Telecom
NEMA Seeks NITDA’s Collaboration on Disaster Risk Mitigation
In its commitment toward mitigating disaster risk in Nigeria, the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA is seeking for support and stronger collaboration with National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on the use of ICT Infrastructure and Digital platform with a view to ensuring timely and lifesaving search and rescue operations.
L-R: Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General and Chief Executive Officer, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Mustapha Habib Ahmad, Director General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), during a courtrsy visit to NITDA’s head office, recently.
This was discussed yesterday, when Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General and Chief Executive Officer, NITDA, received Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmad, in his office.
Mallam Abdullahi congratulated the DG NEMA for his recent appointment, describing his task as onerous that requires sustained and strengthened partnerships for him to succeed in his duties due to its magnitude and impact on distress Nigerians.
The DG mentioned that NITDA as government apex IT regulatory body is saddled with the mandate of developing and regulating the use of ICT in Nigeria, is equally within its purview to deploy its expertise on virtually all aspects of human and operational endeavors that requires the application of digital technology which NEMA is not an exception.
He described NEMA’s operations as one that requires the application of modern technology, adding that “to work effectively and efficiently you need ICT, technology can help you get insight and predict a disaster even before it happens”.
He said modern technology will in no small measure positions agencies like NEMA to always be on their toes ahead of any emerging situation easily, quickly, and conveniently as well as providing useful information that will make the agency take proactive measures.
The DG assured them of NITDA’s unalloyed commitment to incorporating NEMA into its Digital Transformation Working Group (DTWG) to facilitate organizing capacity building for their personnel, to have a full grasp of the process, when where and how to deploy and apply the technology appropriately.
He is also confident that NITDA’s readiness to key into providing technology guide on effective communication methods with their Zonal and State Offices for quick, easy, and convenient information dissemination of locations for disaster.
On his part, the Director General of NEMA said the visit was to further intimate NITDA management on his Agency’s statutory mandate and seek for collaborative support between the two agencies.
He said, NEMA’s Act empowers it to manage human and natural disasters as well as support Nigerians in distress and mitigate the impact of such calamities, thereby building the culture of resilience on Nigerians, adding that the country is faced with wide ranging disasters such as insurgent activities ravaging the North East, communal conflicts, kidnappings and banditry, annual floods and most recently the COVID19 global pandemic.
According to the NEMA DG, “resources at the agency’s disposal no doubt has been over stretched and can barely meet the various disaster challenges across the nation”.
He stated that they resolved to seek collaborative ties with stakeholders which NITDA is critical to the realisation of mitigating disaster risk management in Nigeria being the country’s apex IT regulator.
One of the areas that requires NITDA’s intervention is to assist in making up NEMA’s Zonal Territorial and Operational offices more effective – to have real time and sudden onset disaster communication, video conferencing, collection of damage and loss assessment data to enable timely lifesaving search and rescue operations as well as deployment of humanitarian support in the right time.
On the economic downtown occasioned due to the dreaded COVID 19 pandemic, the NEMA Boss said it has become imperative for their agency to further explore and sustain cost saving methods in their operations.
National Economic Council (NEC) of Nigeria has officially approved 112 as the unified, toll-free national emergency number to streamline responses to security, medical, fire, and natural disasters.
It is part of measures to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency lifeline and build a unified and coordinated national response to emergencies.
NEC also approved the establishment of a multi-agency implementation committee and programme coordination led by the Office of the Vice President and the National Communications Commission (NCC).
The approval was part of decisions taken at the 157th meeting of the NEC held virtually and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Shettima said the 112 emergency lifeline had become necessary to prevent delay caused by bureaucratic bottlenecks, noting that what the citizens seek urgently when confronted by a natural disaster or insecurity is an urgent response and not bureaucracy.
“This is not only a technical reform. It is a test of the state’s humanity. In moments of fire, accident, robbery, medical emergency, flood, violence, or panic, citizens do not need bureaucracy.
“They need a response. They need to know one number to call, one system to trust, and one coordinated chain of action that moves quickly enough to save lives,” he stated.
He explained that while Nigeria is not beginning from zero, as the emergency number had been in existence, what is required at the moment “is coordination, adoption, standard operating procedures, public awareness, institutional ownership, and trust”.
The vice president described NEC as the nation’s economic engine room, where the federal government and the states must convert the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu into practical outcomes.
The Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja Judicial Division, interim injunction on 24 April 2026 restraining MTN Nigeria Communications PLC and Airtel Networks Limited from suspending or interfering with Nairtime’s access to critical telecommunications platforms has helped to ensure access to essential airtime and data services for millions of Nigerians.
The Order, issued in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/779/2026, prevents any disruption to essential infrastructure such as Short Codes, SMS, USSD, and billing services following a directive issued by the FCCPC that left Nigerians without a safety net.
