Telecom
COVID-19 Palliative: Zinox Group to Feed over 7000 Families for 2 Weeks
In a bid to ameliorate the impact of the lockdown occasioned by the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic in most states of the Federation, the Zinox Group has committed to feeding over 7000 Nigerian families for two weeks through its staff spread across the various states in Nigeria.
Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh,
The ingenious initiative is also targeted at supporting the efforts of the Federal and State Governments in reaching needy Nigerians across the country.
To this end, the management of the Zinox Group which includes concerns such as Zinox Technologies Ltd., TD Africa, Task Systems Ltd., TD Plus, TDiLife, among others, as well as the Konga Group – with its growing subsidiaries such as Konga Travel, KongaPay and Kxpress, among others – has decided to use its staff across all its network of branches dispersed across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to reach the under-reached and under-served populations.
The initiative, a brain-child of the Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, group ghairman, was borne out of the hardship and suffering he witnessed during his personal visitations to various rural locations and suburbs around town after donations to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), some churches and states.
Consequently, the Zinox Group has set up a special palliative fund running into millions of Naira from which all employees across the Group will have their accounts credited. Every full time staff in each of the respective companies in the Zinox Group and Konga – starting from the security man at the gate up to members of Executive Management – is expected to use the funds received to adopt a minimum of three families which it will support with essential food items to last them through the next two weeks.
While junior staff in all the companies across Nigeria are expected to nominate and donate the Zinox Group’s special palliatives to at least three needy families around their vicinity, mid-level executives are expected to reach at least five families each while members of Executive Management will be expected to donate to at least seven families.
For this exercise, families and relatives of all staff and employees of the Zinox Group and Konga are not expected to benefit.
The foregoing was confirmed by Group Head, Corporate Communications, Gideon Ayogu.
‘‘All staff and employees will receive dedicated sums from this special palliative fund set up by the Group Chairman, according to their cadre. They are then expected to identify the most needy and poor families within a two-kilometre radius from where they live and supply them with essential food items such as medium bags of rice, tomato paste and gallons of cooking oil to last them for the next two weeks.
‘‘To ensure accountability and to make sure that the intervention reaches the right people, we have also set up an audit team.
“Each staff is expected to provide pictorial evidence and at least two phone numbers from each of the families donated to. These will be verified digitally by the audit team.
“The Chairman is a data-driven person and has highlighted the need to verify the beneficiaries else it becomes a waste of hard-earned resources.
“ It is important to reiterate here that members of staff, their families and relatives are exempted from benefitting from this special intervention,’’ Ayogu disclosed.
‘‘Having personally visited a number of locations and seen first-hand the hardship being borne by Nigerians this period, Mr. Ekeh has decided that this is a more impactful way to reach the needy and support the efforts of governments in bringing succour to them.
“This special intervention is in addition to other undisclosed and unreported outreaches and donations to a number of charitable and religious organizations and a few state governments by the Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation to support their efforts in reaching the masses during these challenging times,’’ he concluded.
MTN Nigeria, in collaboration with ONErpm and Ultima Studios, has announced Ayodeji Benson, popularly known as Ayo Benzi, as the winner of the maiden edition of the Next Afrobeats Star reality show.
L-R: Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria; Ayodeji Benson, Winner, Next Afrobeats Star Reality Show (Season 1) and Emamoke Ogoro, General Manager, Brand and Communication, MTN Nigeria, at the grand finale of the Next Afrobeats Star Reality Show (Season 1), held at the Ultima Studios, Lekki, Lagos on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
The grand finale, held on Sunday night at Ultima Studios in Lekki, Lagos, marked the climax of a nationwide talent search that began in September with over 15,000 aspiring musicians.
After weeks of auditions, mentorship, and rigorous training, five finalists – Ayo Benzi, Dave Cash, Kaeko, Somto O’Laker, and Lucky Yay – battled for the top prize in a high-energy showcase of performance and artistry.
At the end of the electrifying contest, Ayo Benzi emerged victorious, securing a ₦150 million music deal. Dave Cash was named first runner-up with ₦100 million, while Kaeko, Somto O’Laker, and Lucky Yay received ₦75 million, ₦50 million, and ₦25 million respectively.
Throughout the season, contestants were mentored by leading Afrobeats producers Sarz, Puffy Tee, P Prime, and Andre Vibez. Benzi, who was part of Puffy Tee’s team, credited the mentorship programme for sharpening his craft and stage presence.
