Telecom

Disaster Management: Emergency Communications Centres to the Rescue

Published

17 years ago

March 2, 2009

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Federal executive council recently approved the release of N2.4bilion for the commencement of Emergency Communications centre project across the country, setting the pace for full take off of the project four years after it was conceived.
Emergence Communications Centres is an initiative of the federal government under the ministry of information and Communications. The centres are designed to offer Nigerians in distressed situation assistance by them making a call through to the centre on its code and the centre will respond with rescue depending on the nature of the distress.
The country has a poor record of disaster management in spite of the establishment of various agencies whose primary responsibility is to effectively respond to disaster whenever and wherever it happens, with the view to assisting the victims.
Among these agencies include the police, fire service, road safety and above all National Emergence Management Agency (Nema) established in 1999 to coordinate activities of all disaster management agencies in the country.
On January 27 2002, Lagos state experienced what many described as the worst disaster in the history when the Ikeja army cantonment went into flames which resulted in the loss of many lives. It is perhaps regrettable that greater percentage of Nigerians that died as a result of that incident were not killed by the exploded bomb but due to the fear of uncertainty, as they were not adequately informed about what was going on. Many thought that Nigeria was under attack by external force and in the process of running for dear lives, they met their untimely death by jumping into the canal. Observers believe that if people were informed either through radio or television on the cause of the explosion many lives would have been saved in that disaster. Few years after this unfortunate incident, Nigeria’s level of preparedness for disaster management was put to test again when on October 22, 2005, a Bellview Airline crashed at Lisa village, Ogun state. It took over 24 hours to locate the crashed airline and by the time this was done, the entire passenger on board had died. On December 10, same year, a Sosoliso jetline crashed within the perimeter walls of Port Harcourt Airline, consuming, in its wake, 110 Nigerians, including 62 children. The Airport Fire Service was not able to save any live from the resulting inferno owing malfunctioning of equipment. These are many other occurrences that have exposed the level of decay in the country’s emergence management institutions. It is against this backdrop and in an effort to strength these institution as well as provide a more effective means of emergence management that federal government through ministry of information and communications directed Nigerian Communication centres for the country.
Emergence Communications Centre
Emergence Communications Centres is an initiative of the federal government under the ministry of information and Communications. The minister in August 2005 set up a committee headed by Mr. Steven Bello of Nigerian Communications Commission. Other members include Mr. F.Y. Daudu, ministry of Communications as secretary, Mr. Balarabe Gambo, National Emergence Management Agency, representatives of the police and Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (Nitel), as well Mr. Chioke Ogugua representing telecommunications operators in the country.
The committee was to determine the organizational framework and administrative structure that will be required to establish and operate a public protection communications system; recommend a suitable telephone number that will be assigned for distressed call all over the country; as well as recommend means of funding for the scheme to ensure that it is self, sustaining and independent of government funding or budgetary allocations.
The committee was also to recommend a frequency or frequencies that should be reserved to communicate with the centre; to determine, if there is any legislative or enactment required in order to give legal backing to any of the recommendations made; and recommend modalities for its implementation.
The committee was given four weeks to submit its reports to the federal executive council. Upon the rectification of the report, NCC was directed to implement the recommendation on the establishment of the National Emergency Communications Centre.
Implementation effort
As apart of its implementation plans, NCC mapped out four levels of interaction on the establishment of the centres. These includes interaction with equipment vendors such as Nokia, Siemens among others that will be supplying equipment that will be used in the centres, telecommunication operators, civil society agencies responsible for disaster management as well as state governments that are going to provide land for the communication centres.
At the interactive session with telecommunications service operators held in Lagos, Mr. Steven Bello, executive commissioner, NCC, explained that the emergency service code is usually an all service number that can be called in any situations where state-run emergency service are needed.
Bello noted that the interaction with operators was to discuss the requirement for the interconnectivity of such centres which is based on Geographical Information System (GIS). According to him, the commission wants the operators to be able to send some information about the subscribers that are dialing 119 distress codes in case of emergency.
“We want to get where the co-ordinate of the cell site from which the call is coming from, we want to get the telephone number if possible the caller’s state and local government. Once we get this information, we can use it to query our data base which we are about compiling, from there we will be able to get the nearest response agency close to the victim, he said.
He cited instance of people who get into distress in places where they don’t know anybody or telephone number of closest police station, ambulance or other emergence response agencies. Such people, he said, can dial the three digit number, which will direct the person to an emergency communications centre nearest to him, and from there the person will be directed to the nearest response agency that can help him.
Apart from this, each of the centres would have standby ambulance and other infrastructure like a borehole to take care of some disasters. “We will have fuel deport in the emergency communication centre so that the police vehicles or ambulance stationed at the centre will not complain they don’t have fuel to move when it’s being called,” Bello said. “We are going to provide all the necessary infrastructure, in fact, in the emergency communications centres we will also provide helicopter landing park so that the states that have helicopters such as Abuja and Kaduna can make use of it when there is need for the helicopter to go and rescue somebody who is in a place that is not accessible.” All the emergency calls are going to be toll free from all network operators in the country.
In line with the recommendation of the committee on the method of financing the communications centres so that it will not depend on budgetary allocation. Bello said they are looking at a similar system in United States of America where one percent in every call made is taxed to finance the centre.
Having realized the need to partner relevant agencies in the establishment of these centres, Bello said NCC would collaborate with Nema in the implementation of the scheme.
He said this explained the presence of Mr. Daniel Gambo, deputy director, communications, Nema, at the interaction with telecoms operators on the initiative.
Gambo said they intend to engage the services of experts in disaster reduction and management.
Mr. Samuel Ucheaga, managing director, Mavis Computel Nigeria, the consulting company for the scheme, said there is going to be a legislation that will prescribe penalty for phones identified to have made calls or send short message service that is not meant for emergency situation to the code. The penalty, he said will be to block such phone line.
He explained that they are also going to establish a smooth communications between distress caller and the administrators in the emergency centres.
Ucheaga also noted that the emergency communications centres are going to interface with switches of telecommunications operators to ensure that calls are not delayed in anyway.
NCC has so far gotten land allocation from four state governments which include, Taraba, Plateau, Kwara and Kaduna. The project is likely going to take off in Abuja.

