Telecom
ATCON to Launch National Telecoms Advisory Council
Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has disclosed plans to launch a National Telecoms Advisory Council (NTAC), an assembly of very eminent personalities with great accomplishment in Telecommunication who shall be advising the NEC on appropriate policy issues to advocate for and other matters that advance the course of our industry.
Engineer Lanre Ajayi, president of ATCON, announced this during a press conference in view of the Association’s forthcoming 21st anniversary celebration.
Ajayi said that the journey of the last 21 years had been so eventful for the Nigerian telecommunications industry with ATCON, as the umbrella body of all telecommunications companies, playing pivotal roles.
The ATCON president said, “The journey so far has not been a fairy tale, but we have been able to create a measure of impact in our collective efforts and have been able to develop an industry, which is considered a very vital economic sector and contributing significantly to the country’s GDP. The result of all these efforts is the impressive performance of the industry today, which is visible for all to see”.
“And for that, the Association has decided to take time out to celebrate our successes, evaluate its achievements and that of the industry and make projections for the future through the celebration.
“During the anniversary dinner, there shall be an anniversary lectured to be delivered by a very distinguished personality and Telecommunications Merit Awards shall be presented to deserving industry players who have in one way or the other distinguished themselves in their personal and corporate contributions towards the rapid development of the Nigerian telecommunications industry.
“Also, we intend to use the opportunity of the dinner to launch the Association code of Ethics, which has been approved by members of the association as the standard by which they would be expected to adhere to in the practice of their profession and in conducting their businesses”.
He also said the dinner shall also provide us opportunity to inform industry stakeholders and all friends of ATCON plans to establish/Construct ATCON House Project (National Secretariat) which will is planned to be located in the Smartcity Innovation Hub, in Lekki, Lagos.
According to him, in the years to come, ATCON will continue to show more commitment to the growth of the industry.
“We will continue to develop programs that will sustain the growth of our industry.
“We owe a lot of gratitude to the Nigerian press for the support and cooperation given to the Association and the telecommunications industry as a whole over the years”.
He added that through professional reportage of developments in the Nigerian telecommunications market, information sharing has been enhanced and confidence has been built in the industry leading to unprecedented level of investment in the industry.
“We are very hopeful that the fourth estate will continue to be very supportive in our efforts at catching up with the rest of the world in terms of technological advancements, particularly, in the telecommunications sector,” Ajayi said.
In the wake of increasing geopolitical tension, Cassava Technologies has unveiled its National Sovereign Cloud offering for African governments.
The solution, the company claims, will help the continent’s governments ensure data is kept on infrastructure that remains under local legal and operational jurisdiction.
According to the official announcement, made yesterday, the solution provides “secure, locally-governed digital infrastructure that enables the deployment of AI-enabled public services”.
The overarching solution encompasses cloud, cyber security, AI computing infrastructure, as well as local language AI models and skills support for governments.
The announcement comes amid increasing uncertainty over the hosting of sensitive national data on cloud services operated by foreign hyperscalers, which are subject to legal frameworks, such as the U.S. CLOUD Act. The CLOUD Act opens the door to allow American authorities to access data stored on the servers of US hyperscalers, wherever those servers are physically located.
Cassava has claimed separately that currently, “approximately 33% to 45% of the world’s data is hosted in the USA”.
The company added: “A sovereign cloud reduces exposure to extraterritorial laws, improves cyber resilience, and ensures that model weights and training data for public AI remain under national custody.”
The Africa Data Centres Association’s 2026 Economic Report states that “data sovereignty has evolved from a legal aspiration into a strategic policy lever”.
Ahmed El Beheiry, Group COO and Group Chief Technology and AI Officer, Cassava Technologies said: “Across Africa, governments are accelerating their digital transformation agendas and are increasingly focused on ensuring that data and digital infrastructure remain secure and sovereign.”
Announced at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona, this week, the Sovereign Cloud offering launch accompanied the launch of Cassava’s Cloud Partner programme.
The partner programme targets mobile network operators and system integrators across Africa to resell and distribute AI, cloud, and other digital services using Cassava’s infrastructure and technology platforms.
El Beheiry added: “We are expanding Africa’s sovereign AI ecosystem to build solutions that address the continent’s unique challenges while creating new opportunities for growth and digital inclusion.”
The programme offers partners access to NVIDIA Cloud Partner solutions, Cassava’s AI Factory, its own native AI solutions and its AI Multi-Model Exchange, which supports both Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini models.
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
Police Says Victims Enable Cyber Attacks Out of Ignorance
Bank Accuses Magistrate, Lawyer of Using Fake Order to Steal N3.5m from Account
FG Launches NERD to Combat Certificate Fraud
NCDC Issues Public Advisory on Cerebrospinal Meningitis
Goodnews Naija Launches ‘Building in Nigeria’ Series on Entrepreneurs, Real Sector Builders
Dr. Cairo Ojougboh Foundation Bolsters Nigeria’s Education Drive with ₦2.7m Student Support
Kaspersky Brings more Transparency to Threat Detection with New Hunt Hub
PwC Reveals AI Scaling Gap Slows Africa’s Digital Transformation
Kaspersky Discovers New Phishing Campaign Exploiting Google Tasks Notifications to Steal Corporate Credentials
Firm Reviews the Evolution of Phishing Threats in 2025
E-Financial2 days agoNigeria’s VAT Jumps 34%, CIT Soars 48% to ₦14trn in 9M’25 – NBS
Telecom2 days agoFG Approves GIS-enabled Digital Postcode to Tackle Logistics Gaps, Boost E-commerce
E-Business2 days agoFirm Enhances its Security Awareness Platform with SCORM and PDF Support
E-Financial2 days agoBinance Cuts Illicit Activity Exposure by 96%, Leads Global Crypto Compliance Push
E-Financial2 days agoNAICOM Signs MoU with BPP to Deepen Insurance Compliance in Public Procurement
E-Financial1 day agoSenate Targets Fintech Overreach, Vows Ponzi Crackdown After ₦1.3trn CBEX Scam
Telecom2 days agoGSMA, African Operators, Others to Launch Low-cost 4G Devices
General News2 days agoNERC Orders DisCos to Refund ₦20.33Bn Meter Costs to Customers