Telecom
ATCON, NCS, Others Counsel FG on New ICT Policy

Stakeholders in the nation’s information and communication technology (ICT) industry are counselling the Federal Government on key areas to prioritise in the proposed new National ICT Policy.
Mr. Adebayo Shittu, minister of Communications, had in penultimate week while attending the foundation laying ceremony of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) secretariat, expressed his commitments to producing a new nation ICT policy; a thrust for the industry to become next major source of revenue for the economy.
Shittu acknowledged that the Ministry has been receiving a lot of inputs from stakeholders across the country and from Nigerians in diaspora; some of which will form part of the details of the blueprint.
In line with the new drives, Engineer Lanre Ajayi, president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek that the Ministry should critically review the existing National ICT Policy and the National Broadband Plan, culling the most important areas for swift implementations.
Ajayi said, “I don’t think we need a new ICT policy more urgent as it were. We just had an ICT policy not too long ago. It is my opinion that the present administration toes the line of the existing policy and implement it. A change in government does not necessarily mean the past policies should be discarded, especially when the policies are relevant in today’s environment.
On critical policies and plans Shittu should focus on, he said, “We have ICT policy and broadband plan. The broadband plan implementation seemingly, was short, because of the electioneering (or political activities) few months before the past government left office. The present government can make their milestones from the aspects of the broadband plan, as some of the projections are yet to be achieved such as spectrum licencing to drive broadband and many more, I think, they should focus on the implementation”.
But, Mr. Pius Okigbo, president of the Institute of Software Practitioner of Nigeria (ISPON), believes the Communications Minister deserves the right to choose the ICT policy direction of the present administration.
According to him, stakeholders should wait till the policy thrust is launched before discussing the content; though he admitted that “ICT for job creation” is a sine qua non for the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal Government.
Okigbo told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek he believes “it will be prudent to wait till the current Minister comes up with his own policy prescription or direction. At that point, we will be in a better position to argue for or against what to include or not.
“Yes, there are certain influences that he has to be govern by. Those influences are the good part of the existing policy that have yielded tremendous benefits. The key point is the iDEA Hub. That is a very strong and positive policy prescription. There are several others that can have to do with expanding and developing the industry and create employment opportunities. So, I strongly believe we wait on the Minister to unveil his policy direction before discussing it”.
However, Professor Adesola Aderounmu, president of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) said they have already made recommendations to the Federal Government for priority be given to the use of registered local IT professionals and registered local IT companies to execute IT jobs. In particular such IT firms and professionals should be involved in Strategic IT projects; a deliberate focus on youth innovation to generate massive employment for millions of our youth through riding on the startup boom in Nigeria and the use of innovative IT tools and solutions to frontally address the major concerns of bribery and corruption facing the nation.
Aderounmu also told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek on phone that NCS is ready to make more recommendations to the Federal Government during a two-day retreat scheduled by the Ministry on the subject matter.
Among other NCS’ recommendations to Shittu include, capacity building in cyber security, most especially within the security agencies and in the nation’s educational system; implementation of the National Broadband Plan and urgently push for comprehensive broadband access all over the country; rollout, implementation, and monitoring of local content policy to encourage MDAs to patronize indigenous software and hardware; establishment of IT parks using Public-Private-Partnership models and establishment of Digital Centres in all the 774 LGAs in collaboration with the State Governments.
“And we believe the Federal Government should approve the pending National Software Policy (NSP) as a blue print aimed at providing a strategic roadmap to make Nigeria a competitive country in the area of software engineering and digital knowledge development and implementing e-Government strategies as Imperatives for corruption-free, equitable, productive and knowledge-based society,” the NCS president said.
In same light, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, chairman of Teledom Group, opined that whatever will be part of the new policy must be centered on the Nigerian Content Development and the Nigerian Content Patronage.
“In the last administration,” Ekuwem said, “there was much talks about the Nigerian content development, but there was insufficient emphasis and trust on the Nigerian Content patronage. It is not enough for Nigerians to develop a lot of contents without Ministries, Department and Agencies of the Government and the private sector not patronizing them”.
According to him, “If we fail to prioritise the local content, then the development means nothing. Patronage must be highly emphasized, otherwise, why should Nigerians develop ICT contents/products that are not patronized? Charity must begin at home. The effectiveness of that will generate jobs as the present government has indicated it is interested in creating jobs for the teeming youths”.
Telecom
Truecaller Targets Global Market with Powerful New Business Chat Push

Truecaller, the leading global communications platform, today announced the expansion of its Business Chat platform, making it accessible to global channel partners and enterprise solution providers. By “opening up” market access to its platform, Truecaller is empowering partners to transition their enterprise clients from legacy, low-trust SMS to a verified, smart, media-rich, and conversational communication experience.

Truecaller
Through this partner-led expansion, Truecaller empowers businesses to reclaim customer attention and establish immediate trust and credibility.
“The definition of success for modern enterprises has fundamentally evolved. It’s no longer just about delivery – it’s about earning attention, establishing credibility, and driving meaningful conversion,” said Priyam Bose, Global Head, GTM at Truecaller.
“By opening up market access to our global partners, we’ve created a powerful gateway for brands to engage with over 500 million active users where they already interact daily through communication that is contextual, trusted, free from clutter, and designed to initiate actions. For existing customers, the outreach opportunity extends to an additional high-impact channel, strengthening the overall customer experience journey.”
Truecaller Business Chat enables a clutter-free, high-trust conversational experience between businesses and consumers. The Business Chat platform equips partners with actionable insights, including real-time data and rich engagement metrics. This facilitates a more sophisticated, data-driven communication strategy that adapts at every stage of the customer journey.
Partners, including Gupshup and OneXtel, are already live in India along with Globe Teleservices, Cloudcom, and Sling Africa in other global markets, rapidly scaling the product in their respective regions. Global partners can now leverage Truecaller’s massive footprint to offer their clients a trustworthy engagement channel in an increasingly crowded digital world.
Telecom
Meta Unveils Muse Spark: MSL’s Groundbreaking People-First AI Model

Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL) unveiled Muse Spark Tuesday, its first large language model in a new Muse series, designed from scratch to deliver “personal superintelligence”—an AI assistant tailored to users’ real-world needs like complex reasoning in science, math and health.

Meta AI
A New Model: Muse Spark
Over the last nine months, Meta Superintelligence Labs rebuilt our AI stack from the ground up, moving faster than any development cycle we have run before. Muse Spark is the first model in our new Muse series — a deliberate and scientific approach to model scaling where each generation validates and builds on the last before we go bigger. This initial model is small and fast by design, yet capable enough to reason through complex questions in science, math, and health. It is a powerful foundation, and the next generation is already in development. Muse Spark now powers the Meta AI assistant in the Meta AI app and meta.ai, built to support complex reasoning and multimodal tasks.
What’s Changed with Meta AI
The Meta AI app and meta.ai are getting an upgrade today, along with a new look. Whether you need a quick answer or help with complex problems that need strong reasoning, Meta AI now handles both. You can switch between modes depending on the task, and Meta AI can launch multiple subagents in parallel to tackle your question. Like planning a family trip to Florida where one agent drafts the itinerary, another compares Orlando vs. the Keys, and a third finds kid-friendly activities — all at the same time, giving you a better answer, faster.
Ask Meta AI: It Understands
The real world moves fast, and most of it does not fit into a text box. That is why we built strong multimodal perception into Muse Spark, so Meta AI can see and understand what you are looking at, not just read what you type. Snap a photo of an airport snack shelf and Meta AI can identify and rank the snacks with the most protein — no label-squinting required. Scan a product and ask how it compares to alternatives. It is the difference between an AI that waits for you to explain the world and one that can simply look at the world with you. And when Meta AI powered by Muse Spark comes to our AI glasses, the assistant will be able to better see and understand the world around you.
Multimodal perception is especially valuable for health. With Muse Spark, Meta AI is now able to help you navigate health questions with more detailed responses, including some questions involving images and charts. Health is one of the top reasons people turn to AI, so we worked with a team of physicians to develop the model’s ability to provide helpful information on common health questions and concerns.
Muse Spark excels at visual coding, letting you create custom websites and mini-games straight from a prompt. Ask Meta AI to build a dashboard for planning a big surprise party, spin up a retro arcade game to chase a high score, or launch a whimsical flight simulator — and share any of them with friends.
Ask Meta AI: It’s Plugged Into What You Care About
Meta AI can now help you discover what to wear, how to style a room, or what to buy for someone you know. Shopping mode draws from the styling inspiration and brand storytelling already happening across our apps, surfacing ideas from the creators and communities people already follow.
And when you are looking up a place to go or a topic that is trending, Meta AI surfaces rich and relevant context right alongside the conversation. Tap into a location and see public posts from locals who know the area. Ask what people are buzzing about and get the full picture, pulled from content and community posts. It is context from your people, right where you need it.
Looking Ahead
The Meta AI app and meta.ai will have the upgraded experience with Instant and Thinking modes everywhere they are available today. The new Meta AI features are starting to roll out in the US on both. In the coming weeks, we will bring these new modes and capabilities to more countries and to the places where people use Meta AI, including Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and our AI glasses — where these perception capabilities become even more powerful. We are also opening access to the underlying technology. It will be available in private preview via API to select partners, and we hope to open-source future versions of the model.
This is only the start. As we expand these features, expect richer, more visual results, with Reels, photos, and posts woven directly into your answers, with credit back to the content creators. And as our models improve, we’ll continue to build safeguards for things like safety and privacy, starting with the strengthened risk framework and other protections we’re sharing today.
The future of Meta AI is rooted in the relationships and context already at the center of your life. We are building toward personal superintelligence — an AI that does not just answer your questions but truly understands your world because it is built on it.
Telecom
From Import Dependency to Local Capacity: Nigeria’s Tech Manufacturing Journey

The recent escalation in the US-Israel conflict with Iran has delivered a sharp reminder of Nigeria’s economic vulnerability. As oil prices surged past $100 per barrel and fuel costs climbed by 35% at Nigerian pumps, a troubling paradox emerged: Nigeria, a major crude oil producer with Africa’s largest privately-owned refinery now operational, still found itself buffeted by global energy shocks originating thousands of miles away.

