General News
How Telcos Can Rebuild Nigeria in Wake of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effect on all social and economic sectors. In just three months, the pandemic has left tears, sweats and blood on the people and the economy.

For Nigeria, the pandemic is an eye opener and a rude welcome to a new normal- knowledge economy.
Lagos state relies heavily on knowledge economy and that accounts for the success it is recoding in the fight against COVID-19.
Apart from the ingenuities by Lagos and a few other states, Nigeria’s overall response to COVID-19 has been less than satisfactory.
The new phases of recovery; and thriving- will be defining for the country; and as seen in this crisis, telecommunications are playing role in retaining any semblance of normalcy.
In recovery stage, telcos will also help manage the transition out of COVID-19 related stagnation as well as provide a resilient national infrastructure to stimulate GDP growth.
ABI Research, global tech market advisory firm, in its new whitepaper, “Telcos As a National Growth Accelerator”, identified several strategies that governments can utilize to invest in stimulating growth by strengthening the Telco position.
Locally, experts said Nigeria must leverage on the disruption to create a knowledge based economy.
To do this Stuart Carlaw, chief research officer at ABI Research, said that, “it could be argued that telcos could play a pivotal role in countries being able to rebound from the financial and productivity shock coming from COVID-19.”
ABI Research found that telcos have been invaluable in enabling some semblance of societal continuation during lockdowns due to COVID-19.
“In a very tactical way, they have enabled governments to track, trace, and manage the spread of the virus, communicate effectively and directly with people, and keep supporting society in a virtual, but valuable way. Without the investment and operational diligence of many telcos, the impact of COVID-19 would have been far deeper and more profoundly felt in all economies.” Carlaw stated.
For Olusola Teniola, president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), the biggest recovery for Nigeria will be by the careful and full implementation of all recommendations in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-25.
“Secondly, for there to be an immediate impact, government needs to kickstart the e-Gov digital migration, which means the immediate development of e-systems in all the MDAs and web-portals in different languages (Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa as a minimum) with voice assistance for the physically challenged. This will refocus and redeploy government spending on creating jobs on the supply side for the youth and demand from the citizens interacting with the systems to fulfil different needs.” He added.
According to him, underpinning all this is the massive employment and retraining of our citizens to become more productive whether from home, office or in business centers in malls.
Also, Mohammed Rudman, managing director, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) said telcos could aid the recovery efforts through cost effective innovative data bundle for young entrepreneurs as well as lower bandwidth cost that will offer more data at lower cost.
“Telcos should ensure that their traffic is localised, that will help to reduce cost for them,” he added.
Nodding in agreement, Muyiwa Ogungboye, managing director / chief executive officer, eStream Networks, said that Nigerians now appreciate telecommunications service as important in the economy with the lockdown.
He urged telcos to improve on the quality of service and ensure robust network that will accommodate new discovery of the new normal to be driven by ICT.
Looking to the future, Carlaw concluded by saying that “They (telcos) will be key in enabling a new digital society. Beyond the obvious conclusions that we are likely to see, including more remote working, more virtual meetings, and more virtual teams (all of which will be enabled thanks to the connectivity supplied by telcos), a raft of new solutions could accelerate GDP growth and all will require a robust level of support from the telco community,”
General News
EFCC Declares Tejuosho, City Boys Movement’s Women Leader Wanted over “419”

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC,) has declared Halimat Adenike Tejuosho, a women leader of the City Boys Movement, wanted.

Halimat Adenike Tejuosho,
A notice issued by the EFCC on Monday via X said Tejuosho has been declared wanted over an alleged case of obtaining money by false pretence.
The notice was signed by Dele Oyewale, head of Media and Publicity for the EFCC.
The anti-graft agency called on members of the public with useful information about her whereabouts to contact any of its offices nationwide.
The Commission also urged the members of the public to reach out via its official phone lines or email, or report to the nearest police station or other security agencies.
Recall that the City Boy Movement recently appointed Tejuosho as the South-West Zonal Women Leader.
According to a statement signed by the Movement, Tejuosho is to provide strategic leadership and coordination for women-focused activities in the zone, driving political mobilization, civic engagement, and advocacy.
General News
Afreximbank to Fund 3 New Refineries in Nigeria

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has disclosed plans to finance three additional refineries in Nigeria as part of a broader push to reduce the country’s reliance on imported petroleum products and strengthen local refining capacity.

Denys Denya, senior executive vice president of the bank, made the disclosure on Monday during a virtual media briefing focused on the institution’s 2025 financial performance, crisis response initiatives, and long-term industrialisation strategy.
“We are also financing refining on the continent, which will alleviate the importation of refined products. We are not only supporting Dangote; we’re supporting three other refineries in Nigeria,” Denya said.
The briefing, which focused on the bank’s 2025 financial performance, crisis response initiatives, and industrialisation strategy, also featured a question-and-answer session with journalists across Africa.
Denya explained that the push into refining is driven by recent disruptions in global supply chains, particularly linked to tensions in the Middle East, which have raised the cost and complexity of fuel imports for African economies.
According to him, Afreximbank has adopted a dual approach of supporting immediate trade finance needs while investing in long-term productive capacity to reduce structural import dependence.
He said, “For import-dependent economies, the cost of import is very high… so we have taken a proactive approach of engaging with financial institutions on the continent to increase their facilities so they can issue high-value letters of credit.”
The bank’s intervention is backed by a $10bn Gulf Crisis Response Programme, designed to stabilise access to essential imports such as fuel, food, fertilisers, and pharmaceuticals, while also supporting sectors exposed to global shocks.
Denya noted that the facility is already seeing uptake from countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, warning that demand could accelerate if geopolitical tensions persist.
Beyond short-term interventions, the Afreximbank executive stressed that financing refining projects across Nigeria and other African countries remains central to the bank’s long-term strategy of industrialisation and export development.
He said the bank’s support for large-scale industrial projects, including the Dangote Group refinery, reflects its commitment to reducing Africa’s reliance on imported refined products and strengthening regional value chains.
“Our support for industrialists who are making a difference on the continent is testimony to this approach. We will continue to champion projects that reduce Africa’s reliance on imported refined products,” he added.
Denya further disclosed that the bank is financing similar refining projects in Angola as part of a continent-wide push to achieve self-sufficiency in petroleum products.
The shift towards local refining, he explained, is also expected to improve macroeconomic stability by reducing foreign exchange pressures associated with fuel imports.
General News
MTN Powers the Ultimate Youth Link-Up with the Launch of Live It 100 Youth Campaign

The Gathering on 100 has officially concluded its pilot edition, closing out 100 continuous hours of culture, creativity, and community engagement at the National Stadium, Surulere. At the climax of the five-day immersive youth experience, MTN Nigeria and the gatherers of the event unveiled the defining message of the movement: “Live It 100.”

The event brought together thousands of young Nigerians in a massive convergence of music, sports, gaming, and creative sessions. From watching the sunrise for four consecutive mornings to actively shaping culture in real-time, attendees experienced a shared journey rooted in endurance and expression.
Operating under a partnership model rather than a traditional corporate sponsorship, MTN stepped back to let the youth lead. The techo embraced the primary narrative that “The Gathering is the fire; MTN is the oxygen”.
Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, said: “The energy we have witnessed here in Surulere over the past 100 hours is proof of the unstoppable spirit of the Nigerian youth. Our strategic intent was to position MTN as the critical engine behind this vibrant youth movement, ensuring the brand is seen as an enabler, not an intruder. The Gathering is the fire; MTN is the oxygen. ‘Live It 100’ is our commitment to powering the platform where the conversation happens. We are giving them the autonomy to lead, while we listen.”
A focal point of the event was the high-stakes Pitchathon segment, which provided a structured arena for startups to showcase working products. Rather than a traditional, heavily branded corporate event, the space felt authentic, unscripted, and transparent, allowing founders to interact directly with expert judges, potential investors, and a live audience.
Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, shared: “The ideas and partnerships formed over these 100 hours show exactly what happens when corporate Nigeria is finally listening to young Nigerians. We recognise that traditional business engagement doesn’t always work for this generation, which is why we empowered the youth to lead. By supporting The Gathering, we are not just celebrating culture; we are fueling the young Nigerian through youth-led innovation and actively investing in their economic potential.”
Beyond business activity, the event recorded consistent engagement across its programming, providing deep insight into the evolving role of youth within Nigeria’s economy. The sustained 100-hour activity highlighted a growing, resilient base of digitally engaged participants who own their lanes and actively create their own opportunities.
As the event closed, MTN reaffirmed their commitment to expanding the platform, ensuring that The Gathering on 100 will continue to evolve as a vital space for both cultural expression and youth-led economic opportunity.
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