Telecom
Girls in ICT Day: TD Africa Partners Dell Nigeria, IBM to Empower 50 School Girls
It was a rain of laptops for 50 selected school girls on Thursday, May 27, 2021 as TD Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest technology, solutions and lifestyle distributor hosted the beneficiaries to the second edition of its Girls in ICT Day event.
The event, hosted at the Tech Experience Centre, located at the imposing Yudala Heights on Idowu Martins, Victoria Island, Lagos, will go down in history as arguably one of the most potentially life-changing empowerment sessions for the Nigerian girl child.
In addition to the donation of a laptop to each participating school girl, in partnership with the Nigerian team of foremost technology brand, Dell Technologies; 10 exceptional girls from the five participating schools were also selected for enrollment in a digital skill acquisition programme by multinational technology company, International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).The visibly elated girlsexpressed their gratitude to the organizers of the event, with a promise to utilize their new gifts judiciously for personal and professional improvement.
The event was organized under the auspices of This is Me, a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of TD Africa.
Speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), TD Africa, Mrs. Chioma Ekeh, urged the young girls to develop a life-long learning habit, with the aim of making themselves valuable in their immediate environment and to the society.
“Never stop learning. Learning should be part of your routine now and forever. Wherever you find yourself, you must leave a footprint. All through your life, you will come across a few yeses. Be encouraged by those yeses, and be grateful for them. On the other hand, you will also come across lots of noes. However, be challenged by them, with the aim to make yourself a better version of yourself. So, even the noes have their roles. This is because the more noes you tell me, the better I become,’’ Mrs. Ekeh said.
The TD Africa boss further told the girls to be ready to pay the price for a successful life by working hard. Equally important, she counselled them to strive for professional and financial independence, noting that there are no barriers or glass ceilings that can hold back a confident woman. Mrs. Ekeh disclosedthat life would always come with its own challenges, adding that when such challenges come, they should avoid adopting a defeatist approach to solving such problems.
Her advice came as the Country Manager, Apple, Teju Ajani, also encouraged the teenage girls to embrace the STEM disciplines, with a view towards pursuing a career in technology which remains a male-dominated sector.
“It (STEM education) gives you flexibility, it gives you the room to navigate. It empowers you to make decisions that can affect your life and allows you to take your career in your hands, whether as a professional working for others or as an entrepreneur working for yourself.”
On his part, Country Lead, Dell Technologies, Mr. Abimbola Owoeye, encouraged the girls to strive to become value creators, adding that the value they bring to the table will make room for them and break down any discriminatory walls aligned to gender inequality.
Earlier, Coordinating Managing Director (CMD), TD Africa, Mrs. Chioma Chimere, statedthat there were many challenges facing the girl child.
“Our challenges are a bit different from the ones that confront the male children. Ours are more intense and more serious,” Chimere said. “Do you know why that is happening? It is because the girl child is carrying destinies with her. What the girl child is supposed to do goes way beyond her. This is because you are not just fixing things out there in the world; you are also going to shape other people’s destinies.”
She stated that such realization made TD Africa to organize the session, with the aim of empowering young girls to face the future courageously.
“That is why we consider it pertinent to bring together these female children today. This is because of how important they are. The future of your homes, communities, country and the world in general lies in your hands. We have called you here to equip you, open your eyes to those roles, to help you identify them and equip you to face them. If you fail in taking up those challenges and harnessing the available opportunities from those challenges, you would have failed yourselves and your generation,” she said.
While addressing the girls, Ekinadese Osayande, a leading independent university admission counsellor, advised the girls to become more inquisitive about the pervasive influence of technology in contemporary society, even as she noted that the participants also have a role to play in ensuring that less informed parents/wards understand the relevance of empowering the girl child.
Head of the Tech Experience Centre, Chidalu Ekeh, went down memory lane to show the girls how she overcame defeatist advices to take a successful stand on issues that would have defined her negatively. She counselled the students not allow themselves to be consumed by the fear of failure.
“We must fail and find the strength to continue,” she said. “We must dare to dream.”
Also, a University Relations Analyst with IBM, Olufunmilola Olorundare, advised the girls to develop an open mindset. “We can do whatever we want to do, as far as we have an open mindset,” she said.
This is Me, a CSR initiative bankrolled by TD Africa, has consistently engaged vulnerable and under-represented segments of the society, including the girl child, the physically-challenged and children in orphanages, among others.
MTN Nigeria, in collaboration with ONErpm and Ultima Studios, has announced Ayodeji Benson, popularly known as Ayo Benzi, as the winner of the maiden edition of the Next Afrobeats Star reality show.
L-R: Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria; Ayodeji Benson, Winner, Next Afrobeats Star Reality Show (Season 1) and Emamoke Ogoro, General Manager, Brand and Communication, MTN Nigeria, at the grand finale of the Next Afrobeats Star Reality Show (Season 1), held at the Ultima Studios, Lekki, Lagos on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
The grand finale, held on Sunday night at Ultima Studios in Lekki, Lagos, marked the climax of a nationwide talent search that began in September with over 15,000 aspiring musicians.
