National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has dismissed a Notice of Preliminary Objection filed by Pan African Towers Ltd. (PAT) in an employment dispute instituted by its former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Azeez Amida.

The court also awarded ₦500,000 in costs against the company after holding that the application lacked merit.

Justice Essien, who delivered the ruling on July 21 in Suit No. NICN/LA/143/2025: Mr. Azeez Amida v. Pan African Towers Limited, held that the substantive case concerning Amida’s alleged outstanding contractual entitlements under a Mutual Separation Agreement should proceed to hearing.

The ruling effectively rejected the company’s attempt to terminate the proceedings on jurisdictional grounds.

Jurisdictional Challenge Rejected

Pan African Towers had argued that the National Industrial Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter because the Mutual Separation Agreement executed between the parties required disputes to first pass through negotiation, mediation and arbitration before litigation could be initiated.

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The company maintained that Mr. Amida failed to exhaust those contractual dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the court.

However, Justice Essien rejected the argument after examining evidence presented by the claimant showing that several attempts had been made to activate the agreed dispute resolution process before legal proceedings commenced.

According to the court, documentary evidence showed that Mr. Amida, through his solicitors, issued correspondence and formal demand letters aimed at resolving the dispute amicably in line with the terms of the agreement.

The court found that rather than engaging with those efforts, Pan African Towers failed to meaningfully participate in the process and later sought to rely on the same contractual provisions to challenge the court’s jurisdiction.

Evidence Considered by the Court

According to evidence presented by Mr. Amida’s legal team, the court considered correspondence involving senior officials of Pan African Towers and its investors.

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Among the documents relied upon was a letter allegedly written by the Chairman of the Board of Pan African Towers and Partner at Development Partners International (DPI), Mr. Adefolarin Ogunsanya, rejecting the demand made by Mr. Amida’s legal representatives for an amicable resolution before litigation.

The claimant’s legal team also tendered multiple email communications allegedly sent from January 2025 to Verod Capital Management’s in-house legal counsel, Mr. Dipo Okuribido.

According to the claimant, those emails did not receive any response before the commencement of the suit.

Based on the evidence before it, the court held that the conduct of Pan African Towers was inconsistent with reliance on the contractual dispute resolution provisions.

Justice Essien ruled that the company had effectively waived its right to insist on arbitration after frustrating the preliminary dispute resolution process contemplated by the parties’ agreement.

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The court consequently held that Pan African Towers could not rely on the arbitration clause to prevent the court from hearing the substantive claims.

Court Awards Costs

Having dismissed the Preliminary Objection, the National Industrial Court awarded costs of ₦500,000 against Pan African Towers.

The court described the objection as lacking merit.

Substantive Defence Yet to Be Filed

The ruling represents the first judicial determination in the employment dispute.

The claimant’s legal team noted that since the suit commenced, the principal response filed by Pan African Towers had been the Preliminary Objection challenging the jurisdiction of the National Industrial Court.

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According to the claimant, the company has yet to file a substantive defence addressing the merits of the claims relating to the alleged outstanding contractual entitlements.

With the dismissal of the jurisdictional challenge, the matter will now proceed to hearing on its merits.

The court adjourned the substantive suit until Jan. 12, 2027.

Background to the Dispute

The dispute arose following Mr. Amida’s departure from Pan African Towers after both parties executed a Mutual Separation Agreement.

According to the claimant, while the agreement governed the terms of his exit from the company, certain contractual entitlements remained unpaid.

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His legal representatives said they initially sought to resolve the dispute through the mechanisms provided under the agreement by engaging the company through correspondence and formal demand letters.

When those efforts failed to produce a resolution, they commenced proceedings before the National Industrial Court seeking payment of the outstanding contractual entitlements.

Rather than filing a substantive defence to the claims, Pan African Towers challenged the jurisdiction of the court, arguing that arbitration and other dispute resolution mechanisms had not been exhausted.

The National Industrial Court has now rejected that position.

Related Commercial Litigation

The employment proceedings are separate from ongoing commercial cases before the Federal High Court involving Mr. Amida, Development Partners International (DPI), Verod Capital Management and other parties.

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Those proceedings relate to issues concerning the ownership of Pan African Towers and remain pending before the courts.

The National Industrial Court noted that those matters would be determined independently based on their respective facts, evidence and applicable legal principles.

Legal Team Reacts

Reacting to the ruling, representatives of Mr. Amida’s legal team welcomed the decision.

“The Court has affirmed an important principle of contractual dispute resolution.

“A party cannot frustrate the agreed process and later seek to rely on that same process to prevent a claim from being heard.

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“We now look forward to presenting the substantive case before the Court,” the legal team said.

The lawyers acknowledged that Pan African Towers retained the right under Nigerian law to pursue any available appellate remedies but stated that they were fully prepared for the substantive hearing scheduled for January 2027.

