Headlines
New NCC Boss, Maida Commits to President Tinubu’s Vision on Digital Economy
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The new Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has said he would align the Commission’s regulatory focus to achieve the promises of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda to advance the nation’s digital transformation agenda.
KANO FOCUS reports that Maida, who spoke to the Senior Management team of the Commission at the Commission’s Head Office in Abuja Tuesday, said there is a need to ensure that the NCC strategically focuses on ensuring all Nigerians have access to affordable and reliable broadband services. Part of this is to ensure “effective broadband infrastructure diffusion across the length and breadth of Nigeria.
The new telecom regulator paid tributes to former chief executives of the Commission for their laudable role in building a resilient telecoms industry. Dr Maida said the pursuit of improved quality of service on the networks will be one of his priorities, as well as supporting the vision of the Federal Government and the Ministry of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy.
“Considering the fact that many people are going more digital and virtual in everything they do, the telecom infrastructure is now under much stress. President Tinubu’s vision emphasises the need to build more robust broadband connectivity that will not only facilitate seamless digital transactions but also serve as the bedrock for e-governance and other socio-economic initiatives,” he said.
“As such, we would align with this aspiration to increase broadband penetration to 70 per cent and to cover 90 per cent of the population by 2025. Therefore, we need to build a reliable telecom industry with impressive quality of service (QoS) indicators with quality of experience (QoE) as our watchword and ultimate goal. This also requires us to address a number of issues such as the Right of Way (RoW) challenge, ensuring security of our telecom infrastructure, among others. Efforts must be made to significantly improve service delivery by ensuring the NCC is performance-driven,” he said.
“Mr President has a very clear agenda from which all of us are going to take our direction. The two major areas are job creation and enabling the digital economy. Where we are going in a nutshell is; everything that we do in this Commission has to align directly with the Strategic Plan of the Hon. Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani and ultimately to the Renewed Hope agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We would not deviate from that.
“We would not entertain anything that deviates from this direction because my key performance indicators (KPIs) are fed into the Minister’s KPIs and the President KPIs come from the electorate that put him into power. The Hon. Minister has said clearly that he is ready to build a robust digital infrastructure and empower three million Nigerians digitally and we have to do our best to support him in this regard,” Maida said.
He stated further that, in the Strategic Plan of the Minister, there was a plan to empower three million Nigerians in digital skills and entrepreneurship, adding that this will require the Commission to support Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) as a digital training institution, to be well positioned in driving the government’s agenda on youth empowerment.
The EVC also emphasised the importance of effective spectrum management and utilisation in supporting the envisioned digital connectivity agenda, which is critical to service deployment to the generality of Nigerians and businesses in the country.
Maida, while appreciating his predecessors and the entire staff of the Commission for the laudable role being played in digital transformation of all sectors by stimulating the deployment of baseline telecom infrastructure, however, called on the staff of the Commission to join his leadership with a sense of purpose as a team towards advancing the actualisation of the President’s Renewed Hope agenda, which, he said, recognises a thriving digital economy in achieving sustainable development and quality of life for all citizens.
Aminu Abdullahi
In a significant move to strengthen Nigeria’s cybersecurity landscape, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on Tuesday, 20th May, 2025 commissioned a state-of-the-art National Cybersecurity Centre at Bayero University, Kano (BUK).
KANO FOCUS reports that the facility, unveiled, is poised to become a national hub for digital defense, innovation and talent development.
Dr. Jide Ajayi cutting the tape during the opening ceremony
Speaking during the commissioning, NITDA Director-General, Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, described the center as more than just a physical structure—“a national asset”.
Represented by Dr. Jide Ajayi from the Zonal Coordination Department, Abdullahi noted that the Centre represents a strategic intervention to enhance cybersecurity education, research and cross-sector collaboration across Nigeria.
“This is not just the unveiling of a facility, it is the activation of a knowledge-driven platform designed to equip our nation with the tools, talent and infrastructure required to safeguard our digital space and empower the next generation of cybersecurity experts,” he stated.
