Emma Okonji

PalmPay has reinforced its commitment to responsible data governance and customer information protection through a specialised two-day data protection workshop for employees.

It also launched its internal Privacy Champions Programme, an initiative designed to strengthen awareness, accountability, and responsible data handling across the organisation.

The initiative comes at a time when data protection is increasingly critical following recent reports of recorded 281,500 compromised user accounts in the first quarter of 2026, ranking 34th among the world’s most breached countries, according to a new quarterly data breach analysis by cybersecurity firm, Surfshark.

Facilitated by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and leading Data

Protection Compliance Organisation (DPCO) TechHive Advisory, the two-day workshop equipped employees with practical knowledge on privacy governance and data protection obligations, incident awareness, and the role each employee plays in protecting personal data. The initiative forms part of PalmPay’s ongoing efforts to advance compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023. It also reflects the company’s continued investment in safeguarding customer information and fostering a culture where privacy remains everyone’s responsibility.

The Privacy Champions Programme establishes a network of employee representatives across business functions who will support awareness, promote best practices and help strengthen the organisation’s privacy culture. By integrating privacy considerations into day-to–day activities the initiative aims to further enhance accountability and reinforces customer trust.

Speaking on the initiative, Managing Director of PalmPay, Chika Nwosu, stated: “At PalmPay, protecting customer information is fundamental to maintaining the trust our customers place in us everyday, and remains central to our operations. Statistically, 10 out of 100 Nigerians have been affected by data breaches. Hence, we have a greater responsibility to ensure that personal information is collected, processed, stored, and protected responsibly. This specialised training reflects our continued investment in strengthening internal awareness and ensuring our teams remain equipped to uphold the highest standards of data privacy and protection.”

As a digital financial services platform serving millions of users, PalmPay reaffirmed that privacy and data protection remain embedded in its operational culture, with continuous investments in data governance practices.

PalmPay also encourages customers to remain vigilant and adopt safe digital practices, including protecting account credentials, exercising caution when sharing personal information online, and reporting suspicious activities promptly. The company maintains that building a secure digital ecosystem requires a shared commitment from organisations, regulators, and users alike.

The Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria, EXMAN, will hold its 2026 Annual General Meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, from July 16 to 19, as it pushes for tighter collaboration and stronger standards in Nigeria’s experience economy.

The four-day convening, themed: Collaboration as Currency”, will bring together agency principals, brand managers, marketing professionals, academics, and students to chart the future of experiential marketing in a landscape shaped by digital disruption and economic headwinds.

According to EXMAN, the AGM reinforces its role as the recognized sectoral body for experiential marketing before the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON, and the wider marketing communications industry.

“In today’s interconnected world, collaboration has become the currency of growth. No agency, institution, or brand can thrive in isolation. The future belongs to those who build partnerships, share knowledge, and create value together,” said Chairman of the AGM Planning Committee, Agnes Ailuelohia.

Publicity Secretary of EXMAN, Olayiwola Jegede, said: “The choice of Uyo signals EXMAN’s commitment to national inclusion and geopolitical equity.”

By anchoring its flagship meeting in the South-South, the association says it is engaging practitioners and agencies across all zones, not just Lagos and Abuja.

“The Government of Akwa Ibom State and the University of Uyo are key partners. EXMAN will run structured industry-academia sessions with the university to expose students to careers in brand experience design and consumer engagement. Over 5,000 students and early-career professionals, tagged ‘Future Practitioners’, will be integrated into the dialogue,” Jegede added.

A major highlight will be the release of EXMAN’s State of the Industry Report, a data-driven review of trends, challenges, and opportunities in experiential marketing. Other sessions include strategic discussions on professionalism and regulation, induction of new member agencies, and networking forums for business development.

The event will close with The Adire Mix Masked Ball, EXMAN’s signature celebration of creativity and fellowship among member agencies.

EXMAN thanked the Akwa Ibom State Government, University of Uyo, Ceedapeg Hotel, Ibom Air, and other partners for their support, saying their commitment reflects the AGM theme: shared purpose unlocks greater value.

“As Nigeria’s umbrella body for experiential marketing agencies, EXMAN continues to champion professionalism, ethics, and self-regulation while advocating for the sector’s role in driving brand equity and consumer engagement,” Ailuelohia further said.

Emma Okonji

In commemoration of the 2026 World Food Safety Day, the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF), has organised a webinar to further highlight the importance of safe food and healthy feeding among people.

Themed: ‘From Burdens To Solutions: Safe Food Everywhere’, the webinar brought together food experts, policy makers and industry stakeholders to discuss the importance of hygiene in food processing, food preparation, and food intake.

Moderated by Director of Programs at CADEF, Lovelyn Okafor, the webinar also discussed about herbal medications and food and stressed the need for consumers to carefully study and understand how herbs work before taking them as food or medication.

Principal Consultant, Food Systems & Agro-allied Solutions, Dr. Augustine Okoruwa, who presented a paper at the webinar, stressed the need for proper hygiene in food processing and preparation. He advised consumers to avoid contaminated food at all cost.  

“Food consumers must ensure that the food that already cooked food must be covered properly to make sure that they are not exposed to contamination from flies and airborne diseases. Since food safety is a collective and shared responsibility, it means that all actors in the supply chain, from the farm to the table, have responsibilities. They must play their role well to prevent food contamination which results in foodborne diseases. Market management or market authorities are critical when it comes to the marketplace if we want to ensure supply of safe food,” Okoruwa said.

He called on the National Assembly to urgently enact the National Food Safety Act 2023, which according to him, actually extends regulation to the informal sector, including the street food vendors, as a critical measure for safeguarding public health.

The Director, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Yeside Shogbamimu, who also presented paper at the webinar, stressed the need to turn policy into action to build stronger food safety systems.

She also spoke on food safety landscape in Lagos State, and looked at policy to action strategies, as well as the regulatory challenges that governments face.

According to her, Lagos State lost 19 patients that suffered from foodborne illness between 2024 and 2025.

She explained that Lagos State was doing everything possible to protect the health of the public, prevent food wastage and also maintain consumer confidence.
“When a consumer is confident to consume anything, it will boost the body immune function. So, currently, the state has a need for continuous improvement in food vendors,” Shogbamimu said.
Founder/CEO, Bionaturales Limited, Mrs. Bukola Ijeoma Ogunsanwo, presented a paper on herbal medication and the abuse.   
According to her, millions of Nigerian consumers consume herbal products every day, but majority abuse the use of such herbal products.

She listed Zobo drinks sold in schools and the use of bitter leaves hibiscus leaves, as herbal drinks and food.

“We actually have herbal healing soups prepared in homes, and some people use WhatsApp, Instagram and other social media platforms to get information about herbs used to improve human health. These are different ways that people are consuming herbs, which could be healthy, if done in the right way. Herbal medicine actually is something that is good. But everything that is good comes with caution,” Ogunsanwo said.

She said some patients take herbs to control their blood pressure without knowing the exact factors that are causing high blood pressure in their system.

She therefore called for regulated herbal products to keep consumers safe.

“We have different kinds of traditional medicines all over the world now. Some of them have already gone far beyond Africans. So it’s time for us to begin to raise standards, and get more knowledge about herbal medicines,” Ogunsanwo further said.

Emmanuel Okonji

Yellow Card, a leading global Stablecoin infrastructure and payments provider, operating in 20 African countries, including Nigeria, has secured regulatory AML affiliation in Switzerland as a supervised financial intermediary.

The move establishes a base for Swiss and other banking partners and institutional and corporate clients seeking to move capital into Nigeria and other high-growth emerging economies efficiently and compliantly through the use of Stablecoins.
Through Yellow Card’s Swiss wholly-owned subsidiary, institutional and corporate clients can now engage Yellow Card to access the group’s Stablecoin infrastructure across its operating markets, supported by a single, supervised point of contact and the group’s established compliance and technology capabilities.

CEO and Co-Founder of Yellow Card,Chris Maurice, said: “Stablecoins have become critical infrastructure for global institutions, and compliant access to the rails and payments is a requirement for companies looking to utilize this technology. Our Swiss subsidiary gives them a regulated, supervised counterparty for accessing our global Stablecoin infrastructure in Switzerland and across the U.S., Africa, LATAM, and other emerging markets, built on the network we already operate at scale.”

Switzerland is the latest addition to Yellow Card’s growing regulatory portfolio. Yellow Card’s extensive market coverage is underpinned by a wide range of strategic partnerships, licenses, registrations, and other regulatory authorizations, including the first VASP license ever issued on the African continent. The group continues to pursue further licenses, registrations, and authorizations as it expands on its global regulatory footprint.

General Counsel of Yellow Card, Craig Stoehr, said: “For our banking partners and international clients, the compliance framework is not a formality, but rather a foundation. Switzerland holds financial intermediaries to one of the highest regulatory standards in the world, and our Swiss subsidiary was built to meet these standards. Combined with the licensed infrastructure already in place across our global network, this standard provides our partners a rare combination of regulatory confidence and real operational reach.”
Yellow Card’s Swiss subsidiary will be led by Ms. Olpha Bribech, a member of Yellow Card’s senior management team. Yellow Card is establishing a permanent local presence in Lugano in the Canton of Ticino. Lugano has become a recognized hub for blockchain and digital assets and is home to an active community of developers, businesses, and institutions working across the sector. Yellow Card looks forward to expanding its presence in Lugano and to contributing to the city’s blockchain and digital asset community over time, while expanding access to emerging markets.

Yellow Card is the largest licensed Stablecoin-based infrastructure provider and payments provider operating across over 50 emerging markets. From Stablecoin payment infrastructure to fiat settlement rails,wallet services, and custom local Stablecoin issuance, Yellow Card provides the complete infrastructure businesses need to manage Stablecoins, payments, and operations across emerging markets.

Emma Okonji

Worried about the high rate at which Nigerians patronise foreign domain names in the digital space, coupled with the high volume of data hosting outside the shores of Nigeria, industry stakeholders have warned against the implications, which they described as detrimental to Nigeria’s growth in the cyberspace.

The stakeholders gave the warning during the Tech Convergence Forum, organised by the Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NiRA) in Abuja.

