Telecom
Stakeholders Express Optimism Over Proposed Lagos Innovation Bill
In the wake of the Lagos State Government’s engagement with stakeholders on the proposed Lagos Innovation Policy Bill, key players have expressed optimism and support on the potential of the bill on the state’s development, and by extension, the country’s.
L-R: Akeem Hassan, Technical Advsier to the Honorable Commisioner, Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (MIST); Omotayo Fisuyi, SSA on Innovation and Technology, Lagos; Prof Peter Bamkole, COO, Pan Atlantic University; Hon. Tunbosun Alake, Commisioner, MIST; Adeleke Alex-Adedipe, Managing Partner, DOA, all at the stakeholders engagement on the proposed Lagos Innovation Bill recently at the Eko Innovation Centre, Lagos.
Among the voices of endorsement is Beverly Agbakoba, Head of the Sport, Entertainment, and Technology Practice at Agbakoba Chambers. In an exclusive interview, Agbakoba expressed her excitement over the state government’s bold initiative, hailing it as a long-overdue step that will drive Lagos into the 21st century. “I am so excited to see that Lagos State has taken the initiative to formulate an innovation bill,” Agbakoba remarked, “It took me by surprise; I only found out yesterday, and I am very happy to see we are finally beginning to step into the 21st century.”
Agbakoba’s endorsement carries weight, as her legal practice covers the sports, entertainment, and technology – industries that stand to benefit greatly from the innovative digital infrastructure and regulatory framework envisioned by the proposed bill.
“Having a bill is a very good step in the right direction. It means we are going to lay a blueprint for how we communicate and how we set up digital infrastructure, physical infrastructure, and how we can make this state the real economy hub of not just Nigeria but Africa because we are one of the most populous nations on earth. But how are we enabling our people for the 21st century?”
She highlighted the current challenges faced by the state, including poor electricity supply and inadequate road networks, emphasizing the need for the Innovation Bill to pave the way for comprehensive solutions.
Beyond mere rhetoric, Agbakoba called for tangible action and sustained engagement, urging the formation of stakeholder committees and consultation mechanisms to ensure the innovation ecosystem remains at the forefront of the bill’s development and implementation.
“From this event today, let there be some active follow-ups,” she implored. “We want to hear about the stakeholders’ committees that should be set up, the consultation committee to engage the ecosystem. One thing we said today is there must be ongoing engagement and good communication.”
She encouraged other states in Nigeria to emulate the visionary leadership exhibited by the Lagos State Government, recognizing the potential ripple effect that such an initiative could have on the nation’s technological and economic landscape.
When asked about the specific elements she would like to see enshrined in the bill, Agbakoba’s priorities were clear: robust public-private partnership frameworks, clearly defined collaborative mechanisms, and a steadfast commitment to ongoing administration and maintenance of the envisioned digital infrastructure.
Agbakoba’s vision for a fully digitized Lagos, where hospitals, roads, and public schools are seamlessly integrated into a state-wide network, providing universal internet access to every child, underlined the potential of the Innovation Bill. However, she cautioned that realizing this vision hinges on a commitment to maintaining and sustaining the new systems.
“I really want to see the will to maintain the new system,” Agbakoba stated emphatically. “I can’t wait for Lagos to be completely wired, all hospitals, roads, public schools where every child has access to the internet.”
The event, chaired by the Honourable Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr. Olatubosun Alake, was an avenue for co-creation and collaboration, a move that has been variously been described as Lagos State Government’s commitment to an inclusive and participatory approach to policymaking. Among the stakeholders present at the occasion are Adaora Ikenze – Director, Public Policy, Meta; Prof. Peter Bankole – COO, Pan Atlantic University and LASRIC Member; Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho – Founder, Futuresoft; LASRIC and Alex-Adedipe Adeleke – DOA Law, among others.
In his opening remarks, the honourable commissioner emphasized the important role of Lagos State in driving innovation investment in Nigeria and indeed, Africa, noting that approximately 70 to 80 percent of innovation funding flows into the state. He stressed the urgency of establishing a robust policy framework that encourages continuous innovation investment and drives Lagos to the forefront of the digital revolution. “This is because it can encourage or discourage continuous innovation investment in the state. Today’s engagement is in line with driving an innovation policy framework,” he said.
Victor Afolabi, Chief Executive Officer of the Eko Innovation Centre, in his welcome address, emphasized the significance of the stakeholder engagement as a co-creation event, where collective deliberation would shape the regulatory incentives and create an inclusive innovation ecosystem. He commended the commissioner’s vision and commitment to advancing innovation in Lagos State, describing the state as the innovation engine room of the country and a globally recognized hub for innovation.
The highly engaging and robust stakeholder engagement witnessed active participation from government agencies, the private sector, development agencies, and other key stakeholders. The event featured five breakout sessions, where participants made actionable recommendations and proffered realistic solutions to contribute to the framework of the proposed Lagos Innovation Bill.
Nigeria, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has won the 2025 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) prize for its project, the Digital Awareness Programme (DAP), under Category C3, which is on Access to Information and Knowledge.
L–R: Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, receives the WSIS 2025 Prize (Category C3: Access to Information and Knowledge) from the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin, following the selection of the Commission’s Digital Awareness Programme (DAP) as winner of the category.
The DAP, one of hundreds of projects submitted for the WSIS Prizes competition 2025, received the highest number of votes in its category, earning it the top honour. The programme equips secondary schools across the country with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources and provide internet connectivity to support teaching, learning, and research. Since inception in 2006, over 300 schools across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones have benefitted from the programme.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, received the award during the WSIS Prizes Winners 2025 Ceremony held on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland.
