Telecom
Smile Communications Superb Connectivity Buoys CEOs, CIOs
Smile Communications Nigeria Limited has received accolades from corporate chieftains in Nigeria for providing unequalled 4G LTE broadband services in the country.
The corporate chieftains made up of Chief Executives as well as Chief Information and Chief Technology Officers of large and medium organisations drawn from banks, oil & gas corporations, insurance companies, e-commerce, logistics firms among others were present at an event hosted by Smile Communications and tagged “A Connected Lifestyle”.
In unison they expressed delight that, in less than three years of launching services in Nigeria, Smile has remained dependable, providing high quality of connectivity with almost zero downtime.
Mr. Michiel Buitelaar, managing director, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, while addressing the august assembly re-emphasized that the company, with the deployment of 4G/LTE technology that runs on 800GHz spectrum, offers the best connectivity and high network availability index in the country.
Buitelaar quoted the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Monthly Internet Subscribers Data which indicated that users on the country’s telecom networks increased to 83,362,814 as at February 2015, he added that Smile understands the type of broadband services Nigerians have been waiting for; even at a reduced price and has consistently provided them with excellent services.
He observed that it is a common thing among some operators that as more customers subscribe to their network, the quality depreciates, “but at Smile and after our successful start, we are working to ensure there is no such backlash to customers coming to the network. “We are prepared and working through densification of the network, where we see issues, we quickly address them. More so, we are deploying more capacity and the figure shows we are actually meeting our brand promise which is for everybody to get 6megabytes per second on download, even as the busy hours of the day. Our team has always been on its oars to meet the target and we don’t get congestions. In other words, we are ready to offer corporate organizations the kind of connectivity that will enhance their productivity”.
Buitelaar also applauded the Nigerian telecoms regulator; NCC “They have done a good job, which we are happy with. However, it extends to the general state of the economy. At the moment, there are some things that needed to be addressed for the growth of the digital economy. Digital economy will even make the people become more productive.
Fundamentally, the economy is very positive and will benefit a lot by becoming digital in the way it does business”. He added that the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) is already happening in Nigeria, “but I think businesses and individuals should be more open to it. We have a very innovative climate here. One will be amazed with the number of people, vehicles and machines hooking up and finding new ways of doing business”.
On her part, Mrs. Alero Ladipo, Smile Communications’ chief marketing officer noted that after two years in operations, the network session with CEOs, CTOs and CIOs of major firms operating in Nigeria was to alert the participants about “our service offering and how we can help reduce their costs”.
Speaking through Mr. Chiekezi Dozie, head of Corporate & Enterprises Sales Ladipo enthused; “We are the ultimate 4G/LTE Company in the country at the moment. We use 800GHz spectrum which itself offers efficiency for mobile communications. It is a pure IP network. So, we can do corporate voice, data, and can make life very simple for them. The era we are in, people are increasingly engaging in mobile communications; therefore, we have MiFis, mobile and fixed solutions to cover the whole gamut of corporate requirements.
“The testimonials are out there. Apart from the fact that our network is very fast even at reduced cost, we have had a couple of tests with some automated teller machines (ATM). We compared the network on the ATMs with machines in other networks. A normal ATM with a different connectivity provider records about 43 seconds speed on transaction. But with our network such transaction was done in 23 seconds. That’s an improvement on customer experience. “As a technology, we know that no technology is 100 per cent proof. So, we have SLAs that ensure the services are at 99.9 assurances. Through our managed services, we monitor the networks and we have a very experienced backroom team at Smile”. She said the company will continue to roll-out services in other cities, eyeing a nation-wide service provisioning in no distant time.
Testifying about the functionality and ubiquity features of the Smile network, Mr. Muyiwa Faulkner from Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Plc. said that Smile Communications represents unique network connectivity with innovation.
“It offers internet that is fast, especially when you need it. A lot of times, people don’t know the difference between good and great. I think Smile’s connectivity is great,” Faulkner said.
To Kayode Osolaja, of First Bank, “Smile has come with a difference.
