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Experts Carpet ICT Draft Policy

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Mrs. Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communications Technology
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Mrs. Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communications Technology, weekend may have unwittingly got more than she bargained at the public presentation of the new national information communication technology (ICT) policy draft as several stakeholders and IT professionals carpeted the document for not being far reaching enough, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can report. The minister had opened the session by declaring that KPIs (key performance indicators) and time lags were deliberately left out of the document as these would grow along in the line of development. The session was convened as a town hall meeting to access public views on the document which had been displayed online for interested groups/persons to submit memoranda. Several persons had chosen the window of opportunity to send in their presentation. But the town hall meeting was another session aimed physically feeling the pulse of the ICT community to the document. Several individuals opened up with frank talks on key omissions in the draft policy. Mrs. Florence Seriki, managing director and chief executive officer, Omatek Computers, the document as failing to meet stakeholders’ expectations in terms of growing an ICT based institution for onward manufacturing, especially through small and medium enterprises schemes. “No ICT document will be such flourishing if it fails to recognize the importance of manufacturing revolving round ICT, diversification of manufacturing. An ICT based institution may not be fruitful without manufacturing, particularly at SMEs level,” said Seriki. Seriki who also represented the information technology association of Nigeria (ITAN) at the meeting reasoned that the documents failure to have imprints on local content could not be brushed aside. “The need for a concerted effort to ensure local content, or locally based manufacturing blueprint cannot be over emphasized. As it is the draft policy is in short of this aspect economic development, especially as we are targeting national Vision 20:2020 goal,” she enthused. Dr. Vincent Asor, chairman, education and manpower service, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) lamented that implementing the policy as it is portends the collapse of other regulatory bodies. He advised the committee to engage circumspect means that will prevent legal tussle springing up during the implementation stage. Dr. Asor called for more emphasis on computer and broadband penetrations, internet governance and other outsourcing mechanism. “Nigeria Computer Society had produced a policy document for ICT sector in Nigeria. There is a need for us to look at the policy and other existing ones to encourage the academia, investors and outsourcing,” said Asor. Deolu Ogunbanjo, president of the National Association of Telecom Subscribers (NATCOM), pointed out that the ministry should tread with caution as the draft policy could run foul of existing legal instruments. He cited session 23 of the Nigeria Communications Act 2003 which reads in part that during the formulation, determination and monitoring of the general policy for the communications sector in Nigeria, the “Minister shall amongst others, ensure the utilisation of the sector as a platform for the economic and social development of Nigeria; 24. –(1) Prior to the formulation or review of the general policy for the Nigerian communications sector, the Minister shall cause the Commission on his behalf to first carry out a public consultative process on the proposed policy formulation or modification. (2) in formulating and determining the policy or amendments thereto, the Minister and the Council shall take into consideration the findings of the consultative process under subsection (1) of this section.” Ogunbanjo, who queried the essence of the gathering, added that the new draft policy should include consumers’ protection, in terms of improved quality of service, security of investments and lasting solutions to multiple-taxation that has placed firms in tight corners. In her closing, Mrs. Johnson noted that despite the divergent opinions, some of which were very vocal and critical of the document, it was a worthwhile meeting. She noted that the ministry would go back with the positives and do necessary amends. She however sharply disagreed with some expressed opinions that the ministry thread cautiously to avoid pitfalls. “The forum is to receive additional inputs from you (the stakeholders) and the end result is to have ICT policy thrust that will shape the functionality in the country. However, we are in a hurry, especially in having an ICT Ministry in a country that wants to develop. The world is not waiting for us to do catch-up. We have to hurry and catch-up with nations that have left us behind,” said Johnson. The ministry is to convene another stakeholder’s forum in six months for an appraisal on the progress made since the March session.


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Legend Internet Repays N10Bn Commercial Paper

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Legend Internet Plc has announced the full and timely repayment of its Series 1 Commercial Paper under its N10bn multi-layered issuance programme, marking a key milestone in the company’s engagement with Nigeria’s debt capital market.

Legend Internet Repays N10Bn Commercial Paper

Aisha Abdulaziz, chief executive officer, Legend Internet Plc,

The repayment, completed on schedule and in full, underscores the company’s financial discipline and its continued commitment to maintaining strong investor relations in a tightening funding environment.

The Series 1 issuance had earlier attracted significant demand, recording a 119.7 per cent oversubscription at launch, reflecting strong investor appetite and confidence in the company’s credit profile, operational performance, and long-term expansion strategy.

Speaking on the repayment, Aisha Abdulaziz, chief executive officer, Legend Internet Plc, said the outcome reinforces the company’s credibility and operational strength.

“The successful repayment of our Series 1 Commercial Paper demonstrates Legend Internet’s unwavering commitment to meeting its financial obligations and maintaining the trust of the investment community.

This milestone further reinforces the strength of our business model, operational discipline, and long-term vision for building resilient digital infrastructure across Nigeria,” she said.

