News
Cable Equiano: Pantami, Danbatta Pledge Enabling Policy Environment for Wider Connectivity

Nasiru Yusuf
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), and the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, have promised to continue to drive policy initiatives that promote investment in infrastructure in the Nigerian telecom industry in order to deepen connectivity to enhance the nation’s growth and development.
KANO FOCUS reports that the duo stated this on the sideline of the reception marking the landing of the Equiano undersea Cable System in Nigeria at the Open Access Data Centre at Lekki in Lagos.
Pantami and Danbatta commended Google LLC, the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), and other investors for bringing additional bandwidth capacity into the country to drive connectivity and growth.
While Pantami was represented at the event by NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Adeleke Adewolu, Danbatta was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services at NCC, Ubale Maska. Other senior management staff of the Commission at the event included the NCC’s Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Bako Wakil, and the Controller, NCC’s Ibadan Zonal Office, Yomi Arowosafe.

The Minister said the Federal Government, through the Ministry, will continue to drive the implementation of existing digital economy-oriented policies already put in place by the current administration. Pantami also promised an enabling environment that encourages foreign and local investment in infrastructure project such as the way Google and its co-investors have done.
Also commenting, Danbatta said the Commission’s expectations, initiatives, and vision towards increasing broadband penetration, quality of service, advancement of a digital economy, and commitment to improving national security through technological advancement, are on the priority list of its regulatory interventions.
Danbatta expressed delight that Equiano has joined the list of other submarine cables at the shores of Nigeria, including SAT3 cable, MainOne cable, Glo1 cable, ACE cable WACS cable, Dolphin by Natcom, and MTN respectively.
The EVC assured stakeholders of Commission’s commitment towards ensuring that the huge bandwidth capacity from these cables at shore in Lagos would be transmitted to different part of the country to drive robust and ubiquitous infrastructure. This is in keeping with the provisions of the digital economy policy being implemented by government in collaboration with all stakeholders.
The EVC expressed optimism that Google’s investment in the subsea cable, Equiano, will be significant in driving NCC’s ongoing implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, which aims at increasing broadband penetration to 70 per cent by 2025.
“We are hopeful that Equiano, together with earlier undersea cables in the country, will have additional landing points in the hinterlands through collaborative efforts with NCC-licensed Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos). This will help to reduce retail data prices significantly and thereby complementing the Commission’s efforts at ensuring that affordable Internet services are available to boost Commission’s ongoing broadband policy initiatives”. Danbatta stated and thereby helped to reiterate the objective linkages of policies and plans in the telecom ecosystem, and the national economic strategies.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who also witnessed the unveiling of the Google submarine cable, underscored its centrality to Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to boost job creation and contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), over the next three years.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WIOCC, Chris Wood, also described the landing of the submarine cables as a major investment in the Nigerian digital economy.
The new cable system is named after a Nigerian hero, Olaudah Equiano, who survived enslavement in the 18th century and went on to become a famous writer and anti-slavery activist. Besides, the triumph over challenges, which Equiano’s life symbolised, the landing of the cable in Nigeria is expected to underscore Nigeria’s leadership as a regional hub for connectivity, and thus, set to attract cloud operators, content providers, content distribution networks and their associated ecosystems.

News
UNICEF asks Kano to declare state of emergency on polio

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has advised Kano state government to declare a state of emergency on polio eradication.