Themed: ‘Strengthening Nigeria’s Digital Independence: The Role of Policy, Digital Identity, and .ng for Economic Growth’, the Tech Convergence 3.0 Forum insisted that it was time for Nigeria to own, govern, and aggressively expand its digital identity without further delay.

Among the conference’s most sobering disclosures was the revelation that Nigeria loses an estimated $850 million annually by failing to fully leverage its own digital identity infrastructure.

In his welcome address, President of NiRA, Mr. Adesola Akinsaya, called on Nigerians to begin to consider .ng domain name as their identity in cyberspace, which must be prioritised above foreign domain names.

“Digital independence does not mean isolation from the global internet. It means a secure, resilient, and competitive digital ecosystem that gives Nigeria greater control over its data, infrastructure, digital identity system, and online presence,” Akinsaya said.  

Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, who delivered the keynote address, made reference to the US-China tech war, the EU’s battles with Apple and Google over COVID contact-tracing sovereignty, and Israel’s use of digital infrastructure in warfare. Based on his analogy, he referred to Nigeria’s .ng domain not as a registration technicality but as a matter of national security.

Emma Okonji             

Google has upgraded its search engine with its Gemini 3.5 Flash app, integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver sustained frontier performance for agents and coding, designed as the new default model in AI mode  for everyone globally. 

The upgrade of Google intelligent search box, which is the latest in the past 25 years, puts its most powerful AI tools right at the fingertips of users, making it easier to ask questions and receive prompt answers, thus introducing a new era of AI search.

Gemini 3.5 Flash delivers intelligence that rivals large flagship models on multiple dimensions, at exponential speeds. It’s Google’s strongest agentic and coding model yet, outperforming Gemini 3.1 Pro on challenging coding and agentic benchmarks, and leading in multimodal understanding.

According to a statement from Google, “The balance of speed and performance makes 3.5 Flash ideal for tackling long-horizon agentic tasks. What used to take developers days and auditors weeks, 3.5 Flash can now help complete in a fraction of the time, often at less than half the cost of other frontier models. It rapidly plans, builds and iterates to solve real-world problems, whether it’s developing new applications, maintaining codebases or helping to prepare financial documents.

When coupled with the updated Antigravity harness, 3.5 Flash becomes a powerful engine for deploying collaborative sub-agents to tackle challenges at scale for the most demanding use cases. Under supervision, it can reliably execute multi-step workflows and coding tasks while sustaining frontier performance.”

The enhanced agentic coding capabilities of 3.5 Flash are also delivering even more intelligent experiences across Search, from introducing new information agents that work 24/7 to unlocking more dynamic generative UI experiences.

CEO, Google and Alphabet, Sundar Pichai, said: “Gemini 3.5 and Antigravity are unlocking a new world of agents and agentic capabilities. We’ve been bringing agents to developers and enterprises for a while. Now we are super focused on bringing the power of agents, safely and securely, to consumers so that it works for everyone.”

Gemini 3.5 was developed in accordance with our Frontier Safety Framework. We have strengthened our cyber safeguards, which makes it less likely to generate harmful content, and to mistakenly refuse to answer safe queries. We achieve this with new, more advanced safety training and mitigations, including interpretability tools that help check and understand the AI’s inner reasoning before it provides a response, Pichai further said.

VP, Google Labs, Gemini App & AI Studio, Josh Woodward, said: “Gemini is becoming a more helpful AI assistant, with an intuitive new UI, proactive daily briefs and Gemini Spark, an agent to help you get things done around the clock, delivering proactive, 24/7 help.”

Speaking about the search agents, Pichai was quoted to have said: “We’re entering the era of search agents, where you can easily create, customise and manage multiple AI agents for your many tasks, right in search. We’re starting with i-Information agents, operating in the background, 24/7. The agents intelligently reason across information to find exactly what you need at exactly the right moment.  With i-Information agents, you can stay updated on whatever matters most to you. Your agent will intelligently look across everything on the web, like blogs, news sites and social posts, plus our freshest data, such as real-time info on finance, shopping and sports, to monitor for changes related to your specific question.” 

In the area of Agentic Coding in Search, Pichai said: “We’re bringing the power of Google Antigravity and the agentic coding capabilities of Gemini 3.5 Flash right into search, to build the ideal response, in the right format for questions asked, tailored precisely to meet the needs of users. 

“Whether you want to wrap your mind around astrophysics or visualise how your watch works, Search can design custom layouts, assembling components (like interactive visuals, tables, graphs or simulations) in real-time. These generative UI capabilities will be available for everyone in search this summer, free of charge.”

Emma Okonji

​​Telecommunications regulators from around the world have endorsed a new set of guidelines to navigate digital challenges and opportunities.

The new guidelines were endorsed at the Global Symposium for Regulators 2026 (GSR-26), organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Turkey.

The new guidelines tagged: “2026 Best Practice Guidelines: Regulatory Governance Essentials,” are set of digital regulation toolkits to address emerging technologies, infrastructure resilience, youth safety, disaster management and the persistent global digital divide.

The annual symposium issues guidelines to help regulators govern the complex digital market with clarity, evidence and coherence.

Speaking during the symposium, ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, said: “Regulators today must do more than oversee markets — they must shape the conditions for innovation, investment and meaningful connectivity. At GSR-26, regulators rose to the challenge of navigating these new, fast-moving digital frontiers with confidence, agility and trust.”

The regulatory guidelines endorsed at GSR-26 outline innovative approaches to advance evidence-based regulation, stronger cross-sector coordination, responsible experimentation, and regional and international cooperation.

In support of the guidelines, ITU also presented new tools to support sustainable digital development for all, which includes: Connectivity Planning Platform – for governments to plan, prioritize and accelerate the deployment of digital infrastructure; Global Economic Model and Study Tool – to help regulators assess the socio-economic impact of connectivity investments; Digital Readiness Framework – to evaluate the maturity of legal, policy and governance frameworks for digital transformation; and Regulatory Perspectives for Satellite Communications to Connect Underserved Communities – a report identifying mechanisms to leverage satellite technology for universal and meaningful connectivity, particularly for vulnerable populations and public facilities.

Chair of GSR-26 and President of Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu, said: “The 2026 Best Practice Guidelines reflect our shared commitment to fostering resilient, inclusive and future-ready digital ecosystems. In a world shaped by rapid technological transformation, it is essential to have international cooperation, adaptive regulation and shared responsibility to ensure that digital innovation benefits all societies.”

Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, said: “GSR-26 has delivered vital guidance for regulators navigating the complexities of today’s digital landscape. The discussions held will allow regulators to address emerging challenges in a manner that is constructive, forward-looking and collaborative. I thank the government of Turkey for their generous support and partnership in making the symposium a platform for global progress.”

Since its inception in 2000, the Global Symposium for Regulators series has provided an annual platform to guide countries toward harmonised, forward-looking regulation in the rapidly evolving digital era.

Over 1,000 participants took part in the four-day GSR-26 event, including ministers, heads of regulatory authorities, industry leaders and other key digital stakeholders.

Emma Okonji                     

Over the last few years, the way software gets built has moved through four distinct patterns of human-agent collaboration, and the same patterns are beginning to show up across other functions.

According to Microsoft 2026 Work Trend Index research report, every business leader knows the world is changing, but only a fraction of leaders have a clear picture of what to do about it.

The four patterns, according to the research findings, are the place to start, adding that the real work ahead for leaders is redesigning their firm’s operating model around the collaboration patterns.

The Microsoft 2026 Work Trend Index research stated that “As agent use increases, human involvement doesn’t disappear, it changes shape. What declines is the amount of tactical, step-by-step execution work humans do themselves. And what rises is the need for humans to set direction, define standards and evaluate outcomes. Ultimately, the goal is not to move every task and business process to the fourth pattern.”

“The shift is already visible in output, with 58 per cent of AI users saying they’re producing work they couldn’t have a year ago, rising to 80 per cent among Frontier Professionals, the most advanced AI users in our research. Additionally, when AI users were asked which human skills are most important as AI takes on more work, they said two topped the list: quality control of AI output (50 per cent) and critical thinking — that is, analyzing information objectively and making a reasoned judgment (46 per cent),” the report stated.

From the inception of the 50 per cent hike in telecoms tariff, which took effect in January 2025, telecoms operators have been investing heavily in telecoms infrastructure in order to boost and sustain quality service delivery across networks, but such investments have come under serious threat by vandals who willfully destroy and steal telecoms infrastructure, writes Emma Okonji

Across the vast and pulsating landscape of Nigeria’s digital economy, telecommunications infrastructure has become the invisible architecture upon which commerce, governance, finance, education and human interaction now precariously rest. 

The modern Nigerian city no longer merely runs on roads and electricity; it breathes through fibre optics, spectrum waves, data centres and towering base stations that silently sustain the rhythm of national existence.

Yet, as digital consumption surges with relentless intensity, the nation’s telecoms ecosystem now confronts an unavoidable truth: scale has become destiny.

The recent intervention by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Quality of Service therefore arrives not as a routine regulatory statement, but as a profound strategic reminder that the future of Nigeria’s digital civilisation depends upon the ability of operators to build ahead of demand, rather than perpetually chase it.

Need for Infrastructure

Indeed, the pressures confronting the sector are immense. Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital population is consuming data at unprecedented velocity. Streaming platforms, fintech ecosystems, AI-powered services, cloud computing, gaming applications, virtual collaboration tools and enterprise connectivity are exerting extraordinary pressure on network architecture nationwide.

 In this environment, maintaining service quality has evolved into a sophisticated engineering marathon requiring colossal investment, operational resilience and infrastructural foresight.

It is precisely within this crucible that Nigeria’s telecommunications giants — including MTN, Globacom Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and T2, among others— are executing what may fittingly be described as an audacious national digital dig-in.

The telcos’ expansive infrastructure commitment continues to occupy a particularly strategic position within Nigeria’s telecommunications evolution. 

Network Expansion

Over the years, the companies have consistently pursued aggressive network expansion initiatives designed not merely for urban dominance, but for inclusive national connectivity. From metropolitan commercial corridors to deeply rural communities often neglected by digital development. Globacom for instance has continued to widen the frontiers of access through sustained investments in fibre deployment, transmission upgrades and base station expansion.

Globacom’s recent large-scale importation and deployment of advanced network equipment, high-capacity power systems, fibre transmission facilities and next-generation radio infrastructure further underscores its own determination to reinforce network stability and service sustainability. 

