Telecom
Engr. Daudu Charges NITDA on Capacity Building
Engr. Festus Y.A Daudu, permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, has charged the management of National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) to ensure that it keeps building the capacity of Nigerians in information and Communication Technology Sector.
The Permanent Secretary made this charge on Thursday at the Ministry’s headquarter when the NITDA’s Director General, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, led some members of his management to brief the Permanent Secretary about the activities of the Agency.
He said, “you need to make sure that the necessary capacity is developed within the ecosystem because you have a lot to do and if you do not develop your capacity; in this particular sector that is dynamic, you will lose touch with current realities”.
Engr. Daudu observed that with the abundant human resources the nation is blessed with, the country has all it takes to drive most of her processes with information technology.
He said “Nigerians excel anywhere they go; I see no reason why with the abundant human resources we have, we cannot use it effectively to develop this nation.
The Permanent Secretary commended NITDA for what he termed laudable achievements and enjoined the management of the Agency to ensure that it works harmoniously with other parastatals and IT stakeholders because the objective of achieving a digital Nigerians is the same.
“We have to work together; we have one objective, to make the lives of Nigerian better. We are a communication and Digital Economy family”.
While applauding the Agency for being up and doing, Engr. Daudu assured NITDA of his supports that would make the Agency carry out its mandate effectively especially in the area of clearing IT projects of other ministries, Department and Agencies.
Earlier in his presentation, the NITDA boss informed the Permanent Secretary of various NITDA’s initiatives and how they have been impacting positively on the Digital Economy Policy of the government.
The DG stated that the Agency’s efforts at localizing the government data has resulted into the repatriation of 98% of government that hitherto hosted off shore of the country back to Nigeria.
On Indigenous Content Promotion, Abdullahi said”the Agency has issued a total number 297 Compliance notice. This is to enforce the local content policy especially on ICT. “We have a surveillance team that looks at all ICT content”
Mallam Abdullahi further stated that the sales of hardware under the indigenous content development has witnessed unprecedented record of over 1.2million devices sold between 2015 to 2019. Adding that the investments in indigenous software development mandated by NITDA by Federal government institutions stand at over N1.3 billion.
The DG disclosed that most of the Agency’s interactions are targeted at developing the economy of the country, adding that the country recently focused on building the capacity of Nigerians to acquire skill necessary to drive a digital economy.
“In 2020, we went around all the six geopolitical zones to train people. We do a lot of in-person and virtual training.
“We have trained over 35,000 on different courses on ICT virtually and developed the capacity of 1500 Nigerians at our e-Government Training Centre,” he said.
While commenting on Nigeria Data Protection Regulations, the DG said, NITDA has created N2.2billion industry, and 2686 jobs were created through the implementation of the regulation, remitted N12.6million to the federal government purse from the filling of NDPR audit report among others.
Mallam Abdullahi added that NITDA roadmaps of 2016-2020 are aligned with the National Economy Policy and Strategy and the yet to be launched 20121-2024 would consulate the pillars of NDEPS.
He said the National IT Policy the Agency was created to implement has become obsolete and the new policy of Digital Economy has compelled the Agency to rebrand and reposition itself for better performance.
“All these things are not the end but means to the end because the end is how the Agency is impacting in people lives for digital Economy development”.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has announced the formation of Airbel Ventures, a new humanitarian impact investing fund aimed at accelerating the introduction and scaling of breakthrough technologies in crisis-affected communities.
The fund will invest in companies whose ideas have the potential to change humanitarian response, including digital infrastructure for frontline health systems and climate-resilient agriculture.
The launch of Airbel Ventures follows a period of rapid innovation at the IRC, despite the humanitarian sector facing record funding cuts.
In the past year, the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab has advanced more than twenty Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology initiatives—from anticipatory action tools powered by climate and vulnerability data, to frontline service delivery using safe, orchestrated AI systems, to breakthrough diagnostic tools for emerging diseases.
Airbel Ventures’ first impact investment is in Signalytic, a company delivering solar-powered computing devices that ensure reliable electricity and connectivity for remote health facilities.
