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  • EVC Maida, hear what they are saying – By Okoh Aihe

    EVC Maida, hear what they are saying – By Okoh Aihe

    On the day that a new Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) was appointed for the Nigerian communications Commission (NCC) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the person of Dr Aminu Maida, I made a call to a source within the Commission to gauge the pulse of the regulatory agency.

    The response was jolting. The source wasn’t happy with the appointment at all, asking: What experience is he bringing to run a huge organisation like the NCC? The source claimed to be aware that Maida’s CV had been in the political power mongering circuit in the past few months, adding that even then, the appointment has still come as a surprise because the appointors may not have taken a number of things into consideration.

    I have spoken to at least six persons within the period. The line goes through the middle. While half is clearly against the appointment, the other half is accepting it with some little caution, saying that time has come to try a totally new set of people with the hope that they bring good to the industry with fresh thinking in government.

    Quite unfortunately, the President doesn’t have to take permission from anybody before making key appointments as it is his prerogative to search for requisite human capital that can help him fulfil his campaign promises to the people. In the past few days, the President has done exactly that, making a rash of appointments that is manifestly indicative that he is ready to get his administration going in spite of bruising cases in court and image and credibility crisis.

    In fairness, Maida is not coming empty. Not a basket case unable to hold water. He holds a Masters in Systems Engineering from Imperial College, London in 2002, and a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath, also in the United Kingdom. His Post Graduate Diploma is in FinTech from the University of Cambridge.

    Maida honed his academic credentials with practical experience, working with large multinationals like the BT group and Cisco. Before his appointment as the EVC, he was the Executive Director, Technology and Operations at NIBSS – the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc, a central switch company owned by the CBN.

    Maida is not coming empty handed. He is not a basket case.

    Maida has also been saying the right things. “I am deeply honoured to have been appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission. As I resume my role, I am fully committed to supporting the Honourable Minister, Dr Bosun Tijani’s vision for a thriving digital economy. In this digital age, we will work tirelessly to expand broadband access, ensure affordable and accessible communication services for all Nigerians while fostering innovation and sustainable growth in the telecommunications sector. Together, we will advance the nation’s digital transformation agenda,” he said on his X handle, formerly Twitter.

    Quite unfortunately, this will not assuage some minds at the regulatory agency. For them, neither age or academic qualifications matter any more. They have witnessed the best of times building up an organisation from scratch, and they have also watched the same organisation taken down to shreds within just eight years. Maida should therefore understand the kind of mixed feelings that will greet his appointment and resumption.

    His predecessor, Prof Umar Danbatta came with everything – age, big academic documents sans industry experience. It took him only eight years to shake down the industry, from the nirvana of industry performance to the nadir of shame and failure. With all the support that he had, he brought the industry to total chaos and left a fractured regulatory agency.

    Without even a little fight, Danbatta submitted the NCC to an opprobrious regulatory capture by an over ambitious, power thirsty minister who wanted the entire telecommunications industry to listen to his voice alone. The results were catastrophic for the regulator and the industry.

    Under Danbatta, there was no growth. Instead, wrong regulatory decisions weakened the industry progressively to the extent that it became so palpable to point at operators that were dying because of failed regulatory support or orchestrated favouritism that did the entire industry harm.

    Employment was done without reason or plan; without any advertisement at all, hundreds of people were employed to fill the place. Tribesmen and politicians’ children took over the NCC, and quite a number of them have no motivation to work. A source lamented last week that for the first time since the year 2000, people are employed at the NCC, and for one year they have no job descriptions (JDs), office space or even tools to work with. This flies against the corporate culture of the past when a worker was handed everything on the day of resumption.

    This is the organisation that Maida walks into, flatulenced from the top by a chief executive that was supposed to steer its growth. Really no red carpet is expected as he walks into the NCC because of deep-seated suspicions sowed by a past not too salutary.

    Without intruding so much into your time, let me give some unsolicited advice that you may find useful. While admitting that you have worked in high profile corporate settings, I wish to point out that government agencies like the NCC, come with a basket of challenges.

    For the above reason, I will want to recommend that you read the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, from cover to cover even if for a superficial understanding of regulations and the industry. I can say without water in my mouth that your predecessor didn’t have time to do this. So, even before day one, he suffered internal capture and never recovered from self-imposed hallucinations until his removal last week.

    Before day one because, he came into the Commission without being cleared by the Senate and started to take actions that would impair the agency with time. You don’t need to follow the footsteps of a predecessor that stumbled miserably.

    Some people have told me that the NCC is more than just regulating the telecommunications industry. From your position, you will be representing Nigeria in so many international organisations, including the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) where so many weighting decisions are taken. You need to have the legacy knowledge within the agency to achieve results. You need to be properly armed with the right lieutenants to attend such high profile meetings.

