Telecom
FG Unveils Nigeria at 60th Commemorative Stamps
As the nation continues in the euphoria of attaining 60th independent anniversary, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, on thursday, unveiled and launched two sets of postage stamps produced to commemorate the nation’s diamond jubilee.
The two sets of postage stamps comes in N100 and N500 denominations, designed with the Nigeria at 60 logo with expression of various indigenous musical instruments on it.
The Minister recalled that the production of the postage stamps was the idea of the Presidential Sub-committee on Diamond Innovation and Change which he headed during various events to mark the nation’s diamond jubilee anniversary.
He said; “We came up with about 11 items and this is the last one to be executed out of the items as part of our celebration and reflection.”
He added that the postage stamp symbolizes the unity in the nation’s diversity.
“Our diversity supposed to be our source of strength and not weakness; it supposed to be our source of unity and not disunity.
“This is not just time for celebration but rather time for reflection and appreciation of our diversity”, he advised.
While acknowledging that Nigeria Postal Service, (NIPOST) has been facing challenges and constraints in carrying out its mandates particularly in regards to regulations, policies and financing, the minister disclosed that there are ongoing efforts at transforming the service for efficient service delivery.
He stated that part of the achievements the service have recorded in less than two years in the saddle as the minister include the resolution of the lingering issue on collection of stamp duty which has now been resolved in the 2020 Financial Act that recognised NIPOST as the producer of stamp duty in Nigeria.
“For the first time, the Finance Act 2020 recognized NIPOST as the producer of stamp duty in Nigeria and not only that, the stamp duty is to be used as authentication and validation. It is a clear indication that our efforts have yielded positive result,” the minister explained.
He listed other efforts at repositioning NIPOST to include; formulation of Rule Making policy that would ensure robust regulation and empower the service to make subsidiary legislations, unbundled of NIPOST into two companies-properties; a development company, and transport and logistics company.
“These are the two companies that are at the final stage and we do hope that we will come up with NIPOST microfinance bank. We will leverage on all the offices we have in the country to ensure that we provide service to our citizens and others,” he added.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Post Master General, Dr Ismail Adewusi noted that postage stamps are significant for promoting socio-political development of the country.
He stated that all national heroes of the country have been celebrated with the use of postage stamps and it won’t be out of place to commemorate the diamond jubilee with a postage stamp that would “enrich our historical values.”
He maintained that the idea behind the production of the postage stamps promote unity in the nation’s diversity and urged Nigerians to focus on ideals that unite them and shun every divisive tendency.
In his goodwill message, the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, commended NIPOST for what he called; “accelerating milestone it achieved in the production of the postage stamp.”
He recalled that the minister gave the directive on September 29, 2020 for NIPOST to come up with commemorative postage stamp, the feat the service achieved in a short period of time.
Mallam Abdullahi noted that the postage stamp would ensure the nation’s journey to digital economy is accelerated as it would play a big role in digitizing the economy.
Nigeria has exactly 156,662 active fixed wired internet subscriptions as of mid-2026.
This is a tiny fraction compared to mobile GSM networks, which dominate the market with over 154 million subscribers.
The fixed wired market primarily consists of homes and offices using direct physical cables like fiber optics.
Fixed wired services use physical cables, like glass fiber or copper wire, to bring internet directly into a building.
It is like a dedicated, private water pipe for your home. It provides very fast speeds, unlimited data, and is reliable.
In contrast, mobile GSM uses radio waves transmitted from tall towers to phones, acting more like a sprinkler that sprays a signal across an entire neighborhood.
Because laying physical cables across cities is expensive and hard to do, these subscriptions are very rare.
However, the market has seen recent growth, driven largely by Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services.
The top players are: MTN FibreX with 110,564 subscribers, which is roughly 88.7 per cent of the entire market.
SWIFTNG accounts for about 13,945 connections.
