Telecom
MTN, VDT, Zoracom, Digital Realty Back 2026 Girls in ICT Campaign
Dominant Telecommunications firm, MTN Nigeria, has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the gender disparity in the ICT career sector is bridged.
International Girls in ICT Day
This statement was made with the backing of the 2026 edition of the International Girls in ICT Day campaign being organized by eBusiness Life Communication Limited.
The event, which will be held at the Lagos Oriental Hotel on June 25, 2026, is part of an annual campaign initiated by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to sensitize and encourage young women and girls to delve into ICT and related careers, which are seen to have been dominated by the male gender. The 2026 theme is “AI For Development: Girls Shaping The Digital Future”.
MTN Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest providers of communications services, connecting over 87 million people in communities across the country with each other and the world. Guided by a vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world, MTN Nigeria has been at the forefront of this campaign to build human capacity in Nigeria.
Alongside MTN Nigeria, Broadband communication service provider VDT Communications Limited has also indicated interest in being part of this year’s campaign.
VDT is a licensed Private Network service provider specializing in the provision of Enterprise Wide Area Network (WAN) and Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) link connectivity using Fibre Optic and Wireless Communication infrastructure and access networks.
VDT is a leading Broadband communication service provider to corporate organizations with leased Fiber Optic trunks to the thirty-six (36) states in Nigeria and the FCT, with 145 Points-Of-Presence (POP) and counting with localized technical support staff.
Technology company and fast-growing provider of network and service management solutions, Zora Communications Limited (Zoracom), and leading provider of carrier-neutral data center, co-location infrastructure, Digital Realty Nigeria, have also joined in partnership with the organizers.
Zoracom manages heterogeneous network infrastructure through innovative solutions that offer end-to-end visibility into complex digital infrastructure.
Digital Realty West African hub unites connectivity, enterprise, and financial services. Empowering businesses in Lagos, Nigeria, with access to undersea cables.
The company operates one of the world’s largest data center platforms, with 300+ data centers spanning 55+ metros across 6 continents. From single racks to multi-megawatt AI deployments, delivering the flexibility, global reach, and open ecosystems needed to power innovation.
Zoracom is a technology company for Observability, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure management, offering solutions that include a unified network & services management solution for Telco, Miro, Zmart & Fortrex.
Both multiple award winning technology firms have in the past, demonstrated their support towards ensuring gender balance and youth engagement in the technology ecosystem.
According to the CEO of eBusiness Life Communication Limited and convener of the event, Mrs. Ufuoma Emuophedaro, the annual event underscores the important role women are meant to play in the future of innovative technology.
While appreciating the companies and institutions that have supported the campaign over the years, Mrs. Emuophedaro called on other forward-looking organizations to join hands with eBusiness Life to sensitize young girls on the need to strategically position themselves for the careers of the future by latching on to the provisions of technology today.
She noted that the campaign is premised on the fact that society has unconsciously relegated the female gender and delegated careers in technical fields, especially in ICT, to their male counterparts.
According to her, efforts should be made to introduce young girls to career opportunities in technical fields in both the public and private sectors to help them have a wider range of options and contribute their quota in the industry and in the development of the economy.
She said: “We need to equip the girls with transferable and lifelong skills such as critical thinking, creativity and digital awareness.
“Having role models will also be critical, especially in the sciences and other fields where the presence of women is sparse.”
The 2026 International Girls in ICT celebration event will feature different competitions among female students from widely selected private and public secondary schools. These include STEM Quiz and practical tech competitions.
Other features of the day will include the Student’s Roundtable Discussion, interactive and motivational talk from renowned women ICT professionals.
Awards and gift prizes will be given to winning schools and students of the Quiz and Tech competitions. Also, awards will be given to deserving women who have exemplified themselves in the ICT industry.
The International Girls in ICT Day is an initiative launched through ITU Resolution 70 with the idea of creating a global environment that will empower and encourage girls and young women to consider careers in the field of information and communication technologies.
At the end of the event, it is expected that the young students should be able to introspect and pursue any desired career path in ICT, technical or not, without bias or being gender conscious.
This year’s event will have top government and private sector executives in attendance.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecommunications operators to make dedicated budgetary provisions for cybersecurity as part of efforts to strengthen the resilience of Nigeria’s communications infrastructure against the growing wave of cyber threats.
The directive forms part of the Commission’s Cyber Resilience Framework for the Nigerian Communications Sector (CRF-NCS), which introduces new governance, risk management and operational requirements aimed at safeguarding the country’s critical telecommunications infrastructure from increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
Under the framework, all licensed telecom operators are expected to establish formal cybersecurity governance structures, dedicate adequate financial resources to cyber resilience programmes, and integrate cybersecurity into their enterprise-wide risk management processes.
