News
NiRA Elect Adesola Akinsanya as New President
Members of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), the registry for .ng Internet Domain Names and managers of the database of domain names registered in the .ng country code Top Level Domain(ccTLD), have elected Mr. Adesola Akinsanya and Mr. Murtala Abdullahi as the new President and the Vice President, respectively.
They were elected on Friday, April 28, 2023, during NiRA’s 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at “The Zone”, Gbagada, Lagos State.
Prior to his election, Mr. Akinsanya was a member of the Executive Board of NiRA under the leadership of Mr. Muhammed Rudman, the immediate past president (IPP).
Members also elected officials to fill vacant positions on the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the Executive Board of Directors (EBoD).
Elected to NiRA BoT are Mrs. Mary Uduma; Mr. Yunusa Zakari Ya’u; Mrs. Ibukun Odusote; Mr. Remmy Nweke, and Mr Biyi Oladipo. While Mr. Ebenezer Dare; Mr. Seun Kehinde; and Mr. Peter Oluka were elected members of the EBoD.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Adesola Akinsanya expressed gratitude and immense appreciation to the members for electing him as president. “This is a call to greater service, and I promise to justify the confidence reposed in me” he affirmed.
Akinsanya, a Director at Upperlink Limited, had expressed in his manifesto, that he would employ winning formula: people, processes, performance, and accountability, to continue repositioning NiRA for greater success.
He focused on a few key areas such as improved Registry-Registrar relationship, stating his strong belief that “the relationship between the Registry and Registrar can be deepened thereby making it a win-win situation”, and promising improved incentives for Registrars which, according to the new president, would lead to mutual growth.
He also promised to expand NiRA’s outreach with more engagements with Local and international industry players: “As your president, I pledge to push for more of NiRA’s engagements within the local and international ecosystem and other industry partners.
This is very important because it fosters the bond with such players thereby giving NiRA more exposure to the internet communities. Also, collaboration with government and regulatory bodies would facilitate policy development thereby leading to increased adoption of .ng domains. Industry partners include ICANN, AFRINIC, IGF, AFTLD, etc.
The President also promised increased capacity building for NiRA members, non-members, and Registrars through NiRA’s Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV). “I will make sure we fully utilize NiRA’s SPVs (NiRA Academy and Ndukwe Kalu Foundation) for the purpose of capacity building/ training for NiRA members and the Registrars by providing scheduled webinars on relevant industry topics.“ Akinsanya craved the support of members to make NiRA a success story for the entire continent and beyond.
With regard to Brand Awareness and Collaboration, he stated that he would push for more NiRA brand awareness by collaborating with the Registrars”. Other focus areas include the signing of the .ng ccTLD zones and strategic stakeholder management.
NiRA is a Not-for-Profit, Non-Governmental Self-Regulating body and managers of the .ng national resource, the country code Top Level Domain(ccTLD) name space in the public interest of Nigeria and global internet communities.
NiRA adopts the 3R (Registry/Registrar/Registrant) model of operation in the registration of domain names. The implication of this is that NIRA does not handle the registration of domain names directly. Registration can only be carried out through NIRA-accredited Registrars. NiRA currently has over 100 Certified Registrars.
Ogba Ogbaga, an Abuja-based lawyer, has said that he has been instructed to institute legal proceedings against MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, 9mobile and MultiChoice Nigeria, operators of DStv, over what he described as unfair consumer practices relating to expiring data bundles and television subscriptions.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Ogbaga said his law firm, GIMBG Legals, received instructions from its client, KAA, also known as KaaTruths, to challenge the companies’ subscription policies in court.
According to him, the proposed suit will question whether telecom operators and DStv’s subscription models comply with provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 and other applicable laws.
Ogbaga alleged that telecom providers operate internet data services that are unfair to consumers, claiming subscribers sometimes do not receive the services they paid for but still lose their subscriptions once the validity period expires.
He also criticised DStv’s subscription model, arguing that consumers lose paid viewing time due to factors such as power outages, adverse weather conditions and service interruptions, while subscriptions continue to count down regardless.
“Our clients have complained that MTN data services are unduly one-sided,” Ogbaga said, adding that the legal action would also extend to other telecommunications providers and DStv.
He said the court action would seek judicial determination on whether the companies’ subscription practices comply with consumer protection laws.
The lawyer also invited interested legal practitioners to collaborate on the case, saying his firm would provide updates as the matter progresses.
In a separate Facebook post on Wednesday, Ogbaga said previous policy discussions, town hall meetings and debates at the National Assembly had failed to address the concerns raised by consumers.
He argued that telecom operators regularly carry out maintenance and network upgrades that temporarily disrupt services without extending customers’ subscription periods, while DStv subscribers also lose viewing time because of electricity outages and weather-related disruptions.
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has commenced the issuance of new licence certificates to insurance companies that successfully met the industry’s new minimum capital requirements, marking the formal beginning of a new regulatory era aimed at strengthening the financial capacity, governance and global competitiveness of Nigeria’s insurance sector.
At a ceremony held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the Commissioner for Insurance, Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, presented the new licence certificates to compliant operators, describing the exercise as a major milestone in the industry’s recapitalisation programme.
According to the Commission, a total of 43 insurance companies declared compliant with the new capital requirements are expected to receive the new licence certificates in phases.
Omosehin congratulated the successful companies, saying the issuance of the new licences signals the beginning of a stronger regulatory framework anchored on improved capitalisation, sound corporate governance, innovation and sustainable growth.
He urged operators to leverage their enhanced capital base to develop innovative insurance products, improve operational efficiency and deepen insurance penetration across the country.
The Commissioner said the Commission expects the recapitalised companies to deliver stronger financial performance while maintaining high standards of professionalism and customer service.
He also announced that NAICOM’s next major regulatory initiative would be the implementation of the Risk-Based Capital (RBC) framework, under which insurers’ capital levels would be aligned with the risks inherent in their respective business portfolios.
According to him, the new framework will further strengthen the industry’s resilience by ensuring that insurers maintain capital commensurate with the risks they underwrite, thereby enhancing policyholder protection and boosting market confidence.
Omosehin reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to removing regulatory impediments where necessary while maintaining effective oversight to safeguard policyholders and strengthen confidence in the insurance market.
The issuance of the new licence certificates marks the commencement of a phased transition to higher capital standards aimed at improving the financial capacity, solvency and claims-paying ability of insurance companies operating in Nigeria.
Management of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek Media has withdrawn its publication titled “Adefolarin Ogunsanya and the Allegations of Shareholder Interference and Self-Dealing at Pan African Towers,” which was published on its platform.
The decision to retract the story follows an editorial review to ensure that the platform maintains the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and responsible journalism in reporting matters that are the subject of ongoing judicial proceedings.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek acknowledges that the issues raised in the publication remain before the courts and have not been finally determined.
Accordingly, the organisation has decided to remove the article from its platforms pending the conclusion of the legal processes or the availability of additional verified information.
The publication regrets any inconvenience or misunderstanding the report may have caused to readers or any individuals or organisations mentioned in the story.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek remains committed to the principles of balanced, factual and ethical journalism and will continue to uphold professional standards in its coverage of judicial and corporate governance matters.
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