Telecom
Ndukwe, Ekuwem Reminisce On ICT Milestones, Praise Ukodie for His Book
Engineer. Ernest Ndukwe and Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, two key players in the remarkable days of the ICT industry, when a motley of events, activities, workshops, exhibitions, and conferences stirred the birth of the ICT industry, and set it on the current growth trajectory, went memory lane yesterday, at the launch of a book written by Aaron Ukodie.
The book is titled: Nigeria Drivers of Digital Prosperity: The Trajectories of The Digital Evolution, Sector Analysis and Players Contributions.
Ndukwe, was former Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), while Ekuwem, who founded a telecom firm, Teledom International, was at various times president of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and Nigerian Internet Group (NIG).
Ndukwe is currently chairman of MTN Nigeria. Ekuwem is Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government.
Both also poured praises on Ukodie, for his exemplary courage and tenacity in writing books, mostly on the ICT industry, a feat Ekuwem particularly referred to as a mark of a true intellectual.
Ndukwe took note of the quality of the book, especially the quality of the print saying “many books come out badly, but this one came out well”.
He said he has been planning to write a book on his days at NCC, as many have been asking him to do, but Aaron has further gingered him to write it.
“I am still preparing to write a book about my tenure at the NCC. This book (Aaron’s book) has gotten me out of my slumber; many people are on my neck to put my experiences on paper. There are many perspectives. When I write my own I will talk in detail about the many battles we fought at the NCC”.
He said, Aaron “provided the bridge that connected all those years together and the last section –of the book— talked about the role of the media.
“I must commend them for their work over the years. Aaron talked of many battles, indeed there were.
“He talked about the one where we were at the hotel where the auction was to take place. There was indeed a call and an attempt to stop the auction.
“When I got that call from… Aaron has bitted me to it… it was going to be one of the highlights of my books…
“when I got the call I had some stubborn streak in me to continue. I had determined that we were not going to stop the auction. I called the chairman ( late Alhaji Ahmed Joda).
“He was more settled than me. He asked if I had the phone number of the Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
“My brother worked at the presidency as his physician, so he gave us the VP’s number. When we called him, I was very impressed with his reaction. He asked if somebody asked that you stop the auction, for what.
“He said he was the last person that saw the President (Chief Olusegun Obasanjo) and they never discussed anything like that.
“I think that was courageous. I think that was a mark of a decision-maker. Some other people would have said wait let me confirm”.
Ndukwe said the reason they wanted to stop the process was that some people wanted two companies to be disqualified. If we did that then only three that would be left would automatically get the three licenses that were on offer.
He said because of the courage the Atiku demonstrated the process continued. He said some other persons would have said wait let me confirm that from the president.
Ndukwe said there were other times some ministers wanted to scuttle the process and the matter went to the president, but he stood his ground.
“I was not desperate for the position of EVC. I was the MD of a company and I was already living in a big house in Ikoyi. What I really wanted to be at the time was MD of NITEL, and not EVC of NCC, a regulatory body, because NITEL had huge prospects but it was being badly managed.
When Iromantu ( Ogbonnaya) was EVC I wrote several papers on deregulation and liberalization, so it was possible they wanted me to go and do what I have been talking about.
One thing we insisted on was the independence of the regulator. The independence of the regulator is very important. It does not have to do with the party you belong or the person you are related to.
In his comment, Ekuwem said he was motivated to attend the book launch because “it was important to celebrate the past, because if we lose sight of what led us to where we are today; the men and women that drove the prosperity the way he Aaron used that word, then we have lost something important.
Ekuwem praised the role of the media saying the media drove the narrative towards where we are today and Ndukwe was supporting them.
He went memory lane to mention some of those key media men: Sonny Aragba Akpore, Tayo Adewusi, Remmy Nweke, Ufuoma Dairo, Shina Badaru, Bayero Agabi, Don Pedro-Aganbi, Sylvester Ebhodaghe, Biyi …, Mkpe Abang, who worked assiduously, and Ndukwe was supporting them to attend conferences and workshops.
He said the media helped the NCC to drive thirst and amplify passion, to get the market ready for where we are today. He also remembered such key industry players as Engineer Ogbonaya Iromantu, Engr. Emmanuel Nnama, Dr. Eugene Juwah, Shola Taylor, Johnson Asinugo, and Professor Gabriel Ajayi.
“We use to hold workshops for federal permanent secretaries on the use of the computers, myself and Professor Ajayi, helping them on how to use and move the cursor and mouse. It was that bad then. It was a status symbol to have a computer that was not being used. Computers were covered with dust.
He urged Ndukwe to write his own book because it would inspire the young ones.
Commenting on the Ukodie book, Ekuwem said; “Very few people do not shy away to put their thoughts on paper because you would be challenged. It is a mark of an intellectual, for having the audacity to put your thoughts on paper”.
He reminded the NCC not to rest on its oars because “we are not there yet”. According to him the public services is still deplore ICT tools and applications for productivity and governance.
“We have security challenges today. How can you have security challenge and you have 4G, 5G and you cannot capture them”.
He spoke of the Telecom Summit which the NCC used to organize during the years of Ndukwe, which provided stakeholders to interrogate the NCC and galvanize ideas.
“Don’t be afraid of exchanging ideas, you will not lose anything”, he urged the NCC. He said we do not yet have the applications and tools to boost productivity, and wealth creation, create jobs, take youths out of the job market and secure our country.
MTN Nigeria has raised the bar for corporate disclosure in Africa after publishing its 2025 sustainability report in full compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards S1 and S2.
Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria,
The report, independently assured by Ernst & Young, marks the telecom operator’s seventh consecutive annual sustainability publication and third year as an early adopter of the global framework ahead of its mandatory implementation.
Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, said, “strong governance and ethical conduct are foundational to our sustainability strategy. We reinforced compliance through our Conduct Passport Framework and robust internal controls.”
He added that “in May 2025, we became the first telecommunications company in Nigeria to publicly present a sustainability report on the Nigerian Exchange Group platform, an important milestone in our commitment to IFRS S1 and S2- aligned disclosure and accountability.”
The company also secured Carbon Disclosure Project ratings of ‘B-’ for climate change and ‘C’ for water security.
Under the IFRS S2 framework, the telecoms operator disclosed climate-related risks linked to flooding, heat stress, regulatory changes and possible future taxes or charges on carbon emissions, following a climate scenario analysis completed in 2024.
The report also showed that MTN Nigeria now uses a digital reporting format – XBRL. This makes its sustainability and governance data easier for investors and ESG rating agencies to access and analyse through automated systems.
The Company also carried out assessments to understand how sustainability issues affect both its business operations and society at large, while measuring its overall economic, environmental and social impact from 2021 to 2024.
In addition, over one-third of MTN Nigeria’s biggest suppliers (based on spending) have committed to supporting the company’s net-zero emissions goals, although these commitments have not yet gone through an independent audit or verification process.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) have announced a new compliance requirement mandating telecommunications companies to obtain regulatory approval before effecting significant changes in their ownership structure.
The directive, jointly issued by the two agencies, requires any proposed transfer of ownership or control of shares amounting to 10 per cent or more of the total share capital of a company licensed by the NCC to secure a Letter of No Objection from the commission before such transactions can be registered with the CAC.
The agencies said the requirement was in line with the provisions of Section 90 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, Regulation 28(2) of the Competition Practices Regulations, 2007, and Regulation 42 of the Licensing Regulations, 2019.
According to the statement, the regulations empower the NCC to oversee and review transactions involving licensed communications companies and ensure fair competition within the sector.
“Effective immediately, any proposed transfer of ownership or control of shares in a licensee of the Nigerian Communications Commission amounting to 10 per cent or more of the total share capital, as well as any series of share transfers which in aggregate exceed 10 per cent of the total share capital of the licensee, shall require a Letter of No Objection from NCC in order for the changes to be effected and registered with the CAC,” the statement said.
The agencies explained that the CAC would henceforth ensure that all applications for changes in shareholding structures involving 10 per cent or more of a telecommunications company’s share capital are accompanied by evidence of prior approval from the NCC.
They noted that the measure was aimed at preserving a fair and competitive market structure within the communications sector by preventing direct or indirect anti-competitive practices.
According to the statement, the new requirement will also strengthen regulatory oversight of significant changes in ownership and control of licensed telecommunications operators.
The agencies said the initiative would enhance transparency, boost investor confidence, provide regulatory certainty and safeguard the long-term sustainability and stability of the communications industry.
The NCC and CAC reaffirmed their commitment to promoting a transparent, stable and competitive business environment in Nigeria.
They pledged to continue working closely to ensure fair market practices, strengthen regulatory certainty and support the orderly and sustainable development of the nation’s communications sector.
National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to promote locally manufactured renewable energy technologies under the Federal Government’s ‘Nigeria First Policy’.
L-R: EVC/CEO, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu; Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale Abraham Adedokun; and Dr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), at the signing of the MoU on implementation of Nigeria First Policy for offtake of NSSENI’s renewable energy products for rural electrification projects held on Friday, June 19, 2026 at BPP’s office in Abuja.
The agreement signing was facilitated by the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr. Adebowale Abraham Adedokun at the BPP headquarters in Abuja on Friday, June 19, 2026.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the Agency is focused on linking research, production, and commercialization to ensure that innovations are translated into market-ready products.
He said “NASENI would scale up renewable energy production, including solar panels and streetlights, through initiatives such as DefFrontier, to strengthen local manufacturing and reduce import dependence, adding that the Agency will meet the renewable energy requirements of REA.”
Instead of continuous importation of technologies, machines and equipment for producing renewable energy solutions, NASENI by this MoU will be committed to local manufacturing and domestication of the technologies, equipment and other ways and means of proliferation of renewable resource in the country and to increase the nation’s off-grid energy solutions.
The Managing Director/CEO of REA, Dr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the relationship with NASENI as a strategic partnership aimed at building Nigeria’s renewable energy ecosystem through local production and deployment.
He stated that “while NASENI provides the manufacturing and technological capacity for renewable equipment, REA will focus on deploying solutions to expand electricity across rural areas.”
Meanwhile, the Director-General of BPP, Dr. Adebowale Abraham Adedokun, said the Nigeria First Policy, exemplified by this agreement, is aimed at strengthening local content, ensuring value for money, and promoting accountability in public procurement.
He emphasized that implementation of the agreement will be performance-based, with strict monitoring to ensure compliance and measurable outcome. He added that the MoU is expected to deepen collaboration between NASENI and REA in expanding renewable energy and reducing dependence on imported technologies.
The MoU will be implemented through NASENI’s subsidiary company, NASENI Devfrontier Green Energy FZE and REA limited liability company, RAMco.The two Federal Government agencies seek to establish a strategic collaboration under which REA shall offtake PV modules, inverters, energy storage batteries of NASENI-Devfrontier Green Energy FZE directly or through its approved distribution companies/assembly and manufacturing factory.
As part of the agreement, REA shall provide institutional visibility to enable NASENI participate in electrification projects; facilitate opportunities for engagements between NASENI and eligible developers/contractors under REA programs; ensure that such facilitation is consistent with applicable procurement, local content, and transparency requirements; and also collaborate with NASENI in promoting standardized, high-quality PV technologies across its programme portfolio.
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