These heavy-duty technological deployments are not cosmetic interventions; they represent deep structural investments aimed at strengthening capacity, reducing congestion and improving user experience across both densely populated cities and underserved rural settlements.

Particularly commendable is the operator’s continued expansion into semi-urban and rural corridors where commercial returns may not immediately justify the enormous capital expenditure involved. Yet such investments embody a broader developmental philosophy: that connectivity itself has become a social equaliser capable of unlocking economic participation, educational inclusion and digital empowerment.

Like engineers constructing cathedrals beneath a turbulent sky, telecom operators across Nigeria are now reinforcing the nation’s digital spine against unprecedented pressures.

MTN Nigeria continues to deepen its broadband footprint through extensive fibre investments, accelerated 5G rollout and enhanced enterprise connectivity infrastructure. Airtel Nigeria has intensified rural broadband penetration efforts while modernising network layers to improve speed efficiency and user experience. 

T2, despite market pressures, continues targeted optimisation initiatives focused on service reliability and operational resilience.

Collectively, the industry invested over N2.13 trillion in network infrastructure upgrades in 2025 alone, while tower companies committed an additional N373.8 billion towards strengthening operational sustainability nationwide. 

More than 2,800 telecom sites were upgraded or newly deployed, while the 2026 expansion cycle has already witnessed the delivery of thousands of additional sites and accelerated 5G deployment across multiple states. Yet the battle for service quality extends far beyond investment figures.

Threat to Telecoms Infrastructure

The sector continues to wrestle against destructive external pressures including fibre vandalism, diesel theft, power instability, right-of-way bottlenecks and incessant fibre cuts caused by road construction activities. The revelation that over 27,000 avoidable fibre-cut incidents occurred nationwide within a single year demonstrates how vulnerable critical digital infrastructure remains.

Nevertheless, the regulatory firmness of the NCC has introduced a new era of accountability. Through stricter quality of service regulations, spectrum optimisation policies, performance monitoring frameworks and consumer compensation enforcement mechanisms, the commission has elevated operational responsibility across the sector.

Progress Report

Encouragingly, measurable progress is beginning to emerge. National download speeds continue to improve, 4G penetration has expanded significantly, network capacity has deepened, and power availability at telecom sites has become increasingly stable.

Ultimately, Nigeria’s telecommunications future will belong not merely to those who possess spectrum licences, but to those with the audacity to build relentlessly beneath the weight of national expectation.

And amid this vast digital reconstruction, Globacom and its industry counterparts are doing far more than erecting towers or transmitting signals.

They are laying the infrastructural grammar of Nigeria’s emerging digital century patiently, expansively and with the quiet determination of institutions building permanence beneath the noise of temporary disruption.

Emmanuel Okonji

Mrs. Aderonke Hunponu-Wusu, an accomplished technology and project‑delivery professional, is celebrating two decades of pioneering work in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Over the course of her career, she has played a pivotal role in the planning, design, and implementation of digitization strategies and advanced communication networks for remote and offshore oil and gas facilities at Shell, one of the world’s leading energy companies.

Since joining Shell in 2005 as a Field Telecoms Engineer, Mrs. Hunponu-Wusu has built a career spanning Africa and Europe, serving in technical and leadership roles. She currently serves as IT Manager, Project and Engineering.

Mrs. Hunponu-Wusu is among the few women leading the Information and Digital Technology delivery portfolio across deep‑water and gas assets collectively valued at more than $10 billion. She oversees a multi‑disciplinary team of more than 30 IT professionals, driving innovation in digitalization, telecommunications, cybersecurity, and process‑control domains that support both onshore and offshore construction and execution phases.

She has inspired her teams to embed high standards in project execution, while implementing key digital enablers across capital projects. These digital initiatives are laying the foundation for future Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facilities, transforming them into viable assets with significant cost‑saving potential.

Mrs. Hunponu-Wusu holds a Master of ������Ƶ Administration from Warwick, London, and has earned certifications in data analysis, leadership development, and project management, including specialization in data analysis for management from the London School of Economics. She belongs to several professional organizations, including the Project Management Institute (PMI), the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), and Women in ������Ƶ (WIMBIZ), where she has served in committee roles for many years.

As she celebrates two decades of excellence, Mrs. Hunponu-Wusu continues to inspire as a trailblazer in ICT and digital transformation, championing innovation and leadership in the oil and gas industry.

In order to remain an active player in space technology, there is an urgent need for Nigeria to fast-track the planned launch of another communication satellite in orbit by 2028 to replace the 15 years old existing NigComSat-1R, writes Emma Okonji

Communication satellites play strategic roles in national development, especially for a country like Nigeria where terrestrial infrastructure like fiber optics and telecom masts are unevenly distributed. They provide connectivity, enhance security, and support economic growth.

It is for these and other reasons that Nigeria ventured into space technology by launching NigComSat-1 into space on May 13, 2007, from China, with a grand station in Nigeria for the purpose of control and monitoring. Nine months after its launch, NigComSat-1 failed in orbit on November 11, 2008 due to solar array anomaly and it was deorbited same year. Following its failure, Nigeria launched a replacement satellite, called NigcomSat-1R on December 19, 2011, which was designed to have a lifespan of 15 years with additional two years of extended operations.

Given its 15 years lifespan, which terminates this year 2026, coupled with the two years of extended operations, which enables NigComSat-1R to operate till 2028 before it finally packs up, the federal government has approved the purchase and launch of two communication satellites in 2028 and 2029 respectively.

About NigComSat-1R

NigComSat-1R is Nigeria’s premier geostationary communication satellite, launched on December 19, 2011 to replace the failed NigComSat-1 that was launched on May 13, 2007. NigComSat-1R serves as a vital communication backbone for the country, providing services across West, Central, South East Africa, Europe and Asia. The satellite supports wide range of communications services, including voice, video and data transmission, enabling high-speed broadband connectivity and facilitating access to essential services like telemedicine and e-learning. It also plays a crucial role in disaster management, enhancing broadcasting capabilities, and ensuring secure communication for defense agencies.

Having reached its 15 years lifespan this year, NigComSat-1R still has another two years of extended operations, which terminates in 2028.

 Need For Another Satellite   

The federal government has approved the purchase and launch of two communication satellites by 2028 and 2029 respectively, following the expiration of the existing NigComSat-1R satellite, whose entire lifespan terminates in 2028.

But industry experts are of the view that the approval came pretty late, since it takes more than one year to build, test and launch a communication satellite into space.

Some of the experts that spoke to ������Ƶ, called on the federal government and the Nigerian Satellite Communications Limited (NIGCOMSAT), to fast-track the funding process, as well as the negotiation process with the foreign company that would be engaged to build and launch the satellites for Nigeria, since it takes more than one year to successfully build, test and launch a communication satellite.   

Despite the fears of industry expert over the delay in approving the launch of another communication satellite, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, NIGCOMSAT Limitde, Mrs. Jane Egerton-Idehen, has continued to express her joy and confidence in the federal government, over the approval. 

Egerton-Idehen who spoke during a media chat in Lagos to announce the 20th anniversary of NIGCOMSAT and the two years anniversary since she assumed office as CEO of NIGCOMSAT, explained that the two satellites would be acquired before 2028, but would be launched into space by 2028 and 2029 respectively.

According to her, “NIGCOMSAT has received approval from the federal government to begin the process of acquiring and launching two new communication satellites for Nigeria, to replace the existing NigComSat 1R that will soon expire. We are grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the approval and for his interest to invest in national infrastructure such as communication satellites for Nigeria. We are currently in the process of acquiring the two satellites and get them ready for launch in 2028 and 2029.”

She spoke about the achievement of NIGCOMSAT in the last 20 years and its commitment to launch another communication satellite into orbit.  

“In the next phase of acquiring communication satellites, our focus will not just be Nigeria alone. It will cut across sub-Saharan Africa because we want to offer services to countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and this will help us to advance our market coverage to have tier two and tier three markets. So tier one is Nigeria. Tier two markets is West Africa, and tier three will be landlocked countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We want to support them because most of them don’t have satellite in orbit and they depend on Nigeria for communication satellite services. It is a commercial business that will generate more money for Nigeria,” Egerton-Idehen said.

Importance of Communication Satellite

Speaking about the importance of communication satellites to Nigeria, Egerton-Idehen said: “There are very few countries in the world that have orbital slots to provide satellite services because space is a limited resource. So there are few slots in the sky and every country cannot have a slot. Nigeria has three orbital slots, which demands maintenance. It is not a project for the faint-hearted. It is a complicated global project with global dynamics.”

According to her, NIGCOMSAT has commenced the process of acquiring the satellite.  

“These are infrastructure projects and they are capital-intensive, and we have commenced the process of acquiring the satellites. Although the result is not going to be immediate, because it takes about 13 months to build a new satellite, the gains are massive. We are happy we did the request for quotation some years back, and that part has been finalised.
“We had a financial workshop recently, where we discussed funding of the two new satellites. The idea is to fund them and procure them at the same time. So the process to acquire them is at the same time,” Egerton-Idehen further said.

Services and Impact

Communication satellites are crucial for connectivity, broadcasting, security, and navigation. In the area of telecommunications and internet access, it extends broadband and mobile coverage to rural and remote areas where the laying of fibre cables is expensive. It supports telephony, video conferencing, and digital services across the country, and reduces Nigeria’s digital divide by connecting underserved communities. In the areas of broadcasting and media, it enables nationwide radio and television broadcasting, supports educational programmes and cultural content distribution. It also strengthens Nigeria’s creative industry by ensuring global reach.

In the areas of national security and defense, it provides secure communication channels for military and government agencies, enhances border monitoring and maritime surveillance, supports disaster response coordination during floods, oil spills, or insurgencies.

For economic development, it facilitates e-commerce, fintech, and digital banking services in rural areas, while supporting agricultural monitoring and market information systems. It also enables telemedicine and remote learning, improving healthcare and education access.

In the area of international connectivity, it positions Nigeria as a hub for regional communication services in West Africa, reduces reliance on foreign satellites, thus strengthening sovereignty, while attracting investment in ICT and satellite-based industries.

Broadcast Benefits

According to Egerton-Idehen, NIGCOMSAT has a lot of broadcast customers, and it is easy to deploy since it does not require bundling it with hardware before using it to sell transparent satellite bandwidth.

