Telecom
Ovations as Ndukwe Completes Tenure at NCC
Engr. Ernest Ndukwe,former executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has handed over to Engr. Stephen Bello, executive commissioner and most senior staff of the regulatory agency after completion of his two-term tenure.
Engr. Bello is to hold forth until the appointment of the substantive EVC of the Commission for five year tenure.
Later at an impromptu farewell organized by the Commission, Engr. Ndukwe announced that the latest statistics has shown that as at March 25, 2010, the number of active subscriber lines in the network has grown to 78.5 Million, something to cheer about the performance of the Commission.
On a day that two different organizations visited Engr. Ndukwe to confer him with awards for his superlative performance at the Commission, he told a management meeting which he convened for the purpose of announcing his glorious exit from the Commission, that he had a meeting with the Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who did not quite realize that his departure will be that soon. He said that at that meeting, it was agreed that he hands over to the most senior officer of the Commission, hence Engr Bello who joined the Commission in 2000 and rose to become an Executive Commissioner.
While recounting his efforts at making the commission a professional and humane organization, Ndukwe told those whom he must have offended to forgive. “I also want to say that during my term in the NCC it is possible that I might have offended some people, I don’t think I have offended anybody as such, but if I did just know that it is because of the course of my duty.
But later in the day at a farewell cocktail, attended by the Board members, management and staff of the Commission, including the officials of the Digital Bridge Institute, DBI, Engr Ndukwe told his audience amidst prayers, ovations and failing emotions that every staff of the Commission must be proud of the contributions they have made to the success of the organization.
“In year 2000, the number of telephone lines in this country was 400,000 and 25,000 analogue mobile lines. As at 25th of March 2010, we have 78.5 Million lines. So as far as we are concerned as a Commission, we have everything to be proud about.
“People say that we have a larger number of lines because of our population. I wish to remind them that we have always had a large population since 1960, and that after 40 years of independence we had only 400,000 lines to boast about.
So, all of you, one by one, have made great contributions to what has happened in the industry and I think you should all be very proud of yourselves”, he said.
He advised them be mindful of certain realities. “You should not forget the operating companies because we have not installed a single line. The only thing that has made the difference is that we created the right environment to make it happen.
“And, that is what I am leaving behind with you – That one statement by the regulator can actually drive all the investments out of this country. Any regulator must have this at the back of his mind because once you don’t do the right thing, or you don’t say the right thing and you don’t perform the right way, the industry can be affected and if negatively, you would have lost all the gains you have made.
“So, it is very important that you still maintain the high level of professionalism that this organization is known for. And you maintain high level of integrity which this organization is known for so that the Nigerian Communications Commission will still be regarded as the flagship organization and as a pride to the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, he said.
He said his prayer is that the Commission continues to grow from strength to strength. “My prayer is that all of you will continue to grow from strength to strength and this organization will continue to tower higher and higher and I wish all of you well and God will bless all of you”.
He also commended the Board of the Commission for the support he received in the course of his duty. “I would not have asked for a better Board. These people have sacrificed all without counting the cost and I think they are worthy of the trust reposed on them and I can only wish them well.
“Luckily, our board does not get dissolved. While the three of us are leaving, another three will come in, but they will meet six people here and will continue in the tradition of the Commission”, he said while commending management and the officials of the DBI who he advised to still consider the continuation of a programmes for training of lower and medium manpower in the current move to make the institute a university.
While responding, Engr Bello told Engr. Ndukwe that the Commission is very appreciative of his efforts and will wish to “thank God for your service in the Commission, the dedication you have put into your job”. .
“The industry is just a proof, it is a result of your activities and your efforts and your input is very obvious. It can be seen by virtually every Nigerian one way or the other either with telephone in their hands or access to service and the difference that the telecom industry has made to the lives of Nigerians”, he said.
“And so it is with a lot of emotion literally that we have to say goodbye to you because definitely anything that has a beginning has an end but at least one thing we have joy with is that it is ending well, it is ending on a note of joy”, he said.
“We want to thank God that He kept you alive throughout the ten years, it’s been a great one and just as you have said everybody here has in one way had an influence on you. I believe that we also want to say that if we also have unknowingly offended you that you should also forgive us because nobody is perfect. You yourself are not perfect and that is why we make errors, we too are not perfect and we might have also made errors”, he said.
