Telecom
CLO Urges Nigerians not to Lobby for Mast in their Homes
The Civil Liberty Organisation yesterday in Abuja urged Nigerians to desist from Lobbying telecommunication operators to install masts in their homes due to the adverse health implications.
Mr. Aba Ejembi, National Coordinator, Legal Assistance Network at the CLO, made the call at a two-day public hearing on the “Health Implications of the Mounting of Telecommunication Masts Close to Buildings’’.
The public hearing was organised by the House of Representatives.
Ejembi condemned telecommunication operators’ preference to mount masts at people’s homes despite the negative health implications, rather than complying with the guidelines.
“Despite knowing the implications, some people in the urban areas still lobby to have masts located in their premises for that extra income for school fees, feeding and medical bills.
“It is a combination of abject poverty and crass ignorance that make people in the rural areas to gladly jump at the monetary offer for the lease of their premises for the installation of masts,’’ he said.
Ejembi said studies showed that there were salient, long term problems that might affect the residents’ health, especially those living very close to the mast location.
“Report from Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency shows that in its Dunanon Local Government District, residents that are between one and five kilometres from masts have several cancer cases, including prostate, lungs, leukaemia, lymphoma and haematopoietic cancers.
“Also, some of the masts that are erected are not very strong and there have been cases of towers falling down, causing environmental nuisance.’’
He, therefore, urged the National Assembly to embark on vigorous oversight of the regulatory bodies to ensure a more effective regulatory and enforcement practice in the country.
Ejembi also urged the lawmakers to compel the telecommunication companies to site their masts in compliance with internationally accepted standards.
He further advised the National Assembly to compel telecom operators to comply with the environmental impact assessment law in siting masts.
However, Mr. John Francis, representative of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), said the agency had not received any complaint on the impact of radiation on human beings.
“We look at quality of equipment used at the base stations to ensure they are up to the required standards.
‘’No complaint yet as regard the impact of those base stations on human beings,’’ Francis said.
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.
MultiChoice is closing its continental streaming platform Showmax after 11 years, notifying subscribers Thursday of the board’s decision to discontinue the service in the near future to refocus on sustainable digital offerings.
MultiChoice
The email assured no immediate disruption: “You can continue streaming as usual, and no action is required from you at this time.” Showmax, launched in South Africa in 2015 and expanded across Africa, offered movies, series, documentaries, and sports to rival Netflix and others amid rising online entertainment demand.
The shutdown follows Canal+’s approved takeover of MultiChoice last year, with the French giant offering ZAR 125 per share for remaining stakes.
The deal mandates HDP ownership boosts, local content investment, and splitting MultiChoice’s SA broadcasting arm into an independent entity to meet regulations.
MultiChoice prioritised subscribers during the transition, promising advance notice on timelines.
Showmax’s exit signals consolidation pressures in Africa’s cut-throat streaming market, where global players dominate despite local content strengths.
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