Mafab Communications, operating under the brand Mcom, has officially activated its mobile service infrastructure and commenced offering telecommunications services — including voice, data, and SMS — with new number range, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can report.

Dr. Musbahu Bashir, founder Mafab, owners of Mcom

Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has also confirmed the entry of Mcom which listed 0724 as officially assigned to Mafab.

An insider at Mafab told this reporter that “ We are Nigeria’s first 5G standalone network provider, revolutionizing the telecommunications landscape.  We are driven by a vision to foster a world where possibilities know no bounds with the power of technology”

Recall that the original 5G licence was awarded to Mafab in 2021, with an expectation that rollout would have fully commence by August 2022.

MTN Nigeria, the other winner of the license adhered to this timeline and deployed its 5G across major cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.

Mafab on the other hand, requested and was granted an extension of time, which it have finally taken advantage of by the recent launch.

Mafab Communications is owned by Dr. Musbahu Bashir, who is also the founder and chairman of the company.

He is the individual behind the Mcom 5G brand and has been instrumental in launching the company’s 5G services.

National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  with Galaxy Space, Chinese LEO satellite player,  to deploy direct‑to‑device (D2D) satellite services nationwide by the end of this year.

According to media reports, Galaxy Space will integrate its LEO satellite constellation into Nigeria’s telecom grid, which will allow existing smartphones and laptops to link directly to the satellites.

The MoU also covers technology‑transfer programmes, joint R&D labs and the co‑production of a CubeSat by Nigerian engineers.

Apart from the benefit of enabling mobile coverage outside of terrestrial network range,  Dr Matthew Adepoju, director- general, NASRDA, said the deal with GalaxySpace would enable Nigeria to build up its domestic space technology sector.

“It is no longer acceptable that we must import every single device we need,” he told the News Agency of Nigera. “The time has come for us to produce our own technologies here at home.”

GalaxySpace, which designs and manufactures its own LEO satellites, currently has a test constellation of seven LEO satellites in orbit, and has said its “Mini-Spider” constellation will eventually comprise up to 1,000 satellites.

GalaxySpace said  it has also signed multi-tier partnerships in Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Last year, it also signed a deal with Hong Kong carrier PCCW Global to integrate its LEOsat connectivity with PCCW’s worldwide network, giving it access to over 3,000 cities across the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

Bank Customers Association of Nigeria (BCAN) has written to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) seeking urgent intervention over what it describes as persistent and unauthorized charges being deducted from customer accounts across the country.

This was revealed by Uju Ogubunka, president, BCAN, during the 2025 Artificial Intelligence Conference hosted by SuperNews in Lagos.

Themed “Power of AI: Enhancing Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction for Better Financial Services Experience”, the event brought together stakeholders in the banking and fintech sectors.

Ogubunka expressed concern that many of the charges deducted from customer accounts particularly under the end-user billing model for Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) do not fall within the framework of fees approved by the CBN.

“On the issue of excess charges, we have formally written to the Central Bank of Nigeria seeking a permanent solution. If that doesn’t happen soon, Nigerian bank customers may have no option but to publicly demand accountability,” he warned.

The BCAN President painted a grim picture of banking satisfaction levels in the country, arguing that many customers remain deeply frustrated by poor service delivery, even as banks boast of adopting digital and AI-driven tools.

“Let’s be honest customer satisfaction in Nigeria’s banking sector today is practically non-existent. The number of complaints, petitions, and legal disputes being filed daily at the Bankers’ House, CBN, NDIC, and mediation centres tells the real story,” Ogubunka said.

He noted that if artificial intelligence had truly taken root within financial services as advertised, many of the recurring issues such as transaction failures, poor response times, and vague charges would already be resolved.

Johnson Chukwu, the conference keynote speaker and a respected financial expert, spotlighted the immense potential AI holds for transforming Nigeria’s financial landscape especially in areas like consumer lending, customer experience, and fraud detection.

Chukwu said AI now enables instant consumer credit scoring, making it possible for financial institutions to offer small personal loans with minimal human involvement.

“Today, consumer credit is expanding because AI tools can assess your income and spending habits. Telcos know your payment patterns, your locations, even where you smoked last night. That data enables quick credit decisions you apply, and within minutes, the loan is disbursed,” he explained.

Chukwu also emphasized how AI can drive hyper-personalisation in service delivery.

“With AI, one million customers can be treated as one million unique individuals. The system recognises your face, fingerprint, and transaction behaviour. It tailors services that suit your lifestyle and financial goals.”

He added that the technology can also drastically reduce the time it takes to resolve complaints, citing AI’s ability to mine customer data and instantly identify root causes.

Chukwu concluded his remarks with a framework for AI adoption in financial services, listing seven essential “C’s”: Capacity, Capability, Collaboration, Creativity, Cognition, Continuity, and Control.

“Artificial Intelligence will shape the future of customer experience and service delivery. Financial institutions that fail to embrace it risk becoming irrelevant. The time to act is now,” he said.