General News
Broadbased Projects Aim to End Fiber Trouble Tickets- Ise-Okojie
Prince Henry Ise-Okojie, executive vice chairman, Broadbased Communications, is an experienced international business entrepreneur with over 25 years in starting and managing various successful companies.
Prior to his position at BroadBased Communications, he was a co-founder, chairman and 50% owner of M&B Products Limited, a highly successful household appliances company with 122 distributive outlets in Nigeria.
Ise-Okojie has been involved in several local and international startups which have become successful corporations.
He spoke to peter ugwu during the Company’s launch of Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) equipment, aimed at tackling the challenges of laying fiber optic cables in the country.
Broadbased Communications in the Nigerian IT Space
Broadbased Communications is fiber optic metro access gateway. In other words, it is an infrastructure company. What are we trying to achieve? We found there were gaps in the system.
To give a kind of description about happenings in the space, some of understand this because we all suffer it.
Now, in Nigeria, we have five sub-marine cable providers as four of them are active. One is ‘ill’ right now, because it has had severed cables for over year and it has not been able to fix it. That is SAT3n owned by NITEL. NITEL SAT3 is owned by a consortium of 35 countries of which Nigeria is one. But we have other cables such as Glo 1, MainOne, MTN’s WACS, and Dolphin Telecoms’ ACE.
ACE has not been performing optimally, but they are trying to be active. However, the combined capacity of the five sub-marine cables bring to Nigeria is about 14.5 terabyte.
But, the dedicated frequency available to all to distribute wirelessly account for only 2.5% of that entire lots.
Treat that product as the fuel for your car; without that product, the mobile and other devices we use today cannot be of utmost meaning to us.
As we know, daily, weekly and yearly these devices are becoming quite congested; you are having more drop calls.
Failed calls, because more people are entering the same network that hardly had the capacity to handle what it has.
In other words, you ask somebody to lift a trailer load of fuel of about 33,000 liters, but then, he arrives with a Volkswagen, telling you he is ready to lift the fuel.
That is what the industry is currently doing. What we need exceeds what is readily available and everybody is struggling to get a lot of attention.
Traditionally, wireless does not work well with large bodies of water. That is why when you are driving through places like the 3rd Mainland Bridge you drop a lot of calls.
It is the same reason when it is raining your DSTV shuts becomes shaky. It does not mean wireless is not good, rather both should complement each other.
Wireless is supposed to be utilized when you are mobile, but you still need your fixed lines or devices. For instance, when you get to office, you are using your fixed line; your mobile will rest.
It’s mainly while on transit that wireless becomes so much important. But we have converted mobile to 100% device that we utilize; as a result, we do not have the capacity to do it as an industry.
Utilizing Surplus Bandwidth
People have severally asked why we cannot find a way of utilizing the surplus material and make it available to the consumer.
But, you cannot use what you do not have. There is no metro gateway to make it happen; especially, one that has large capacity to carry it.
In other countries such is driven by the national carrier like NITEL. In the United Kingdom, it is the British Telecom; US-AT&T.
They own the fiber optic backbone that carries heavy bandwidth. All the bandwidth we have can enter two or three cables.
But if you do not have that metro access, how can it be achieved? That is what we are suffering in Nigeria.
Therefore, Broadbased Communication is building a metro access to carry fiber around town; such that all telcos can rent from us and there are others that have cable who can rent from them, because this business requires redundancies.
If you use ‘A’ you still need ‘B’, should ‘A’ fails. And ‘A’ and ‘B’ do not necessarily come from the same path. So, our role is very simple: to provide that platform for all telecos to ride on. We do not put content; we are not the ones to make it ‘work’, rather the telcos and others. Still, we are utilizing a verity of success including LCC, NITEL; and we are creating rooms for redundancies, so that the cables will be in LCC’s, other will be in our manhole, or in NITEl’s.
So, it is robust and the idea is to build a mesh where if your cable is located somewhere and gets cut, it can re-route itself through another cable; that is the long term goal.
