TheNewsGuru

Tag: NCC

  • BREAKING: Airtel, Glo, 9mobile get another chance to join 5G race in Nigeria

    BREAKING: Airtel, Glo, 9mobile get another chance to join 5G race in Nigeria

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has set in motion modalities to auction the remaining 3.5 GHz spectrum for the deployment of 5G networks in the country, presenting multinational telecommunications companies operating in Nigeria, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile another opportunity to join the 5G race.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports this is as the independent regulatory authority for the telecommunications industry in the country has published the draft information memorandum on the auction of the remaining 3.5 GHz spectrum.

    The information memorandum defines the process that the Commission will adopt for the licensing of the remaining 3.5 GHz spectrum. It also provides information on the Nigerian communications market, details of the spectrum on offer, the prequalification process, the auction process, and indicative timetable.

    Barring any last-minute amendments by the NCC, the auction of the remaining 3.5 GHz spectrum for the deployment of 5G in the country will hold on 19 December 2022 at a yet-to-be-determined venue with a mock auction expected on 16 December 2022.

    The auction closure will occur when the public announcement is made by the auction overseer/manager, revealing the provisional winners to be awarded the licences under the process, at which point each successful bidder will automatically be deemed to have been awarded a provisional licence.

    However, to stand a chance, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile and any other interested telecom firms are expected to pay a mandatory Intention-To-Bid Deposit (IBD)of USD27,360,000.00 tentatively by 5 December 2022, which is also the tentative deadline for the submission of applications for the auction.

    According to the draft information memorandum, the NCC is offering the remaining lots of the 100MHz in the 3.5GHz spectrum band to support 5G deployment in Nigeria in order to ensure reliable communications services and innovative digital technologies in the country.

    The Commission is offering the remaining two lots in the band ranging from 3400-3500 MHz and 3600-3700 MHz, totalling 200 MHz for auction. This will be awarded to winning bidders in 100MHz lot. The auction will be an Ascending Clock Auction.

    Each lot of 100 MHz TDD represents 1 eligibility point. This means that only two telecom firms stand a chance to succeed in the final outcome of the auction.

    While 3400-3500 MHz represents Lot A, 3600-3700 MHz represents Lot C and are available for auction. Lot B (3500-3600 MHz) had been won by MTN and Lot D (3700-3800 MHz) had been won by Mafab in 2021 with the Guard Band of 100 MHz in the range of 3800-3900 MHz not available for auction.

    Recall that NCC had in December 2021 conducted an auction of the first two lots of 100 MHz TDD in the 3.5 GHz band to deepen broadband penetration and support the delivery of ubiquitous broadband services in the country. Mafab and MTN scaled through, defeating Airtel to emerge successful during the 2021 auction.

    TNG reports that the reserve price, the minimum price for one lot of the remaining 100 MHz TDD, for a ten (10) year licence tenure, has been fixed by NCC at USD273,600,000.00 or its equivalent in Naira at the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rates at the time of the auction.

    However, the fee for the 5G spectrum licence will be determined at the auction. The opening bid will be an increment higher than the reserve price in the opening round of the auction. A successful bidder at the auction will be expected to pay a sum equal to the amount of the winning bid minus the IBD, as well as an operational licence fee, where applicable.

    The balance (winning bid amount less the IBD) of the auction fee shall be paid to the Commission on or before 20 January 2023.

    Inviting comments from the public and interested stakeholders, the Commission disclosed that it will hold a public consultation in respect of the draft information memorandum on 15 November 2022 in line with it’s participatory rule-making process for the communications sector.

    TNG gathers that if a bidder is disqualified from the process, the Commission reserves the right to impose a penalty. The maximum penalty may result in forfeiture of the full IBD paid and the bidder may be barred from future auctions.

  • MTN, Airtel, others ordered to reverse tariff increase for voice, data services

    MTN, Airtel, others ordered to reverse tariff increase for voice, data services

    The Federal Government has directed MTN, Airtel and other affected Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in the country to reverse the unilateral upward tariff adjustments.

