Telecom
ATCON Sets June 9 for its Conference on Actualization of National Broadband Target of 70%
The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has announced Thursday, June 9, 2022 as date for one of its flagship events – National Strategic Mobilization for the Actualization of National Broadband Target of 70% Conference & Exhibition.
The event themed – Realizing the new set target of 70% of Broadband Penetration is billed for Thursday, June 9, 2022 in Abuja.
Speaking about the conference, Engr Ikechukwu Nnamani, President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said that It is imperative for the government and players in the telecoms & ICT ecosystem to leverage on various sub-groups under the membership of ATCON to ensure and guarantee that the new Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 is adequately positioned to deliver its ultimate purposes for the generality of Nigerians in a quicker and strategic manner.
He noted that ATCON is an organization that usually gives its members the opportunity to review and provide insightful approaches and solutions along with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Nigeria Data Protection Bureau and State Governments as to what to be done to support various programmes and projects that are earmarked for the successful implementation of the previous National Broadband Plan under past ministers.
“The strategic objectives of this very important event are to compliment the various strategic activities already embarked upon by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and all the agencies under the Ministry to achieve the set target of Broadband penetration in Nigeria with great speed.
“To leverage on the wide spectrum of ATCON’ sub-groups for effective participation in the new Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 by giving them the opportunity to access the plan and suggest various ways to speed up the realization of the established target by the government and also serve as a veritable platform to galvanize the needed input that reflect the thinkings of the telecom and ICT sector. This is an opportunity to review the relevance of the Nigerian policy environment vis-a-vis the telecom operating environment”.
According to him, Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Minister, Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, is expected to deliver the principal keynote address at the event.
Also, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, EVC/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General/CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Engr Aliyu Aziz Abubakar, Director-General/CEO, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Bureau and Engr. Ubale Ahmed Maska, Chair, Nigerian National Broadband Plan Implementation Steering Committee will all make presentations on the Overview of the New Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020 – 2025 and status of implementation by their various organizations respectively.
Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, Executive Governor, Akwa Ibom State; Prof. Charles Soludo, Executive Governor, Anambra State; Senator Douye Diri, Executive Governor, Bayelsa State; Engr. Dave Nweze Umahi FNSE, FNATE, Executive Governor, Ebonyi State; Senator Hope Uzodinma, Executive Governor, Imo State; Mallam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, Executive Governor, Kaduna State; Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, OFR, Executive Governor, Kano State; Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Executive Governor, Kebbi State; Mr. Yahaya Bello, Executive Governor, Kogi State; Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Executive Governor, Lagos State; Alhaji Abdullahi Sule, Executive Governor, Nasarawa State; Mr. Dapo Abiodun, Executive Governor, Ogun State; Engr. Oluwaseyi Makinde, Executive Governor, Oyo State; Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Executive Governor, Rivers State; Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, Executive Governor, Yobe State and Mr. Mohammed Musa Bello, Honourable Minister, Federal Capital Territory and their representatives will also make presentations on what their administrations are doing in terms of Right of Way, Ease of Doing Business, National Dig Once Policy and other strategic initiatives for the actualization of digital economy in their respective states. The Central Bank of Nigeria has also been invited to make a brief presentation on the plan to create a special window for foreign exchange for telecom sector. Some banks have also been invited to react the presentation by CBN Governor on how they can increase the loan disbursement to the sector.
Each sub-sector is an integral part of the entire ecosystem of the Nigerian telecom and ICT sector hence, there shall be paper presentations by representatives from the following Subsectors; MNOs; Submarine/Undersea Cable Operators/National Critical Infrastructure; Towers/Base Stations Providers; Internet Services Providers (ISP) – Wholesale Segment; Internet Services Providers (ISP) – Retail Segment; Satellite Operators; Manufacturers’ Representative; Over The Top (OTT) Players; Data Centre Operators; Metro-Fibre Operators; Cloud Computing; Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Operators; FINTECH/e-Commerce Operators; eGovernment Services Providers and Value Added Services Providers (VAS).
