Telecom
Danbatta Seeks Fully Adoption of e-Government in Service Delivery
Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has said that the introduction of e-government applications has been beneficial to the process of governance.
He noted significant areas such as public procurement, where electronic applications have expanded government access to potential suppliers and increased the number of offers received in a timely manner.
Danbatta stated this at the Nigeria e-government conference organized by Digiserve Network Services which was held in Lagos last week, according to him, “in Nigeria, the deliberate decision to deploy ICT for public service delivery is, in part, traceable to the formulation of the Nigerian National Telecommunications Policy in 2000. The policy seeks to make Nigeria an ICT-driven country in Africa and a key player in the information society and also use IT for education; creation of wealth; poverty eradication; job creation; governance; health; and agriculture.
“Through the policy, the Federal Government expressly announced the initiative of the government to deepen its digital and online presence to enhance its operation of the government in providing public services in a transparent, effective and efficient means.
The EVC represented by Dr. Henry Nkemadu, Director, Public Affairs, NCC added that with government at Federal, State and Local Government levels in Nigeria facing a number of issues ranging from huge unemployment, corruption, crime, low internally-generated revenue (IGR) and poor government service delivery in some quarters, effective application of ICT to governance would help to remarkably increase IGR bring efficiency and convenience to government services delivery process, curb corruption practices and create lot of high skilled labour in the country.
“A retrospective look at how we have fared as a nation since 2000, when the Nigeria National Telecommunications Policy established the need for e-government drive, showed that many Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) at Federal and especially State levels have moved a number of their services online.
“There has been appreciable increase in the number of MDAs, especially at Federal and State levels with functional websites with information about specific programmes or services benefiting women and children, persons with disabilities, older persons, indigenous people, and people living in poverty, businesses and so on.
“At Federal Level, for instance, the Treasury Single Account (TSA), the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as well as other e-services have been put in place while efforts are being made to substantially reduce paper workplace in government offices.
“Today, it is clear to government at all levels that one of the ways to reverse cases of huge unemployment, corruption, crime, low internally-generated revenue (IGR) and leakages in government revenue, among other issues is to use ICT to drive government’s internal processes and service delivery to its citizens and other stakeholders with capacity to enhance efficiency and convenience in the delivery of government services and create high skilled workforce in the country”.
Danbatta however, highlighted some of the challenges that Nigerian e-government drive are faced with which range from lack of adequate Information Technology (IT) infrastructure; epileptic power/electricity supply; reduced budgetary allocation for ICT, lack of trained and qualified personnel and the resistance to change attitude by public servants and other related issues.
“At the centre of e-government adoption is the Internet, which is an important infrastructure that must be available to both the government and the end-user citizens, businesses or other stakeholders to ensure effective interaction with the government. In this regard, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has continued to push various initiatives to deepen access to the Internet and by extension, broadband services in the country.
“The Commission exceeded its target for Broadband Penetration in 2018 and will continue its drive towards universal access as detailed in the framework of its 8 Point Agenda. As at August 2019, 2G subscriptions stood 122.9 million, corresponding to 64.42 per cent of the population.
“Also, there were 49.7 million 3G subscriptions equivalent to 26.03 per cent of the population with 17.3 million 4G subscriptions representing 9.07 per cent of the population. Broadband penetration on 3G and 4G, which are categorised as broadband networks, therefore stood at 35.10 per cent in August, 2019.
“The Commission is actively exploring the utilisation of television white space (TVWS) technology to expand affordable broadband services to rural areas, while we have issued Infrastructure Company (InfraCo) Licences to some organisations to deploy fibre across the geopolitical zones with Access Points in all the 774 local government areas of the Federation,” he stated.
He noted that in line with the Next Level agenda of the current administration, the Commission hopes to increase the number of fibre deployment in Nigeria to 127,000 kilometre from its current 42,000 kilometer of fibre connectivity in the country. “Through the InfraCo initiatives, therefore, the Commission expects additional 30,000 kilometre of fibre to be added. This is aside the results expected from major Mobile network Operators (MNOs), who also earmark resources, on a yearly basis, to expand their fibre deployment.
“The NCC is also working with the Ministry of Communications and other necessary stakeholders towards addressing the perennial industry challenges such as the Right of Way (RoW) issues, multiple taxation and regulation, vandalism/fibre cuts, theft of telecoms equipment, insecurity, power problem, among others – all of which are critical industry issues- impeding fast broadband infrastructure deployment in the country, which has impacted the level of access to government, businesses and individuals to enjoy e-government services.
“You may be aware that, in the second quarter of 2019, the Federal Government, building on the 2000 Telecommunications Policy, officially launched the ‘Nigeria e-Government Master Plan 2020’. The Master Plan, which is the brainchild of the Federal Ministry of Communications, is aimed at achieving the Federal Government’s vision and objective of Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP), for a virile economy. I will encourage this gathering of experts both from public and private sectors to also examine what this Plan means for the country within the broad spectrum of e-government drive,” he said.
