E-Business
NITDA Clarifies Regulatory Infractions Allegation By ALTON
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has cleared the air on the allegations made by Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) that it engages on regulatory infractions.
Emmanuel Edet Esq, head, Legal Services & Board Matters, National Information Technology Development Agency, made the clarifications in a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to the statement, “The attention of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has been drawn to a publication ascribed to the President of the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) published in the media regarding certain regulations and guidelines issued by the Agency.
For avoidance of doubt, NITDA has enjoyed a cordial and cooperative relationship with all sector regulators and we have consistently engaged them on all regulations and guidelines issued by the Agency. In this vein, NITDA has significantly socialized the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019 and the Public Internet Access Regulation 2019 as referenced in the publication. The Agency is delighted with the support of several institutions in complying and promoting these regulations.
For clarity, no single regulator in Nigeria has a converged mandate on ICT in the country. Various Agencies have different roles to play in developing and regulating ICT in Nigeria as dictated by their mandates and enabling laws. Furthermore, no single entity is regulated by only one regulator in Nigeria, regulators in the country work in a cooperative and complementary capacity, resolving mandate overlaps in a cooperative manner. ALTON, as with various industry groups, are expected to comply with various professional, sector, geographical and international regulators when their operations so demand. This understanding has been shared between NITDA and other regulators in Nigeria.
It may be recalled that NITDA issued five regulatory instruments on the 25th January, 2019, two of which were referenced in the publication. We wish to draw the attention of the public to the following:
- The Framework and Guidelines for Public Internet Access(PIA) 2019 was issued to ensure the safe use of free or subsidized publicly accessible internet service in Nigeria. NITDA has been inundated by concerned stakeholders to check the regime of publicly accessible internet service considering its national security dimensions.
The Framework and Guidelines aims to create and promote a mutually beneficial and friendly environment for both public internet access providers and users in Nigeria. The Regulation is directed at Public Internet Access Providers (PIAPs). PIAPs include any business or other entity that provide internet access without charge or offers a partially subsidized internet access to members of the public. The concerns which NITDA aims to address through this regulatory instrument are:
- Cyber security and cyber crime;
- Personal data breaches; and
- Crime detection, prevention and investigation.
NITDA is enabled to address these concerns by virtue of Section 6(c) and (m) of the NITDA Act which mandates the Agency to provide Guidelines for electronic data interchange in Nigeria and to accelerate internet and intranet penetration in Nigeria and promote sound internet Governance.
- The Directives for Registration of Data Centre Facilities in Nigeria was issued pursuant to Section 6 of the NITDA Act 2007 which empowers the Agency to:
- Create a framework for the planning, research, development, standardization, application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation and regulation of Information Technology practices, activities and systems in Nigeria and all matters related thereto…;and
- Create incentives to promote the use of information technology in all spheres of life in Nigeria including the development of guidelines for setting up of information technology systems and knowledge parks.
Data Centre operations are principally information technology systems which support the entire IT value-chain. Reference to Executive Orders 003(2017) and 005(2018) mainly cites the added Presidential Directives on local content promotion. The fundamental mandate arises from the NITDA Act which has been cited above. Furthermore, the Guidelines for Nigerian Content Development in ICT (2019)explicitly provides:
Data and Information Management Companies shall:
- Register their products, capabilities and organization on the NITDA portal. The service will be provided free of charge and devoid of bureaucracy and will ensure NITDA awareness of available resources.
- Host government data locally within the country and shall not for any reason host any government data outside the country without an express approval from NITDA and the SGF.
The Nigerian Content Guidelines is a salutary example of regulatory cooperation between NITDA and ICT stakeholders to promote Local Content in Nigeria. The above provisionsanticipate the role of NITDA in the regulation and promotion of Data Centers in Nigeria. The Agency is not averse to any Regulator demanding compliance as it relates to the operation of Data Centers that touches on the Regulator’s mandate. Interestingly, Data Center operators have openly commended NITDAfor the improved enforcement of regulations and policies which has led to significant increase in Data Centre patronage in the last three years.