Dimension Data has said that the proceeds from its Series 1 corporate bond, will support the expansion of the company’s fibre infrastructure to meet Nigeria’s growing demand for digital connectivity.
This followed the successful subscription of the corporate bond.
Recall that Dimension Data Limited said that it has completed the signing ceremony for the issuance of N4.05 billion (approximately US$2.9 million).
This sum marks the first tranche of a N20 billion (US$14.7 million) bond programme announced earlier this year.
The bond programme was raised under Dimension Data SPV Funding Plc, following approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Nigeria.
The company says the proceeds will support the expansion of the company’s fibre infrastructure to meet Nigeria’s growing demand for digital connectivity.
Speaking at the ceremony, Olugbenga Olabiyi, managing director of Dimension Data Limited, said the investment reflects the company’s long-term commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s digital economy.
The planned investments will fund the continued expansion of Dimension Data’s fibre network, supporting increasing demand from financial institutions, fintechs, enterprise customers and other technology-driven sectors.
Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Johannesburg, the company has grown its footprint across the Middle East and Africa.
Today Dimension Data is a member of the NTT Ltd Group, one of the world’s leading technology companies.
As cloud adoption, digital financial services and data-intensive applications continue to grow, the company believes resilient fibre infrastructure will remain a critical enabler of Nigeria’s digital economy.
The Federal Government has announced that work will commence within weeks on a 90,000-kilometre fibre optic network expected to connect every state, local government area and ward in Nigeria, marking what officials describe as one of the country’s most ambitious digital infrastructure projects.
Dr Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, disclosed this on Tuesday after briefing President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on the progress of three flagship digital transformation initiatives being implemented by his ministry.
According to the minister, all resource mobilisation and contractual processes for the nationwide fibre project have been completed, paving the way for physical deployment.
“We’re now at the point where, in a few weeks’ time, we should start to lay those fibre, so people will start seeing us around the country deploying the fibre. This is going to transform Nigeria for good,” Tijani said.
He explained that the project would deliver fibre optic infrastructure to every geopolitical zone, state, local government area and ward, significantly expanding broadband access and improving the quality of internet connectivity across the country.
“This is a project where every state, every geopolitical zone, every local government and every ward in this country will be covered with fibre optic cables, which will transform the quality of connectivity,” he added.
Bosun Tijani attributed the progress in the digital economy to a series of reforms approved by President Tinubu, including the designation of digital infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure, tariff adjustments and tax harmonisation measures sought by industry operators.
“I think our sector has been extremely fortunate. Mr. President has given us quite a number of things that the sector has been demanding for a long time. Whether it’s the Critical National Infrastructure designation for all digital infrastructure, the slight adjustment in tariff, or the tax harmonisation, these are reforms the industry has long requested.
“I think it’s probably the sector that is most appreciative of this government because when we came in, the sector was contributing between 16 and 18 per cent to our GDP, but today it is tracking close to 21 per cent. That represents significant growth,” he said.
The minister noted that the reforms had also improved the financial performance of major operators in the telecommunications sector.
On efforts to bridge the digital divide, Tijani disclosed that the government would begin deploying about 3,700 telecommunications towers from October to provide network coverage for more than 20 million Nigerians currently living in underserved communities without access to telecom services.
He said the President had approved the project after months of capital mobilisation and planning.
“Today we’re at a point where, before the end of the year, we’ll also start to deploy close to 3,700 towers. It’s taken a lot to put this project together and raise the required capital, but we are now ready to begin deployment around October,” he said.
The minister also announced that Nigeria would officially launch an alphanumeric postcode system on October 1, a move he said would place the country among a select group of nations operating an advanced digital addressing system.
“Nigeria will be amongst maybe 10 or 15 countries in the world with an alphanumeric postcode. It’s the latest design in postcode systems, where we can identify every property in this country. We’re hoping to launch that on the 1st of October,” he said.
Tijani explained that the new system would assign a unique address to every property nationwide, enhancing logistics, accelerating e-commerce, improving emergency response and strengthening public service delivery.
“Inability to locate places comes at a cost. You can imagine what this will do for e-commerce. It means goods can now be delivered in record time,” he said.
He added that integrating the postcode system with existing government identity databases would improve security and make public services more efficient.
