General News
Telecom Revolution is Key Driver of Development-Ndukwe
Ernest Ndukwe, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is a professional engineer with over 28 years of local and international experience. The NCC he is leading has completely transformed the country’s telecom landscape with the now world famous revolution which ahs placed phones on the hands of Nigerians and connected many nconnected. He spoke about the revolution and next big thing in this interview with Ken Nwogbo.
Prediction on Telecom Revolution
Looking back, nobody could have predicted the amount of success that has been recorded in the industry. Remember that we started from a very low level and almost zero-subscriber level compared to what we have today. We had just over 20,000 wireless mobile line and 200,000 fixed lines – hardly anything for anyone to care about. But over the years, we have seen this growth to the level that by the end of July, 2008 we have netted 58 million connections and there was no way we could have predicted this in 2001 when this journey started. But it has been a pleasant development and we thank God for his favours and for what He has enabled us to do in this area.
Growth in Subscriber Base and Capacity
The capacity is also growing. The problem actually comes from where we started. Most countries that transited from wireline infrastructure as their base and moved to mobile already had very good wire line infrastructure. That is why I laugh when people compare Nigeria with places like the UK, the U.S and some European countries. These are countries that had very good landline infrastructure. The incumbent operators in those places had obligation to make sure that lines were available to all people in the country no matter their location. But the situation we found ourselves in here in Nigeria from 1960 at independence until recently was that lines were growing in the country at an average of 10,000 lines per annum. Today we are talking about 1.2 million lines per month, so you can see the difference. In terms of capacity, let me say that all the operating companies are installing capacities at such a fast rate and within the possibilities available to the environment. One of them recently said that in the month of July, they had about 150 base stations – that is definitely a record. Most people do 30, 50, at the best, 100 – that will show you how much capacity that is put into the network in order to enhance it. I am sure what you will also be saying is that they do not have headway in their capacity to be able to take anything that is out of the ordinary and I will agree with you on that. That is why when they try to offer free calls at a particular weekend, the whole network gets jammed. So if we start from a very shallow base and start building the network to what it is today, for the whole country to be covered, for enough base stations to be available everywhere and for us to now have that critical headway that will make it possible for us to handle extraordinary occurrences so that networks are not thrown into any form of confusion. But today, capacity is growing rapidly.
Broadband and Mobile Growth
It would never be possible for broadband and fixed lines to keep pace with the mobile growth. I say that because when you look at what happened in the years when fixed lines infrastructure was in vogue – in the 60s, 70s and 80s before mobile services became widespread, Nigeria did not take advantage of that period and most of Africa did not. Today, to build a landline infrastructure, you need permission; you need approval from local and state government and that may be delayed. Secondly, it takes more time to build a fixed line infrastructure unlike that of mobile. For fixed line/wire line, you have to draw cable on individual basis to the various targets where you have your customers. So, it is a difficult thing to do in a fast manner. That is why I said it would be impossible for fixed lines to catch up with mobile lines because of the nature of deployment. What we should be talking about is how much we can improve on it. Even in this age of fixed mobile substitution, you find some people (especially young people) abandoning the fixed lines in preference for the mobile lines, so that they can stay connected in their offices, homes, anywhere they are without restrictions. I think the challenge from your question is – how do we further improve the penetration of broadband in Nigeria? We are working on that and companies are gearing up to provide broadband internet services in the country.
Impact of Financial Sector in Telecom Revolution
The telecom revolution has been a major driver of development in the country in the past seven years. It has affected nearly all other sectors of the economy – the financial sector, business community, government services, security services, medical services, legal services. All these have been impacted positively by the telecom industry. The advertising companies have never known it so good, telecom has suddenly become a major (if not the primary) contributor to advertising in the country. When we look at the ordinary businessman, people are able to use their phones to reach their customers and run their businesses more efficiently. It has improved commerce and industrial development; it has improved interactions – doctors today do not need to be glued to a particular location when they are on call; they can be on the move and still be on call in a hospital and can attend to emergency cases regardless of their locations. So all these have been major contributions of the telecoms industry, a major facilitator of growth in the national economy.
Revenue from in 7 Years
What I can say is that investment in the industry is over $12 billion. I mean all forms of investment in the telecoms industry – licensing, roll out of networks, investment in various companies. So it is over $12 billion.
