on visitation to various tech startups across the six geopolitical zones to assess their development and challenges.”
The EVC said NCC is ready to assist the various innovation hubs with the appropriate interventions to ease their operations, stressing that the deliberations at the Forum will improve collaborative efforts and actions designed by governments and the NCC to accelerate innovation and accentuate digital economy in Nigeria.
Ephraim Nwokonneya, director, Research and Development DRD, at NCC underscored Danbatta’s remark that the Forum theme, “Developing Nigeria’s Tech Ecosystem: The Imperatives for Improving Local Content” was selected to emphasise the commitment of NCC to leverage local content in the nation’s effort to achieve concrete digital transformation.
Nwokonneya also said NCC’s initiatives in this regard will unlock the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of the young people, boost local content in the ICT sector and enhance wealth creation, facilitate the introduction of new value added services that will improve quality of consumer experience, and support President Buhari’s agenda to reduce poverty in Nigeria.
In a presentation by Dr. Chris Uwaje, a leading light of ICT research and innovations, Nigeria will concretely harness opportunities lurking in ICT and digital economy by improving local content participation, see innovation hubs as fulcrum of local content, ensure legislative and government support for tech initiatives, and nudge young people to be globally competitive.
Dr. Fidelis Onah, a former Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at NCC and now a tech entrepreneur, who made a presentation on the “Imperatives of e-governance in the Emerging Digital Economy”, allayed the fears of the public about people losing jobs as a result of tech innovations.
He said while some job losses may be recorded, much more jobs will be created in the increasingly digital economy.
He advised that stakeholders need to be ready by designing and reviewing existing policies to design strategies that will enable Nigeria to take advantage of the opportunities that abound within the digital culture.
He also warned that any society that refuse to embrace the digital culture will have to do so later at higher costs.
In a panel session on Legislative and Government Support for Enhancing Tech Ecosystem in Nigeria, chaired by Tony Ojobo, former Director Public Affairs at NCC, Founder of Tech X Innovation Hub and President of African ICT Foundation, discussants agreed on the need for state governments to designate a Commissioner for ICT Development.
The panelists reasoned that it is also important for all stakeholders to demonstrate the awareness of the capacity of ICT to galvanise growth so that such knowledge can trigger more concrete action to provide access, adoption and application of ICTs in all facets of life.
In another panel discussion focused on Innovation Hubs as Fulcrum of Local Content, chaired by Hanson Johnson, Founder of Nextdeegit Hub, panelists were on accord that innovation hubs hold the promise of harnessing the energy of the youths for creativity and measurable outcomes.
Overall, all panel sessions emphasised the need for clear and harmonised policies and strategies, more collaboration of stakeholders and particularly advocated for a new approach by government that shows the government appreciate the value of ICT, innovation and the treasures lurked in the digital culture.
Participants welcomed enthusiastically the NCC’s vision of Silicon WAZOBIA, a replication of the Silicon Valley Model, but discussants and other participants urged government to get more intimately involved in mobilising the innovation hubs, the academia and other strategic actors in the emerging revolution driven by ICT.
The Forum is being attended by many stakeholders including Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, Galaxy Backbone Plc, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), tech economy enthusiasts, entrepreneurs of tech innovation hubs, as well as captains of other capacity-building and startup businesses, Nigerian Computer Society (NCS), banks, Zinox Technologies and other players in the telecom ecosystem.
Dr Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy, has revealed that the federal government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme has trained over 135,000 citizens as it moves from pilot to national level.
Tijani announced this in an update on the program’s success, stating that the beneficiaries were trained in three batches.
He also stated that the initiative’s community-based learning tools had provided over 300,000 extra learners with access to digital skills training across the country.
According to the minister, the program has also enabled the creation of about 15,000 job, entrepreneurship, and career development in Nigeria’s developing digital economy.
He further revealed that more than 1.8 million Nigerians are currently in the 3MTT pipeline, as the government works toward its target of equipping three million citizens with in-demand digital skills aligned with local and global labour market needs.
As the programme enters its scale-up phase, Tijani said the government’s focus will shift toward deepening impact rather than just expanding numbers.
Key priorities, he explained, include strengthening the 3MTT alumni community, widening access to economic opportunities and ensuring that skills acquired through the programme translate into measurable outcomes such as jobs, business creation and innovation.
To support this phase, the federal government has introduced the #3MTTImpactChallenge, an initiative aimed at assessing the programme’s real-world impact
Through the challenge, fellows and partners are invited to share personal stories on how 3MTT has shaped their professional journeys as part of a National Impact Reflection exercise.
Participants are expected to share their experiences across social media platforms, with selected winners set to receive prizes including laptops, e-tablets, data bundles and other incentives.
MTN Foundation has kicked off the seventh phase of its ICT business skills training programme, targeting more than 2,000 entrepreneurs, mostly from Nigeria’s small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), in support of the Federal Government’s National Digital Economy and SME Development agenda.
MTN Foundation
The virtual training’s first week ran from Monday, January 5, to Friday, January 9, 2026. It equips small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs with simple digital tools to shift from paper-based operations to efficient, productivity-boosting systems.
Business analyst Babajide Jolaolu-Kehinde, moderated by Temiloluwa Oyekanmi, programme and partnerships lead, introduced the SWOT framework—Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats—to guide participants in assessing and improving their businesses.
Jolaolu-Kehinde stressed digital record-keeping, online payments, and customer data tracking for measurable growth, aligning with government efforts to formalise SMEs. “Hope is good, but action and systems make growth happen,” he said.
Trainers showcased real-world examples: traders using handwritten ledgers expanded reach via WhatsApp Business, online marketplaces, and spreadsheets; others grew by accepting mobile transfers over cash and digital orders to tap distant markets.
Manual operations limit sales visibility and customer insights, experts noted, while digital tools deliver real-time data, cut errors, and unlock broader markets.
Participants must adopt at least one digital tool post-onboarding, with organisers promising follow-up workshops and mentorship. The four-week programme aims to bolster SME growth and Nigeria’s economic goals.
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.
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