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Nigeria Tech: After Omobola Comes Shittu (Who?)

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Mr. Adebayo Shittu, minister of Communications
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After the long delay in announcing his ministers, we all waited with great anticipation for who President Buhari  will appoint to  replace Omobola Johnson as minister for Comminucation Technology.

Omobola had been appointed the pioneer minister of this ministry by the last administration and stayed in the post for about 3 years.

During that period , she had left no one in doubt that she understood what it required to build a tech ecosystem for Nigeria that will rival any other rindustry in the country.

At every encounter, she tried to rally the tech industry to stand up and be counted as one of the biggest contributors to Nigerian GDP.

She was knowledgeable and articulate. And humble about it.

I believe that the industry responded to her and  suddenly, the idea of a viable tech ecosystem not necessarily dominated by the telecoms industry started becoming a reality.

Yaba tech hub started becoming a name across Africa as one of the hotbeds of tech innovation.

Venture capital companies started looking for deals to be made in Nigeria . ecommerce took off . Tech hubs, accelerators  started popping up, with new tech entrepreneurs minted daily and some getting funding.

And there were signs that a real momentum was building for the tech industry to explode. Similar to what happened to Nollywood and the music industry. But this time, bigger and more orderly. 

And better funded , following the models that have worked in several countries with Silicon Valley as the poster child for the world.

She was not solely responsible for this. But she was an apostle and avid supporter. And she put her money where her mouth was.

‎Then came  the end of the Jonathan administration in May. I think it was too soon to see her go. So when the time came for a new minister to be announced, I guess the industry was high in anticipation that whoever succeeded her must be someone who understood the tremendous work that had been done and would continue the legacy.

When Mr Adebayo Shittu a, politician and a legal practitioner was announced as replacement, the first thing that came to my mind was Shittu who? And being in tech, I am sure most of us went to the net to Google him to find out his background and pedigree.

We did see a politician with pedigree. But with little or no tech credentials. That’s been a source of uneasy silence in the industry.

I have nothing against Mr Shittu and I am sure he is a brilliant lawyer and  politician. But the industry fought to have a special ministry designated for her because of the nature of technology and its capacilty to impact the society.

And like health and legal professions where industry professionals run such ministries, we thought that it made sense to have industry experts from the tech ecosystem to guide the fairly new ministry.

I remember long ago when a pharmacist was named the Minister for Health. The heath industry was up in arms against the Minister , one of the best Pharmacists in the country then and a member of the health  industry. But no.

Doctors , the more powerful in  the ministry would not have a pharmacist heading their ministry. And lawyers? Can I ever aspire to be Minister of Justice in Nigeria?

So you can imagine the uneasy silence in the industry since the announcement was made.

Unfortunately, the industry does not have the noisemaking capacity of the legal or medical profession to lay a siege on the presidency and demand that “justice’ be done.

And our lobbying ability is very limited. Tech people in Nigeria are just cobbling an industry together and lack the age long experience of the more mature industries like lawyers and doctors .

But its necessary that we learn fast to protect the industry that will increasing be relevant in which ever direction the Nigerian economy wants to go.

Anyway, we have Mr Shittu. All we can do I guess is to welcome him.

And pray he has the appetite to quickly learn about the industry and take on from where Omobola left. There is a lot that needs to be done. And I will mention a few.

As Nigeria grapples with the challenges of sub $40 oil, Tech is one of the best options for diversifying the economy.

But for that to happen, there is a lot that needs to be done to create the industry that will create wealth and employment.

The ministry should continue to catalyze this. Chief among them is the financial system that funds tech  companies and startups. From angel investors to venture capital companies.

As at today, startups in tech will not get funding from banks and your normal financial institutions.

And intervention funds do not list tech as one of the areas they cover. This has to stop. We fund textile. We fund mining. We fund manufacturing and agriculture. We are even funding Nollywood. 

So why not  Technology ? The ministry needs to help create the structures for  more funding to both early stage tech companies and the matured one to help them scale and create wealth and employment

The tech industry has two main subsectors, the ‘ bigger’ and better funded telecoms industry and the less funded IT industry.