MTN Uganda is seeking input from stakeholders on a plan to structurally separate its mobile money service, MoMo, from its core telecoms business.
According to the company, the proposed change will be discussed at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on July 2.
If approved, the telco’s fintech business will be run by a new company controlled by MTN Group Fintech Holdings B.V. and a trust benefiting minority shareholders following a merger.
Additionally, the restructuring also aligns with MTN Group’s ambition 2025 strategy which aims to unlock value, attract new investors, and strengthen regulatory compliance by creating standalone fintech entities in Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.
The company’s fintech division has over 13 million customers, with an 18.4% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by 19.0% growth in mobile money services, 19.8% growth in transaction volumes, and a 31.4% increase in transaction value.
Reports say the decision is part of the telco’s compliance with the National Payment Systems Act 2020, which mandates mobile money businesses to operate as standalone entities, and to align with MTN Group’s regional fintech strategy.
MTN Uganda, which is led by CEO Sylvia Mulinge, highlighted that the implementation of the proposed transaction will be subjected to a number of conditions and regulatory procedures.
“The implementation of the proposed transaction shall be subject to a number of conditions, including the company and MTN MoMo receiving all required regulatory approvals and no-objections and complying with any regulatory conditions,” said MTN Uganda in notice.
Netflix has announced plans to invest more than €1 billion in Spanish film and television productions over the next four years, reinforcing its commitment to Spain as a key creative hub in Europe.
The announcement was made by co-chief executive Ted Sarandos at an event held at Netflix’s production studios near Madrid, celebrating the company’s 10-year presence in the country.
Sarandos emphasized that the investment would contribute significantly to Spain’s economy, create jobs, and enable the streaming platform to produce more local content. He was joined by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in unveiling the initiative.
Netflix first established its international production studios in Madrid in 2019, following the success of the Spanish-language hit series Money Heist.
Since then, its 22,000-square-meter facility has become one of Netflix’s major production centers within the European Union.
The company currently supports over 20,000 jobs in Spain, highlighting the nation’s growing influence in global entertainment.
The investment reflects Netflix’s ongoing strategy to expand its presence in European markets through original content and local talent.
Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) has raised alarms over a new wave of advanced cyberattacks targeting Android mobile phones through a malware campaign dubbed Tria Stealer.
The malicious software is designed to infiltrate Android devices, hijack messaging accounts, intercept One-Time Passwords (OTPs), to steal sensitive personal and financial data.
According to ngCERT, Tria Stealer spreads primarily through deceptive tactics, such as fake event invitations distributed via popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Unsuspecting users are enticed to download an infected (APK) file, often disguised as a harmless system application, to evade detection.
Once installed, Tria Stealer requests extensive permissions, including access to SMS, call logs, and app notifications.
It immediately commences data harvesting activities, sending stolen information to a Command and Control (C2) server operated via Telegram bots.
This trojan spreads through fake links, usually disguised as wedding or event invites, and tricks users into downloading malicious APK files
“Account takeover of messaging platforms. Impersonation of victim for fraudulent money transfer requests. Compromise of banking and financial applications. Identity theft and credential harvesting.”
In plain terms, if your phone is compromised, the consequences could be catastrophic.
Your financial apps are vulnerable, your reputation could be ruined by impersonation and even simple personal messages could be twisted into tools for scams.
Here’s what users should be doing now:
Don’t download apps outside the official Play Store.
Be suspicious of random invites or links, even from people you know.
Turn on 2FA for everything—banking, emails, social platforms.
Get a reputable antivirus and keep it updated.
If you run an organisation, you should already be taking this seriously.
ngCERT’s guidance says you should raise awareness, monitor mobile devices, and not let your team click on unverified links.
“Deploy network monitoring for suspicious outbound connections to known C2 domains,” it said, meaning, keep an eye on every digital door in and out.
This isn’t one of those cases where you wait to see if it affects you. By the time you realise it, it may already be too late.
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