Telecom
DBI: Ganduje, Others Commend NCC
Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, governor of Kano State, said his administration will provide scholarship to 100 youths in the State to bridge the gap in Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
Specifically, he said 60 males and 40 females will be the initial beneficiaries. He spoke recently at the maiden matriculation ceremony of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), National Innovation Diploma programme in Kano.
Ganduje was full of praises for the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), led by Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice chairman (EVC), for considering Kano one of the centres for this programme.
The initiative of the NCC led by Danbatta resulting in the approval by National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to make DBI, Kano Campus as an Innovation Enterprise Institute is highly commendable. The State, he said will take advantage of this as part of efforts to promote ICT diffusion in the State especially in the rural areas across the 44 Local Councils.
Emir of Kano, Muhammed Sanusi II, spoke in a similar way but appealed to the EVC and the Federal Government at all levels to ensure that there is sufficient investment in ICT infrastructure to promote access to ICT by the youths at the grassroots.
The Emir said, “there is no point getting a Diploma in ICT if the only place you can operate is in the city centre” adding that “we need to have more people in the rural areas who can provide ICT services to the rural dwellers to achieve effective results”
The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor said “if the present administration is ready to achieve its change mantra, then there is need to also create the enabling environment for ICT investors to come to the rural area because with the way things are going, the government and the informal sector cannot provide jobs for the population of about 170 million Nigerians but with the ICT field it is possible”.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta said the matriculation of the 24 students into five specialized Information and Communication Technology of the Diploma programme was part of NCC’s efforts to promote the adoption and use of ICT for national development.
Danbatta listed the specialized areas of the Diploma programme to include, software engineering, computer hardware engineering, networking and security, telecommunications and multimedia technology as approved by the National Board for Technical Education NBTE.
He said the program was deliberately designed to offer a rich blend of the theoretical knowledge and practice skills to combine classroom work with intensive laboratory and workshop modules which will prepare and equip them for direct entry into related fields of any University in the Country.
According to him, “Nigeria is in dire need of ICT skills to solve the myriad of problems facing her agriculture, health, education, security, power and other sectors. Adding that this is the only way the country can become a mainstream player in the new digital age”.
The EVC said, “the matriculation is in furtherance of our mandate to equip Nigerians in different fields of ICT, to which the Institute was granted approval as an Innovative Enterprise Institute by the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Board for Technical Education in 2016 to award National Innovation Diploma and these are the first set of students being matriculated for the 2016/2017 academic calendar”.
He urged the matriculating students to embrace the opportunity of obtaining a certificate in National Innovation Diploma program seriously as they will be equipped with the required ICT knowledge and skills to perform optimally with their counterparts in other parts of the world.
Dr. Ike Adinde, administrator of DBI, said, the Institute recorded milestones in the last two years with the support of the EVC.
“We joined the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in 2015, becoming one of the six centres of excellence in Africa under the ITU ICT Academy Network”.
“The Institute’s partnership with the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) was expanded during the year as it provided technical assistance to the Board in preparation for the recently concluded computer-based Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME)”
Nigeria’s telecom operators recorded 155, 397 fibre-cut incidents between April and May 2026, and these they blame on why internet or calls suddenly stop working.
Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed fibre-cut incidents increased from 74 276 in April to a record 79 121 in May, bringing the two-month total to the highest level recorded by the industry.
This represents a 2 428% increase from the 5 934 incidents reported during the first quarter of 2026.
Vandalism remained the leading cause of fibre cuts, accounting for more than 54 000 incidents despite telecom infrastructure being designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure, a classification intended to strengthen protection of key digital assets.
Also road construction constantly damages fiber where iggers and machines tear up buried cables during road repairs or construction.
Even with all these, some state governments make it hard for companies to fix cables quickly across different areas with all manners of fees and levies.
The NCC designation provides for penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment for offenders, but operators continue to face widespread infrastructure damage.
Proposed solutions, including Nigeria’s Dig-Once policy and AI-powered fibre sensing technologies, have yet to achieve widespread adoption.
The NCC is developing a cost-based framework for shared underground duct infrastructure, while operators are exploring AI-powered fibre sensing technologies that can detect cable damage in real time and improve network resilience.
Nigeria is pursuing ambitious broadband targets under its National Broadband Plan and has expanded fibre deployment to about 35 000 kilometres.
However, infrastructure protection has not kept pace with network expansion, leaving subscribers vulnerable to unreliable connectivity despite continued operator investment.
Standard Bank has partnered with Helios Towers to provide a $29 million Social Documentary Credit Facility. According to the financial services company, this transaction marks Standard Bank’s first Documentary Credit Facility structured in a Sustainable Finance format.
It notes that the facility will support the procurement and importation of telecommunications infrastructure and related services across Africa.
It will also provide payment certainty to suppliers, while supporting Helios Towers’ working capital requirements and infrastructure expansion programme, the bank adds.
Structured in accordance with the Loan Market Association’s Social Loan Principles, the financing is designed to promote digital connectivity and telecommunications infrastructure development in underserved markets.
This will help Helios Towers further expand its footprint and enhance mobile network coverage and connectivity across the continent.
Helios Towers operates one of Africa’s independent telecommunications tower platforms, enabling mobile network operators to extend coverage across multiple markets.
Standard Bank notes that the facility supports the expansion of tower infrastructure and services, increased network densification and improved connectivity in underserved markets and remote regions across the African continent.
It will also drive digital inclusion and tackle the digital divide while supporting economic growth and socio-economic development.
“This transaction demonstrates the power of innovation in trade finance. By combining a first-to-market Social Documentary Credit Facility with a cross-border funding solution, Standard Bank has supported Helios Towers’ growth ambitions while helping extend digital connectivity to underserved communities across Africa,” says Benoit Samouilhan, global transaction banker at Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking.
According to the bank, this facility enables positive social impact by increasing and improving network coverage and connectivity in some of the world’s most remote regions.
“Reliable digital infrastructure is fundamental to Africa’s future growth and development,” says Alex Carter, group finance director at Helios Towers.
“This facility provides us with the flexibility and certainty needed to support our ongoing infrastructure investments while advancing our mission of expanding connectivity across the continent. We value our longstanding relationship with Standard Bank and look forward to building on this partnership.”
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will on Thursday convene a stakeholders’ consultative forum to review the draft business rules for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) in Nigeria.
NCC
The forum, scheduled to hold at 10 a.m. at the NCC Annex Office, Mbora, Abuja, is expected to bring together telecommunications operators, industry associations and other stakeholders to provide input on the proposed regulatory framework before its finalisation.
The commission announced the event on its official social media platforms, inviting interested stakeholders to participate in the consultation process.
The engagement is part of the NCC’s efforts to strengthen the regulatory framework for MVNO operations and promote greater competition, innovation and consumer choice in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
Mobile Virtual Network Operators are telecommunications service providers that offer mobile services by leasing network capacity from licensed Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), rather than owning spectrum licences or telecommunications infrastructure.
The NCC has identified the MVNO licensing framework as one of its initiatives aimed at deepening competition, expanding access to telecommunications services and driving digital inclusion across the country.
The consultative forum is expected to provide stakeholders with the opportunity to review the draft business rules, make recommendations and contribute to the development of a robust operational framework for the emerging MVNO segment.
The commission is expected to issue further details on the outcome of the consultation after the meeting.
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