    This advice has become expedient because of the situation at the NCC at the moment. Your predecessor introduced strange administrative practices into the system, uprooted knowledge to the extent that incompetence was incongruously exalted to the shame of knowledge and experience.

    Dear Maida, the NCC is haemorrhaging internally and you need to be dispassionate to locate the causes.

    What therefore should occupy your immediate attention? Refocusing the workforce of the NCC and realigning the agency on the path of regulatory competence. NCC is a regulator and not a project office. But most recently, it was easier to award a contract in billions than to have just a million Naira available for regulatory responsibilities. This is the reason some of the workers don’t have tools to work with. You also need to quickly mend relationships with the industry as some operators are still reeling from the regulatory inconsistencies of your predecessor

    I can see your enthusiasm in wanting to work with your new immediate boss, Tijani. You may already have been friends. A clear line has to be drawn, however. Tijani is the policy maker while you are the regulator executing those policies to create a more successful industry. A minister taking over the responsibilities of the regulator is called regulatory capture. That doesn’t have to happen again.

    I can see what the President is trying to do. By your appointment and that of the minister, he wants to recreate the telecommunications industry in the image and likeness of the younger generation. While such an idea can be pleasing to behold, it can also be fraught with danger. I want to observe here that there is residual knowledge at the NCC and the ministry which can help you and your boss. The President is also advised to tap into industry knowledge and experience in forming a new Board for the regulator. That is, if indeed, he wants to bring together the fragments of a decoupled industry and create a more promising one that can serve as the superstructure of his economic policies.

  • Anxiety as telecoms operators propose tariff hike for voice, data services

    Anxiety as telecoms operators propose tariff hike for voice, data services

    Telecom operators in the country, under the auspices of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) have presented demands for the upward review of the mobile termination rate for voice services and the institution of an interim adjustment of the telecom industry’s floor price for voice and data services.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the telecom operators cited increasing cost of business operations and the harsh economic realities for the demands, coming ahead of the conclusion of a cost study by stakeholders in the industry.

    ALTON asked the new Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, to issue policy guidance to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to commence implementation of targeted interventions starting with an upward review of voice call rates, among others.

    They also urged the new Minister to address teething investment-impacting causal factors, to help deepen investment with the overall objective of driving increased CAPEX deployment for improved Quality of Service (QoS), in line with the targets of the Strategic Plan to achieve 50 per cent improvement in QoS by the end of 2024.

    The telecoms operators averred that the cost of doing business in the country had risen sharply in the preceding months due to a myriad of factors generally impacting businesses, including macroeconomic headwinds such as inflation, currency devaluation, sustained difficulty in accessing forex at an affordable rate, rising energy costs, rising cost of securing telecommunications facilities and field personnel in the face of worsening insecurity, among others.

    ALTON chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, decried the strong macroeconomic headwinds which have occasioned tough operating conditions, leading to a decline in CAPEX (Domestic) and Foreign Direct (Capital Inflow) investments into the industry by 30.37 per cent and 46.9 per cent respectively between 2021 and 2022.

    Despite these challenges, Adebayo disclosed that the pricing regulatory framework had not been reviewed to account for changes in macroeconomic conditions and reflect current cost profile of operators, as such, ALTON’s members are unable to price services at a sustainable rate.

    “Consumer prices in other sectors have seen a steep rise over the last six years as they adjust to reflect macroeconomic realities. However, telco prices have remained flat and even declined. Contrary to the price trends in other sectors, telcos have had to adjust for the macroeconomic headwinds caused by an increasing erosion of margins.

    “Other highly regulated sectors such as power and insurance have implemented price increases over the last year. Insurance prices have risen 200 per cent with power raising prices by over 40 per cent.” Adebayo said.

    He noted that telecommunications was the only sector that had not experienced any price review notwithstanding local and global macroeconomic realities, adding that not only has this impaired investor confidence and depleted available investible funds necessary to optimise infrastructure for improved service delivery, but also threatened the very sustainability of telecoms operations.

    On multiple taxation, ALTON chairman appealed to the minister to collaborate with the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms to address the perennial incidence of multiple taxation in the Nigerian telecommunications sector, including the elimination of the currently suspended excise duty on telecommunications services.

    On infrastructure bill, Adebayo averred that operators have recorded several cases of vandalism of their equipment and shut down of their infrastructure by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government and communities, as a means of compelling them to comply with their demands for spurious taxes or levies.

    This is even as he tasked the House Committee to sponsor/coordinate a Critical National Infrastructure bill that will accord telecommunications infrastructure the same level of protection as other critical national assets and will provide a legal framework to guide law enforcement agencies accordingly.

    In his response, the communication minister said he would look into all that had been tabled by ALTON and said the challenges were not insurmountable.

    He informed the team of operators that the sector was not innovative enough in the attempt to reach the unreached people in the rural areas and unlock the services for a lot of people through technology, just as he urged operators to carry out more research and development to boost the sector.

