Telecom
SAIL Fellowship: Teachers Reflect on Classroom Transformations with MTN Foundation
MTN Foundation in partnership with the Senator Abiru Innovation Lab (SAIL) Teachers Fellowship Programme is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at equipping teachers with innovative tools, methodologies, and digital resources to make classrooms more engaging and productive. Designed to improve the quality of education in Nigeria, the program drew over 6,000 applicants, of which a select group of outstanding teachers emerged as top performers.
Four exceptional teachers, Manasseh Mbah Bagayang, Susan Adeshola, Asmau Adamu Yakubu, and Brian Anthony shared their transformative experiences as participants in the fellowship, offering insights into how the program has revolutionised their classrooms and renewed their passion for teaching.
Manasseh Mbah, a chemistry teacher from Government Basic Education School in Bugai, Kaduna State, reflected on his unexpected journey into teaching. With a degree in chemical engineering, his path to education began out of necessity when he couldn’t find a job in his field. “Before the program, my knowledge of teaching was limited,” he confessed.
The fellowship introduced him to inquiry-based learning (IBL), a methodology that transforms classrooms into spaces of curiosity and critical thinking. “IBL is student-centered. It encourages the use of questions to pique students’ interest and develop their critical thinking abilities,” Manasseh explained.
Applying these methods, he saw a dramatic change in his classroom dynamics. “Before, students were uninterested, some even sleeping in class. Now, they’re curious and eager to learn,” he said.
Even in the face of challenges like limited access to electricity and the internet in rural areas, Manasseh has remained resourceful, using digital tools and interactive teaching strategies to inspire his students.
Susan Adeshola, a primary school teacher in Lagos, described the fellowship as a lifeline for innovation in resource-strapped environments. “Lagos State uses a cohesive teaching method, but my school lacked essential tools like projectors. So, I improvised… “The participation was overwhelming. Even the shyest students were asking questions and engaging,” she said, recounting how she created visual aids from downloaded images and cardboard to teach her students.
The results were astounding. One standout moment came when supervisors unexpectedly visited her class. Leveraging the inquiry-based approach she had learned, Susan captivated both her students and the observers, earning praise for her innovative teaching methods.
Her hope is for the Lagos State government to adopt these strategies more broadly. “If facilities are provided and more teachers are trained, classrooms will transform. Children will love coming to school because learning will be fun,” she affirmed.
Asmau Adamu Yakubu, a biochemistry graduate turned teacher from Kaduna State, described her classroom transformation as nothing short of revolutionary. “Before, students were bored and disengaged. But after implementing IBL, they became curious, attentive, and eager to participate,” she said.
Asmau emphasized the importance of relating lessons to students’ immediate environments, a core principle of IBL. “When students see the connection between what they’re learning and their everyday lives, it sticks,” she noted.
Her vision for the future is ambitious; merging IBL with technological innovation to bridge the gap between underprivileged students and modern education. “Imagine rural students exposed to laptops and digital tools. It would ignite their thirst for knowledge,” she said passionately.
Brian Anthony from Ondo State has always seen teaching as a noble and fulfilling profession. “I love to impact lives. Teaching is my way of sharing knowledge and shaping the future,” he said.
Through the fellowship, Brian discovered new ways to enhance his teaching. “The program taught me the value of self-development. As a teacher, you must keep learning to stay relevant,” he explained. His favourite takeaway was the power of combining IBL with digital tools to make lessons more engaging and memorable.
Brian’s classroom has become a place where students actively participate and think critically. “It’s amazing to see students remember concepts long after the lesson because they were engaged and involved,” he said.
The stories of these teachers reflect the profound impact of the SAIL Teachers Fellowship Programme. By equipping educators with innovative methodologies and digital resources, the foundation is reigniting a passion for teaching among participants.
As all graduating teachers continue to implement what they’ve learned, their hope is for broader adoption of inquiry-based learning and digital innovation across Nigeria. With programs like SAIL, the future of education in Nigeria looks brighter, promising a generation of students eager to learn and equipped to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has announced the formation of Airbel Ventures, a new humanitarian impact investing fund aimed at accelerating the introduction and scaling of breakthrough technologies in crisis-affected communities.
The fund will invest in companies whose ideas have the potential to change humanitarian response, including digital infrastructure for frontline health systems and climate-resilient agriculture.
The launch of Airbel Ventures follows a period of rapid innovation at the IRC, despite the humanitarian sector facing record funding cuts.