“Our alphanumeric postcode is unique because it allows us to assign a unique address to every property. In many countries, such as the UK, postcodes cover clusters of buildings. What we are introducing will uniquely identify every building, and that will be a game changer for Nigeria in terms of security, commerce and public service delivery,” the minister stated.
In a bold move to strengthen Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and the digital economy, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has formally unveiled the National Sovereignty Cloud Initiative (NSCI) Regulatory Instruments, thereby setting a new benchmark for the country’s digital future.
NITDA
The NSCI is a strategic programme of the federal government coordinated by NITDA. It is designed to bolster Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and accelerate the country’s adoption of reliable cloud infrastructure. The initiative consists of the National Computing Guideline, the National Cloud Technical Guideline, the National Digital Infrastructure Assurance Framework, and the National Cloud Investment Strategy.
Speaking during the ceremony in Abuja, the Director General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi CCIE, described the NSCI as a strategic move to safeguard Nigeria’s digital future. He noted that the instruments will stimulate innovation, encourage investment in local cloud services, and enhance digital resilience.
“These instruments provide the regulatory certainty, technical standards, and assurance framework required to build a trusted cloud ecosystem that safeguards Nigeria’s digital sovereignty while creating new opportunities for investment, innovation, and sustainable economic growth.
“We should position ourselves not to serve Nigeria alone, but to serve West and Central Africa. Nigeria is already the digital gateway to West Africa and can extend to every part of Africa. But we can only realise that goal when we build our infrastructure. So, today’s event is the first step in that direction,” he stated.
Abdullahi appreciated the support of relevant stakeholders and the efforts of the NSCI Technical Working Group, which culminated in the successful development of the regulatory instruments. He emphasised that collective action of regulatory agencies is necessary for a seamless implementation of the initiative.
Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Engr. Nadungu Gagare, declared that the launch of the NSCI underscores the federal government’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s data borders and digital economy.
“By ensuring that government data remains strictly within national jurisdiction and under local operational control, we are guaranteeing data sovereignty and regulatory compliance. It will catalyse local cloud capacity, foster local job creation, and empower indigenous investors and innovators to build solutions on a secure, locally hosted foundation,” Gagare said.
The Permanent Secretary commended the management team of NITDA, the NSCI Technical Working Group, and other stakeholders for their collaborative spirit in driving the initiative. He promised that the Ministry would ensure that the strategic objectives of the NSCI are fully realised across all ministries, departments, and agencies.
In a message, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Olayemi Cardoso, congratulated NITDA for promoting a collaborative approach, adding that modern digital regulation succeeds through coordinated regulatory actions for common national objectives.
Cardoso, who was represented by Dr. Rakiya Opemi Yusuf, the Director of the Payment System Supervision Department, acknowledged that the launch testifies to the robust collaboration existing between the apex bank and other government institutions.
“CBN regulates the financial ecosystem. NITDA provides the national framework for digital infrastructure, cloud governance and assurance. These responsibilities are complementary, not competing. Together, they create a coherent national architecture.
“Together with NITDA, and with the continued cooperation of industry, we will continue to build an ecosystem that protects Nigeria’s financial system today and positions our nation as Africa’s trusted hub for digital finance and cloud innovation.
One of the most encouraging aspects of today’s event is the strong institutional collaboration between NITDA, the CBN, and other relevant government institutions. This collaboration demonstrates an important principle.”
Cardoso reiterated that as a responsive regulator, the CBN remains committed to providing clear expectations, firm principles, proportionate implementation, and constructive engagement with all stakeholders to position Nigeria as Africa’s trusted hub for digital finance and cloud innovation.
Also, the Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone Limited, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, noted that the NSCI couldn’t have come at a better time than now, especially considering CBN’s recent directive mandating banks and financial institutions to localise their data.
Adeyanju expressed confidence that the initiative would push the ecosystem to greater heights by encouraging investment, developing indigenous talent, and creating employment opportunities akin to the gains brought by the deregulation of the telecoms sector.
NITDA will constitute the Sovereign Cloud Governance Committee (SovGov) within the next two weeks to oversee the implementation of the NSCI. The committee would comprise representatives from relevant Government institutions, sector regulators, industry, and the private sector, with NITDA serving as the Secretariat
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