General News
Social, Political Interference Harmful to Telecom Business
Gbenga Adebayo, president of Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (Alton) is an authority in the telecom industry. A former general manager of VGC Communications and now managing director, CNSS, telecom outsourcing company bares his mind on the industry in this interview with chike onwuegbuchi and hilary okeke.
Local Content and Operators
On local content, you can view it from two different angles: angle one, talking in terms of hardware; the second one, being in terms of human capital.
When people talk about local content, what really comes to mind is the hardware component; how many of those products and services are made in Nigeria? How many of those brands are Nigerian? That’s what people really interpret as local content. In reality, when you look at ICT being as global industry, local content goes beyond hardware. There is no individual country in the world today that provides the component or content required for a full IT based infrastructure and therefore, countries are interdependent in terms of manufacture and production of various elements of IT based infrastructure. You might be an expert in the production of certain devices and tools; the software might be provided to you, the hardware might be from another manufacturer and country. So, it’s very difficult to find one country that has all that’s required for a full blown communication infrastructure. This means that countries will continue to be interdependent on one another.
And again, there’s no individual country that’s self-sufficient, even the super-powers still depend on certain input from certain countries. Our problem is that nothing is made here. When you look at what makes up a full blown mobile network, copper infrastructure is almost insignificant. What is relevant in our case which will prepare us for the future is the content in terms of human capital. How many of our people are holding authoritative positions in the ICT industry? If they are not prime movers today, if they are not playing critical role today, what is the plan to have Nigerians take over those positions after a period of time?
Poor Quality of Service and Growth Telecom
You see, quality of service can be addressed in many ways and I speak now as the chairman of the operators association that the problem encountered by every sector of the economy, is also facing telecom service provider and because it is all network in one network, there are so many dependencies. So, part of the factors responsible for quality of service is the failure of the Nigerian socio-economic-infrastructure; talking about security, energy, good road network, availability of statistical data, import regulation, import duty, clearing problems at the port, issues of multiple taxation, interference by agencies of government and so on. However, as a people we should not forget our history; we have a network that’s less than 10 years, starting point was half a million subscribers; within 10 years 40 million subscribers and those are networks driven by physical infrastructure.
Revival of Nitel
The case of Nitel is very unfortunate because today, there wouldn’t have been telecom in Nigeria without Nitel. Nitel provided the platform for every service provider in this country today. The question now is how come the one that played such a legacy role has become the one that plays behind the scene? That’s the question I keep asking. In spite of the infrastructure of Nitel, in spite of the greatness of the potentiality of Nitel, in spite of the mileage of Nitel as regards the coverage of this country. There’s no part of the country that you go to today that you don’t see the footprint of Nitel; be it in the form of an old analogue exchange, be it in the form of an old cellular exchange or the form of a receiver station. I was not at that press conference because I have not been around, I have not been following the reports on this issue but it co-relates with what I said earlier. It looks like many things were not done rightly; perhaps the sale was done in a hurry, perhaps there were issues with the bidding processes, perhaps there was an issue with the disclosure element; otherwise, to me as an analyst, it looks like Transcorp met more than they prepared for on one side. To me as an analyst with due respect to all players, it looks like government did not provide the right environment for the buyers of Nitel to succeed. The concern therefore is that if Transcorp paid what it paid for Nitel, which in some quarters have been said is too high and in some quarters too low, no matter what; if factors militating against their success are not dealt with, no matter who buys Nitel tomorrow, the same thing will happen. So, there are some fundamental issues that should be addressed on the part of Nitel. If government has decided to sell Nitel, they should do that with a plain mind. They should not sell it on one side and tie it down on the other side. It will kill the company. We all blame Transcorp for Nitel’s failure without stopping to look at the basic issues there. The case of Transcorp is something that must be addressed with plain mind. Government must be honest about it and of course, they owe the public some explanations on why certain things went the way they did with Nitel. It got to a point where Nitel couldn’t even pay its wages. There’s more to it and am saying again, if factors that led to inability of Transcorp to deliver NITEL are not dealt with precisely, rightly and honestly, same thing will happen again. And again I maintain ‘government still owes the public some explanations on what happened there. So, on that note I would say that we cannot isolate the government from what happened to Nitel. The records are there, allow Nitel to make public names of people who owe them. I believe that with the right support to the buyers of Nitel, the potentials of Nitel are going to manifest.
CNSS and Outsourcing
It is a common practice all over the world. You can not keep all needed skills or all operations in-house. There is no individual company that can provide all its requirements in all areas; it is becoming more popular because the networks are growing and they need to turn around service delivery since it is on high demand. What you will see in the future is the outsourcing of airtime; you will begin to see virtual operators who will not be licensed holders, who will not be service operators; who will sell the services of licensed operators. It’s already happening in other parts of the world. And so what we do in CNSS is to strategically position ourselves to be able to provide rightful engineering outsource support for network operators.
