BY LINDA JACOBS, Lagos, Nigeria

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has okayed 37 telecommunications service providers as officially operating in the telecom space in its newly published National Numbering Plan Second Quarter, 2020.   

The Commission also recovered 41, 240,448 million lines that have been left inactive or unused by telecommunications licencees across 36 states of the country over the years following an audit conducted.

National Numbering Plan specifies the format and structure of the numbers used in identifying devices or subscribers connected to a network, which in turn can also be used for routing and call charging.

This new National Numbering Plan list contains the names of approved allottees, their Area, Area Code, Access Code, Numbering Range and Total Lines with which they are operating with.

Investigation by www.siliconnigeria.com.ng revealed that the allottees include: 101 Communications Ltd, 21^st Century Technologies Ltd, Airtel Networks Ltd, Airworld Technologies Ltd, Alpha Technologies Ltd, Big Picture Nigeria Ltd, Broadbased Communications Ltd, CallMe Nigeria Ltd, Cedarview Communications Ltd, Cyberspace Ltd, EMTS Ltd (9mobile), FNL Engineering Ltd, Globacom Ltd, GTS Info Tel Nig Ltd, Intercellular Nig Ltd, Interra Networks Ltd and iPNX Nig Ltd.

Others are: Megatech Engineering Ltd, MTN Nigeria Comm. Ltd (formerly VGC Comm), MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd, NATCOMS Dev & Investment Ltd, Reston Communications Services Ltd, Skyway Technology & Services Ltd, Smile Communications Nig Ltd, Spectranet Ltd, Swift Networks Ltd, Swift Telephone Networks Ltd, Telvida International Systems Ltd and Tizeti Network Ltd,

The rest are: TNT Global Technologies Ltd, Vezeti Services Ltd, Visafone Comm Ltd (formerly Cellcom), Visafone Comm Ltd (formerly ITN), Visafone Comm Ltd (formerly Bourdex), Visafone Communications Ltd, Vodacom Business Africa and Voix Networks Limited.

The regulator of the Nigerian telecommunications industry had 33,749,000 lines withdrawn while 7, 491, 448 lines were returned by the former users with effect from June 19, 2020.

NCC had earlier issued a Draft Final Report on the Development of New Number Plan. The Withdrawn/Returned numbers were part of the Commission’s “regular audit in order to ascertain the level of utilization of numbers assigned to operators.”

www.siliconnigeria.com.ng gathered that the phone lines were either inactive, dormant or no longer in use by the assigned telecommunication operators. Many of the telecom licencees were either no longer in operation or have had to realign their business strategy away from the initial demands for the lines.

According to data made available by the Commission on its website, the licencees who had their lines withdrawn include ABG Communications Limited (10,000) for Abuja; Akklaim Telecoms Limited for Abuja (20,000) and Kano (10,000); Allied Bond Standard Coy Ltd (10,000) for Lagos; Alpha Wireless Limited (5,000) for Warri; Bell & Bell (10,000) for Jos.

Others are: BIG Communications Ltd (10,000) Makurdi; Broadband Technologies Ltd (10,000) Lagos; Cecil-Dolton Nigeria Ltd Lagos (8,000); Chromecomm Ltd (formerly Monarch Communications Ltd) Lagos (15,000), Abuja (5,000) and Port Harcourt (5,000); Cyancomm Ltd (formerly MTS 1^st Wireless Ltd) Lagos (100,000), Ibadan (10,000), Abuja (20,000), Abeokuta (5,000), Onitsha (10,000), Aba (10,000), Port Harcourt (20,000).

NCC withdrew from Digital Telecoms Nig Ltd Lagos (6,000); Disc Communications Ltd Lagos (7,000) and Port Harcourt (3,000); Electronics Comms. Inc., Lagos (70,000); Eltel Communications Lagos (5,000); EM-International Systems Ltd Lagos (10,000); Envision Global Reach Nig. Ltd, Abuja (5,000); Fybertel Comms. (Nigeria) Ltd, Lagos (10,000); GiCell Wireless Ltd, Ibadan (20,000), Ilorin (20,000), Yola (20,000), Maiduguri (20,000), Calabar (20,000); Horizons Broadcasting & Telecoms, Kano (2,000).

Also withdrawn lines came from Imperial Telecoms Ltd, Lagos, (10,000); Independent National Electoral Commission, Abuja (10,000); Integrated Mobile Services, Lagos (10,000), Abuja (10,000); Integrated Wireles Tech Nig. Ltd, Lagos (5,000); Magenta Communications Ltd Onitsha (5,000), Port Harcourt (5,000); Mobitel Limited, Lagos (10,000), Abuja (10,000), Warri (10,000) and Port Harcourt (10,000); M-Tel Communications Limited, National (27,500); Multi-Links Telecommunications Ltd, Lagos (400,000), Ibadan (60,000), Abuja (50,000), Ilorin (20,000), Oshogbo (10,000), Ile-Ife (20,000), Ijebu-Ode (15,000), Abeokuta (10,000), National 11,000,000); Multiple Services Ltd, Lagos (10,000); and NAVAO Ltd, Lagos (10,000).