It is the less funded IT though that has the capacity for mass impact. The telecoms industry is developed and maturing. It has very few players and while its influence on the economy is huge, its capacity for really creating entrepreneurs ands wealth is limited. How many people does MTN employ?

And how many entrepreneurs has the telecommunication industry produced? Compare that to Jumia or Konga and their competitors, after  only a few years.

Omobola understood this and spent as much time in Yaba as possible, trying to pull up the IT industry to compete with telecoms.  I hope the  the new Minister will  follow the same path.

In the last two months, two issues that relate to Tech have dominated the headlines. The first is the  $5.2b fine imposed on MTN.

The seconds is the TSA/Remitta issue. What is the minister’s take on both?  The tech industry is local but with  an  international influence.

The few investments we have seen in startups and the telecoms industry are mostly from international players. How will the fine on MTN affect international VCs and private equity companies who provide the funds that drive the growth in the industry?

Is the Minister as a lawyer going to focus on the legal side of the argument or the business side?Are we going to see more regulation in the industry? Or less?

In concluding,  I suggest  the industry  quickly sit down with the minister .

Not on  merry go round courtesy calls but on serious discussions around the future of the industry and how the industry can help Nigeria diversity the economy.

There is a lot that can be done to help Nigeria out of the current economic crisis and I believe tech will play a big role. The hub of the industry is in Lagos.

We must invite him to come take a look at what we are doing and let him tell us how he can play his part.

It is not going to be an easy task for him to run a ministry that supervises technology, a queer industry dominated in most climes by young upstarts who think they will change the world. And some do. I wish him luck and assure him that if he is willing, he will get the support he needs.

And for the future, the industry should start getting interested in how it is governed at the highest level. And should let the country know that it has competent people who can man the ministry and protect the interest of the practitioners.‎


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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NCC Expands IPv6 Board with the Appointment of Olusola Teniola, Funke Opeke Others

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Olusola Teniola, ipNX Director has been named to the newly inaugurated IPv6 Council Board by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), as part of a broader industry effort to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).

The inauguration, which took place in Ikeja, Lagos, underscores the Commission’s renewed commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), a critical enabler of the country’s digital future.

Mr. Teniola joins a distinguished group of industry leaders, including Funke Opeke, Muhammed Rudman (Chairman), Chris Uwaje (Vice Chairman), Mary Uduma, Gbenga Adebayo, Lanre Ajayi, and Latif Ladid, alongside representatives from key regulatory and government institutions.

Speaking on his appointment, Teniola expressed appreciation to the NCC for the opportunity to serve and reiterated the importance of collaborative action in driving Nigeria’s digital transformation.

“The transition to IPv6 is no longer a future consideration; it is an immediate priority for Nigeria’s digital economy. As data consumption grows and emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT, and AI become more pervasive, we must ensure that our underlying infrastructure is scalable, secure, and globally competitive,” he said.

He further emphasized that achieving meaningful IPv6 adoption will require strong alignment across stakeholders, including telecom operators, internet service providers, enterprises, academia, and government.

“This is a collective responsibility. We must invest in capacity building, drive awareness, and create the right policy and regulatory environment to accelerate adoption. Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind in an increasingly connected world.”

The IPv6 Council Board has been tasked with developing and overseeing the implementation of a national IPv6 strategy, monitoring progress, and providing periodic updates on adoption levels across the country. The Council will also play a key role in addressing infrastructure challenges, strengthening technical expertise, and recommending policy incentives to support nationwide deployment.

Teniola’s appointment reflects ipNX’s continued commitment to shaping Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and advancing the development of resilient, future-ready network infrastructure across the country.


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QNET, Manchester City Host Football Clinic for Young Talents in Ghana

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In a transformative initiative focused on youth empowerment, talent development and community impact, QNET, an international wellness and lifestyle company and a decade-long Official Direct Selling Partner of Manchester City , has successfully hosted an elite football clinic in Accra for 25 promising young Ghanaian footballers aged 7 to 11.