The essence is to get it right, infrastructure-wise; today is so far away from five years ago in Nigeria. All we wanted then was just to make a call, but today that is not good enough.
We want to send videos, pictures, be on Skye and be in these other applications that require a lot of bandwidth. If you have a car with 20litters fuel capacity, you cannot force 50 litters into the tank.
Partnerships and Spread to Rural Areas
The truth is that you cannot execute this kind of project without the backing of the financial institutions. We have the backing of some banks in the country. They have the right vision and can understand where we are headed.
They are strategic investors who are willing to wait till the time to recoup the investment. They are not thinking of investing in the morning and reap the profit by same evening.
Our technical partners are from ZTE, presently, the largest telecom manufacturing company around the world. They are the manufacturers of the all important transmission networks which helps us isolate where we have problems and quickly fit it.
They have a support team in Lagos that works with us. As for why an ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’ Company may go to a rural area; that is difficult for me to answer. But from our point of view, we have to do a research on a particular location.
There must be a business case that forces us to go into a particular location. If there is no business case, there is body that wants to invest and lose the money.
Remember, we are trading with finances from banks and they are extremely expensive to utilize. So, if we take cables to locations that cannot pay, then, how do we pay the banks; except government institutions are willing to encourage telcos to go to certain locations.
With all sense of purpose and highest degree of sincerity the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) is doing the best within its powers to support and encourage telcos to deploy certain services at the rural areas.
But there must also be concerted commitment from all of us to encourage more local players participating in this space. Whether we believe it or not, we were not there during the industrial revolution, so we couldn’t influence it. This is the technological revolution; we can participate and influence it or contribute to it.
Plans for Networking Lagos Metropolis
We have talked about our clients and partners. Actually, we are not starting, but have been engaged in this business for four years.
We have all banks connected to us; it is just that most of them have spent a lot on wireless devices. So, trying to get there to where they ought to have been is very difficult.
Those who have accepted it are seeing the values in it. Also, we are not alone, there are other players doing good jobs in the industry. Meanwhile, migrating from wireless to wired is a different process.
Now, the biggest wireless provider in Nigeria has 6,000 base stations, with 53 million subscribers; in fiber, if you have 1,000 subscribers you have wired 1,000 locations. It is a totally different ball-game. Looking at how do you run cables in a metro location.
Four years ago we had what the industry called Trouble Tickets. In other words, a link laid has problems. No company wants trouble tickets because you are spending good money after bad money.
That is why we acquired the ‘monsters’. Do you know a road that is 6-feet high in Nigeria? The cables and manhole the equipment will lay will be 6-feet deep.
Our manhole covers cannot be lifted by two or four men; it must be opened with a Crain. Those are the investments that are eating us up and why we need these partners.
So, one of the reasons we need these rigs is because we are working in a city that is already developed, so you cannot be breaking the roads.
One of the rigs we have has a range of 500 meters; which means we can penetrate up to 500 meters of the road without anybody seeing signs to show we worked there.
That way, if a construction comes five years down the way, our cables are too far down to be damaged, because they have a lifespan of 25 years.
Perception of Infracos Licenced by NCC
The Infraco mandate is to ensure point to point presence. We already have several points of presence. We will help them move from one PoP to the other.
It is a brilliant idea coming from the NCC; it segments the process to smaller pieces. So, people who own certain segment will be forced to do a good job. Why is it that these prices have come down to the point it is; it is competition.
As long as there is competition in the space, everybody will be struggling to do better. It is for the overall good of the consumer. Before now, the mentality has been ‘I own this base station; therefore, nobody can come here’.
But, five companies can use it as far as your frequencies are different; there will be no interference. It reduces the cost of running business on your side. However, there is a transition in Nigeria for better business models.
Although, they do not have a choice to change; should they maintain that old business acumen, they will be out of business.
The ultimate is that your cost of doing business must come down; otherwise, people can under-cut you in pricing.
We must have a share-services platform, but that platform must be none-compete, because if today you ask Company ‘A’ to go and share with Company ‘B’, he wouldn’t be willing to do that. They have created an environment of lack of trust. Shared services require trust.
