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NCC Begins Campaign For Girls’, Safety, Security 

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has begun  awareness campaign for creation that would promote safety and security amongst girls in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the country.
The commission held an awareness event at the Government Science Technical College (GSTC), Area 3, Garki,  recently in Abuja, to commemorate the Girls in ICT Day.
The Tide’s source reports that Girls in ICT is an initiative of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the global body responsible for setting telecommunications standard.
Deputy Director, New Media and Information Security Department,  NCC, Mrs Tokunbo Oyeleye,  said the event is aimed at encouraging girls to pursue careers in Science, Techology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Oyeleye said this year’s theme,  “Access and Safety”, was meant to create discussions on access and safety barriers girls faced when they pursued STEM studies and careers.
She, however, said the main focus for this year are: equal access, accessibility, gender stereotypes, and workplace environment and safety online.
“There is a need to promote opportunities for girls in STEM and educate them on the benefits they can gain from it.
“There is a need to make classes and materials in STEM more inclusive and easily understandable for people with disabilities, especially women.
“These stereotypes increase a sense to girls that they are not capable of pursuing ICT careers and are not supposed to be in it.
“To ensure girls are safe online, they need to be educated and empowered with the appropriate knowledge and tools to be used online,” she explained.
Also speaking, Mr Ebuka Nkoro, an Early Career Fellowship facilitator of Internet Society (ISOC) and partner to the Commission on Child Online Protection, said the girls should beware of their digital footprints.
Nkoro advised the students to use some tips for online safety, which were the use of very strong passwords, eight to 10 digits password, use of password managers and installation of good antivirus accordingly.
He urged girls to avoid online bullies, phishing and online gaming attacks and online swindlers.
“Do not share or post unnecessary things, especially nude pictures of yourself.
“These are social engineering attacks generated by a hacker to gain access to your personal data,” he said.
On er part, the Matron, ICT Club, GSTC, Mrs Nusirat Atoyebi, called for a better relationship between NCC and the school, adding that it needed more equipment to empower the girls.
Atoyebi said this was an eye-opener to greater opportunities in the ICT sector and the students were ready to learn, unlearn and relearn at all costs.
Thanking the NCC for the gesture and expressing hope for supply of more computers to the school, she noted that one of the technical trades in the school being computer craft, the infrastructure was not enough.
“As government school, the population is high and the infrastructure is not enough. We will be happy if NCC will help us with computers as one of the technical trades is computer craft.
“We have students that have been thought computer programming, computer electronics, computer repairs as their core subjects. So, to be able to do more, we need more equipment,” she said.
Responding, a student of the GSTC, Ms Emmanuella Freshman, said the programme had imparted knowledge into her, such that it improved her thinking and learning on online bullying.
Freshman said she had an online application called “Things Vibe”, which deals with teenagers that have no time to express themselves.
“I made this app in such a way that teenagers can express themselves.
“There is entertainment, learning, talent, quotes and mentors that can encourage and motivate you, using the App. My ICT teachers have been helpful in the success of this project,” she said.

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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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