Zinox
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and resulting disruptions to global energy markets exposed the deeper structural challenge facing Nigeria’s economy. Despite domestic crude production and the operational Dangote Refinery, Nigeria has struggled with rising inflation, which reached approximately 27% in 2025. The crisis illuminated an uncomfortable truth: decades of import dependency have left Nigeria’s economy precariously exposed to external shocks, even in sectors where the country possesses natural advantages.
This vulnerability extends beyond energy. Nigeria’s technology sector offers a particularly instructive case study in the costs of import reliance, and the transformative potential of local capacity as the pathway to economic stability and technological sovereignty.
Against this backdrop, Zinox Technologies stands as a compelling counternarrative. Founded in 2001 by technology entrepreneur Leo Stan Ekeh, Zinox operates West Africa’s only computerized digital assembly plant. As Nigeria’s first indigenous computer manufacturer, Zinox demonstrates what becomes possible when vision, investment, and commitment to local capacity converge.
The company’s reach extends beyond traditional computing. Zinox’s innovation spans renewable energy through iPower and home electronics with iTEC, addressing Nigeria’s chronic power challenges with locally-assembled solar solutions and backup systems designed for Nigerian conditions. This diversification reflects sophisticated understanding: true technological sovereignty requires integrated capabilities.
Zinox’s journey offers a clear case study in how indigenous companies can drive transformation. By focusing on local assembly and manufacturing of computer hardware and digital devices, the company has contributed to building a domestic technology ecosystem that supports government institutions, educational systems, and private enterprises. This approach not only reduces reliance on foreign imports but also creates jobs, transfers knowledge, and strengthens national capacity.
The implications are significant. Every locally assembled device represents a step away from foreign exchange exposure. It also signals a shift in mindset — from consumption to production. In a country where demand for technology continues to rise, especially with the acceleration of digital adoption, the importance of local manufacturing cannot be overstated.
Beyond economics, there is also a strategic dimension. Technology is no longer just a commercial tool; it is a defense tool and a national asset. Countries that control their technology supply chains are better positioned to innovate, secure their data, and compete globally. In this context, companies like Zinox are not merely businesses; they are enablers of national development.
Furthermore, local capacity development has a multiplier effect. It stimulates ancillary industries such as logistics, retail, maintenance, and technical services. It also fosters entrepreneurship, as more Nigerians gain access to affordable and reliable technology tools needed to participate in the digital economy.
Yet, while progress has been made, there is still work to be done. Scaling local manufacturing requires sustained policy support, infrastructure investment, and a deliberate focus on skills development. It also calls for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to create an environment where indigenous innovation can thrive.
Encouragingly, the momentum is building. There is a growing recognition that Nigeria must move beyond being a consumer market to becoming a production hub. This shift is not only necessary, it is urgent. Global uncertainties will continue to test economies, and only those with strong internal capabilities will remain resilient.
The current global crisis offers clarity. If the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened or supply chains to imports are fractured, only countries with strong domestic manufacturing capacity will weather the storm. Those dependent on imports suffer disproportionately.
The story of Zinox Technologies underscores what is possible. It shows that with the right mix of vision and execution, Nigeria can chart a new course, one defined by self-reliance, innovation, and sustainable growth. As the country navigates an increasingly complex global landscape, the message is clear: the future belongs to economies that build, not just buy.
E-Business2 days agoNigeria Cyberattacks: Stronger Collaboration as a Panacea
Telecom2 days agoAirtel Becomes World’s Second Largest Telco as Global Customer Base Surpasses 650 Million
General News2 days agoNIBSS Says 28 Percent of Nigerians have Registered for BVN
Telecom2 days agoFrom Import Dependency to Local Capacity: Nigeria’s Tech Manufacturing Journey
General News2 days agoNITDA DG Urges Stronger Collaboration to Drive Nigeria’s Digital Economy
E-Business2 days agoCBN Slams Custodian Investment with N419m Fines over Rule Breaches
General News2 days agoOgun Set for Direct London Flights as Gateway Airport Gains Momentum
News2 days agoLagos Govt Drags Top Firms to Court Over Billion-Naira Tax Debts