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), through a letter dated Oct. 12, gave the directive following media reports of unilateral implementation of the recently approved 10 per cent upward tariff adjustments.

    The adjustments were for some voice and data services by the service providers on their networks.

    NCC’s Director, Public Affairs, Dr Reuben Muoka, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Muoka said that the consideration for 10 per cent approval was in line with the mandates of the commission as provided by the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.

    He also said that it was in line with other extant Regulations and Guidelines, as this was within the provisions of existing price floor and price cap as determined for the industry.

    He said that the decision was taken after a critical and realistic review, analysis of the operational environment and the current business climate in Nigeria, as it affects all sectors of the economy.

    “The tariff adjustment was proposed and provisionally approved by the management, pending the final approval of the Board of the Commission.

    “However, in the end, it did not have the approval of the Board of the Commission. As a result, it is reversed,” he said.

    He said that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, had maintained that his priority was to protect the citizens and ensure justice to all stakeholders involved.

    He quoted the minister as saying: “As such, anything that will bring more hardship at this critical time will not be accepted.

    “This was also why he obtained the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari for the suspension of the proposed 5 per cent excise duty, in order to maintain a conducive enabling environment for the telecom operators.

    “Much as there is an increase in the cost of production, the provision of telecom services is still very profitable and it is necessary that the subscribers are not subjected to a hike in charges.”

    In view of the above, he said the Commission would carry out further consultations with all industry stakeholders on the best approaches to protect and uphold the interest of both the consumers and the service providers.

    “The commission will continue to entrench very transparent processes and procedures for rates determination in the industry.

    “The process is usually carried out with wide industry consultation.

    “It is through these processes that price floors and price caps for data and voice services are benchmarked, regularly reviewed, and determined from time to time.

    “The commission will continue to abide by this time-tested process and international best practice to ensure efficient pricing mechanism for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria,” he said.

  • Telecom infrastructure critical for success of 2023 elections – Danbatta

    Telecom infrastructure critical for success of 2023 elections – Danbatta

    The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta has said telecom infrastructure is very critical to the success of the 2023 elections, and therefore, every Nigerian in every community should join hands in protecting them for the benefit of the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Danbatta said this in Lagos State at the 6th Edition of the Annual Conference of Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), which had the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in attendance.

    The NCC EVC said that with the planned transmission of election data and results riding on telecom infrastructure, there was a need to ensure the fidelity of the transmission systems to enhance the credibility of such data.

    “If telecom infrastructure is vandalised or damaged, it would create problems in the area of the data transmission during election; citizens will find it difficult to use their phones to seamlessly communicate and the journalists too might find it difficult in being able to access their web platforms to disseminate necessary information which members of the public require to make informed decisions at every point in time,” he said.

    Danbatta recalled that over the years, the telecoms sector has continued to face destabilising situations arising from negative attitudes and actions of hostile communities; theft of diesel, batteries, and power generators from telecom base stations; digging up and cutting of fibre optic cables by construction workers; indiscriminate sealing/locking-up of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) sites by state governments, other governmental and community stakeholders; as well as other disruptive activities that must be decisively tackled.

    He reiterated the importance of telecommunications in all aspects of our lives, including the forthcoming election and other national activities and programmes, and said that without telecom infrastructure, it will be difficult to communicate with family and friends over long distances or conducting banking, insurance, or accessing government and other social services, including education, entertainment, and other essentials services that enhance quality of life.

    “This means that telecom infrastructure is important, and we must all ensure that we guard and protect those critical national infrastructural assets now, during the upcoming elections and thereafter. So, every citizen in Nigeria must take responsibility for the protection of telecom facilities for the benefits to all,” Danbatta said.

    He enjoined GOCOP members to use their credible media platforms and enviable experiences to collaborate with the NCC in creating greater awareness and public enlightenment on the need to protect telecoms infrastructure.

