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FG, Bayelsa Sign MoU with on Smart State initiative

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Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communications Technology; Gov Dickson of Bayelsa state; and Broadband Council members at Smart State MoU signing.jpg
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A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between Bayelsa state and the Ministry of Communication Technology making Bayelsa a Smart state, an initiative being promoted by the Ministry of Communication Technology and the Broadband Council geared at engaging governors and relevant authorities at the state and federal level to address the issue of multiple taxation impeding the acceleration of the roll out of critical infrastructure across Nigeria.

The main aim of the Smart States initiative is to ensure that effective measures are adopted to remove arbitrary charges and eradicate multiple taxations across the nation.

Bayelsa is one of the Smart States selected by the Broadband Council to facilitate ICT infrastructure rollout critical for development.

Other Smart states selected by the Broadband Council include Anambra, Gombe, Katsina and Ondo. Lagos has already reduced ROW charges by 85%.

The MoU was signed during the Bayelsa State Investment and Economic Forum held over the weekend in Bayelsa.

Dr Omobola Johnson, minister of Communication Technology at the BSIEF 2014 Forum in Bayelsa made a Presentation on ‘Technology Infrastructure & eCommerce Growth’.

She highlighted the current scenario and future opportunities in the Nigerian ICT Industry, the growth prospects, primary drivers and factors influencing adoption of e-commerce in Nigeria and the Communication Technology Ministry’s role in facilitating ICT development and e-commerce growth in Nigeria.

Emphasising the role States play in ICT play in enabling speedy infrastructure deployment, Dr Johnson urged Gov Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state to focus on ICT infrastructure development in the state by waiving Right of Way ROW for two years, making it easy for fibre to be built in Bayelsa by reducing multiple taxation, enabling new roads being built or rehabilitated in the state to have fibre duct infrastructure, assign a single agency to collect levies, taxes and fees on behalf of the state and protect ICT infrastructure in the state.

Governor Dickson at the event immediately pledged a 50% reduction in ROW charges and the setting up of a single agency to administer the collection of all taxes and levies in Bayelsa. 

He promised that the state is proud to be selected as a Smart state and will put in place all the necessary measures needed to make Bayelsa a model ICT state in Nigeria.

Recall that the Ministry is working to ensure that the bottlenecks that mitigate service quality delivery are removed. 

To tackle quality of service issues in the industry, the Ministry in partnership with the Ministry of Works developed new Right of Way RoW guidelines for Federal Government roads to enable operators have unencumbered means of laying fibre optics which is critical for infrastructure development and quality of service.

To remove arbitrary charges and eradicate multiple taxations that impede telecoms development across the nation, the Ministry for the first time in the history of Nigeria’s telecoms revolution got state governors and relevant authorities at the state and federal level to address the issue of multiple taxation and adopt measures that will remove arbitrary charges and eradicate multiple taxations to enhance service delivery across the nation.

A landmark agreement with the Lagos state government facilitated by the Ministry was brokered to address issues of RoW, base station deployment etc. Cost of RoW was slashed from 3000 to 500- a reduction of 85%.

The Ministry is working replicate this in other states by convincing other state governors and relevant authorities at the state level to eliminate multiple taxation and adopt measures that will remove arbitrary charges and enhance telecoms service delivery.

An assessment of the deployment of ICT infrastructure revealed that almost 70 percent of deployment cost was spent on processing ROW; taxes and levies on infrastructure, which makes the landmark agreement with the Lagos State Government even more significant.

The ministry strongly believes that the elimination of multiple taxes will result in cost effective, accelerated and massive deployment of ICT infrastructure across the country, which will enhance quality delivery issues currently being experienced by telecoms subscribers.        
   
The accelerated deployment of ICT infrastructure, cannot be done without due consideration for the environment. The industry has been plagued with inter-agency conflicts and unduly long approval processes in ensuring that laid down standards are adhered to.

The ministry further committed itself to maintaining environmental standards and fostering inter-agency cooperation when it reached an Agreement with the Ministry of Environment and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) on the construction of Base Transceiver Stations (BTS).

 


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Angst over Telecom Tariff Hike as Subscribers Demand Sanctions, Labour Orders Boycottubscribers Demand Sanctions, Labour Orders BoycottServices Over Tariff Hike

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National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), body of telecommunications subscribers in the country has called for sanctions against telecommunications operators in the country for allegedly undermining the agreement between organized labour and the federal government.

