General News
The Threat of Multiple Regulations in Telecom
Operators in the telecommunications space of the country’s economy have not had peace of mind in the last six years in the process of service delivery as they are confronted with several challenges.
Unfortunately, most of the challenges have little or no relationship with the process of service delivery.
Operators are faced with security issues at base stations, unfriendly host communities, vandalization among others.
In view of all these that operators took measures to address some of the issues which are distracting them from their main business of service delivery.
Among some of the initiatives are adoption of collocation, and outsourcing of base stations to infrastructure providers.
As these initiatives were gradually addressing the known problem that other challenges began raising their head, and they are multiple regulation and taxation.
In a federal system there are issues reserved for either federal or state to legislate on and the ones both have powers to regulate.
In the case of telecommunications, it is the federal that has exclusive right to regulate the industry which led it into establishing a Commission in the name of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) backed with an act to effectively perform that function.
However, events in the recent past suggest that other federal government agencies as well as states are now making effort to usurp NCC’s function in the telecommunications industry which is unknown to the country’s law.
It has become a common practice for any government agency be it federal or state to solicits for one levy or the other from operators while some seek that operators secure one approval or the other from them which comes with a fee before they can build infrastructure.
It is not telecommunications operators that are lamenting over multiple taxation, operators in the manufacturing sector have continued to call for a lasting solution to the problem of multiple taxation in the country.
According to them, if the problem is not addressed, business will continue to suffer.
With the challenges of poor infrastructure which is killing business in one hand and the headache of multiple taxation have been identified as another major threat to manufacturers and investors.
Speaking on the implication of multiple taxation, Otunba Femi Deru, President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that as Constitution empowered Local Governments to enact law that will create a situation were they will generate revenue, such as vehicle license, radio, television, business premises levy among others. He added that these taxes are becoming rampant and hindrance to business development in the country.
Dr. Emmanuel Ekuem, former president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (Atcon) called on the government to address the issue of multiple taxation which is currently a threat to development of telecommunications in the country.
He said a situation in which operators in the telecoms industry were seen as cash cows should be a thing of the past.
He reasoned that government in the land should note that telecoms business attracts operational cost and that when the number of taxes paid by the operators increase just because all tiers of government want their various shares of the “cake,” it engenders less profits for the operators and compromise quality of service.
Mr. Ayodele Adigun, President, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, said that multiple taxation in Nigeria militate against standard taxation practice, which is unhealthy for economic development.
He blamed the activities of quacks in the system for this situation and also described the practice as an evil one, noting that the institute was all out to combat this trend.
According to him, CITN was championing professional taxation practice in the country and also organising an awareness campaign to sensitize the public on the need to voluntary pay approved taxes.
He added that multiple tax and poor infrastructure had also made the environment extremely inclement and uncompetitive for locally made goods against those from other nations.
It is unfortunate that officials from government quarters seem not to understand the issue of multiple taxes but are looking at it as tax evasion.
The issue is clear and does not need interpretation.
Operators are not saying that they won’t pay tax to government and its relevant authorities but duplication of the same tax which they have already paid to government at the federal or state levels is inimical and put pressure on them.
The question is, how can one reconcile a situation where a telecom operator whose services are controlled by federal government pays relevant taxes or levies to federal and state governments, and are also forced to pay similar taxes not approval levy by local governments.
As operators are seeking ways to address the issue of multiple taxation that another government agency, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (Nesrea) came out with Environmental Impact Assessment for base stations of telecom operators.
NCC has a department that enforces standard in the manner operators build their infrastructure, instead of Nesrea liaising with that department of NCC to ensure that those issues it said are raised by the public, it is now enforcing its order on companies that are not under its regulatory jurisdiction.
In a similar vein, the newly established agency Urban Furniture Regulatory Unit under the Ministry of Physical Planning & Urban Development has been in loggerhead with telecom operators over the former threat and demolition of base transceiver station on the basis that owners of such BTS did not get approval from it when the operator has gotten the necessary approval from NCC and other federal agency required by law.
