Telecom
AfricaNXT 2022: NCC Pulls the Largest Gathering, says 5G is safe
The AfricaNXT Conference 2022, known previously as Lagos Social Media Week, has ended on a historically impressive note for the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), having drawn the largest attendance and participation at a single session during the conference, where its team discussed the socio-economic benefits of 5G services.
The conference had scheduled over 200 sessions and about 400 speakers. However, NCC session was oversubscribed as all seats were occupied, while some participants had to stand to listen to the discussion on a topic that patently enthused and electrified the audience, and marked by very rare social networking and participation.
On Thursday, March 3, 2022, the NCC team mounted the FutureNow Stage of the Innovation Pavilion of the Conference to inform, educate and rally further support for the Commission’s strides on the preparedness of Nigeria to deploy the Fifth Generation (5G) network and services. Using simple, fact-based examples, the NCC’s 5-man panel, provided necessary clarifications to the audience on the safety of 5G technology and gave copious examples about how the technology will significantly impact life qualitatively and bring socio-economic benefits to the citizens, businesses, the nation, and the continent of Africa.
The panelists extensively discussed 5G technology, focusing on safety, data privacy, the chronology of programmes, actions and activities of the Commission towards the launch of the services, including the issuance of 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum and licence for 5G deployment, the rollout plans, use cases as well as citing concrete socio-economic significance of the expected services.
The NCC team explained to the excited audience how 5G will power a plethora of applications, innovation and creativity. These include smart cities, telemedicine, Internet of Things (IoT), smart agriculture, driverless cars, bolstering of the security governance sector, among others.
The team asserted that 5G is a network of networks because of its huge capabilities, and its derivable benefits can only be limited if humans limit their own imaginations.
Reckoning that 5G technology is a total shift from the internet connectivity people are used to at the moment, the panel stated that 5G would open doors of new possibilities and socio-economic impacts. “With 5G, there is something for everyone. Nigeria is kick-starting these massive benefits with enhanced broadband. 5G will bridge the fibre connectivity gap and with wireless broadband connectivity, Nigerians will enjoy the enhanced broadband.” A member of the panel stated to emphasize enhanced connectivity that comes with 5G technology.
The discussants also agreed that telecom operators will reap huge benefits from 5G in many ways, through network slicing, new revenue streams from IoT, industrial applications, gaming and entertainment as well as live broadcast features supported by 5G amongst others.
The NCC team comprising specialists in engineering, law and communications, also said that 5G will power more than a billion devices in the next two years, and this means there will be upsurge in the manufacturing of related user equipment which is expected to bring down the prices of associated devices and equipment.
The process is also expected to trigger utilisation of raw materials such as rare earth metals that are found in large quantities in Africa, and cities will equally benefit from the 5G enabled infrastructure such as smart street lighting, smart traffic control systems, maintenance services and so on that will deliver huge economic gains.
Explaining NCC’s efforts and plans on consumer safety in the 5G era, discussants recalled that the Commission was already working closely with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to develop a Risk Management Frameworks.
The framework will grow the need for the ethical hacking skill set and allow the use of ethical hacking as part of risk management towards ensuring the cyber space safety during 5G era.
Additionally, the panel informed the audience that NCC had established a sectoral Computer Security Incidents Response Team (CSIRT) to work with the telecoms operators to reduce risks on the cyber-attacks and data breach.
The Centre, inaugurated in 2021, has been collaborating with the national agency, the Nigerian Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), towards enhancing the security of the cyber space and privacy of citizens. These strategic collaboration, for which NCC is noted, will now be boosted by the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau, recently established by the Federal Government.
While explaining the security, safety and speed characteristic of 5G, the panel reasoned that, while 4G has a response time of 10 millisecond, equivalent of the capacity of human brain, 5G network is even faster. Therefore, the high-speed feature of 5G will make it unlock greater opportunities that will enhance human productivity for the development.
“The latency of 5G, which measures its response time, is 1 millisecond, while that of 4G is measured at 10 milliseconds. While 4G can accommodate 100,000 device connections in one square kilometre, 5G can connect a million devices within the same space, and thus, power Internet of Things (IoT).
“Also, 5G peak data rate is 20 gigabits (GB) per second for download, and 10GB for upload, which is higher than 100 megabytes (MB) per second download and 50MB upload offered by 4G network.”
The panel allayed fears of health concerns, propelled by “misconceptions, disinformation, misinformation and malinformation”. The panel informed the participants that the apprehension was unnecessary. It cited research-based evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the International Commission on Non-Ironising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), to prove the safety of 5G network to human health.
The panel explicated further that Nigeria can indeed begin to create smart cities, an ecosystem powered by 5G applications. The massive speed of 5G, according to the discussants, will also enhance the capacity of start-ups and other tech entrepreneurs to leverage the enabling environment powered by the fast connectivity, to develop unlimited solutions for the benefit of Nigeria and her citizens.