Also, withdrawn were lines from Odu’a Telecoms Limited, Omar Communications Limited, Orprah Communications Ltd, Peace Global Satellite Communications Ltd, Prest Cable& Satellite TV Sys Ltd, Q-Voda Telecom, Rainbownet Ltd, Regal Telecom Ltd, Royal Strides Telecom Ltd, Sadasa Communications Ltd, Shell Petroleum Dev Coy of Nig Ltd, Sky Broadband Ventures Ltd (formerly Direct On PC), Skyview-O Nig Ltd, Syntel I.G. Wills Communications, Starcomms Plc, Startech Connections (Witel Ltd), Sunmail Telecoms,  T-Comms Nig. Ltd, TELCO Africa Ltd, Telefonics Networks (thorst) Ltd, Topcom Nig Ltd, Vitel Wireless, WAK Telecommunications Ltd, Webcom Ltd, Wideways Nig Ltd, Wireless Telecoms Ltd, Woldscope Ventures Ltd, XPT Link Ltd, Yemshba Investment Ltd, and Zoom Mobile (Reliance Telecom Ltd).

Among those returned are: Galaxy Info Tech & Telecoms Ltd, Dutse (10,000); GTS Infotel Nig Ltd, National (10,000); Megatech Engineering Ltd, Kano (10,000). Other numbering plans running into millions by Nigeria Telecommunications Ltd and Visafone Communications Ltd.

… Set for 2^nd term confirmation this week

The Senate Committee on Communications led by Distinguished Senator Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu has commended the outstanding performance of the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta in the last five years.

The lawmakers screened Nigeria’s Telecom Regulator last week Wednesday at the Senate Chambers when he appeared before the Senate Screening Committee in Abuja.

SiliconNigeria checks showed that Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta is set to be confirmed by the Senate following his reappointment by the President for another five-year term in office as the country’s chief telecoms regulator.

A statement signed Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, NCC stated during the screening, Danbatta, who demonstrated his deep knowledge of the industry, extensively discussed his scorecard since he assumed office as the EVC of NCC on August 4, 2015, following which the Committee members applauded him for his sterling performance and exceptional leadership qualities which, they said had helped in accelerating the growth of the telecoms sector.

Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, a prominent member of the committee, who represented the Chairman of the Senate Screening Committee, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, during the screening, as well as other committee members, including Sen. Sandy Onor, Sen. Abiodun Olujimi, Sen. Bamidele Opeyemi, Sen. Omar Jeff, Sen. Kashim Shettima and Sen. Bukachuwa, commended Danbatta’s impressive performance in piloting the affairs of the country’s digital ecosystem.

Oloriegbe noted that the screening and confirmation exercise is in accordance with the provisions of Section 8 subsections 1 and 4 of the Nigerian Communications Commission Act (NCA), 2003.

Section 8 subsection 1 of the Act states that “…all commissioners to be appointed after the coming into force of this Act shall be appointed by the President in accordance with Section 7 of this Act, from the six geo-political zones of Nigeria subject to confirmation by the Senate,” while subsection 4 states that “…commissioners shall serve for a term of 5 years from the date of their appointment at the expiration of which the President may renew the term for a further period of 5 years and no more.”

Danbatta, who gave convincing accounts of his stewardship in the last five years, said the diligent implementation of NCC’s auspicious strategic 8-Point Agenda, which he put in place when he assumed office in 2015, provided the basis for most of the Commission’s achievements in the last five years, especially in the areas of service availability, accessibility and affordability.

The EVC reeled outstanding achievements under him in the past five years and provided  relevant industry and macro-economic statistics to illuminate his efforts and strides in the areas of the sector’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Quality of Service (QoS) delivery, broadband infrastructure deployment, broadband penetration, effective spectrum utilisation, consumer empowerment, technology innovation as well as the Commission’s efforts with respect to curbing fraudulent Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) registration and 112 Emergency Number towards ridding the country of insecurity, among others.

Danbatta thanked the lawmakers for their support over the last five years and pledged his renewed commitment to further accelerate the growth of the telecoms industry as the key driver of the country’s digital economy vision over the next five years.

“As a Commission, we are committed to challenging our current achievements. Consequently, we are poised to work more with the National Assembly and other necessary stakeholders in order to ensure we take Mr. President’s digital agenda for the country to the next level in the next five years.”