Telcos’ Responses towards Broadbased’s Services
At first, it was treated with a lot of suspicion. However, there was a period in our industry (in Nigeria) where we were asked to focus more on IP, because there was only a player, thus, the cost of IP was very expensive.
But on the process, we discovered that what we have supported a strategic investment in a long-term model. At the time, 1Mbps was $1,500; in 2009, I bought it at that rate! It was one pound in the UK. So, how did we get to $1,500.
The whole country was sharing 6Stm ounce, which is about 1gigg; while we are presently giving one empty pipe that is 1gig in a branch.
So, the space is changing and they must change. So, the model is really a telco model, because they are the ones that need a fiber to take them from point ‘A’ to ‘B’ and they put their dark devices to see each other.
Provision for Infrastructure Liaise
It is a conscious choice we have made. We are the first and the equipment have been around for some years. We didn’t ask anybody not to approach the company to buy them. It is a choice they made, probably, to cut corners.
They may be right, we may be right, but time will tell. The chief operating officer of the Company told us when we thought we should be in the IP business, that, we are in for infrastructure.
When we finish those who wants to sell IP can come, rent and put their contents. We could have been selling at that initial time, but that could have dented our plan.
General News
Uche Uzoebo, SANEF CEO Makes Case for More Financial Inclusion Strategies Targeting Women
Leveraging digital infrastructure is key to accelerating financial inclusion, especially through a multi-stakeholder approach involving governments, fintechs, telecoms, regulators and even the customers.
According to the World Bank report, a significant portion of the global adult population remains unbanked.
Specifically, 27% of adults globally are considered unbanked, and an additional 50% are underbanked, defined as lacking a credit card, , according to Lucidity Insights.
By investing in awareness, robust digital ID systems, interoperable payment rails, and inclusive policy frameworks, stakeholders can expand access to financial services, particularly in underserved regions, and reduce the global unbanked population significantly.
Stakeholders who gathered at the Regtech Conference 2025 discussed these strategies and more, especially facilitating cross-border payments and investment opportunities across Africa.
The event featured a thought-provoking panel discussion moderated by Uche Uzoebo, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF) Limited.
The panel discussion themed, “From Borders to Bridges: Leveraging Digital Infrastructure to Drive Financial Inclusion through a Multi-Stakeholder Approach”, brought together diverse voices across banking, fintech, policy, and government to explore how digital infrastructure can be annexed to drive financial inclusion.
Uzoebo highlighted how women often face unique challenges in accessing financial services coupled with limited digital literacy and cultural barriers.
She engaged the panelists to discuss targeted interventions aimed at promoting gender inclusivity in the financial sector and effective financial education programs that empower individuals to utilize digital financial services.
Jacqueline Mpare, Head of Agency Banking, Ecobank Group, highlighted how her organization had established a women-focused initiative to provide support to businesses targeted at women and those with women as part of the leadership by providing them with access to finance and non-financial support.
Isa Aliyushata, Regional Advisor, Africa, Corum Group Limited, stressed the need to inculcate financial literacy into the education curriculum to ensure everyone is exposed to the knowledge of financial literacy from a young age.
The panelists include Ajibade Laolu-Adewale, Chief Partnership & Ecosystems Officer, Wema Bank; Gerald Munyaradzi Nyakwawa, Head of Digital Channels, MoneyMart Finance (Private) Limited, Zimbabwe; Dr. Henry Clarke Kisembo, Group Global Lead and Executive Chairman, Development Associates Link International (DALI); Jacqueline Mpare, Head of Agency Banking, Ecobank Group; Jean Jacques Kajuga, Chief Operations Officer, RSwitch Rwanda; and Isa Aliyushata, Regional Advisor, Africa, Corum Group Limited.
The panelists emphasized collaboration, leading by example, speed and legislative alignment, a unified infrastructure payment system, and collaboration between national and regional switchers to allow a low-cost cross-border payment as key to ensuring financial inclusion.
