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InfraCos To Get Subsidies Soon— Danbatta

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(L-R): Joshua Egba, Business Development Specialist West Africa, USTDA; Thomas Hardy, Acting Country Director, USTDA; Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, NCC; Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, NCC; Shannon Roe, Country Manager Sub-Saharan Africa, USTDA; Clement Omeiza Baiye, Commissioner, NCC
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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it has concluded process for the disbursement of subsidies to the six licensed Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos).

Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman of NCC, disclosed this when delegates from the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) paid him a courtesy visit at the commission’s headquarters.

Danbatta said that the planned disbursement was part of the commission’s strategies to boost broadband penetration and make it pervasive nationwide.

He said that it was part of the digital transformation agenda which NCC had put in place for actualisation, stressing that the subsidy would augment the InfraCos’ Capital Expenditure (CAPEX).

Danbatta said that the InfraCo scheme had a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement, with a subsidy component that was being worked out for the licensees to fast-track deployment in their respective zones.

”The licensees are expected to play some roles and NCC too is to play some roles to encourage broadband infrastructure deployment by the licensees.

”Currently, we have seen the licensees’ CAPEX, we have negotiated the CAPEX and we have arrived at percentage of subsidies based on the negotiation that we have had with them.

”However, the subsidy will be paid to them by the commission upon attainment of reasonable milestones by the licensees in their zones of deployment,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

The chairman said that the six licensed InfraCos included: MainOne Ltd for Lagos Zone; Raeana Nigeria Ltd for South-South Zone, O’dua Infraco Resources Ltd for South-West Zone and Fleek Networks Ltd for North-West Zone.

Others are Brinks Integrated Solutions for North-East Zone and Zinox Technologies Ltd for the South-East Zone while the remaining seventh licence for North Central Zone is being processed.

Danbatta said that the idea of InfraCo was an auspicious initiative of the commission, as it will see licensees deploy their infrastructure for a period spanning five years.

He said that the InfraCos would provide wholesale services to other licensees to drive last-mile connectivity to people in the rural, under-served and unserved areas of the country.

”We are trying to build an intra-city and inter-city networks that will be able to connect citizens all over the country irrespective of where they are and what their circumstances are.

”To that extent, we have decided to provide access points in all the 774 local government areas in the country, trying to provide access to close to 190 million

Nigerians, a lot of whom live in rural communities,” he said. Danbatta said that the commission was adopting fixed and wireless broadband approaches to its broadband infrastructure development.

He, however, said that the InfraCo model was open to the use of combination of terrestrial, sub-terrestrial and aerial fibre optic deployment options and the use of Television White Space (TVWS) spectrum to provide connectivity in rural areas.

Sen. Olabiyi Durojaiye, chairman, Board of NCC,  called on USTDA to work with the commission towards addressing deployment challenges.

Durojaiye said that some InfraCo licensees in the South-South geo-political zone were faced with challenges due to the riverine, swampy nature of the region.

Thomas Hardy, acting country director, USTDA,  commended NCC for achieving and surpassing the country’s broadband penetration target of 30 per cent in 2018.

Hardy said that the agency’s mission was to see areas where it could help to support the digital transformation goals of the country.

He said that USTDA would work with NCC and other organisations to open up opportunity for greater trade, greater economic development and closer bilateral cooperation.

”As a small foreign sister agency of US, with a long-standing history in Nigeria, we support economic infrastructure projects.

”We help in the telecommunications, energy and transport sectors, where countries have identified their priority development goals in the area of infrastructure development.

”Through US companies, we develop an independent analysis of ways to meet your infrastructure goals,” he said.

The Management team of the United States Trade Development Agency (USTDA), led by its Acting Country Director, Thomas Hardy, paid a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) Head Office in Abuja.

The USTDA team was received by the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive (EVC/CE) of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta. The chairman of NCC Board of Commissioners, Otunba Olabiyi Durojaiye, was also at the reception.