    At the event which was chaired by the Founder, Centre for Alternative Policy Perspectives and Strategy (CAPPS), Dr. Umar Ardo; with other personalities including former Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase; Regional Director Ford Foundation, Dr. Chidi Aniagolu-Okoye; and distinguished members of GOCOP, most of who are senior media professionals, Danbatta commended GOCOP members for their contributions in the promotion of awareness of derivable benefits of ICT through their online platforms.

    “The NCC would like to commend the leadership and entire members of GOCOP for the good work you are doing in your professional practice of disseminating timely and accurate information to Nigerians to enable citizens to take inform decisions”, he said.

  • Full commercial launch of 5G in Nigeria on course – NCC

    Full commercial launch of 5G in Nigeria on course – NCC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed that the full commercial launch of the Fifth Generation (5G) network in Nigeria is on course.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the Commission made the disclosure at the NCC Day held at the 17th Abuja International Trade Fair, Convention Centre on Tuesday.

    The NCC Day was held at the trade fair, which commenced on Friday with the theme: “Creating an Export-Ready Market Through SME Digitalisation“, to sensitise consumers on telecom services.

    The Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who made the disclosure, said that 5G network would bring substantial network improvements, higher connection speed, mobility, and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities to communications services in Nigeria.

    Danbatta, represented by Mr Efosa Idehen, Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, NCC, said that one of the licensees had launched the commercial 5G network on Sept. 18 in Lagos.

    “The deployment will start from the state capitals and gradually extend to other areas across the state. It is important to state that the 5G network will bring substantial network improvements, including higher connection speed, mobility, and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities to communications services in Nigeria. I am happy to inform you that one of the licensees has kicked off commercial launch in Lagos. Already, spectrum licences for the companies that will rollout service had been issued,” he said.

    Danbatta said that NCC would provide a level-playing ground for operators to thrive, promote investment and delivery of innovative services to individual consumers, SMEs and big business owners by ensuring enhanced consumer quality of experience.

    Earlier, the Director of Consumer Affairs Bureau, NCC, Efosa Idehen, said that the commission carries out its functions to ensure service availability, accessibility, affordability and sustainability for all categories of consumers.

    Edehen, represented by Mr Clement Omeife, Head, Consumer Protection and Advocacy, NCC, said that the commission was working to resolve issues of incessant complaints on data depletion, among others.

    “Currently, the commission is working on resolving the issue of incessant complaints on Data Depletion, as well as Fair Usage Policy on Unlimited Data Plan.

    “Others are compensation policies of Service Providers and the hidden Terms and Conditions that apply to services in the industry,” Omeife said.

    Mrs Doris Usman, a consumer, commended the NCC for bringing such gesture to the consumers and explaining to their understanding.

    “I thank this commission for coming all the way to give us this awareness on telecom services and how we can use the opportunity to leverage on it,” she said.

  • For Amadi, a tech testimonial – By Okoh Aihe

    For Amadi, a tech testimonial – By Okoh Aihe

    I have a lot of respect for one of my young friends, and he would not understand why. Not because he gave me a call on Sunday night. Really, that call came with some balm that my spirit needed. At this particular time in our nation, there are so many things to trouble the mind, but, for me, topmost is the fate of the university students who remain at home after seven months of industrial strike called by the university lecturers under ASUU. This is why the call was coincidentally refreshing. It means that hope is not dead yet.

    Under the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, there was another ASUU strike that got irritatingly intransigent. The government had to set up a Presidential Task Force to manage the crisis. The Task Force had a number of Ministries and highflying Parastals to contribute ideas to resolving this recurring irritant in the education sector once and for all. They were also to contribute to a common fund dedicated to putting a final nail to the crisis.

    My former office was a prominent member of the Task Force. In one of those days, an emergency meeting was called, and the overall boss in whose office I worked (May God bless his memory) had travelled. We needed a new head to lead the team from our office. Fortunately, he picked his call while in transit.

    Do you know this young man in Procurement? Please take him to brief the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, who would now lead the team. Once getting out of my office on the 6th floor, the young man was on his way to another meeting when I intercepted him straight away. Go and get your meeting notes, I told him, we need to quickly update the Commissioner before he leaves for the meeting.