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Telecom

Airtel Nigeria Expands Retail Footprint to Strengthen Customer Access Nationwide

Published

19 hours ago

July 22, 2026

Chike Onwuegbuchi

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Airtel Nigeria has strengthened its nationwide retail and distribution network as part of its continued investment in enhancing service delivery and making telecommunications and digital services more accessible to millions of Nigerians.

The company’s retail ecosystem comprises more than 4,000 exclusive Airtel shops and over 200,000 retail touch-points nationwide, including partner stores, channel partners and neighborhood agents. This network ensures that subscribers can conveniently easily access SIM registration, device purchases, airtime and data recharge, customer support and other digital solutions.

Commenting on the company’s retail distribution strategy, Dinesh Balsingh, CEO, Airtel Nigeria, said,

“Telecommunications goes beyond the physical infrastructure, it is important that we are able to reach people where they live and work. That is why we continue to invest in a strong retail and distribution ecosystem that enables us to bring Airtel closer to our customers while delivering a consistent, high-quality experience wherever they are.”

According to Joypratip Sengupta, Director, Sales and Distribution, Airtel Nigeria, the company’s distribution network plays a vital role in ensuring seamless service delivery.

“Our retail network is designed to ensure that our services reach customers efficiently. It is a combination of efficient logistic systems, strong partnerships and local engagement that enables us to consistently meet the needs of our customers across the country,” he said.

The strengthened distribution strategy complements the company’s ongoing investments in network infrastructure and digital innovation, recognising that customer proximity remains a critical driver of service excellence and digital inclusion.

In addition to improving customer access, Airtel’s extensive retail ecosystem continues to create economic opportunities for thousands of entrepreneurs, distributors, retailers and small business owners who form an integral part of the company’s value chain.

As demand for accessible, interconnected digital services continues to grow across Nigeria, Airtel remains committed to investing in improving its service delivery and ensuring that every subscriber enjoys quality service.

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Telecom

Kaspersky Survey Highlights the Need for Smartphone Security

Published

19 hours ago

July 22, 2026

Chike Onwuegbuchi

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Kaspersky’s latest global survey shows a change in how people go online: 60% of survey participants from the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa (META) region now claim their smartphone is the main device they use to access the Internet, pushing the PC into a secondary role.

But as the amount and sensitivity of data stored on these phones keep growing, cybersecurity experts warn that users’ security habits aren’t keeping up.

According to the survey* 60% of respondents from the META region consider a smartphone their primary device for accessing the Internet. The most active smartphone users are representatives of Gen Z, with 67% of all global respondents aged 18-28 choosing a mobile phone as their main device.

With mobiles as the full-fledged rivals of computers in accessing the Internet, the amount of important data stored on them has also increased significantly. Personal photos and videos are leading the pack. 60% of users in the META region store visual memories on their devices. Close behind are contact details (51%), text messages and chats history (45%) and important personal documents such as IDs and passports (43%).

At the same time, a substantial portion of users in the META region keep work‑related data on their smartphones (37% emails, 22% calendars and 17% even store access to corporate systems), blurring the line between personal and professional realms.

Financial credentials and login details appear on 40% of devices, while emerging categories like AI chat histories (30%) and gaming accounts (26%) signal new types of personal data stored on personal devices.

“Now our smartphones serve as full‑featured assistants that touch every aspect of our lives. The data we entrust to them goes far beyond photos, phone numbers or text messages. Consequently, the main question is no longer “what we store,” but “how we protect it,” requiring security to become as integral to the device as the data it carries,” comments Anton Kivva, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky.