  • Why Nigeria needs to intensify support, invest in data centres

    Why Nigeria needs to intensify support, invest in data centres

    The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) says it is imperative for the country to sharpen its focus on broadband development and intensify support for data centre services to boost digital sovereignty.

    The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umaru Danbatta, said this on Thursday during the Telecoms Sector Sustainability Forum (TSSF) 4.0 organised by Business Remarks in Lagos.

    The theme of the event was: “Mainstreaming Data Centres in the Nigerian Digital Economy.”

    Danbatta, who was represented by Dr Sunday Atu, Head, Tariff Administration NCC, said mainstreaming data centres required collective efforts.

    According to him, there is need for support to ensure data centres not only operate to guarantee national digital sovereignty, but also prioritise contents reflecting the country’s cultural norms, contexts and ideological values.

    He said data was regarded as the new oil globally with increasing intensity in the context of the emerging digital economy.

    For that reason, Danbatta explained that data had become a subject of special consideration by regimes, requiring appropriate structures and frameworks to truly tap and optimise the opportunities provided by this new order.

    Danbatta noted that data centre services, no doubt, held the keys to the ultimate crystallisation of the new line of thinking within the ICT sector and by extension to the greater national economy of nations in so many ways.

    “Recent developments point to the limitless treasure within this space. Africa has recently assumed a new frontier and compelling destination for global big tech players.

    “Tech giants, like Google with its Equiano subsea fibre cable spanning 15,000 km from Portugal to South Africa and strategic landing points in Nigeria and Namibia, are expected to increase connectivity more than five-fold within Nigeria while creating an expected 1.6 million jobs.

    “Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is equally on the threshold of launching its own subsea cable called 2Africa in 2024 to connect 16 African countries at an estimated cost of 1 billion dollars.

    “It is targeted to generate close to 36 billion dollars of economic output within two to three years of operation.

    “While these, no doubt, portend significant socio-economic impacts for Nigeria, they bring to the fore the debate around digital sovereignty and the need for national policy and regulatory frameworks to further localise traffic and data,” he said.

    According to Danbatta, the global data centre market is worth billions of dollars, and Nigeria is well-positioned to attract a fair share of this investment.

    He explained that by providing a reliable and secure environment for the services they offer within a well nurtured policy and regulatory framework, Nigeria would represent an attractive destination for more investment in data centre services and operations.

    “With the commencement of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the role and critical nature of data centres become increasing overwhelming.

    “This is underscored by the kind of efficiency derivable when critical resources are shared at costs far significantly smaller than the actual costs of setting up such resources from scratch,” Danbatta said.

    He said this would provide a veritable platform for greater productivity for businesses and public sector entities to effectively harness the opportunities to be unlocked from the estimated 1.2 trillion dollars latent treasure within the AfCFTA block through its 1.3 billion people.

    In his remark, the Chief Executive Officer of Medallion Data Centre Ltd., Ikechukwu Nnamani, said: “If we look at other parametres

    Nigeria should be at the fore front of data centre industry in Africa.

    “Unfortunately we are lagging behind and surprisingly African countries like South Africa and Egypt are way ahead of Nigeria.

    He explained that from the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) point, broadband connectivity, and in terms of mobile subscription, Nigeria had significantly lower figures than other African countries.

    Nnamani stressed the need for Nigeria to be put in its rightful position as the giant of Africa, not just in terms of population, but also in the area of quality of life of citizens, GDP and the digital benefits.

    Also speaking , Bukola Olanrewaju, the convener of TSSF stressed the pivotal role data centres played in the digital era, saying beyond data storage and accessibility, they underpinned the digital world, fuelling economic growth, environmental sustainability and data security.

    Olanrewaju said currently, there were only 86 colocation data centres in 15 African countries, with the majority concentrated in the big four African countries, which included South -Africa , Egypt, Nigeria and Kenya.

    She said according to Allied Market Research, the global data centre market was valued at 187.35 billion dollars in 2020 and was anticipated to reach 517.17 billion by 2030.

    According to Olanrewaju, data centres, alongside fibre optic broadband expansion and telecom towers, are poised to become the new backbone of Africa’s economic growth.

  • Excitement as NCC doles out smartphones to telecoms consumers

    Excitement as NCC doles out smartphones to telecoms consumers

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Thursday doled out smartphones in a raffle draw to the excitement of telecoms consumers in the federal capital territory (FCT).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Commission also doled out free airtime of different networks to telecoms consumers in an event that was held in the venue of the Abuja International Trade Fair.

    Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Office (EVC/CEO) of the NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta, expressed delight to be part of the 18th Abuja International Trade Fair organized by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).

    Represented by Mr Umar Alkasim, NCC’s Director in charge of Consumer Affairs, Danbatta said the Commission has leveraged the trade fair platform over the years to engage telecoms consumers and business owners, who are based in various regions of the country.

