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NITDA, NUJ Partner on Digital Journalism
In order to check quackery and the rising cases of fake news in the practice of journalism as well as provide eligible journalists with the latest technological tools with which they will carry out their jobs professionally and be at par with international best practices, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has given a nod to the proposed partnership sought by the national body of the fourth estate of the realm -The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
This was during a courtesy visit by members of the Union, led by it’s National President, Mr Chris Isiguzo.
Kashifu Inuwa, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), while emphasizing the relevance of emerging technologies in journalism, decried the adverse effect of fake news which he described as unimaginable and a huge threat to the profession.
“Today, anybody can be a journalist without knowing the journalistic ethics. So, how can we address that? We can only do that through this kind of engagement; by training and retraining because journalists need to understand that it is now about digital journalism and for you to engage in that, one needs to understand the technology and be able to verify information and it’s source before publishing or broadcasting”.
Although saddled with the mandate of regulating the use of Information Technology (IT) in the country, the DG noted that in recent times, the responsibility has gone beyond establishing the DOs and DON’Ts due to the dynamic nature of technology which he said has further necessitated the need to up the ante in making journalists acclimatized with requisite skills and ‘technology know how’.
“We need to always reskill, update our knowledge and understand how the technology works in order to harness the potentials and use it for better things because technology can be used as either a tool or a weapon; so it is left for the user to decide what should drive the purpose…so everyone has a part to play in ensuring that unscrupulous elements don’t misuse the tech to mislead people”.
While describing journalism as the best medium to sensitize the public on what the Federal Government is doing towards achieving a digital Nigeria, Inuwa said the partnership would greatly be beneficial to both parties.
“As a government, we have an ambitious target of achieving ninety five per cent digital literacy by twenty thirty. It is not possible for us to train ninety five percent of the population on one on one basis, so we need to be innovative; We need to find a way of leveraging on organizations like yours to achieve that because if we can have people writing about digital literacy, the reach would be far more wider than what we can do as a government so that’s why we had already even started engaging your members in some states of the federation; training and letting them know they have a responsibility of helping the government in sanitizing the system so that we can address the challenge of fake news misinformation and disinformation”.
On the forthcoming National Executive Council/ Workshop on Digital Journalism organized by the Union, the NITDA Boss expressed interest in the planned programme and assured the body of the agency’s support.
He also encouraged the team to work out the modalities for the interventions/ trainings as requested in order for NITDA to know the number of members and make adequate provisions toward kick-starting the process.
Speaking earlier, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), ChrisStrategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP- 2021-2024 Isiguzo while applauding NITDA for the different training sessions held for journalists in Jigawa, Kano, Gombe, Katsina States e.t.c. which he observed are usually accompanied with working tools, said the visit was to formally meet for the first time with the DG and also express the Union’s profound gratitude for the ongoing training packages so far and to seek for partnership at the national level.
“A journalist that is not exposed to constant training and retraining programmes is danger to the society and that’s why what you’re doing, we must applaud and we are also asking that we take it beyond and accommodate more of our people so that they will also benefit; that way, such issues about fake news which of course is about misinformation, disinformation and the rest of them would have been effectively tackled”.
Isiguzo also appealed for digital facilities to be provided for the Union’s National Secretariat and International Institute of Journalism in order to aid optimal operations.
“There’s need that we get those facilities because most of our colleagues especially those operating online always come back because they don’t have offices and that’s why the umbrella body there is more like a shade and was provided to everybody that come and when you have these people operate within one enclave control is easier.
“So we also want to demonstrate some level of control that’s why we are asking for your assistance with some of these facilities and I believe that it will go a long way in also helping the government and its message against fake news”.
The believe is that the partnership forged during the meeting will ultimately be a step closer towards making journalism practice in Nigeria more technologically driven and devoid of unprofessionalism while NITDA achieves some of it’s seven pillars in the Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP- 2021-2024) including Digital Literacy and Skills.
Bharti Airtel has announced a major milestone in its global operations, crossing 650 million mobile subscribers worldwide, a scale that now positions the company as the second-largest telecommunications operator on the planet by customer base.
Crossing this threshold reflects a network of immense scale, the capacity to reach customers across diverse markets with consistent quality, and the ability to deliver experiences shaped by sustained innovation.
In Nigeria, Airtel has continued to scale infrastructure at a pace unmatched in its recent history. Over the past three years, the company has increased its national site count from just above 13,000 to nearly 17,200 sites, including more than 1,560 added in the last twelve months. This expansion deepens capacity in high-demand corridors and extends high-speed coverage to previously underserved regions.
The latest industry data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) underscores the significance of this growth. As of December 2025, Nigeria recorded 145,141 base stations across 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G layers. Of this national infrastructure, Airtel accounts for 46,918 base-station layers, reflecting its substantial contribution to the country’s radio access network and its push to absorb rising data consumption.
Nearly 99 percent of Airtel Nigeria’s sites are now 4G-enabled, positioning the operator as one of the few with a near-ubiquitous high-speed broadband footprint. Thousands of sites have been upgraded for capacity in the past year alone, enabling improved speeds and more stable performance during peak usage.