Speaking at the event, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Nigeria, said the initiative reflects the company’s commitment to youth empowerment and cultural expression.
“The Next Afrobeats Star platform is about creating real opportunities for young Nigerians and giving their talent the structure, visibility, and support it deserves.
“Afrobeats continues to place Nigeria on the global cultural map, and MTN is proud to be enabling the next generation of artists who will take this sound even further,” she said.
She added that the finale was not just a competition but a celebration of growth and readiness for the global stage.
In his acceptance speech, Ayo Benzi described the victory as a defining moment in his career.
“A big thank you to MTN. From the audition days, the treatment MTN has given us has been amazing. God bless the brand,” he said.
The finale also featured guest performances by Afrobeats stars Iyanya and Bella Shmurda, adding glamour to the night and reinforcing the show’s connection to the wider music ecosystem.
With the successful conclusion of the season, MTN Nigeria and its partners reaffirmed their role in championing youth ambition, supporting creative industries, and shaping the future of Nigerian music through platforms that turn potential into opportunity.
T2, formerly known as 9mobile, is under investigation by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Benue State for an undisclosed incident disrupting USSD, SMS, voice, and data services across nine local government areas.
T2
The affected areas include Ado, Agatu, Gwer East, Gwer West, Konshisha, Obi, Ohimini, Okpokwu, and Otukpo, as detailed in an advisory on the NCC Major Outages Portal, which tracks significant disruptions reported by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
Neither T2 nor its public relations firm, Chain Reactions, has responded to inquiries on the outage’s cause or restoration efforts as of this report.
The NCC’s continued reference to the operator as 9mobile, months after its public rebranding to T2 in August 2025, has sparked questions about whether the name change was formally notified to the regulator.
This probe aligns with NCC mandates requiring operators to disclose major outages, their impacts, and timelines for fixes, with compensation obligatory for disruptions exceeding 24 hours under the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.
Industry watchers note that such incidents, often linked to fibre cuts, power failures, or infrastructure faults, underscore ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s telecoms sector, particularly amid T2’s subscriber losses post-rebrand. NCC vows transparency via its portal to hold operators accountable and protect consumers.
Telecom
NCC Unveils Draft 5-Year Spectrum Roadmap, 60 GHz License-Exempt Guidelines to Boost Broadband, Innovation
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled two pivotal regulatory draft documents aimed at reshaping Nigeria’s communications sector over the next five years and fast-tracking deployment of ultra-high-speed wireless technologies.
NCC
In a public notice dated December 19, 2025, and issued pursuant to its mandate under the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, the Commission published the Draft 5-Year Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector (2025–2030) and Draft Guidelines for the Use of the 60 GHz License-Exempt Band for Multi-Gigabit Wireless Systems.
Both documents are accessible on the NCC website for stakeholder review, with the roadmap outlining strategic spectrum planning, allocation, and management to optimise utilisation, support emerging technologies like 5G and IoT, expand broadband access, and align with global best practices.
The Spectrum Roadmap emphasises four core pillars: bridging the digital divide through low-band spectrum and satellite services, attracting investments via flexible licensing models, enhancing service quality with mid-band optimisation, and fostering innovation in areas such as direct-to-device connectivity and secondary spectrum trading.
It sets ambitious targets including universal 4G coverage nationwide, 50 per cent 5G penetration in state capitals, and average broadband speeds of 100 Mbps by 2030, while addressing rising data demand through band refarming and efficient management.
Complementing this, the 60 GHz Guidelines establish a license-exempt framework for the 57–66 GHz band, enabling multi-gigabit speeds up to 10 Gbps for short-range applications like WiGig, fixed wireless access, enterprise connectivity, urban broadband, and backhaul solutions.
The rules mandate NCC type approval for equipment, site registration for outdoor use, and interference mitigation measures, while prohibiting wide-area networks to safeguard primary users.
In line with Section 58 of the NCA 2003, NCC invites comments from industry operators, equipment manufacturers, consumer groups, and the public, with submissions due by Friday, January 16, 2025, via email to [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected].
The notice, signed by Mrs Nnenna Ukoha, Head of Public Affairs, stresses that stakeholder inputs will refine the frameworks to drive innovation, investment, competition, and sustainable growth in Nigeria’s telecoms ecosystem.
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