    “Partnering with ACCI through our Special “NCC Day” event is a pleasure for us at the Commission, as it usually provides a veritable platform for interaction with telecoms stakeholders, especially our esteemed telecoms consumers,” Danbatta said.

    Describing the theme of the trade fair: ‘Sustainable Financing and Taxation’ as “very apt and timely”, the NCC EVC noted that the Commission recognizes the fact that the telecommunications sector has been a strategic driver of the digital economy agenda of the Federal Government.

    He stressed the telecommunications industry plays a pivotal role in driving economic growth, fostering innovation, and enhancing the quality of life for citizens across the globe, adding that the Commission will continue to provide the needed digital stamina to support the economy, especially through technology.

    “As the telecommunications regulator in Nigeria, we bear the responsibility of ensuring the sustainability and vitality of the sector.

    “It is no longer news that telecommunications empowers individuals, connects businesses, strengthens industries and enables governments to provide essential services efficiently thereby driving development and prosperity.

    “Information Communications Technology (ICT) is not only one of the fastest growing industries – directly creating millions of jobs – but it is also an important enabler of innovation and development, as it provides the backbone infrastructure for transactional business and taxation for Government.

    “However, maintaining this digital infrastructure and its continued growth necessitates substantial investment. Sustainable financing in telecommunication involves sourcing the necessary capital to build and maintain robust telecommunications networks.

    “As regulators, we understand that this financing should be stable, accessible and conducive for industry growth. Taxation while essential for funding of Government initiatives must strike a delicate balance between revenue generation and industry growth.

    “Our role as regulator, is to advocate for fair taxation practices that do not stifle innovation or place undue burden on consumers.

    “We acknowledge the intricacies of tax policies but emphasize the importance of creating an environment where telecommunications companies can thrive.

    “To address these challenges the Commission continuously engage both the Federal and State Government on the need to harmonize taxation in the telecommunications sector.

    “NCC’s regulatory efforts in deepening access to digital services will benefit Nigeria and make it competitive comparable with other economies in the areas of job creation; contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth; emergence of new services and industries; workforce transformation; and business innovation.

    “It is in our response to ensuring that Nigeria is competitive in all these areas that the Commission continuously puts a number of regulatory measures in place to ensure seamless access by Nigerians to telecommunications services in order to deepen competitiveness of the Nigerian economy by making our businesses and industries digitally compliant,” Danbatta said.

    Nigeria’s active mobile subscribers hit 220m – NCC

    Speaking further, the NCC boss disclosed that the number of active mobile subscriptions in the country has reached 220,715,961 million as of August 2023.

    Danbatta said the number of active internet subscribers was 159,034,717 million, with broadband penetration at 45.57 per cent as of August 2023.

    He said that the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses depended on their ability to leverage new technologies by acquiring the necessary digital skills to do business on an international scale.

    Danbatta said: “In Nigeria today, the number of active mobile subscriptions reached 220,715,961 million as at August 2023, while Teledensity stood at 115.63 per cent at the same period.

    “Also, the number of active Internet subscribers was 159,034,717 Million with broadband penetration at 45.57 per cent as of August 2023.

    “In this new environment, the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses depends on their ability to leverage on new technologies by acquiring the necessary digital skills to do business on an international scale.

    “This in turn benefits the economy financially.”

    To sustain the steady growth of the telecoms sector, Danbatta said that NCC would continue to create a conducive environment.

    He said that an environment that would stimulate deployment of robust broadband infrastructure to improve the Quality of service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) for telecom consumers, be it individuals or corporates.

    “This is because, as a country, we need robust telecoms infrastructure that will help our industries transit to becoming Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-driven, if we hope to be digitally competitive on the global stage,” Danbatta said.

    Earlier, the Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Mr Umar Alkasim, reiterated that NCC’s commitment was to ensure fair competition and a level playing field for all stakeholders in the telecommunication industry.

    Alkasim, represented by Head, Consumer Policy Development and Monitoring, NCC, Mr Ayanbanji Ojo, said that the commission was safeguarding the interest of consumers from abuse of their rights and privileges against unfair practices in the telecom service value chain.

    “This commitment is demonstrated by the commission’s continuous effort to establish seamless programmes that would Protect, Inform and Educate (PIE Mandate) telecom consumers through various consumer-centric initiatives,” he said.

    TNG reports the raffle draw winning ticket numbers are 029, 140, 438, 364, 268, 443, 056 and 039. Raffle draw ticket number 252 was disqualified. The winners were gifted smartphones.

  • Nigeria calls for open, secure Internet

    Nigeria calls for open, secure Internet

    The Nigerian government has subscribed to a free and secure Internet for Africa, which is capable of bridging the digital divide and creating innovative opportunities within the continent.

    Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who canvassed this position at the just-concluded Africa Internet Governance Forum at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to engendering necessary collaborations and international dialogues to achieve these objectives.

    The Minister, who addressed the forum virtually, said Nigeria, as the largest telecommunications market in Africa, is conscious of all the dynamics of emerging technologies around Internet usage and would continue to work with countries in Africa on different fronts to ensure that the Internet is effectively governed so its innumerable resources can be leveraged for citizens and nation’s growth.

    “The need for our consistent collaboration to develop our economy collectively is preeminent in the agenda of the current administration in Nigeria. It is through this kind of forum that we can bridge the digital divides, enhance cybersecurity, ensure digital rights and foster innovation. It is, therefore, our collective duty to ensure that the Internet remains open, safe and beneficial for all,” Tijani told parliamentarians and other participants from Africa who attended the forum in Abuja.

    The Minister encouraged all the stakeholders to prioritise a collaborative approach to creating policies and strategies that will shape the future of the Internet in Africa, the future that will reflect Africa’s shared values, aspirations and diversity.

    Tijani specially commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other agencies that constituted the Local Organising Committee (LOG), on behalf of the Nigerian government as well as all sponsors, for a successful 2023 AfIGF. The Minister was delighted that their effective planning and dedication to driving change in Africa’s digital future is commendable.

    Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who, at the opening and closing ceremony of the event as well as in panel discussions, provided insights on NCC’s commitment to driving a secure Internet ecosystem in Nigeria through various regulatory initiatives. Danbatta stated that Nigeria has attained tremendous growth in broadband penetration, basic Internet usage, and voice subscriptions and recorded impressive contributions to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    The NCC CEO said that, as Nigeria hosted this year’s edition of the AfIGF, the country was focused on sharing experiences with other sister nations in Africa as well as learning from the AfIGF parliamentarians from Africa who gathered at the forum to collectively drive the frontiers of the ideals of proper utilization of Internet resources to promote socio-economic development on the African continent.

    Chief of the Section on Innovation and Technology at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Dr Mactar Seck, thanked the NCC and all entities of government that provided support and played a great role in ensuring the success of the event, said with a forum such as the AfIGF, African nations can continue to aggregate views that allow them to speak with one voice to get greater benefits for African economic development.

    “I sincerely thank the EVC of the NCC, Prof. Danbatta, who is playing a great role in the development of digital technology in Nigeria. I also appreciate the AfIGF Secretary General, other sister agencies, and the Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) that made the event successful,” he said.

    Also speaking at the weeklong event, the Secretary of the African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance, Honourable Samuel George of Ghana, called for free Internet “that is inclusive, safe and secured for all citizens of Africa.” He said this can only be achieved through collaborative effort by coming together to build an inclusive Africa.

    “For Africa to be self-sufficient, it must create an enabling environment and laws and provide digital infrastructures for young innovators to strive. This will, in turn, promote indigenous and local content development in technological development,” George said.

    This year’s edition of the AfIGF with the theme: “Transforming Africa’s Digital Landscape: Empowering Inclusion, Security and Innovation”, which took place at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, provided yet another veritable platform for African countries to discuss germane issues that will pave the way for the development of a more robust digital economy in the continent.

    Meanwhile, after the event, a communique was issued detailing resolutions made at the event and concrete recommendations, based on which Danbatta urged the participants to ensure effective implementations when they return to their respective countries ahead of next year’s forum.

    Before the AfIGF, which started from September 19-23, 2023, the 11th Africa School of Internet Governance (AfriSIG), took place from September 13-18, 2023 and was facilitated by the Association for Progressive Communications, the Africa Union, Research ICT Africa, the Africa Parliamentary Track and the United Nations-IGF Secretariat and the Africa Youth IGF.

  • NCC extends application deadline for hackathon

    NCC extends application deadline for hackathon

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has extended the deadline for submission of applications and entries into the 2023 Talent Hunt through Hackathon to Saturday, September 30, 2023.

    To this end, the deadline for application/entries into the contest, which opened on September 1, 2023, and initially closed today (September 22, 2023), has now been extended to close on the last day of September 2023.

    The approval of the extension window by the Commission is to give ample time for more prospective and viable startups to tidy up their solutions in the required format for submission as well as to enable more upcoming technology entrepreneurs to participate in the competition.

    The talent hunt is one of the means through which the Commission gives concrete expression to its Strategic Vision Plan 2023-2025, by encouraging the development of new technologies and indigenous content through cutting-edge research to stimulate sustainable economic growth and development in Nigeria.

    Consequently, the Commission had invited the Tech Hubs, and Innovation-Driven Enterprises (IDEs) in Nigeria to enroll their start-ups and their solutions in the third edition of the NCC Talent Hunt Research through a Hackathon with a focus on three (3) thematic areas such as Blockchain-enabled Data Protection Solutions for Enhancing Regulatory Compliance; Assistive Technology Solutions for the Elderly and People with Disabilities, and Technology Solutions for Renewable Energy in Rural Areas.

