Telecom
We’ll Provide Enabling Environment For ICT Start-Ups – DG NITDA
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director general, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has said that the Agency is currently re-strategising to provide an enabling environment for ICT Start-ups in the country.
Inuwa stated this when he received in audience the leadership of FinTech Association of Nigeria, who were at the Agency to congratulate him and also partner with NITDA in various Information Technology programmes.
He said, “NITDA as the regulator is using its mandate to identify Nigerians who are capable of bringing ideas to the table.
According to him, “It is NITDA’s responsibility to provide enabling environment to Nigerians through capacity building so as to develop Nigeria’s IT ecosystem, while the private sector assist in creating jobs for Nigerians.”
The DG further stated that, “the private companies and organisations also have a role to play for ICT sector to thrive. They should not stay away from us, they are part of us, and we are part of them, while we are working as government agency in charge of regulating and developing Information Technology in the country, the private sector can also invest so as to boost our economy.”
He added that, Nigeria as a country needs everyone, especially IT stakeholders to invest in the industry, according to him, that is the way to develop ICT in the capital market.
He however said that Government is doing its best to make the sector safe haven for all start-ups in the country.
“Nigerian Government has made all available resources for Start-ups to thrive, but that alone cannot turn our dreams to reality. Corporate Entities, Entrepreneurs, Risk Capital, Venture Capital, and Universities also need to play their roles. We can provide the enabling environment while others invest. This will create the right direction towards achieving our goals,” he said.
Inuwa urged FinTech Association of Nigeria to continue the good work it does in connecting with stakeholders in the FinTech community locally, regionally and internationally to establish a critical bridge for the Nigerian FinTech ecosystem and ensure that support systems exist for a more conducive operating environment through collaborative efforts.
Earlier, in his remark, Dr Babatunde Obrimah, Chief Operating Officer of FinTech Association of Nigeria, accompanied by Chairman of ProShare, Olufemi Awoyemi and Damilola Ishie, thanked the Director General of NITDA, and also congratulated him on his appointment as 5th DG of the Agency.
Dr Obrimah also sought for proper collaboration between the FinTech Association and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in moving Financial Technology forward in the country.
He said, “It is crystal clear that the private sector cannot survive without government’s support and intervention, therefore there is need to collaborate with NITDA to drive ideas.”
“We need to come together and get things done. As you can see now, people steal other’s ideas. You brainstorm and come up with something; someone somewhere get away with it.”
“The country is ours. We built this association to grow the best brain in Nigeria and work with government,” he said.
He averred that, “FinTech Association of Nigeria is not here to compete with government. The purpose of building this association is to form harmony between stakeholders under FinTech and the government at large.”
“We are aware of NITDA’s mandate to regulate and develop this sector and that is why we are here. We have so much confidence in you and your leadership.
“We all rely and count on you. We also hope that our partnership will be of benefit to Nigeria and Nigerians economically,” Dr Obrimah said.
MTN Nigeria is accelerating investments in network expansion and modernization to address rising demand for mobile and data services across the country.
The operator is deploying additional base stations, upgrading existing infrastructure, and expanding fiber connectivity to improve network capacity, coverage, and service quality.
The investments are designed to support increasing smartphone adoption, higher data consumption, and the growing use of digital services by consumers and businesses.
MTN said the expansion aligns with its long-term strategy to enhance customer experience while strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
The company expects the ongoing upgrades to improve connectivity, support economic growth, and enable broader access to reliable telecommunications services as demand for high-speed broadband continues to increase.
Airtel Africa’s CEO, Sunil Taldar, has announced the telco’s commitment to connecting 5,000 schools across its operating countries in Africa to the internet by 2027 through its philanthropic arm, Airtel Africa Foundation, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
So far, the $57m partnership, which was launched in 2021, has cumulatively connected 3,296 schools and provided access to over 2 million learners and about 40,000 teachers. 64 digital learning platforms have been zero-rated thereby enabling more than 11m users to access educational content at no cost.
