Telecom
MTN Foundation Partners NDLEA, UNODC, to Host Conference on Substance Abuse
As part of the organization’s commitment to ensuring a drug-free society, the MTN Foundation partnering with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and United Nations Office on Drugs hosted a national conference on anti-substance abuse at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja on Monday, June 27, 2022.
The conference was held to officially commemorate World Drug Day, as well as hold critical discussions on the roles of government, individuals and organizations in the fight against substance abuse.
Speaking at the conference, the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN (GCON) said, “The theme of this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug trafficking, turns our attention to a rather different dimension of the problem.
“This is addressing drug challenges in health and humanitarian crisis. We must maintain a multi-dimensional approach and a holistic approach to tackling drug abuse.
“Once again, let me commend the new dynamic and greatly improved NDLEA and also appreciate our development partners for the successes recorded so far. And for the current resolution to support the effort to ensure a clean and healthy Nigeria.”
Also commenting on the importance of partnership in fighting the drug scourge in Nigeria, Chairman NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd.), stated that “At NDLEA, we have a sense of urgency in tackling the health consequences of the abuse of illicit drugs, and society is warming up to the idea that together we can end the drug scourge and we hope that the momentum will be maintained.
“We appreciate our major stakeholders for their support, thank you very much MTN for always being with us in the struggle to tackle the drug scourge in Nigeria.”
The Chairman, MTN Foundation, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi (OFR) mni, reiterated the importance of advocacy in the fight against substance abuse in Nigeria – “Last Saturday, we had an 8km advocacy walk, and it was so successful that excerpts of it went viral on social media, and we are happy that because of that, the target we had for the young people was reached, and we know that this will continue in the next year.
As an organisation, we will continue to support the NDLEA especially in the area of advocacy. We must continue the talk until such a time when we can say to ourselves, we are making progress,” he said.
This year, with the 2022 ASAP campaign themed – ‘It’s Everyone’s Fight,’ the MTN Foundation partnered with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); the Ministry of Education, Businessday, NET.ng and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) to expand the awareness initiatives on the anti-substance abuse programme.
Activities to commemorate the event included capacity-building training for teachers across three major states, a quiz competition for secondary school students, a Twitter space conversation, an advocacy walk and the national conference.
The MTN Anti-Substance Abuse Project (ASAP) is a multi-sectoral initiative spearheaded by the MTN Foundation to deliver interventions that will help reduce the rate of first-time drug abuse among the youth.
Telecom
Celebrating African Creativity: Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ Returns for Its Fifth Year
The “Made by Africa, Loved by the World” campaign is back for its fifth year, celebrating African creativity and global influence. This year’s theme, “Where Culture Meets Connection,” highlights how social media fosters conversations around cultural moments worldwide.
The campaign features three cinematic films premiering on the Meta Africa page, showcasing the groundbreaking work and personal stories of six dynamic African creatives.
These artists, from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, represent diverse disciplines, including rap, animation, dance, photography, fashion, and videography.
Here are some of the featured talents:
- Ladipoe (Nigeria) – A BET-nominated rapper known for blending global hip-hop with African rhythms.
- Fatboy Animations (Kenya) – An animation studio founded by Michael Muthiga, recognized by Forbes for its original African storytelling.
- Lisa Quama (Ghana) – A dancer who gained fame after appearing in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video.
- Gilbert Asante (Ghana) – A photographer and creative director featured in GQ and Glam Africa.
- David Tlale (South Africa) – A fashion designer whose bold designs have been showcased at major fashion events, including the Met Gala.
- Ofentse Mwase (South Africa) – A filmmaker with over 24 international awards for his unique visual storytelling.
Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director for Africa, Middle East & Turkey, emphasized that the campaign not only celebrates individual success stories but also showcases how culture and social media drive meaningful connections and inspiration.
Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has raised the alarm over a diesel supply crisis caused by an ongoing strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Mr Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON in a statement said that the fuel supply disruption is critically affecting telecom base stations, pushing them to the brink of a shutdown and threatening millions of mobile and internet users in the region.
“This strike, which stems from the persistent harassment of tanker and petroleum product drivers by police officers in Lagos State, has effectively halted all truck loading operations and fuel movements,” Emoekpere stated.
He explained that diesel supply to telecom infrastructure has been severely impacted, leaving critical sites with dangerously low fuel levels.
According to him, if urgent measures are not taken, the situation could escalate into a full-blown network blackout, disrupting essential services, including mobile and internet access, business operations, emergency response systems, and daily communications.
ATCON has called on the governors of Lagos and Ogun states to intervene immediately by facilitating the release of diesel from depots to telecom operators to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
“This is not just a telecom issue—it is a national emergency that could cripple economic activities and compromise public safety,” Emoekpere stressed.
The association also appealed to security agencies and petroleum unions to resolve the crisis swiftly to safeguard Nigeria’s connectivity and economic stability.
ATCON emphasised that a prolonged disruption in fuel supply to telecom infrastructure could have far-reaching consequences for both businesses and individuals who rely on stable communication networks for daily operations.
In 2023, Nigerians spent a total of about ₦5.3 trillion on telecommunications services, which includes calls, data, SMS, and other telecom services, according to the Leadership.
Specifically for voice calls, Nigerians made approximately 408.5 billion minutes of local calls, generating around ₦3.28 trillion from outgoing calls and ₦3.23 trillion from incoming calls, totaling about ₦6.51 trillion in call-related revenue according to projections based on 2023 call volumes and tariff data.
However, the ₦5.3 trillion figure represents the overall telecom sector revenue, with voice calls being a major component but also including data and other services.
For individual spending, MTN subscribers spent an average of ₦2,508 monthly on voice calls in 2023, showing a 14.4% increase from 2022, while Airtel customers spent about ₦1,694 monthly on voice calls.
Total telecom spending (calls, data, SMS, etc.): ₦5.3 trillion in 2023
Estimated revenue from voice calls alone: around ₦6.5 trillion based on call minutes and tariffs
Average monthly spending on calls per subscriber: ₦1,694 to ₦2,508 depending on the network
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