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NITEL Workers Protest Non-Payment Of Nine Months Salaries

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Workers of the Nigerian Telecommunication Commission (NITEL) staged a rally on Tuesday in Abuja in protest against the management’s failure to pay their nine months salaries.

The protesters led by Comrade Elias Kazzah, the President of the Senior Staff Association of Communication Transportation and Corporation (SSACTAC), NITEL Branch, also called for the removal of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Hajiya Zainab Sa’ab.

Speaking with newsmen Kazzah said NITEL staff had not received salaries for almost a year, while the management continued to spend on other things.

He explained that the presidential task-force on the restructuring of NITEL in 2010 retained 380 people as transitional staffers and made available money for payment of salaries for six months.

He said that because the restructuring could not be completed within the six months period, such staffers had to continue to work.

Kazzah, however, said it was regrettable that the staffers had to work for nine months without salaries.

“Each time we call on the management they would say there is no money.

“Unfortunately when the BPE asked for the statement of the account we discovered there is about 600 million in the account; this money can be able to cover our outstanding salary, why not pay us.

“The CEO has bluntly refused to pay us these outstanding salaries despite the availability of funds; but she has engaged on some kind of spending unnecessarily up to the tune of N800 million without considering the welfare of the workers.”

He said that members of staff and the union had been brainstorming on how to meet with the management and dialogue, stressing that it appeared that the management was not willing to resolve the issues.

Kazzah then called on the Federal Government to replace the NITEL chief executive with someone else who would have staff welfare at heart.

“It appears this woman is misfit to manage NITEL and workers are worried and are disturbed; we are left with the option to ask government to replace her with somebody who has human face.”

Kazzah said that if the issues were not resolved after due consultation, the unions would have no option than to embark on strike.

Comrade Emmanuel Adu, the National Secretary of the Union, decried that the staff have been suffering in the mist of plenty as the company currently had about N600 million.

He disclosed that it would only cost the company N35 million every month to pay workers’ salaries, adding that the N600 million could take care of the outstanding salaries of the workers.

“We cannot be suffering in the midst of plenty: this is a company that has almost N600 million in our account and our salary is N35 million per month for the staff.

“They have been using these money to go on foreign trips, embark on unnecessary projects; under one year legal fee gulped N93 million, yet you cannot pay salary.

“Enough is enough, she must pay salaries.”

Adu explained that the company had so many sources of revenue accruing to it monthly and as such does not have to rely on government to pay salaries when it can pay the salaries.

He said that the company had Sat-3 fiber optics which so many companies subscribed to as well as DOT (another service which people subscribe to)

He disclosed that the two services generated at least N100 million to the company on a monthly basis which was enough to pay staff salaries of N35 million each month.

“With these two services that we have so far, it’s enough to pay our salaries, the money is there for us to pay our salaries.

“We should not be passing the buck to federal government, we should be able to pay our salaries. NITEL must be paying their workers’ salary not federal government.”

Meanwhile, attempts to meet members of the NITEL management for comments proved abortive.

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NCC Assures Safe, Accessible Digital Space

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has assured Nigerians of accessible, resilient and safe digital space in the nation’s digital economy.
The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, NCC, Rimini Makama, gave the assurance at the NCC’s Digital Economy Sensitisation Forum, with the theme, “Leaving No One Behind: Digital Access, Equity and Empowerment” in Abuja.
Makama said that the commission remained committed to ensuring that Nigeria’s national telecommunications infrastructure remained resilient, accessible and secure.
“Digital empoScientists Advocate Shared Responsibility To Boost Food Securitywerment must be inclusive. Without inclusion and equity, the benefits of the digital economy will remain unevenly distributed.
“The commission, through its Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) and other initiatives, is actively extending digital opportunities to the unserved, underserved, physically challenged and vulnerable groups through several impactful programmes,” he said.
The Publicity Expert for the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Dr Nihinlola Fefa, said that the association had been an advocate of cyber security awareness and sensitisation over the years.
“ATCON has been a very key stakeholder in the ICT and telecom industry. We have always advocated for cybersecurity awareness and sensitisation.
“We have been giving our own input over the years. We interface with all the telecom companies. We do a lot of studies, and we also give our contributions in so many ways,” she said.
She commended the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, for deploying technology into rural communities.
According to her, though Nigeria is doing well in the area of cybersecurity, there is room for improvement.
“We are in a good position right now and we can do better from the government side,” she said.
Also speaking, the Head, IT and Cybersecurity, National Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Olorunisomo Isola, said that the commission had rolled out the necessary framework.

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Expert Tasks Nigerians On AI

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An economist, Dr Chinedu Amadi, has urged Nigerians to leverage the opportunities inherent in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to become competitive in the global business and social spaces.
Amadi, who is also the President, Organisation of Youth in International Trade and Commerce (OY-ITC), gave the urge during an interview with newsmen , in Abuja, Monday.
Amadi noted that humanity has always advanced by expanding its intelligence and capabilities through technology across different eras pointing out that AI now drives economic systems, social interactions and competitive advantage among nations globally.
“The world is entering a phase where humans and intelligent machines will share cognitive functions, so Nigeria should innovate or risk being sidelined in the emerging global digital order.
“The next frontier extends beyond AI tools to a deeper relationship between human consciousness and machine intelligence. This phase has the dawn of shared human machine cognition shaping future innovation and development worldwide,” he said.
Amadi noted that countries like the U.S., Japan and China already integrated AI into national planning, logistics and defence operations.
He warned that a deeper wave of collaboration between humans and intelligent systems is rapidly emerging
urging Nigeria and other African nations not to remain passive observers in this technological transition.
“Nigeria must innovate urgently or risk missing another major industrial revolution. Future global leadership will favour nations that create, regulate and ethically manage advanced technologies,” he added.
He said that the youthful population is viewed as a potential cognitive economy capable of driving digital creativity.
He advised policymakers and institutions to develop indigenous technologies, reflecting national priorities and moral values.
The president, however, noted that energy and agricultural sector can gain efficiency through predictive AI and advanced computation, adding that governance can also benefit from digital systems that strengthen transparency and curb corruption.
While noting that neural interfaces and quantum processing would soon merge human thought with computationAmadi said that the evolution demands ethical guidance, empathy and deeper human conscience in education system.
According to him, nations worldwide are racing to regulate AI and Nigeria also needs to define its strategic position.
“The future beyond AI will favour societies that balance innovation with wisdom and uphold human dignity,” he said.

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NIGCOMSAT Expands Nigeria’s Digital Broadcast Subsector By 35%

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The Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited says the country’s digital broadcast subsector  has expanded by 35 per cent to 75 per cent utilisation in two years.
This, it said, represented a milestone in the country’s digital transformation drive.
The Managing Director, NIGCOMSAT, Mrs Jane Egerton-Idehen, made the remark  at a retreat with the theme: ‘Aligning for the Future: Innovation, Collaboration, and Sustainable Growth”, in Abuja, Monday.
According to her the theme reflects NIGCOMSAT’s commitment to driving Nigeria’s digital transformation and positioning itself as a global satellite industry leader.
She said one of the notable achievements in its broadcast segment was the Digital Switch Over (DSO) project, describing it as not just a technical milestone but also a national service.
“This growth is a testament to the organization’s improved service delivery and stronger engagement with partners and clients.
“The DSO project, a collaborative effort with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), is a key milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation.
“NIGCOMSAT’s contribution to the project is enabling digital broadcasting penetration across the federation, cementing the organisation’s position at the centre of Nigeria’s digital transformation,” she said.
Egerton-Idehen said the achievements were expected to drive revenue growth, with target of three billion naira in annual revenue and eight billion naira in revenue within three years adding that the organisation’s expansion of broadband services and private sector partnership was key to achieving the goals.
“We cannot move boldly into the future without addressing the weight of the past. Our debt profile — both financial and operational — is a reality we must confront with strategy, discipline, and creativity.
“These are our headwinds. We acknowledge them openly because honesty is the first step toward transformation.,” Egerton-Idehen said.
She said in spite of challenges such as economic barriers and competition, the organisation remained optimistic about the future.
“We must out-innovate the market, deepen partnerships, and build a culture of solution-focused, profit-driven, and people-centered excellence.”
“The key initiatives include transitioning to software-defined satellites, expanding broadband services, and the NIGCOMSAT Accelerator for the Space Ecosystem.
“The organisation is prioritising public-private partnerships, branding, and communication, as well as investing in its people,” she said.
The Chief Executive Officer, Data Science Nigeria, Olubayo Adekanbi, said satellite-based economy could revolutionise key sectors such as agriculture, health, and education, creating new job opportunities and increasing productivity.
“By providing internet access to remote areas, satellite technology can bridge the digital divide and ensure no one is left behind.

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