Telecom
Buhari to Query Secret Sale of Over $1Bn Telecom Spectrums
Incoming government of Muhammadu Buhari is to focus his searchlight on the circumstances surrounding the secret sale of Digital Dividend Spectrum (DDS) licences valued at over $1 billion in the last few months by President Goodluck Jonathan, according to the Leadership Newspaper.
According to the Leadership Newspaper, the licensing did not pass through the normal bidding process, thereby preventing the NCC, the statutory body, from advertising and supervising a public auction.
Already, one of the terms of reference handed to the Alhaji Ahmed Joda-led transition committee last week was to provide a brief overview of the goings-on at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), among other key government agencies, and provide quick-fixes within 30 days, 100 days and six months for the Buhari-led government.
According to an exclusive report published this week by online newspaper, Technology Times, ahead of the 2015 general elections, President Jonathan secretly sold two spectrums in the 800MH and 700MH to the chairman of Visafone, Mr Jim Ovia, and Otunba Mike Adenuga’s Globacom respectively without recourse to public auction.
Digital Dividend Spectrum allocation takes effect from 2015, in line with the dictate of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) that television stations migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting from June 17, 2015.
DDS is released when television broadcasters switch from analog platforms to digital-only platforms; part of the electromagnetic spectrum that has been used for broadcasting will be freed up because digital TV needs fewer spectrums than analog television.
Already, the NCC is enmeshed in fresh crisis following the illegal and secret sale of a spectrum belonging to Nigerian Police to Open Skys Ltd as well as the secret sale of another spectrum to South African investors behind Smile Communications Ltd, one of the fourth generation network operators in the country.
According to the Leadership Newspaper, when contacted, the NCC director of public affairs, Mr Tony Ojobo, said he could not comment on the matter.
“I don’t have any information on it,” he said.
However, a top official of the Commission said the spectrum allocation followed a directive from the president.
“If the president orders you to allocate a certain spectrum, who are you not to obey?” he asked. “The directive came from the president and even the minister of communications technology cannot disobey it.
“Under normal circumstances, for NCC to sell a spectrum it should be by auction. But this is a directive from above.
Another source said the deal was done under the table on the expectation that the president would win his re-election.
He said NCC collaborated with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on the belief that the proceeds of the sale of the spectrum licences would be deployed to fund the purchase of set-top boxes that would be used by Nigerians should the digital switchover take place on June 17, 2015.
The NBC has now shifted the switchover date to December 2017.
Calls to the spokesman of Globacom were not answered at the time of going to press.
Digital Dividend Spectrum is seen as a potential cash cow by telecom companies globally as it is used to deploy few base stations that provide voice, video and data communications at the highest broadband speeds.
A top telecom expert said the market had been bastardised, systematically distorted and disrupted whilst the investors are left guessing about the value of their investments.
“The president lacks the power under the law to make spectrum allocation,” he asserted. “The president can make policy, in the way provided for by the law, and ensure that those he appoints follow such public policy. Regulators are created around the world in order to protect players in the market, i.e. protect consumers of service, protect investors/operators and deliver government policy.
“The regulators are deliberately designed to be independent so that there is no political interference in their functions. The president or the minister is not to interfere with the functions of the regulator; in fact, section 25(2) of the NCC Act prohibits minister and, by extension the president, from interfering in NCC functions, and requires the minister and by extension president to ensure that NCC functions are independent of any political interference.”
According to the Leadership Newspaper, Dr Bashir Gwandu, a former executive commissioner at NCC, gave an interview in February 2012 highlighting what they had achieved at the ITU World Radio Communication Conference 2012 which led to the securing of additional 70MHz paired spectrum and 25MHz unpaired in the bands 700/850MHz, which span 700MHz, 800MHz and 900MHz Bands from the ITU .
It was the same spectrum whose allocation was secured by Dr Gwandu and his African team from the UN body that is in the spotlight again. In fact, it was the resistance of Gwandu to underselling, without competition, of part of the 800MHz and 450MHz that eventually led to his sack by President Jonathan.
Gwandu’s sack has since been declared illegal in the National Industrial Court ruling on Dr Bashir Gwandu v President, FRN (Jonathan) on January 21, 2014 where N100 million damages were awarded to Gwandu.
Of the three bands, the 800MHz, which had already been sold in controversial circumstances, was the one for which Gwandu was suppressed for attempting to blow the whistle.