Speaking during a visit to St. Monica’s Girls School in Lusaka, which is one of the 300 schools already connected to the internet in Zambia, the Airtel Africa CEO stated that the initiative is having a profound impact on the quality of education by expanding access to digital learning resources for African children, in collaboration with governments.
Mr Taldar added: “Students are accessing best-in-class education from the curriculum developed by UNICEF in partnership with various Ministries of Education and provided through Airtel’s connectivity.
“We are also training teachers, so that they deliver digital education effectively. We aim to continue deepening meaningful connectivity in schools by providing free internet access, zero‑rated platforms and training teachers across the continent”.
Expressing her appreciation, the Headmistress of St. Monica’s Girls’ School, Sr Matilda Soloko said: “Being among the first schools connected in the initial stage, our learners have been able to study using the learning portal and their studies have been intensified. We remain grateful to Airtel and UNICEF.”
UNICEF’s Country Representative for Zambia, Dr Saja Farooq Abdullah said: “What this partnership has brought is really bridging the equality gap and the digital divide. It is making sure that every child learns wherever they are. It was exciting and interesting to see and hear from the girls how they can learn at their own pace, how they can review the materials, and how they do their homework with comfort.
The Director of Secondary Education in Zambia’s Ministry of Education, Yvonne Mwemba Chuulu lauded UNICEF and Airtel for the partnership saying: “At the Ministry of Education, we cannot do it alone, and we are grateful for the partnership that we have today.
“Our children are able to learn in a blended fashion, where we have a teacher who is also employing digital devices. We have also heard from the learners that they are able to access the portal when they are at home, which is a good thing because our learners continue to learn in the comfort of their homes”.
The School Connection programme is expanding digital learning to learners in 13 countries: Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. By equipping these schools with internet connectivity and training teachers on using the digital tools, it is providing children, particularly in underserved and remote regions, with the digital tools and skills they need to thrive.
Airtel Africa Foundation is advancing inclusive development across four strategic pillars, Financial Inclusion, Education, Environmental Sustainability and Digital Inclusion.
MultiChoice has officially become a wholly owned subsidiary of French media company Canal+, marking the completion of one of the largest acquisitions in Africa’s media and entertainment industry.
The integration brings the South Africa-based pay television operator under the full ownership of Canal+, a global media group with operations in 70 countries.
Announcing the completion of the transaction on Thursday, Chief Executive Officer of Canal+ Africa and MultiChoice, David Mignot, described the development as the beginning of a new phase of growth for the broadcaster.
“MultiChoice is now a full subsidiary of a truly international media group operating in 70 countries.
“The group was founded in France, is listed in London and Johannesburg, and has a strong African presence with operations in more than 45 countries,” Mignot said.
The acquisition combines Canal+’s international operations with MultiChoice’s extensive footprint across sub-Saharan Africa, where it serves millions of households through its DStv and GOtv platforms, as well as the Showmax streaming service.
According to Canal+, the integration will strengthen MultiChoice’s competitive position by giving it access to broader financial resources, technology, content partnerships and operational expertise.
The company said the combined business would increase investment in local content production, sports broadcasting and streaming services as competition intensifies from global platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.
The transaction is also expected to provide MultiChoice with greater access to international markets at a time when traditional pay television operators are adapting to changing consumer viewing habits and the rapid growth of digital streaming platforms.
Canal+ has expanded steadily across Africa over the past decade and now assumes full control of a business operating in more than 45 African countries, further strengthening its position in the continent’s media and entertainment sector.
The acquisition followed Canal+’s gradual increase in its shareholding in MultiChoice, which began in 2024.
After exceeding the regulatory threshold, the company launched a mandatory offer in April 2024 to acquire the remaining shares of the Johannesburg-listed broadcaster.
Following regulatory approvals and shareholder acceptance, Canal+ secured control of MultiChoice in 2025 before completing the process that has now made the company a wholly owned subsidiary.
Industry observers describe the acquisition as one of the most significant media transactions involving an African company, reflecting a broader trend of consolidation as global entertainment firms seek greater scale to compete in the streaming era.
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