According to the panel, an enhanced broadband that allows low latency and facilitate billion of connections in machine-to-machine communication certainly holds a big promise for socio-economic growth and development.
When asked if the country was ready for 5G, the panel declared that, “Nigeria is ready for 5G because the NCC has been supported by key stakeholders to make Nigeria ready.
“The Commission has built the regulatory foundation, the deployment plan has been designed and various exercises have been carried out up to the level of handling over 5G Spectrum licences to the operators.”
Meanwhile, the panelists also emphasized the centrality of collaboration among state and non-state actors to drive the ecosystem. They contend that, as with other previous technologies, such as 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G, efforts must be made for all stakeholders to glean and exploit the massive use cases of 5G for socio-economic development.
While rounding off the highly engaging session, the moderator thanked the co-panelists for their diligence and painstaking engagements, and the audience for its interest, enthusiasm and solidarity.
He reiterated the unflinching commitment of NCC to doing all within its regulatory powers to ensure data security and data protection.
He also underscored the need for sustenance of collaborative efforts among tiers of government and all other stakeholders to ensure effective utilization of 5G services across all sectors.
The well-attended panel discussion, which focused on, “Moving Forward Steadily: Socio-Economic Significance of Development of 5G Services” was moderated by NCC’s Head of Online Media, Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan. Other panelists are: Babagana Digima, Team Lead, Nigeria Office for Developing the Indigenous Telecoms Sector (NODITS); Usman Aliyu, Head, Space Services; Anthony Ikemefuna, Head, Fixed Networks and Converged Services; and a Senior Manager in the Legal and Regulatory Services Department of the Commission, Dr. Mohammed Suleh-Yusuf.
The AfricaNXT Conference is the largest assemblage of innovators from across Africa and Africa’s Diasporan communities. Formerly known as Social Media Week Lagos, the confab and festival, now in its 10th Year, is an annual event that takes place in Lagos, focusing on harnessing Africa’s potentials for her development, using the dual agencies of human creativity and the promises of technology.
Huawei Technologies, a Chinese information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure provider, has unveiled plans to launch a significant new data centre in Nigeria, a move that is expected to bolster the country’s cloud infrastructure and support its growing digital economy.
Server racks in server room data center
This announcement was made by David Olaiya, head of Cloud Fintech Business Development for Huawei Nigeria, during Nigeria Fintech Week, in Lagos.
The new data centre is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s position as a hub for tech innovation in West Africa.
Scheduled to become fully operational by October 31, 2024, the facility, called ‘Cloud Site’ is designed to provide comprehensive data storage and computing services.
By keeping data within Nigeria’s borders, this initiative aims to align with the country’s data protection policies, which mandate that all user data be stored locally.
This is especially critical for sectors like finance and telecommunications, where data security is paramount.
Many Nigerian businesses, particularly those that have relied on international cloud services, often face compliance challenges when it comes to storing and processing sensitive user data.
These companies have had to send their data across borders, raising concerns about data security and regulatory adherence.
The launch of Huawei’s data centre aims to directly address these issues by allowing businesses to manage their data domestically, ensuring compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
“This centre ensures data sovereignty, offering Nigerian businesses a competitive advantage by keeping sensitive information within the country,” Olaiya stated.
The launch of the data centre comes amid the growing influence of Huawei’s cloud services among Nigerian banks. Reports have emerged that major Nigerian banks including UBA Zenith Bank, Opay, First Bank and others are opting for Huawei’s cloud storage solutions, positioning it as a strong competitor to IBM, which has been a longtime leader in banking technology in Nigeria. The shift by these banks reflects the rising trust in Huawei’s cloud capabilities and its growing influence within the financial sector.
Olaiya also emphasized that the new centre will offer more than just local data storage. It is expected to significantly reduce latency, providing faster access to cloud services, which is crucial for real-time operations such as digital payments and mobile banking.
In addition to data compliance, he noted that the centre will be backed by local technical expertise, which will be key in providing timely support to Nigerian enterprises. Huawei plans to have a dedicated team on the ground, alongside its global 24/7 support infrastructure. This combination of local and global resources promises to deliver seamless service, enabling companies to troubleshoot issues more efficiently and reduce the risks associated with downtime or technical failures.
While this is a milestone for Huawei, Nigeria already hosts data centres from global tech giants such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.
However, Huawei’s entry into the local cloud landscape is poised to bring additional benefits.
The ‘Cloud Site’ will be part of Huawei’s extensive global network, which spans 93 availability zones in 33 regions around the world, including existing data centres in South Africa and Egypt.
The Nigerian data centre will be linked to Huawei’s other key locations, including facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Dublin, Ireland.