She added that investor confidence has remained central to the company’s funding strategy, saying, “We remain deeply appreciative of the confidence shown by our investors, advisers, issuing houses, and market partners during the issuance and throughout the tenor of the programme. Their support continues to position Legend Internet for sustainable growth and expansion.”

The Commercial Paper programme forms part of Legend Internet Plc’s broader capital strategy aimed at supporting broadband infrastructure expansion, strengthening working capital efficiency, and accelerating investment in Nigeria’s digital connectivity.

Legend Internet Plc operates as a digital infrastructure and broadband services provider, with a focus on fibre connectivity, enterprise solutions, and next-generation digital services designed to expand access and support economic inclusion across Nigeria

 


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FG Unveils AI Public Services Platform

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Federal government has launched GovGuideNigeria, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered digital platform designed to streamline access to public service information through WhatsApp and the web.

The platform consolidates information from more than 35 federal ministries and over 60 government agencies, marking a significant step in Nigeria’s drive to expand AI-enabled public infrastructure and digital government services.

According to Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s minister of communications, innovation and digital economy, the initiative aims to simplify interactions with government services, particularly for underserved communities that often face challenges navigating complex public-sector systems.

Developed in collaboration with the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Meta, and Publica AI, GovGuideNigeria uses conversational AI to provide real-time responses via WhatsApp and a web interface in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

Sade Dada, head of public policy at Meta, said the multilingual rollout highlights the growing use of natural language processing within African public institutions to improve digital inclusion and broaden access to services.

Ignatius Willie, chief executive of Publica AI, said the platform demonstrates how Africa’s next generation of digital public infrastructure can be developed locally using African languages.

GovGuideNigeria is intended to address longstanding challenges in Nigeria’s public information system, where citizens often struggle to access reliable guidance because of fragmented government websites, poor communication channels and the expense of travelling to physical offices.

Through AI-driven automation, users can obtain information on immigration procedures, documentation requirements, public programmes and agency-specific services through chat-based interactions.

The launch also reflects Nigeria’s broader ambition to integrate AI into digital governance, while strengthening partnerships between government agencies, global technology companies and local AI startups to modernise public service delivery.


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Elon Musk to Become First World’s Trillionaire with SpaceX Historic IPO

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Elon Musk is poised to become the world’s first trillionaire after  SpaceX, his company, confirmed plans to go public.

Elon Musk to Become First World’s Trillionaire with SpaceX Historic IPO

Elon Musk

Because Musk owns the majority of the shares, it could push his net worth over the trillion dollar mark.

The entrepreneur is known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, X, and xAI.

Musk has been the wealthiest person in the world since 2025; as of May 2026, Forbes estimates his net worth to be $788 billion.

SpaceX has filed for a blockbuster public listing in the United States, paving the way for what could become the largest stock market debut in Wall Street history.

The company, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies, announced plans to begin trading under the ticker symbol “SPCX” as early as next month.

The listing values SpaceX at about $1.25 trillion, with Musk’s majority ownership potentially worth more than $600 billion alone.

Combined with his existing holdings in companies including Tesla, the IPO could push Musk’s personal wealth above the $1 trillion mark.

The long-awaited filing also offered investors a rare look into SpaceX’s finances.

The company reported $18.6 billion in revenue last year but recorded a net loss of $4.9 billion. In the first quarter of this year, SpaceX generated $4.7 billion in sales while posting a $4.3 billion net loss.

Financial disclosures showed the company holds $102 billion in assets, including rockets, launch infrastructure and satellite systems, while carrying debts totalling $60.5 billion.

Despite the losses, analysts suggested investors were unlikely to be deterred given SpaceX’s dominance in commercial space launches and satellite internet services.

Ruth Foxe-Blader, managing partner at Citrine Venture Partners, described the planned flotation as “extremely exciting.”

“SpaceX is just an absolutely sprawling, enormous project with so many different selling points, and so many points that really point to the future,” she said.

SpaceX operates the Starlink satellite internet network and also owns Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI.

The IPO filing revealed that xAI recently reached a major commercial agreement with rival AI company Anthropic, maker of the Claude chatbot.

Under the arrangement, Anthropic will reportedly pay $15 billion annually to access data centre infrastructure linked to xAI operations in the American South.

The filing also disclosed that SpaceX expects to incur more than half a billion dollars in legal costs from multiple ongoing lawsuits and regulatory disputes.

Among the cases listed were claims alleging that xAI’s chatbot Grok had been used to create sexualised deepfakes of women and girls, alongside patent infringement disputes, music copyright claims, data breach allegations and investigations into compliance with European Union content moderation rules.

Musk has previously said he plans to dissolve xAI as a standalone company and pursue his AI ambitions directly under SpaceX.

The filing came shortly after Musk lost a high-profile legal battle against OpenAI and its chief executive Sam Altman.

Musk had accused OpenAI of abandoning its non-profit mission after shifting towards a commercial model, but a jury dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that he had waited too long to bring the claims.


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