Non individual service providers can provide all the necessary resources to drive a network. It is a case of individual companies building the infrastructure and leasing to service providers. It is a common practice in industries of developed countries and I see it as a good feature. For example, today the challenges that are faced by a number of our members include access to site, security and maintenance of site. If the site is owned by a third party, it is the obligation of that owner to ensure uninterrupted availability of service. Certain burdens are taken off the back of service providers and so they can face expansion, organization of quality, provision of value added services and so on. Am glad that the industry is opening up to outsourcing and I believe it will help in its development and sustainability. Even the roads are outsourced-government gives them to people to maintain so that they are not abused and that’s evident in developed countries.
Number Portability
No, that is not correct. We have made public statements that number portability is accepted. Number portability is something we know, it is a common practice all over the world, it is a feature that can be supported by networks. But we have said that the approach to the introduction of number portability cannot be done on the pages of the newspaper; it must be all inclusive because at the end of the day, it is all networks in one network and we do expect that there’ll be stakeholders’ involvement-every participant, every stakeholder, every operator in the industry will have a role to play in this process. There’s the commercial, engineering and also the administrative part and all should be at work to make this a reality. This is not something that should be jumped into; we must plan and work together-operators, regulators and the consumers. Also, there’s an associated cost in providing number portability. It’s not something you just dump on service providers; everyone has a business plan. As an association, we’ve expressed interest, it’s a feature that’s come to stay; we’ve agreed to go with it and it needs to be given the right approach.
Guinness Nigeria has officially begun rewarding consumers under its nationwide ‘Open For More’ National Consumer Promotion (NCP), with an impressive ₦17 million in rewards to 107 winners during the campaign’s first live draw held on July 31, 2026.
The inaugural draw instantly transformed the fortunes of consumers across the country, producing seven new millionaires, who each received ₦1 million, alongside 100 additional winners, who each walked away with ₦100,000. The milestone marks the beginning of a series of weekly live draws that will see hundreds more Nigerians rewarded throughout the promotion.
The seven ₦1 million winners are Marcus Barieepie, Ani Valentine Ogochukwu, Okafor Sochima, Taiwo Adebola, Zubair Rukayat, Oluwatobi Femi, and Ebubechukwu Okolo.
The live draw was conducted under the supervision of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to ensure transparency and fairness. Representatives of the commission present included Dr. Olubunmi Otti, Zonal Coordinator, FCCPC Southwest, and Mrs. Abosede Ogundeji, Surveillance and Investigation Officer.
Speaking during the draw, Ramanathan S, representing Guinness, said the promotion reflects the brand’s enduring commitment to celebrating and rewarding the consumers who have supported Guinness over the years.
“For decades, Nigerians have made Guinness a part of their milestones and celebrations. Today, we are proud to give back by putting ₦17 million directly into the hands of 107 consumers in our very first draw. This is only the beginning. Over the coming weeks, many more Nigerians will experience life-changing rewards as we continue to celebrate the loyalty of the people who have made Guinness part of their stories.”
He added that all weekly draws will continue to be streamed live across Guinness Nigeria’s official platforms, enabling consumers to witness the winner-selection process in real time and reinforcing the transparency and credibility of the promotion. He also encouraged eligible consumers nationwide to participate, noting that every valid entry presents another opportunity to win.
The ‘Open For More’ National Consumer Promotion offers consumers the chance to win ₦1 million every day, ₦100,000 cash prizes for 1,000 winners, and a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado as the grand prize. Altogether, the promotion will reward consumers with more than ₦400 million in cash and prizes.
To participate, consumers simply need to purchase specially marked bottles of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout or Guinness Smooth, locate the unique code beneath the crown cork or can lid, and enter the code via the designated campaign platform.
With ₦17 million already won in its opening draw, the campaign is off to a remarkable start, reinforcing Guinness Nigeria’s commitment to rewarding consumer loyalty through transparent processes and unforgettable experiences that go beyond the product. Consumers are encouraged to look out for specially marked promotional packs and follow Guinness Nigeria’s official communication channels for updates, winner announcements, and details of upcoming draws.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has expressed readiness to deepen collaboration with Nigerian universities to promote research, innovation and technology-driven solutions to local challenges.
NITDA, UniAbuja
NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, stated this when the management of Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja (UniAbuja), led by its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, paid a familiarisation visit to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Abdullahi said stronger collaboration between NITDA and tertiary institutions was essential to building a robust innovation ecosystem, developing practical skills and positioning Nigeria for technology-driven economic growth.