Consumer Parliament as Alternative Dispute Resolution
The consumer parliament has been a major factor on the Nigerian telecoms scene. What it has done is empower the consumer more. We pride ourselves for raising consumer awareness to a higher level in the country today. Before the telecom parliament, most consumers in the country were basically left in the dark and not used to complaining. We have demonstrated that we can transparently meet the consumers and discuss with them on the issues and problems they have. This was never happening in this country, most people hardly complained – they did not have a say. But the consumer parliament and consumer-based programmes have given the consumers a new voice and we very happy for that. Right now, we are looking at bringing out the education part of the consumer parliament because what people don now is just come and make complaints and their complaints are discussed; we listen to their grievances. But we want to go beyond that; we want to use it as a platform for consumer education and awareness as a veritable tool in the hands of the consumers to be able to assist them evaluate services offered by operating companies and be able to make fine decisions on their own. So that is what we want to do with parliament.
Addressing Issues of Quality of Service
Yes, the quality of service situation has been topical because of this consumer awareness that we have instilled. In terms of quality, the commission has done a lot in addressing the issue of getting quality of service here to meet international standards. That is why recently, we published a few things on key issues in the industry addressing questions like congestion, call related problems and others. Operators of telecoms should ensure that they meet minimum quality of service requirements and we have also committed that when they fail, we will ensure that they pay the consumers in compensation. If you noticed, for the first time in the African continent, the telcos are paying compensation to the consumers for poor service rendered. So we are working hard at it and we hope that they continue to improve in quality. The heat is on and we know that there is a lot of installations going on in the various networks and this will over time enable them provide an optimum quality of service in the environment.
Hosting Commonwealth Telecom Organization Forum
The Commonwealth Telecom Organization normally has annual meetings and the venue moves from one country to another. The one two years ago was in Malta, last year’s was in Jamaica. It was during the Jamaican conference that Nigeria indicated interest in hosting this year’s Annual General Meeting. So, it is something that countries hold on rotational basis. CTO has been an important organization in developing ICT across the Commonwealth countries. Apart from the Annual General Meetings which is usually a one day or two day affair, CTO’s tradition has it that together with the AGM is a forum which targets discussions on very topical issues in the ICT industry. So, the CTO forum will hold from the 6th – 9th of October and then on the 10th, we will have the Annual General Meeting. It is an important event and we will be hosting a number of ministers from various Commonwealth countries. The acting chairman of CTO is a regulator from Uganda. Usually, CTO is headed by chief executives of various regulatory bodies around the Commonwealth. The organization is solely handled by the Commonwealth Telecom Organization office but here, there is also a local organizing committee that would see to the preparations – It is going to be a major event.
Next Big Thing in the Industry
We have not really done enough in the broadband area so; the next big thing for this country is broadband where we will good Internet connectivity in the country. We are licensing some companies to roll out broadband services in the State capitals and commercial centers across the country. Another big thing is to ensure that services are extended to rural areas – reaching the unreached.
General News
NCAA Orders Airlines to Enforce $10,000 Currency Declaration Rule

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has ordered all international airlines flying into Nigeria to enforce the $10,000 currency declaration rule.
The authority said the rule is required for passengers to declare cash or negotiable instruments above the limit, as part of efforts to strengthen anti-money laundering compliance.
According to the NCAA, the directive, referenced as NCAA/CPD/ABV/298, dated 24 April 2025 seeks to address gaps in the enforcement of existing currency declaration obligations for inbound passengers.
This was announced in a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, via his official X account on Tuesday.
“International carriers must take two key actions, which include “Make inflight or pre-landing announcements informing passengers of their legal obligation to declare any currency or Bearer Negotiable Instruments exceeding $10,000 USD or its equivalent upon arrival in Nigeria.
“Distribute currency declaration forms onboard for passengers to complete before landing. The NCAA has received reports indicating that some airlines are yet to comply with this directive”, the statement read.
The NCAA said these requirements are consistent with international best practices and are vital to preventing the illegal movement of large sums of money across borders.
The Authority warned that full cooperation from international airlines is essential, saying, “Please note that the cooperation of all international airlines operating in Nigeria is critical to supporting the country’s efforts to align with global financial standards.”
Accordingly, the authority emphasised that full implementation of this directive, particularly as it concerns inbound passenger declarations, is of utmost importance.
“Compliance will be closely monitored, and non-compliant airlines will face appropriate sanctions,” it added.
General News
Appeal Court Nullifies Registration of ‘KPMG Professional Services’

The court of appeal in Lagos has asked the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to revoke the certificate of registration of “KPMG Professional Services”.