Prof. Danbatta recalled NCC’s accomplishments particularly in the area of broadband penetration, which target set for 2018 was met and surpassed before the end of that year.

The United States Trade and Development Agency links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding and supporting economic infrastructure projects, pilot projects and trade missions across developing nations.(NAN)


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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Flutterwave Announces Massive Staff Shake-Up, Promotes Over 100 Employees

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Flutterwave has announced a company-wide employee support package that includes promotions for about 25 per cent of its global workforce, a one-off economic relief payment and enhanced support measures for employees in Nigeria.

Flutterwave Announces Massive Staff Shake-Up, Promotes Over 100 Employees

The fintech company said more than 100 employees across its global operations had been promoted as part of efforts to reward performance and strengthen employee welfare.

In addition, all staff worldwide will receive a one-time economic relief payment, while employees in Nigeria will benefit from additional tax support and cost-of-living adjustments following recent regulatory changes affecting take-home pay.

The company said the initiative was introduced in response to rising living costs across key markets, particularly in Nigeria, where inflation and increased transportation expenses have placed pressure on household incomes.

Speaking on the development, Olugbenga Agboola, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Flutterwave, described employees as the driving force behind the company’s growth and innovation.

“I often say our people are our secret sauce. They are the ultimate engine behind everything we build, giving us the capacity to create solutions that power businesses, unlock opportunities and move money seamlessly across Africa and beyond,” he said.

According to the company, the support measures form part of its broader strategy to improve staff welfare, retain talent and create an environment where employees can focus on their work without undue financial pressure.

Also speaking, Annette Akpolo said the initiative reflects a balance between rewarding individual performance and addressing the collective needs of employees.

“Our goal has always been to build an environment where our people can focus on doing their best work, rather than being weighed down by economic anxiety.

“Pairing merit-based individual growth with supporting the collective needs of the whole team are both essential parts of how we build a company culture where people genuinely want to stay and grow over the long term,” she said.

Founded in 2016, Flutterwave is marking its 10th anniversary in 2026.

The company disclosed that it has processed more than one billion transactions and facilitated over 40 billion dollars in total payment value globally since inception.

Flutterwave also reported strong growth across its payment channels, including a 289 per cent increase in wallet-based collections by transaction volume and a 184 per cent rise in bank transfer value over the past year.

The company attributed the growth to increasing adoption of local payment methods across its operating markets.

Industry observers note that the latest employee support package comes amid increasing competition for skilled talent in Nigeria’s fintech sector, where firms are adjusting compensation and benefits to retain workers in the face of rising living costs.

Agboola said future growth opportunities within the company would continue to be based on performance, leadership and meaningful contributions to its mission.

“At Flutterwave, growth is earned through meaningful contributions to the business and to the mission we are building together.

“As we continue to grow, the people who will shape our future are those who consistently step up, solve hard problems, support others and move the company forward,” he said.


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NCC Retains Rudman as Chair of Newly Inaugurated IPv6 Council Board, Urges Advancement of Nigeria’s Digital Migration

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has officially inaugurated the new board of the Nigerian Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) Council in Ikeja, Lagos. Mr. Muhammed Rudman, Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), will continue to serve as Chairman.

This inauguration marks a significant milestone for Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, as global demand for IPv4 now exceeds the available IPv4 address space.

Following the event, Rudman acknowledged the contributions of former board members, including Olusola Teniola (former President, ATCON), Funke Opeke (Founder, MainOne), Mary Uduma (former President, NiRA), and Lanre Ajayi (past President, ATCON), emphasizing that their involvement was instrumental in establishing the nation’s foundational IPv6 migration efforts.

Rudman noted that membership in the IPv6 Council is institution-based. The reconstituted board includes Mr. Muhammed Rudman as Chairman and a representative from the NCC as Co-Chairman. Institutional representatives from NITDA, ATCON, NIRA, ALTON, ISPON, and NgREN serve as board members, with Dr. Chris Uwaje and Prof. Latif Ladid acting as Advisers. This group is responsible for leading the nationwide migration from IPv4 to IPv6.

