Telecom
Collaborations Between FG And MTN Critical in Achieving 70% Internet Penetration By 2025 – Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka

Nigeria is poised to achieve a 70 percent internet penetration in urban and rural areas by 2025 as desired by the Federal Government if tactical collaborations between the private sector and the public sector are effectively utilised.

Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka
This was stated by Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, General Manager for Fixed Broadband at MTN, in a recent interview with Arise TV on broadband connectivity in Africa’s most populous nation.
The Federal Government’s Broadband plan further specified the kind of internet speeds expected for both urban and rural areas; 25mbps and 10mbps respectively.
Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, noted that MTN Group’s Strategic Ambition 2025 is in close alignment with the Federal Government’s broadband targets. According to her, the technology provider’s intent is to deliver the right level of effective digital solutions to power Africa’s growth.
For Nigeria to achieve its goal of a globally recognised digital economy, Ikenna-Emeka, an internet connectivity expert, believes that the nation will require concerted efforts by the Federal Government, public and private stakeholders to boost broadband penetration. Ikenna-Emeka expresses optimism that with existing and new policies, the country is on the right path.
“When we look back at 2012 when we had just about 6 per cent internet penetration to where we are today, there is a significant improvement. As of the end of May this year, we had about 43.6 percent penetration. That is quite encouraging,” she says.
“A lot of work is still being done by the Federal Government and organisations like MTN to achieve the right levels of broadband penetration. The journey has already started and further collaborations will help us to get better.”
To improve internet connectivity in their locality, more than a dozen African countries have tested or are planning to roll out the 5G network in the next few years.
The next-gen network is predicted to contribute an additional $2.2 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2034. MTN, demonstrating its commitment to providing quality internet access to Nigerians, has laid the groundwork to provide the 5G service in several parts of the country in the coming months.
Enunciating MTN’s role as a driver of quality network across the country, Ikenna-Emeka says “Today, what is most prevalent is the fixed wireless access and that is the technology that is being adopted by all operators globally. That’s what we want to scale and accelerate in our drive to achieve broadband penetration.
“We’re very shortly going to launch the 5G technology. There is also a lot of progress we’ve made in fibre optics which is another prevalent technology. This, along with the 3G, 4G, and 5G networks will provide us with the ability to serve more market segments and more different sectors.”
The internet connectivity specialist further expounds that continued acceleration of internet access and the ability to adapt and expand on new technologies will bolster broadband connectivity that would match Nigeria’s growing population.
On the challenges of expanding internet connectivity in unconnected areas in the country, she says “Recently, we have received some legislation from the Federal Government to improve internet access in the rural or less connected states and that is critical in driving broadband penetration and connectivity.”
“One of the ways we are driving that penetration as a telco is by ensuring that we leverage on our mix of technologies. We currently have access to 3G, 4G, and coming soon, the 5G. And we are going to utilise this mix of technologies to deliver fit-for-purpose connectivity in different areas in Nigeria,” she adds.
Recently, international companies like Meta and Starlink have begun to adopt satellites in providing internet connectivity, and Africa has been encouraged to adopt similar technological measures to boost its developing digital landscape.
Ikenna-Emeka expresses belief that it speaks to the need for increased collaboration to drive penetration.
“It is quite interesting and speaks to the localisation of global trends – global digital transformation initiative. It’s a welcome development because to achieve the levels of penetration that we require, both at urban and rural levels, and to ride on the right levels of partnerships and collaborations, we will be requiring a mix of technologies. We look forward to seeing how that plays out in the future,” she says.
MTN Nigeria recently launched its home broadband services tailored to provide fast and reliable internet access in homes across Nigeria. With the imminent commercial deployment of the 5G network, Nigeria will be hoping to expand its internet penetration and connectivity to achieve its ambition of a near-perfect digital economy in the next three years.
Telecom
MTN Says New N6.98 USSD Charge Won’t Affect Airtime Recharge

Lynda Saint-Nwafor, chief Enterprise business officer, MTN Nigeria, has assured the network subscribers that the new end-user billing system for the use of USSD services will jot affect them.
USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data codes are commonly used for banking transactions, airtime recharges, and other mobile services.
The telco said that there is no significant impact or change other than the fact that they will now pay the same N6.98 per session (120 seconds) with their airtime instead of direct bank debit.
Saint-Nwafor, said this during a chat with MTN MIP fellows, explaining that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered telecom operators to ensure that the new billing model resolves trust issues and ensures transparency in the billing process.
“Our regulator insisted that at the end of every month, we are going to be providing history and statistics on the performance of the service across the board”, she explained.
Saint-Nwafor added that the new billing model has standardized messaging across all operators and ensures consistent communication with customers.
“We will take all the error codes and map them into messages that are standardised across the board. So, if you initiate a transaction, you will know if it is failing. And, when the transaction fails, you will know if it is from your bank or the telco,” she explained.
Telecom
Crypto Scam Unmasked: U.S. Recovers Record $225m in Global Fraud Bust

The U.S. government has recovered $225 million in what is now the largest seizure of funds linked to a cryptocurrency investment scam.
In a statement released Wednesday, June 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the recovery followed an extensive investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, using blockchain analysis and other forensic tools. The statement did not confirm whether any arrests had been made.
According to the authorities, the stolen funds originated from fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes that tricked victims into believing they were making legitimate investments. More than 400 individuals around the world, including dozens in the United States, were reportedly affected.
The operation involved a sophisticated money laundering network that carried out hundreds of thousands of blockchain transactions to obscure the source and ownership of the stolen assets.
“These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims,” said Shawn Bradstreet, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Secret Service office in San Francisco.
Bradstreet added that U.S. officials hope the recovered funds can eventually be returned to the rightful victims.
Cryptocurrency investment fraud accounted for over $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone, according to the statement.
Telecom
Nnaemeka Ani Calls on African Techies to Rewrite the Narrative

In a rousing declaration that is electrifying minds across the continent, Hon. Nnaemeka Ani, Special Adviser on ICT to Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has called for a homegrown digital revolution under the banner “Africa Will Rise: By Code, By Courage, By Us.”

Hon. Nnaemeka Ani
The message, part challenge, part philosophical—seeks to galvanize African innovators to move beyond buzzwords and build technology with impact and legacy in mind.
“Let’s stop building for hype. Let’s start building for legacy,” Ani urged while speaking to ICT journalists over the weekend. “Let’s stop waiting for someone else. Let’s start creating the future—on our own terms.”
At the heart of Ani’s vision is a shift from tech consumerism to tech authorship. With innovation hubs sprouting across cities like Enugu, Lagos, Kigali, Jo’Burg, and Nairobi, and a growing community of developers, engineers, and entrepreneurs determined to solve Africa’s unique challenges, the movement is already taking shape.
Ani emphasized that Africa’s future lies not in flashy apps or international admiration but in persistent, intentional solutions that uplift communities—solutions that digitize public services, bridge rural-urban divides, empower women and youth, and build resilience in food and climate systems.
“We have the talent,” he said. “Now it’s time to harness it—to stop building for likes and start building for lasting impact.”
With support from leaders like Ani and rising momentum in Africa’s tech corridors, it seems that a new chapter is being written—one line of code at a time.
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