In the past year, the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab has advanced more than twenty Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology initiatives—from anticipatory action tools powered by climate and vulnerability data, to frontline service delivery using safe, orchestrated AI systems, to breakthrough diagnostic tools for emerging diseases.
Airbel Ventures’ first impact investment is in Signalytic, a company delivering solar-powered computing devices that ensure reliable electricity and connectivity for remote health facilities.
Following the investment, the IRC will pilot Signalytic’s technology with its Nigeria Health team, demonstrating the viability of next-generation digital infrastructure in humanitarian settings.
“We know breakthrough solutions already exist—what’s missing is the path to scale in humanitarian contexts,” said Dr. Jeannie Annan, Senior Vice President for Research & Innovation at the IRC and head of the Airbel Impact Lab.
MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecommunications operator, recorded a historic surge in network disruptions in 2025, suffering 9,218 fibre cuts as of December 31, alongside 211 base station sites affected by theft and vandalism, incidents that disrupted mobile and data services relied upon daily by millions of Nigerians.
The data was revealed by Dr Karl Toriola, chief executive officer/managing director, MTN Nigeria via a social media post titled ‘MTN Nigeria 2025 Wrapped’.
The scale of the damage highlights the growing vulnerability of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure, which has come under increasing pressure from road construction activities, cable theft and deliberate acts of vandalism.
MTN said 5,478 fibre cuts occurred within just the first seven months of 2025, with 760 incidents recorded in July alone, underscoring the intensity of the challenge.
Some of the incidents had wide-ranging consequences, knocking out connectivity across multiple states simultaneously and affecting voice calls, data services, digital payments and enterprise operations.
The company described the situation as a national infrastructure problem, rather than an isolated corporate issue, given the economy’s deep dependence on mobile networks.
“These gaps were shaped by real operational challenges such as fibre cuts, theft, and vandalism. Their impact is felt directly by customers and reflected in what they tell us,” Toriola,
The disruptions were reflected in customer feedback volumes, as MTN handled an unprecedented number of complaints during the year. The operator said it resolved 1,624,263 customer complaints in 2025, spanning call centres, social media platforms, emails and physical service centres nationwide.
Despite the setbacks, MTN pointed to signs of operational resilience. The company retained its ranking as Nigeria’s best network by Ookla, returned to profitability after a challenging period, declared an interim dividend, and expanded its subscriber base to over 85 million users by September 2025.
The figures show that while Nigeria’s telecom operators continue to invest heavily in network expansion and customer service, infrastructure sabotage remains a major drag on service quality and operating costs.
MTN acknowledged that performance improvements remain a work in progress. “We are not where we want to be yet. We see you. We hear you. We exist because of you. And we will get better,” Toriola said.
As the company enters its 25th year of operations in Nigeria, Toriola said MTN is doubling down on customer-centricity, treating every piece of feedback as a guide for improvement, while also stepping up engagement with government agencies.
The CEO renewed calls for stronger regulatory and legal protections for telecommunications infrastructure, urging policymakers to classify fibre cables, base stations and other critical assets as national infrastructure and criminalise vandalism to deter repeat attacks.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted operating licences to six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs), effective January 1, 2026, raising the total number of authorised ISPs in the country to 231 from 225 recorded in December 2025.
NCC
The newly licensed firms are Intellvision Technologies Limited, Granet Technologies Limited, Fiber Sonic Limited, Dasol Solution Services Ltd, Boost ISP Limited, and Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited.
Five of these companies are headquartered in Lagos, while Granet Technologies Limited operates from Owerri in Imo State, highlighting the persistent concentration of broadband infrastructure in major commercial hubs like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
This development intensifies competition in Nigeria’s broadband market, which faces pressure from dominant mobile network operators such as MTN and Airtel, alongside rapid expansion by satellite providers like Starlink.
Traditional ISPs continue to grapple with shrinking customer bases, aggressive data pricing from telcos, and satellite disruptions, even as NCC data from Q2 2025 showed Spectranet, Starlink, and FibreOne controlling about 65 per cent of the 313,713 active ISP subscribers.
The inclusion of Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited marks a significant entry of global satellite broadband competition, building on Nigeria’s recent approvals for other low Earth orbit providers to enhance connectivity in underserved areas.
Industry analysts view the licences as a strategic push to improve internet quality amid rising demand for digital services, though geographic clustering underscores ongoing infrastructure challenges outside urban centres.
NCC’s move aligns with broader efforts to foster a competitive telecoms sector critical to Nigeria’s digital economy ambitions.
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