NLC Directs Workers to Boycott Telecom Angst over Telecom Tariff Hike as Subscribers Demand Sanctions, Labour Orders BoycottServices Over Tariff Hike

This is coming as the NLC called for a nationwide boycott of telecom services, starting March 1.

But the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers has recused itself from the boycott but berated telecom operators for undermining the agreement between the NLC and federal government.

It asked the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to sanction operators for proceeding with the increase without approval, emphasising that the telecom companies’ actions undermine the review process and disregard the concerns of Nigerian consumers.

Deolu Ogunbanjo, president, NATCOMS said that “The telcos didn’t wait for the two-week period or the end of the month. So, why did the telcos proceed with the tariff increase without considering the agreement made with the NLC?”

According to Ogunbanjo, his group is clamouring for a 10 per cent increase from 50 per cent.

He said that NATCOMS was awaiting the outcome of the panel to determine whether it would proceed to court.

“All we wanted was that, during an emergency meeting last Friday, we suggested that rather than going straight to court, we could first consider the outcome of the protest and the panel being set up by the NLC.”

Ogunbanjo also proposed alternatives to the immediate tariff hike, suggesting that a phased increase could have been negotiated.

“We proposed a 10 per cent increase as an alternative or even a 30 per cent increase in phases. Just like the fuel price hike, which was phased from N200 to N600, such a phased increase could have been negotiated,” he said.

Elsewhere, the NLC has called for a nationwide boycott of telecom services.

 

In a communique signed by Joe Ajaero, president and Emma Ugboaja, general secretary respectively following a meeting of the union’s Central Working Committee in Lokoja on Tuesday, the union accused telecom companies of breaching public trust and flouting due process by implementing the controversial tariff hike before the 10-man review panel had completed its deliberations.

The NLC further chastised the government for its failure to safeguard citizens from corporate exploitation.

As part of its initial response to the tariff increase, the NLC had called on Nigerian workers and sympathetic citizens to boycott the services of MTN, Airtel, and Glo daily from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, starting February 13 and continuing through February 2025.

In its latest communique, the union stated, “All workers and citizens are urged to suspend the purchase of data from these companies, which have become among the most significant tools for exploiting Nigerian citizens. We also demand the repatriation of all funds unlawfully siphoned out of the country by these firms.”

The union gave the telecom companies until the end of February 2025 to reverse the tariff increase, warning that if the operators fail to comply, a nationwide shutdown of their services will be enforced starting March 1, 2025.

The NLC instructed its state councils to immediately begin sensitising and mobilising their members, as well as the general public, in their regions.

Additionally, it requested its affiliate unions to encourage members across the country to observe “electronic silence” during the designated hours of protest.

 


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Airtel, UNICEF Commend Lagos School on Impressive Use of Nigeria Learning Passport

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L-r: Dinesh Balsingh, Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria; Celine Lafoucriere, Chief, Lagos Field Office, UNICEF; Sunil Taldar, Group Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Africa; Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, Commissioner, Basic and Secondary Education, Lagos State Ministry of Education; and Rogany Ramiah, Chief Human Resources Officer, Airtel Africa; during a visit to St. Agnes Primary School Mende, Lagos to assess the progress of the Airtel/UNICEF Reimagine Education initiative on Tuesday.
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Sunil Taldar, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Africa, has described as remarkable the progress recorded by St Agnes Primary School, Maryland Lagos with the use of the Nigeria Learning Passport as part of the Reimagine Education Programme introduced by Airtel and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2022.

Mr Taldar made this declaration while on a joint visit with the leadership of UNICEF and Airtel Nigeria. The delegation, which included the Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh; UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere; and other senior executives from Airtel and UNICEF, engaged with school administrators, teachers, and pupils to assess the progress recorded under the Reimagine Education Programme.

This visit marks another significant step in Airtel’s long-standing collaboration with UNICEF to drive inclusive and technology-driven education, ensuring that more Nigerian children have access to quality learning resources.

Through the collaboration, Airtel has reported that over 1,200 schools have been equipped with tablets and data to connect teachers and learners to digital learning platforms.

Speaking with the media after a demonstration of NLP and digital learning devices, Mr Taldar said, “What I saw today at St Agnes Primary School was impressive and we are encouraged by the impact made for students and teachers through our partnership with UNICEF,” adding that “our partnership with UNICEF is one of the ways we are ensuring that more children in Nigeria and beyond have access to digital learning tools that will equip them for their future. This visit reaffirms our dedication to making education more inclusive, accessible, and impactful.”

