NITDA STRENGTHENS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOOGLE WEST AFRICA

NITDA STRENGTHENS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOOGLE WEST AFRICA

In the stride to strengthen the contribution of ICT to the nation’s GDP, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has continued to engage Goggle on collaborative measures toward improving the ecosystem.

The NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, while receiving the Google West Africa Director, Juliet Ehimuan, and the Government Relations and Public Policy team, noted that the symbiotic relationship between the two organisations would enable the adequate representation of data. He said this is in line with implementing the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a digital Nigeria.

“Together, we can achieve greater results. Governmental regulations are not to stifle or be an obstacle to your business; rather, it is to enable and unlock more opportunities and protect your business and our citizens’,” he said.

Inuwa noted that government has the responsibility to protect its citizens. “Today, our lives depend mostly on this digital technology, and your business contributes to meeting this demand.”

He emphasised the need to have a safer environment because the breach would affect both parties. “If we can come together to strengthen the collaboration, we will eliminate duplication of efforts and working in silos.”

He affirmed that NITDA is currently engaging other tech innovators like Mastercard to improve the ecosystem and collaborating on Digital Literacy, Cyber Security, and some of the NITDA Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2021-2024) including Data Protection.
Inuwa lamented that the lack of adequate data misrepresented information that would have attracted more foreign investors to our country.

He said people want to associate with success; ”if nobody shares success stories, people will think nothing is happening in the ecosystem”.

“We read what you tell and show us, and it helps in our decision making because we believe in Google,” he added.

The NITDA boss maintained that the algorithm must be ethical in the core values, laws, and culture, noting that technology can compromise through gender imbalance or racism. He blamed the situation on insufficient data and clamoured that working with locals to make our contents indigenous could avert such breaches.

He mentioned that four weeks ago, the Honorable Minister led a team from the Ministry to the Lagos ecosystem, where we met with most of the players in the sector. They shared some of the pinpoints we will present to the Federal Executive Council FEC and sought approval for things we need to do to help the ecosystem.

Inuwa applauded the effort of Google in the capacity building of Nigerians with a target to train 5 million indigenes. He implored that such records be made available to capture the number of digital literacy in Nigeria because President Muhammed Buhari’s government aims to achieve 95% digital literacy by 2030.

In her remarks, Google West Africa Director, Juliet Ehimuan, thanked NITDA for being one of Google’s key strategic partners and stakeholders in the public sector with a long-standing relationship. She acknowledged past collaborative efforts between both organisations, saying that her organisation is looking forward to continued collaborations.

While noting that the courtesy visit identifies possible areas for further collaboration, she physically introduces the new Government Relations and Public Policy team members to her host. They include; Adewole Adene and Dawn Dimowo who are to share updates on some of the work and initiatives that Google West Africa has been doing in the tech space within the country, and finally, to get feedback on Nigeria’s top priorities on the ecosystem.

Juliet confirmed that Google has invested in helping to build the digital ecosystem with all the government and private sector partners for almost a decade.

“In October last year, we had an event which we called Google for Africa, and during that event, we had our global CEO pledge, on our behalf, a $1 billion investment in Africa over five years.

“In the area of access, we have recently acquired a submarine cable called “Equiano” in partnership with a service provider in this environment which is landing in Nigeria on 21 April. Forecasts are indicating that a lot of people are coming online.

“At least 300 Million more Internet users in Africa over the next five years, so there will be more demand for the internet. And following the Covid pandemic, we saw a lot of migration online and acceleration in terms of digital engagement, which will create more demand, that its’ capacity would have a huge contribution to the GDP growth with the technology adoption and job creation.

“Our initial estimate is to contribute directly and indirectly to create about 1.6 million jobs over time and work around device financing in partnership with telcos to make sure that people have access either through infrastructure or device data to gauge the digital world”, she disclosed.

According to Juliet, Google is engaging in a lot of capacity building. Both organisations have a shared interest in providing free digital skills training to individuals to over 6 million people since 2017 when it pledged to train 10 million Africans and other notable areas of support contributing to the economic prosperity and education in ICT. “There is a $40 million grant to NGOs, of which $20 million will be in cash and $20 million in art credits.” she concluded.

The NITDA Director-General appointed Dr Aminu Lawal, the Special Adviser on Digital Transformation, to liaison between both organisations.

MEETING OF PDP PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS FROM THE SOUTH EAST

MEETING OF PDP PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS FROM THE SOUTH EAST

Mr. Peter Obi, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze, and myself, all of us from the South East, who have declared intention to run for the office of president of Nigeria and have obtained the normination form of our great party the PDP, met in Abuja. The main purpose of our meeting was for us to resolve to work together to promote understanding, unity and collaboration among the four of us and any other person from the South East zone who may later join in the race. We had a very fruitful meeting in an atmosphere of friendliness and respect for one another.

At the end of our meeting, we addressed the media on our resolutions as follows:

1) That we have agreed to work together as a Team.
2) That we will work together to ensure that a South Eastern emerges as PDP flag bearer;
3) That we intend to consult with other zones on this issue and it is based on fairness and equity;
4) That in doing so it is important to note that we have always supported other zones and we now expect them to reciprocate.

We are committed to working with our party leadership and party members from across the country to ensure that the founding principles and ideals of our great party are upheld to reassure Nigerians that PDP is ready to rebuild and reunite our dear country. We ask Nigerians to give us the chance to fix this country. Together we will get Nigeria to work again.

A Greater Nigeria I see.

By Anyim Pius Anyim

NITDA’s Engagement with ASUU on UTAS: Putting the Records Straight

NITDA’s Engagement with ASUU on UTAS: Putting the Records Straight

The attention of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has been drawn to series of media statements about NITDA’s role on the assessment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS). It is imperative therefore that the Agency puts the records straight for the interest of stakeholders and the general public.

It may be recalled that the Act establishing NITDA mandates it to create a framework for the planning, research, development, standardization, application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation and regulation of Information Technology (IT) practices in Nigeria. The Agency has, over the years, issued series of regulatory instruments including the Software Testing and Quality Assurance Framework and Guideline, issued in 2016. This regulatory instrument, currently being reviewed, provides guidelines for the design, development and testing of software projects in Nigeria. Furthermore, Section 10 of the Guidelines for Nigerian Content Development in ICT, 2019 provided detailed guidelines and expectations for Indigenous Software Development and Software Enabled Products and Services.

In line with its mandate, the Agency has been registering indigenous software solutions. Part of the registration process requires that solutions are subjected to tests in line with the requirements of the Software Testing and Quality Assurance Framework and Guideline and the Guidelines for Nigerian Content Development in ICT.

It is common knowledge that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been engaging the Federal Government on a number of issues including payment of promotion arrears, earned academic allowance, funding for revitalisation of public Universities, and adoption of UTAS as payment platform for universities. On the 14th October, 2020, NITDA was invited to participate in an interactive session between ASUU, Federal Government and the Legislature. The session, held at the Conference Hall of Accountant General of the Federation’s office, was to avail ASUU the opportunity to demonstrate the UTAS platform.

As part of the conditions for acceptance of UTAS as payment platform for public universities by Federal Government, NITDA was directed to subject the platform to Integrity Test and advise Government appropriately. In doing so, the Agency decided to carry out 3 out of the 8 tests specified in the Software Testing and Quality Assurance Framework and Guideline. These tests are:
User Acceptance Test (UAT);

FG to provide jobs for five million farmers - NITDA - Punch Newspapers


Stress Test; and Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Test (VAPT).


As part of the process, NITDA held its first meeting with ASUU on the 22nd October, 2020 and discussions centred on the modalities of the assessment. Furthermore, documents necessary for effective planning and execution of the tests were requested. As critical stakeholders to the implementation and deployment of the Solution, both the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation were also engaged. The main aim of this engagement was to obtain software requirements from their perspective.


Upon receipt of the documents from ASUU as well as access details of the UTAS platform in January, 2021, the Agency’s team carried out basic Functionality/User Acceptance Test on the platform. As NUC conducted UAT, NITDA felt it can use the report produced by NUC for its report. However, upon review, it was observed that the Solution was demonstrated to the Principal Officers in a similar way it was demonstrated at the Accountant General’s Office. The Agency decided that further UAT be carried out with actual end-users from the University System. As a result, arrangements were made and 46 staff members from 28 Federal Universities, mainly from Vice Chancellor’s Office, Human Resources, Accounts and Bursary participated in the UAT, held at NUC, on the 10th August, 2021.

Although the UAT was carried out as planned, challenges were encountered that negatively impacted on the outcome of the assessment. For instance, although the invitation emphasised the need for prospective participants to come with ICT tools for the exercise, very few of the participants had these tools. This resulted into grouping the participants and very limited hands-on interaction with the Solution was possible. Furthermore, there was limited connectivity thereby making it difficult for the participants with the relevant tools to follow the demonstration by ASUU. These issues were adequately reported to key stakeholders.

The Agency’s team also carried out series of Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Tests on the UTAS platform. One of these assessments revealed five (5) High Risk vulnerabilities that are likely to negatively impact on the platform if exploited. Furthermore, two (2) Low Risk vulnerabilities were identified. These were discussed with the ASUU team and a further assessment carried out on the updated version of the Solution revealed that the High Risk Vulnerabilities have been addressed. However, one (1) Medium Risk, three (3) Low Risks and forty four (44) Informational Risks were identified. These also, were adequately communicated to the relevant stakeholders including ASUU.

A detailed Functionality/User Acceptance Test on the platform was carried out by our team. A total of 687 test cases were generated in which 529 passed, 156 failed and 2 cautionary warnings. As some of the failed cases are critical to the overall functionality of the Solution, the Agency could not recommend for the solution to be deployed in production environment. ASUU was therefore requested to work on the Solution and submit it for further assessment. Furthermore, a comprehensive report outlining all the tests carried out and issues identified was submitted to the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy on the 3rd December, 2021. This was in turn submitted to the chief conciliator, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment as well as other stakeholders in ASUU.

During the conciliation meeting held at the instance of the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment on Tuesday, 22nd February, 2022, it resolved that NITDA works with ASUU and subject UTAS to re-assessment. Furthermore, it was resolved that key members of the conciliation team be in attendance during the Technical Team’s sessions as observers.

It may interest the Agency’s stakeholders to know that NITDA, as a responsible Agency of Government, made all arrangements to ensure that the exercise was carried out successfully. The interaction commenced on the 8th March, 2022 with discussion on the methodology to be used as specified in the Software Testing and Quality Assurance Framework and Guideline. Upon reaching agreement and starting the actual test on the Solution, a critical error occurred and the test could not continue. As a result, the interaction had to be postponed to enable the ASUU Team rectify the issue.

Considering the challenge encountered, the assessment methodology had to be reviewed to facilitate daily remediation of critical issues as they occur. This, although not in NITDA’s Standard Operating Procedure for exercises such as this, was adopted. Consideration was made to the national importance attached to the exercise as well as the need to complete it in a reasonably shorter period of time.
It is important to note that despite making all efforts to fast-track the exercise, it took the team two weeks of continuous interaction on a daily basis. There is no doubt that the exercise has positively impacted on the functionality and robustness of the UTAS platform. Furthermore, we believe that the interaction availed ASUU the opportunity to understand and appreciate NITDA’s commitment and level of professionalism exhibited in carrying out its responsibilities.

The attention of stakeholders and the general public is drawn to the need for the UTAS platform to be sufficiently robust with key functionalities implemented before being deployed to the production environment. However, the assessment revealed that the Solution, as it is currently implemented, is limited. There are critical functionalities that have to be implemented, tested and passed before the Solution can considered to meet NITDA’s due diligence requirements. These areas of improvement have been fully documented and shared with the ASUU team for necessary action. It is expected that ASUU will improve on the areas identified, work on the security issues flagged and resubmit the Solution for further assessment.
The Agency wishes to use this opportunity to assure stakeholders and the general public of its commitment to its mandate and the vision of proactively facilitating the development of Nigeria into a sustainable digital economy by creating an enabling environment where Nigerians develop, adopt and derive value from digital technology.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is the apex regulator for Information Technology in Nigeria under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy. NITDA was established in April 2001 to coordinate general IT development and regulation in the country. Specifically, Section 6(a & c) of the Act establishing the Agency mandates it to create a framework for the planning, research, development, standardization, application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation and regulation of Information Technology practices, activities and systems in Nigeria; develop guidelines for electronic governance and monitor the use of electronic data interchange and other forms of electronic communication transactions as an alternative to paper-based methods in government, commerce, education, the private and public sectors, labour, and other fields, where the use of electronic communication may improve the exchange of data and information.
Signed:

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES VERITABLE TOOL IN COMBATING INSECURITY — PROF PANTAMI

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES VERITABLE TOOL IN COMBATING INSECURITY — PROF PANTAMI

The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), has reiterated that the use of emerging technologies in combating insecurity remains a veritable tool which Nigeria will continue to capitalise on, as government and stakeholders are pointing towards digital technology as the next available option to help reduce the scourge of insecurity in the country.

Prof. Pantami, who was represented by the Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE said this during a paper presentation at the National Students Security Summit 2022 organised by National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

He said that the rapid advancement of technology has brought about the term Emerging Technologies that are new, and they have not been fully explored or are still under development, and new cases are discovered every day.

According to the Minister, the technological revolution is transforming lives at breakneck speed, dramatically altering the way people work, learn and live together.
He stated that Emerging Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, Quantum Computing, Augmented Reality, Internet of Things and Robotics are exponentially growing and finding new applications in an ever-increasing number of sectors, including the way people receive, exchange and process information for security activities.

The Minister further said that unstoppable as insecurity is, the country has continuously explored various approaches to mitigate security challenges.
“You would all agree that the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), characterised by digitalisation and automation, is cutting across all sectors of industry and humanities. The copious role of digital technology in tackling insecurity can never be underestimated; making it a veritable tool for defeating all security threats in the country.

“It is pertinent to understand that advances in technology are reshaping global security capabilities, from enhancing the way borders are monitored to helping mitigate insecurity, the impact of natural disasters to intelligent detection, the identification of criminal activities to automatic detection of crime associated menace in the society,” he added.

Pantami further stated that these new challenges and opportunities are currently being utilised in facilitating digital solutions and building capacities to address national security challenges in Nigeria. Adding that Federal Government is not unmindful of the role of emerging technologies in a sustainable digital economy and national security issues.

He said that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics has been established to foster the development of emerging technologies in preparing Nigeria for the Fourth Industrial Revolution via research and development of technologies like drones, robotics and Artificial Intelligence.

Pantami said to curb cybercrime activities, NITDA rejigged its Computer Emergency Readiness Response Team (CERRT) in response to the increase rate of cybercrime and fulfilment of the requirement of the National Cybersecurity Strategy.
He added that CERRT functions in coordinating and facilitating information sharing, providing mitigation strategies and recommendations for the incident response and recovery, researching and analysing trends and patterns of incident activity for government Ministry, Department and Agencies (MDA) with extension to the private sector.

“We are taking steps to establish National Public Key Infrastructure to ensure the protection of Nigerian systems in cyberspace. We are establishing National Emergency lines in almost every part of the country to ensure citizens’ communication access. We are creating cybersecurity awareness across geopolitical zones to educate Nigerians on the potential of cyber threats. Every Nigerian must be aware of his responsibilities as far as security is concerned, and each person must be safe,” he added.

In an attempt to create a safe digital environment, the Minister said that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the designation and protection of relevant telecommunications infrastructure across the country as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) towards supporting implementation.
The Minister added that Government at all levels, private and other critical stakeholders in the technology ecosystem are expected to respond more rapidly and effectively to the unique opportunities emerging technologies could bring to Nigeria’s security administration.

Pantami stressed that, “as government, we would channel our energy towards creating an enabling environment for innovation in emerging technologies that could be harnessed and utilised effectively to the country’s advantage. We would develop integrated frameworks and approaches for adopting and deploying Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in national security architectures. We will continue to create suitable platforms to foster trustworthy collaborations between the country’s public and private technology community and civil society organisations.”

FG Engages TikTok on Data Transparency & Online Safety

FG Engages TikTok on Data Transparency & Online Safety

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami has called for the need to entrench transparency, laws, and regulations in social media usage to ensure a safer digital space, devoid of illegalities and promoters of fake news.

The Minister who was represented by the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE said this while playing host to a Delegation of video-focused social networking service, TikTok, in his office.

Kashifu Inuwa raised several concerns bordering on security, tax payment, direct contact with TikTok and general content hygiene.

“There is a need for you to be more transparent on what you do with the data, experience you take and your algorithm design; because most algorithms are designed to promote hate speech.”

According to the DG, “Technology can be used as a weapon, or a tool”, which he noted depends on the user’s intent.

He, therefore, emphasised the fact that there should be consequences for anyone who uses social media to commit a crime and maintained that anything that is illegal offline should also be illegal online.

“In Nigeria, people are using TikTok for so many things; some use it to promote rituals and domestic violence while others use it for hate speech; So, we cannot continue to have people put out random contents without appropriate checks/verifications”.

The NITDA Boss who recalled the issues that ensued between the Federal Government and Twitter which led to the suspension of the platform’s operations in Nigeria said the microblogging and social networking service had to agree and meet certain conditions upon which its ban was lifted.

TikTok | Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

The conditions, the DG explained, are to be extended to other social media platforms, including TikTok.

“We are working on drafting “Code of Practice”, which we are going to share with you soon; get your feedback and see how we can make it better.”

Kashifu Inuwa was emphatic when he reiterated the need to direct contact with the company to agree on the timeline to either delete erring content or suspend accounts that violate rules.

Moreso, he encouraged TIKTOK to register and have an Office in the Country to enable prompt Communications for subsequent engagements.

The leader of the TikTok Delegation & Head of Government Relations and Public Policy, TikTok- Middle East, Turkey, Africa and Pakistan, Farah Tukan, said the team intends to host a series of workshops in Abuja and Lagos with the aim of enlightening Nigerians on how the platform works; taking a deep dive into how contents are moderated; developed and how policies are enforced.

“We are committed to providing opportunities for Nigerians to earn a living through their creativity and expression, and as a global platform that thrives on creativity, it is essential that our users feel safe and comfortable online.

Our user policies and tools are developed to promote a positive and safe environment for our community, and we trust that users will respect and utilise these measures to keep TikTok fun and welcoming for everyone”.

She confirmed TikTok’s readiness to explore more areas of collaboration with the agency to continue to contribute to keeping Nigerian users safe on its platform as well as promote the creative industries in Nigeria.

“We take misinformation and fake news very seriously, and it’s actually against our community guidelines; we have policies that address misinformation, we also have a system (the human elements as well) that looks into this issue as well”.

The team leader also affirmed that the Company is open to conversations with the Nigerian Government regarding updating its rules and regulations to ensure a more excellent user experience.

NITDA hopes that the engagement and subsequent ones will translate to having a safer digital space for every Nigerian, especially as TikTok has become one of the most preferred video-focused social networking services.

SMILE INTRODUCES NEW USSD SERVICE

SMILE INTRODUCES NEW USSD SERVICE

Always desirous of making life easier and communication more rewarding for its numerous customers, pioneer broadband service provider, Smile Communications Nigeria, has just introduced a new Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) service, an innovative self-help service, for its teeming subscribers. This latest introduction into the Nigerian market is essentially a mobile communication technology used worldwide to access network services by simply sending text between a mobile phone and an application in the network.

This USSD service is unique as subscribers’ can access Smile’s USSD service without using any Internet connection or data. Subscribers can access the various services by simply dialing the code *4504# from their mobile phones. There is no need to call Customer Service or go online to access particular services, just dial *4504#.

With the new USSD *4505# service, Smile subscribers can Redeem Airtime/Bundles, Buy Bundles with Airtime, Check Account Balances, Update their NIN as well as Manage Auto-renewal at their convenience.


Expatiating on the user-friendly nature of the service, Abdul Hafeez, Chief Marketing Officer of Smile Communications Nigeria, stated that all our customers need is to use the service is to dial *4504# from their mobile phones, enter their SmileNumber and the four-digit PIN as selected by the user, and they will be good to go.


Famous as the first 4G LTE network in West Africa, Smile Communications Nigeria was the first to launch VoLTE on its network and continued its innovation, having introduced SmileVoice. SmileVoice is a free mobile app that enables customers with any Android or Apple iPhone device (including devices that are not VoLTE-enabled) to make SuperClear voice calls over Smile’s 4G LTE network, enabling SuperFast data and SuperClear voice, all from one data bundle. Smile was also the first to introduce an unlimited offering, providing the best SuperFast internet experience in Nigeria.

Nigeria Takes the Lead in Exploration, Production and Regulation in 2022

Nigeria Takes the Lead in Exploration, Production and Regulation in 2022

Nigeria represents one of Africa’s heavyweights when it comes to hydrocarbon exploration and production. With over 36 billion barrels of oil (bbl) and 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, the country has managed to position itself as both an attractive upstream market and competitive producer. In its Q1 2022 outlook, The State of African Energy, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) (EnergyChamber.org) contends that Nigeria will maintain its position as one of Africa’s leading crude oil producers as well as one of the continent’s top three gas suppliers between 2022 and 2025, providing an opportunity for the west African country to leverage its energy resources for economic growth while addressing global energy demand.

According to the outlook, Nigeria will produce 1.46 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil out of the 6.35 million bpd that Africa as a whole will produce during the year, reaffirming the country’s position as a continental energy hub as production in the west African state peaks in 2023. Production declines in mature oilfields coupled with the country’s reliance on offshore basins – approximately 65% of the crude oil Nigeria currently produces sourced from offshore projects – has highlighted the need for Nigeria to increase oil exploration and production to maintain a secure supply as legacy projects diminish and thereby shrink the country’s production capacity from 2023 onwards. Out of the 36 bbl of oil reserves Nigeria holds, just over 25% is currently produced from deep water projects, underlining a huge opportunity for Nigeria to expand partnerships and investment to ramp up production and increase its role in both the continental and global energy landscape.

“The recent $1.2 billion deal between Nigeria’s Seplat Energy and American energy firm ExxonMobil, in which the multinational will continue with its deep-water projects whilst handing over onshore projects, is an indication of the huge potential the country’s offshore projects have in the near future in addressing energy needs as energy consumption increases. By increasing focus on these projects, accelerating exploration and production in key basins, Nigeria has the ability to unleash its full energy potential,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC.

By increasing focus on these projects, accelerating exploration and production in key basins, Nigeria has the ability to unleash its full energy potential

In order to consolidate its position as a global producer, the Nigerian government needs to fast-forward the approval process for deep-water projects and put in place policies that reduce taxes for operators, the majority of which are international majors that have partnered with national oil companies, to ensure more projects come online through 2025 for a continued stable supply of crude oil.

More investments are also required within the country’s downstream sector with inadequate infrastructure slowing down oil production and increasing Nigeria’s reliance on fuel imports. Nigeria imports up to 1.25 million metric tons per month of gasoline due to inadequate domestic refining capacity. Accordingly, the $12 billion Dangote refinery project in Lagos, slated to kickstart operations during Q4 of 2022 with a processing capacity of 540,000 barrels per day and partly owned by state-company the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, is an example of the willingness of Nigeria to set itself as an oil heavyweight while expanding its oil and gas capabilities to meet domestic, regional and global energy needs.

Meanwhile on the gas front, the AEC outlook shows that Nigeria has also retained its spot amongst Africa’s main gas producers in 2022. An annual production capacity of 1,450 billion cubic feet is expected as the country recovers from 2020 low production levels. Existing gas producing fields, as well as those currently under development, are expected to sustain the country’s gas production through to 2025. Despite factors such as vandalism of infrastructure which are restraining optimal gas and oil exportation, as well as the high costs and emission rates associated with deep-water projects driving majors to diversify their portfolios, greenfield investments in Nigeria and its African counterparts will increase capital expenditure across the continent to $30 billion in 2022, providing an opportunity for new projects to come online and for leading hydrocarbon producers such as Nigeria to modernize and build new infrastructure as well as expand exploration and production.

Nigeria is positioned to lead African investment with proven oil and gas reserves as well as a reformed regulatory landscape making the sector increasingly attractive for foreign capital. The implementation of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) in 2021 by the Nigerian government, for example, provides regulatory clarity on royalties and other issues that have previously made it difficult for oil and gas E&P companies and downstream market players to expand investments within the country’s market. Now, with the implementation of the PIB, Nigeria is better positioned, now more than ever, to attract investments and accelerate development in 2022 and beyond.

The AEC’s annual conference, African Energy Week (AEW), taking place from October 18-21, 2022, in Cape Town, will not only highlight post-PIB opportunities in Nigeria, but will make a strong case for the role the country plays in both the African and global energy landscape. Through a range of investor-specific forums, market-driven panel discussions, and ministerial summits, AEW 2022 will discuss exploration, production and regulation, with dialogue centered around how Africa’s oil and gas sector can make energy poverty history by 2030.

NCC to Strengthen AOL Administration

NCC to Strengthen AOL Administration

…Set to deploy Revenue Assurance Solutions

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is unwavering in its commitment to deploy a Revenue Assurance Solution (RAS) in the telecommunication sector to ensure a more robust Annual Operating Levy (AOL) administration in the telecom industry.

This subject matter was the focus of an industry stakeholder consultative engagement organized by the Commission at its Head Office in Abuja on Friday, February 25, 2022, which is in congruence with the NCC’s renowned commitment to inclusive participation and consultative stakeholder engagement as part of its regulatory practice.

The RAS application is designed to ensure a linkage with licensed telecommunications operators’ systems and will have the capability of capturing and reporting in near real-time, billing activities by the operators for the purposes, amongst others, of computing and assuring with minimal margin of error, the accruable AOL to NCC from the licensees. When deployed, the NCC RAS will bring significant solutions to the industry’s challenges, including a more effective and enhanced monitoring and regulation of the licensed telecommunications operators.

Speaking at the event, which was well attended by representatives of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Licensees of the Value Added Service chain, officials of the Commission and other industry stakeholders, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said AOL remains the bedrock of an efficient and effective telecommunications regulatory environment.

Danbatta said the event was organized to sensitize industry stakeholders through a conversation on the Commission’s plan to deploy RAS that will instill greater transparency and increased accuracy in the administration of AOL in the sector, as stipulated by the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003.

According to the EVC, since the NCA 2003 came into force and pursuant to Section 72 of the Act, various efforts have been made by the Commission towards achieving an effective AOL administration, including the development of AOL Regulations 2014, which is being reviewed.

He said the Commission believes that the deployment of appropriate RAS would enhance monitoring and regulatory activities around AOL administration and confer higher levels of integrity and fidelity on the AOL figures obtainable in the industry.

In a contextual recall, Danbatta stated that the need to deploy the most appropriate Revenue Assurance Systems in the Nigerian telecommunications industry began since 2015 when Commission published an invitation to bid for the services, in which 3R Company Nigeria Limited emerged the preferred bidder. The EVC informed that during the bid process, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), indicated a ‘no objection’ to the process.

“However, it was reasoned thereafter, that due to the scope of the project, the solution would be more appropriately procured under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. This led to the invitation of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to guide the process, as mandated by its regulations. Following this, the Commission set up a Project Delivery Team (PDT), which worked with a consortium of legal advisers, financial modelers and PPP experts under the guidance of ICRC, and took the appropriate steps required under the ICRC Regulations 2005,” he said.
He said part of the process included a proper due diligence of the preferred partner, which received a clean bill of health from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) while the Commission also subjected the software and hardware components of the proposed RAS to the certification of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

The EVC stated further that the Commission recorded a major feat in December 17, 2021, as the transaction received the Certificate of Compliance from the ICRC in line with the Provisions of the ICRC Act 2005. “Thus, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) graciously presented the NCC RAS project to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting on January 26, 2022, where the final approval was given for the implementation of the solution,” he said.

Underscoring the EVC’s position, the Head, Special Duties, Reuben Muoka, stated that the industry has been waiting for the RAS from the Commission. He also signaled that this current regulatory intervention will bring about a multiplier effect on the economy, local content and several other sectors in the Nigerian economy.

Speaking in the same vein, Deputy Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, NCC, Edoyemi Ogoh, stated that the approval of the RAS project by the FEC is a major success in finding a transparent process for an independent assessment, validation and completeness of the Annual Operating Levy (AOL).  

Ogoh said the solution has the capability to limit the loss of revenue due to faulty billings, inaccurate or incomplete data and information from service providers, redundantly provided services and frauds. “It will enable the resolution of inconsistencies in billings for services provided by licensed service providers to their subscribers as well as AOL bills from NCC to service providers, resulting in optimum efficiency and accuracy. The RAS would enable the Commission to validate the information, records and data that are supplied to the Commission by the licensees,” Ogoh emphasised.

MTN Communications Nigeria Plc and Mafab Communications Limited, have made their full payment of $273.6 million each for the 5G Spectrum license

MTN Communications Nigeria Plc and Mafab Communications Limited, have made their full payment of $273.6 million each for the 5G Spectrum license

Provisional winners of the 3.5 Gigahertz (GHz) spectrum licence, MTN Communications Nigeria Plc and Mafab Communications Limited, have made their full payment of $273.6 million each for the 5G Spectrum license to the Nigerian Communications Commission.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, officially confirmed the payment status today, February 24, 2022, just as the deadline set for the two winners of the spectrum auction elapsed.

As part of the auction process emplaced by the Commission in the Information Memorandum (IM), three companies, namely MTN Nigeria, Mafab Communications Ltd and Airtel Networks Ltd submitted bids with an initial bid deposit (IBD) of $19.74 million, representing 10 per cent of the Reserve Price of the 3.5GHz Spectrum by the close of the Bid submission date of November 29, 2021.

Following the successful auction on December 13, 2021 and the emergence of MTN and Mafab as winners, they were required to pay the balance of the bid amount of $253.86 million on or before February 24, 2022.

However, aside the $273.6 million payment, MTN paid additional $15.9 million, being the bidding sum it offered at the assignment state of the spectrum auction, making it clinch its preferred Lot 1 (3500-3600 Megahertz-MHz) in the 3.5Ghz spectrum; while, Mafab Communications, which bided lower at the assignment stage, consequentially settled with Lot 2 (3700-3800Mhz) at no extra cost.

Confirming the payments by the two licensees, Danbatta said: “I wish to officially announce that NCC has received and confirmed payments from MTN and Mafab for their acquisition of 1 slot of 100Mhz each in the 3.5Ghz spectrum auction, which was successfully conducted by the Commission on December 13, 2021. They both met the deadline of February 24, 2022 as set by the Commission”.

“Arising from this and on behalf of the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, the Board and Management of the NCC, I wish to congratulate the MTN and Mafab for this feat, as we look forward to accomplishing other deployment timelines in the 5G deployment roadmap, as articulated in the National Policy on 5G Networks for Nigeria’s Digital Economy”, Danbatta stated.

For meeting the payment deadline, Danbatta has commended the two companies for their commitment to 5G deployment drive through their private investments, which he said, was a demonstration of the licensees’ belief in the sound regulatory environment in the Nigerian telecommunications sector.

Danbatta also expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for its support and commitment to the deployment of 5G technology in Nigeria which, he said, will bring substantial network improvements, including higher connection speed, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities to communications services in Nigeria.

The Commission published a Public Notice on its decision to award two lots of 100MHz Time Division Duplex (TDD) available in the 3.5 GHz band through an auction process, to support the delivery of ubiquitous broadband services for the deployment of 5G technology in Nigeria.

Subsequently, an Information Memorandum (IM) was issued on November 10, 2021, in which Bid Applications for the available spectrum lots were invited. By the deadline for receipt of applications on November 29, 2021, the Commission received applications from three licensed telecommunications companies, namely: Airtel Networks Limited, Mafab Communications Limited, and MTN Communications Nigeria Plc.

The Auction held successfully on Monday, December 13, 2021 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja with the three bidders competing for the available two lots in which the Commission adopted the Ascending Clock Auction format that ended after Round 11, and proceeded to the Assignment Stage.

In the auction, MTN and Mafab emerged provisional licence winners and arising from this, the winning bid price for the auction was put at $273.6 million for each lot of 100 MHz TDD. The Provisional licence winners were then directed to pay the Winning Bid Price less the Intention-to-Bid Deposit, by February 24, 2022.

Industry stakeholders and observers have commended the Commission for the auction process, described as efficient, fair, well-organised and transparent; as well as designed to deliver the ideal outcome which saw the strongest bidders emerge as winners, raising a substantial amount for the Federal Government and setting the stage for the next phase in Nigeria’s 5G roadmap.

NCC Committed to Tackling Telecom Infrastructure Deficit – Danbatta

NCC Committed to Tackling Telecom Infrastructure Deficit – Danbatta

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is irrevocably committed to the implementation of various regulatory initiatives and programmes, in collaboration with all stakeholders in the telecom ecosystem, towards bridging identified gaps and shortages in critical telecom infrastructure in the country. The overarching objective is to fulfil Commission’s mandate and support extant and emergent policies and strategies of the Federal Government focused on providing ubiquitous, accessible and affordable broadband services in Nigeria.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, stated this during an in-house interview which took place at the Commission’s Head Office in Abuja recently. The EVC emphasized the centrality of infrastructure to telecom service provisioning by asserting that availability of broadband in sufficiency was non-negotiable and irreducible in the nation’s strategy towards delivering pervasive telecom services.

Danbatta also put the efforts of Government in context towards addressing infrastructure gaps, and commended both state and non-state actors for the vision, diligence and continued dedication to the implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, an initiative of the Federal Government, being driven by NCC and conceived to address infrastructure gaps in the telecom and ICT sector. The EVC said he was gratified that the new plan particularly took into consideration, the identified gaps and challenges in its precursor, the National Broadband Plan 2013-2018, which implementation the NCC was equally central to.

According to Danbatta, one of the identified gaps to robust connectivity was the fact that inadequate infrastructure remained a bane to achieving desired broadband penetration to boost access to services that will enhance economic growth and development. He emphasised that the Commission recognises the importance of infrastructure expansion and this explains its unequivocal commitment and desire to see the licensed Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) work speedily and with precision to cascade fibre to the hinterland, in order to enhance robust telecom service provision. He said the InfraCo licensees, expectedly, also prioritize stipulated licensing conditions to ensure expected milestones set by the Commission are achieved.

The EVC stated that Commission’s target for licensing the infraCos was to ensure the deployment of fibre infrastructure needed for pervasive broadband penetration across the 774 local government areas (LGAs). This, he said, will ensure access to telecoms services in the hinterlands of the country, and by so doing address the challenges of access confronting the unserved and underserved areas of the country.

Danbatta also placed on record Commission’s desire for inclusiveness as seminal to erecting sustainable telecom architecture. This, according to him is critical in ensuring the achievement of Federal Government’s target on digital access and financial inclusion.

One visible area of beneficial financial service riding on telecom infrastructure is the provision of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) for financial transactions across various financial institutions’ platforms. This feat, Danbatta asserted, has brought ease to financial transactions, even as he recalled that NCC is providing support for e-payment initiatives and policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), including the e-Naira project, which is the digital currency issued and regulated by the apex bank.

“So, the Commission is committed to ensuring inclusiveness by ensuring the provision of affordable and pervasive accessibility to the Internet as emphasised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations (UN). We are aware that until commensurate infrastructure is deployed in the country, the country may not hit the required target necessary for the desired economic development,” the EVC added.

Additionally, Danbatta stated that the Commission has recorded remarkable progression with respect to contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is besides facilitating investment, enhancing Quality of Service (QoS) to enhance consumer quality of experience and stakeholder satisfaction in line with the expectations of the Strategic Management Plan 2020-2024. He assured that Commission will heightened efforts in all areas of the Plan as streamlined in new Strategic Vision Implementation Plan (SVIP) 2021-2025, including facilitating strategic collaboration and partnering through which it has forged quantifiable strategic alliances with its ever-expanding array of stakeholders.

Concerning NCC’s pioneering strides in the deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) network in Sub-Saharan Africa, Danbatta explained that the rollout of 5G network in Nigeria will require more infrastructure for the service to reach all parts of the country. He called for concerted efforts and unwavering commitment of all stakeholders for the nation to achieve steady, timely and accurate deployment of 5G services because of its benefits to individuals, businesses and the growth of the country.