Apart from the services, the customer-support (service) has been superb. They don’t keep you waiting and wailing”.
Smile Communications Nigeria Limited was founded in 2007 with the transformative objective of using the best and most innovative technologies to provide its customers with high quality, easy to use and affordable communication services.
Its vision and mission is to be the broadband provider of choice in Nigeria and enable its customers to fully benefit from the Internet world.
Smile launched West Africa’s first true 4G LTE network in Ibadan in 2013 thereby revolutionizing the way people access the Internet.
The organisers of the Africa Tech Alliance Forum (AfriTECH 5.0) are delighted to announce George Agu, a distinguished technology entrepreneur and executive, as one of the keynote speakers at this year’s edition themed “AI & Sovereign Tech: Building Africa’s Digital Independence.”
Agu, the MD/CEO of ActivEdge Technologies Limited, is an astute founder and technology leader whose illustrious career spans over twenty-five years across core banking systems, enterprise applications, fintech, cybersecurity, and AI-powered e-government services. His experience blends strong technical expertise with strategic business leadership, having successfully built and scaled enterprise and public-sector technology platforms across West, East, and Southern Africa.
A Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Agu is also an alumnus of The Wharton School and the London School of Economics (LSE) through executive education, with specialisations in Entrepreneurship Acceleration, FinTech Revolution, Strategic Innovation, and Public Policy Analysis.
He began his professional journey as a software developer at CSA Nigeria in 2000, later joining Neptune Software, where he rose from Systems Implementation Manager to Managing Director/CEO for West Africa. At Neptune, he played a pivotal role in the success of the Equinox and Orbit core-banking platforms, with Orbit earning the No. 1 global ranking in microfinance core banking by CGAP (Washington DC).
As a serial founder, Agu established ActivEdge Technologies, a pan-African systems integrator delivering solutions in cybersecurity, GRC, enterprise automation, cloud, and core infrastructure, executing projects in more than six African countries.
He went on to found PayEdge, a fintech company addressing MSME liquidity and supply-chain finance challenges, and Introspec, a settlement and reconciliation platform used by banks in over fifteen African countries.
His latest innovation, HarmonyEdge, is an AI-powered e-government platform that digitises workflows, enables analytics and decisioning, supports citizen engagement, and powers payment and e-reconciliation systems — currently being piloted in a leading African nation.
Beyond entrepreneurship, George Agu contributes actively at board and civic levels. He serves on the Abia State Global Economic Advisory Council, chairing a sector committee, and on the board of TN Cybertech Bank, where he leads the Technology and Strategy Committee.
He also chairs the Business Roundtable of the African Bar Association and serves as Deputy President of the South East–South South Professionals.
Speaking ahead of AfriTECH 5.0, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, co-convener, described Agu as a “seasoned technology visionary whose work embodies the spirit of African innovation and digital self-reliance.”
“His keynote will provide practical insights on how AI and sovereign technologies can redefine digital transformation across Africa’s public and private sectors”, Onwuegbuchi said.
AfriTECH 5.0 will convene industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and innovators to explore the role of AI and indigenous technologies in driving Africa’s digital independence.
The event is supported by NCC with Digital Encode Limited as the Platinum Sponsor. Other Gold sponsors are Galaxy Backbone, itel, Digital Realty, ActivEdge Technologies, Tecom, Tizel Cybersecurity, AfriGoPay Financial Services Limited, SKOT Communications and other ecosystem partners.
Kashifu Inuwa, director general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has called for urgent and strategic investment in Africa’s digital public infrastructure, describing it as the foundation for sustainable economic transformation, job creation, and intra-African trade.
Speaking at the 2nd annual Sustainability Week Africa held at The Westin, Cape Town, South Africa, Inuwa emphasized that Africa’s economic destiny hinges on its own “compute capacity,” which he described as a primary factor of production in the 21st century.
“In the 21st century, compute power is a primary factor of production, and we cannot rely on exporting our raw data to other regions to process it and build products for us,” Inuwa said during a panel session on Digital Infrastructure for Jobs and Trade in Africa.
