Telecom
Nigeria Must Deploy 5G Technology to Compete Globally – Ndukwe
Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, former Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and Chairman of MTN Nigeria, has warned that if Nigeria must stay competitive in the global economy, she must leverage on the opportunities provided by 5G technology and deploy it as soon as possible.
Ndukwe spoke on Tuesday at a Fireside Chat titled “5G and its contentions: What is the way Forward?” at the ongoing first Virtual Conference of the Digital Africa Conference & Exhibition with the theme Africa’s Post-Pandemic High Tech World.
Recall that on the heels of the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, a flurry of conspiracy theories emerged linking the pandemic with the roll out of 5G technology in some parts of the world.
Ndukwe, speaking as a guest at the virtual event said that every technology development has always been entangled with issues of health concerns yet, such technology development has never been stopped by such concerns.
“With every technology development, there is always this fear about health issue and that has not stopped the deployment of these techs. To the best of my knowledge, no telecom operator in the world today can power any network without being certain about its safety.
“As chairman of MTN Nigeria, I cannot be in support of the deployment of any network that will be harmful to people’s health,” Ndukwe said.
The former NCC helmsman disclosed that Nigeria was yet to roll out 5G technology even though a trial has been carried out in some cities in the country, adding that Nigeria is not yet fully planted on 4G network across the country.
“We must adopt 5G if we want to compete at the global level and not play from the back. And this adoption has to be led by the regulatory authorities and the government providing the enabling environment for the technology to thrive.
“I know that 5G is something that will happen in Nigeria no matter the delay in deployment. The conspiracy theories are no doubt worrisome, and that I believe, is one of the reasons there seems to be a delay in roll out across some regions of the world,” he stated.
Ndukwe, popularly known within the ICT circle as Mr Telecoms said that the cost of spectrum will go a long way in determining how soon 5G technology will be deployed in Nigeria and indeed the African Continent, recalling that 3G technology came around about two years late because of cost of spectrum.
According to him, “For networks to be deployed there must be the availability of spectrum. No country in Africa has actually rolled out 5G because cost is expensive. It will take another year or two before Nigeria can roll out.
“Countries that are eager to move forward see 5G as the forward movement. If it’s not safe, nobody will deploy it. For me, late deployment is not as a result of health concerns. Regulators like ITU are working to ensure that what will be deployed is safe because it’s a technology that is going to improve every aspect of our life. I am aware that if Nigeria is not sure of the safety of 5G, she will not deploy it.”
Ndukwe who said Nigeria has to be ready for 5G first before she begins to talk about cost of deployment, tasked the Federal Government to show more concern about the volume of revenue 5G will bring to the economy.
“We have to be careful about how far we go about talking about not deploying 5G. If we don’t deploy, we miss out from the $3.5 Trillion market and 22 million jobs expected to be generated by 5G in 2035. It will cause us capital flight if we don’t deploy it therefore, we must join the global race with the rest of the World,” he further said.
The MTN Nigeria Chairman noted that without fibre optic deployment, Nigeria can’t enjoy 5G as it would be enjoyed in other countries, adding that fibre optic deployment is critical to yje success of 5G technology network in the country.
He said that the report about waving and slashing of Right of Way (RoW) charges in some states of the country is a welcome development but added that there was need for the government to take the lead in the crashing of the cost of broadband.
“I see South Africa, Nigeria or Ghana to be the first to roll out 5G in Africa; however, it depends on the regulatory environment plan for it. If we don’t do the fibre optic and provide the infrastructure for 5G, we can’t make any headway. The NCC should begin to think about the spectrum to use for 5G so that operators can begin now to work around that,” Ndukwe concluded.
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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