Telecom
NCC Holds Valedictory Forum for Exemplary, Retiring Staff, Osmund Omulu
Members of staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) converged in the Conference Room of the Commission’s Head Office recently, to honour Osmund Omulu, a staff of the Commission, who is retiring upon attaining the Nigerian public service mandatory retirement age of 60 years.
L-R: Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Yetunde Akinloye, Director, Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC; Omulu’s daughter, Osmond Omulu, Senior Manager, Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC; Omulu’s wife, Usman Malah, Director, Human Capital and Administration, NCC; and Yakubu Gontor, Director, Financial Services, NCC.
Omulu, who joined the Commission in 2002, has been described as an unusually focused, peaceful gentleman who is always willing to assist and educate people on how to make their work better.
Even those who are his seniors, who met him at the Commission and others who worked with him as a colleague prior to his sojourn at NCC, recalled how much Omulu guided them through basic processes.
At the valedictory session where every speaker spoke like an author of a chapter in a book of memoirs, Omulu was described as a great historian, who put a historical context to every knowledge he had to share with his colleagues.
He was also described as a man, whose physical appearance is in synergy with his soul and spirit because of his predilection not to carry grudges nor hold on to any negative memory about anyone.
“Even when he disagreed with people’s opinion and conduct, he ensured that things are settled and everyone moved on, as he never had the record of nursing grudges with anybody”, a testimonial stated.
Gentlemanly, focused and unassuming, Omulu was also described “a living repository of Commission’s cherished standard practice” by his colleagues, many of who participated virtually in the valedictory programme.
A man of a modest and humble beginning, Omolu started his career at the United Bank for Africa (UBA) as a stenographer and rose to become a confidential secretary but he was so methodical and had acquired so much knowledge that a staff who met him at UBA and now works at the Commission described as “his first teacher in banking” even though he latter had joined UBA as a senior to Omulu.
After Omulu joined NCC, he enrolled for and completed a degree in Accounting and proceeded to complete his professional examination with the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIB), a programme he had enlisted for while he was a banker. Omulu is now a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.
Hence, Omulu, who is married with children, is perceived as a study in focus and determination. The send-off programme was also attended by Omulu’s wife and children.
Directors, Deputy Directors, other senior management staff, as well as staff representing different categories of staff in the organisational hierarchy were present at the event. Attendees also include persons representing other communities of interests outside the Commission, particularly those with whom Omulu has had long relationship in Abuja, his community in Enugu and in Kano, where he had part of his education.
One after another, speakers attested to Omulu’s sterling character and fondness for building community through uniting people, enhancing peaceful co-existence, ensuring thoroughness in delivery of jobs at work place and his bubbling unusual energy despite his age.
Avuncular, respectful, stickler to rules, tenacious, determined and with an eye for details, Omulu was described as bringing all these attributes to bear on his work in ways that have enhanced the work at the Commission.
The foregoing explained the litany of praises, well-wishes and entreaties that were recurring feature of the tributes and goodwill messages delivered by no fewer than 15 people representing different communities of interest that collaborated to organise, attend and participate in the valedictory forum in his honour.
The presence of four Directors, some Heads of Departments and many Heads of Units at the event was an eloquent testimony to how much Mr Omulu is loved and appreciated by his colleagues in different cadres at the Commission.
His current supervisor, Yetunde Akinloye, who is Director, Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis; Yakubu Gontor, Director, Financial Services; Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director Public Affairs; and Usman Malah, Director, Human Capital and Administration also spoke well of Omulu.
Other Management staff, including Reuben Mouka, Head, Special Duties; Ibrahim Aliyu, Head, Administration; and Usman Mamman, Head Pre-Licensing, who had worked with Omulu at UBA, all spoke so glowingly about Omulu and wished him a blissful life in retirement.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has announced the formation of Airbel Ventures, a new humanitarian impact investing fund aimed at accelerating the introduction and scaling of breakthrough technologies in crisis-affected communities.
The fund will invest in companies whose ideas have the potential to change humanitarian response, including digital infrastructure for frontline health systems and climate-resilient agriculture.
The launch of Airbel Ventures follows a period of rapid innovation at the IRC, despite the humanitarian sector facing record funding cuts.
In the past year, the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab has advanced more than twenty Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology initiatives—from anticipatory action tools powered by climate and vulnerability data, to frontline service delivery using safe, orchestrated AI systems, to breakthrough diagnostic tools for emerging diseases.