He added that the center aligns with the objectives of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Minister’s Strategic Blueprint, serving as a springboard for collaboration among government, academia and industry stakeholders. It will support research, hands-on training, and act as a resource hub for regional and national partners working to secure Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas, expressed deep appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and NITDA’s leadership for what he described as a visionary and transformative investment in Nigeria’s higher education and national development.
Group picture taken during opening ceremony
“This Centre is more than just a building—it is a symbol of foresight, partnership and the Federal Government’s commitment to equipping our universities with critical infrastructure for 21st-century education,” said the Vice-Chancellor.
“Indeed, the entire Bayero University community is agog with happiness,” he added.
The event was well attended by a distinguished audience, including the Principal Officers of Bayero University, senior management staff from BUK, NITDA, Deans, Directors, Heads of Departments, and a large number of academic and administrative staff, along with enthusiastic participation from students..
The 2023 Presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has debunked reaching a resolution with any individual on the trending defection rumoured to the ruling party or any other political party.
KANO FOCUS reports that Kwankwaso, who considered the recent statement credited to have suggested a particular position as an imagination of falsehood and fragmentation of political mischief against him.
A statement posted on his official X handle @KwankwasoRM, the ex-Governor insisted he has since refrained from commenting on contemporary political events, and will continue to do so for the time being.
In the said false information that went viral, Kwankwaso was quoted to have revealed a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on multiple occasions, urging him to return to the APC fold.
Responding to a statement purportedly signed by one Ibrahim Rabiu, Sen. Kwankwaso insisted he had never signed or authorised any statement to be issued on his behalf.
“My attention has been drawn to a statement purportedly stating my position on the recurring political realignments. I wish to categorically state that such statements are false, unfounded, and products of political mischief.
“I have refrained from commenting on contemporary political events, and I will continue to do so for the time being.”
” I urge the public to only engage statements that come from my public handles and other official sources”. Kwankwaso RM.”
In a releted development, the author of the purported false statement Ibrahim Rabiu has issued a self counter, denouncing the statement as a work of devil.
“I Ibrahim Rabiu, wish to inform the general public that I was never authorised by Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso to issue and release a statement on his belhalf”
“I therefore wish to tender a public apology to his person with a promise that such childish act will never be repeated in the future, please find a space in your heart to forgive me, I was misled by fake news and agents of misinformation”
The Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammad Sunusi II, commended the Adolescent Girls Initiatives for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project for reenrolling over 30,000 adolescent girls and renovating more than 1,300 schools across the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Emir made the commendation while reeiving AGILE State Project Implementation Unit (SIPU) who paid him an advocacy visit recently.
Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi ll
He emphasized the Kano Emirate Council’s commitment to advocating for education and pledged continued support to ensure the enrollment, retention, transition, and completion of girls’ education in Kano.
The Emir also emphasized the importance of collaboration and synergy in implementing policies and programs that foster the development of the state and the nation at large.
AGILE Project Coordinator presenting gift to Emir of Kano
He expressed satisfaction with the AGILE project’s strong monitoring and evaluation framework, particularly in tracking the use of grants and conditional cash transfers.
In his remarks, the Kano State AGILE Coordinator, Malam Mujtapha Aminu said more than 100,000 students are currently enrolled in learning centers across 23 local government areas under the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) second chance education in Kano.
AGILE PC and Emir of Kano
He said this initiative provides out-of-school adolescent girls an opportunity to complete their secondary education, gain entrepreneurship and life skills.
According to him, the second chance education students undergo literacy, numeracy, and entrepreneurship training across 5,000 learning centers.
Athletes who participated in AGILE WEEK Games
He further explained that after nine months of instruction, the students sit for examinations and are awarded certificates equivalent to the Junior Secondary School Certificate.
“Those who enroll in the advanced literacy program also have the opportunity to sit for national examinations such as NECO and WAEC,” he added.
He said they visited the Emir’andalace to seek blessings and advocate for support to achieve their goals.
AGILE Communications Officer and games officials
The AGILE Project is a World Bank-assisted initiative implemented through Federal and State Ministries of Education, aimed at improving secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls in Nigeria.
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