Telecom
Pantami, Dr Omobola Johnson, Aboyeji, Others to Speak at MTN’s Scholarships Event
Dr Isa Ali Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, will join Dr Omobola Johnson, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji and other seasoned professionals at MTN Foundation’s scholarships event on Thursday, November 12, 2020.
Other speakers at the event include Olubayo Adekanmbi, Chief Transformation Officer, MTN Nigeria, and Rolake Akinkugbe-Filani, Chief Commercial Officer, Mixta Africa.
They will be speaking on the theme, “Insight. Influence. Impact.” in a fireside chat moderated by Nigerian TV presenter, Bolanle Olukanni.
MTN Foundation is holding an award/induction ceremony for incoming and outgoing scholars of its scholarship scheme and the speakers have been strategically selected to share insightful and impactful stories to inspire awardees towards greater excellence.
Dr Isa Ali Pantami is the first Minister of Communications and Digital Economy after the redesignation of the Ministry’s Name to include responsibilities for creating and formulating Policies for a sustainable Digital Economy for Nigeria.
He received an award as the “ICT Promoter of the Year 2017” in London by “The Nigerian” in recognition of his positive contributions to the ICT revolution in Nigeria, youth empowerment & good governance. Within little less than 3 years of his stewardship, he has received over 110 awards and recognitions both within and outside Nigeria.
Dr. Omobola Johnson, a senior partner at TLcom Capital LLP, an engineer and experienced ICT professional, previously served as Nigeria’s Minister of Communications Technology.
She focused on the launch and execution of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan, and also supported the development of the Nigerian technology industry.
She is a Trustee of the World Economic Forum’s Future of the Internet Initiative, a Founding Chairperson and Trustee of Women in Management in Business, and serves on the board of a number of leading Nigerian and multinational corporations.
Olubayo Adekanmbi is driven by a vision to build an AI-first society where Artificial Intelligence is effectively deployed to solve local problems.
He is a leading expert in Data Science, Advanced Analytics, Business Transformation, Marketing and Strategy, with 19 years of cognate industry experience from the two largest economies in Africa (Nigeria &South Africa).
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, co-Founder, Andela and former Managing Director, Flutterwave, is an entrepreneur of public interest.
He co-founded Andela – Africa’s largest engineering organization with over 1000 software engineers and has received investment from Mark Zuckerberg and Google Ventures amongst others.
Iyinoluwa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies from the University of Waterloo; and sits on the board of several institutions including Paris’ Share Africa Project, Rainbow Educational Services Limited and Filmo Realty.
Rolake Akinkugbe-Filani on the other hand is a leading and prominent African energy expert and finance executive.
She provides financial and strategic advisory services to the public and private sector in oil and gas and power and has built a track record of helping to finance, invest in and successfully scale businesses across Africa’s energy sector.
With the vast experience of the professionals scheduled to speak at the event, beneficiaries of MTN’s scholarship scheme can expect to learn life-long lessons that will offer insight and inspire them to become persons of influence and impact in the society.
The MTN scholarship scheme is an annual scholarship award that seeks to recognize and reward qualified high performing students.
It is made up of the MTN Science and Technology Scholarship Scheme and the MTN Scheme for Blind Students.
Airtel Africa reported a profit after tax of $376 million for the half year ended September 30, 2025 as compared to $79 million in the corresponding period last fiscal, benefitting from a $90 million gain largely arising from Nigerian naira appreciation during the current quarter (Q2’26) and the Central African franc (CFA) appreciation during the previous quarter (Q1’26).
Revenues at $2,982 million for the reported period saw strong growth as compared to $2,370 million in the six months of the last fiscal, rising 24.5% in constant currency and 25.8% in reported currency.
The company said constant currency revenue growth reflects the consistent execution of its strategy, supported by tariff adjustments in Nigeria and continued strong growth momentum in Francophone Africa.
“Our strategy has been focussed on providing a superior customer experience and the strength of these results is testament to the initiatives that we have been implementing across the business,” Sunil Taldar, chief executive officer of the company said in a statement.
He said the company has been scaling the network to build additional capacity to facilitate the rise in both digital and financial inclusion.