KANO FOCUS reports that the Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Mr. Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, gave the advise during the June Media Dialogue on Polio and Routine Immunization, held on Thursday.
According to him, disseminating accurate information on polio is crucial to addressing disinformation, misinformation, rumors and myths, which are all preventing families from accepting the vaccine.
Farah maintained that there was need to tell families in Kano that vaccines are available, safe and effective.
He added that: “By doing so, the media will be helping to ensure that every child under five is vaccinated and protected against polio and other killing diseases.
“The June Polio Vaccination campaign coincides with the Day of the African Child, whose theme is focusing on Child-friendly budgeting.
“It is therefore very important to highlight the issue of the significance of adequate resources allocation to the fight against polio.
“So, while media deployment of its various channels to share accurate information about the polio and mobilize families to take the vaccine are important.”
UNICEF urged the media to focus attention on the challenge of non-release, delayed release or lack of utilization of Government Counterpart funding for polio vaccination campaigns and Routine Immunization programme.
Farah insisted that, “timely release of counterpart funding for polio vaccination campaign is important to reach every eligible child with the polio vaccine.
Polio remains a highly infectious disease with very deadly consequences for young children.
“One case of polio anywhere in Nigeria is a threat to children everywhere in Nigeria! We must all work together to eradicate polio in Kano state, with special focus on high risk LGAs including Warawa, Bunkure, Kano Municipal and Nassarawa LGAs.
“These are the LGAs where incidence of a variant of the polio virus has been noticed in 2025. This is unacceptable and must be halted!”
Farah urged Kano residents to remember that polio knows no boundaries, knows no borders Polio spreads fast – and an outbreak in any country puts children in every country at risk.
According to him, the outbreak of plio can be stopped and eradicated if every child is vaccinated.
He added that, “ending polio and improving children’s survival starts with making sure all children have access to vaccines.
“UNICEF reiterates its request to the Kano State government to take actions: to declare a State of Emergency on Polio and Routine Immunization including a commitment to take the leadership to resolve noncompliance issues, provide adequate supervision and timely release of adequate State Counterpart funding for Routine Immunization and polio vaccination campaigns. ”
In his remarks Dr Nasir Mahmoud, Director-General of the Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board, said Kano State Government has launched plans to vaccinate 3.9 million children under five years old.
He said the targeted vaccination is part of efforts to eradicate polio through the June 2025 Outbreak Response (OBR) vaccination campaign across the state.
Dr Mahmoud said the campaign aligns with the national strategy.
He explained that the aim was to stop polio transmission and uphold Nigeria’s polio-free status through coordinated immunisation efforts.
He also stressed the resurgence of the type 2 poliovirus in some areas of Kano.
According to him, factors responsible for the resurgence include community resistance, poor data reporting, and insecurity, which affected previous immunization rounds.
Ungogo LGA recorded the highest non-compliance in May 2025.
Dr Mahmoud appreciated Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s consistent support, especially the prompt release of counterpart funding.
He said LGAs were now being ranked monthly to track performance and motivate improved results in vaccination coverage.

News
NCC, Stakeholders Tackle Rural Connectivity Challenges

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has collaborated with the Association for Progressive Communications and other institutional stakeholders towards addressing challenges confronting rural network connectivity in Nigeria.

KANO FOCUS reports that the collaboration resulted in a two-day workshop hosted in Abuja from June 3-4, 2025, to explore policy framework for enabling community networks towards bridging the digital divide and accelerating socio-economic development in Nigeria’s underserved and unserved communities.
The forum brought together regulators, community leaders, technical experts and potential foreign investors, among others, to examine policy and regulatory barriers, explore innovative funding mechanisms, ensure sustainable renewable solutions and strengthen collaboration with stakeholders.
Addressing participants at the workshop, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the workshop is important to bridging the digital divide in Nigeria and foster inclusive social economic development.
“This workshop is an opportunity for all of us to harness the expertise, insights, and experiences of diverse stakeholders present here which includes the regulators, community leaders, technical experts and potential foreign providers to address the critical challenges such as affordable devices, access, licensing, spectrum allocation, infrastructure development, sustainability and institutional monitoring,” said Maida, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC at the event, Abraham Oshadami.
Maida said the workshop demonstrates the Commission’s commitment to advancing digital inclusion, particularly in underserved and unserved areas. “At NCC, we recognise the transformative potential of community center networks in achieving this important goal,” he said.
The EVC said NCC was committed to “this journey and views this workshop as a catalyst for meaningful change,” stating that the expertise, perspectives and commitments will shape the future where every Nigerian, regardless of his or her status, will have meaningful access to opportunities from digital connectivity.
In her remarks, Co-manager of the Association for Progressive Communications’ Local Network (LocNet) initiative, Kathleen Diga, noted that the collaboration was to tackle identified hindrances to digital inclusion. “This is a space where we can be open and exchange ideas of possibilities, opportunities that will remain in realising values of a diversified ecosystem.”
Diga said, “I believe this workshop presents a moment in time that we can explore the bottom-up approach in local communities, small social enterprises, corporative among others, which have the ability to fill some of the digital gaps that remain unfilled,” she said, adding emphasising the need to recognise that community centre connectivity exists and they are grow throughout the global south, which, she said, are a “strategic response to digital exclusion.”
The workshop featured presentations from the NCC, the Association for Progressive Communications and other institutional stakeholders such as the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) all geared towards exploring a joint policy framework to address rural digital divide.
The Association for Progressive Communications is a 35-year-old international network member-based organisation encouraging digital inclusion in the unserved communities, particularly with communities in the global south and the workshop, through its LocNet initiative aimed at crafting an enabling inclusive regulatory framework for community networks in Nigeria.