Meanwhile, her organization, Shared Agency Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF), was honored with the title of 2025 Financial Literacy Champion at the RegTech Awards. This prestigious recognition highlights SANEF’s steadfast commitment to promoting financial literacy and enhancing financial inclusion across Nigeria. Through strategic partnerships, the expansion of agent networks nationwide, and impactful educational programs, SANEF continues to equip millions with the knowledge and tools to make informed financial decisions.
General News
Hydrogen, Lagos State Touch Thousands of Business Owners with “Healthy Heart, Healthy Business” Outreach
As part of its continued effort to support the growth and sustainability of Nigerian enterprises, Hydrogen Payment Services Company Limited joined forces with Ikeja Local Government Area and the Office of the Medical Officer of Health to deliver the impactful “Healthy Heart, Healthy Business” outreach on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at the Ikeja Local Government Secretariat.
The initiative successfully engaged a wide range of business owners through a combination of in-person participation and extensive digital awareness campaigns.
Participants benefited from a comprehensive range of free medical screenings, including blood pressure checks, ECGs, malaria and typhoid testing, urinalysis, packed cell volume (PCV), blood sugar monitoring, and more, highlighting the critical connection between good health and business longevity.
Kemi Okusanya, CEO of Hydrogen, commented on the initiative, affirming Hydrogen’s passion for the growth of businesses.
“At Hydrogen, we are deeply committed to the success of Nigerian businesses. As a payment solutions provider, we recognise that healthy entrepreneurs build stronger, more resilient enterprises. This outreach exemplifies our belief in supporting entrepreneurs beyond just payments.”
Demonstrating this responsibility, Hydrogen donated Sphygmomanometers and Glucometers to indigent and high-risk attendees unable to afford this essential health monitoring devices, empowering them to manage their health beyond the outreach.
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have become increasingly important in driving sustainable development across various sectors.
By leveraging the unique strengths of both government institutions and private enterprises, PPPs enable more efficient delivery of services, innovation, and expanded reach. These collaborations foster shared responsibility and resource pooling, making it possible to tackle complex challenges that neither sector could effectively address alone.
Dr. Tawak O.F., Medical Officer of Health for Ikeja, spoke on this, saying, “This partnership with Hydrogen Payment Services Company Limited exemplifies the power of effective public-private collaboration in reaching the heart of our business community.”
“Entrepreneurs often overlook their health while striving for success, but initiatives like this remind us all that good health is an essential part of wealth. We commend Hydrogen for their commitment to not just powering payments, but also powering healthier, more resilient businesses through impactful community engagement,” She added.
Mary, one of the beneficiaries and a merchant in ‘Computer Village’, expressed her gratitude, saying that, “Most of us don’t think about regular hospital checkups. Mainly, because the cost is too high and some things now are not covered by insurance. Today, Hydrogen and Lagos State have brought doctors for free to our doorstep, and we are very grateful.”
Hydrogen’s full team presence at the event reaffirmed the company’s dedication to forging genuine relationships and standing firmly with the business communities it serves.
General News
Tripoint Travels Hosts Pre-GEC Brunch for Nigerian Delegates Ahead of Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2025
In a vibrant celebration of national pride, global relevance, and entrepreneurial drive, Tripoint Travels, the official logistics partner of GEN Nigeria hosted an exclusive pre-congress brunch for Nigerian delegates attending the upcoming Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) 2025.
Held at Tripoint’s Lagos headquarters, the event brought together top entrepreneurs, investors, ecosystem leaders, and government officials, including Dr. Peter Bamkole, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Pan Atlantic University; Dr. Olawale Anifowose, Managing Director of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress Nigeria (GEN Nigeria); Dr. Babangida Ruma from The Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA), Mrs. Uche Uzoebo, CEO of the Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF) Limited; Actor and influencer Mr. Umar Gombe; along with other distinguished guests and representatives from various government bodies, all in anticipation of their journey to Indianapolis, Indiana this June.
The Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC), Organized annually by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), the GEC brings together more than 5,000 participants from over 200 countries, including Entrepreneurs, Investors, Policymakers, Researchers, & Support organizations to build stronger entrepreneurial ecosystems worldwide. Since its inception in 2009, the GEC has become a cornerstone of international collaboration and entrepreneurial innovation.