He stood against the under-selling of a 10MHz slot in the 800MHz spectrum band to a South African company called Smile Communications Ltd at about €13 million only, when the exact equivalent spectrums were sold in Germany, Italy, France and UK for €1.153 billion, €992 million, €891 million and €631 million respectively, the UK earning slightly lower amount due to imposed strict coverage obligations.
In a related development, Belgium, a country of just 11 million people, raised €120million for each of the three slots of the 800MHz spectrum, generating a revenue of €360million.
And in a rather complicated mixture of 4G Spectrum slots, the Netherlands was only recently able to raise €3.8 billion from the 4G auction. So, each of the 10MHz paired spectrum slots in the 800MHz bands secured over a billion dollars for some countries in Europe.
The spectrum that was secured by Gwandu, totalling 70MHz duplex and 25MHz simplex, was 30MHz Duplex in the 700MHz band, 30MHz Duplex in the 800MHz band, 10MHz Duplex in the 900MHz band as well as 25MHz in the 700MHz simplex.
In particular, the specific bands are 703-733/758-788MHz, 791-721/832-862MHz, 880-890/925-935MHz, as well as 733-758MHz Simplex.
According to experts, each of the seven slots of 10MHz will fetch no less than $1billion in Germany for example.
United States (US) House of Representatives has banned WhatsApp from all official devices as a result of data privacy and security concerns.
Harry Coker, acting national cyber security (ONCD) Director confirmed this via a statement issued on Monday, June 23 stating that WhatsApp’s high risk classification is attributed to the messaging app’s ambiguous data protection policies, inadequate encryption for stored data, and other potential security vulnerabilities.
He stated that staff have since been advised to utilize more secure communication platforms, with recommended alternatives including Microsoft Teams, Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime, Signal, and Amazon’s Wickr.
However, Nick Clegg, president of Global Affairs for Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, has strongly opposed the ban.
He said, “We disagree with this decision in the strongest possible terms, whatsApp provides a higher level of security than the other approved apps.”
This ban on WhatsApp is not an isolated incident, it follows previous restrictions on other applications, such as TikTok, which was removed from government devices in 2022.
The decision also comes just months after WhatsApp itself confirmed that Israeli spyware firm Paragon Solutions had targeted some of its users, including journalists and civil society figures.
MTN Foundation has received accolades from UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The recognition, presented during a profile courtesy visit by UN Women representatives to MTN Nigeria’s Head Office in Ikoyi, Lagos, acknowledged the Organisation’s profound contributions to advancing women’s empowerment across the nation.
The UN Women delegation, led by Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria, commended MTN and its Foundation for their unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive society where women thrive.
During the presentation, Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria, expressed profound admiration for MTN’s efforts. “I want to congratulate MTN for all that they have been doing,” Eyong stated, her voice resonating with appreciation. “And I want to congratulate MTN Foundation specifically, because they are leaving things better than they met them especially with their Mother and Child Initiatives.” Her remarks highlighted MTN’s focused impact, suggesting a significant improvement in the landscape of women’s empowerment due to the company’s interventions.
Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, received the award and further elaborated on the company’s broader commitment to societal upliftment through women’s empowerment. ” Our Y’ellopreneur program targeted at Female entrepreneurs is about creating access for our Female Entrepreneurs – access to skills, capital and markets. Our commitment is to contribute to the success of women – led businesses in Nigeria.
This focus on economic empowerment through skills development directly benefits women seeking to improve their livelihoods. This recognition comes as MTN Nigeria continues to champion various programmes aimed at uplifting women, from promoting gender diversity within its corporate structure to supporting women-led businesses and initiatives.
The company’s alignment with global best practices, including its recent signing on to the United Nations Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs), further solidifies its position as a leader in corporate social responsibility and gender equality advocacy.
The award serves as a testament to MTN Nigeria’s strategic and impactful investments in creating a more equitable future for Nigerian women.
Google today announced the selection of 15 promising tech startups for its Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa Class 9 program. These innovative startups, hailing from Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa, are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to address significant challenges across diverse sectors, including fintech, agritech, healthtech, and professional services.
In an era where startups are at the forefront of solving critical challenges across Africa, these innovators often face significant hurdles to scale their operations, particularly in securing essential support, mentorship, and funding. Programs like the Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa play a crucial role in providing these opportunities, enabling tech founders and innovators to amplify their impact. By bringing together Google’s extensive resources, including cutting-edge AI technologies and a global network of experts, the program aims to equip these startups to not only thrive but also lead in addressing both local and global challenges in this AI era.
