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NGO Asks SEC to Sack Ndukwe, Others from MTN Board

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Ernest Ndukwe
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Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) has given the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a 14-day ultimatum to delist some members of the newly constituted board of MTN Nigeria.

 

In a petition sent to Mary Uduk, the acting director-general of SEC, HEDA said the new board members were “picked to offer the South African communications concern undue advantage in Nigeria’s political and economic environment”.

 

The listed board members are Ernest Ndukwe, former chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) now MTN chairman; Muhammad Ahmed, former chairman of the technical committee of the Nigerian Code on Corporate Governance; Omobola Johnson, a former minister for communication; and Ifueko Okauru, a former chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

 

HEDA said the appointments are an attempt to “insulate MTN from adverse local political action given its recent history with the regulatory agency, the  NCC, and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF”.

 

“It was reported that major mobile companies in Nigeria were fined by the NCC for failure to adhere to the law and were given a week to deactivate unregistered lines,” the petition signed by Olanrewaju Suraju, HEDA chairman, read.

“It was reported that while other mobile firms complied, MTN flouted the regulator’s instructions, leaving 5.2 million unregistered users on its network and the fine was due on November 17, 2015, but MTN managed to secure a cover-up and delayed fines until a new management and government came into office.

 

“It is a complete show of irony that Mr Ernest Ndukwe who was the Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission during the MTN infractions, the regulatory body solely responsible for the business activities of telecommunications and Mrs Mobolaji Johnson as the Communication Minister at the time of this infractions will be selected as the designate chairman and Board Member respectively by the telecommunication company.

 

“Mrs Okauru was chairman of FIRS when the allegations of MTN Nigeria’s tax evasion of over $2 billion relating to import duties, VAT, withholding tax on foreign import/payments were revealed and despite this it was reported that tranches of transfers were discovered to have been made to companies in Dubai and Mauritius as reported by Satellite Times on the 8th October, 2018 and these allegations under the nose of the former chairman was consequent upon the failure of the FIRS to undertake diligent and effective supervision and no record of investigations to confirm the authenticity or otherwise while in office.

 

“It is our firm belief that these persons who were once public office holders who ought to have acted against some activities and alleged infractions of this company but failed in their responsibilities and capacities are now being compensated with appointments into the board.”

 

Quoting rule 601 (5), HEDA said SEC is empowered by the Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations of 2013 to impose sanctions on registered companies and listed removal of executive officers as one of the sanctions that can be imposed.

 

The non-governmental organisation threatened that it would demand performance of its request in a court of law if no action is taken within 14 days of its petition.

 


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MTN @ Swish Fusion Summit, Showcases 5G Rollout Strategy

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MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has joined other professionals across media, technology, and business gathered in Lagos for the Swish Fusion Tech and Media Summit.

MTN @ Swish Fusion Summit, Showcases 5G Rollout Strategy

Themed ‘Africa: Big Wins & New Breaks’, the summit drew thousands of attendees and featured more than 40 speakers exploring the intersection of innovation, regulation, and economic growth across the continent.

Among the sessions, MTN Nigeria presented a detailed look at the company’s ongoing 5G deployment efforts and its role in shaping enterprise infrastructure.

Njideka Jack, senior manager for Partnerships in MTN’s Enterprise Business Division,  shared details of the investments, reiterating the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality 5G-powered services.

The company’s 5G rollout timeline began in 2022 with license acquisition from the Nigerian Communications Commission. In 2023, MTN moved into pilot testing and infrastructure investment.

By 2024, coverage had expanded to key cities and business hubs.

The company now plans to extend access to more underserved areas throughout 2025 while deepening collaboration with OEMs and regulators.

Beyond the rollout itself, Jack also spoke on the potential of private 5G networks for Nigerian enterprises.

With the ability to offer secure, high-speed, low-latency connectivity, these networks are increasingly being adopted in manufacturing, healthcare, education, and logistics sectors.

The summit’s broader agenda reflected a similar sense of urgency around Africa’s digital future.

Panels and breakout sessions tackled topics ranging from mobile-first product design and regulatory frameworks to the rise of AI in content creation and the realities of funding early-stage tech ventures on the continent.

Speakers from companies like Jumia, Stears and local startups provided perspectives on both the barriers and breakthroughs in building scalable African solutions.

The sessions also sparked conversations about how African businesses are adapting to consumer behaviour shifts and infrastructure limitations.


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PAT Taps Osi as CEO

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Pan African Towers (PAT), a Nigerian infrastructure provider serving 9mobile and Spectranet, has appointed Echezona Osi as chief executive officer.

PAT Taps Osi as CEO

Echezona Osi

Adefolarin Ogunsanya, company’s, board chairman,  explained in a statement that Osi would succeed Oladipo Badru, whose tenure lasted nine months in acting CEO position. Osi has more than 28 years of experience in the telecommunications sector across various regions of Africa.

Prior to his appointment as CEO, he had served as the head of network deployment at Airtel Nigeria, operations director and chief technical information officer at MIC Tanzania, chief technology officer roles at IPT PowerTech Nigeria, Rhino Niger Networks and Biswal Nigeria.

He obtained a degree in electrical/ electronic engineering from the University of Benin and a postgraduate diploma in data science and business analytics from the University of Texas.


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NCC Introduces N10m Licence Fee for Bulk SMS Service

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Companies sending bulk international text messages, also known as Application-to-Person (A2P) messages, will now have apply for a licence that costs N10 million.

NCC Introduces N10m Licence Fee for Bulk SMS Service

This is part of new rules introduced by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) aimed at cleaning up the system, fighting fraud, blocking spam messages and stopping money from leaving the country unchecked.

These A2P messages are the kind customers get from banks, online stores, hospitals and political campaigns, automated texts sent from apps to their phones.

According to the commission, the bulk international text message system has been poorly regulated, allowing misuse and invasion of privacy.

“The International SMS Service Ecosystem in Nigeria has not been fully brought under regulatory control. It has been observed that the excessive use of the Short Message Service has led to fraud, spam and illegal activities,” the NCC said.

The regulator warned that without action, the problem would worsen as more people use mobile phones and digital services.

To solve this, the NCC is creating a central platform, or gateway, through which all international bulk text messages must pass through.

The agency said this would help to monitor messages in real time, ensure proper fees are paid, and make sure the money stays in Nigeria where it can contribute to the economy.

As part of the incoming change, service providers must follow strict rules, including strong data protection, spam filters, and message encryption.

Also, they must also work with local mobile networks and make sure all messages come from a verified sender

The NCC warned that any message without a proper sender ID will be blocked and not delivered to users.

To protect users from unwanted texts, the new rules say companies must get clear permission before sending any promotional content.

The rule also says people must also be able to choose whether they want to receive such messages or not.

Companies are now required to keep records of all messages for at least six months and must clearly state all charges involved.

The NCC said fees for help requests, cancellations, or service info must be transparent and not include hidden charges.

The commission will issue licences to several providers to encourage healthy competition but may limit new licences if needed.

Only companies that show they can stop fraud and safely deliver messages will be allowed to operate. They must also regularly report their message traffic and finances to the NCC.

It warned that any company that breaks the rules risks getting fined, suspended, or having its licence revoked.

Offences like charging illegal tariffs, ignoring security rules, or avoiding taxes will be punished, the NCC said.

The commission added that the new rules follow the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023 and support the federal government’s goal of strengthening cybersecurity and controlling Nigeria’s digital space.

The framework will also be reviewed from time to time to keep up with new technology and market trends.


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