This year’s GEC, hosted in partnership with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), marks the Congress’ return to the United States after 16 years. Held in Indianapolis from June 2–5, 2025, the event aims to spotlight Indiana’s pro-growth business climate while strengthening global ties that promote sustainable economic development and innovation.
The brunch allowed the delegation to connect in an intimate and engaging setting, sharing expectations, ideas, and goals ahead of one of the most impactful convening in the global entrepreneurship calendar. Designed to build camaraderie, align visions, and foster a sense of shared identity, the event emphasized the importance of collaboration as Nigerian representatives prepare to take the global stage.
“The Global Entrepreneurship Congress is not just a conference, it’s a platform that is deliberate about global innovation meeting local action, said Mrs. Shuhda Muhammed, Founder of Tripoint Travels. We wanted to set the tone for our delegates, to ensure that they feel connected to this year’s theme – The Bold Change the World, as well as foster the necessary collaborations to make that happen at the local and global stage.. As a company rooted in both logistics and empowerment, we are proud to play a role in making their journey seamless and meaningful.”
Speaking at the event, Dr. Olawale Anifowose, Managing Director of the Global Entrepreneurship Network Nigeria (GEN Nigeria), emphasized the significance of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) as both a meeting point and a growth platform, where Nigerian entrepreneurs engage with global ecosystems to connect, learn, and thrive. He noted that Nigeria’s presence at the GEC is not just symbolic but essential, reflecting the country’s growing influence in the global entrepreneurial landscape. Dr. Anifowose also commended Tripoint Travels for their pivotal role as a trusted partner in mobilizing Nigeria’s brightest talent and making the journey to GEC 2025 a reality.
GEN Nigeria has emerged as a critical force in supporting entrepreneurship at the grassroots and policy level, and with a Partner as Tripoint Travels, its expansive network and initiatives, continues to actively shape the country’s innovation landscape, championing inclusive growth, and equipping thousands of Entrepreneurs with the tools, exposure, and networks needed to succeed in both local and international markets.
With delegates selected for their contributions to Ecosystem building and Entrepreneurship, Nigeria’s representation at The GEC 2025 would reflect the country’s diversity, resilience, entrepreneurship spirit and creative potential. The presence of Founders and Innovators like Mr Rotimi Awofisibe – MD, VFD bank, one of the officially invited participants, is testament to Nigeria’s growing influence in the Global Entrepreneurship arena.
“We’re proud to be a longstanding partner of GEN Nigeria, supporting the Entrepreneurs shaping Nigeria’s future. Attending the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) is about learning, contributing, and returning with a renewed, broader vision. It’s through committed partnerships like ours that such visions become reality,” said Mrs. Muhammed.
More than just a travel management company, Tripoint Travels is a trusted enabler of dreams, mobility, and opportunity. As GEN Nigeria’s official travel partner for GEC 2025, Tripoint is overseeing every aspect of the delegation’s journey, from visa coordination and flight logistics to accommodation and ground transportation, ensuring a seamless and empowering experience.
Tripoint Travels also extends its commitment to ecosystem development through Tripoint Academy, its nonprofit arm that supports early-stage entrepreneurs with training, mentoring, and access to local and global opportunities. Tripoint’s partnership with GEN Nigeria reflects its broader mission: to use travel as a tool for empowerment, education, and national development.
“Every single ticket we issue is a bridge, a bridge between where someone is now, and where they’re meant to be,” added Mrs. Muhammed. “We don’t just book travel. We open up the world for Nigerian entrepreneurs.”
The highlight of the Pre-Congress brunch was the piece of art done by all the delegates present at the event. The interactive art was introduced as an inclusive way to showcase the multiculturalism and pivotal position of the Nigerian business mind, and so the essence of the Nigerian delegation materialised through the painting. The art work will be exhibited and gifted at a special event during the Congress.
Uche Uzoebo, SANEF CEO Makes Case for More Financial Inclusion Strategies Targeting Women
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