Telecom
FG gets Industry Commendation on telecom policies
Cross section of participants at the ongoing 10th Edition of the National Council on Communications and Digital Economy, which commenced at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, have commended the Federal Government for its commitment in providing leadership and guide for industry growth.
The commendation followed the listing of about 20 policies by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, aimed at promoting different areas of the digital economy, including the flagship National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020 – 2030, and the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025 – all of which have started to yield concrete, positive results for the economy.
Pantami said the recent assessments by the Foreign Development and Commonwealth Office (FDCO) and the KPMG Consulting, which adjudged the communications and digital economy sector as the best-performing sector in Nigeria, were based on eight key priority areas, one of which was in revenue generation, where the sector has raised government revenue profile by 594 per cent.
Among those who applauded the Federal Government’s vision for the sector are the Secretary to Oyo State Government, Her Honour Olubamiwo Adeosun, who represented His Excellency Oluseyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State; and the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/NCC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta.
Emphasising the centrality of digital innovation and digital entrepreneurship to a robust digital economy, the Minister commended the participants for the quality of evaluation, recommendations, and criticisms that attended the memoranda presented at the Council.
He urged the media to give the best coverage to the communique to be issued after the meeting and enjoined professionals in the media systems of communication to note specific recommendations and the corresponding role of each stakeholder in the implementation of each item in the communique.
The Minister announced that 110 memoranda and recommendations were presented to the Council, out of which 67 were approved for Council implementation. The remaining 43 recommendations are to be reconsidered in the next meeting of the Council.
Pantami thanked the Government of Oyo State and the Olubadan of Ibadan, His Imperial Majesty, Dr. Lekan Ishola Balogun, Alliwo Okumade II, for receiving him and his team on courtesy visit he paid earlier to the Palace, and to the Governor’s Office where Adeosun had earlier received the Minister on behalf of the Governor.
In his goodwill message, the EVC of NCC, Danbatta praised the Minister for his impeccable supervisory role as the leader of the sector.
Danbatta also praised the Federal Government for being the most revolutionary administration in terms of commitment to the utilisation of digital resources for the growth of individuals, businesses and the national economy through design of policies to achieve concrete, measurable and remarkable deployment of cutting-edge technological applications.
On behalf of the Board and Management of NCC, Danbatta thanked participants for their attendance and active participation, which, he said, attested to the importance they all attached to the promotion of digital economy and culture.
Amplifying the voice of the Minister, the EVC stated that the participants’ commitment to the government’s digital economy agenda has been well demonstrated in the methodical review of the recommendations of the 9th Council meeting, objective identification of achievements, and the frank approach taken to chart the path towards future goals and expectations.
The EVC promised that the “NCC remains committed to supporting all policies, strategies, plans and initiatives that promote the provision of modern, universal, efficient, reliable, affordable, and easily accessible communications services and give the widest range throughout Nigeria.”
He also emphasised that it is in demonstration of its commitment that the Commission undertook a timely release of spectrum in the 3.5GHz band for the deployment of 5G services to ensure that Nigerian citizens, businesses, public institutions and other stakeholders are enabled with requisite infrastructure to engage in the emergent digital economy and culture.
Her Honour, Olubamiwo Adeosun, Secretary to Oyo State Government (Left) and Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy during the Minister’s visit to Governor’s Office Oyo State while attending the 10th Edition of the National Council on Communications and Digital Economy at Ibadan yesterday.
Lynda Saint-Nwafor, chief Enterprise business officer, MTN Nigeria, has assured the network subscribers that the new end-user billing system for the use of USSD services will jot affect them.
USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data codes are commonly used for banking transactions, airtime recharges, and other mobile services.
The telco said that there is no significant impact or change other than the fact that they will now pay the same N6.98 per session (120 seconds) with their airtime instead of direct bank debit.
Saint-Nwafor, said this during a chat with MTN MIP fellows, explaining that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered telecom operators to ensure that the new billing model resolves trust issues and ensures transparency in the billing process.
“Our regulator insisted that at the end of every month, we are going to be providing history and statistics on the performance of the service across the board”, she explained.
Saint-Nwafor added that the new billing model has standardized messaging across all operators and ensures consistent communication with customers.
“We will take all the error codes and map them into messages that are standardised across the board. So, if you initiate a transaction, you will know if it is failing. And, when the transaction fails, you will know if it is from your bank or the telco,” she explained.
The U.S. government has recovered $225 million in what is now the largest seizure of funds linked to a cryptocurrency investment scam.
In a statement released Wednesday, June 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the recovery followed an extensive investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, using blockchain analysis and other forensic tools. The statement did not confirm whether any arrests had been made.
According to the authorities, the stolen funds originated from fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes that tricked victims into believing they were making legitimate investments. More than 400 individuals around the world, including dozens in the United States, were reportedly affected.
The operation involved a sophisticated money laundering network that carried out hundreds of thousands of blockchain transactions to obscure the source and ownership of the stolen assets.
“These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims,” said Shawn Bradstreet, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Secret Service office in San Francisco.
Bradstreet added that U.S. officials hope the recovered funds can eventually be returned to the rightful victims.
Cryptocurrency investment fraud accounted for over $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone, according to the statement.
In a rousing declaration that is electrifying minds across the continent, Hon. Nnaemeka Ani, Special Adviser on ICT to Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has called for a homegrown digital revolution under the banner “Africa Will Rise: By Code, By Courage, By Us.”
Hon. Nnaemeka Ani
The message, part challenge, part philosophical—seeks to galvanize African innovators to move beyond buzzwords and build technology with impact and legacy in mind.
“Let’s stop building for hype. Let’s start building for legacy,” Ani urged while speaking to ICT journalists over the weekend. “Let’s stop waiting for someone else. Let’s start creating the future—on our own terms.”
At the heart of Ani’s vision is a shift from tech consumerism to tech authorship. With innovation hubs sprouting across cities like Enugu, Lagos, Kigali, Jo’Burg, and Nairobi, and a growing community of developers, engineers, and entrepreneurs determined to solve Africa’s unique challenges, the movement is already taking shape.
Ani emphasized that Africa’s future lies not in flashy apps or international admiration but in persistent, intentional solutions that uplift communities—solutions that digitize public services, bridge rural-urban divides, empower women and youth, and build resilience in food and climate systems.
“We have the talent,” he said. “Now it’s time to harness it—to stop building for likes and start building for lasting impact.”
With support from leaders like Ani and rising momentum in Africa’s tech corridors, it seems that a new chapter is being written—one line of code at a time.
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