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RoW Waiver: The Hidden Backbone of Anambra’s Digital Revolution

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By Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, CFA

Across Nigeria, one of the biggest hurdles to broadband expansion has been the prohibitive cost of Right of Way charges: the fees telecom operators must pay to lay fibre-optic cables across state-owned land, which drastically slows down digital infrastructure rollout.

In 2022, one of the earliest and boldest steps taken by Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, was the removal of the Right of Way (RoW) charges for laying broadband fibre across Anambra State.

At the time, it may have seemed like a quiet policy move, but in reality, it laid the foundation for the state’s ongoing digital transformation journey.

The logic behind this move is simple but powerful. By waiving RoW charges, the administration sent a clear message to telecom operators, broadband providers, and investors: Anambra is open for digital business.

This single decision has paved the way for fibre-to-home deployment, the expansion of 5G infrastructure, and faster, more reliable internet across communities, ultimately boosting the ease of doing business.

Perhaps one of the most visible testaments to this visionary policy is the ongoing roll-out of the “Solution Free Wi-Fi” initiative, which is democratizing internet access for students, traders, civil servants, and everyday citizens, alongside the digitization of government processes that are making service delivery faster and more transparent.

Anambra is reaping the dividends of a forward-thinking approach.

What seemed impossible a few years ago is now a lived reality: Teachers are being equipped with digital tools, enhancing lesson delivery and preparing students for a technology-driven future.

Civil servants now work with smarter systems, making the civil service more efficient, transparent, and responsive to citizens, while young innovators are finding an enabling environment to create solutions and businesses that improve lives and shape the future.

What began as a policy shift has cascaded into practical, people-centred benefits that are redefining how Anambra learns, works, and governs.

This backbone is also unlocking new opportunities in telemedicine, e-learning, smart agriculture, and more. In short, the Soludo-led administration’s decision aligns perfectly with the governor’s vision of building a liveable and prosperous megacity, anchored on technology.

More notably, Anambra’s forward-thinking move aligns it with both national and global best practices. In Nigeria, states like Lagos, Ekiti and Kaduna that reduced or eliminated RoW fees saw significant surges in broadband penetration and digital services. Internationally, countries like Kenya and Rwanda demonstrate how lowering barriers for telecom operators fuels widespread connectivity, attracts investment, and spurs innovation.

Anambra’s decision places it firmly within this league of forward-looking regions, positioning the state as not just a beneficiary of technology but a driver of digital growth in Nigeria.

This is not just about cables in the ground, it’s about creating an ecosystem where technology thrives and opportunities multiply.

Anambra is proving that the future truly belongs to states that embrace technology not as a slogan, but as a strategy.

The state’s journey toward becoming a digital hub in Nigeria is still unfolding, but the foundation has been laid, strong and unshakable, by a single, daring choice.


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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 Launches One TV with Free-to-View, Pay-as-You-Go

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MTN Group has begun rolling out MTN One TV, a new entertainment proposition designed to make digital video content more accessible, relevant, and flexible for customers across African markets.

MTN Launches One TV with Free-to-View, Pay-as-You-Go

Introduced in line with MTN’s Ambition 2030 strategy, MTN One TV brings together local storytelling, live channels, international programming, and market-specific viewing options tailored to how customers across the continent access and pay for digital entertainment.

The proposition is designed to give customers greater choice in how they watch content, with viewing models that may vary by market and can include free-to-view content, advertising-funded experiences, pay-as-you-watch access, and subscription offerings.

Depending on local availability, customers may also be able to pay through airtime, Mobile Money, and other locally supported payment methods, helping to reduce common barriers to streaming access.

Beyond enhancing customer experiences, MTN One TV creates new opportunities for African creators, broadcasters, advertisers, and ecosystem partners by helping connect content to wider audiences through MTN’s scale across connectivity, payments, and digital services.

By bringing together a broad mix of content experiences under a single proposition, MTN aims to support greater content discovery, broader audience reach, and sustainable growth across Africa’s digital entertainment ecosystem.

Anchored in MTN’s strategic platforms of Connectivity, Fintech, and Digital Infrastructure, MTN One TV forms part of the Group’s broader ambition to build digital experiences that create value for customers while enabling participation and growth across Africa’s digital economy.

“Entertainment is increasingly becoming an important gateway to digital participation,” said Selorm Adadevoh, MTN group chief commercial, strategy and transformation officer.

“Through MTN One TV, we are leveraging the scale of our connectivity, fintech, and digital capabilities to make relevant content more accessible while creating new opportunities for Africa’s creative and digital economies. This is aligned with our ambition to deliver digital solutions for Africa’s progress.”

MTN One TV is being introduced progressively across MTN markets through a phased rollout approach that reflects local market needs, existing services, and partnership opportunities.

Over time, MTN will bring together a combination of video capabilities, content partnerships, and customer experiences under the MTN One TV brand to create a more consistent and scalable entertainment proposition across its footprint.

Through MTN One TV, MTN continues to extend its role beyond connectivity by combining entertainment, payments, and digital services to deliver experiences tailored to the needs of African consumers.

The rollout supports MTN’s Ambition 2030 vision of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress while expanding access to digital entertainment across the continent.

 


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IATA Drops Bombshell: Nigeria Among World’s Most Expensive Countries to Run an Airline

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International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified Nigeria as one of the most expensive countries in the world for airline operations, citing high taxes, charges and operational costs that continue to weigh heavily on local carriers.

IATA Drops Bombshell: Nigeria Among World's Most Expensive Countries to Run an Airline

IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Al-Awadhi, disclosed this during the association’s Annual General Meeting held in Rio de Janeiro.

Al-Awadhi said that although Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had been pursuing reforms aimed at improving the aviation sector, airlines operating in the country still faced enormous cost pressures.

According to him, the high-cost operating environment has continued to affect the profitability and competitiveness of Nigerian airlines, making it difficult for the industry to realise its full potential.

He noted that excessive taxes, regulatory charges and other operating expenses remained major obstacles to airline growth across the region, with Nigeria ranking among the most challenging markets from a cost perspective.

Al-Awadhi urged member states of the Economic Community of West African States to adopt a proposed 25 per cent reduction in aviation taxes and charges to ease the burden on airlines and passengers.

According to him, lowering taxes and charges would reduce airfares, stimulate passenger traffic and strengthen the competitiveness of carriers operating within West Africa.

He stressed that a more supportive policy environment was critical to unlocking the economic benefits of aviation, including increased trade, tourism and regional integration.

Industry stakeholders have consistently advocated lower taxes and regulatory fees, arguing that the current cost structure makes air travel less affordable and limits the growth of the sector.

IATA’s latest remarks add to calls for governments in West Africa to implement policies that will promote a more sustainable and competitive aviation industry across the region.


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NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers Initiative

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The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), under the leadership of its Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has trained 50 women in Kano State on inverter and battery technologies through its She-Powers Energy Initiative.

NASENI Trains 50 Women in Kano on Renewable Energy Technologies Under She-Powers Initiative

The three-day programme, held at the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano which ended yesterday, was designed to equip participants with practical renewable energy skills, promote women-led enterprises, and enhance sustainable livelihoods.

 The initiative forms part of NASENI’s broader commitment to empowering women, creating economic opportunities, and expanding participation in Nigeria’s growing clean energy sector. It also aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by supporting job creation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic development.

 Through targeted interventions such as the She-Powers Energy Initiative, NASENI continues to demonstrate its commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to improve lives and drive sustainable development across the country.

Photos: Participants at the She-Powers Energy Initiative training organised by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) held at the the Technology Incubation Centre, Farm Centre, Kano yesterday.


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