Three keys to mobile data security

To help users navigate this new digital reality safely, Kaspersky experts have issued a three-step security plan:

No data should live on your phone only

A smartphone should never be the sole repository for any type of information. While having everything at your fingertips is convenient, accidental deletions, loss or hardware failure can make recovery impossible without reliable backups or cloud sync.

The most sensitive data like passwords, ID or financial details requires special attention and preferably be kept in a protected format. Use a dedicated security solution like Kaspersky Password Manager, which apart from securely keeping credentials and bank cards, has a special secret vault functionality aimed at storing important documents, for example, scanned Passports/IDs and PDF files, addresses and notes. Thanks to the cross-device synchronisation it allows access to the data from any gadget.

Create a guard against digital threats

In Q1 2026 only, more than 2.67 million attacks utilising malware, adware or unwanted mobile software were prevented and more than 306,000 malicious installation packages were discovered.

Mobile devices require the same cyber protection as PCs. Kaspersky experts recommend cybersecurity solutions such as Kaspersky Premium that provide comprehensive protection – starting with scanning apps for potential threats upon installation, and using AI‑driven features to block malicious and phishing links in real time and prevent data or money losses, among many other security layers.

The “what if” scenario planning

Phone loss always occurs unexpectedly, but a few proactive steps can dramatically reduce its impact:

Turn on location services. Both Android and iOS include built-in tools that can locate a lost phone and, if needed, wipe its data remotely. Kaspersky for Android app activates this capability through the Where Is My Device feature.

Enable automatic backups.Regular backups ensure that photos, videos, documents, contacts and other vital data can be restored even if the device is lost or stolen.
Configure instant auto‑lock.Setting the phone to lock immediately after the screen turns off keeps it inaccessible to thieves or cyber‑criminals when you’re not using it.
Keep the device physically safe.In public spaces, never leave your phone unattended or within easy reach, avoid placing it on tables, in back pockets or any other vulnerable spot.

“We often underestimate how much valuable information we keep on our mobile devices and how vulnerable that data truly is. Ask yourself: When was the last time I backed up my photos or notes? What’s my plan if my phone goes missing? Do I verify links before I click them? While most users automatically think of security software for their computers, phones lag behind. It’s time to give your everyday digital companion the same robust cyber‑protection it deserves,” adds Anton Kivva, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky.

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Telecom

Why Africa’s Top ICT Ministers Are Gathering in Abuja This Week

Published

19 hours ago

July 22, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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Nigeria will host telecommunications, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and digital economy ministers from across Africa for the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26), scheduled for July 23 to July 24 in Abuja.

The conference, the highest decision-making body of the ATU, is expected to bring together ministers, regulators, industry leaders, development partners and other stakeholders from the Union’s 52 member states to deliberate on Africa’s digital and telecommunications agenda for the next four years.

A statement by the organisers said delegates would adopt the Union’s strategic direction, approve its 2027–2031 budget and work programme, elect a new Secretary-General and determine the composition of the Administrative Council.

The conference will also harmonise Africa’s common positions ahead of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference scheduled to hold later this year in Doha, Qatar.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, described the conference as a significant milestone for Africa’s digital future.

“Nigeria is honoured to host the 7th Ordinary Session of the ATU Conference of Plenipotentiaries at a defining moment for Africa’s digital future.

“As countries across the continent accelerate digital transformation, it is increasingly important to strengthen regional cooperation, develop common positions on emerging technologies, and create enabling environments that attract investment, build digital talent and expand meaningful connectivity.

“Our role as host reflects the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to building an innovation-driven economy while strengthening African cooperation on digital infrastructure, technology governance, skills development and investment,” he said.

One of the major highlights of the conference will be a ministerial dialogue on “Achieving Africa’s Meaningful Connectivity,” jointly organised by the ATU and the GSMA.

The dialogue will explore practical strategies for expanding affordable, reliable and quality connectivity across the continent, with emphasis on infrastructure investment, service quality, affordability and ensuring that digital access delivers tangible economic and social benefits.

Also speaking ahead of the conference, the Secretary-General of the ATU, Mr John Omo, said the meeting would provide member states with an opportunity to strengthen the Union’s capacity to drive Africa’s digital ambitions.

He said the decisions to be taken in Abuja would shape the ATU’s ability to support national priorities, sustain Africa’s participation in global telecommunications forums and respond effectively to emerging technological developments over the next four years.

The conference is expected to conclude with the adoption of the Abuja Declaration, which will provide governments, regulators, industry stakeholders and development partners with a common framework for advancing Africa’s digital transformation agenda.

According to the organisers, hosting the conference underscores Nigeria’s commitment to regional collaboration and reinforces the country’s growing leadership in digital policy, technology governance and investment promotion across Africa.

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