Nigeria, Others Break Pledge Not to Impose Internet Restrictions

By Aduragbemi Omiyale If urgent steps are not taken, Nigeria’s telecommunications industry, believed to be worth about $75.6 billion, could be at risk because of the widening skills gap. This was the submission of a renowned telecoms policy enthusiast, Mr Omobayo Azeez, at the just-concluded second edition of the Nigerian Telecommunications Indigenous Content Expo (NTICE 2023) organised in Lagos by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). In his keynote address on Bridging Skills Gap to Accelerate the Indigenous Telecoms Development, Mr Azeez argued that the rising skills gap in the country was becoming a challenge to the sector. He posited that

By Adedapo Adesanya The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) changed the numbering format for fixed lines from January 1 next year. The agency said the fixed-lines numbering format will no longer be eight digits but would be 10 digits, with the addition of the 02 prefix before the existing fixed number. This change is totally different to the existing mobile numbering format. The decision is in keeping with its responsibilities under the enabling law, the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, to manage Nigeria’s numbering resources, according to Mr Reuben Muoka, the Director of Public Affairs at the NCC, in a statement.

By Adedapo Adesanya X, formerly known as Twitter, has announced plans to introduce voice and video calls to the platform. This is the latest move by the billionaire owner, Mr Elon Musk, to turn his app into what he calls an “everything app” modelled after China’s super app, WeChat. These features, when introduced, would place X in direct competition with WhatsApp, Telegram, and other social media apps offering the same services. Making its features unique, Mr Musk said users would not need phone numbers to make calls on X. According to the Twitter owner, the features would work on different

By Adedapo Adesanya The federal government through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has opened applications for a tech startup accelerator fellowship program to empower Nigerians with innovative ideas. The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, said the preparations for the training commenced in August with a meeting of stakeholders in tech to co-create innovative ways to achieve the target. He added that the meeting was the first in a series of ecosystem engagements to ensure that the government gets the best solutions from within. The new initiative from the NITDA is part of the

By Adedapo Adesanya In line with its commitment to creating innovative and future-ready homes, Grohe has drawn from demographic research to re-design one of its bestseller products – the GROHE Eurosmart. The forward-thinking bathroom design created with extra protection was designed to serve the needs of consumers at different stages of life. The company in a statement announcing the product said, “Undoubtedly our society is changing – not only is the population constantly growing, but we are also getting increasingly older. Demographic change is challenging our entire society and forcing us to rethink – away from the previous anti-ageing mindset

By Modupe Gbadeyanka The Nigerian equity market recorded a further drop on Tuesday just like the previous day with the major market indicator falling by 1.95 percent. The all-share index lost 523.27 points or 1.95% to finish at 26,364.27 points, while the market capitalisation shed N180.1 billion to close at N9.07 trillion. Dangote Cement slumped by N8.42k at the market to lead the losers’ chart, closing at N164.1k per share while Forte Oil fell by N5.98k to close at N113.72k per share. Also, Lafarge Africa lost N2.74k to finish at N52.14k per share, Okomu Oil shed N2.30k to end at

By Modupe Gbadeyanka Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Maikanti Bari, has thrown his full weight behind on the restructuring of the NNPC. While receiving on Tuesday a delegation from the NNPC Retired Staff Association led by its President, Mr George Owarieta, in Abuja, the GMD said the ongoing reforms will place the state-owned firm on a long-term growth trajectory for the benefit of all stakeholders. According to him, the restructuring was the surest way to sustainable growth and profitability. “On restructuring of the NNPC, definitely there are benefits in the exercise both to the

By Adedapo Adesanya The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange fell by 0.64 per cent on Thursday, September 2 on the back of the negative price movements in the shares of Central Securities Clearing Systems (CSCS) Plc and Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc. Both companies had lifted the unlisted securities market at the previous day but they reversed the gains yesterday after CSCS Plc lost 80 kobo or 4.7 per cent to close the session at N17.20 per share in contrast to N18 per share it closed on Wednesday, while NGX Group Plc depreciated by 8 kobo or 0.5 per cent

By Adedapo Adesanya The African Philanthropy Forum (APF) has appointed Mr Gbenga Oyebode as its new Board Chairman. Mr Oyebode is the founder and Counsel at Aluko & Oyebode (Barristers & Solicitors), one of the largest integrated law firms in Nigeria. He is a philanthropist who is passionate about education and the arts and holds several key positions within the social sector. He is currently the chairman of Teach for All and is a trustee of the Ford Foundation. He is a member of the Board of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (NMAFA) and the Cleveland Museum of

By Modupe Gbadeyanka There are indications that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) may undertake a downward review of the pump price of petrol in its retail outlets across the country. According to ThisDay, the consistent drop in the historical price of petroleum cargoes from about $600 per metric tonne to an average of $440 per metric tonne may cause this to happen. NNPC had recently adjusted the pump price of petrol at its outlets, thus raising fears of a possible hike. The development also followed claims in August by its former Group Managing Directors that the government’s pricing modulation

By Modupe Gbadeyanka An Initial Management Quality Rating of MQ2(NG)(mq) with a Stable Outlook has been assigned to Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited by Global Credit Ratings (GCR). The rating shows the pension firm’s strong management team with robust organisational structures, adequate controls, and sound risk management practices, as well as its clear strategy and solid financial position. The chief executive of Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, Mr Olumide Oyetan, attributed the rating and success of the company to its commitment to better serve customers without compromising operational excellence. “We are a member of the Standard Bank Group, Africa’s largest banking

By Dipo Olowookere The board of Dangote Cement Plc is considering selling bonds to investors in the nation’s capital market anytime soon. However, the major reason for the delay is the right market conditions, according to a statement issued by the leading cement marker on Wednesday. Dangote Cement launched a N300 billion bond issuance programme about two years ago and last year, it offered N100 billion for sale but received subscriptions worth N155 billion. The N100 billion notes were the first tranche of the fixed-rate senior unsecured bonds maturing in April 2025, attracting the attention of a wide range of