    Let’s go to him, please. Once I introduced our mission to the Commissioner, I ceded grounds to this young man. This guy gave a thorough breakdown of previous meetings he had been privileged to attend as a middle level official, with some senior team members. Without notes. And with elevated sang-froid. The picture was graphically painted – the demands and the expectations. My respect for this young man grew. I like cerebral people who don’t carry any smoke of importance on their heads. I like people always prepared to do their assignment without depreciating others with their inadequacies and petulance.

    The young man is Dr Chimezie Paulinus Amadi. When Amadi called me on Sunday night, it was to break the good news that he was taking some time off from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to serve as Commissioner for Digital Economy and E-Governance in Imo State. Once the necessary explanations were made, I was excited for him and quickly extended my congratulations. He was gracious enough to share with me his notes, what he calls the The Digital Imo Agenda.

    I am not excited because he got a political appointment. Rather it is because he earned it and there is a value proposition he is putting on the table.

    “The Digital IMO project aims to train 100,000 youth, women and people living with disabilities in core 21st century skills in software development, blockchain, game development and other technical vocational skills,” he states as introduction to his document.

    The mission Amadi has set out for his Ministry is “to build smart cities which leverage digital technology to drive governance, innovation and entrepreneurship while promoting value creation and prosperity for all.”

    Is this just some fanciful language to dazzle and beguile some unsuspecting politicians and a government headed by Senator Hope Uzodinma, the Governor of Imo State? I don’t think so, as I can claim to be in a privileged position to speak to such doubt based on the document I have seen.

    Always, the problem with us in this part of the world is that we want to do a job without stating how; we want to embark on a journey without defining the route. Everything is buried in our imagination and assumed sophistry, which evaporates when subjected to very little interrogation.

    Amadi’s document contains Action Steps, Timelines, Who to do a job, and expected outcomes. For instance, Action 3 states: Faciliate Broadband Penetration in all LGAs of Imo State. How? 1. Crowd-source Broadband Penetration and efficiency across all towns, villages and LGAs in Imo State. 2. Facilitate Broadband Penetration to Underserved and Unserved locations in Imo State via private sector partnerships, deployment of state-owned fibre highway for interconnection of business districts, communities and LGAs.

    Some of the stated expected outcomes include: Improved Broadband penetration and coverage, Increased e-Government activities, Improved Digital inclusion and literacy levels.

    The documents detailed how the Ministry will pull 100,000 young people from across the local government areas of the state and instil digital skills and competencies into them. The Ministry will be an enabler and a one-stop-shop for digital knowledge acquisition for the entire state operation. The Ministry plans to train other Ministries on tech skills for the new Imo state that will run operations on technology and thus, be able to maximise resources for development.

    The document is no baloney or a tech gobbledegook. This is about reality, something doable. As l look at the CV which has equipped Amadi for this job, my mind went to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the kind of recruitment that used to be done there, my mind went to Engr Ernest Ndukwe, hunting for talents across the states of the federation, to build one of the best parastatals ever in this part of the world. It was about knowledge, about capacity and the readiness to go to any place you were sent; it wasn’t about tribe or connections. When we travelled all over the world, we walked with a swagger and gait because we knew the head was loaded with enough stuff to captivate and titillate any audience. And there was demonstrable industry performance to add fillip to the enthusiasm of the nation’s tech ambassadors.

    Something has prepared Amadi for this new assignment, and the CV shows that unequivocally. At the NCC, Amadi worked in various Departments which include: Procurement, Projects, Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement, and most recently, Research and Development, where he headed the Emerging Technology Unit.  This gave him the opportunity to design and organise nationwide stakeholder fora in the ICT space to facilitate ACADOPRENEUR, which is a collaboration between Academia and Industry.

    Plus his impressive educational attainment, Amadi attended several training programmes on 5G: The Path to Next Generation; Digital Transformation: Unlocking the Potential of IoT;  Enabling the Full Value of Wireless Technology: Game Changing Technology For the Digital Age; and Ethics Intelligence, among others.