The selection follows a highly competitive application process that began in April 2025 , drawing nearly 1,500 applications from across the continent. This cohort underscores Google’s deep commitment to fostering Africa’s vibrant tech ecosystem and supporting startups in their growth journey.
“African startups are at the forefront of solving critical challenges across the continent, and their work with AI is truly transformative,” said Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa at Google. “This program reflects our belief that AI can be transformative when shaped by those who understand the context deeply. We are incredibly excited to support these founders who are building for impact and helping to shape an inclusive AI ecosystem across Africa.”
Over the next three months, the selected startups will participate in a hybrid accelerator program (June 23rd to August 22nd, 2025). Participants will receive dedicated technical mentorship from experienced Google engineers and industry experts , up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits , and strategic support in AI implementation, product leadership, and business growth. They will also gain access to a global network of investors, partners, and collaborators, amplifying their reach and impact.
Since its inception in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has supported 153 startups from 17 African countries. Collectively, these alumni have raised over $300 million in funding and created more than 3,500 jobs. Google has directly contributed $5 million through a combination of equity-free funding and product credits to support these founders.
The Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa Class 9 cohort includes:
AFRIKABAL (Rwanda): A blockchain and AI-powered platform helping farmers, buyers, and logistics firms trade crops securely and transparently.
Apexloads (Kenya): A logistics SaaS platform helping African freight brokers, forwarders, and transporters move cargo faster with verified partners.
E-doc Online (Nigeria): Simplifies compliance and credit checks by analyzing real-time banking data, enabling faster onboarding and smarter lending decisions.
GoNomad (Nigeria): Enables businesses to start and run global entities, and solopreneurs to professionally invoice and get paid globally like a local.
Midddleman (Nigeria): An intelligent sourcing and payment platform helping African businesses import and pay for goods from China faster, safer, and cheaper.
Myltura (Nigeria): An AI-powered digital health platform enabling remote care, test access, and seamless health data management in Africa.
Pastel (Nigeria): Offers Enterprise AI solutions, inc. AI based fraud detection and anti-money laundering solutions to financial institutions in Africa.
Rapid Human AI (South Africa): An end-to-end AI design-thinking platform that turns ideas into code in days, cutting development time by 80%.
Regulon (Ghana): An AI-powered compliance and onboarding platform designed to simplify regulatory processes for businesses across Africa and the EMEA region.
Scandium (Nigeria): An AI Quality Assurance suite that helps teams ship bug-free software faster with end-to-end test automation and test ops tooling.
Shamba Records (Kenya): An AI-powered platform that empowers 50,000+ African farmers with smart credit, market access, and climate-resilient, data-driven agriculture.
Smartel Agri Tech (Rwanda): Helps smallholder farmers in the Global South get ahead of crop pests and diseases early using AI-powered, solar-driven devices and SMS alerts.
TOLBI (Senegal): Leverages AI and satellite imagery to empower sustainable agriculture across Africa, providing precise crop yield forecasts.
YeneHealth (Ethiopia): An AI-driven digital health web, and mobile app streamlining access to affordable, reliable, quality medications & health care services.
Zerone Analytiqs (Ghana): A transformative two-pronged solution to the data scarcity in Africa, We are revolutionizing how data is sourced, analyzed, and utilized for decisions.
For further information and updates, visit the Google Africa Blog or follow @GoogleAfrica on social media.
MultiChoice Nigeria Slashes Decoder Price by 50 Percent, Offers Free Upgrades
SEC Advocates for Advanced Financial Inclusion by 2030
NFIU Credits AML/CFT Reforms behind Nigeria’s Nears Exit from FATF Greylist
Keystone Bank, Enterprise Devt Centre Sign MoU To Empower SMEs ln Nigeria
AfCFTA Positions Africa to Tap into $712bn Digital Trade Market by 2035
Telecom3 days agoLebara, New Operator Enters Nigerian Telecom Arena, Sells Minutes, Not Airtime
General News2 days agoOpenAI Unveils New AI Agent for Software Developers
E-Business3 days agoOver 7m Streaming Accounts’ Credentials were Leaked in 2024 – Report
E-Financial3 days agoFidelity Bank Uplifts Old People’s Home with Essential Items Donation
E-Financial3 days agoS&P Global Ratings Downgrades Ecobank Nigeria’s Credit Rating to CCC-, Outlook Negative
Telecom3 days agoPIN Pushes for Equitable Digital Governance at World Internet Forum
Telecom2 days ago15 African Startups Using AI Selected for Google Accelerator Cohort 9
E-Financial3 days agoEFCC Drags Cititrust to Court over Unreported ₦200mTransfers