That expansion underpins Nigeria’s rising internet adoption. According to the latest regulator figures, Nigeria’s internet penetration recently climbed above 50%, with Airtel recording among the largest monthly increases in new internet subscribers, driven by network upgrades across states and rural corridors.
Strategic Connectivity and Redundancy
Airtel is also tackling a critical infrastructure challenge for the Nigerian digital economy: reliance on a single international internet gateway. The company is advancing plans for its second submarine cable internet breakout point at Kwa Ibo in Akwa Ibom State, early in the 2Africa cable system rollout, to provide faster and more resilient national connectivity across regions. This significant investment aligns with global best practices in network diversity and redundancy, ensuring a more stable digital experience for consumers and enterprises alike.
Digital Finance at Scale: SmartCash
Airtel’s digital finance arm, SmartCash, has gained traction in Nigeria’s competitive mobile money ecosystem, now serving over 3 million active users. The platform is supported by an expansive agent network and digital services that lower barriers for everyday financial transactions and savings.
Outstanding Human Touch: Retail Reach
Across Nigeria, Airtel’s retail distribution network stands as one of the sector’s most extensive, with approximately 4,000 exclusive outlets bringing services, support, and products closer to customers in small towns, communities, and high-traffic urban hubs. That footprint drives both access and engagement in a market where localized presence remains a competitive differentiator.
As Nigeria’s digital economy continues to evolve, Airtel is committed to sustained innovation — from expanded fibre backbones and advanced mobile broadband to future-ready services that include satellite-enabled solutions and enterprise-grade digital platforms. These efforts help ensure that connectivity, commerce, and creativity thrive across Nigeria and beyond.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that compensation of subscribers for poor service quality, such as persistent network outages or failed calls is automatic.
This initiative aims to ensure fairness by mandating that operators provide automatic compensation, such as airtime credits, for failing to meet regulatory Quality of Service Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
According to the NCC, operators are required and mandated to identify affected subscribers and provide compensation directly.
In a framework for compensation of consumers published on its website, NCC said that it has directed Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to compensate subscribers affected by prolonged or repeated poor quality of service experience within specific Local Government Areas where operators fail to meet regulatory Quality of Service Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
The NCC also stated that the directive does not replace existing consumer protection mechanisms.
The NCC, said the directive adds a direct compensation mechanism for affected subscribers and aligns with measures set in existing legislations such as the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations 2024 and the Quality of Service Regulations 2024.
This directive applies to only Mobile Network Operators licensed and operating in Nigeria that have failed to meet their Key Performance Indicators on Quality of Service. For Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating in Nigeria, a compensation framework is already in place.
To be eligible to receive compensation
. You experienced poor network service in an affected Local Government Area; and
- You made at least one outgoing revenue generating event (billed call, SMS, or data session) during the relevant period.
The compensation covers service failures affecting voice, data, or SMS services.
Operators are required and mandated by existing regulations to monitor their network performance across locations and service disruptions against Quality of Service KPIs.
This enables them to identify affected subscribers without the need for individual complaints.
Only service failures that fall below the defined thresholds set by the Quality of Service Regulations issued by the NCC will qualify for compensation.
Short, isolated interruptions and immediately remedied interruptions may not qualify
Compensation will be provided in the form of airtime credits.
This airtime credit will not have utilisation restrictions, and subscribers will be able to use it for voice calls, USSD sessions, data subscriptions, etc on the operators’ network.
Federal Government has announced plans to deepen collaboration with private sector players and other stakeholders in a bid to strengthen Nigeria’s cybersecurity architecture and response systems.
NDPC
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed this in a recent press statement, noting that the government is considering the establishment of a Cybersecurity Coordination Council.
According to the minister, the proposed council is aimed at enhancing national cyber resilience and ensuring a more coordinated response to emerging cyber threats across public and private institutions.
Tijani emphasised that cybersecurity must be treated as a collective responsibility involving government, industry, and civil society.
“Cybersecurity is a shared national responsibility. Protecting Nigeria’s digital economy requires strong partnerships, trusted collaboration, and collective vigilance across government, industry, and civil society,” he said.
He added that through sustained collaboration, Nigeria would strengthen its capacity to detect cyber threats early, respond effectively, and build a resilient and trusted digital ecosystem.
The minister also called for increased stakeholder participation in shaping a sustainable, partnership-driven cybersecurity framework capable of deterring cybercriminal activities and safeguarding citizens, businesses, and critical digital infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has commenced an investigation into an alleged data breach involving Remita Payment Services Ltd., Sterling Bank, and other entities.
In a statement signed by its Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, Babatunde Bamigboye, the commission said notices of investigation were issued to relevant parties on April 1, 2026.
The NDPC noted that affected organisations and individuals are currently providing information to aid its inquiry into the incident.
“The aim of the investigation is to ensure that data subjects are protected with appropriate technical and organisational measures,” the statement read.
It added that the probe would examine the types of personal data involved, the scope and nature of the alleged breach, potential risks to data subjects, and mitigation steps taken where breaches are confirmed.
The commission further disclosed that its National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Vincent Olatunji, has directed a broader review of organisations operating digital payment systems.
According to the NDPC, entities found to be non-compliant with provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, particularly regarding technical and organisational safeguards, would be scrutinised as part of efforts to maintain the integrity of the nation’s data protection ecosystem.
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