The Commission said operators must ensure cybersecurity investments are no longer treated as optional operational expenses but as strategic business priorities necessary to protect network infrastructure, customer information and the country’s digital economy.
According to the NCC, licensees are expected to allocate sufficient budgets to support cyber risk assessments, security technologies, staff training, incident response capabilities, continuous monitoring and compliance with regulatory requirements.
The framework also requires operators to designate senior executives responsible for cybersecurity oversight.
At the same time, boards of directors are expected to provide strategic direction and ensure adequate funding for cyber resilience initiatives.
Speaking on the need for a stronger cybersecurity regime during the unveiling of the framework, Abraham Oshadami, executive commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, said, “Given the increasing digitalisation of services, the rapid growth of data exchange, and the sophisticated nature of modern cyber threats, the need for a robust, adaptive and inclusive cybersecurity framework has become more urgent.”
He added, “Both state and non-state actors are targeting essential sectors—including ours—through coordinated cyber and physical attacks. These attacks frequently target control systems and data integrity, underscoring the critical risks posed to operational technology (OT), especially in our sector.”
“As cyber threats evolve, they endanger not only system performance but also human safety, amplifying the severity and consequences of disruptions to vital communications infrastructure. Cybersecurity now encompasses human safety and must address the real risk to people’s lives when a system is attacked or compromised.”
The Commission further stated that operators are required to develop comprehensive cybersecurity implementation plans, conduct periodic risk assessments, establish business continuity and disaster recovery procedures, and regularly test their cyber defence capabilities.
In addition, the framework makes cyber incident reporting compulsory. Licensees must inform the NCC’s CSIRT of any major cybersecurity breach within four hours of discovery, and provide a thorough post-incident analysis after mitigation is complete.
Digital solution provider, Globacom has recorded the highest Internet subscriber growth among Nigeria’s major telecom companies for the month of May.
Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Nigeria’s total Internet users increased to 157 million in May, up from 154.3 million in April. That is a growth of 2.67 million users in one month.
Globacom led the market by adding about 1.2 million new Internet subscribers. This means Glo was responsible for almost half of all new Internet users in May.
The company’s subscriber base grew from 15.5 million in April to 16.8 million in May. Airtel came second with 1.07 million new users, moving from 54.8 million to 55.8 million. MTN added 382,894 users to reach 83.5 million.
T2 Mobile, formerly 9mobile, recorded no growth for the second month in a row. Its subscriber base remained at 802,534. This is despite its roaming agreement with MTN, which was approved almost a year ago to help T2 customers use MTN’s network in areas with poor coverage.
Industry experts say Glo’s strong growth is due to its ongoing network upgrade. Since last year, the company has been building new base stations, expanding its fibre network, and adding thousands of new 4G sites across cities and rural areas.
The upgrades have improved voice and data quality for customers, while Globacom remain committed to providing better network experience and affordable Internet services to more Nigerians.
MTN Nigeria’s half-year 2026 performance reflects more than revenue growth, highlighting the wider economic activity generated through tax payments, infrastructure investment and shareholder returns.
Kadri, MTN CFO
Beyond its financial results, the telecommunications operator said it continues to channel substantial resources into expanding network infrastructure, meeting statutory obligations and delivering value across its stakeholder ecosystem.
The company disclosed that it paid more than ₦600 billion in taxes, customs duties, regulatory levies and other statutory obligations over the past year.
It also invested over ₦1.6 trillion in capital expenditure since January 2025 to expand network capacity and improve service quality, while declaring an interim dividend of ₦26 per share for shareholders.
Speaking on Arise News’ Global Business Report, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Financial Officer, Modupe Kadri, explained that the company’s earnings are shared across several stakeholders before returns reach investors. “For every one naira of revenue, about 24 kobo becomes profit.
“The government receives over ₦600 billion through taxes and levies, operating costs account for a significant portion of our revenue, and every participant within the ecosystem benefits from the value we create,” he said.
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), telecommunications remains one of the largest contributors to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, supporting digital financial services, education, healthcare, commerce and public services. Continued investment by operators has also been identified as critical to expanding broadband access and improving digital inclusion across the country.
Kadri noted that shareholder returns remain an important part of MTN’s capital allocation strategy, but stressed that they represent only one aspect of the company’s broader economic contribution.
“Even when we declare dividends, the government still receives withholding tax, while we continue investing heavily in our network because sustaining quality service requires ongoing capital commitment,” he said.
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