Telecom
Pantami Urges NCC Board to Protect Telecom Consumers
Prof. Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has urged the board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to protect telecom consumers in the country.
Prof. Isa Pantami
Pantami made the appeal when he inaugurated the ninth member of the NCC Governing Board, Prof. Mansur Bindawa, as Non-Executive Commissioner, on Monday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bindawa was confirmed earlier this month by the senate.
He also said that the board had the powers to approve certain categories of licences and regulations.
The minister noted that the newly inaugurated member was a good addition that would support the board and consolidate its achievement in taking the Commission higher.
“I want to use this opportunity to remind the board of its responsibility; the main responsibility of the board is to ensure consumer protection.
“The board must ensure that as consumers, our interest is well protected.
“The board also has power to approve license as the case may be.
“There are different categories of licenses and the board also has the power to approve regulations governing the commission,” he said.
The Chairman, NCC Governing Board, Prof. Adeolu Akande, in his speech, said the sector would benefit from Bindawa’s wealth of experience.
He urged him to see the board, management and staff as a family.
“We look forward to the benefits that your addition will bring to the board.
“We have worked as a family at the board, management and staff level. And we believe that you will complement it.
“He is the fourth Professor in the nine member NCC board. That is the importance of the intellectual on the sector which has been acknowledged by President Muhammadu Buhari,” he added.
The Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC), of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, thanked Pantami for bringing someone competent to fill in the vacancy.
Danbatta urged Bindawa to see the commission as a family and contribute his knowledge to its growth.
“I must commend tireless minister of communication and digital economy for making sure that the board is complete.
“You will find the NCC board as a family and you will have the opportunity in our meetings to contribute to the growth of the NCC,” he said.
Bindawa, who is a professor of Agronomy, thanked the government and promised to work in synergy with other board members of the commission.
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
MultiChoice is closing its continental streaming platform Showmax after 11 years, notifying subscribers Thursday of the board’s decision to discontinue the service in the near future to refocus on sustainable digital offerings.
MultiChoice
The email assured no immediate disruption: “You can continue streaming as usual, and no action is required from you at this time.” Showmax, launched in South Africa in 2015 and expanded across Africa, offered movies, series, documentaries, and sports to rival Netflix and others amid rising online entertainment demand.
The shutdown follows Canal+’s approved takeover of MultiChoice last year, with the French giant offering ZAR 125 per share for remaining stakes.
The deal mandates HDP ownership boosts, local content investment, and splitting MultiChoice’s SA broadcasting arm into an independent entity to meet regulations.
MultiChoice prioritised subscribers during the transition, promising advance notice on timelines.
Showmax’s exit signals consolidation pressures in Africa’s cut-throat streaming market, where global players dominate despite local content strengths.
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