“We sell bandwidth to broadcasters in Naira and it comes cheaper than buying from a foreign satellite company that sells in dollars. We sell and connect it directly to the equipment, wherever it is located, and this makes it easier to deliver technology. So, a combination of some of those things has made them quite easy,” Egerton-Idehen said.

She explained that NIGCOMSAT carried over 50 per cent traffic of the country’s broadcasters, by selling bandwidth to them. “This is true because NIGCOMSAT carries satellite traffic for more than half of all the licensed broadcasters in Nigeria, including different states’ television broadcast stations. In 2025, we sold bandwidth worth N2.2 billion and this is projected to reach N8 billion by 2029,” Egerton-Idehen further said.

Challenges and Risks

Although Nigeria has a good national space policy but still relies heavily on foreign partners for launches of its satellites and advanced technologies.

NigComSat-1 and NigComSat-1R were built by China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC).

Few years after the launch of NigComSat-1R in 2011, its ground station in Abuja was attacked in 2019 and severely damaged, a situation that compelled the Kashi station in China to become the main controlling station instead of playing the backup role it was initially designed for.  CGWIC built and launched the Satellite in Kashi on December 19, 2011 and has been working closely with its Nigerian partner, NIGCOMSAT Limited to maintain the satellite from the Kashi ground station to save the satellite from premature collapse. This help came at a cost as NIGCOMSAT Limited entered into a management contract with CGWIC for the primary control of the satellite from Kashi in China. According to the terms of the contract, the Nigerian company was expected to pay CGWIC about $1.6m yearly for maintenance.

Since the ground station attack in 2019, the NigComSat-1R project has faced issues with low patronage and a reported $11.4 million debt to Chinese operators as of December 2025.

Nigeria is actively planning to replace the aging satellite with two new ones, NigComSat-2A and NigComSat-2B, to continue orbital services, a development that has been commended by industry experts, who called on government and NIGCOMSAT to expedite action on the planned launch, in order to replace the aging NigComSat-1R communication satellite that will eventually seize to function after 2028, when it must have reached the end of its lifespan.  

Since the building and launch of a new satellite is highly capital intensive, industry stakeholders have called on NIGCOMSAT to be more diligent in the planned launch of NigComSat-2A and NigComSat-2B by 2028 and 2029 respectively, to avoid a repeat of the technical fault that led to the failure of NigComSat-1, Nigeria’s first satellite that was launched into space in 2007.

Nigeria already has a foundation in space technology through the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) and its satellites. To play more actively in that space, it must invest in local capacity, foster regional collaboration, and commercialise space applications that directly benefit its economy and citizens. This approach will transform Nigeria from a consumer of space-derived products into a producer and innovator in the global space technology sector.

Moniepoint, a leading digital financial services provider has announced the opening of applications for the 2026 edition of its Women in Tech internship programme, which is now in its sixth year. Launched under the theme, There is Space for You, this year’s campaign is a direct invitation to women across Nigeria who have the talent, the drive, and the ambition but access has been a challenge.

Moniepoint’s Women in Tech programme has spent five years working to close the gap and facilitate access for women.
Building on the success of last year’s “Dream 15” cohort, the programme’s largest intake to date, the 2026 edition continues to scale, offering an expanded number of roles across some of the most sought-after disciplines in the industry which include: Cloud Engineering, Frontend and Backend Engineering, Data Engineering,, Systems Administration, Product Management, Information Security, Mobile Engineering, Site Reliability Engineering. These roles represent the technical foundations on which the future of digital finance in Africa is being built, and Moniepoint wants women at the centre of that work.

Successful applicants will receive a competitive salary, work tools, branded merchandise, and direct mentorship from experienced practitioners across the business. As with previous cohorts, participants who demonstrate strong performance will be considered for full-time employment, a pathway that has already transformed the careers of women from the programme’s earliest editions.

The human evidence of that transformation is what anchors this year’s campaign. With over 8,000 applications received last year, and 15 interns selected, young women like Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna, Adaeze Ugwumba, Iyinoluwa Akenroye, Loveth Abang, and Bisola Abimbola joined the programme as interns and have since become what Moniepoint calls “DreamMakers”, full-time employees who are building technical systems, leading projects, and shaping the company’s product from the inside..
A common critique of internships is that they lack substance. Bisola Abimbola’s experience at Moniepoint was the opposite; she was treated as a peer from day one.

“I can confidently say the internship was one of the best things that’s happened in my career. I was given real product ownership, working on multiple projects and driving them forward like an actual product manager, not just observing from the sidelines. Projects were thrown at me with an implicit question: ‘Can you handle this?’ I had to step up, own the outcomes, and actually deliver. That experience made me comfortable with the autonomy and accountability I now have. This hands-on experience made all the difference and solidified my resolve that this is exactly where I’m meant to be.”

Chinaza Nduka-Dike, Head, People Operations at Moniepoint, expressed the company’s continued commitment to the initiative. “With the Women in Tech programme, we are not just inspiring inclusion, we are actively creating sustainable pathways for women to thrive in the tech industry. This is a space where diversity fuels innovation, and through programmes like this, we are empowering women to take on leadership roles, develop crucial skills, and shape the future of technology. The progress we have seen across five cohorts, where alumni have gone on to make significant contributions to the company and the wider tech ecosystem, fills us with pride. There is space for the next generation, and we are ready for them.”

The launch of the 2026 campaign arrives at the close of Women’s Month, and forms part of Moniepoint’s broader commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality. These initiatives reflect a consistent institutional conviction: that empowering women is not a check box or tokenistic gesture, but an ongoing responsibility that demands sustained investment across access, skills, and belonging.

Applications open March 30, 2026. The programme is open to women across Nigeria who are looking to begin or pivot their careers in technology, whether self-taught or formally trained.

Huawei has provided digital connectivity to 170 million people in remote areas across more than 80 countries, surpassing its pledge to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition.

The announcement was made by Yang Chaobin, CEO of Huawei ICT BG, at the company’s TECH Cares Forum in Barcelona. He noted that this achievement exceeds the commitment Huawei made when joining the ITU P2C Digital Coalition in 2022: to connect 120 million people in remote areas by 2025. Yang extended his gratitude to Huawei’s telecom customers and partners for their collaborative efforts.

The forum brought together around 80 guests from governments, industries, partner organizations, and international bodies. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on the urgent need to advance digital inclusion in the AI era, exploring practical solutions and building consensus for multi-stakeholder collaboration.

In his opening speech, Yang pointed out that despite rapid AI advancements, the digital divide persists and risks widening further. “High-speed digital networks and robust computing capabilities are essential foundations for an inclusive and sustainable AI era,” he said. The fulfillment of the ITU P2C pledge, he added, reflects Huawei’s ongoing commitment to innovation — bringing remote communities improved access to healthcare, education, and financial services through digital connectivity.

Cosmas Zavazava, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, commended Huawei’s achievements and work to bridge the digital divide. “Connecting the rural and underserved communities requires innovative business models, inclusivity and the effective use of communication resources as well as community engagement, and sustained investment in local capacity. I applaud Huawei’s commitment to universal and meaningful connectivity and I am proud of our strong and successful partnership.”

According to Jeff Wang, President of Huawei Public Affairs and Communications, digital inclusion rests on two pillars: inclusive connectivity and digital skills empowerment. To address the digital skills gap, Huawei partners with governments and organizations to support students, youth, the elderly, and women through three initiatives: expanding digital access, offering digital skills training, and developing STEM curricula.

Since its launch in 2019, Huawei’s Skills on Wheels program has brought mobile digital training to over 130,000 people in 21 countries, opening new opportunities for underserved communities.

Marina Madale, Executive of Sustainability and Shared Value at MTN Group, asserts that connectivity is not a privilege, it is foundational infrastructure for Africa’s growth. In alignment with Jeff Wang, she noted that MTN is prioritizing expanding rural connectivity, driving device affordability and building digital and AI-ready skills.

In rural network innovation, Huawei has continuously upgraded its Rural Series solutions since 2017 to improve affordability and deployment efficiency. Launched in November 2025, Huawei RuralCow extends coverage to villages of around 1,500 residents with the support from MTN Nigeria. These solutions have helped achieve the target of connecting 170 million people while boosting local economies and enabling wider access to digital public services.

During the forum, guests shared progress from their collaboration with Huawei and expressed willingness to deepen cooperation. All participants agreed that advancing digital inclusion in the AI era requires joint efforts from governments, operators, international organizations, and enterprises.

Going forward, Huawei will continue to drive innovation in rural network technologies, deepen open collaboration, and accelerate digital skills empowerment. Through concrete actions, the company will keep contributing to a more equitable and sustainable digital world.

Cyber adversaries targeting African organisations are increasingly shifting away from opportunistic attacks toward deliberate, sector-specific campaigns aimed at the continent’s most critical digital infrastructures, according to the esentry 2025 Annual Report released by esentry, a Lagos-based Africa’s leading indigenous Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP).

The report identifies healthcare, financial services and telecommunications as the primary staging grounds for high-velocity cyberattacks, reflecting a growing focus on sectors that underpin economic stability, public welfare, and digital connectivity across Africa.

The findings are drawn from one of the largest cybersecurity datasets analysed in the region. Over the course of 2025, esentry processed more than 31 billion security events, generating 3.5 million alerts and successfully blocking over 15,000 malicious attempts. This monitoring scale shows that, while traditional financial institutions remain a core target, the threat landscape has expanded to include digital lending platforms, healthcare systems that store sensitive personal data, and telecom operators responsible for national and regional connectivity.

Within the healthcare sector, the report highlights ransomware as the most acute risk, with attackers frequently exploiting exposed Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) services to compromise patient data and disrupt essential medical operations. In financial services, organisations are facing a surge in credential abuse, insider-related threats, and info-stealer malware designed to enable fraud and unauthorised access. Telecommunications providers are increasingly targeted by highly tailored phishing campaigns and attacks on exposed web services, which aim to harvest credentials and compromise customer data.

