Broadcasting
Building a Network for Everyone
By Muhammed Rufai
The impact connectivity has had on the Nigerian economy and the everyday lives of Nigerians cannot be underestimated. Nigerians were first introduced to the potential of mobile connectivity with the launch of GSM services in 2001. Voice services allowed people to connect with each other reliably for the first time, breaking down barriers, and enabling commerce and interpersonal relationships. Simple connections like calling to find out where your taxi driver is, speaking to relatives in another village or trying to resolve a customer service issue were revolutionised, changing the way people live their lives.
Would the consumers benefiting from that revolution have anticipated where we would find ourselves just 21 years later? The 2G network was built for voice and SMS communications; 3G for web browsing; 4G for higher-speed data and video streaming; now, 5G is set to further redefine how we live, work and connect. Its potential to accelerate the adoption of the internet of things and to radically expand the potential for real-time connectivity truly is revolutionary.
With our ongoing rollout, customers with compatible devices are now able to experience what 5G offers for themselves in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri and Maiduguri. 5G is a giant leap forward in speed, capacity and capabilities, significantly exceeding the advances that were made as we evolved from 2G to 3G and 4G. It will dramatically enhance user experience at all levels making possible a vast array of innovations, such as robotics, and augmented and virtual reality.
This enables the healthcare, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, education, utilities and many other sectors and to apply advanced digital transformation applications to their processes, in order to improve output. Businesses within these industries will benefit from improved connectivity, reduced response times, larger data volumes, faster access to digital services and applications, and improved value for money. Applying these benefits to the Nigerian context and working with our customers to help them to drive service enhancements, bring new products to market and leverage new technologies is truly exciting.
5G will enable new industries, unlock value chains, and open limitless doors for Nigerians. For instance, doctors will now be able to better diagnose patients regardless of their location, businesses will be able to leverage the benefits of connected systems to drive increased productivity, and gamers will have a more enjoyable experience playing immersive interactive games like Fortnite. The possibilities are endless I tell you.
But while we value and are investing in the latest technology, we know that more than 200 million Nigerians demand a range of potential access points, service levels and price points. As the largest operator with the most extensive reach, we take seriously our responsibility to make connections available to as many Nigerians as we possibly can.
Today, the MTN network is the largest in Nigeria and Africa, with more than 30,000 km of fibre optic cable and over 17,000 sites delivering 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G services. This mix of services ensures that we can progressively expand reach and service quality in a way that balances the need to ensure as many Nigerians as possible can access a connection while bringing cutting-edge services into the market. During H1 2022, we also added 370 rural sites, bringing the total to 1,553, as part of our continued work to connect the unconnected.
While we are making good progress in delivering against our ambition to build a network for everyone, we know there is still a lot of work to do. We still have communities to connect and a great demand for faster and better services in communities that rely on 2G and other legacy technologies. The process of network evolution is constant. 2G was deployed progressively to cover over 90% of the population over the years; 3G was deployed in a similar progressive fashion, as was 4G, which today covers three out of every four Nigerians. The evolution to 5G will follow the same pattern. This process drives better services to more people over time.
If you are in an area which has coverage and haven’t yet had a chance to test what 5G has to offer, I encourage you to try it out or, better yet, go to our website get yourself a 5G router so your entire household can experience it. But remember, with enhanced speed comes the potential for increased usage. The 1GB you might have downloaded in 10 minutes on 4G takes less than a minute on 5G, so managing data consumption is vital. To learn more about how to do this, please visit www.mtn.ng
Muhammed Rufai is the Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have jointly sued the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over what they described as an “arbitrary, unconstitutional, and unlawful” threat to sanction broadcast stations and presenters.
The development was disclosed in a Sunday statement signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, and Onuoha Ukeh, general secretary of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
According to the statement, SERAP and NGE challenged a recent directive by NBC, warning presenters and journalists against “expressing personal opinions as facts,” “bullying or intimidating guests,” and failing to maintain neutrality.
The statement reads, “SERAP and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have filed a lawsuit against the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over the arbitrary, unconstitutional, and unlawful ‘Formal Notice’, which threatens to sanction broadcast stations and presenters for allegedly ‘expressing personal opinions as facts, bullying or intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality.’