This global integration is expected to not only serve as a critical resource for established businesses in Nigeria, but also to support Africa’s digital transformation in broader terms, creating new opportunities for startups, especially in sectors like fintech, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence (AI), where local data processing can drive innovation.
In a related initiative, Huawei Cloud announced in April 2024 its plan to support 100 Nigerian startups over the next two years.
This commitment includes providing these startups with cloud resources and technical assistance to help them scale their operations and bring new products to market.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has also demonstrated its commitment to data infrastructure, with plans to inaugurate a national data centre by May 2024.
This facility, which will have a storage capacity of 1.4 petabytes, is intended to securely store critical national data, including biometric information of Nigerian citizens.
Overall, Huawei’s entry into Nigeria’s data centre market is set to complement these efforts, further establishing the country as a regional leader in cloud computing and data services.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is preparing to issue a revised corporate governance code, updating the 2016 version with a key focus on the introduction of mandatory sustainability reporting for telecom operators, according to Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman of the commission.
Maida said that the initiative is aimed at aligning the sector with global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, promoting greater transparency and supporting sustainable development within Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape.
He, disclosed this during his address at the 2024 Annual Corporate Governance Conference in Lagos, State, themed “Corporate Survival and Sustainability: The New Face of Governance.”
The sustainability reporting involves organisations disclosing information about their ESG performance.
This practice provides stakeholders—including investors, customers, and regulators—with insights into how telecom operators manage risks and opportunities related to sustainability. Key components include reporting on carbon emissions, resource usage, labour practices, community engagement, and data privacy.
Maida emphasized the importance of sustainability in corporate governance, highlighting that “such practices are no longer optional but essential for the long-term success of telecom companies.”
He presented findings from a comprehensive NCC analysis evaluating corporate governance among telecom operators. Key indicators examined included board composition, diversity, effectiveness, ethical conduct, compliance, risk management, and corporate social responsibility.
The analysis revealed a strong correlation between effective governance and regulatory compliance, with companies not excelling in governance facing poor financial performance.
Samsung Electronics has officially unveiled the latest addition to the popular Galaxy A series smartphones – the Samsung Galaxy A06.
From left to right: Stephen Okwara, product manager, Mobile Experience West Africa; Oge Maduagu, head of Marketing West Africa; Joy Tim-Ayoola, group head, Mobile experience West Africa, and Nathan Lee, business manager, Mobile experience, all of Samsung West Africa, during the unveiling of Galaxy A06 at Ikeja City Mall, Lagos
Joining a fan favorite series and combining powerful performance with a sleek design, the Galaxy A06 offers customers and loyal A series fans unique features and premium experience at an affordable price.
The stylish Galaxy A06 is set to redefine what users expect from entry-level smartphones, offering cutting-edge technology without compromise.
Aptly, tagged “Galaxy Wey Sabi”, the Galaxy A06 stands out in the competitive category as it aims to resolve the customers’ needs in a smartphone with focus on durability, functionality, security, camera, and entertainment.
Users can enjoy capturing high-resolution photos with the 50MP rear camera, now equipped with Nightography for capturing the essence of every detail especially in low-light conditions. The 8MP front and 2MP (depth) cameras also provide crystal-clear selfies with advanced beautification features.
Spotting a slimmer design and comfortable grip, as well as a side fingerprint scanner, the new Galaxy A06 features a stunning 6.7” HD+ display, providing vivid colors and crisp clarity for an immersive viewing experience that delivers seamless visuals on the infinity-U display with enhanced brightness, especially for outdoor visibility.
Galaxy A06 – Galaxy Wey Sabi is truly a device, which understands your needs, equipped with a 5000mAh long-lasting battery, you can enjoy more device usage without worrying about battery life. The 25W Super-Fast Charging feature ensures up to 50% battery charge in just 30mins, meaning you are back in action quickly.
“The Samsung assurance is a promise, a trustworthy reliability in our Knox Security on this device, which protects your personal information by isolating your passwords and other private data within a secure environment,” said Stephen Okwara, Head Product Management, Samsung Electronics West Africa. “What also awesome about this is our promise of continuous OS upgrades and up to 4 years security update on this device. Isn’t that impressive from a brand that understands the needs of its customers?”
Also speaking at the Galaxy A06 launch event in Lagos, Oge Maduagwu, Head of Marketing, Samsung Electronics West Africa said: “We are excited to introduce the Galaxy A06, which brings together powerful performance, an advanced camera, and long-lasting battery life, all in a stylish and affordable package,” She added: “Also customers can enjoy premium support for their device with a screen damage insurance cover of just N9000.
Available in four stunning colors – Black, Blue Green, Lime and Silver – The Samsung Galaxy A06 will be available in Nigeria at all authorized Samsung Stores from 11th October 2024, with pricing starting at N146,000.
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