QNET, Manchester City Host Football Clinic for Young Talents in Ghana

QNET

Delivered by official Manchester City coaches from 21 to 24 May 2026, the football clinic brought together talented young boys and girls from different communities across Ghana at AIS School Park, East Legon, for a unique opportunity to receive world-class football coaching, mentorship and life-skills training inspired by one of the world’s leading football clubs.

For many of the participants, the experience represented more than football. It was an opportunity to dream bigger, build confidence and believe that through hard work, discipline and determination, young Ghanaians can achieve their full potential both on and off the pitch.

Football holds a special place in Ghanaian culture and identity, inspiring generations of young people across the country. Through this initiative, QNET and Manchester City Football Club aimed to contribute meaningfully to the future of youth development in Ghana by creating an inclusive platform where children can learn, grow and thrive regardless of their background.

Trevor Kuna, Chief of Network Development at QNET said, “Football does something that few things can — it cuts across language, background and circumstance and gives young people a common language of ambition. When you watch these children on the pitch, you see not just their talent but their hunger to grow, to prove themselves, to be seen. At QNET, we believe that hunger deserves to be met with opportunity, and that is exactly what this clinic is about.”

The clinic focused not only on football skills and tactical development, but also on teamwork, leadership, discipline, perseverance and self-belief, values that are essential both in sport and in life.

Cherif Abdoulaye, QNET’s Deputy Regional General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, said,“,“When QNET took this initiative to Nigeria in 2023, we saw first-hand what happens when young people are given access to world-class coaching in their own communities — it shifts something in how they see themselves and what they believe is possible. Bringing it to Ghana felt like the natural next step. Ghana has a football culture that runs deep, and a new generation ready to carry it forward. We are proud that QNET and Manchester City can be part of that story.”

Philipa Harrison, Partnerships Marketing Manager for City Football Group’s MENA region, said “Over the past few days, we have witnessed tremendous passion, energy and commitment from these young players. This football clinic is about helping young people develop their abilities, enjoy the game and believe in what they can achieve in the future. We are proud to partner with QNET to bring this experience to young players in Ghana.”

For more than 10 years, QNET has been the Official Direct Selling Partner of Manchester City Football Club. QNET has also maintained a longstanding partnership with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), supporting major African interclub competitions including the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

These partnerships reflect QNET’s broader commitment to youth empowerment, community engagement, and the development of sports across Africa.

Beyond its sports and community initiatives, QNET continues to champion ethical business practices, transparency and public education across its markets while working closely with stakeholders and authorities to address the misuse of its brand by unauthorised individuals.


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Telcos Mull Calculator to Address Data Depletion Complaints

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Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) may introduce  data calculator to enable users to measure their data usage and address complaints of rapid data depletion.

Telcos Mull Calculator to Address Data Depletion Complaints

Data depletion is the rapid exhaustion of your internet data bundle before its expected expiration.

The data calculator is a tool that will show subscribers how their data is used daily.

Telecom operators, largely the MNOs, are already providing subscribers a daily report of data used the previous day, as part of directives from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to drive transparency.

According to a report by Nairametrics, an industry source confirmed the new measure, noting that subscriber complaints over data depletion have now become a major concern in the industry, as it undermines trust.

“An average subscriber believes their service provider steals their data once their data is exhausted before time or depletes faster than they expected, which is not true.

“Over the years, we have tried to enlighten subscribers on factors that could lead to the fast depletion of their data, which include smartphone functionality, among others.

“And now, we are looking at tools that could show the subscribers not just what they have used, but also how they have used it to further promote transparency,” the source said.

According to the source, operators are also intensifying their sensitisation campaigns to help subscribers understand why their data can run out quickly.

Recall that NCC carried out an audit about 24 months ago across the mobile networks and found out that there was “no major” issue of data depletion, contrary to claims and complaints by subscribers.

Findings showed that the major issue still concerns the types of mobile phones and the activities users perform on them.


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