Commenting on the findings, Gbolabo Awelewa, Chief ������Ƶ Officer at esentry, said the nature of cyber threats across Africa has evolved significantly. “The threats we are seeing today are deliberate, informed, and carefully tailored to local enterprises. Attackers are exploiting trusted access and moving quietly within networks, which makes early detection critical. Our coordinated cybersecurity model, spanning Defence, Intelligence, Offence, and Security Engineering, allows us to combine scale, speed, and deep contextual insight to detect and neutralise threats before they escalate,” Awelewa said.
A defining trend identified in the report is the shift from overt system exploitation to the abuse of legitimate access. By leveraging compromised credentials and ‘living-off-the-land’ techniques, attackers can blend into routine enterprise operations and significantly delay detection. This approach has compressed the attack lifecycle, enabling adversaries to move from initial access to full operational impact in fewer than 15 days.

To counter this acceleration, the report emphasises the importance of early detection and automated response. esentry says it currently contains low-complexity incidents in under 90 seconds, using a combination of structured threat hunting and centralised telemetry to anticipate and absorb attacker pressure rather than reacting after damage has occurred.
As African organisations continue to digitise, the esentry 2025 Annual Report positions itself as a critical reference point for understanding the continent’s evolving cyber threat environment. The report concludes that protecting Africa’s digital trust will require a shift away from fragmented security tools toward disciplined, coordinated defence frameworks, what esentry describes as a unified Phalanx formation.

Africa’s foremost serial digital entrepreneur and Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, who turned 70 years on February 22, 2026, had the opportunity and the frontal chest to play actively in the political space, but chose to remain in the technology space, where he has impacted startups, tech companies and the Nigerian economy, writes Emma Okonji

From the moment he returned to Nigeria from the United Kingdom to establish Zinox Technologies, to the eventual launch of Zinox Computers in October 2001, Leo Stan Ekeh unleashed the entrepreneurial spirit in him to impact lives because he believed so much in Nigeria and the opportunities it presents.

His dream at that time was to propagate ‘digital democracy’ in a country that was wholly analogue. Today his impact has paid off, having contributed immensely to the growth of digital transformation in Nigeria. 

Little wonder did President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, described Ekeh as “one of Nigeria’s pioneering innovators in the information technology sector.”

In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the President recalled the launch of Zinox range of indigenous computer products and accessories in 2001, and described the event as “a groundbreaking moment for indigenous technology production.”

President Tinubu said this while celebrating Leo Stan Ekeh on his 70^th birthday anniversary.

He acknowledged Ekeh’s contributions to the growth of the nation’s manufacturing and information technology ecosystem and commended him for being a pace-setter and dynamic industrialist.

Launch of Zinox Computers

Leo Stan Ekeh launched Zinox computers in 2001, and it became Nigeria’s first indigenous computer with the Naira sign.

Launched by the then Nigeria’s Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, it became the country’s first internationally certified branded computers that came complete with the Naira sign on its keyboard.

At its launch, the computer was totally and wholly made to match the Nigerian environment considering the state of the infrastructure, climate and purchasing power of the average citizen.

It was launched at a time when foreign computers like HP, Toshiba, IBM, Dell, among others, dominated the Nigerian computing space. 
Zinox Technologies, being an indigenous organization, launched Zinox computers as indigenous computers in order to give Nigeria a voice in the technology space, boost technology development in Nigeria and to rescue the country from technological backwardness at that time.

Ekeh’s passion to digitize Nigeria, further led him to establish “Computerize Nigeria Project” (CNP), an initiative that encouraged the promotion and use of computers in schools across the country while giving backing to “Train the Trainers’ project” launched at the University of Nigeria Nsukka.
The project helped in the training of teachers on the use of computers and also enabled them to transfer the knowledge to their students. Also the scheme made it possible for both teachers and students to purchase Zinox computers at affordable prices with payments spread out over a period of time.  Zinox Technologies later entered into partnership with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Afri-Hub for technology access to all federal universities and polytechnics.

Till date, Zinox Technologies is producing Zinox laptop computers, Smart Boards, Tablets, Monitors, PoS Terminals, iPower and iTec electronics/home appliances, and has recently partnered TD Africa, a technology distribution company, aimed at distributing Zinox Technologies’ solutions within Nigeria and across 43 African countries where TD Africa has established market presence.

Delivery of Smart Card Readers for Election

In 2013, Zinox Technologies won the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) contract for the procurement of 17,000 customised and configured smart card readers with a completion period of six months at the rate of N27,000 per device.

Aside from winning the contract, Zinox technologies produced and delivered all devices in record time, and saved the federal government billions of Naira that were hitherto paid to foreign vendors that would never deliver on promise, thus putting INEC in a difficult situation in delivering election results.

The smart card readers from Zinox Technologies, were deployed to polling stations during elections and were used to verify the identity cards of registered voters.

The essence was to ensure that all those who have fake identity cards are identified in all elections. Since the voter cards have biometrics, it became easy for the smart card readers to verify the identity of those who come out to vote during elections. The design was to completely stop the incidence of double voting, which often occurs during elections, and this was achieved through the quality card readers produced and delivered by Zinox Technologies.

Acquisition of Konga

As Africa’s foremost serial digital entrepreneur, Leo Stan Ekeh had a long time dream of setting up e-Commerce business in Nigeria, through the launch of BuyRight Africa.com, long before the emergence of Jumia and Konga.

In 2015, he launched Yudala, an e-Commerce company, which became Nigeria’s first true composite (online and offline) retail chain, featuring experience stores in different parts of the country.  

As a businessman with foresight, Ekeh, in February 2018, acquired Konga, with a ground plan to expand its operations into e-Commerce, an industry it pioneered in Nigeria with the launch of BuyRight Africa.com, which was then challenged by the absence of credit card and e-payment infrastructure when it was launched several years ago.

During the acquisition of Konga, the company said in a statement: “We have always had an interest in Konga and another big one you know very well but our priority was Konga first because of the integrated nature of the four quality companies in one.

“Our ambition is to up the tempo by revolutionising e-Commerce on the African continent, with Konga at the fore-front of this initiative. In addition to positioning the business on a path of profitability in the short term, our long term plans are focused around seeing Konga well established in other African markets.”

Through the acquisition of Konga, Ekeh was able to strengthen and to grow the Nigerian e-Commerce industry and he was able to create direct and indirect job opportunities for millions of Nigerian youths.   

Digital Support

Leo Stan Ekeh, through his company, the Zinox Group, has supported several initiatives that have impacted startups, individuals and the Nigerian economy.

He has mentored several startups and empowered them digitally. In one of his visits to startups in Imo State, Ekeh charged the mentees to stay focused on their track and be intentional in their commitment to keep forging ahead even when the tide seems against them; adding that “entrepreneurship anywhere in the world is tough but with patience, perseverance and commitment, they will push through the veil.”

Ekeh, an indigene of Imo State, was in Owerri, the state capital recently with other dignitaries including Vice President Kashim Shettima and many governors, politicians and captains of industry at the grand finale of the Imo at 50 Celebration, where he was honoured with the Distinguished Star of Imo State (DSI) award.

While responding to questions on the state of the economy, Ekeh commended President Tinubu for the courage to start the reforms from the day he assumed office, arguing that any delay would have shrunk the economy further and completely wiped out investors’ confidence in the Nigerian economy.

The Dogged Fighter

Despite his achievements in the Nigerian technology space, Leo Stan Ekeh was faced with many battles that would have consumed him and crumbled his businesses, but he was able to overcome all battles from all fronts because he was straightforward, God-fearing and focused on building the Nigerian digital economy.

The latest battle that vindicated him was the court dismissal of several years of complaints brought against Ekeh and his companies by Mr. Joseph Benjamin, and  which a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana filed against Ekeh, his wife, his staff, Technology Distributions Ltd and Zinox Technologies Ltd.

“One intriguing aspect of this matter is that none of the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation of the nominal complainant’s numerous petitions has found merit in any of his allegations against the defendants.

“When called upon before the court to prove his said allegations, the complainant failed to turn up in court. One then wonders on what premise he wants to maintain the campaign of persecution against the defendants,” the trial judge said.

The order followed objections filed by Admas Ltd, Technology Distributions Ltd challenging the 15-count charge in number FCT/HC/CR/985/2024: the Federal Republic of Nigeria vs Leo Stan Ekeh & 12 ors contending that the matter was unconstitutional and gross abuse of judicial process, and for want of jurisdiction.  

Trial judge, Justice Akpan Okon Ebong, struck out the case by Mr. Femi Falana SAN, purporting to act on a fiat donated to him by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi SAN, against the Chairman of Zinox Technologies, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, and 12 others.

Justice Ebong in the March 20, 2025 judgment, held: “It is my conclusion based on the foregoing that this charge (No. FCT/HC/CR/985/2024, Federal Republic of Nigeria vs Leo Stan Ekeh and 12 Ors) constitutes a gross abuse of court process and is liable to dismissal. I accordingly hereby dismiss it.”

The dismissal of the case vindicated Leo Stan Ekeh and his companies of the several years of frivolous cases brought against him and his companies by Mr. Joseph Benjamin. This is one of the many battles fought and won by the dogged fighter, Leo Stan Ekeh who turned 70 years on February 22, 2026.  

Lagride has deployed a new set of brand new vehicles under its Drive To Own programme, marking a significant milestone in its plan to expand structured pathways from professional driving to long-term vehicle ownership for captains.

Drive To Own is a performance-led initiative designed to reward captains who consistently meet measurable standards, including service quality, safety, compliance, ride completion, customer feedback, and overall operational discipline on the platform. The programme is backed by a $100 million facility from United Bank for Africa (UBA), supporting Lagride’s plan to scale responsibly with strong governance and clear accountability, with a target of deploying 3,500 vehicles as the programme expands.

Lagride’s Drive To Own $100 million partnership with UBA was launched in December by Chairman of Lagride, Chief Diana Chen, and the, Group Managing Director and CEO of UBA, Oliver Alawuba. The programme is already delivering tangible outcomes as the rollout progresses brand new Lagride vehicles getting deployed at the event.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director, Lagride, Mildred Ekanem, said the deployment would reflect Lagride’s commitment to building sustainable livelihoods while improving service standards for customers across Lagos.

“Drive To Own is built on structure and measurable performance,” Ekanem said. “This deployment is proof that when captains commit to a standard, the platform will commit to them in return. With UBA as a key partner and a strong financial backbone behind the programme, we are building a credible ownership engine that strengthens service quality and expands opportunity for captains over time. Our ambition is clear: scale responsibly and reach a deployment target of 3,500 vehicles as the programme grows.”