Nigeria has exactly 156,662 active fixed wired internet subscriptions as of mid-2026.
This is a tiny fraction compared to mobile GSM networks, which dominate the market with over 154 million subscribers.
The fixed wired market primarily consists of homes and offices using direct physical cables like fiber optics.
Fixed wired services use physical cables, like glass fiber or copper wire, to bring internet directly into a building.
It is like a dedicated, private water pipe for your home. It provides very fast speeds, unlimited data, and is reliable.
In contrast, mobile GSM uses radio waves transmitted from tall towers to phones, acting more like a sprinkler that sprays a signal across an entire neighborhood.
Because laying physical cables across cities is expensive and hard to do, these subscriptions are very rare.
However, the market has seen recent growth, driven largely by Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services.
The top players are: MTN FibreX with 110,564 subscribers, which is roughly 88.7 per cent of the entire market.
SWIFTNG accounts for about 13,945 connections.
The others are ipNX and 21st Century Technologies which make up the number.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it was strengthening collaboration with state governments and industry players to develop a transparent, cost-based pricing framework for sharing telecom ducts as part of efforts to speed up broadband expansion across Nigeria.
Ayuba Shuaibu, director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC, disclosed this at the Stakeholders’ Forum in Abuja.
Shuaibu said the initiative was designed to build consensus among all parties.
“The primary purpose of this forum is to ensure seamless synergy between the Commission and all stakeholders,” he said.
The director said the consultation was prompted by longstanding complaints over permits, levies and other charges imposed by different levels of government.
He said bringing together state commissioners, telecom operators, tower companies and representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had helped improve understanding of the issues.
“This engagement is a work in progress. We expect more input from stakeholders before presenting the outcome to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum,” he added.
Dr Helen Adeneye, commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Kogi State. welcomed the consultation, saying Nigeria needs a harmonised policy that clearly defines the responsibilities of both the federal and state governments.
“We need a harmonised policy that allows states to collaborate better with telecom operators and creates a more business-friendly environment,” she said.
Dr Adeneye added that adopting the Dig-Once policy would establish a uniform pricing system and help resolve disputes over charges for telecom infrastructure deployment.
Chidi Ajuzie, chief executive officer, WTES Projects Limited, whose firm is conducting the consultancy study, said the proposed framework would introduce a common cost structure for duct sharing to support broadband investment and economic growth.
“The study is designed to create a uniform pricing model that will drive broadband growth, economic development and wider adoption across the country,” he said.
Ajuzie explained that the consultants had developed preliminary floor and ceiling prices to guide operators while allowing flexibility within the approved range.
He added that the recommendations remain open to industry input before the NCC finalises the framework.
The Dig-Once Policy is designed to reduce the cost and disruption of deploying broadband infrastructure by requiring fibre ducts to be installed whenever roads are constructed or rehabilitated.
The NCC is developing a cost-based pricing framework for sharing these ducts to promote fair pricing, reduce duplication of infrastructure and encourage investment.
The proposed model is expected to support the Federal Government’s broadband expansion targets while improving collaboration between telecom operators and state governments.
Telecom
MUSON Graduates Shine at 2026 Concert as MTN Foundation Celebrates 20 Years of Music Scholarships
Emeka Nwodike, acting director of the MUSON School of Music, conducted the institution’s graduating class in a grand finale performance, bringing the 2026 graduation concert to a memorable close. The concert took place on July 7 at the Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
The event celebrated students who successfully completed the MUSON Diploma Programme through the MTN Foundation Scholarship Programme.
The graduating students delivered a rich choral repertoire that reflected the breadth of their musical training, performing Italian Salad by Richard Genee, My Song by Eriks Esenvalds, Obi Dimkpa by Laz Ekwueme, and an ABBA Medley arranged by Goran Bejstam. Under the Acting Director’s baton, the choir demonstrated technical precision, vocal maturity and artistic expression before an audience of family members, music enthusiasts and industry stakeholders.
The concert formed part of the long-running partnership between the MTN Foundation and the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON), which has, since 2006, provided scholarships for hundreds of talented young Nigerians to receive formal music education through the MUSON Diploma School. The programme continues to serve as one of the country’s foremost platforms for developing professional musicians and strengthening Nigeria’s creative economy.
Speaking at the close of the concert, Nwodike expressed appreciation to the MTN Foundation for its sustained support of the scholarship programme over the past two decades. He also thanked the Director of the MUSON Centre, faculty members, mentors and other stakeholders whose dedication has contributed to the school’s continued success.
“For nearly 20 years, the MTN Foundation has remained a steadfast partner in our mission to nurture young musical talent. We are deeply grateful for that commitment. I also want to thank the Director of the MUSON Centre, our faculty, mentors and everyone whose dedication has helped the MUSON School of Music continue to grow and thrive. Their support has made this programme what it is today, and our graduates are a testament to that collective effort,” he said.
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