In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Maida thanked the hosts, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and WSIS, for recognising Nigeria’s efforts in promoting inclusive digital access across Nigeria, noting that the award would serve as further motivation for the Commission.
“This recognition is more than a celebration of past efforts—it is an encouragement to press forward. It affirms that investing in digital inclusion is investing in national development, and that Nigeria’s work is being seen and valued on the global stage,” Dr. Maida said.
Four other Nigerian projects—the Women Techsters and the Advanced Digital Empowerment Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADEPTI) under Capacity Building, the Telecom-Based Research Grant Initiative under Enabling Environment, and the Digital Learning Initiative under e-Learning—were also celebrated for their nomination for the Champions Category of Projects at the WSIS Prizes Ceremony. Although they were not among the top-voted entries, they were acknowledged for their significant merit and impact.
The WSIS Prizes competition recognises and promotes projects that effectively leverage ICTs to advance sustainable development. The competition showcases how technology can serve as a powerful tool for addressing global challenges and achieving the SDGs. Projects from around the world are recognised annually, highlighting diverse approaches to building an inclusive information society.
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a United Nations (UN) initiative aimed at building a people-centred, inclusive, and development-oriented information society. It provides a multi-stakeholder platform to address issues related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and their role in achieving sustainable development.
The Forum is an annual event that brings together high-level representatives from governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, the technical community, and international organisations. It serves as a global platform for implementing the WSIS Action Lines, which are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has given telecom tower operators in the country August 2025 deadline to fix persistent network hitches in their facilities or face regulatory sanctions.
The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, reportedly gave the ultimatum during a high-level meeting with key industry players, attended by representatives of IHS Towers, American Tower Corporation (ATC), and Pan-African Towers, and mobile network operators (MNOs) in Abuja
According to sources, discussions at the meeting focused on the recurring challenges in the telecoms sector, particularly power failures, equipment malfunctions, and insufficient site maintenance, that have been causing poor Internet and call services in the country
Specifically, Maida tasked the tower operators on the imperative of complying with the NCC’s updated Quality of Service (QoS) framework, which now extends performance obligations to infrastructure providers, not just telecom service providers.
According to him, the timeline given by the commission is more than enough time for all parties to align with the performance standards expected of them.
Recently, to ensure compliance with the standards, the NCC introduced a Major Incident Reporting Portal for real-time outage disclosures; developed public performance dashboards to enhance transparency; mandated that telecom tower companies meet strict Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Although the tower operators had previously cited delayed payments from MNOs as a reason for service lapses, the NCC had dismissed the justification, insisting that all parties must meet their obligations.
The EVC maintained: “Operators must fulfill both their technical and financial responsibilities. Poor service delivery—regardless of internal disputes—will attract consequences.”
Available data on the telecom tower infrastructure shows that IHS Towers has the largest assets with 16,000–19,000 sites, (62% market share); compared to American Tower Corp’s (ATC’s) about 8,270 towers; and Pan-African Towers’ 760–1,000 sites nationwide.
The latest NCC’s August deadline is believed to be putting pressures on the tower operators to improve the quality of their facilities for improved services as the commission had hinted of its plan to sanction defaulting operators with fines or stricter regulatory actions.
Industry experts believe that the NCC’s directive is a welcomed development as it will ensure reliable Internet connectivity and improved services quality for telecom consumers in the country.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to play a pivotal role at the upcoming 6th edition of the Telecom Sector Sustainability Forum (TSSF 6.0), where it will lead a critical discussion on the sustainable growth of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) in Nigeria.
Set against a backdrop of innovation and opportunity, this forum, organized by Business Remarks, aptly themed “Unlocking Nigeria’s MVNO Potential: Status, Trends, Investment, and Future Prospects,” is scheduled for August 26, 2025. This event reinforces the nation’s commitment to fostering a robust, competitive, and inclusive telecommunications landscape.
The forum will bring together a diverse array of key stakeholders from across the telecom ecosystem to deliberate on strategies for integrating MVNOs effectively into Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital economy. With the recent advancements in technology and the issuance of 43 MVNO licenses to new players, MVNOs are poised to significantly enhance service delivery, drive digital transformation, penetrate underserved markets, and stimulate healthy competition across the sector.
As the global MVNO market is experiencing significant growth, with projections indicating continued expansion, experts believe that with the right regulatory environment and access to infrastructure, emerging markets like Nigeria can leverage MVNOs to unlock new value for both operators (by utilizing excess network capacity) and customers. Customers can enjoy a rich array of niche value-added services tailored to their needs.
Having been proactive in introducing a five-tier MVNO licensing classification, each with distinct services and a 10-year validity period, signaling a clear path for new entrants, the telecom regulator (NCC) will deliver a keynote address outlining the Commission’s regulatory framework, interventions, and commitment to ensuring a conducive environment for MVNO operations.
Mrs. Bukola Olanrewaju, Convener of the forum and Managing Editor of Business Remarks, emphasized the importance of collaboration. “TSSF 6.0 is designed to be a melting pot of ideas, bringing together Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), MVNOs, telecoms infrastructure providers, Internet Service Providers, industry associations, and technology experts,” she said.
“Our goal is to ignite discussions that will shape the future of MVNOs in Nigeria, ensuring their sustainable growth and their critical role in extending digital prosperity across the nation.”
The forum will feature interactive sessions, thought-provoking panel discussions, insightful paper presentations, and abundant networking opportunities. This event aims to provide a platform for stakeholders to share insights, address challenges, and explore collaborative pathways for sustainable growth.
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