Following the investment, the IRC will pilot Signalytic’s technology with its Nigeria Health team, demonstrating the viability of next-generation digital infrastructure in humanitarian settings.
“We know breakthrough solutions already exist—what’s missing is the path to scale in humanitarian contexts,” said Dr. Jeannie Annan, Senior Vice President for Research & Innovation at the IRC and head of the Airbel Impact Lab.
MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecommunications operator, recorded a historic surge in network disruptions in 2025, suffering 9,218 fibre cuts as of December 31, alongside 211 base station sites affected by theft and vandalism, incidents that disrupted mobile and data services relied upon daily by millions of Nigerians.
The data was revealed by Dr Karl Toriola, chief executive officer/managing director, MTN Nigeria via a social media post titled ‘MTN Nigeria 2025 Wrapped’.
The scale of the damage highlights the growing vulnerability of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure, which has come under increasing pressure from road construction activities, cable theft and deliberate acts of vandalism.
MTN said 5,478 fibre cuts occurred within just the first seven months of 2025, with 760 incidents recorded in July alone, underscoring the intensity of the challenge.
Some of the incidents had wide-ranging consequences, knocking out connectivity across multiple states simultaneously and affecting voice calls, data services, digital payments and enterprise operations.
The company described the situation as a national infrastructure problem, rather than an isolated corporate issue, given the economy’s deep dependence on mobile networks.
“These gaps were shaped by real operational challenges such as fibre cuts, theft, and vandalism. Their impact is felt directly by customers and reflected in what they tell us,” Toriola,
The disruptions were reflected in customer feedback volumes, as MTN handled an unprecedented number of complaints during the year. The operator said it resolved 1,624,263 customer complaints in 2025, spanning call centres, social media platforms, emails and physical service centres nationwide.
Despite the setbacks, MTN pointed to signs of operational resilience. The company retained its ranking as Nigeria’s best network by Ookla, returned to profitability after a challenging period, declared an interim dividend, and expanded its subscriber base to over 85 million users by September 2025.
The figures show that while Nigeria’s telecom operators continue to invest heavily in network expansion and customer service, infrastructure sabotage remains a major drag on service quality and operating costs.
MTN acknowledged that performance improvements remain a work in progress. “We are not where we want to be yet. We see you. We hear you. We exist because of you. And we will get better,” Toriola said.
As the company enters its 25th year of operations in Nigeria, Toriola said MTN is doubling down on customer-centricity, treating every piece of feedback as a guide for improvement, while also stepping up engagement with government agencies.
The CEO renewed calls for stronger regulatory and legal protections for telecommunications infrastructure, urging policymakers to classify fibre cables, base stations and other critical assets as national infrastructure and criminalise vandalism to deter repeat attacks.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted operating licences to six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs), effective January 1, 2026, raising the total number of authorised ISPs in the country to 231 from 225 recorded in December 2025.
NCC
The newly licensed firms are Intellvision Technologies Limited, Granet Technologies Limited, Fiber Sonic Limited, Dasol Solution Services Ltd, Boost ISP Limited, and Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited.
Five of these companies are headquartered in Lagos, while Granet Technologies Limited operates from Owerri in Imo State, highlighting the persistent concentration of broadband infrastructure in major commercial hubs like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
This development intensifies competition in Nigeria’s broadband market, which faces pressure from dominant mobile network operators such as MTN and Airtel, alongside rapid expansion by satellite providers like Starlink.
Traditional ISPs continue to grapple with shrinking customer bases, aggressive data pricing from telcos, and satellite disruptions, even as NCC data from Q2 2025 showed Spectranet, Starlink, and FibreOne controlling about 65 per cent of the 313,713 active ISP subscribers.
The inclusion of Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited marks a significant entry of global satellite broadband competition, building on Nigeria’s recent approvals for other low Earth orbit providers to enhance connectivity in underserved areas.
Industry analysts view the licences as a strategic push to improve internet quality amid rising demand for digital services, though geographic clustering underscores ongoing infrastructure challenges outside urban centres.
NCC’s move aligns with broader efforts to foster a competitive telecoms sector critical to Nigeria’s digital economy ambitions.
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