Ekanem added that the programme’s approach is driven by verifiable performance records generated through Lagride’s rental framework, which provides consistency and accountability for both the platform and its financial partners.

“Access to finance at this scale requires trust and data,” she said. “The rental period created a disciplined operating framework that produced the performance history needed for this model to be supported with confidence.”

UBA described the partnership as a practical example of enterprise finance enabling asset ownership through responsible, trackable performance.

Head of ������Ƶ Banking, UBA, Babatunde Ajayi, said: “UBA is proud to partner with Lagride on Drive To Own because it is a structured model with clear accountability. The $100m facility backing this programme reflects our confidence in a framework that combines performance data, governance, and a pathway to asset ownership. This programme reflects what banking should be in the modern African economy: practical, inclusive, responsible, and forward-looking. It shows that when institutions trust people, and people honour that trust, progress becomes inevitable. This is how finance should work, enabling real enterprise, supporting livelihoods, and scaling opportunity responsibly.”

One of the beneficiaries, Aminu Ganna, a Lagride Captain described the moment as a turning point for captains committed to building stable futures through the platform.

“This is bigger than receiving a car. It is proof that the work we do every day can lead to ownership,” Aminu Ganna said. “Drive To Own gives captains hope and a clear path forward. For those of us who take the standards seriously, this is the opportunity we have been waiting for.”

The ‘Drive To Own’ deployment event brought together Lagride captains, UBA representatives, and members of the media, and featured programme remarks, the official deployment moment, and a media briefing outlining the standards and expectations that underpin Drive To Own.

Lagride reiterated that ‘Drive To Own’ would remain strictly performance-led, with continued eligibility dependent on professionalism, safety, compliance, vehicle care, and reliability.

United International Pictures (UIP) has appointed Nile Entertainment as its official theatrical distribution partner for the Anglophone West Africa region, including key markets such as Nigeria and Ghana.
The appointment strengthens UIP’s regional presence and supports ongoing investment in the continent’s evolving cinema landscape.

Effective 27 February 2026, Nile Entertainment will oversee the theatrical release of titles from Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures across the region.

UIP and Nile also acknowledge the contribution of Silverbird Film Distribution, which has supported UIP titles across the region for more than eight years and played a meaningful role in shaping the modern theatrical ecosystem in West Africa.

West Africa continues to stand out as one of the world’s most dynamic and quickly expanding theatrical markets. Exhibitors across Nigeria and Ghana are investing in modern infrastructure, premium large formats, and audience-centric experiences — signaling a period of renewed momentum for cinema in the region.

The UIP slate for 2026 and beyond features a strong pipeline of global releases from Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures, spanning action, comedy, animation, family, thriller, and franchise event cinema. This diverse slate is expected to further energise admissions and accelerate box-office growth across West Africa.

Group CEO, The Nile Group, Moses Babatope, said: “This appointment is deeply humbling for all of us at Nile. UIP represents two of the most iconic studios in global cinema, and being entrusted with their titles in West Africa is a privilege we take seriously. Our commitment is simple: to serve audiences, support our exhibitor partners, and help grow the region’s theatrical market sustainably and collaboratively. We look forward to bringing an exciting slate of Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures releases to cinemas across West Africa in the year ahead.”

Managing Director, UIP South Africa, Cameron Hogg, said: “West Africa continues to grow as one of the most dynamic theatrical markets in the world. With audiences expanding, cinema infrastructure evolving, and exhibitors investing in premium experiences, the region is entering an exciting new chapter. We look forward to working closely with Nile as we bring a strong lineup of Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures releases to audiences across Nigeria, Ghana and the wider Anglophone West African market.”

UIP is the international theatrical distribution joint venture between Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. Through its global network of offices and strategic partners, UIP manages the release of the studios’ films in multiple territories outside the United States.

Nile Entertainment is the theatrical distribution arm of The Nile Group, operating across Anglophone West Africa. The company partners with global and local studios as well as exhibitors to deliver disciplined, data–driven releases supported by locally intelligent marketing strategies.

Emma Okonji

Determined to offer Nigerians the best quality in consumer electronics products, with 99.9 per cent quality assurance, MyHomeEtal Limited has launched Microdia consumer electronics products in Nigeria.
The launch, which held in Lagos, is sequel to the official appointment of MyHomeEtal Limited as the official distributor of Microdia consumer electronics products in Nigeria, a development that marked a major milestone in expanding access to premium and safety-focused consumer technology across the country.

The landmark partnership between Microdia, a US-based company and MyHomeEtal Limited, a fast-growing Nigerian technology and commerce company, was formally signed in late 2025.
Microdia, the globally respected consumer electronics brand founded in 1991 in San Jose, California, brings more than three decades of innovation and uncompromising quality to the Nigerian market through the collaboration.

Speaking at the launch, Managing Director, MyHomeEtal, Kola Ajao, said the partnership would represent Microdia’s official entry into Nigeria, which lays the foundation for future expansion across Africa, adding that the values of Microdia aligns closely with the mission of MyHomeEtal in delivering reliable, world-class products to Nigerian consumers.

Some of the products displayed during the launch, were Microdia’s full range of high-performance mobile accessories, including fast chargers, durable cables, power banks, protective cases, and advanced storage solutions—engineered to support Nigeria’s rapidly growing digital lifestyle.

Among the flagship innovations introduced, is the Smart AI Charging Technology, an intelligent system that dynamically regulates voltage and current in real time according to a device’s battery condition. Also featured is SmartGuard Temperature Safeguard Technology, built into Microdia charge-and-sync cables. By continuously monitoring operating temperatures, SmartGuard actively prevents overheating during charging and data transfer—protecting both cables and connected devices. This is particularly valuable in Nigeria’s warm climate and high-usage environments.

Microdia further distinguishes itself through a portfolio of world-first and record-setting products that will soon reach Nigerian consumers through MyHomeEtal. These include the SMARTCube Nano 100W GaN Wall Charger, recognised as one of the world’s smallest multi-port chargers; the Intel-certified Thunderbolt 5 cable in a two-meter length, offering ultra-fast data speeds and full power delivery; and the Qi2.2 25W Magnetic Wireless Power Bank featuring next-generation solid-state battery cells and PD65W output, delivering faster wireless charging, enhanced safety, higher energy density, and longer life cycles in a slim, travel-ready design.

For Nigerian and African consumers, the collaboration delivers clear benefits:
Access to globally leading innovations previously unavailable in the local market;
Support for a more competitive, quality-driven consumer electronics ecosystem; and Longer-lasting devices and reduced long-term ownership costs.

President/CEO of Microdia, Louis Leung, said: “We are deeply honored to partner with MyHomeEtal, a well-established company that shares Microdia’s unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and customer trust. The collaboration represents a significant step forward for Nigeria’s consumer electronics market. By introducing our proprietary technologies and world-leading products, we aim to elevate standards, empower consumers with safer and more reliable solutions across Nigeria and the wider African continent.”

CEO of MyHomeEtal, Olawale Odu, said: “It is a privilege to join forces with Microdia, a brand whose dedication to excellence and consumer well-being perfectly aligns with our own vision. Together, we are excited to bring premium, genuinely innovative products to Nigerian consumers and help strengthen the local market by offering greater choice, higher quality, and long-term value to individuals, families, and businesses nationwide.”

Emma Okonji

QNET, a global lifestyle and wellness direct selling company, has stressed the need to boost entrepreneurship skills, consumer protection and product innovation as key pillars that will enhance customer experience in 2026.

QNET gave the assurance yesterday during a webinar organised for media practitioners.

Deputy Regional General Manager, QNET Sub-saharan Africa, Mr. Cheriff Abdoulaye Sarr, said QNET would focus on innovation, strategic partnerships, and also responsible entrepreneurship in 2026.

“In 2026, QNET remains committed to openness, collaboration and ongoing dialogue because we know that narratives are shaped not just by what we do, but by how well what we do, to the understanding of the general population. With media collaboration, we were able to address issues around misconceptions in our business and we have been able to strengthen public understanding of our business. None of this progress would have been possible without media partnership and support, and we are sincerely grateful for that,” Sarr said.

General Manager, QNET Nigeria, Mr. Ayokunmi Solesi, assured customers of continued quality products from QNET. According to him, the company has shifted the conversation from controversy to contribution, and has moved from misunderstanding to clarity, and it has also moved away from noise to facts, but the company still needs to do better because the public has to struggle with understanding the difference between a Ponzi scheme and what direct selling is.

“Through top leadership interviews and open engagement, we’ve elevated our conversations around four things: ethical entrepreneurship, regulation, consumer protection, and the relevance of direct selling in Africa’s economy,” Solesi said.
He added: “Trust is built through consistency, and consistency requires engagement. So, our focus in 2026 will be based on three pillars. The first one would be entrepreneurship. For us at QNET, we believe ethical direct selling creates economic opportunity, especially in markets where traditional employment is quite limited, like Nigeria. But we also believe that when it is done transparently and responsibly, it empowers the individual to build skills, create micro enterprises, and participate meaningfully in the economy. For us, that belief remains really strong.

“The second pillar is the compliance and consumer protection. QNET operates within regulatory framework and we have zero tolerance for brand misuse, fake job offers, or fraudulent activities. So, we’ll continue to collaborate with regulators like we did last year. We’ll collaborate with law enforcement agencies and the media also to protect consumers and also protect our brand so that people do not keep misunderstanding what we stand for.

“The third pillar is about product innovation. Wellness is no longer an option and consumers are more informed, more conscious, and we remain committed to science-backed, high-quality wellness products that address real everyday needs.”
Addressing issues around compliance and consumer protection, Kwasi Danso, from Legal Department at QNET, said compliance remained key for the QNET team.

According to him, QNET has compliance arm with compliance officers that go around and audit distributors to ensure that they are also compliant.

“Aside the legal compliance and tax remittance, we have been consistently taking action against any individual who has registered with the business and has carried out anything in violation of our policies. Again, as part of our compliance drive, we are collaborating strongly with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and with the police in Nigeria, to curb any form of fraudulent activities in our line of business.

“We have consumer protection highlighted in our policy and we have the network integrity department that handles consumer protection, to ensure that all consumers and our products are well protected,” Danso said.