He urged African governments to emulate Europe’s collaborative approach to building high-performance supercomputers and AI factories by creating policy incentives that attract private sector investment in digital infrastructure.
Digital public infrastructure (DPI), he explained, operates at two levels: the shared physical and technical infrastructure such as connectivity and cloud capacity; and the functional layer, which includes digital identity, payment systems, and data exchange platforms that enable seamless access to services.
Citing Nigeria’s progress, the NITDA DG disclosed that over 130 million Nigerians have been enrolled under the national digital identity system.
He also revealed ongoing efforts to establish a national data exchange platform and a DPI Centre of Excellence to promote interoperability and best practices across all tiers of government.
“The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy in Nigeria, Dr Bosun Tijani, is leading and pushing for establishing a DPI centre of excellence, where we can have people building the actual DPI data exchange well, building APIs, and also coming up with best practices,” Inuwa stated.
On digital literacy, Inuwa reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to achieving 95% digital literacy by 2030 and 70% by 2027 under the National Digital Literacy Framework.
He noted that digital skills have become mandatory for students and civil servants, with partnerships involving Cisco and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to train youth, women, and market traders in digital tools and AI-powered applications.
He called for clear policy frameworks to guide AI adoption and technology development across Africa, stressing that digital transformation is not a sector but an enabler for every sector of the economy.
“In Africa, we need to have our digital circuits by building our own capacity for digital self-determination. We should not rely on other countries to be sending hardware and software to us because our goal is to build a better life for our citizens, and technology will help us achieve that,” he said.
Inuwa concluded by advocating stronger coordination between governments, the private sector, and development partners to harmonise digital standards and scale innovation across the continent.
“Africa’s advantage lies in our ability to leap, to build collaboratively, and to design technology for inclusion. If we build the digital rails together, our youth will drive Africa straight into the heart of the global digital economy,” he said.
Sustainability Week Africa is a continental platform that showcases practical ways for governments, businesses, and communities to embrace green growth. The 2025 edition focused on Africa’s role in driving energy transition, climate resilience, and sustainable development.
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and Meta Platforms Inc. are set to formally adopt the final terms of a $32.8 million data privacy settlement before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Nov. 3, following months of negotiations over alleged breaches of Nigeria’s data protection laws.
The NDPC had in February 2025 imposed a $32.8 million sanction on Meta, alongside eight corrective orders, for allegedly violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
The commission accused the global tech giant of engaging in behavioural advertising without obtaining proper user consent and transferring Nigerian user data abroad without legal authorization.
According to the NDPC, Meta’s practices contravened core principles of transparency and accountability in data processing, prompting the regulator to take enforcement action under the newly enacted data protection law.
Meta subsequently approached the court seeking a review of the commission’s decision and a stay of enforcement. However, the court declined the request, paving the way for both parties to enter into negotiations aimed at resolving the dispute amicably.
At the latest hearing, Meta’s counsel, Mr. Fred Onuobia (SAN), informed the court that both parties had reached a settlement agreement. Justice James Omotosho, presiding over the matter, welcomed the development but emphasized the need for judicial scrutiny of the settlement terms.
“There have been instances where issues not part of the original suit are smuggled into settlement terms. The court must therefore examine the document carefully before approval,” Justice Omotosho stated, before fixing Nov. 3 for formal adoption of the agreement.
The settlement, once adopted, is expected to conclude one of Nigeria’s most significant data protection enforcement cases and could set a major precedent for how global technology firms operate within the country’s regulatory framework.
Legal analysts say the case underscores the growing assertiveness of Nigeria’s data protection regime and signals a shift toward stricter compliance expectations for multinational digital platforms operating in the country.
The Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, signed into law to strengthen privacy rights and data governance, empowers the NDPC to investigate violations, impose sanctions, and enforce corrective measures to safeguard citizens’ personal data.
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has faced increasing scrutiny globally over its data handling practices. The outcome of the Nigerian case is expected to influence future engagements between regulators and tech firms across Africa.
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