    The easiest verdict to give here is that Amadi is fully prepared for his new job as the Commissioner for Digital Economy and e-Governance. But that is not the way it works in government, especially at the state level, where petty jealousy and frivolous gossip are credentials for daily governance, where urgent files would go on circumlocutory journeys and may never return. It is the responsibility of Senator Uzodinma to empower his new Ministry and support it to use technology to straighten administrative processes , and make governance, businesses and investment appealing and attractive. In fact, be the first to run a state on technology.

    In Amadi, the Governor of Imo State has made a good appointment. He will earn good returns from such a valuable choice. Imo State has scored a good goal.

  • NCC-CSIRT urges firmware update after Lenovo found vulnerabilities in own products

    NCC-CSIRT urges firmware update after Lenovo found vulnerabilities in own products

    Equipment manufacturer, Lenovo, has disclosed several vendor vulnerabilities in some of its products, which it said could lead to information disclosure, privilege escalation, and denial of service.

    The vulnerabilities primarily affect Lenovo Products (Desktop, Desktop-All in One, Hyperscale, Lenovo Notebook, Smart Office, Storage, ThinkAgile, ThinkPad, ThinkServer, ThinkStation, and ThinkSystem).

    The Nigerian Communications Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT), in its recent advisory, rated the probability of the vulnerability as high with an equally high damage potential. It, therefore, urged users of affected products to update their firmware.

    The advisory cited the Lenovo report, first published in the second week of this month, indicating that the vulnerabilities are caused by flaws in the System Management Interrupt (SMI) Set BIOS Password SMI Handler, other systems used to configure platform settings over Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), and a buffer overflow flaw in WMI SMI Handler.

    Successful exploitation of the vulnerabilities could allow an authenticated local attacker to bypass security restrictions, gain elevated privileges and execute arbitrary code on the targeted system. The attacker could also send a specially crafted request to the targeted user to gain sensitive information, which could result in unauthorized Information disclosure, privilege escalation and denial of service on the targeted system.

    According to NCC-CSIRT, the solution to addressing the vulnerabilities is for users to update their system firmware to the newer version(s) indicated for their product model.

    The CSIRT is the telecom sector’s cyber security incidence centre set up by the NCC to focus on incidents in the telecom sector and as they may affect telecom consumers and citizens at large. The CSIRT also works collaboratively with the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), established by the Federal Government to reduce the volume of future computer risk incidents by preparing, protecting, and securing Nigerian cyberspace to forestall attacks, and problems or related events.

  • NCC, NLRC inaugurate committee to strengthen consumer protection

    NCC, NLRC inaugurate committee to strengthen consumer protection

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) on Thursday in Abuja set up a committee to work towards the protection of the interest of telecom consumers against malpractices that may attend mobile lotteries in the country.

    The Committee, which was inaugurated at the NCC Head Office in Abuja, was tasked with the responsibility of articulating measures to address mutual regulatory issues, including the review of revenue-sharing formula between Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and lottery operators.

    The NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management (ECSM), Barrister Adeleke Adewolu, who presided at the meeting comprising senior staff of the two agencies, recalled fondly previous engagements between the agencies and stated that the committee was important in order to review and update an NCC-NLRC Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed on the 6th of August 2018 but has now expired.

    The ECSM said the Commission is committed to regulatory collaboration and strategic partnerships and has carefully reviewed NLRC’s requests and is convinced that both organisations can conclusively address issues and other concerns that have been identified in the operation of lotteries in the telecom industry.

    “We expect that the Joint Committee of senior members of staff in both organisations will work closely to develop a collaborative framework to progressively improve gaming service delivery for telecoms consumers and further accelerate holistic development in Nigeria’s digital economy,” Adewolu stated.

    In addition, the ECSM reiterated that the Committee is expected to articulate a new MoU to address issues around revenue sharing between MNOs and lottery operators, the need to review and recommend a workable model for addressing the needs of both organisations, and present informed recommendations to deepen regulatory collaboration between the two regulatory agencies.