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for stronger collaboration among African telecommunications and communications regulators to enhance the use of data, evidence and market intelligence in promoting more effective digital governance across the continent.

Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), delivering his opening remarks at the Heads of Regulators Roundtable during the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26) in Abuja on 21 July 2026.

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, made the call at the Heads of Regulators Roundtable held during the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26) in Abuja.

Maida said communications regulation had become increasingly critical to Africa’s economic growth, digital transformation and national development.

He noted that although African regulators operated under different legal and market environments, they faced similar challenges, including infrastructure development, cybersecurity, affordability, satellite communications, network resilience and the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI).

According to him, regulators across the continent can benefit significantly from sharing experiences and lessons in addressing complex policy and regulatory issues.

“Very often, the challenge one regulator is trying to solve has already been encountered, in one form or another, by a colleague elsewhere on the continent,” he said.

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Maida described the conference theme, “Building Africa’s Network Intelligence Ecosystem for Evidence-Based Regulation,” as timely and relevant to the future of communications regulation in Africa.

“It gives us an opportunity to consider how better use of data, evidence and market intelligence can strengthen regulatory decisions, and how African regulators can learn more systematically from one another,” he said.

Also speaking, the NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Mrs Rimini Makama, said the rapid evolution of broadband expansion, satellite services, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital public infrastructure had made communications ecosystems more complex.

Makama, who chaired the roundtable, said the changing landscape required regulators to adopt more innovative and evidence-driven regulatory approaches.

She observed that while regulators now had access to increasing volumes of technical, market and consumer data, the key challenge was converting such information into actionable intelligence capable of improving regulatory outcomes.

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According to her, stronger cooperation among African regulators will support the development of resilient, innovative and consumer-focused communications ecosystems across the continent.

The Heads of Regulators Roundtable forms part of broader efforts by African communications regulators to strengthen regional cooperation, promote evidence-based regulation and enhance digital governance in Africa.

MTN Nigeria has announced the 8th edition of the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee, inviting primary and secondary school students aged 9 to 15 from across Nigeria to participate in one of the country’s largest literacy competitions.

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The competition will run from 20 July to 28 November, 2026, featuring nationwide digital participation and regional physical contests before culminating in a live Grand Finale in Lagos.

Finalists will compete for scholarships, cash prizes, ICT devices and the coveted opportunity to serve as “MTN CEO for a Day.”

The initiative reflects MTN Nigeria’s continued commitment to promoting education and youth development by creating opportunities opportunities that reward academic excellence, encourage learning and inspire young Nigerians to realise their potential.

Building on the success of previous editions, this year’s competition introduces an expanded model designed to make the experience more accessible to students across the country.

The 2026 edition will feature three regional physical contests in Abuja, Port-Harcourt, and Abeokuta, bringing together qualifiers from all six geopolitical zones. This format enables more students to progress through the competition before advancing to the national finals.

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The MTN mPulse Spelling Bee has evolved beyond recognising exceptional students. It has become a broader platform that inspires learning, nurtures talent, and extends its impact across communities nationwide.

The competition also rewards the schools and teachers who nurture academic excellence, with top participating schools in each region eligible for prizes of up to ₦1 million, alongside incentives for outstanding teachers.

The competition will begin with online practice and qualifying rounds on mpulse.mtn.ng, allowing students from anywhere in the country to participate. Following the first round, the top 3,000 students (500 students from each geopolitical zone) will qualify for the regional stage.

The top performers from each region will then advance to the Grand Finale in Lagos, where 20 finalists will compete for prizes worth up to ₦40 million.

Commenting on the initiative, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, said: “MTN mPulse Spelling Bee creates opportunities for every child to learn, compete and dream.

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“By combining nationwide digital participation with regional competitions, talented students, regardless of where they live, can showcase their abilities and compete on a national stage.

“Beyond recognising academic excellence, the competition equips young people with confidence, resilience and the belief that hard work and determination can open doors to greater opportunities.”

The competition has continued to transform the lives of young Nigerians by recognising academic excellence and opening doors to new opportunities.

Winner of the 2025 Grand Finale, Oreoluwa Alayande, after an impressive performance against finalists from across the country, earning the coveted MTN CEO for a Day title alongside scholarships, cash prizes and ICT devices.

Her achievement reflects the opportunities the platform continues to create for talented young Nigerians and sets the stage for a new generation of students to compete for the crown in 2026.

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Students can participate by visiting mpulse.mtn.ng, creating or logging into their student profile, taking the practice tests and proceeding to the Entry Stage when ready.

The competition is open to all eligible primary and secondary school students between the ages of 9 and 15 nationwide.

Through the MTN mPulse Spelling Bee, MTN Nigeria continues to use technology and education to expand access to learning opportunities, helping young Nigerians build confidence, showcase their talents and realise their potential.