General News
LaPRSC: Danbatta Highlights Why Nigerians Must Explore Opportunities in the Digital Economy to Eradicate Poverty
Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman/ CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission, on Thursday addressed the 9th Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders’ Conference on Leadership and Poverty Eradication.
L-R: Mr Sina Thorpe, Council Member, NIPR; Mrs Nnena Ukoha, Head, Corporate Communications, NCC: Mrs Comfort Obot Nwankwo, Chairman, NIPR Lagos and Conference Convener, Mr Olabamiji Adeleye, Lead Consultant, Addefort Limited at the 9th Lagos PR Stakeholders’ Conference on Leadership and Poverty Eradication on Thursday August 18, 2022.
The EVC, represented by Mrs Nnena Ukoha, Head, Corporate Communications, called on Nigerians to explore opportunities in the Digital Economy to eradicate poverty in the country.
Speaking on the topic, Poverty Eradication in Nigeria: Leveraging Opportunities in a Digital Economy, he noted that ”For most developing countries, particularly those with large populations, inadequate infrastructure has made it difficult to participate as equal partners in the worldwide enterprise of knowledge production and dissemination.
“This portends an unequal distribution of access, resources and opportunities in this new economy, the Digital Economy.
“To avert the birth of a new type of poverty (Information Poverty), the ICT gap (digital divide) between the developed and developing nations must be bridged.”
That Nigeria like most developing nations is not enjoying the full benefits of the ICT revolution due to inadequate telecommunication infrastructure, capacity to maintain existing infrastructure, and policies for equitable public participation as producers and consumers of information and knowledge.
“A nation’s development is measured in economic terms such as per capita income, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and Gross National Product (GNP), among other indices. Indices such as level of literacy, social development, human capital development, cultural innovation and technological preparedness are not regarded as a measure of development. If we must tap into the ICT revolution, then it is time for a paradigm shift! The traditional economic terms are not a reflection of the new age of the Digital Economy “he said.
On efforts made by the Nigerian government, “There are several past and ongoing efforts by the Nigerian Government to alleviate poverty through ICT using organizations and programmes like the National Information Technology Agency (NITDA), using the offices of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) across the country as ICT hubs, the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to ensure that telecommunications services are accessible to the widest number of people (and communities) at affordable prices.
USPF has poverty-reducing activities like the Community Resource Centers, USPF Hackathon, RUBI – Rural Broadband Initiative, UnICC – University InterCampus Connectivity, BTS – Base Transceiver Stations, IRC – Information Resource Centres, SKC – School Knowledge Centres, and the E-Health Project. “
The EVC said that “NCC will continue to support the vision of the present government to put Nigeria amongst the top twenty in the comity of Nations and to align our developmental goals in keeping with the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but particularly the goal to eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere which is currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day, by year 2030.
He listed initiatives at the NCC directly or indirectly target poverty eradication to include;
“Advanced Digital Appreciation Programme: Transforming the Academics: Advanced Digital Appreciation Programme for Tertiary Institutions, ADAPTI is aimed at bridging the digital divide existing in academia with the provision of computers and other ICT facilities to equip the lecturers and other experts in order to improve ICT skills and also to enrich the students.
“The overriding objective of this intervention has been to elicit the pervasive application of ICT skills in academia for enhanced staff output, institutional efficiency, and student enculturation to e-based learning for sustainable national growth.”
“Digital Awareness Programme (DAP): this is a special intervention programme to address the digital information knowledge gap in the country, especially among the teeming youthful population. On the last count, the DAP Project supports 229 Secondary Schools across the Six (6) Geopolitical Zones of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory.
“The strategy in this programme is to expose schools and colleges to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) awareness, usage and application by facilitating access to ICT tools by the provision of twenty one (21) Desktop Computers, Local Area Network, Printers, Scanners, VSAT Dish and deployment of one Year Bandwidth Subscription for Internet Access.”
“NCC- Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) Projects: Nigeria’s ICT flagship institution, the Digital Bridge, DBI, came into existence in 2004 to impact on the national ICT human capital building efforts by bridging the ICT knowledge gap.”
“Frequency Auction: Contributing to National Purse: The Nigerian telecom regulator has contributed to the Federation Account from proceeds of frequency auctions and licensing.
“The frequencies auctioned, are in turn used for the deployment of services for poverty reduction and the benefit of the citizenry. The Commission has a clear understanding of this value chain and is determined to uphold it. “
“Value Added Services (VAS): Telecommunication has given birth to several value-added services that open up benefits to all cadre of people irrespective of location and level of education.
“These VAS are great channels for revenue generation. Some VAT are content development, Phone repair network, IT device accessories sales market (phone pouches, screen covers etc), Ringback tones, and even government agencies providing service on telecom platform e.g NAFDAC – drug authentication code. “
On broadband and poverty , “The Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020–2025 (the “Broadband Plan”) devotes an entire section to targets, strategies and roadmaps to promote pervasive broadband deployment, increased broadband adoption, usage and availability to all at affordable prices.
“These all point to government’s commitment to harmonizing and utilizing the benefits derivable from ICT for the good of all. “
“In 2020, the latest National Broadband Plan was approved to foster fuller economic exploitation of ICTs. This means that there will be more pervasive deployment and usage of ICT to push the development and economic attractiveness of the nation.”
He assured that The Federal Government of Nigeria is committed to sustainable development of the ICT subsector for the growth of the economy and the eradication of poverty.
“This was made evident during the just concluded Communications sector retreat where the Ministry of Communications and the agencies under it converged to chart a five-year plan that would make communications services, affordable, accessible, and available to all persons in Nigeria.”
He concluded that “The credit for Nigeria’s ambitious broadband pursuit is traced to the potentials and prospects of broadband technology, the ease of deployment and the vast opportunities available through it.
“The Commission will continue to put strategies in place to pursue last mile deployment of broadband. This would ensure small businesses are positioned to compete globally and communities and individuals are able to create wealth through access to ICT.”
“By providing access to information, making markets more efficient, fostering social inclusion, and equalizing opportunities in rural areas, ICT offers an innovative and unprecedented tool to directly reduce poverty.”
Other speakers at the event include; Founder and Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr Tony Elumelu; Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, Director General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN); Sheila Ojei, Director Strategy, Funding and Stakeholders Management, LSETF; The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Lagos State, Mrs Cecilia Bolaji Dada and Dr Oluseye Ajuwon, Economist and Consultant, University of Lagos.
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.
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.
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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