He stressed the need for increased investment in research, particularly in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, cybersecurity and cloud computing.
“We need to invest more in in-depth research with universities to build a robust research ecosystem that will help us develop solutions.
“Research will focus on harnessing AI, IoT, blockchain, cybersecurity and cloud technology, among other emerging technologies, to improve our lives and grow our digital economy,” he said.
The DG described universities as critical talent factories required to achieve Nigeria’s digital transformation aspirations.
“NITDA has a vision to make Nigeria a digitally empowered nation. You (UniAbuja) are the talent factory, and we cannot achieve our vision without talented Nigerians.
“The only way to achieve that is by working with institutions like yours. So, we need to build talent,” he said.
Abdullahi also advocated the integration of AI education across disciplines in tertiary institutions, saying students needed practical digital skills to remain relevant in the evolving world of work.
“We can work together to explore ways of introducing AI across the board as a general study course in tertiary institutions.
“Elements of AI should be included in every field of study to equip our students with the hands-on skills for navigating the real world,” he said.
According to him, NITDA is already collaborating with key education sector stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and National Commission for Colleges of Education.
He said the agency was also working to promote digital literacy programmes across all levels of education to ensure that graduates acquire skills relevant to industry requirements.
Earlier, Fawehinmi said the university’s visit was aimed at seeking NITDA’s partnership and support in strengthening digital infrastructure and technology-based training at the institution.
He expressed appreciation for NITDA’s contributions to the Digital Geoscience Centre at the university.
The Vice-Chancellor said the university was willing to collaborate with NITDA on joint research, capacity-building initiatives and innovation programmes capable of contributing to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
“We could go into partnership with you to provide data, collaborative engagements, staff exchanges and joint research hubs, so that we can produce high-level human resources.
“The university is committed to serving as a strategic academic partner to NITDA by providing academic expertise required to advance your national digital transformation initiatives,” he said.
The proposed collaboration is expected to strengthen the link between academic research and industry needs while creating opportunities for technology innovation, skills development and practical solutions to Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.
A New Mexico court has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to pay $567 million to address the alleged harms caused to young people by its social media platforms.
Meta
The ruling by Judge Bryan Biedscheid came in the second phase of a landmark trial concerning the impact of Meta’s platforms on children and teenagers.
The judge said $420 million of the amount would be dedicated to treatment services for young people, while the remaining funds would support awareness and prevention programmes, screening services and other related costs over the next five years.
The latest financial order comes on top of $375 million in civil penalties awarded against Meta in March after a jury found that the company knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed information about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
During the second phase of the trial, prosecutors asked the court to order fundamental changes to Meta’s platforms, including measures to reduce addictive features, improve age verification and prevent child sexual exploitation through stronger privacy settings and increased oversight.
The court subsequently ordered Facebook and Instagram to introduce banner notifications and informational screens explaining their safety features, recommended practices and tools for addressing inappropriate comments.
The platforms must also regularly display the information, while an educational campaign in New Mexico will be subject to review by the state.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the ruling sent a clear message that technology companies could be held accountable when their product designs knowingly exposed children to risks.
“Today’s decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online,” Torrez said in a statement.
Meta said it would appeal the ruling.
“We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content,” the company said.
The company said it remained confident in its record of protecting teenagers online and would continue to defend itself against what it described as claims that misrepresented the facts.
On age verification, the court said federal children’s privacy laws restricted Meta’s ability to apply certain verification tools to children under 13.
The court cited the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which limits the collection of personal information from children under 13.
Rather than imposing a blanket age-verification requirement exclusively on Meta, the judge ordered the company to continue improving its age-assurance tools in New Mexico.
The tools include the use of artificial intelligence to estimate users’ ages based on signals such as their social connections and the type of content they post and consume.
Meta was also ordered to attempt to develop a dedicated model for predicting whether users are under 13 within the next two years.
Additionally, the company must request proof of age from Facebook and Instagram users in New Mexico whom it estimates to be under 13.
Where Meta determines that a user is under 13, or under 18 but cannot determine a specific age, it must treat the user as being under the applicable age threshold until the user verifies their age.
The court further ordered Meta to partner with schools or a child-safety organisation to establish a reporting portal through which school officials can flag users suspected to be under 13.
Meta must also delete personal information it has collected from users under 13 and submit progress reports twice a year detailing its compliance with the court-ordered measures.
The ruling comes as Meta faces thousands of lawsuits from families alleging that children have been harmed by social media use.
The company is also preparing for another trial in California amid the growing litigation over the impact of social media platforms on young people.
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