Telecom
Hitachi Solutions to Spur Companies toward Digital Transformation
Mr. JP Smith, Director, Emerging EMEA Global Field and Industry Solutions, Hitachi Vantara has urged companies to drive their institutions with data in order to achieve innovations and revenue growth in businesses.
He made this call recently at ’Hitachi Insights Day Event’ organized by Hitachi Vantara at Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, V.I. Lagos
The purpose of Insight day event was to help organizations scale into the untapped potential of data by riding on Hitachi Vantara’s experience on how they store, enrich, activate and monetize data from the business landscape.
Speaking on the topic: ’Data-Driven Insight: Drive Smarter Decisions,’ said solutions such as Hitachi Vantara provides businesses which are always under pressure meet up with set goals and objectives.
Smith said with digital transformation, business can accelerate cost efficiency and time to market by automating operations and processes.
He also noted that data transformation would help increase loyalty and grow revenue by improving customer experience and unlock further innovations.
Also, Mr. Alexander Jenewein, Managing Director, Sub Saharan Africa, Hitachi Vantara, said the vision of Hitachi is to bring solutions to their customers to derive values from their in house data.
This, he said they want to achieve by using their existing data and infrastructure that they already have and set them up to derive digital transformation.
“We can only do that by looking at the data they have in various silos and bring those silos together and ultimately correlate the data to get them derive business outcome.
“So, we in the Hitachi Vantara have the solutions from data center modernization which is the first step to ultimately bring the data center to the modern age and ultimately honour the existing environment and the infrastructure they have invested in but then build on that to derive a more flexible environment and solution,” Jenewein said.
Earlier, Wale Awosokanre, Regional Managing Director, West Africa, Hitachi Vantara, said that they are pioneers in the business of ensuring that companies get value in whatever they do; from operation to information technology point of view.
Awosokanre also stated they have experience in the business and IT end of things to be able to fix things together and add value to their customers.
In his remarks, the Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Hakeem Fahm, applauded Hitachi for their contributions towards helping the state achieve its smart city initiative.
Fahm, however, enjoined other companies to emulate Hitachi Vantara and invest more in technology in the state.
He said: “When you take a look at the Lagos state, the population is about 22million and it continues to grow.
“We are still managing the state with minimal technology but we cannot continue that way.
“We have to invest more on technology and that is why we are moving heavily into the use of technology to manage the state.
“Lagos state economy is larger than all the other countries in west Africa combined.
“So, we need to build technology to manage not only the e-Government initiatives but other activities.
“Lagos is always open for business and we are building applications on e government, e-health, e-survey and so on.
“Lagos state is encouraging companies like Hitachi to continue to invest in the state,” Fahm said.
On the credibility of Hitachi solutions, the Senior Specialist Solutions Consultant, Hitachi Vantara, Mr. Samson Okpara, said Hitachi is known to be ethical company.
He said: “When we are talking about data integrity, we sign MoU for non disclosure of agreement and that is signed between both parties to understand that their data will not be shared between a third party,” Okpara said.
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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