In view of all these that stakeholders who spoke to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek are calling for streamlining of regulations in the telecommunications industry as well harmonization of relevant levies in order not to destroy and discourage investment in the sector which is expected to boom with the envisage abundance of bandwidth occasioned by the landing of undersea cables in the country.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the House of Representatives Spouses Association (HORSA), organized a specialized two‑day digital literacy and capacity‑building workshop for the spouses of members of the House of Representatives.
The initiative, themed “Empowering Women for a Digital Future: Leadership, Wellbeing, and Opportunity,” is designed to equip spouses of lawmakers with the tools needed to navigate the modern digital economy and the unique demands of public life.
Moving beyond basic computer literacy, the workshop offers a comprehensive suite of skills, including financial and digital literacy—focused on using digital tools for business growth and personal finance management; cybersecurity and digital wellbeing—promoting online safety, data protection, and mental health resilience; and economic empowerment—unlocking opportunities in remote work, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and digital entrepreneurship.
Declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, PhD, the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, said the workshop underscores the crucial role spouses play in supporting public office holders. He described spouses as trusted advisers whose understanding of legislative responsibilities helps lawmakers perform more effectively.
He noted that the demanding nature of legislative work often places strain on family life, adding that empowering spouses with digital and leadership skills would strengthen their capacity to provide informed support and constructive feedback to their partners in public service. He urged participants to take full advantage of the training, stressing that continuous learning is essential in an increasingly digital world.
Kalu further observed that many spouses already lead humanitarian and development initiatives in their communities, and that the skills gained from the programme would enhance communication, strategic planning, and resource mobilisation, thereby deepening their contribution to community development and national growth.
In his welcome address, the NITDA Director‑General, Kashifu Inuwa, said the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s drive to build a sustainable digital economy by ensuring that no group is excluded from digital opportunities due to skills gaps. He noted that the Renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Ahmed Tinubu places digitalisation and innovation at the heart of economic diversification and inclusive growth.
He added that NITDA is implementing a national digital literacy framework aimed at achieving 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030, driven through three key focus areas: integrating digital skills into formal education, upskilling public servants, and expanding community‑level digital inclusion.
Inuwa described women as critical drivers of Nigeria’s digital transformation, noting that empowering spouses of lawmakers with digital skills would strengthen leadership at home and positively influence legislative processes at the National Assembly. He explained that NITDA is working with the Ministry of Education and global technology partners to train teachers nationwide, while over 54,000 public servants are currently enrolled in the Agency’s digital literacy programmes.
He also stated that through community champions deployed across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, millions of Nigerians are being reached annually with basic digital skills training, stressing that national leaders must not be left behind in Nigeria’s digital transition. According to him, digitally literate spouses can play a vital role in encouraging technology‑driven governance, including ongoing efforts to digitise legislative processes.
In her goodwill message, the Leader of HORSA and wife of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hajiya Fatima Tajudeen Abbas, described the workshop as a historic milestone and the first comprehensive capacity‑building programme organised by the 10th Assembly for spouses of lawmakers. She noted that public life in a digital age now extends beyond physical spaces into online platforms, making digital and financial literacy, cyber protection, and digital wellbeing essential skills for spouses of national leaders.
Hajiya Abbas emphasised that the sessions on mental health, emotional resilience, entrepreneurship, and leadership were timely, as spouses of public office holders often shoulder invisible emotional responsibilities. According to her, empowering women economically strengthens families and communities, adding that the knowledge gained from the workshop would not only support lawmakers behind the scenes but also enable women to contribute more meaningfully to national development in the digital economy.
The event also featured goodwill messages and contributions from senior government officials, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim; the Chairperson of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum, Prof. (Mrs.) Olufolake Abdulrazaq; the Chairman of the House Committee on ICT, Hon. Stanley Olajide; the Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara; and the Managing Director of the South-South Development Commission, Usoro Offiong Akpabio.