    The NCC Talent Hunt Research through Hackathon leverages Emerging Digital Technologies to facilitate the development of home-grown innovative solutions and local content development in the telecommunications sector while fostering economic growth and social advancement in Nigeria.

    The competition enables the translation of novel ideas into the development of hardware/software solutions that address industry and societal challenges. The best three solutions, one from each of the three areas listed above will receive grants of N10 million each for the development of the solutions.

    The Commission has set out eligibility criteria for those seeking to participate in the competition, which include that the Enterprise applying must provide a certificate of registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Enterprise must not have previously received support from the Commission, the project should have clear relevance to one of the three thematic areas above, it must provide a clear problem statement, proposed solution, and roadmap to deployment.

    Other requirements include a proof of concept (which may also include technical feasibility of the idea with diagram, algorithm, existing models, or case studies; the solution must be novel with the applicant making a declarative statement on ownership of the intellectual property, the solution including prototype development shall be concluded within 6 months of receipt of the Grant and must propose a detailed commercialization plan of the prototype.

    The Entry Submission format indicated that the proposal must include ideation, Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and solution, Current Sweat Equity Investment, Product-Market Fit status, Verifiable Go-to-Market status, Growth Feasibility Assurances, Maturity Model and Timeliness; and Exist time: Disaster Recovery, where applicable

    All applications should be made online and must follow the stipulated entry format and there is no financial cost to participating in the competition while full control and ownership of the intellectual property of the developed solutions remain with the Commission.

    The entries must be made by a Tech Hub/Innovation-Driven Enterprise that must show evidence of the relationship with the Start-up/solution being entered, a 4-page Executive summary of the project concept, a 3-5 minute video of the pilot project, names, age, contact details, passport photos and profile of all team members and the website (if available) as well as an E-mail address of the applicant.

    All interested and qualified enterprises should submit requested documents in a zip folder to https://ncc.gov.ng/talenthuntresearchhackathon2023 with the subject of the mail titled “Submission from <business name>” and the zipped file named after the business.

    The Commission therefore wishes to notify members of the public that the deadline for sublimation has now been extended to September 30, 2023, when the application and enjoin the startup ecosystem to note their participation.

  • BREAKING: NCC announces major change to fixed lines numbering format

    BREAKING: NCC announces major change to fixed lines numbering format

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced a major change to the numbering format for fixed lines.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports this is contained in a statement signed by Reuben Muoka, Director of Public Affairs at NCC.

    According to the statement released on Wednesday, the change is in line with NCC keeping with its responsibilities under the enabling law, the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 to manage Nigeria’s numbering resources

    In the process, Nigeria’s Fixed-Lines Numbering Format has changed from eight digits to 10 digits by just adding “02” prefix before existing fixed number.

    “The Commission hereby informs the public of the changes and also clarifies that existing numbers will continue to operate concurrently till the cut-over date of December 31, 2023. From January 1, 2024, the new numbering format beginning with “02” prefix will be operational,” the statement reads.

    In other words, the old and new number formats are allowed to run concurrently till the cut-over date (December 31, 2023). Thereafter (from January 1, 2024), the new fixed-lines format will assume full recognition across all networks.

    For example, in the new order, to dial the hitherto existing number, 09461700, please dial 02094617000.

    Additional examples are: For Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano’s current number format of 014630643, 094630643, 084460643 and 064460643, will now be 02014630643, 02094630643, 02084460643 and 02064460643 respectively in the new numbering format.

    “However, it is important to note that the change only affects the Fixed Telephone Numbers. There is NO CHANGE to the existing mobile numbering format.

    “The announcement is made to give expression to a key responsibility of the NCC and it is consistent with the practices of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations arm supervising Information and Communication Technologies (ICT),” the statement added.

  • Danbatta reels out achievements in NCC

    Danbatta reels out achievements in NCC

    The national target to achieve 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025 is receiving renewed attention from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which promises 50 per cent before the end of 2023.

    This promise was one of the highlights of the special media chat with executive editors and media chiefs in the northern part of the country, hosted by the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, to unveil his achievements since the resumption of office till date.

    At the occasion, where Danbatta informed the media chiefs that Fifth Generation (5G) services subscriptions have already hit half a million in subscription, the various efforts of the Commission to improve broadband penetration are yielding fruitful results with the current estimates as at July 2023 standing at 47.01 per cent.

    Using the extant reviewed five-pillar Strategic Vision Plan as building block, the EVC spoke to 119 milestones achieved under the five strategic pillars, including regulatory excellence, universal broadband, market development, digital economy and strategic collaboration.