- The report further purports to take issues with the classification of Internet Protocol address, IMEI number, IMSI number etc. as personal data under the Regulation. The report assumes this amounted to usurpation of the NCC’s regulatory mandate. This is a patent misreading of regulatory frameworks. In the absence of a National Assembly-enacted legislation on Data Protection, Section 6 (c) of the NITDA Act 2007 specifically empowers the Agencyto:
“Develop guidelines for electronic governance and monitor the use of electronic data interchange and other forms of electronic communication transactions as an alternative to paper-based methods in government, commerce, education, the private and public sectors, labour, and other fields, where the use of electronic communication may improve the exchange of data and information.”
Furthermore, NITDA was established to implement the National IT Policy of 2000. Article 5(xix) of the Policy provides…Government will establish a National Information Technology Development Agency to implement the IT Policy, regulate, monitor, evaluate and verify progress on an ongoing basis…
Also, Strategy 13.3(iii) of the Policy further provides …Ensure the protection of individual and collective privacy, security, and confidentiality of information…
While it is global practice for sector regulators to give sector specific directives and regulations on how certain issues are to be addressed, this does not restrict the right of Government Agencies to issue regulations which cover the field as is the case in this matter. NITDA is in active collaboration with all sector regulators to ensure full compliance with the NDPR. The aggregate consensus of most stakeholders is that the NDPR is a laudable regulation which would further improve the Nigerian business environment and help attract foreign direct investment.
Finally, we advise that it is not in the strategic interest of interest groups to attempt to set Government Agencies against each other just because of its short-term benefits. NITDA is clear about its mandate as provided bythe enabling law and will not be overawed by powerful interest groups to implement its mandate which is to the overall benefit of all Nigerians.It should also be noted that violation of the Regulatory Instruments of NITDA is a criminal offence and punishable with fine, imprisonment or both.”
Google has outlined a wave of AI support across Africa, representing $37 million in cumulative funding — including previously committed but unannounced funding — to research, talent development, and infrastructure.
The funding package includes funding and partnerships that aim to strengthen AI research, support African languages, improve food systems, expand digital skills, and build research capacity.
The AI Collaborative for Food Security, a multi-partner initiative launched with $25 million in funding from Google.org will bring together researchers, and nonprofit organizations to co-develop AI tools for early hunger forecasting, crop resilience, and tailored guidance for smallholder farmers.
The goal is to help make food systems across Africa more adaptive, equitable, and resilient in the face of increasing climate and economic shocks.
Google also announced $3 million in funding to the Masakhane Research Foundation, the open research collective advancing AI tools in over 40 African languages.
The funding will support the development of high-quality datasets, machine translation models, and speech tools that make digital content more accessible to millions of Africans in their native languages.
To further empower innovation, Google is launching a catalytic funding initiative to support AI-driven startups tackling real-world challenges.
This platform will combine philanthropic capital, venture investment, and Google’s technical expertise to help more than 100 early-stage ventures scale AI-based solutions in agriculture, healthcare, education, and other vital sectors.
Startups will also receive mentorship, access to tools, and technical guidance to support responsible development.
Africa’s AI talent is growing rapidly, but the infrastructure to support it must grow in tandem.
That’s why a cornerstone of this announcement is the launch of the AI Community Center in Accra — a first-of-its-kind space for AI learning, experimentation, and collaboration in Africa.
The Center will host training sessions, community events, and workshops focused on responsible AI development. Its programming will span four pillars: AI literacy, community technology, social impact, and arts and culture — providing a platform for a diverse ecosystem of developers, students, and creators to engage with AI in ways that are grounded in African priorities.
To help meet the rising demand for AI and digital skills, Google is rolling out 100,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships for students in higher learning institutions across Ghana.
These fully funded, self-paced programs will focus on AI Essentials, Prompting Essentials, and other high-growth fields like IT Support, Data Analytics, and Cybersecurity — enabling more learners to access job-ready training and build careers in AI and the digital economy.
Beyond Ghana, Google.org is committing an additional $7 million to support AI education across Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana.
The funding will support academic institutions and nonprofits building localized AI curricula, online safety training, and cybersecurity programs.
Additionally, two new $1 million grants from Google.org aim to bolster AI research capacity across the continent.
One grant goes to the African Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AfriDSAI) at the University of Pretoria to support applied AI research and training.
The other supports the Wits Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute in South Africa, which will fund MSc and PhD students to conduct foundational AI research and help shape Africa’s role in the global AI landscape.
Speaking about the announcements, James Manyika, senior vice president for Research, Labs, and Technology & Society at Google, said: “Africa is home to some of the most important and inspiring work in AI today. We are committed to supporting the next wave of innovation through long-term investment, local partnerships, and platforms that help researchers and entrepreneurs build solutions that matter.”