Emma Okonji

Corporate Artificial Intelligence investment is growing significantly and will not pull back, with African companies planning to double their spending on the technology in 2026, accounting for about 1.7 per cent of revenues and more than twice the increase for 2025, a recent report released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has said.

According to the report, CEOs in Africa are rolling up their sleeves and taking the lead as their companies’ main AI decision makers, with trailblasing chief executives now spending more than eight hours per week on their own AI upskilling and investing twice as much as their counterparts in upskilling and capability-building across their organisations.

According to some of the report findings, CEOs are now driving AI strategy, with 72 per cent saying they are main decision makers on AI. African organisations lead in workforce readiness, with 55 per cent of the workforce already upskilled in AI – the highest rate globally. Africa and the Middle East see value-led transformation with 63 per cent of CEOs in the region saying they are confident AI will pay off, driven by strategic value rather than competitive pressure.

Analysing the report, BCG’s CEO and co-author of the report, Christopher Schweizer, said: “Despite economic uncertainty, the anticipated surge in spending reflects how much of a priority AI has become in the business world. AI is no longer confined to IT or innovation teams. It’s reshaping strategy and operations from the top down with CEOs taking a leading role. Nearly three-quarters of CEOs say they are now the main decision makers on AI, and half believe their jobs depend on it.”

Global Leader of BCG X and co-author of the report, Sylvain Duranton, said: “The true competitive advantage lies with those CEOs who will reshape functions end-to-end and invent new products and services that drive growth,”

The third annual report of the state of global AI landscape from BCG, themed: ‘ is based on a survey of 2,360 executives across 16 African markets, including Morocco and South Africa, and nine industries, including 640 CEOs.

The intensity of AI investment in Africa is significant with 59 per cent of African companies planning to spend more than $50 million on AI in 2026. This capital is being directed toward high-impact areas such as agentic AI and massive workforce transformation. Currently, African organisations lead in workforce readiness, with 55 pe cent of the workforce already upskilled in AI (the highest rate globally), supported by an allocation of 46 per cent of the total AI budget toward ongoing retraining and capability building, the report said.

It added that in Africa, the narrative has shifted from exploration to large-scale execution. Organisations across the continent are leveraging AI to leapfrog traditional infrastructure challenges, with the Middle East and Africa region now accounting for some of the most aggressive AI budget allocations globally. African leaders are moving with a ‘value-first’ mindset, viewing AI as a primary engine for regional economic growth.

“In doubling their investment this year, companies globally are drawing from budgets beyond the tech pool and CEOs have committed more than 30 per cent of their organisations’ AI investments on agentic AI. Ninety-four per cent of chief executives say they will continue investing in AI at current or higher levels even if the investments do not pay off in the next year,” the report further said.

The report confirms that across Africa, AI has shifted from a distant ambition to an urgent business priority, highlighting that African CEOs are not simply adopting technology rather they are becoming its architects. By committing significant capital to agentic AI and large-scale workforce retraining, leaders are ensuring that global innovations are adapted to solve uniquely local challenges, from driving financial inclusion to boosting industrial efficiency.

The value-led approach is positioning Africa as a global frontrunner in AI, transforming conviction into a long-term competitive advantage that will redefine the continent’s role in the digital economy.

NCC to Review Licences of EutelSat, IntelSat, NigComSat, Five Others in 2026 

Emma Okonji

Following the recent space landing permit granted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to Amazon-owned Project Kuiper and BeetleSat-1 from Isreal to operate and provide space-based satellite communication services in Nigeria, with effect from February 28, 2026 for a period of seven years, the commission will be reviewing eight exiting space satellite licences that will expire this year.

Among the eight satellite licences due for review this year, seven are owned by international satellite operators, while only one of the licences is owned by a Nigerian company called NICOMSAT, which operates NiComSat-1R.

According to the information, which ������Ƶ obtained from the official website of NCC, the licences granted to seven international satellite internet operators in Nigeria, including the licence granted to NigComSat-1R, will expire this year, subject to renewal.

The international satellite operators include: EutelSat, IntelSat, Thuraya, Omnispace-2, O3b Block 2, Telstar, and Blue Walker 3, while NigComSat-1R is a Nigerian satellite communications company.

EutelSat 16A from France was issued Ku-Band licence to provide satellite internet service in Nigeria for a period of six years from October 2020 to December 2026. IntelSat from United States of America (USA) was issued Ku-Band licence to operate in Nigeria for a period of seven years from June 2019 to September 2026. IntelSat was also issued C-Band to operate in Nigeria for a period of seven years from September 2019 to December 2026.  Thuraya from United Arab Emirates (UAE) was issued L-Band licence for a period of four years from February 2022 to December 2022. O3b Block2 from the United Kingdom (UK) was issued Ka-Band licence to operate in Nigeria for a period of six years from October 2020 to December 2026. Omnispace-2 from Papua New Guinea was issued S-Band licence to operate in Nigeria for a period of four years from May 2022 to June 2026. At the time of issuance of the landing permit, Omnispace LLC has not launched any satellite into its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation 1, but the NCC approved landing permit for a complete Omnispace LEO Constellation 1 of 144 satellites on basis that Omnispace will be reporting their constellation deployments twice every year on January 7 and July 7 and the duration of the satellite will be based on future satellite deployments into the constellation.

NigComSat-1R from Nigeria was issued Ku, Ka and L Bands to operate satellite communication services in Nigeria for a period of three years from 2023 to December 2026. 

Telstar from United States of America (USA) was issued Ku-Band licence to operate in Nigeria from May 2022 to February 2024. Although its operational licence expired since 2024, the NCC has placed the licence alongside others that will be reviewed this year. Blue Walker-3 from USA was issued Q/V and 3GPP Bands licence to operate in Nigeria for a period of three years from June 2021 to June 2024. The Blue Walker-3 licence expired in 2024, but NCC also placed it under review alongside others that are due for review this year.

������Ƶ learnt that all eight licences would expire this year and they have been penciled down for review by the NCC.  

However, Starlink Satellite, which is managed by SpaceX, and owned by billionaire entrepreneur, Elon Musk, has been dominating the space technology in Nigeria, providing fast satellite internet services to several organisations, government agencies and individuals in Nigeria. NCC granted Starlink the licence to operate Ka and Ku-Bands in Nigeria since 2021 for a period of seven years. The licence expires in 2028 and it’s subject to renewal after review.

NCC authorised Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) Satellite Constellation for its full constellation of 4408 satellites and issued it a landing permit for a period of seven years. Starlink will continue to beam its satellite signals over Nigerian space territory till December 2028, but will definitely face strong market competition from Amazon’s Project Kuiper, and BeetleSat-1, when they begin operations in Nigeria next month.             

Emma Okonji

Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria has called on the federal government to pause the implementation of Nigeria’s newly enacted tax reform laws, scheduled to commence on January 1, 2026, until critical governance, transparency, and public trust concerns are addressed.

According EiE Nigeria, Public trust in Nigeria’s tax system remains fragile, shaped by long-standing concerns about transparency, accountability, and the use of public funds.

Deputy Executive Director, Programs, EiE) Nigeria, Ufuoma Nnamdi-Udeh, said: “Proceeding with implementation without resolving these issues risks delegitimising the reforms at inception, weakening voluntary compliance, increasing public resistance and litigation, and further eroding confidence in public institutions.

“Tax reform cannot succeed on speed and enforcement alone. Without transparency, legal certainty, and public understanding, these reforms risk failing at inception by eroding the trust that compliance depends on.

“Accordingly, the organisation has outlined the following governance safeguards as preconditions for implementation: The exact versions of the tax bills passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President must be made publicly available. Where discrepancies exist between passed bills and gazetted Acts, these must be fully disclosed and lawfully corrected. It also outlined that an in independent investigation should be conducted to establish responsibility for any unlawful alterations to the tax laws after legislative passage, and safeguards should be put in place to prevent recurrence; and that the MoU between FIRS and the French Government should be proactively disclosed to the public, in line with transparency and data protection best practices, among others.”

Emma Okonji

Nigeria’s active subscribers for data internet services reached a total of 142,631, 825 as at October 2025, up from 140,949,570 recorded in September 2025, statistics on internet subscribers released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has revealed.  

Although the 142,631,825 number cuts across each of the licensed service providers’ platform utilising the different technologies, such as Mobile GSM, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). Fixed Wired, Wired/Wireless and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), the Mobile GSM technology has the highest number of active internet subscribers of 142,004,662 connected to it, making it the highest subscribed technology for internet connectivity in Nigeria.

Of the connected internet subscribers via Mobile GSM devices, MTN alone has 78,149,569 subscribers connected to its network, Airtel has 49,270,318, Globacom has 13,829,813 connected subscribers, while T2 has 754,962 connected subscribers as at October 2025.

According to the statistics, as at January 2025, the total number of internet subscriber data across all the different technologies, was 142,161,409, with Mobile GSM technology leading with 141,655,587 internet subscribers.

In February 2025, the total number of internet subscriber data across all the different technologies, was 141,250,113, with Mobile GSM technology leading with 140,741,377 internet subscribers.

In March 2025, the total number of internet subscriber data across all the different technologies, was 142,053,537, with Mobile GSM technology leading with 141,541,831 internet subscribers.

In April 2025, the total number of internet subscriber data across all the different technologies, was 141,985,207, with Mobile GSM technology leading with 141,471,371 internet subscribers.

In May 2025, the total number of internet subscriber data across all the different technologies, was 141,567,170, with Mobile GSM technology leading with 141,051,051 internet subscribers.

In June 2025, the total number of internet subscriber data across all the different technologies, was 141,171,679, with Mobile GSM technology leading with 140,643,046 internet subscribers.

In July 2025, the total number of internet subscriber data across all the different technologies, was 138,749,365, with Mobile GSM technology leading with 138,220,051 internet subscribers.

In August 2025, the total number of internet subscriber data across all the different technologies, was 140,328,196, with Mobile GSM technology leading with 139,789,283 internet subscribers.

In September 2025, the total number of internet subscriber data across all the different technologies, was 140,949,570 with Mobile GSM technology leading with 140,358,821 internet subscribers.

In October 2025, the total number of internet subscriber data across all the different technologies, was 142,631,825 with Mobile GSM technology leading with 142,004,662 internet subscribers.