“The increase in smartphone penetration to 46.8% reflects the substantial demand for data services across our markets but also highlights the scale of the opportunity to further develop the digital economy,” Taldar said.
Capex for the period stood at $318 million. “We have increased our capex guidance for FY’26 to between $875m and $900m – from ‘between $725 million and $750 million’.
This reflects our decision to accelerate our ability to capitalise on the significant growth opportunity that is available across the region, as is reflected by these strong H1’26 results,” the company said.
During the period, the company continued investments in network with the rollout of over 2,350 new sites to over 38,300 sites and an expansion of its fibre network by approx. 4,000 kms to over 81,000 kms.
Vitel Wireless Limited, a GSM second level operator, licensed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to begin nationwide operations on October 30.
Kenneth Nwabueze, Chairman and CEO of Vitel Wireless
Themed “Blue is Here,” the launch event will unveil E-SIMs, physical SIMs, and smart connectivity solutions for individuals and businesses
With the tagline “Everything Connected,” Vitel aims to redefine communication in Nigeria through innovation, speed, and trust.
In a statement earlier, Vitel Wireless, said it combines reliability with innovation, leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver seamless connectivity and intelligent solutions across the country.
“The company’s services go beyond communication — they integrate safety, mobility, and smart systems to enhance how individuals, businesses, and communities connect,” the statement reads.
According to Engr Kenneth Nwabueze, executive chairman, Vitel Wireless, at the heart of the telco’s mission is a bold vision to redefine mobile communication through technology that not only connects people but also protects them.
He highlighted the features saying the device is embedded with IoT-driven devices, smart logistics solutions and AI-powered safety analytics.
“Vitel Wireless is more than a telecom brand — it’s a movement toward a smarter, safer, and more connected Nigeria. Our goal is to bridge technology and humanity, using mobile innovation to improve lives, empower businesses, and strengthen national security,” Engr. Nwabueze said.
He stated that the Vitel Wireless team has interconnected with all major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Nigeria, including MTN, Airtel, and Glo, and has a roaming agreement with MTN for nationwide rollout, extending Vitel Wireless coverage as one of the largest networks in Nigeria.
“Vitel Wireless has partnered with NCC and various law enforcement agencies to define and support key regulatory frameworks that now govern the nation’s telecom space in personal and public safety,” he said.
He added that the value added service includes Xphone -free phone calls and low international calling rates, SecureMe -location awareness solution for personal safety, Oga-App -employment enhancement and performance tool, ISEEYOU -AI-based CCTV with real-time alerts, AssetNow -LBS/GPS-based asset tracker, and many more.
“Vitel Wireless’s nationwide rollout signals a new era for the telecom industry — one where connectivity meets intelligence, and technology serves both purpose and people,” Nwabueze added.
MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, in collaboration with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) through the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria, has announced the shortlist of 100 young Nigerian innovators for the second phase of the 2025 Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge.
The initiative, launched in 2024, is aimed at fostering home-grown solutions to Nigeria’s most pressing environmental challenges, including climate change, pollution, community conservation, and sustainability.
According to a joint statement by the organisers, the top 100 were selected from a pool of 2,169 applications received nationwide. The selection process involved a rigorous multi-stage evaluation conducted by 20 expert assessors, guided by a robust framework to ensure fairness and consistency.
“The shortlisted innovators represent the brightest minds committed to environmental resilience,” the statement read. “Their solutions span high-impact sectors and are designed to address both national and continental environmental issues.”
The PachiPanda programme offers participants access to mentorship, technical workshops, seed funding, and a network of industry experts. The next phase will see a further evaluation to determine the Top 10 finalists, who will be unveiled ahead of a three-day sprint pitch and masterclass event scheduled for November 2025 in Lagos.
During the event, finalists will undergo intensive training to refine their business strategies and enhance their solutions for broader impact. Winners of the Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge will advance to the continental Africa PachiPanda Contest, where they will compete with other national champions.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek reports that the programme underscores MTN Nigeria’s commitment to eco-entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability, empowering youth-led enterprises to drive green innovation across Africa.
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