Meanwhile, the Committee will report the outcome of the screening exercise to the Senate Committee of the Whole House for confirmation of Danbatta’s reappointment during the next legislative sitting.

BY LINDA JACOBS, Lagos, Nigeria

 As part of its focus in bringing people together and building communities, Facebook today announced the 12 African community leaders who have been selected to join Facebook’s Community Accelerator, a six-month programme that aims to equip communities with the training, mentorship, and funding they need to grow. 

Part of the global Facebook Community Leadership initiative launched in 2018, the Community Accelerator programme invests in leaders who are building communities around the world; including bringing people together, offering encouragement, and driving change.

 Following the call for applications in March 2020, 77 community leaders from around the world were chosen, with 12 selected from Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Awarding up to $3 million, selected community leaders will receive up to $30,000 in funding. In the first three months of the programme, these leaders will learn from experts and coaches, whilst developing customized curriculums focused on growing their own communities.

The following three months will then be focused on iterating and executing their plans, with funding and continued support from their network, as well as from a dedicated programme team. The Community Accelerator will then culminate in an event with community leaders to showcase their communities and progress to external funders and partners.  

Commenting, Kezia Anim-Addo, Head of Communications for Sub-Saharan Africa said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming 12 African community leaders to Facebook’s first Community Accelerator. We’ve seen time and again the power of communities in bringing people closer together and feeling more connected.

“We know community leaders can do extraordinary things when they have adequate support from others, tools to get the job done, funding to grow and belief in themselves. The Facebook Community Accelerator will enable these great communities to make an even greater positive impact in the world, and we hope that through the support of the programme these communities will have extraordinary impact, even in extraordinary times.”

Community leaders selected from across Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa as part of the Facebook Community Accelerator include: 

• Hauwa Ojeifo, She Writes Woman (Nigeria) – In 2016, Hauwa created “Safe Place Nigeria” to provide a stigma and judgment-free space for young people to talk about mental health related issues. It has become a community for young people to learn, feel connected, get support and feel a sense of belonging
• Bright Shiitemii, Mental360 (Kenya) – Mental 360 was started in 2016 to give youth a safe platform to learn about mental health and illness and to access affordable holistic solutions. It is a non-partisan non-discriminatory space where youth can grow their emotional wellness, grow their network and get peer support
• Lauren Dallas, Future Females (South Africa) – founded in 2017 with a mission to increase the number of female entrepreneurs and support their success. They have become the go-to destination for aspiring and early stage female entrepreneurs to receive the inspiration, education and support needed to build profitable businesses online
• Tony Onuk, The Root Hub (Nigeria) – Roothub was started in 2014 to provide a safe space for youths to build their ideas, grow their businesses, and access support
• Esther Mwikalii, Metta NBO (Kenya) – founded in 2015 as an entrepreneurs’ network with the goal of bringing together founders, policy makers and investors to collaborate 
• Refilwe Nkomo, Visual Arts Network South Africa (South Africa) – established in 2007 as a support point and development agency for contemporary art practice in South Africa. It aspires to be a dynamic and resilient network-based organisation contributing to growth, innovation and opportunities in the arts
• Eyitayo Ogunmola, Utiva (Nigeria) – Utiva is a decentralized ecosystem that helps Nigerians access technology skills and trainings regardless of their location and internet barrier
• Naadiya Moosajee, WomEng (South Africa) – a social enterprise aimed at attracting, developing and nurturing the next generation of women engineering leaders
• Abiodun Adereni, Helpmum (Nigeria) – started in 2017, HelpMum tackles maternal and infant mortality in remote rural areas in Nigeria, and provides Clean Birth Kits for hygienic delivery to pregnant women, immunization reminders and health information to nursing mothers
• dillion phiri, Creative Nestlings (South Africa) – Launched in February 2011, dillion s. phiri founded Creative Nestlings to connect young African creatives to each other, to opportunities and to resources, democratizing how young African creatives connect, get paid, learn and grow
• Rufaro Mudimu, Enke (South Africa) – “enke”, meaning ‘ink’ in SeTswana, started in 2009 to bridge socioeconomic inequality by bringing young people together and equipping them with the skills and experiences to improve their lives. “enke” connects, equips and inspires young people to make their mark, authoring a positive future for themselves and their communities
• Tariro Bure, MINDS (South Africa) – MINDS was founded in 2010 as a platform rooted in cultural heritage and knowledge systems for youth to reclaim their African identities and transform the continent. It has become a movement of youth and crucial stakeholders which aspires to shape policy, foster economic development, and enhance evolution of African institutions

Commenting on his Community Group, Abiodun Aldereni, Founder of HelpMum said: “I feel excited to be selected among the Facebook community accelerator cohort and I look forward to growing our community of pregnant women, nursing women and traditional birth attendants  with the help of Facebook’s expert team.”