Telecom
ATCON Hosts Sectoral Virtual Forum to Address Post COVID-19 Telecom Needs
The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has concluded plans to organize a Sectoral Virtual Forum that would address the need of telecom and ICT Consumers in the COVID-19 and Post COVID-19 Pandemic cum Digital Economy era with the principal goal of meeting the new broadband target of 70%.
The Virtual Forum with the theme: “Meeting the Interests of Government, Consumers and Telecom & ICT Companies in the Era of COVID-19 and Post Covid-19 Pandemic for Digital Economy Development”, is billed to hold on Thursday, August 6, 2020, time 10 am, on Facebook and across other Social Media platforms.
Engr. Olusola Teniola, president of ATCON, in a press statement signed by Ajibola Olude, executive secretary, ATCON, said that “the meeting will provide a veritable platform for Governments, Consumers (corporate and personal) and Telecommunications and ICT Companies to rob minds on how consumers can be better off in terms of effective delivery of telecoms and ICT services and products in Nigeria.
“The centrality of consumer to the projected growth of the Nigerian telecoms and ICT Sector cannot be overlooked in the area of the needed investment to accelerate the progress of the sector, adding that with the emergence of digital economy in Nigeria coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, many economic transactions would be done digitally going forward”.
He further noted that in actualizing the dream of giving Nigerian telecoms and ICT consumers a place in the heart of Governments and Telecoms and ICT Companies, all hands must be on deck.
According to him, “Governments must make laws that encourage further investment into the sector, telecommunications and ICT companies must make consumers satisfaction their priority and the consumers must support the telecoms and ICT companies by requesting government to relax its exorbitant taxes and levies.”
Engr. Teniola reiterated that the Nigeria’s Telecom Sector has witnessed two major important developments, first the renaming of the ministry of communications to Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy by President Muhammadu Buhari, on October 23, 2019 and expansion of its mandate to capture the goals of digitalization of the Nigerian economy in line with the Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (EGRP) and the global outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
He stressed that these two important developments will form the basis of the continued development of the Telecoms and ICT Sector in few years to come.
He noted that the anticipated growth and development of the sector is hinged on the role of the government in terms of regulation and policy directions, the telecom and ICT companies and finally the end users (consumers).
According to him, ”ATCON is conventionally committed to the continuous progress of the Nigerian telecoms and ICT Sector plans to use the sectoral forum to proffer lasting solutions as well as galvanize support from the government, telecom companies and the consumers in the era of COVID-19 and Post COVID-19 for Digital Economy Development and increasing the contributions of the sector geometrically to Nigeria’s GDP by considering some of the challenges of these catalysts of development with a view to solving them.
“The strategic objectives of this very important sectoral forum among others include: to converge regulator’s Interests, to ensure a competitive telecom market and fast track development of telecom industry; Operator’s Interests which is to create an enabling environment for businesses and protection of investment in the sector; and Consumer’s Interests which will be satisfied in terms of quality of services, affordability and access; for Digital Economy Development”.
He added that the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will constitute the role of the government, adding that all members of ATCON and Players in the industry will constitute the role of the Operators.
While National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), Consumer Rights Awareness Advancement And Advocacy Initiative (CRAAAI), Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Nigerian Bar Association, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), National Universities Commission, etc will constitute the role of the consumers.
Engr. Teniola added that “The interdependence among the government, telecom and ICT Companies and Nigerians are clearly obvious but each of them have limitations and potentials, hence the forum would make an attempt to address their limitations and turn them to advantage for the development of Nigerian Telecom and ICT Sector in the era of COVID-19 and Post COVID-19 Pandemic.”
He called on government to relax its exorbitant taxes and levies and urged them to ensure that telecoms and ICT companies are able to buy Forex directly from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Lynda Saint-Nwafor, chief Enterprise business officer, MTN Nigeria, has assured the network subscribers that the new end-user billing system for the use of USSD services will jot affect them.
USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data codes are commonly used for banking transactions, airtime recharges, and other mobile services.
The telco said that there is no significant impact or change other than the fact that they will now pay the same N6.98 per session (120 seconds) with their airtime instead of direct bank debit.
Saint-Nwafor, said this during a chat with MTN MIP fellows, explaining that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered telecom operators to ensure that the new billing model resolves trust issues and ensures transparency in the billing process.
“Our regulator insisted that at the end of every month, we are going to be providing history and statistics on the performance of the service across the board”, she explained.
Saint-Nwafor added that the new billing model has standardized messaging across all operators and ensures consistent communication with customers.
“We will take all the error codes and map them into messages that are standardised across the board. So, if you initiate a transaction, you will know if it is failing. And, when the transaction fails, you will know if it is from your bank or the telco,” she explained.
The U.S. government has recovered $225 million in what is now the largest seizure of funds linked to a cryptocurrency investment scam.
In a statement released Wednesday, June 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the recovery followed an extensive investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, using blockchain analysis and other forensic tools. The statement did not confirm whether any arrests had been made.
According to the authorities, the stolen funds originated from fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes that tricked victims into believing they were making legitimate investments. More than 400 individuals around the world, including dozens in the United States, were reportedly affected.
The operation involved a sophisticated money laundering network that carried out hundreds of thousands of blockchain transactions to obscure the source and ownership of the stolen assets.
“These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims,” said Shawn Bradstreet, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Secret Service office in San Francisco.
Bradstreet added that U.S. officials hope the recovered funds can eventually be returned to the rightful victims.
Cryptocurrency investment fraud accounted for over $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone, according to the statement.
In a rousing declaration that is electrifying minds across the continent, Hon. Nnaemeka Ani, Special Adviser on ICT to Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has called for a homegrown digital revolution under the banner “Africa Will Rise: By Code, By Courage, By Us.”
Hon. Nnaemeka Ani
The message, part challenge, part philosophical—seeks to galvanize African innovators to move beyond buzzwords and build technology with impact and legacy in mind.
“Let’s stop building for hype. Let’s start building for legacy,” Ani urged while speaking to ICT journalists over the weekend. “Let’s stop waiting for someone else. Let’s start creating the future—on our own terms.”
At the heart of Ani’s vision is a shift from tech consumerism to tech authorship. With innovation hubs sprouting across cities like Enugu, Lagos, Kigali, Jo’Burg, and Nairobi, and a growing community of developers, engineers, and entrepreneurs determined to solve Africa’s unique challenges, the movement is already taking shape.
Ani emphasized that Africa’s future lies not in flashy apps or international admiration but in persistent, intentional solutions that uplift communities—solutions that digitize public services, bridge rural-urban divides, empower women and youth, and build resilience in food and climate systems.
“We have the talent,” he said. “Now it’s time to harness it—to stop building for likes and start building for lasting impact.”
With support from leaders like Ani and rising momentum in Africa’s tech corridors, it seems that a new chapter is being written—one line of code at a time.
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