This ruling ensures that millions of Nigerian consumers, particularly those without access to traditional banking can continue to access airtime and data on credit, services that are increasingly vital for daily communication, work, education, and digital participation.
The Court’s intervention provides policy certainty and helps preserve continuity for users who depend on these services not just for connectivity, but also as a gateway to financial inclusion and digital identity in an increasingly connected economy. The decision also reinforces the legitimacy of Nairtime’s operations, which are conducted under a valid Value-Added Service (VAS) licence issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission.
Nairtime maintains that it has consistently complied with all regulatory requirements and contractual obligations. The company noted that the suspension linked to the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025 risked disrupting services relied upon daily by ordinary Nigerians.
Speaking on the development, Ms Uchenna Agbo, Chief Commercial Officer, Optasia, and Chief Executive Officer, Nairtime Nigeria Limited said: “This decision is ultimately about protecting underserved Nigerian consumers. It ensures that millions of people many of whom are underserved by traditional financial systems, retain uninterrupted access to essential digital services.
“Over time, using these services responsibly can help them prove reliability and improve their chances of accessing bigger financial opportunities in the future. Our platform enables responsible, data-driven lending that keeps people connected when they need it most and we look forward to working with our partners to restore services in a manner that resumes full service value to the Nigerian consumers without further delay.”
Nairtime Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to consumer and data protection through stringent governance frameworks and ethical use of artificial intelligence.
The company emphasized that it shares the broader consumer protection objectives of the Federal Government and remains committed to constructive engagement with regulators and industry partners.
She added: “We have built a system that supports inclusion at scale, while maintaining strong risk controls for industry stability and economic impact. This ruling allows us to continue delivering safe, reliable services that Nigerians depend on every day. We remain focused on ensuring that the Nigerian consumer stays at the centre of innovation and will continue working with regulators and our partners, including MTN and Airtel, to promote a fair, transparent, and inclusive digital ecosystem that benefits Nigeria and all Nigerians.”
Optasia, which listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in late 2025, was founded in Nigeria 14 years ago and provides the infrastructure layer that connects mobile network operators and banks to millions of underserved customers.
Through its global partnerships with 50 distribution partners and 17 financial institutions —including some of Africa’s largest mobile network operators (MNOs) and tier-one banks — the platform leverages proprietary AI which processes credit decisions in under one second, using alternative data to assess risk for customers who have never held a formal credit product.
Beyond telcos, the company is also developing new propositions including SME and merchant finance, longer terms and higher-value credit, telco BNPL and revolving credit lines, and embedding its platform across adjacent ecosystems and verticals.
PalmPay’s Managing Director, Mr. Chika Nwosu, delivered a compelling address on the transformative role of embedded finance in Africa, at the third edition of Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON 3.0), held on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Lagos.
PAFON 3.0
Speaking on the theme “Embedded Finance in Africa: Powering Payments Where People Live, Work, and Trade”, Nwosu emphasized that the story of finance on the continent is not merely about innovation but about solving everyday problems.
He recalled that as recently as 2017, only 43 per cent of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa had access to formal financial services, with Nigeria facing even deeper exclusion. Even for those included, challenges such as network downtime and failed transactions plagued the system.
“The average Nigerian wants to synergise life, work, and business without friction. That is where embedded finance comes in,” Nwosu said, stressing that the solution lies in integrating financial services directly into platforms people already use and trust.
Highlighting the role of smartphones as gateways into the financial ecosystem, he noted that Nigeria’s large base of smartphone users presents a unique opportunity to expand access.
With small businesses and informal trade driving the economy, contributing over 80 per cent of employment and more than half of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa, Nwosu argued that financial services must meet people where they are: in markets, on ride-hailing platforms, at POS terminals, and in online shops.
PalmPay, he explained, has focused on building infrastructure that guarantees reliability at scale, achieving a 99.95 per cent transaction success rate. “Trust is everything,” he said, adding that the company’s fraud prevention systems and human oversight have been critical to sustaining user confidence.
Beyond infrastructure, PalmPay has expanded through a network of over 500,000 agents, bringing services to the last mile, while leveraging data and AI to personalize experiences and strengthen security.
Nwosu underscored that embedded finance is already reshaping Nigeria’s digital economy by improving cash flow for small businesses, creating jobs, and moving beyond financial inclusion to meaningful usage, cautioning however, that more work remains to be done.
He outlined three priorities for unlocking the full potential of embedded finance: reliability at scale, deep ecosystem integration, and accessibility. Success, he said, will be achieved “when a trader in a remote market can transact with the same speed and confidence as a corporate executive in Lagos.”
Nwosu affirmed PalmPay’s commitment to building this future, where payments become so seamless that users no longer have to think about them at all.
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