Yossi Matias, vice president of Engineering and Research at Google, added: “This new wave of support reflects our belief in the talent, creativity, and ingenuity across the continent. By building with local communities and institutions, we’re supporting solutions that are rooted in Africa’s realities and built for global impact.”
One of the core reasons why businesses remain vulnerable to cyberthreats is that they underestimate their risk or overestimate the strength of their existing defences.
According to a recent Kaspersky survey entitled “Cybersecurity in the workplace: Employee knowledge and behaviour”, 52,1% of professionals surveyed in the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region, whose work requires the use of computers, asses the risk of a cybersecurity incident happening to their company as quite possible.
Commenting on the probable consequences of a cybersecurity incident, 55,6% of employees surveyed supposed that it might seriously affect the company. This understanding of risks comes not only from general cybersecurity awareness, but also from knowledge about cyber incidents in their organisations: 31,8% of respondents acknowledged such incidents happened in the past 12-months, while an additional 26,2% said they have heard about these incidents from colleagues.
Organisations nowadays face a variety of cyberthreats ranging from phishing and business email compromise to ransomware and advanced persistent threats.
In a lot of these attacks, the entry point into the organisation’s network is via a human mistake, and it is for that reason attackers actively employ social engineering techniques and AI tools to make their efforts more effective.
The survey shows that the majority of respondents understand that cybersecurity is an issue that should be considered by the IT department, while 23,9% also mentioned top level executives and 15,9% cited legal and financial employees as core groups within the business who should keep cybersecurity issues in mind. Only 30,6% of employees surveyed viewed cybersecurity as an issue that should be considered by all employees across the entire business.
“In today’s digital landscape, cybersecurity is a collective responsibility that extends beyond the IT department. Every employee should remain vigilant against evolving threats.
“Regular cybersecurity training, use of relevant IT solutions, well-defined policies and an incident response plan are essential pillars of organisational cyber resilience. When every team member is informed and prepared, the organisation stands stronger against cyber threats,” says Brandon Muller, Technical Expert for the MEA region at Kaspersky.
E-Business
UAC Acquires ChivitaHollandia from Coca-Cola in Strategic Move to Expand Food & Beverage Leadership in Nigeria
The Coca-Cola Company has entered into an agreement to sell Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) to UAC of Nigeria PLC (UAC).
Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) is a leading food and beverage player in Nigeria, with a portfolio across value-added dairy products, juices, nectars, still drinks, and snacks.
The Hollandia brand is the market leader in evaporated milk and drinking yoghurt, while the Chivita brand is the market leader in fruit juice.
This transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, further supports The Coca-Cola Company’s strategy to operate a flexible and asset-light model and focus on brands that have the greatest potential to scale.
The Coca-Cola system recently announced it will invest $1 billion in Nigeria over five years and remains committed to these investments, provided a predictable and enabling environment is in place.
This investment underscores the importance of Africa as a long-term growth opportunity for the Coca-Cola system.
UAC is a holding company focused on domestic manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of leading consumer brands in Africa. The company operates nine manufacturing facilities and several logistics and distribution hubs across Nigeria, with 5,000 employees.
Fola Aiyesimoju, group managing director of UAC, said: “As a company with a strong presence in Africa, we are deeply committed to the continent’s growth. We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), a leading dairy and juice business in the region.
“This acquisition presents significant potential to build on Chivita|Hollandia’s (CHI Limited’s) legacy of excellence and innovation. I would like to thank the management and staff of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) and look forward to working with the team to support the next phase of growth.”
Eelco Weber, managing director of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), said the business has made significant progress over the past few years, with the Chivita and Hollandia brands becoming clear leaders in their categories.
“I would like to thank our over 5,000 employees for their hard work and dedication in bringing our business forward and earning us recognition as a Gold-rated Great Place to Work,” Weber said.
The management team, including Weber, are confident in the company’s growth prospects. “We see a bright future for Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited),” Weber said. “With the strength of our team, coupled with the dedication of UAC, there will be exciting opportunities for further growth.”
Citi served as exclusive financial advisor to The Coca-Cola Company, with McDermott Will & Emery acting as legal advisor. Fasken Martineau LLP and Templars Law served as legal advisors to UAC.
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