“The transition to IPv6 is a strategic national priority. It is essential for enabling Nigeria’s digital transformation, economic growth, and global competitiveness. The council’s strategy identifies IPv6 as a primary catalyst for national development, focusing on three pillars: supporting emerging technologies such as 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT), promoting economic diversification, and providing enhanced security and performance compared to legacy solutions such as Network Address Translation (NAT),” Rudman stated.

To achieve these objectives, the council’s action plan is structured around two primary initiatives: awareness-raising and capacity-building. The board will prioritize promoting national awareness of IPv6 through targeted events and workshops, while also providing IPv6 training to network engineers across various operators, including ISPs, telecommunications companies, educational institutions, and financial organizations. These efforts are expected to facilitate the acquisition and deployment of IPv6 throughout Nigerian networks.

The council will develop and oversee the national IPv6 strategy, monitor adoption across sectors, and report regularly to the Federal Government. Additionally, the council will identify technical challenges, strengthen local engineering capacity, and recommend regulatory measures to encourage ISPs, telecommunications operators, academic institutions, and enterprises to upgrade.

With the Nigeria IPv6 Council now operational, local enterprises and network providers are required to upgrade their systems to sustain the nation’s position in the global digital landscape.


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MTN, ALTON, Upperlink, NiRA back 2026 Nigeria DigitalSENSE forum, awards

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Leading telecommunications, technology, and internet governance stakeholders have thrown their weight behind the 16th milestone edition of the annual Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum (NDSF) on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D), scheduled to hold on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at the Welcome Centre Hotels, Ikeja-Lagos.

MTN, ALTON, Upperlink, NiRA back 2026 Nigeria DigitalSENSE forum, awards

The high-profile convergence, organized by pioneer tech-media firm ITREALMS Media and hosted by DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA); an ICANN-certified At-Large Structure, will center its discourse on the national theme: “Sustaining WSIS Vision with Multistakeholder Synergy in Nigeria.”

Confirming their corporate backing and institutional participation are industry giants including ICT infrastructure leader MTN Nigeria; the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON); premier software and DNS infrastructure firm Upperlink Limited; and the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA).

Speaking on the preparations, the Lead Convener of NDSF and Group Executive Editor of ITREALMS Media Group, Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, KSM, stated that the 2026 forum marks a crucial trajectory in examining how local multi-stakeholder synergy can sustain the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) frameworks to accelerate Nigeria’s digital public infrastructure (DPI) and domain economy.

“We are delighted to have the robust support of critical ecosystem drivers like MTN, ALTON, Upperlink, and NiRA. Their participation underscores the vital importance of multi-stakeholder dialogue in addressing contemporary policy, infrastructure growth, digital rights, and the transition into more advanced, secure digital spaces,” Nweke said.

A major highlight of this year’s forum will be that it will hold under the distinguished chairmanship of industry veteran, Dr. Olusola Teniola (hon), as approved by the Board of Directorate and the Central Committee. Under his chairmanship, the forum will also feature the presentation of the prestigious DigitalSENSE Africa 2026 awards to distinguished players in the ecosystem and corporate technology landscape across the continent.

The forum’s comprehensive agenda will feature high-level plenaries and technical sessions led by seasoned industry experts. Key areas of discourse will cut across the role of regulatory organs in the digital economy, bridging innovation gaps, leveraging Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for SME growth, digital rights, and data protection.

The organizers have invited additional internet stakeholders, including civil society organizations (CSOs), academia, young innovators, women in tech, and industry professionals, to maximize the networking and advocacy windows presented by this 16th edition.

With corporate sponsorship tiers spanning Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze partnerships now actively filling up, corporate brand materials and production collaterals are expected to reach the NDSF secretariat on or before Thursday, June 4, 2026, to guarantee technical alignment.


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