The others are ipNX and 21st Century Technologies which make up the number.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it was strengthening collaboration with state governments and industry players to develop a transparent, cost-based pricing framework for sharing telecom ducts as part of efforts to speed up broadband expansion across Nigeria.
Ayuba Shuaibu, director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC, disclosed this at the Stakeholders’ Forum in Abuja.
Shuaibu said the initiative was designed to build consensus among all parties.
“The primary purpose of this forum is to ensure seamless synergy between the Commission and all stakeholders,” he said.
The director said the consultation was prompted by longstanding complaints over permits, levies and other charges imposed by different levels of government.
He said bringing together state commissioners, telecom operators, tower companies and representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had helped improve understanding of the issues.
“This engagement is a work in progress. We expect more input from stakeholders before presenting the outcome to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum,” he added.
Dr Helen Adeneye, commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Kogi State. welcomed the consultation, saying Nigeria needs a harmonised policy that clearly defines the responsibilities of both the federal and state governments.
“We need a harmonised policy that allows states to collaborate better with telecom operators and creates a more business-friendly environment,” she said.
Dr Adeneye added that adopting the Dig-Once policy would establish a uniform pricing system and help resolve disputes over charges for telecom infrastructure deployment.
Chidi Ajuzie, chief executive officer, WTES Projects Limited, whose firm is conducting the consultancy study, said the proposed framework would introduce a common cost structure for duct sharing to support broadband investment and economic growth.
“The study is designed to create a uniform pricing model that will drive broadband growth, economic development and wider adoption across the country,” he said.
Ajuzie explained that the consultants had developed preliminary floor and ceiling prices to guide operators while allowing flexibility within the approved range.
He added that the recommendations remain open to industry input before the NCC finalises the framework.
The Dig-Once Policy is designed to reduce the cost and disruption of deploying broadband infrastructure by requiring fibre ducts to be installed whenever roads are constructed or rehabilitated.
The NCC is developing a cost-based pricing framework for sharing these ducts to promote fair pricing, reduce duplication of infrastructure and encourage investment.
The proposed model is expected to support the Federal Government’s broadband expansion targets while improving collaboration between telecom operators and state governments.
Telecom
MUSON Graduates Shine at 2026 Concert as MTN Foundation Celebrates 20 Years of Music Scholarships
Emeka Nwodike, acting director of the MUSON School of Music, conducted the institution’s graduating class in a grand finale performance, bringing the 2026 graduation concert to a memorable close. The concert took place on July 7 at the Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
The event celebrated students who successfully completed the MUSON Diploma Programme through the MTN Foundation Scholarship Programme.
The graduating students delivered a rich choral repertoire that reflected the breadth of their musical training, performing Italian Salad by Richard Genee, My Song by Eriks Esenvalds, Obi Dimkpa by Laz Ekwueme, and an ABBA Medley arranged by Goran Bejstam. Under the Acting Director’s baton, the choir demonstrated technical precision, vocal maturity and artistic expression before an audience of family members, music enthusiasts and industry stakeholders.
The concert formed part of the long-running partnership between the MTN Foundation and the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON), which has, since 2006, provided scholarships for hundreds of talented young Nigerians to receive formal music education through the MUSON Diploma School. The programme continues to serve as one of the country’s foremost platforms for developing professional musicians and strengthening Nigeria’s creative economy.
Speaking at the close of the concert, Nwodike expressed appreciation to the MTN Foundation for its sustained support of the scholarship programme over the past two decades. He also thanked the Director of the MUSON Centre, faculty members, mentors and other stakeholders whose dedication has contributed to the school’s continued success.
“For nearly 20 years, the MTN Foundation has remained a steadfast partner in our mission to nurture young musical talent. We are deeply grateful for that commitment. I also want to thank the Director of the MUSON Centre, our faculty, mentors and everyone whose dedication has helped the MUSON School of Music continue to grow and thrive. Their support has made this programme what it is today, and our graduates are a testament to that collective effort,” he said.
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