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Subscribers Decry Pay For SIM Registeration
Mobile telephone subscribers in Abuja have decried the demand for payment before registering SIM cards at some registration centres.
Some subscribers made the complaints in separate interviews with our source.
A civil servant, Mrs Sarah Odey, said that she was asked to pay the sum of N100 before she could register her SIM card of one of the major service providers in the country..
Odey said that the agent registering for the network provider at Nyanya Plaza in Nyanya, FCT insisted that she must pay before her SIM could be registered.
“I was asked to pay N100 by the agent registering for the network at Nyanya Plaza before he could register me.
And when I refused to pay, he asked me to leave the queue and the man next to me paid and was registered she said.
“I want the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to do something about this act of corrupt network agents defrauding the public.’’she added.
Odey called on the commission to investigate this act of fraud and arrest the accomplice.
A clothes seller, Mr Johnson Attah, also said that he paid the sum of N100 before he was registered at Ado junction in Mararaba axis in Nasarawa State.
Attah noted that he paid the money as soon as he was asked to pay because of the stress of registering his SIM card.
He explained that he registered in 2012, only to receive an SMS that he should come and register his SIM card.
“I went to the office of the provider?to register my SIM but the queue was so long and at the end of the day I was unable to register it. I paid the N100 because of the stress I encountered while trying to register my SIM card but some persons in the queue refused to pay and as soon as I registered, I was sent a message that my SIM had been registered” he said
Attah told Tide source that it was unfair for the?providers to demand for money before SIM cards could be registered, “I am calling on the regulator to tackle this issue of payment”.I thought this registration was meant to be free, why are they demanding for money before SIM could be registered?” he querrid.
A food seller, Mr Oladipe Sulieman, noted that he went to register because NCC ordered that any SIM card that was not registered after June 30 would?be banned.
Sulieman said, “I paid N100 before my SIM was registered. This country is turning to another thing; nothing is free.’’
Responding, the Director, Public Affairs NCC, Mr Tony Ojobo, said that registration of SIM cards was free, and that was the official position.
Ojobo urged subscribers to go to their different networks’ offices and register their SIM cards, adding that they should?not pay any money for?registration of SIM cards.
He gave assurance that the commission’s Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement Department would investigate the issue, adding that anyone found wanting would be arrested and prosecuted.’’
Reports say that the development may not be unconnected with the June 30 deadline given by the NCC for the closure of registration of old SIM cards.
Ict/Telecom
NCC Assures Safe, Accessible Digital Space
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.
Ict/Telecom
Expert Tasks Nigerians On AI
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.
Ict/Telecom
NIGCOMSAT Expands Nigeria’s Digital Broadcast Subsector By 35%
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.
