News
NigComSat Corporation Bill Rings Controversy
Industry experts have said that autonomy for Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NigComSat) was an invitation to failure and creation of another white elephant destined to go the way of the now moribund, Nitel, Nigeria’s beleaguered national carrier.
Failing to find justifiable reasons for the demands of autonomy by NigComSat, the experts said that the passage of the bill amounts to creation of a parallel space agency that will compromise the National Space Programme of the Federal Government.
The experts which gathered in Lagos tore the bill apart and insisted that the passage of the bill will also be a wasteful duplication as the functions of the proposed Corporation are being performed by the Nigerian Space Research and Development Agency.
Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, chairman Teledom Group fired the first salvo and cautioned that the bill, when passed, might give NigComSat the autonomy to operate as a business venture and as a regulator.
He noted that government has no business in doing business.
Ekuwem’s comment drew the ire of Timasaniyu Ahmed-Rufai, the chief executive officer of NigComSat who clarified that the bill, in contents, does not have anything to imply that the bill will grant NigComSat a regulatory status as it has no operator to compete against.
“Contrary to the thinking of the business community, government has a business in business,” He added
Ahmed-Rufai also stressed that the bill will build NigComSat into maturity before becoming players like the Intelsat and other global satellite companies owned by the governments.”
He had immediate support from Yele Okeremi , member, Executive Committee of Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (Ispon).
He said: “We must perceive satellite communication as critical national infrastructure which requires everything to protect including legislation and we must sit down to see that we do everything to see that this bill become a law.”
He listed technology, social perception and legislation as the tripod that must be present before a revolution can happen.
Victor Nwakesi , representative of Olisa Agbakoba & Associates, the law firm responsible for the drafting of the NigComSat bill, also explained that the bill is much desired and that passage will aid Nigeria’s emerging development issue.
According to him, the contents of the NigComSat bill have been developed to align with what the laws allow. “NigComsat should be protected in the best interest of the citizens,” he said.
Eng. Lanre Ajayi, president, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria and chairman of the occasion, noted that there was a need to guide the Senate, as citizens, to let them know the need for Satellite Company to be able to run businesses on its own with less government bureaucracy.
Ajayi noted that satellite technology is a very desirable technology in Nigeria, noting however, that this was not to say that other terrestrial technologies are not very relevant but they are complementary.
“The major advantage of satellite is its ubiquitousness. In a country like ours, where we have many rural communities, satellite becomes an option. If we must progress, we cannot run away from developing satellite technology and government must support this.” Ajayi
He, however, expressed the view that NigComSat might go the way of Nigerian Telecommunications Limited, “because with the Act, it appears we are now putting it in the hands of the law makers.”
However, Bayo Banjo, president, Nigeria Internet Group, affirmed that the bill will transform NigComSat to a fully-owned government company.
“I do not see a reason for this bill because the company is already a limited liability. The bill is not in the interest of Nigeria. It will not serve the purpose of Nigerians.” Banjo noted.
He submitted that rather than having the NigComSat bill passed, it should be jettisoned with the best option to have it privatised.
Ben Nwaroh, partner, Crimson Partners Barristers and Solicitors stood up to say that the proposed bill is contrary to the new national ICT policy approved by the federal executive council.
Ahmed-Rufai sharply shouted him down in a desperate move to starve off further attacks on the bill.
He disclosed that the bill seeks to establish an Act to establish the NigComSat Corporation empowered to engage in, purchase and otherwise acquire or take over the assets, business, company, firm or persons and act in furtherance of all and any business associated and or relating to the satellite industry.
The bill has already been passed by the lower legislative arm, the House of Representatives as at March 2012.
The bill is now set for deliberation at the Senate before it will eventually be sent to the president for assent and the bill becoming an Act.
Ahmed-Rufai, said the Bill, if passed into law, will allow NigComSat Limited to engage in international business partnership for the benefit of the whole country.