Analysing the growth in internet subscriber statistics, Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, who is also the spokesperson for all telecoms operators in Nigeria, said Nigeria would experience further growth in internet subscriber number in subsequent months, following the investments on fibre carried out by telecoms operators in the last few months. “By the time NCC releases another industry statistics in November and December this year, the figures will definitely appreciate, following recent investment on fibre cables and network expansion carried out by telecoms operators.” Adebayo said.

Emma Okonji narrates how the Nigeria Computer Society recognised and celebrated the drivers of Nigeria’s digital economy, at the weekend in Lagos

NCS, at the weekend in Lagos, through its flagship programme, ‘National Information Technology Merit Awards (NITMA), celebrated brilliance, creativity and innovation among select Nigerians that have contributed to the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
The awardees cut across different sectors of the Nigerian economy, including individuals that are outstanding in shaping Nigeria’s digital economy. They were awarded in different categories, which include: Professional Fellowship Award, Honorary Fellowship Award, Digital Governor of the Year, IT Gold Medal Award, Youth Innovation Award, IT Company of the Year Award, Tech Mentor of the Year Award, Cybersecurity Advocate of the Year Award, NGO with Immense Contribution Award, among others.

Speaking during his opening remarks, NCS President, Dr. Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu, said each of the awardees represented the core values of NCS—Excellence, Integrity, Innovation and Impact, adding that NCS will continue to collaborate to advance IT knowledge, uplift one another and create a digital world for all.
Chairman of NITMA 2025 Award ceremony, Alhaji Ladi Oguneye, who commended the awardees, said they could not be winner if they were not very determined, disciplined, and resolute in driving technology development in the country.
“The awardees and winners, both individuals and corporate, I congratulate you. May your road continue to be positively rough to bring out the best in you,” Oguneye said.

Digital Transformation

Speaking about digital transformation in Nigeria, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Isaac Olaseinde, declared NCS as an outstanding association that has been at the heart of Nigeria’s digital transformation journey for decades, through is advocacy.

“Through the recognition, NCS is strengthening our digital economy, building talent, expanding infrastructure, enabling innovation, and advancing technology for national development. The recognition, as a motivation, will continue to drive policies and programmes of government that will enable the Nigerian tech community to thrive from workforce development to entrepreneurship, technology transfer, and global competitiveness. I thank the National Executive Council and the entire membership of the Nigeria Computer Society, and I remain committed to partnering with NCS to build a more inclusive, resilient, and prosperous digital future for Nigeria,” the minister said.

President/Chairman-in-Council, Computer Professionals (Registration Council) of Nigeria (CPN), Dr. Eyo Effiong Essien, said: “The award event is not merely a celebration of individual and corporate achievements, but a vital catalyst that inspires quality, professionalism, and healthy competition necessary for the sustainable growth of our digital economy. The sustained success of NITMA underscores the critical leadership NCS provides in fostering an environment where innovation is not just encouraged but formally rewarded.”

“We recognise that the Information Technology (IT) sector has become the backbone of Nigeria’s economic diversification and social transformation agenda, from enhancing financial inclusion and modernising public service delivery to driving youth empowerment through digital skills. As CPN, our mandate is to ensure that all practitioners operate within their requisite competence and ethical standards. We are focused on continuous collaboration with NCS to harmonise industry-based practices, promote continuous professional development, and ensure that our registered members are equipped with the skills needed to tackle contemporary global challenges, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and indigenous software development,” Essien further said.

ICT as Driver of State’s IGR

Giving details how Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is enhancing internally generated revenue (IGR) for states, one of the awardees, the Executive Governor of Borno State, Prof. BabaganaUmara Zulum, who emerged as the ‘Digital Governor of the Year’, said ICT had remained the main driver of IGR for the state.

The governor, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, Borno State Information and Communications Technology Development Agency, Mohammed Kabiru, said: “In revenue system, we have deployed automated platforms that have strengthened our internally generated revenue, eliminating leakages, improved taxpayer compliance, and enhanced financial accountability across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) of government. Our digital revenue architecture has become a model of transparency-driven governance.”

Speaking about other ICT-enabled development in the state, the governor said the state government established 22 digital literacy centres with state-of-the-art equipment, and powered by solar with seamless internet facilities in some of the local government areas of the state.

According to him, over 10,000 persons benefited from the capacity building in digital literacy and other digital courses conducted by Borno State Information and Communications Technology Development Agency, in partnership with National Information Technology Development Agency NITDA.

“In the health sector, we digitised hospital operations, strengthened data-driven disease surveillance, improved patient records management, enhanced pharmaceutical tracking, and introduced telemedicine capabilities in selected local government areas. These interventions are improving efficiency and delivering faster, more reliable health care services to our people,” the governor said, adding that in education sector, the state implemented a digital classroom, smart learning tools, ICT training for teachers and students.

Awardees

Aside the conferment of professional fellowship awards, other category awards were giving to deserving Nigerians that played key roles in Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum won the Digital Governor of the Year award, while the Chairman, African Union Cybersecurity Expert Group (AU-CSEG), Mr. Abdul-Hakeem Ajijola, emerged the IT Personality of the Year award.

The Cybersecurity Advocate of the Year award was won by the CEO, Cyesec Technologies Limited, Dr. Emmanuel ObonghaOkoi, while the Tech Mentor of the Year award was won by IT Professional, Mr. Olanrewaju James Olukotun for mentoring hundreds of underprivileged youth in software development at Rework Academy.

The IT Company of the Year award was won by Arit of Africa, a Technology Service Provider in sub-Saharan Africa since 1971, while the Youth Innovator of the Year was won by the Founder, Young Innovators of Nigeria (YIN), Mr. Andrew Agbo Abu, who is also the Director of Information and Strategy, NCS Abuja Chapter, and a member of Computer Professionals (Registration Council) of Nigeria (CPN), among other awardees.

About NITMA

Chairman, Publicity, Events and Trade Services Committee of NCS, Shulammite Ayobami Ilebiyi, who gave insights about the NITMA Awards, said the awards have been characterised as a noble mission of encouraging individuals, institutions and organisations whose work, creativity and dedication continued to shape the future of technology in Nigeria.

“Over the years, the awards have evolved from a modest industry gathering into one of the most respected and credible honors within Nigeria’s ICT landscape. The NITMA has grown into a national symbol of achievement, honoring pioneers, visionary leaders, distinguished academics, transformative public sector champions, inspiring emerging talents and innovative organisations whose work continues to shape the digital future of our national development agenda and digital economy. NITMA represents far more than an awards ceremony. It has become a trusted benchmark of excellence. It reflects the values, aspirations and collective progress of Nigerian ICT as a whole,” Ilebiyi said.

She said the process was built on transparency, professionalism and fairness. Each honoree goes through a detailed evaluation guided by industry experts, ensuring that every recognition truly represents merit and impact.

“Technology remains a powerful enabler to national growth and the individuals we celebrate today have contributed significantly to shaping a smarter, more connected and more prosperous Nigeria.

So, I say congratulations to all awardees. On behalf of the organising committee, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to our partners, sponsors, our evaluators, media collaborators and volunteers. Your support has made the event a national movement that would continue to promote excellence in IT,” Ilebiyi further said.

Family Booster Ministry will hold this year’s Lagos Singles and Married Conference (LSMC) on Sunday, November 30 at the Basketball Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

The Conference, which is targeted at both singles and married, is themed: ‘Kingdom Marriage.’
According to the convener, Pastor Bisi Adewale, it is another time to rejuvenate relationships and marriages, stressing that some unions are on the verge of collapsing.

He noted that the economic situations in the country have equally affected marriages, where both husbands and wives are unable to meet the family needs.

Adewale however, said this year’s conference will beam search light on the sustainability of marriages and relationships, especially at this time.

He said sound doctrinal messages needed for this period would be released into the lives of participants.
He disclosed that several ministers of the gospel, including him, have been lined up to bless participants. Other expected ministers include gospel artists such as Tosin Bee; Kemi Arowojolu and Pastor Yomi Adewale, among others.

While admission is free, interested participants can register for the programme by visiting bisiadewale.com/lagosconference. There will also be free buses to convey people from different spots in Lagos to the venue.

Adewale urged participants to come with expectations of receiving directions from God on their lives.
The programme starts by 2pm while the red carpet begins by 1pm.

Nigeria’s youth mobility and transition gap remains one of the country’s persistent structural challenges.

To address the challenge, Lagride has met with the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, to present a mobility and empowerment model designed to support corps members both during their service year and immediately after passing out.
The meeting focused on structured income, real-time work opportunities, and a pathway for corps members to join Lagride and CIG while still serving.

The CIG delegation included Mr Jubril Arogundade, Acting Managing Director of Lagride and Executive Director at CIG, Brigadier General Chukwuemeka Udaya, Special Adviser to the Chairman on Government Relations and ������Ƶ Development, and Mr Ifeanyi Abraham, PR Director for Lagride and CIG.

At the meeting, Lagride proposed to onboard 5,000 corps members into its smart mobility programme. This includes a dedicated Mobility Club inside NYSC that introduces corps members to technology-enabled mobility, financial literacy, operational discipline and early transition opportunities into the Lagride and CIG workforce. This structure provides stability, earnings and a professional environment while corps members are still serving, reducing the uncertainty that typically follows the end of the service year.

The DG emphasised the importance of supporting corps members with practical opportunities during their service year, not only afterwards. He welcomed initiatives that build real skills, create earning potential and strengthen the national service experience.

For CIG, the initiative reflects the long-term commitment of its Chairman, Chief Diana Chen, to human capital development across Nigeria. Over the past decade, CIG has invested in mobility innovation, talent development and programmes that create economic mobility for young Nigerians. The partnership with NYSC aligns with this agenda and expands Lagride’s role in supporting national development.

The meeting ended with an agreement to begin a structured engagement process to refine implementation plans, rollout timelines and onboarding procedures for the first cohort of participating corps members.

When fully executed, this partnership will become one of the most impactful youth-focused mobility programmes in Nigeria, giving thousands of corps members structured income pathways, real work experience and direct access into the broader CIG and Lagride ecosystem.

Lagride said it remained committed to building opportunities that empower Nigeria’s next generation with dignity, structure and economic mobility.