    Danbatta said through effective implementation of NCC’s mandates under his leadership and cooperation of internal and external stakeholders since 2015, telecommunications industry in Nigeria has achieved remarkable milestones under our leadership. “While we acknowledge the challenges encountered by the industry, we have also witnessed explosive growth, improved regulatory standards, and digital innovations that have garnered global recognition,” he said.

    While reeling out impressive statistics that have characterized his leadership at NCC from 2015 to date, the EVC said active telephone subscribers had increased from less than 150.7 million to 218.9 million, representing a teledensity growth of 115.70 per cent from 107.87 per cent in 2015.

    Through stimulating broadband infrastructure across the country, Danbatta said broadband penetration, which stood at 6 per cent in 2015 has increased significantly to 47.01 per cent as of July, 2023, enhancing over 89.73 million subscriptions on 3G, 4G and 5G networks in the country. Additionally, general Internet subscriptions have reached 159.5 million up from less than 100 million in 2015.

    “Also, from 8 per cent contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015, telecommunications sector now contributes 16 per cent quarterly to the Nigerian economy as of the second quarter of 2023. besides, following the authorization of more telecommunications companies to operate in the Nigeria’s telecoms sector, the investments profile has increased tremendously from $38 billion in 2015 to $75 billion currently and this keeps growing daily. From the sales of Fifth Generation (5G) C-Band Spectrum, the NCC has generated over $847.8 million for the Federal Government,” he said.

    Danbatta, who has received a gallery of awards nationally, regionally and globally in recognition of the outstanding performance of Nigeria’s telecom industry also listed several achievements recorded since 2015.

    “Other milestones and initiatives recorded aside the regulatory activities that culminated in the landmark launch of 5G services in Nigeria include the introduction of Spectrum Trading Guidelines, re-farming and re-planning certain spectrum band for efficiency, the emplaced collaborative process for the release of C-Band Spectrum by Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited, and introduction of the Expanded Revenue Assurance Solution (ERAS) to address revenue leakages and improve government revenue from the telecoms industry.

    “These initiatives also include Licensing of Satellite Earth Stations, issuing of operating licence to SpaceX Satellite, facilitating the landing of additional submarine Cables, such as the Google 2,000km Equiano subsea Internet cable in 2022, listing of MTN on the Nigerian bourse, licensing of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), introduction of new unlicensed millimeter wave spectrum, and regulation of white space spectrum,” Danbata said.

    Also as part of NCC’s commitment under Danbatta’s leadership, the Commission has endowed professorial chairs in Nigerian universities and committed over N500 million naira to Research and Development (R&D) in the telecoms sector. “The creation of the Digital Economy Department, the mandate to drive the implementation of the indigenous telecoms sector growth through the operation of the Nigeria Office for Developing Indigenous Telecom Sector (NODITS), are also important strides made by the Commission,” he said.

    Danbatta said other consumer-focused initiatives of the Commission have also centered on the establishment of Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) in over 30 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). All these centres are operational, as well as the creation of the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT). The EVC said these two initiatives have been helping consumers to  get succour in times of emergencies as well as ensuring effective protection for telecom consumers while online.

    The NCC Chief Executive said the Commission has also taken very clear actions on consumer protection, advocacy, information-sharing and education. “These include introduction of data roll-over just before the expiration of subscribed data plans, introduction of the 622 toll-free number for lodging service-related complaints to the Commission, the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) 2442 Short Code for tackling the menace of unsolicited text messages,  elimination of forceful/deceitful subscriptions to telecom services on mobile networks, tackling the issue of call masking, ensuring effective Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) registration, launching of National Roaming service and reduction of access gaps to telecom services from over 217 to 97, thereby enhancing access to telecom services by more Nigerians,” Danbatta said.

    However, Danbatta said while the industry still faces a number of challenges such as vandalism, securing equitable Right of Way (RoW) from governmental stakeholders, as well as multiple taxation and regulation, the Commission has put framework in place to work with necessary stakeholders to overcome the obstacles possed by these challenges and to sustain the growth trajectory which has been the hallmark of telecoms sector as an enabler of socio-economic development in Nigeria.

  • Hackathon: NCC opens applications for 2023 Talent Hunt Research

    Hackathon: NCC opens applications for 2023 Talent Hunt Research

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has kicked off activities for the third edition of its Talent Hunt Research through Hackathon as part of giving expression to its Strategic Vision Plan 2023-2025.

    NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, who made this known in a statement on Monday, disclosed that this is to encourage the development of new technologies and indigenous content through cutting-edge research with the goal to stimulate sustainable economic growth and development in Nigeria.

    “Therefore, the Commission has invited Tech Hubs, and Innovation-Driven Enterprises (IDEs) in Nigeria to enrol their start-ups and their solutions in the Talent Hunt Research through a Hackathon organised by NCC. The Hackathon focuses on Blockchain-enabled Data Protection Solutions for Enhancing Regulatory Compliance; Assistive Technology Solutions for the Elderly and People with Disabilities; and Technology Solutions for Renewable Energy in Rural Areas,” the statement reads in part.

    TNG reports the NCC Talent Hunt Research Through Hackathon leverages Emerging Digital Technologies to facilitate the development of home-grown innovative solutions and local content development in the telecommunications sector while fostering economic growth and social advancement in Nigeria.

    The competition enables the translation of novel ideas into the development of hardware/software solutions that address industry and societal challenges. The best three solutions, one from each of the three areas listed above will receive grants of N10 million each for the development of the solutions.

    The Commission has set out eligibility criteria for those seeking to participate in the competition, which include that the Enterprise must provide a certificate of registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Enterprise must not have previously received support from the Commission, the project should have clear relevance to one of the three thematic areas above, it must provide a clear problem statement, proposed solution, and roadmap to deployment.

    “Other requirements include a proof of concept (which may also include technical feasibility of the idea with diagram, algorithm, existing models, or case studies; the solution must be novel with the applicant making a declarative statement on ownership of the intellectual property, the solution including prototype development shall be concluded within 6 months of receipt of the Grant and must propose a detailed commercialization plan of the prototype.

    “The Entry Submission format indicated that the proposal must include ideation, Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and solution, Current Sweat Equity Investment, Product-Market Fit status, Verifiable Go-to-Market status, Growth Feasibility Assurances, Maturity Model and Timeliness and existing time: Disaster Recovery, where applicable.

    “All applications should be made online and must follow the stipulated entry format and there is no financial cost to participating in the competition while full control and ownership of the intellectual property of the developed solutions remain with the Commission.

    “The entries must be made by a Tech Hub/Innovation-Driven Enterprise that must show evidence of the relationship with the Start-up/solution being entered, a 4-page Executive summary of the project concept, a 3-5 minute video of the pilot project, names, age, contact details, passport photos and profile of all team members and the website (if available) as well as an E-mail address of the applicant.

    “All interested and qualified enterprises should submit requested documents in a zip folder to https://ncc.gov.ng/talenthuntresearchhackathon2023 with the subject of the mail titled “Submission from <business name>” and the zipped file named after the business.

    “The Commission has run an advertorial on the Hackathon for 3 weeks and hereby requests those in the startups ecosystem to note that the application closes by Friday, 22nd September 2023,” the statement added.

  • Telecoms investment jumps to $77 billion

    Telecoms investment jumps to $77 billion

    Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), says telecoms investment inflow grew from $38 billion to $77 billion by the second quarter of 2023.

    Danbatta, who spoke in Kano on Saturday at a media parley, revealed that the sector had contributed 16 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) within the period under review.

    He said that the statistics by the NCC was based on the computation by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

    He said: “From about eight per cent contribution to GDP in 2015, when I came on board as the EVC of NCC, quarterly GDP has increased significantly to reach its current threshold of 16 per cent.

    “And this has continued to positively impact all aspects of the economy.”

    Danbatta, however, attributed the success to “thorough sustained regulatory excellence and operational efficiency by the Commission”, adding that the industry has grown in leaps and bounds over the past two decades.

    “We have witnessed explosive growth, improved regulatory standard, digital innovation that have generated global recognition,” he said.

    He said that telephone users in Nigeria had hit 218.9 million, internet subscribers 159.5 million, while broadband users in the country now are 88.7 million within the period under review.

    Danbatta listed issue of Right of Way (RoW), fibre cuts, high capital requirement for deployment, multiple taxations and regulations, among other frustrations, constituting barriers to broadband deployment in the country.

    The EVC, however, assured that the NCC would “navigate regulatory complexities, digital divide and literacy to tackle the challenges”.

    He said that the commission would establish an emergency communication centre in each of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

    Danbatta said establishing the centres was necessary, so as to bridge the gap between distressed and emergency response agencies in the country.

    He explained that the commission had increased the amount of research grants being given to universities from N20 million to N30 million.

    He said that three universities had benefitted from the new grant, so far.

    “NCC as a regulator is mindful of the fact that telecom is an enabler and catalyst for economic advancement of the country.

    “It has consistently made available, affordable and accessible telecoms service to check certain telecoms barriers,” he said.

    Danbatta added that the task of the commission as a regulatory agency in the development of the telecommunications sector was to ensure best practices.

    He said that this was in view of the fact that NCC was one of the sectors that had contributed to the enhanced growth of the Nigerian economy.

    The vice-chairman pointed out that other major challenges confronting the commission included wilful destruction of its facilities and the number of taxes imposed on telecommunication companies.

    “The challenges being faced by the commission include 41 categories of taxes imposed on telecommunications companies and wilful destruction of our facilities,” he said.

    He said that the commission would continue to engage stakeholders in the media industry in order to keep members of the public abreast of its activities.