General
NCC to Use Revenue Assurance Solution to Block Leakages
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is going to deploy Revenue Assurance Solution (RAS) to monitor revenue generated by its licensees in a bid to block leakages in their Annual Operating Levy (AOL).
This was disclosed by the Executive Vice-Chairman, (EVC) of the telecommunications industry regulator, Mr Umar Danbatta, on Friday in Abuja, during an interactive session with stakeholders on the deployment of RAS in the Nigerian telecommunication industry.
Speaking on the importance of RAS to the nation’s economy, Mr Danbatta said it would enable the commission to determine how much their licensees generate annually.
He explained that the technology solution would not wait for licensees to submit information to the commission before determining what they should pay as AOL.
“The financial burden of deployment will be on the operators. This project relieves the commission of the initial financial burden that will be required for the deployment of the RAS project.
“It will also ensure that accurate revenue generated by the licensed network operators are tracked, analysed and utilised for the benefit of the industry. Beyond revenue assurance, when deployed, the NCC RAS will bring a lot of solutions to the industry,” he said.
He added that the solution would include more effective and enhanced monitoring and regulation of the licensed telecommunications operators by the commission.
The EVC said the commission believed that the deployment of an appropriate revenue assurance solution would confer higher levels of integrity and fidelity on the AOL figures obtainable in the industry.
He also said the RAS would enable NCC to validate the information, records and data supplied to it by the licensees from time to time, amongst others.
“This is in addition to plugging possible loopholes and leakages in the revenue computation and collection processes. AOL is a very important tool in the regulation of the telecommunications industry. In Nigeria, the importance of AOL is well expressed in the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
“AOL can be described as the taproot of an efficient and effective telecommunications regulatory environment. The mechanisms for collection and computation of AOL, are of interest and importance to both the regulator and the operating networks,” he said.
Mr Danbatta explained that various efforts had been made towards achieving a very effective AOL administration, pursuant to the powers of the commission under Section 72 of the NCA Act 2003.
He informed that one of these key efforts include the making of the Regulations 2014, which was also currently undergoing review. According to him, some of the major objectives of the AOL Regulations, as provided in Part 1 (2) of the AOL Regulations 2014, are to:
“Create and provide a regulatory framework for the effective and efficient administration by the Commission of the Annual Operating Levy regime and all matters related thereto;
“Stipulate the mode and methods of assessment of Annual Operating Levy and the payment modes thereof; specify guiding standards and principles for the administration by the Commission of the Annual Operating Levy regime.”
The NCC boss also said that the size of the Nigerian telecommunications industry and revenue events engaged by the network operators, demands effective, accurate and technology-driven revenue assurance solution which NCC-RAS represents.
Mr Danbatta said appropriate revenue assurance systems have resulted in higher revenues and plugging of leakage and that modern revenue assurance systems had shown to be equipped with additional capacities to generate and analyse information beyond those required for revenue computation.
“The system is designed to be connected to the licensed telecommunications operators’ systems. It will have the capability of capturing and reporting in near real-time billing activities by the operators for the purposes, amongst others.
“Computing and assuring with minimal, if any, error margin, the accrued AOL payable to the NCC by the licensees,” he said. He advised Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) who might need data not to duplicate efforts but come to the NCC for it.
“This effort may be relevant to the FIRS for payment of taxes by our licensees and so there is no need for duplication of this effort by another agency of government. So the whole essence is to ensure seamless cooperation of all MDAs that require the kind of data we will be getting from this effort. Which is for the purpose of computation of other levies, operating levies,” he explained.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
On Monday, January 26, 2026, President Bola Tinubu will leave Abuja for Türkiye for a state visit aimed at “strengthening the existing cordial relations between the two countries and exploring further areas of cooperation in security, education, social development, innovation, and aviation.”
This is according to a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga.
The president’s spokesman disclosed that the visit is to reciprocate an official two-day visit of Turkish President, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to Nigeria on October 19, 2021.
Mr Tinubu, according to the statement, will be going to European nation along with other senior government officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Tuggar; the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); the Minister of Defence, Mr Christopher Musa; and the chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Mr Jimi Benson.
Others on the entourage of the president are the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Ms Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim; the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; the Minister of Culture and Creative Economy, Ms Hannatu Musawa; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr Nuhu Ribadu; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr Mohammed Mohammed.