    “Given the strong professional pedigree of the members of this Joint Committee, I have no doubt that they will meet and even exceed the expectations of the Managements of both the NCC and the NLRC, and I wish you all success in this task,” Adewolu added.

    Speaking on behalf of the Director-General, NLRC, Lanre Gbajabiamila, the Director, Legal Services, NLRC, Olayemi Ajayi, expressed her organisation’s commitment to improving revenue generation from the lottery industry while appreciating NCC for being receptive to inter-organisational collaborations.

    Ajayi reiterated the need for renewal of the expired MoU with amendments to accommodate new provisions that will be favourable to stakeholders and fast-track the development of Nigeria’s digital economy.

    Ajayi assured that, “The NLRC is working tirelessly to ameliorate its functions and service delivery to stakeholders. Therefore, this renewed collaboration with NCC will help for better and efficient service delivery by both agencies.”

  • NCC-CSIRT proffers countermeasures against website scams on Microsoft Edge Browser

    NCC-CSIRT proffers countermeasures against website scams on Microsoft Edge Browser

    The Nigerian Communications Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) has issued an advisory for users to install trusted, up-to-date anti-virus software with an Internet security component and to customize News Feed in Microsoft Edge Browser.

    This is part of the countermeasures to lessen the chances of falling for a malicious attack that has been discovered in the browser.

    The NCC-CSIRT further advised users of the browser to practise safe Internet browsing habits and to refrain from clicking on links they are unsure of in the face of the malicious attack that has been rated as high in probability and potential damage to systems.

    The advisory stated that the malicious advertising campaign, unearthed on the Microsoft Edge Browser News Feed, redirects victims to fraudulent tech support websites and that cybercriminals have resorted to posting bizarre, attention-grabbing stories or advertisements on the Edge news feed to entice users to click on them. The malicious advertisements appear legitimate but contain malware and/or other threats.

    According to the advisory, “The Microsoft Edge News Feed is the default page that appears when a new tab is opened, and it displays information such as news, advertisements, weather, and traffic updates. Also, the following are the steps that result in being redirected to a bogus tech support page: The user clicks on a story or advertisement, the Edge browser setting is analysed for various metrics.”

    Based on the aforementioned metrics and prior results, the advisory said “if the user is adjudged to be a bot or in a location that is not of interest, the user is redirected to a harmless dummy page that is relevant to the story or advertisement initially clicked on; However, if the user is adjudged a potential victim, then the user is redirected to a tech support scam website for further exploitation.”

    Victims of the tech support website scam could have their Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and other data harvested or they could be with malware.

    The NCC, therefore, urges telecom consumers and other stakeholders in the ecosystem to install up-to-date AntiVirus software and be alert to the wiles of cybercriminals in order not to fall victim to cyber scams.

    The CSIRT is the telecom sector’s cyber security incidence centre set up by the NCC to focus on incidents in the telecom sector and as they may affect telecom consumers and citizens at large.

    The CSIRT also works collaboratively with the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), established by the Federal Government to reduce the volume of future computer risk incidents by preparing, protecting, and securing Nigerian cyberspace to forestall attacks, and problems or related events.

  • NCC urges NSSB to create awareness about digital literacy

    NCC urges NSSB to create awareness about digital literacy

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged the Nasarawa State Scholarship Board (NSSB) to support the NCC in creating awareness about the intervention projects of the Commission concerning research and digital literacy in order to provide more opportunities for the citizenry.

    Director of Digital Economy at the Commission, Dr. Augustine Nwaulune, who hosted a delegation of the Board, led by the Board’s Executive Secretary, Hajia Saadatu Yahya, on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, recently, recalled that Nasarawa State is one of the beneficiaries of NCC’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) intervention projects such as the Digital Awareness Programme (DAP) for secondary schools, the Advanced Digital Appreciation Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADAPTI), the Wireless Cloud, as well as the E-Health programme.