Airbel Ventures’ first impact investment is in Signalytic, a company delivering solar-powered computing devices that ensure reliable electricity and connectivity for remote health facilities.
Following the investment, the IRC will pilot Signalytic’s technology with its Nigeria Health team, demonstrating the viability of next-generation digital infrastructure in humanitarian settings.
“We know breakthrough solutions already exist—what’s missing is the path to scale in humanitarian contexts,” said Dr. Jeannie Annan, Senior Vice President for Research & Innovation at the IRC and head of the Airbel Impact Lab.
MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecommunications operator, recorded a historic surge in network disruptions in 2025, suffering 9,218 fibre cuts as of December 31, alongside 211 base station sites affected by theft and vandalism, incidents that disrupted mobile and data services relied upon daily by millions of Nigerians.
The data was revealed by Dr Karl Toriola, chief executive officer/managing director, MTN Nigeria via a social media post titled ‘MTN Nigeria 2025 Wrapped’.
The scale of the damage highlights the growing vulnerability of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure, which has come under increasing pressure from road construction activities, cable theft and deliberate acts of vandalism.
MTN said 5,478 fibre cuts occurred within just the first seven months of 2025, with 760 incidents recorded in July alone, underscoring the intensity of the challenge.
Some of the incidents had wide-ranging consequences, knocking out connectivity across multiple states simultaneously and affecting voice calls, data services, digital payments and enterprise operations.
The company described the situation as a national infrastructure problem, rather than an isolated corporate issue, given the economy’s deep dependence on mobile networks.
“These gaps were shaped by real operational challenges such as fibre cuts, theft, and vandalism. Their impact is felt directly by customers and reflected in what they tell us,” Toriola,
The disruptions were reflected in customer feedback volumes, as MTN handled an unprecedented number of complaints during the year. The operator said it resolved 1,624,263 customer complaints in 2025, spanning call centres, social media platforms, emails and physical service centres nationwide.
Despite the setbacks, MTN pointed to signs of operational resilience. The company retained its ranking as Nigeria’s best network by Ookla, returned to profitability after a challenging period, declared an interim dividend, and expanded its subscriber base to over 85 million users by September 2025.
The figures show that while Nigeria’s telecom operators continue to invest heavily in network expansion and customer service, infrastructure sabotage remains a major drag on service quality and operating costs.
MTN acknowledged that performance improvements remain a work in progress. “We are not where we want to be yet. We see you. We hear you. We exist because of you. And we will get better,” Toriola said.
As the company enters its 25th year of operations in Nigeria, Toriola said MTN is doubling down on customer-centricity, treating every piece of feedback as a guide for improvement, while also stepping up engagement with government agencies.
The CEO renewed calls for stronger regulatory and legal protections for telecommunications infrastructure, urging policymakers to classify fibre cables, base stations and other critical assets as national infrastructure and criminalise vandalism to deter repeat attacks.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted operating licences to six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs), effective January 1, 2026, raising the total number of authorised ISPs in the country to 231 from 225 recorded in December 2025.
NCC
The newly licensed firms are Intellvision Technologies Limited, Granet Technologies Limited, Fiber Sonic Limited, Dasol Solution Services Ltd, Boost ISP Limited, and Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited.
Five of these companies are headquartered in Lagos, while Granet Technologies Limited operates from Owerri in Imo State, highlighting the persistent concentration of broadband infrastructure in major commercial hubs like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
This development intensifies competition in Nigeria’s broadband market, which faces pressure from dominant mobile network operators such as MTN and Airtel, alongside rapid expansion by satellite providers like Starlink.
Traditional ISPs continue to grapple with shrinking customer bases, aggressive data pricing from telcos, and satellite disruptions, even as NCC data from Q2 2025 showed Spectranet, Starlink, and FibreOne controlling about 65 per cent of the 313,713 active ISP subscribers.
The inclusion of Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited marks a significant entry of global satellite broadband competition, building on Nigeria’s recent approvals for other low Earth orbit providers to enhance connectivity in underserved areas.
Industry analysts view the licences as a strategic push to improve internet quality amid rising demand for digital services, though geographic clustering underscores ongoing infrastructure challenges outside urban centres.
NCC’s move aligns with broader efforts to foster a competitive telecoms sector critical to Nigeria’s digital economy ambitions.
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