Telecom

Zik Prize: Danbatta Dedicates Award to NCC Board, Management, Staff

Published

5 years ago

December 8, 2020

Comms Week

Prof Umar Danbatta, EVC, NCC

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^{Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), at the weekend, dedicated his Zik Prize to the board, management and staff of the Commission for their “collective and untiring commitment and efforts” in advancing the course of effective telecoms regulation in the country.}

Zik Prize: Danbatta Dedicates Award to NCC Board, Management, Staff

Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, EVC, NCC

^{Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, director, Public Affairs, NCC in a statement said that Danbatta received the award in the professional leadership category at an elaborate and well-attended annual Zik Prize 2020 organised by Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC) in Lagos.}

^{according to him Danbatta thanked the organizers for the honour, stating that the award was “a recognition for the entire Commission.”}

^{“It is gratifying that our modest efforts at the Commission, especially since the coming on board of our leadership in 2015, are being recognized by the organisers of this prestigious award. I convey my profound gratitude to the organisers for counting me worthy of this award and we accept this gesture as a challenge for to do more in digitally advancing our economy,” Danbatta responded after receiving the award.}

^{The award was attended by NCC board members, senior management and other staff of the Commission; aside other awardees in different categories as well as dignitaries from across the country.}

^{According to the citation, Danbatta was described as “a brilliant engineer, astute administrator, philanthropist and an outstanding nation builder who has brought his wealth of experience and remarkable regulatory finesse to bear as the country’s chief telecoms regulator.”}

^{Within a few years at the helm of affairs, Danbatta has embarked on many regulatory initiatives that have helped in transforming the NCC into a regulator of global acclaim through diligent implementation of the strategic 8-Point Agenda, which gave much-needed direction to the activities of the Commission.}

^{Also, “through several innovative initiatives, such as Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) registration and 112 Emergency Number, Danbatta has helped in the efforts towards stemming insecurity in the country. His efforts have sufficiently led to improvements in Quality of Service (QoS) delivery, broadband infrastructure deployment, broadband penetration, effective spectrum utilisation, consumer empowerment and technology innovation.”}

^{Danbatta was also cited to have led the charge to drive Nigeria’s industrial revolution and knowledge economy, leveraging telecommunications. Today, telecommunications contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown by 70 per cent from 2015 to 2020, while broadband penetration has leaped from 8 per cent to over 45 per cent in the same period.}

^{Danbatta’s leadership was also cited to have enhanced transparency and innovation in the sector and increased the NCC’s recognition as Africa’s foremost telecoms regulator.}

^{He has also made huge improvements in staff welfare, infrastructure development, consumer empowerments and satisfaction, job creation, standards, ICT revolution, research, rebranding of the telecoms sector, cordial relationship with stakeholders, active broadband penetration, efficient monitoring and value-driven usage for the provision of different types of services,” the citation added.}

^{Prof. Wole Soyinka, chairman of the occasion, described the Zik Prize as “one of the most credible and enduring awards that recognises excellence, humanity and service in nation building.”}

^{Other awardees at this year’s annual event include Boss Mustapha, secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), who won in Public Service category; President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, who won in the political leadership category; Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, his counterparts from Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and Oyo State Governor, Engr. Oluseyi Makinde, who won in good governance category.}

^{Others are the Founder/Group Managing Director, Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, Dr. Stella Okoli, who won in business leadership as well as Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UBA Plc, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, who is a joint winner in the professional category with Danbatta.}

^{This year’s award marked the Silver Jubilee anniversary of the prestigious Zik Prize award, which was instituted by some eminent Nigerians, including Professor Anya O. Anya, Late General Domkat Bali (Rtd) in 1995 to memorialize and extol the legacies of the first President of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.}

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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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Telecom

Cassava Launches Sovereign Cloud for Africa’s Public Sector

Published

13 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Chike Onwuegbuchi

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In the wake of increasing geopolitical tension, Cassava Technologies has unveiled its National Sovereign Cloud offering for African governments.

The solution, the company claims, will help the continent’s governments ensure data is kept on infrastructure that remains under local legal and operational jurisdiction.

According to the official announcement, made yesterday, the solution provides “secure, locally-governed digital infrastructure that enables the deployment of AI-enabled public services”.

The overarching solution encompasses cloud, cyber security, AI computing infrastructure, as well as local language AI models and skills support for governments.

The announcement comes amid increasing uncertainty over the hosting of sensitive national data on cloud services operated by foreign hyperscalers, which are subject to legal frameworks, such as the U.S. CLOUD Act. The CLOUD Act opens the door to allow American authorities to access data stored on the servers of US hyperscalers, wherever those servers are physically located.

Cassava has claimed separately that currently, “approximately 33% to 45% of the world’s data is hosted in the USA”.

The company added: “A sovereign cloud reduces exposure to extraterritorial laws, improves cyber resilience, and ensures that model weights and training data for public AI remain under national custody.”

The Africa Data Centres Association’s 2026 Economic Report states that “data sovereignty has evolved from a legal aspiration into a strategic policy lever”.

Ahmed El Beheiry, Group COO and Group Chief Technology and AI Officer, Cassava Technologies said: “Across Africa, governments are accelerating their digital transformation agendas and are increasingly focused on ensuring that data and digital infrastructure remain secure and sovereign.”

Announced at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona, this week, the Sovereign Cloud offering launch accompanied the launch of Cassava’s Cloud Partner programme.

The partner programme targets mobile network operators and system integrators across Africa to resell and distribute AI, cloud, and other digital services using Cassava’s infrastructure and technology platforms.

El Beheiry added: “We are expanding Africa’s sovereign AI ecosystem to build solutions that address the continent’s unique challenges while creating new opportunities for growth and digital inclusion.”

The programme offers partners access to NVIDIA Cloud Partner solutions, Cassava’s AI Factory, its own native AI solutions and its AI Multi-Model Exchange, which supports both Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini models.

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Telecom

MTN Nigeria Non-Executive Director Mazen Mroue Quits to Focus on Group Role

Published

2 days ago

March 6, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.

MTN Nigeria

The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”

Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.

Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.

The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.

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Telecom

Google Adds Yorùbá, Hausa to AI Search, Boosting Access for Millions of Nigerians

Published

2 days ago

March 6, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.

Google

The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.

Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.

Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”

To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.

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