Telecom
NCC to Audit Telcos Operating Levies
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is to audit the revenues accruing to telecommunication operators in the country in order to ensure that they are remitting the correct amounts to the regulatory agency, according to Prof. Umaru Danbatta, executive vice chairman (EVC) of the NCC.
Danbatta who stated this when he hosted Mr. Adebayo Shittu, minister of Communications who paid a working visit to the agency in Abuja on Wednesday, said that it had become necessary to probe the revenues accruing to the companies in order to ensure that they were not cheating the government.
Telecommunications operators remit 2.5 per cent of their revenues to the NCC as annual operating levy.
Out of this amount, 40 per cent is reserved for the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) (to bridge the gap in un-served and underserved communities), while 60 per cent is used for running the commission.
According to him, three consulting companies have been pencilled down for the job to ascertain the revenues accruing to the companies and how much should come to the NCC as annual operating levy.
“We have established a need to check whether the NCC is being short-changed or not,” he said.
Danbatta said that 40 million Nigerians had not been reached by telecommunications signals, adding that the NCC had identified 207 gaps across the country that needed the intervention of the regulatory agency to ensure that services were extended to the communities.
He also stated that the NCC had recently developed three new regulatory frameworks, one of which had been used for licensing two infrastructure companies.
The NCC boss said the commission had also identified that Nigeria was paying too high for terminating calls in other countries and added that measures would be taken to correct this trend, which also sees Nigerian operators receive little or nothing for terminating foreign calls.
Danbatta also pleaded with the government to consider the entire industry in the new Communications Tax Bill that is before the National Assembly.
Shittu had earlier told the NCC boss that there was a need to do something about the poor quality of services obtainable in the country.
The minister said, “It must be noted that Nigerians are complaining. Even me as the Minister of Communications, I receive unsolicited messages and calls. When you complain, they will ask you to press something to discontinue; and even when you do that, they will still continue to charge you. This is very wrong.
“Also, the issue of dropped calls is still very rampant across the country and nobody is excluded from this. We must do something to stop this because if we do not, the Nigerian people will see us as failures who are not capable of protecting their interests.”
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
MultiChoice is closing its continental streaming platform Showmax after 11 years, notifying subscribers Thursday of the board’s decision to discontinue the service in the near future to refocus on sustainable digital offerings.
MultiChoice
The email assured no immediate disruption: “You can continue streaming as usual, and no action is required from you at this time.” Showmax, launched in South Africa in 2015 and expanded across Africa, offered movies, series, documentaries, and sports to rival Netflix and others amid rising online entertainment demand.
The shutdown follows Canal+’s approved takeover of MultiChoice last year, with the French giant offering ZAR 125 per share for remaining stakes.
The deal mandates HDP ownership boosts, local content investment, and splitting MultiChoice’s SA broadcasting arm into an independent entity to meet regulations.
MultiChoice prioritised subscribers during the transition, promising advance notice on timelines.
Showmax’s exit signals consolidation pressures in Africa’s cut-throat streaming market, where global players dominate despite local content strengths.
MultiChoice to Discontinue Showmax Streaming Platform
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