Also commenting on the company`s commitment to digital education and bridging the digital divide for Nigerian children, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, highlighted the importance of technology-driven learning, the impact of Airtel’s partnership with UNICEF, and the role of the Nigeria Learning Passport in providing students and teachers with essential digital learning tools.

“At Airtel Nigeria, we are deeply committed to empowering young minds through technology-driven education. Our visit to St. Agnes Primary School underscores our dedication to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that more Nigerian children have access to quality learning resources.

Through our partnership with UNICEF, we continue to invest in initiatives like the Nigeria Learning Passport, which provides students and teachers with the tools they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving digital world.”

On her part, UNICEF Chief of Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts to reimagine education.

“Education is a fundamental right, and digital learning has become a key enabler in bridging educational gaps. Our partnership with Airtel Africa and Airtel Nigeria continues to provide innovative learning solutions, ensuring that every child, regardless of location or socio-economic status, has the opportunity to learn and thrive.

We are excited about the ongoing implementation of the Nigeria Learning Passport and the transformation it brings to education in Nigeria,” she said.

Recall that in 2023, Airtel and UNICEF paid a similar visit to Oremeji Primary School Ajegunle Lagos, one of Airtel Nigeria’s seven adopted schools.

This visit to St. Agnes Primary School reflects a broader engagement with schools benefiting from the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) – a digital education platform developed by UNICEF in partnership with the Nigerian government and Microsoft.

The NLP is designed to provide accessible, high-quality educational content to students, teachers, and parents, supporting learning both in and outside the classroom.

Airtel’s collaboration with UNICEF aligns with its broader corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda to support education, digital inclusion, and sustainable development.

The Nigeria Learning Passport continues to gain traction as a powerful tool in ensuring that children, including those in remote and underserved areas, have access to interactive, high-quality educational content.

At Airtel Africa, we believe that education is the cornerstone of progress, and we remain committed to leveraging technology to drive sustainable learning solutions across the continent.


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Google CEO Meets Tinubu, Reaffirms Commitment to Nigeria’s Digital Transformation

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L-R: Director-General of National Information, Technology, Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, Google Chief Executive, Sundar Pichai, President Bola Tinubu, James Manyika, Google Senior Vice President for Research, Technology and Society, James Manyika and Google Managing Director, Sub Saharan Africa, Alex Okosi during a meeting with President Tinubu in Paris on Wednesday
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai for the interest of the company in advancing Artificial Intelligence and digitap transformation in Nigeria.


L-R: Director-General of National Information, Technology, Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, Google Chief Executive, Sundar Pichai, President Bola Tinubu, James Manyika, Google Senior Vice President for Research, Technology and Society, James Manyika and Google Managing Director, Sub Saharan Africa, Alex Okosi during a meeting with President Tinubu in Paris on Wednesday

President Tinubu met the Google team in Paris on Wednesday in company of Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani.

Google Team engaged in constructive discussions with President Tinubu aimed at forging a strategic partnership to enhance Nigeria’s journey towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital transformation.

The collaboration seeks to position Nigeria as a prominent technology and innovation hub, leveraging AI, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure to foster economic growth and enhance global competitiveness.

The ongoing conversations focus on key initiatives such as expanding digital infrastructure in Nigeria, equipping the workforce with essential digital skills for the future, promoting AI-driven research and innovation, encouraging greater cloud adoption across various industries, and establishing Nigeria as a key player in the global digital economy.

President Tinubu emphasised that this partnership aligns seamlessly with his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, centred on economic diversification through industrialisation, technology, and innovation. The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy will provide strategic oversight, while the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will coordinate efforts alongside the private sector to ensure widespread and meaningful impact.

Speaking at the meeting, Google CEO Sundar Pichai reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation, stating: “Nigeria has an incredible opportunity to lead in AI and digital innovation in Africa. Google is excited to continue working with the Nigerian government to create an ecosystem that fosters innovation and economic growth.”

Speaking on the engagement with the President, Dr. Bosun Tijani said partnership between Nigeria and Google represents an important opportunity to accelerate Nigeria’s technological advancement and strengthen our digital economy. He further stated that Nigeria is committed to ensuring that AI and digital transformation create tangible benefits for businesses and citizens across the country.

President Tinubu acknowledged Nigeria’s potential as a burgeoning global technology destination and expressed his commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment that attracts strategic investments from leading tech companies. He appreciated Google’s ongoing involvement in Nigeria’s digital transformation and its contribution to opening new opportunities for businesses and young talents.

The discussions will continue as both parties look to deepen their collaboration and expedite Nigeria’s digital transformation, paving the way for sustainable economic growth.


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