During the visit, both countries will engage in strategic political and diplomatic discussions on shared values in finance, communication, trade and investment.
The agenda will include meetings between high-ranking officials of both nations and the signing of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in scientific research, energy, technical cooperation, media and communications, military cooperation and protocol, among others.
A business forum will bring together investors from both countries to explore areas of interest during the visit, with Mr Tinubu expected to return to Nigeria afterwards.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Over 120 malnourished children in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State have been given nutritional support, medical screening, and caregiver education.
This was made possible through an initiative known as the Project BLOOM (Bringing Life to Our Overlooked Minors) put together by the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc in partnership with the Lagos State government and the Health Emergency Initiative (HEI).
NGX Group staff volunteers worked alongside Lagos State health workers and HEI facilitators during the outreach, assisting with screenings and data recording. Structured follow-up visits are scheduled after four weeks to monitor recovery and provide extended care where necessary.
The Alimosho programme was the third under the initiative. The beneficiaries were hosted at the Lagos State Health District I.
Earlier, the initiative benefitted residents of Yaba and Ajegunle. Over 320 children and 300 caregivers were reached, with monitoring data showing that more than 50 per cent of beneficiaries in the first two phases entered recovery.
The chief executive of NGX Group, Mr Temi Popoola, linked the initiative to broader economic resilience, saying, “Sustainable capital markets are built on strong social foundations. The recovery rates we see with Project BLOOM prove that targeted, collaborative action between the public sector, civil society, and the private sector can deliver tangible impact.”
Also, the Executive Director of HEI, Achunine Pascal, said child malnutrition remains a major contributor to under-five mortality in Nigeria, adding that Project BLOOM is designed to go beyond immediate food support through structured follow-up and continued care.
On his part, the chairman of Alimosho Local Government Area, Mr Akinpelu Ibrahim Johnson, said the initiative supports the council’s long-term strategy for improving child nutrition through early detection, prevention, and effective management of malnutrition.
Representing the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health District I, Dr. Solomon Adeyanju commended NGX Group for its commitment to child health, describing Project BLOOM as a valuable complement to the state’s primary healthcare efforts.
With additional outreaches planned, the partners reaffirmed their commitment to reducing preventable child mortality while strengthening the social foundations required for sustainable economic growth.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc before a Federal High Court in Abuja over their failure to account for an alleged missing N128 billion public funds.
The group in a statement on Sunday by its Deputy Director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, said the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/143/2026, was filed last Friday following allegations contained in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s report published on September 9, 2025.
In the lawsuit, SERAP is seeking an order of mandamus compelling Mr Adelabu and NBET to account for what it described as “the missing or diverted N128bn from the Ministry of Power and NBET.”
The organisation is also asking the court to direct the defendants to disclose “details of how the missing or diverted N128bn was spent, including the dates of disbursement and the purported beneficiaries or contractors who received the money.”
SERAP further urged the court to compel the disclosure of “the full names, official designations and offices of all public officers who authorised, approved or otherwise participated in the release of the missing or diverted N128bn.”
According to the group, Nigerians have continued to suffer the consequences of corruption in the electricity sector, particularly amid recurring grid collapses and erratic power supply.
“Nigerians continue to pay the price for the widespread and grand corruption in the power sector,” the group said, adding that “there is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations,” arguing that granting the reliefs sought would help tackle systemic failures in the sector.
“Granting the reliefs sought would contribute to tackling corruption in the power sector and addressing the persistent breakdown of transmission lines in the country, as well as improving access of Nigerians to regular and uninterrupted electricity supply,” it stated.
The group further warned that corruption has deepened hardship for electricity consumers, noting that “ordinary Nigerians continue to pay the price for corruption in the electricity sector—staying in darkness, but still made to pay crazy electricity bills.”
The suit, filed by SERAP’s lawyers, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, Ms Kehinde Oyewumi and Mr Andrew Nwankwo, relied heavily on findings from the Auditor-General’s 2022 audited report, which detailed multiple alleged financial irregularities involving the Ministry of Power and NBET.
The organisation stressed that public institutions are legally bound to ensure transparency, accountability, and the abolition of corrupt practices.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
Business Post had reported earlier that Mr Adelabu claimed that the missing money happened prior to his appointment as the minister of power.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn