InfoTech
First Term: Experts Score Buhari Administration High On ICT
By Funmilola Gboteku and Florence Onuegbu
The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sector in Nigeria has witnessed tremendous growth during the first four years of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Information Technology (IT) experts attribute the growth to the various friendly ICT policies put in place by the Federal Government.
Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) in his candid assessment, says the Federal Government has done quite well in the last four years.
“I think it will be fair to say a score of 80 per cent, owing to the progress the administration has made in the past years, ‘’ he notes.
Adebayo says the industry has made a lot of progress in terms of broadband penetration; hence, achieving the broadband target and even surpassing it.
“We have more Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) coming into the ICT sector and because of the relatively stable policy of government, the industry has been able to support a number of other sub-sectors of the economy.
“So, on the average, we are able to say that the Buhari’s administration has done quite well in the last four years,’’ he says.
Adebayo says unfortunately it appears that the progress of ICT in the country is being taken for granted.
He laments that telecommunication no longer has a mention by the government as one of the priority sectors.
According to him, it should not be, because ICT is a major driver of the economy.
“We are the infrastructure of infrastructure and we think that wherever issue of development is being discussed, ICT should be in the forefront.
“Other sectors that the government is making efforts to develop are all dependent on ICT in one way or the other.
“So it would appear that we are no longer in the first line of interest of government; which should not be.
“As you know, we are in technology industry and technology is changing by the day; hence, the need for new investments, for new hardware and software.
“So we think that as part of our development as a nation, ICT should continue to be one of the issues of development that we should consider,’’ Adebayo explains.
He says there is no enough protection of the industry by government, as there are issues of base stations’ closure and seizure.
Adebayo says the industry is quite vulnerable and such vulnerability has exposed the issues of multiple taxation and multiple regulation.
According to him, taxes and levies have increased to 39 across all tiers of government in the country.
“I think that government should consider harmonisation of the taxes and levies. Telecom is on the exclusive list of the Federal Government.
“It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to protect the sector, even from issues of interference, multiple taxation and regulation.
“So in my view, the major problem that we face is the issue of site closure and multiple taxation.
“We have issue of foreign exchange and government solved the problem. So the issue of multiple taxation is something the Federal Government must look into.
“I think the time has come that government should take up ownership and protection of infrastructure. We continue to require investments both foreign and local investments; and people will not invest if the industry is unstable,’’ he says.
Ikechukwu Nnamani, the Chief Executive Officer, Medallion Communications says the Buhari’s administration has done well in the arrangement reached by the National Executive Council in respect of Right of Way (RoW) fee.
Nnamani says a number of states have been able to lower their RoW rates, which has enabled deployment of more fibre infrastructure.
Muhammed Rudman, the President of Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) wants the Federal Government to prioritise significant investments in ICT infrastructure in the next four years.
Rudman notes that although through government’s contributions to the ICT, the industry has been able to deepen broadband penetration by 33 per cent but more effort needs to be made in ensuring that the rural areas also benefit from it.
He explains that the government already has laid-down policies regarding the ICT industry.
“The best time to implement the policies, which include the deepening of broadband penetration and building infrastructure is now.
“My advice is actually to have an ICT roadmap, that would ensure both the government and private sector identify all the stumbling blocks in the industry and address them.
“The players in the ICT industry should actually have an agenda that they will push to the government every year, so that the sector can grow,’’ he suggests.
Rudman points out that it will go a long way if the president can also resolve the issue of RoW and multiple taxation which are some of the major challenges faced in the industry, most especially by telecom companies.
He notes that those challenges were some of the things slowing down the telecommunications industry, while urging the government to address the issues.
The NIRA boss adds that the government needs to continue investing heavily in the sector, because it has played a big role in terms of revenue generation and also creating employment for citizens.
Also speaking, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, the President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) says a lot has been achieved in terms of broadband penetration during the President’s four-year tenure.
“In 2014 to 2018, broadband was between 18 to 20 per cent.
“However, according to Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), we now have 33 per cent broadband peneration, which shows that a lot has been achieved in last four years of the Buhari’s administration.
“To sustain the growth, the government should set another benchmark for 2019 to 2023 where we should be looking at a minimum of 70 per cent or more broadband penetration.
“The government through some of its agencies like NCC is ensuring that Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) develop both the rural and sub-urban areas.
“NCC is supporting infracos by giving them some money to develop their structures and services,’’ Ogunbanjo notes.
He also suggests that government needs to have refined policies that will gear the industry toward achieving 75 per cent penetration by 2025.
Ogunbanjo urges the Federal Government to invest more in the sector because the ICT industry is the future of Nigeria, aside from oil and agriculture.
Most ICT industry experts are of the opinion that President Buhari’s administration has done quite well in the ICT sector of the economy and can do better in the second term.
The expert, however, note that the industry is a work in progress.
They point out that it is imperative to tackle the challenges of multiple taxation and multiple regulation, if further growth must be achieved in the ICT industry.
By David Torough, Abuja
In line with the consumer-focused objectives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the two regulators have drawn up a framework to address consumer complaints arising from unsuccessful airtime and data transactions during network downtimes, system glitches, or human input errors.
The framework is the outcome of several months of engagements involving the NCC, the CBN, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Value Added Service (VAS) providers, Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), and other relevant stakeholders.
According to the NCC, these engagements were prompted by a rising incidence of failed airtime and data purchases, where subscribers were debited without receiving value and experienced delays in resolution.
“The Framework represents a unified position by both the telecommunications and financial sectors on addressing such complaints. It identifies and tackles the root causes of failed airtime and data transactions, including instances where bank accounts are debited without successful delivery of services. It also prescribes an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA) for MNOs and DMBs, clearly outlining the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in the transaction and resolution process,” a statement by Head of Public Affairs of NCC, Nnen Ukoha said.
Under the new framework, where a purchaser is debited but fails to receive value for airtime or data—whether the failure occurs at the bank level or with an NCC licensee—the purchaser is entitled to a refund within 30 seconds, except in circumstances where the transaction remains pending, of which the refund can take up to 24 hours.
The framework further mandates operators to notify consumers via SMS of the success or failure of every transaction. It also addresses erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect airtime or data purchases, and instances where transactions are made to the wrong phone number.
Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs. Freda Bruce-Bennett in a comment on the development said the framework also establishes a Central Monitoring Dashboard to be jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN. According to her, the dashboard will enable both regulators to monitor failures, the responsible party, refunds, and track SLA breaches in real time.
“Failed top-ups rank among the top three consumer complaints, and in line with our commitment to addressing these priority issues, we were determined to resolve it within the shortest possible time,” she said.
“We are grateful to all stakeholders—particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria and its leadership—for their tireless commitment to resolving this issue and arriving at this framework, and for ensuring that consumers of telecommunications services receive full value for their purchases.
“So far, pending the approval of management of both regulators on the framework, MNOs and banks have collectively made refunds of over N10 billion to customers for failed transactions” she explained .
Mrs. Bruce-Bennett further noted that implementation of the framework is expected to commence on March 1, 2026, once the two regulators have made final approvals, and technical integration by all MNOs, VAS providers and DMBs is concluded.
Football’s ruling body FIFA on Thursday said that it has hidden more than 10 million abusive comments in its fight against hate speech.
FIFA said it has analysed some 33 million posts and comments on 15,302 accounts since it launched its Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) at the 2022 World Cup, and made it available to all its members and players in 2024.
It said that SMPS has been used at 23 tournaments as well as in qualifying and friendly matches.
It is also available at the current Club World Cup for the 32 teams and 2,019 accounts of players, coaches and officials.
FIFA said it is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to filter abusive posts and hide them from the account owners.
A FIFA survey has revealed that women’s players are more subjected to abuse than the men. (dpa/NAN)
By Engineer Olusola Omotunde
The advent of cloud technology can be traced back to the 1960s according to https://www.cloudzero.com/blog/history-of-the-cloud/.
Cloud technology has evolved from a myth to a revolution in the global space.
In fact, it forms one of the best ways to secure data and save organizational funds.
A drift from the era of physical data centers has become the norm.
Cloud platforms like Amazon and Azure have taken over the scene even in developing climes. How much space does an organization need for its operations and what is the cost effect?Another pertinent point would be, the security of organizational data.
In this paper, we will provide a synopsis of cloud security and its role in healthcare cybersecurity.
The healthcare industry is one of the most critical aspects of any nation. How safe are patient’s data? What are the mitigating factors? How regularly does the IT team carry out an assessment of the security in place? In all of these, cloud security comes into play.
Cloud security is critical in healthcare cybersecurity because it provides the tools, processes, and policies required to protect sensitive patient data and assure regulatory compliance in an increasingly digital environment. Healthcare organizations that use cloud services for electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, patient portals, and other services face specific cybersecurity challenges, such as protecting huge amounts of personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI).
Below are some aspects where cloud security contributes or plays pivotal roles in healthcare cybersecurity:
1. Data Protection
• Data Backup and Recovery: Cloud solutions provide backup and disaster recovery capabilities, which assist healthcare organizations in protecting data from loss due to cyberattacks or system failures.
• Encryption: Cloud providers provide sophisticated encryption options for data at rest and in transit. This is critical for healthcare providers to safeguard sensitive patient information from unauthorized access.
2. Prevention and Detection of Threat
• Real-time Monitoring and Alerts: Cloud security solutions can provide 24-hour monitoring and notifications if suspicious behaviour is discovered. This quick response capability is crucial for healthcare organizations to avoid or mitigate the effects of cyber events.
• Advanced Threat Protection: Cloud providers provide services that include threat detection features like intrusion detection, malware scanning, and vulnerability assessments. These services assist healthcare organizations in identifying and addressing hazards before they cause harm.
• Automated Patch Management: Cloud providers frequently handle patch management for their infrastructure, ensuring that systems are up to date against the most recent vulnerabilities, which can dramatically minimize the risk of attack.
3. Flexibility and Scalability
• Scalable Security: As healthcare organizations expand, cloud security can scale with them, allowing for the installation of additional security measures without requiring major infrastructure upgrades.
• Adaptable Infrastructure: Healthcare organizations can quickly respond to emerging threats with cloud-based solutions that include updated security tools and services. This adaptability is critical in a dynamic threat context.
4. Cost Efficiency
• Pay-as-you-go Model: Many cloud services use a pay-as-you-go model, which allows healthcare providers to only pay for the security services they use. This can help organizations manage costs while still providing high-quality security tools.
• Reduced IT Costs: Cloud providers manage and maintain the infrastructure, eliminating the need for healthcare companies to invest heavily in on-premises security hardware and personnel.
5. Regulatory Compliance
• HIPAA and GDPR Compliance: Cloud providers that service healthcare organizations frequently offer solutions designed to comply with industry-specific standards such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe.
• Audit Support: Many cloud services provide logging and monitoring capabilities to assist healthcare organizations in tracking and auditing data access and usage, which is critical for regulatory compliance.
Key Considerations for Healthcare Providers across the globe
When healthcare providers deploy cloud solutions, they must address a number of security concerns to safeguard sensitive patient data, ensure regulatory compliance, and manage possible risks. It is also important that they scrutinize the security certificates held by cloud providers, ensure that they clarify ownership rights to their data with their cloud providers, training staff on the security best practices which include training on data handling, phishing awareness and secure access protocol.
There is no one-size fits all rule other than being careful!
Engineer Olusola Omotunde is an IT expert and writes from Lagos, Nigeria
INC Elections: CITRE defends suspension of polls, insists on constitutional order
Share From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa The Council of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (CITRE) has defended its action suspending the election...
UN Secretary General Visits Benue Condemns Incessant Attacks On Communities, Killings.
ShareFrom Attah Ede Makurdi United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Dr. Amina Mohammed, on Friday condemned the incessant conflicts killings in Nigeria,...
President Tinubu commissions 60 megawatts gas turbine, other projects in bayelsa
ShareFrom Mike Tayese, Yenagoa The much awaited 60 megawatts Gas Turbine embarked upon by the administration of Governor Douye Diri...
Ijaw Traditional Rulers, elders suspend INC elections
Share The National Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (N-CITRE-INC) has suspended the Ijaw National Congress (INC) elections till...
Experts Advocate Digital Economy, Governance Reforms as Pathway to Inclusive Growth
ShareBy David Torough, Abuja Stakeholders at the 2026 Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) International Conference in Bida have called...
Digital Economy, Good Governance Key to Unlocking Inclusive Growth in Developing Nations — Expert
ShareBy David Torough, Abuja At the 2026 Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) National Conference held at the Federal Polytechnic...
UNILAG Alumni awards scholarship to 28 indigent students
ShareBy Laide Akinboade, Abuja The University of Lagos Alumni Association, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), chapter on Thursday, awarded scholarship to...
JAMB Releases 2026 UTME Examination Slips for Candidates
ShareThe Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that candidates who registered for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) can now print...
Lobi Stars Target Promotion to NPFL in 2026/2027 Season
ShareThe Chairman of Lobi Stars Football Club of Makurdi, Simon Ikya, said the club’s sole target is to gain promotion...
Gambia Appoints British Barrister to Prosecute Gruesome Jammeh-era Crimes
ShareBritish barrister Martin Hackett has been appointed as The Gambia’s first special prosecutor to try those responsible for human rights abuses carried out...