    “While we don’t give scholarship to students, the NCC has continued to give research grants to lecturers and students in the universities, and provided additional opportunities including sponsoring competitions involving students, as well as endowing professorial chairs in universities across the country. In the last seven years, the financial value of the endowments and grants is more than N500 million.

    “Therefore, I will appeal to NSSB to create awareness about these initiatives of the NCC among stakeholders in the academia, particularly the research grants to enable stakeholders to leverage such opportunities offered by the Commission to scholars interested in carrying out telecommunications-based research,” he said.

    Nwaulune said the NCC has been upbeat in ensuring implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), 2020-2030, in which one of its eight pillars, rests on digital literacy, while the Digital Economy Department has been set up and equipped by the Commission with the human resources required to coordinate its programmes in concrete terms.

    Yahya, whose delegation visited to discuss areas of collaboration for deepening digital/technical training and skills acquisition in Nasarawa State, commended the Commission for the central role it has played in promoting digital awareness and skills across the country, and pleaded that Nasarawa State should be given more opportunities to  benefit from NCC’s social investments and other digital economy-focused interventions, being the closest State to the Federal Capital Territory, the base of the Commission.

    “The purpose of our visit is to seek collaboration with the NCC in whatever ways possible, especially in the areas of scholarship, and ICT skills and literacy for our people. The ICT is, today, the engine room of global economy and we do not want to lag in this new digital order, hence, our decision to seek collaboration with organisations in the ICT space such as yours to work which, especially because you are contiguous to our State,” Yahya, the NSSB Executive Secretary said.

    Other members of the delegation, including Senior Special Assistant to Nasarawa State Governor on Information and Communication Technology, Haruna Sani; and the President, Nasarawa State Students Association, Sani Jibrin, spoke in favour of a greater collaboration with the NCC which would add the needed impetus to the current efforts by the state government to leverage ICT for economic development.

  • Suspected broadcast pirate nabbed by NCC, impounds contrivances

    Suspected broadcast pirate nabbed by NCC, impounds contrivances

    A suspected broadcast pirate, Mr Ajaye West William, has been arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) for illicit redistribution of broadcast signals belonging to various right owners, in violation of the Copyright Act.

    In an anti-piracy operation executed at the weekend, the suspect, who had evaded arrest, was traced and apprehended by the NCC operatives at his base in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while carrying out the unauthorised redistribution of the signals.

    According to the Director of the Commission’s Port Harcourt Office, Mr Collins Nweke, the operation which was carried out in collaboration with other enforcement agencies followed months of surveillance by the operatives.

    Suspected broadcast pirate nabbed by NCC, impounds contrivances

    He disclosed that the contrivances seized included DSTV, GOTV, Strong and FTA decoders as well as other materials used for the illicit distribution of signals to “subscribers” who made payments to the suspect to receive the pirated signals.

    Nweke noted that the suspect has made useful statements and the investigation is ongoing with a view to a likely prosecution.

    “The suspect is believed to have a customer base of over three thousand (3,000) subscribers on his illegal broadcast network and the Commission is processing the information to get to the root of the crime”, he said.

    Suspected broadcast pirate nabbed by NCC, impounds contrivances

    The recent arrest comes on the heels of a recent warning by the Director-General of NCC, Dr. John O. Asein, on Channels Television condemning all forms of signal piracy.

    “Henceforth, anyone found to be engaged in redistributing broadcast signals and all persons who connive with them in the illicit act would be arrested and prosecuted, while any contrivances found to be used for the such crime would be confiscated,” he said.

    The Director-General urged members of the public to report any suspicious activities in their neighbourhood to the nearest office of the NCC.

    NCC is the independent regulatory authority for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria.

    The NCC was created under Decree number 75 by the Federal Military Government of Nigeria on 24 November 1992. It was charged with the responsibility of regulating the supply of telecommunications services and facilities, promoting competition, and setting performance standards for telephone services in Nigeria.

    The Decree has been abrogated and replaced with the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003.