“The NBC had recently threatened to sanction broadcast stations and presenters who ‘express personal opinions as facts’ or ‘bully and intimidate guests,’ claiming it had ‘identified a sustained increase in breaches of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code across news, current affairs, and political programmes.’”
In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/854/2026 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos State, SERAP and NGE asked the court to determine whether the various provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code relied upon by the NBC in the directive are inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and the country’s international human rights obligations.
According to the statement, the groups disclosed that Femi Falana (SAN), human rights lawyer, would lead a team of senior lawyers to represent SERAP and NGE in the lawsuit.
SERAP and NGE asked the court to declare that the provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code used by the NBC are vague and constitute a fundamental breach of press freedom guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards.
The statement added, “SERAP and NGE are asking the court for a declaration that the provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code used by the NBC are vague and overly broad and constitute a fundamental breach of freedom of expression and media freedom guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards.”
The groups also sought an interim injunction to restrain the NBC, its agents and other authorities from imposing sanctions on broadcast stations and presenters based on what they described as “unlawful provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code”, pending the hearing and determination of the motion.
“SERAP and NGE are also seeking an order of interim injunction restraining the NBC, its agents or privies, whether jointly or severally or any other authority, from imposing sanctions on broadcast stations and presenters based on the patently unlawful provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed simultaneously in this suit,” the statement concluded.
Globacom continues to celebrate African creativity as its sponsored programme African Voices on CNN International features London based photographer and multidisciplinary artist Ejatu Shaw this week. The episode highlights her journey, her art, and the stories behind her work.
Ejatu Shaw’s journey into photography began in 2013 during a family trip to Sierra Leone, a moment that sparked a passion which has since shaped her creative path. Born in 1996, the British Sierra Leonean artist later went on to earn a master’s degree in photography arts from the University of Westminster in 2020.
Her work explores identity in a personal and expressive way, drawing from her Islamic faith and African heritage. She is inspired by classic African studio photographers such as Malick Sidibé, Sory Sanlé, and Omar Yahia Barram. Through self-portraits and visual storytelling, she brings her memories and experiences to life.
Shaw’s talent continues to gain global recognition. In 2025, the British Fashion Council named her a New Wave Creative.
She has also photographed top names including Angela Bassett, Cynthia Erivo, and Usain Bolt, and worked on projects for major platforms like EBONY, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, and Vogue. She also designed the album cover for Craig David.
The programme will air on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. On Sunday, it will show at 3:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., with repeats on Monday at 3:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.
QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit will hold its second edition on August 11 in Lagos, bringing together leaders across the creative, business and policy spaces.
Convened by Mighty Media Plus, publishers of online newspaper QEDNG, the summit brings together conversations at the intersection of creativity, enterprise and influence, with a focus on strengthening Nigeria’s creative economy.
Reflecting on the inaugural edition, Iyanda said the summit drew participation from respected figures across sectors, including group managing director of SO&U Udeme Ufot as chairman and founder of The Africa Soft Power Group Dr Nkiru Balonwu as keynote speaker, alongside panellists such as filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) founder Mike Dada and executive director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Dr Shaibu Husseini who contributed to discussions on the direction of the creative economy.
“The first edition showed that there is a strong interest in serious engagement around the creative economy. We had contributions from experienced voices who helped set the tone for the kind of platform we are building,” Iyanda said.
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the summit continues to expand its scope, attracting a diverse mix of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and emerging talents.
“This summit is designed as a meeting point for ideas, influence and execution. It is not just about conversations, but about outcomes that strengthen the creative economy,” Iyanda added.
He noted that the timing of the summit is significant as the country’s creative sector continues to evolve.
“Nigeria’s creative sector has grown in visibility, but the structures that support it are still evolving. The QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit is part of the effort to bring clarity, direction and serious engagement to that growth,” he said.
The 2026 edition will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions and curated sessions addressing themes around innovation, growth, funding and the global positioning of Nigerian creative talent.
According to Iyanda, the long-term goal is to build a platform that remains relevant across generations.
“Our goal is to build a platform that remains useful over time, one that documents progress, connects stakeholders and contributes meaningfully to policy and practice,” he said.
Further details on speakers, partners and the full programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
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