PalmPay is thrilled to announce the first set of winners of its highly anticipated Valentine-themed #LoveWithPalmPay campaign, following a week of receiving entries from users across the country, celebrating their real love stories shaped by simple money moments.
The #LoveWithPalmPay, a two-week campaign which started on the 9th of February until the 21st of February, has unveiled the first set of four (4) couples who shared their heartfelt stories of how PalmPay has positively impacted their relationships, from seamless transfers and bill payments to shared savings goals, dates, and everyday financial support.
The first batch of selected winners are:
- Abdulsalam Aishat Omowumi ( Facebook)
- Symply Omotoshan (Instagram)
- Unusual_aaron (Tiktok)
- MTN_DATA_VENDOR (X)
Speaking on the campaign, Olorunfemi Hanson, the Head of Marketing of PalmPay, stated, “We are using the campaign to appreciate our over 35 million users and the many ways they use the PalmPay app to make life seamless. The four (4) couples, each rewarded with ₦100,000, were chosen based on how effectively they highlighted PalmPay’s features and demonstrated how the platform helped their everyday payments be reliable and seamless.
PalmPay noted that with the campaign still ongoing, four (4) more couples will be announced in the coming days, encouraging more users to continue sharing their love stories using the hashtag #LoveWithPalmPay on PalmPay’s social media platforms.
The campaign reinforces PalmPay’s commitment to creating financial solutions that not only simplify transactions but also bring people closer through meaningful, everyday money moments.
PalmPay is a leading digital banking platform driving financial inclusion and economic empowerment in underserved emerging markets. Through its secure, user-friendly, and inclusive suite of financial services, PalmPay empowers individuals and businesses with tools to manage and grow their money.
PalmPay offers a comprehensive range of products, including mobile payments, savings, and micro-insurance via its app and mobile money agent network.
Zoho Corporation, a global technology company, today marked its 30th anniversary with the announcement of two major company milestones.
Zoho
Zoho Corporation, consisting of consisting of Zoho (cloud business solutions), ManageEngine (IT management), Qntrl (business process management) and TrainerCentral (e-learning platform), is now a trusted technology provider to one million paying customers and more than 150 million users globally.
Today’s announcement follows significant year-on-year customer (32%) and revenue (20%) growth in 2025.
Recent customers to Zoho Corporation include: in the United States, Rapid Response Monitoring and Synergy Home Care; in India, Mercedes-Benz India, Force Motors, Joyalukkas and Union Bank of India; in the UK/European Union, Flora Food Group, Handl Tyrol and Atout France; in Middle East-Africa, Al-Ahli Saudi FC and Al Qadsiah FC; in LATAM, Gonher Batteries, and in Brazil, Creditas and Editora Globo.
“Being bootstrapped, private, and built entirely in-house makes Zoho an outlier among competitors,” said Sridhar Vembu, Co-founder and Chief Scientist, Zoho Corporation.
“But vendors don’t need our help, businesses do, which is why delivering customer value has, for 30 years, been Zoho Corporation’s North Star.
“Before any innovation, strategy, or guiding principle becomes a product, pivot, or policy, it must first affirm the question, ‘Will this help businesses?’ We are incredibly grateful that companies around the world have responded so positively to our customer-first approach over the past three decades, and will continue to meet the evolving needs of businesses with powerful, scalable, and affordable solutions.”
Commitment to Africa
Zoho Corporation has steadily expanded its presence across Africa, supporting organisations of all sizes as digital transformation accelerates across the continent.
“Africa represents one of the most dynamic and entrepreneurial business environments in the world,” said Kehinde Ogundare, Country Head, Zoho Nigeria.
“Over the years, we have seen growing demand from African businesses seeking technology that is flexible, affordable and built for long-term value rather than short-term gain.
“Our continued investment reflects our belief in Africa’s innovation potential and our commitment to supporting local businesses with tools that help them scale sustainably.”
Zoho’s long-term approach aligns closely with the needs of African organisations, providing a unified technology platform without the cost and complexity often associated with enterprise software.
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