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NITDA Mulls Sponsoring Youths in Nigerian Universities

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KashifuInuwa Abdullahi, director general, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has said that the Agency is considering sponsoring Nigerian Youths to further their education in Universities residing in Nigeria, adding that Nigerian students who travel out of country to study should stay at homeland to master their academic career.

 

Mr Inuwa said this when he received the Vice Chancellor of Nile University, Professor OsmanNuri Das, who paid him a visit today.

 

The DG stressed that it is time for Nigerians studying abroad to consider looking back at their own country for furthering education, according to him, huge amount of money is being spent annually in foreign shores while there are Universities in Nigeria that offer same courses.

 

He said, “In my opinion, I see no reason why we spent our money to study outside our country while we have institutions that offer same courses in Nigeria.

 

“According to statistics, Nigerians spend 500 million US Dollars annually to study in the United State of America.

 

“Imagine if these funds were invested in the nation’s educational sector, a lot could have been achieved,” he lamented.

 

The DG averred that, while studying abroad is good, but the wave of students going abroad to study constitutes magnificent backward movement for Nigeria, as it drains the system of funds and creates a dichotomy between the generations of Nigerian students.

 

“I don’t think it is good for local and international universities who invest hugely to the development of educational sector.

 

“For instance, NITDA sent some Nigerians on scholarship programme to Turkey, some of them are even complaining because of the language barrier.

 

“In Nigeria, we have Nile University which is owned by Turkish, I believe it is for the benefit of us all to consider enrolling them here,” he said.

 

Mr. Inuwa also gave a hint on the importance of introducing extensive Information Technology courses in Nigerian Universities.

 

He said, “We need to come together and form a framework to continue our collaboration with Nile University.

 

“We can nurture our students here by introducing courses about Emerging Technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cloud Computing to further strengthen Nigeria’s journey to achieving Digital Economy.”

 

In the area of Capacity Building among students, KashifuInuwa reiterated his commitment in training both the under and post graduate students especially in emerging technologies.

 

He said NITDA is currently building a Centre in Wuye District, Abuja, which is almost completed and it will be dedicated to Nigerian students crazy ideas to harness, innovate and incubate their ideas in order to grow the country’s economy through digital technology.

 

In his remarks, Professor OsmanNuri Das, vice chancellor, Nile University, thanked the Director General for his continued support especially in the area of scholarship.

 

The Vice Chancellor pleaded with NITDA boss to consider renewing and possibly increasing number of students sponsored by the Agency currently undergoing Masters and PhD studies.

 

“We are here to thank you for all the support you have been given to us. Over the years NITDA remains one of our truest collaborative organisations. We have achieved a lot, and we want to achieve more,” the VC said.

 

He also assured the DG his total commitment in introducing courses on emerging technologies and artificial intelligence that can be taught in Nigerian Universities

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“Though we have been giving special treatment to our students particularly in IT related course, I assure you Nile University will do its best in actualising this dream.

 

“It will interest you to know that no post graduate student leaves Nile without developing software application or portal that can impact on the society. It is our norm to put things in practice after learning basic theory of its aspect”, he added.

 

 

 


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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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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