He urged stakeholders in the nation’s Information and Communication Technology to support the bill, “as a corporation, the satellite company in about three to four years, would have achieved global satellite coverage.”
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced plans to introduce a biometric identity verification system, known as V-Pass, to speed up passenger processing and enhance security at domestic airports nationwide.
This initiative is aimed at strengthening aviation security, reducing passenger processing time and eliminating dependence on physical identity documents.
A statement issued yesterday by Henry Agbebire, director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, FAAN, said the new facial recognition platform, developed in partnership with Verxid Technologies Limited, would enable passengers to verify their identities through biometric authentication, allowing them seamless access through airport security checkpoints and boarding gates.
According to him, the initiative formed the focus of a strategic meeting between FAAN and Verxid Technologies Limited, where both organisations reviewed deployment plans, security safeguards and measures to improve passenger experience.
The statement hinted that the authority centred on ensuring the successful rollout of the digital platform while maintaining high security standards.
The statement quoted, Adebola Agunbiade, director of Commercial and Business Development, FAAN, as describing the V-Pass as another milestone in the authority’s ongoing digital transformation programme.
According to her, the platform indicated FAAN’s commitment to deploying innovative technology that enhances passenger facilitation while reinforcing aviation security across domestic airports.
She assured that the system would provide every traveller with a secure digital identity through a one-time enrolment process.
Under the arrangement, Nigerian passengers would register using their National Identification Number (NIN) alongside facial biometric capture, while foreign travellers would enroll with their passports through Optical Character Recognition (OCR) supported by biometric authentication, the statement added.
FAAN said the system would verify passenger identities before they gain access to restricted airport areas and once again before boarding their flights.
The agency noted that the dual-verification process was designed to prevent identity fraud, impersonation and unauthorised access to airport facilities, while giving security agencies greater confidence in passenger authentication.
Passengers would be able to complete the verification process either through self-service kiosks or with assistance from trained FAAN personnel.
The deployment would also include electronic gates to automate access into controlled areas, reduce queues and improve passenger movement across airport terminals.
According to the developers, first-time registration is expected to take about one minute, while subsequent biometric verification would take less than 30 seconds.
Apart from passenger processing, the V-Pass platform would also provide airlines with secure digital access to flight schedules, passenger manifests and boarding statistics.
FAAN assured travellers that data protection remained a critical component of the project, stressing that the platform fully complies with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has launched a new system to monitor how Bureau De Change (BDC) operators buy foreign exchange in the country.
Under the new arrangement, all licensed BDCs must report their foreign exchange purchases through a platform called the FX BDC Purchase Tracker (FXBT). The portal will allow the CBN to monitor transactions in real time or on the same day they take place.
The directive was announced in a circular dated July 15, 2026, and signed by the Director of the CBN’s Trade and Exchange Department, Aderinola Shonekan.
According to the apex bank, the new framework is designed to support its February 2026 policy that allows licensed BDCs to buy foreign exchange directly from authorised dealer banks in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM).
The CBN said the initiative will improve transparency, strengthen compliance, increase liquidity in the retail forex market, and ensure proper participation by market operators.
A major feature of the framework is the FXBT portal, which will serve as a central database for tracking all foreign exchange purchases made by BDCs from banks.
Under the guidelines, every licensed BDC must register on the platform and submit transaction details either in real time or on the same day the transactions occur.
The CBN stated that the system will help regulators identify violations, detect suspicious transactions, monitor compliance with market rules, and improve confidence in the foreign exchange market.
The framework builds on the CBN’s February 2026 decision to allow licensed BDCs back into the official foreign exchange market. Under that policy, each eligible BDC can purchase up to $150,000 weekly from authorised dealer banks at market rates.
The apex bank said only BDCs with valid licences will be allowed to access foreign exchange through the framework. Operators whose licences have been suspended or restricted due to regulatory issues will not be eligible until those restrictions are lifted.