Headlines
Tears, Prayers, and Riyals: A Hajj to Remember with Gov. Yusuf

By Ibrahim Adam
In the sacred valleys of Mina, where millions gather seeking divine mercy, something unusual happened.
It wasn’t the rituals or the crowd—it was the sight of a Nigerian governor moving quietly from tent to tent, pressing warm greetings into pilgrims’ palms alongside 250 Saudi Riyals, and whispering “Barka da Sallah” like a father would to his children.
That governor was Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State. And for the over 3,345 Kano pilgrims under his care, this was more than a religious journey—it became a deeply human experience of being seen, valued, and loved.

“He walked with us,” said Alhaji Musa from Gwale, his voice trembling with emotion. “Not as a politician. As one of us. As a brother.”
A Leader Who Showed Up
Governor Yusuf’s Hajj story didn’t start in Saudi Arabia. Months earlier, in Kano, he stood before hundreds of hopeful pilgrims and made a promise:
“We will not let the burden of cost block your path to the House of Allah.”
Initially, he pledged 200 Saudi Riyals per pilgrim. But upon arrival in the Kingdom, he increased it to 250 Riyals, further surprising the pilgrims with a gesture that felt both generous and personal.
When currency instability threatened the Basic Travel Allowance, he released over ₦376 million in emergency support to ensure each pilgrim received their full $500.
“He didn’t leave us at the airport. He followed us to Makkah, to Mina, to Arafat,” said Hajiya Rabi from Dala.
“He came before everyone, inspected our hotels, tasted our meals, asked about our beds.”
He wasn’t just preparing for the cameras. He was preparing for the people.
In Mina, a Governor Turned Father
Under the scorching Saudi sun in Mina, where sleep is brief and emotions run high, the governor emerged quietly with his team a day after Eid.
No sirens. No announcement. Just warmth.
He moved from tent to tent, personally distributing 250 Riyals to every single Kano pilgrim—3,345 in total. The joy was instant. The emotion, overwhelming.
“When he announced the money, I started crying,” said Hajiya Safiya, an elderly widow from Dawakin Tofa.
“I didn’t expect him to even visit, let alone remember us.”
It wasn’t just about the money. It was the humility of the gesture. The human touch.
Three Square Meals and a Human Connection
For many pilgrims, this was also the most comfortable Hajj they had ever experienced—not in luxury, but in dignity.
• In Makkah, pilgrims received two hot meals daily.
• In Mina and Arafat, where pilgrims often struggle for food, they enjoyed three full meals per day—fresh, consistent, and culturally familiar.
And it wasn’t just the quality of the food. Meals were brought directly to the pilgrims’ doorsteps—ensuring no one was left out or delayed.
This small but thoughtful gesture meant every pilgrim ate on time and with ease.
“I have been to Hajj before,” said Malam Bala, a retired teacher.
“But this time, I was never hungry. I didn’t fall sick. I felt cared for.”
The governor’s presence ensured clean toilets, mobile clinics, and direct coordination with Saudi authorities to ease the movement of pilgrims—especially the elderly.
Words of Guidance, Not Just Gifts
Even amid his generosity, Governor Yusuf remained focused on purpose. He addressed pilgrims in a heartfelt sermon, urging them to pray for peace in Nigeria and to uphold Kano’s good name.
“You are not just here for yourself,” he said.
“You are here for your family, your state, your country. Conduct yourself with humility. Saudi law is strict—stay away from anything suspicious.”
His warning was gentle but firm. His tone—not that of a boss, but of a leader who cares enough to correct you with love.
A Memory Etched in Spirit
What made this Hajj unforgettable wasn’t just the money, the food, or the logistics. It was the presence of a leader who chose to be among his people, not above them.
“When I tell my children about Hajj 2025, I will say: ‘We went with a governor who stood by us, prayed with us, cared for us,’” said Malama Hadiza, her voice cracking.
The phrase “Ya yi mana kamar uba”—He was like a father to us—echoed from tent to tent.
Final Thoughts: A Hajj Beyond Rituals
In the end, it wasn’t the rituals alone that defined this Hajj for Kano pilgrims.
It was the tears shared, the prayers offered, the Riyals gifted—not from a government account, but from a governor’s heart.
Governor Abba K Yusuf reminded everyone watching that leadership is not about distance, protocol, or pride—it’s about presence.
About walking among your people when they are at their most vulnerable. About reminding them they are not alone.
And that—more than the meals, the money, or even the smooth logistics—is what they will remember.
He walked with us. And we will never forget.
Ibrahim Adam is a Special Adviser to the Kano State Governor on Information and Head of Hajj Media Team 2025.