After weeks of auditions, mentorship, and rigorous training, five finalists – Ayo Benzi, Dave Cash, Kaeko, Somto O’Laker, and Lucky Yay – battled for the top prize in a high-energy showcase of performance and artistry.
At the end of the electrifying contest, Ayo Benzi emerged victorious, securing a ₦150 million music deal. Dave Cash was named first runner-up with ₦100 million, while Kaeko, Somto O’Laker, and Lucky Yay received ₦75 million, ₦50 million, and ₦25 million respectively.
Throughout the season, contestants were mentored by leading Afrobeats producers Sarz, Puffy Tee, P Prime, and Andre Vibez. Benzi, who was part of Puffy Tee’s team, credited the mentorship programme for sharpening his craft and stage presence.
Speaking at the event, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Nigeria, said the initiative reflects the company’s commitment to youth empowerment and cultural expression.
“The Next Afrobeats Star platform is about creating real opportunities for young Nigerians and giving their talent the structure, visibility, and support it deserves.
“Afrobeats continues to place Nigeria on the global cultural map, and MTN is proud to be enabling the next generation of artists who will take this sound even further,” she said.
She added that the finale was not just a competition but a celebration of growth and readiness for the global stage.
In his acceptance speech, Ayo Benzi described the victory as a defining moment in his career.
“A big thank you to MTN. From the audition days, the treatment MTN has given us has been amazing. God bless the brand,” he said.
The finale also featured guest performances by Afrobeats stars Iyanya and Bella Shmurda, adding glamour to the night and reinforcing the show’s connection to the wider music ecosystem.
With the successful conclusion of the season, MTN Nigeria and its partners reaffirmed their role in championing youth ambition, supporting creative industries, and shaping the future of Nigerian music through platforms that turn potential into opportunity.
T2, formerly known as 9mobile, is under investigation by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Benue State for an undisclosed incident disrupting USSD, SMS, voice, and data services across nine local government areas.
T2
The affected areas include Ado, Agatu, Gwer East, Gwer West, Konshisha, Obi, Ohimini, Okpokwu, and Otukpo, as detailed in an advisory on the NCC Major Outages Portal, which tracks significant disruptions reported by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
Neither T2 nor its public relations firm, Chain Reactions, has responded to inquiries on the outage’s cause or restoration efforts as of this report.
The NCC’s continued reference to the operator as 9mobile, months after its public rebranding to T2 in August 2025, has sparked questions about whether the name change was formally notified to the regulator.
This probe aligns with NCC mandates requiring operators to disclose major outages, their impacts, and timelines for fixes, with compensation obligatory for disruptions exceeding 24 hours under the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.
Industry watchers note that such incidents, often linked to fibre cuts, power failures, or infrastructure faults, underscore ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s telecoms sector, particularly amid T2’s subscriber losses post-rebrand. NCC vows transparency via its portal to hold operators accountable and protect consumers.
Telecom
NCC Unveils Draft 5-Year Spectrum Roadmap, 60 GHz License-Exempt Guidelines to Boost Broadband, Innovation
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled two pivotal regulatory draft documents aimed at reshaping Nigeria’s communications sector over the next five years and fast-tracking deployment of ultra-high-speed wireless technologies.
NCC
In a public notice dated December 19, 2025, and issued pursuant to its mandate under the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, the Commission published the Draft 5-Year Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector (2025–2030) and Draft Guidelines for the Use of the 60 GHz License-Exempt Band for Multi-Gigabit Wireless Systems.
Both documents are accessible on the NCC website for stakeholder review, with the roadmap outlining strategic spectrum planning, allocation, and management to optimise utilisation, support emerging technologies like 5G and IoT, expand broadband access, and align with global best practices.
The Spectrum Roadmap emphasises four core pillars: bridging the digital divide through low-band spectrum and satellite services, attracting investments via flexible licensing models, enhancing service quality with mid-band optimisation, and fostering innovation in areas such as direct-to-device connectivity and secondary spectrum trading.
It sets ambitious targets including universal 4G coverage nationwide, 50 per cent 5G penetration in state capitals, and average broadband speeds of 100 Mbps by 2030, while addressing rising data demand through band refarming and efficient management.
Complementing this, the 60 GHz Guidelines establish a license-exempt framework for the 57–66 GHz band, enabling multi-gigabit speeds up to 10 Gbps for short-range applications like WiGig, fixed wireless access, enterprise connectivity, urban broadband, and backhaul solutions.
The rules mandate NCC type approval for equipment, site registration for outdoor use, and interference mitigation measures, while prohibiting wide-area networks to safeguard primary users.
In line with Section 58 of the NCA 2003, NCC invites comments from industry operators, equipment manufacturers, consumer groups, and the public, with submissions due by Friday, January 16, 2025, via email to [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected].
The notice, signed by Mrs Nnenna Ukoha, Head of Public Affairs, stresses that stakeholder inputs will refine the frameworks to drive innovation, investment, competition, and sustainable growth in Nigeria’s telecoms ecosystem.
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