The CBN also directed banks to carry out thorough Know Your Customer (KYC) and customer due diligence checks before onboarding any BDC. Required documents include valid operating licences, Tax Identification Numbers (TIN), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration documents, and information on beneficial ownership.
Banks have also been warned not to sell foreign exchange to BDCs that fail to meet the required compliance standards.
To encourage fair competition, the CBN said BDCs can buy foreign exchange from any authorized dealer bank of their choice. Banks are prohibited from forcing BDCs into exclusive arrangements or charging referral fees that limit their ability to transact with other banks.
Under the new process, BDCs must submit electronic requests for foreign exchange through a bank’s designated portal. Banks are required to acknowledge requests within two business hours and communicate approvals or rejections immediately after processing.
Requests can only be rejected for valid reasons, such as incomplete documentation, exceeding weekly purchase limits, unresolved compliance concerns, or internal risk management issues.
The CBN also introduced stricter rules on how purchased foreign exchange can be used. All transactions between banks and BDCs, as well as between BDCs and customers, must be conducted through accounts held with licensed financial institutions. Third-party transactions remain prohibited.
In addition, BDCs are not allowed to keep unused foreign exchange purchased through the official market. Any unused funds must be sold back into the market within 24 hours after the permitted usage period expires.
The apex bank warned that failure to comply could lead to forfeiture of funds and suspension from the market.
BDC operators must also disclose any unused balances from previous allocations when applying for new purchases, while banks are expected to consider those balances when calculating weekly allocations.
Beyond reporting through the FXBT portal, BDCs must continue submitting weekly reports to the CBN. These reports must include details of foreign exchange purchased from banks, sales to end users, unused balances, and settlement records.
The CBN said the reporting requirements will improve transparency and help regulators better monitor foreign exchange flows in the retail market.
The bank warned that violations of the framework could attract penalties under the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020 and the Foreign Exchange Act. Sanctions may include fines, suspension from the foreign exchange market, withdrawal of BDC licences, revocation of banks’ authorised dealer status, and referrals to law enforcement agencies where necessary.
The CBN’s Trade and Exchange Department will oversee compliance through regular and surprise inspections carried out in collaboration with other departments.
The apex bank said the new directive is part of its wider efforts to reform the foreign exchange market, improve transparency, boost liquidity, and restore confidence in the system.
Concerns over compliance breaches, speculative trading, and abuse of foreign exchange allocations had continued even after BDCs were reintroduced into the official market earlier this year.
The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has announced the commencement of another exercise to remove 100,000 companies from Nigeria’s register of companies for failing to comply with statutory requirements under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020.
In a public notice issued on Thursday, and dated July 15, 2026, the commission said the exercise was being carried out pursuant to Sections 692(3) and 692(4) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.
The notice stated: “This is to notify the General Public and Esteemed Customers that the Corporate Affairs Commission has commenced another round of striking off names of companies from the Register pursuant to the provisions of Section 692 (3) and (4) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.”
According to the commission, the affected companies are listed on its official website.
“The list of the affected One Hundred Thousand (100,000) companies can be accessed at the Commission’s Website,” the notice said.
The CAC directed all affected companies to update their records by filing outstanding annual returns and beneficial ownership information within 90 days.
“The affected companies are hereby advised to take steps to file all outstanding Annual Returns (and by extension Persons with Significant Control/Beneficial Ownership information) and regularize their records within ninety (90) days of this notice,” the commission said.
It added that companies must send proof of compliance to the designated email address, [email protected], within the stipulated period.
The commission warned that failure to comply would result in the affected companies being removed from the register without any further notice.
“Please note that companies that fail to comply within the stipulated timeline shall be struck off the Register without further notice,” the notice stated.
The CAC reiterated its commitment to improving service delivery, saying, “The Commission remains committed to providing prompt and efficient services to the satisfaction of our valued customers.”
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