Federal High Court in Lagos has declared that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has secured a landmark legal victory after the Federal High Court in Lagos reaffirmed its authority to regulate competition and consumer protection across all sectors, including telecommunications.

This was disclosed in a press release by Ondaje Ijagwu, FCCPC’s director of Corporate Affairs on Sunday.

Ijagwu, said  Justice F.N. Ogazi gave the verdict in a case that was filed by Emeka Nnubia, a shareholder of MTN Nigeria and a legal practitioner.

In the suit, Nnubia wanted the  court to stop the FCCPC from investigating MTN Nigeria on the ground that Nigerian Communications Commission was the sole regulator of the telecom sector.

But the judge maintained that the law gives the FCCPC the power to  regulate on competition and consumer protection across all sectors, including telecommunications.

The court said that the NCC does not have exclusive control over competition regulation in telecoms. H said both the FCCPC and the NCC are both regulators.

The court said,  “FCCPC acted within its statutory powers in issuing a Summons to MTN Nigeria as part of its ongoing inquiry,” emphasising that the commission’s “Summons and Request to Produce was found to be lawful and within the scope of FCCPC’s investigative powers.”

The court also held,  “FCCPC’s request for information from MTN did not violate any data protection laws, including the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and the NCA 2003.”

It  said, “No personal data was requested, and MTN’s obligation to disclose information in the public interest is a legitimate basis for compliance with FCCPC’s inquiry.”

Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) has partnered with US-based SBTS Group to create 50,000 immediate job opportunities and upskill over five million Nigerian youths by 2030.

Mr. Daser David, president and CEO of DBI

A statement by Mr. Akin Ogunlade, head of Public Affairs at DBI, confirmed that both organisations will officially launch the strategic partnership in Abuja this February.

The initiative is designed to equip Nigerian youths with essential digital skills, enabling them to compete in the global job market.

Mr. Daser David, president and CEO of DBI, described the collaboration as a direct effort to bridge the gap in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital economy by providing advanced training in digital literacy, coding, and other high-demand skills in the labour and employment market.

“As Nigeria’s digital economy rapidly expands, industries such as financial services, healthcare, entertainment, transportation, and ICT are witnessing unprecedented job creation

“However, a significant skills gap remains, with millions of digital and ICT-related jobs going unfilled due to a shortage of qualified professionals.

“This collaboration is, therefore, a direct effort to bridge this gap by providing advanced training in digital literacy, coding, and other high-demand skills in the labour and employment market.

“The effort aligns with the Federal Government’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020–2030) and the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative led by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy under Minister Dr Bosun Tijani,” Mr David said.

Emphasising the transformative impact of the initiative, Mr. David highlighted that Nigerian youths are the catalyst for transforming the nation’s economic future.

“To pivot from an agriculture-dependent economy to a thriving digital landscape, they require targeted IT upskilling.

“This initiative bridges opportunity gaps by providing after-school programmes in digital literacy and vocational training for underserved youths, empowering them to compete in a tech-driven job market and fuelling inclusive economic growth.”

He added that the collaboration would contribute to the government’s broader mission of fostering decent, productive, and freely chosen employment opportunities for young people while supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s national development agenda.

“The partnership between DBI and SBTS is a direct response to Nigeria’s digital skills deficit, focusing on job creation and economic empowerment.

“Each DBI campus will host a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) centre, designed to create thousands of job opportunities for young Nigerians, enabling them to secure both local and remote employment in the global digital economy,” he said.

He further noted that the training would integrate digital skills into vocational education, establish comprehensive on-the-job training systems, and engage public and private sector employers in digital job creation.

The president added that the initiative has already commenced with facility upgrades and training programmes at DBI’s campuses in Enugu (South-East) and Kano (North-West), with other locations scheduled for subsequent rollouts.

Similarly, Evelyn Lewis, CEO of SBTS Group, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to empowering Nigerian youths.

“Despite the negativity and sense of hopelessness often portrayed, there are abundant opportunities for youths in Nigeria.

“We are excited to collaborate with DBI in advancing the Federal Government’s agenda to train and equip unemployed youths with digital skills and comprehensive ICT knowledge, empowering them for a brighter future.”

Under the agreement, the SBTS Group will provide technical and financial support to ensure that young Nigerians receive industry-relevant training that meets global standards.

The initiative also emphasises youth-led digital entrepreneurship, equipping participants with the tools to launch and scale their businesses in the digital space.

By integrating over 400 new digital courses into the training curricula and promoting hands-on learning, the DBI-SBTS partnership is set to drive Nigeria’s economic diversification through ICT. The initiative’s strong focus on digital entrepreneurship will further accelerate Nigeria’s transition into a tech-driven economy, ensuring sustainable job creation and long-term growth.

With facility upgrades, BPO centre rollouts, and nationwide training programmes underway, this collaboration represents a landmark effort in positioning Nigeria’s youths for success in the global digital economy.

DBI is a training institute under the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), established by the Federal Government in 2004 for ICT and digital training.

The Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), a critical infrastructure for keeping Nigerian internet traffic within the country, recently held its annual Members’ Engagement Forum in Lagos, where it updated members on key achievements, milestones and plans for 2025.

According to IXPN’s CEO, Muhammed Rudman, the forum provides a valuable platform for collaboration, interaction, and sharing IXPN milestones with its members.

He emphasized the organization’s dedication to building a stronger internet exchange ecosystem and advancing Nigeria’s digital landscape through efficient interconnectivity, robust collaborations, and the seamless exchange of ideas.

“IXPN plays a pivotal role in ensuring fast, reliable, and secure internet exchange services for organizations across the country.

“Thus, this forum offers an important opportunity to engage with our valued customers, address challenges, celebrate our successes, and envision a brighter digital future for Nigeria,” said Rudman. “

Highlighting key milestones achieved in 2024, Rudman noted IXPN’s recognition as a MANRS-compliant Internet Exchange Point, demonstrating its commitment to secure and reliable Internet routing.

He also cited multiple link upgrades between key Points of Presence (PoPs), including Digital Realty (Medallion) to Equinix (MDXi), Rack Centre, and ADC, significantly increasing capacity. Another key achievement was the deployment of Microsoft Connected Cache to reduce latency and optimize bandwidth utilization for Microsoft static content.

Looking ahead to 2025, IXPN’s planned projects and initiatives include establishing additional exchange points in other states, attracting more content providers to the country, setting up CDNs and caches in regional IXPN PoPs, offering VLAN services within Lagos and supporting remote peering, and upgrading core devices and main links.

IXPN’s core functions include keeping Nigerian internet traffic local, reducing costs associated with accessing local content, enhancing local connectivity, improving the overall internet experience, promoting local content creation, and serving as a centralized launch point for services.

As of today, the organization currently boasts 125 members, seven PoPs in Lagos (ICNL, Medallion, Rack Centre, MDXi, ADC, OADC & Cloud Exchange), and additional PoPs in six other cities: Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Enugu, Delta, and Gombe. IXPN also manages a peak aggregate traffic of 900 Gbps.