In a unanimous decision delivered on Thursday, the appellant court granted the reliefs sought by KPMG Nigeria against CAC and KPMG Professional Services.
The judgment was read by Abdullahi Mahmud Bayero, the judge.
The two other judges are Abimbola Obaseki-Adejumo and A.M. Talba.
In 2002, KPMG Professional Services was registered as a company with CAC despite the existence of KPMG Nigeria, comprising its audit, tax, and consulting arms.
The KPMG Nigeria has long been registered in Nigeria before 2002.
KPMG Audit was registered in 1969, KPMG Tax Consultants in 1990, and KPMG Consulting in 1969.
Displeased with the registration of KPMG Professional Services, KPMG Nigeria approached the federal high court.
The consulting firm had argued that the name “KPMG Professional Services” was deceptively similar to its long-established identity.
In 2005, the lower court dismissed KPMG Nigeria’s case, citing an alleged merger between KPMG Nigeria and Akintola Williams Deloitte as reason the company could no longer assert rights to the name.
The lower upheld the second respondent’s (KPMG Professional Services) counterclaim and ordered that KPMG Nigeria’s name be struck off the CAC register.
The lower court had premised its decision on newspaper articles stating that KPMG Nigeria reportedly merged with Akintola Williams Deloitte.
Delivering the judgment, Bayero ruled that the lower court erred by relying on newspaper articles to ascertain that KPMG Nigeria allegedly merged with another company.
The judge said the documents showing the alleged merger were not presented before the lower court, and the form of the alleged merger could not have been known.
“In any event, the only branch of KPMG, if any, that entered into a merger with Akintola Williams as stated in the newspaper articles 18, is KPMG Audit,” the judge ruled.
“The other spheres were totally unaffected. It would therefore be wrong to state that the merger (which has not been shown to this Court) of KPMG Audit with Akintola Williams means all the other areas of business, including KPMG Consulting and KPMG Tax Consultants, also ceased to exist.
“Even if the Appellants (KPMG Nigeria) had ceased to do business as the Court seemed to have held, the 2nd Respondents (KPMG Professional Services) should not have been carrying on business until the Appellant’s certificate of registration is withdrawn or set aside.
“They cannot use the name until the Appellant’s certification of registration is withdrawn or set aside. They cannot use the name until the name is removed from the 1st Respondent’s (CAC) Register of Names.
“The 1st Respondents can only assign the name to the 2nd Respondents after first taking it away from the Appellants.”
The court ruled that CAC erred by registering KPMG Professional Services despite the existence of a business name, which is already registered.
The judge reversed the earlier ruling of the lower court and reaffirmed the primacy of statutory protection for existing business names under Nigerian corporate law.
General News
Air Peace Launches Abuja–London Heathrow, Gatwick flights October 26

Air Peace has announced the launch of direct flights from Abuja to London Heathrow and Gatwick airports, with operations scheduled to begin on October 26, 2025.
The airline said in a statement on Sunday that round-trip fares for the Abuja–London service will start from N1m, making it the first Nigerian carrier to offer direct connections from the capital to both of London’s major international airports. This was contained in a press release issued on Sunday by the airline’s spokesperson, Efe Osifo-Whiskey.
“Direct international flight services from Abuja to both London Heathrow and London Gatwick Airports, effective October 26, 2025.
“Air Peace becomes the first Nigerian carrier to offer direct services from Abuja to both of London’s major international airports, further solidifying its role as a leader in regional and intercontinental aviation.
“Travellers originating from any of Air Peace’s domestic destinations across Nigeria can now book through fares via Abuja to either Heathrow or Gatwick using a single ticket, eliminating the need for multiple bookings or baggage re-checks,” the statement read.
Similarly, the new route opens convenient access for inbound passengers from the UK to cities across Nigeria.
“Travellers from London can access multiple destinations across Nigeria using a single Air Peace ticket through Abuja every morning. These destinations are Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Warri, Owerri, Kano, Yola, Gombe and Asaba, for now. Other destinations will be added later,” Osifo-Whiskey stated.
Air Peace is also offering what it describes as unprecedented value in pricing and service.
Osifo-Whiskey said, “It provides a distinct competitive advantage, enabling passengers to travel between Nigeria and the United Kingdom with greater ease, efficiency, and value, due to the possibility of choosing multiple cities entry and exit points.
“Has the cheapest fares ever, starting from only 1 Million Naira round trip. Huge baggage allowance.”
The Abuja–London launch comes months after the airline began Lagos–London Heathrow flights, which started earlier in 2024.
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