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Category: Communication

  • Senate Launches Probe as as Nigeria’s Rail Services Plummet

    Senate Launches Probe as as Nigeria’s Rail Services Plummet

    The Senate has launched an investigation into Nigeria’s railway contracts and project execution following a sharp decline in services across key routes.


    Lawmakers expressed alarm that major lines such as the Kano–Kaduna corridor now operate just one passenger trip per day, while cargo delays have nearly doubled.


    During plenary, senators cited persistent bandit attacks, poor maintenance, and aging infrastructure as major setbacks undermining the rail sector’s revival.


    Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed relevant committees to conduct a comprehensive review of all ongoing and completed rail projects, focusing on their design, funding, execution, and maintenance records.


    The probe, lawmakers said, seeks to determine why Nigeria’s railway system, once seen as the backbone of national transport, is now struggling to meet basic operational standards.

  • Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, to Deliver Realnews 13th Anniversary Lecture

    Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, to Deliver Realnews 13th Anniversary Lecture

    As Realnews Magazine and Publications Limited marks its 13th anniversary, it has chosen a theme and a speaker that reflect Africa’s most pressing developmental challenge — the security of its digital and financial frontiers.

    The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, will headline this year’s Realnews Anniversary Lecture, delivering a keynote address on “Cybersecurity, Illicit Financial Flows and Achieving Agenda 2063 in Africa.”

    The lecture is scheduled for Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Dr. Aliyu’s acceptance to speak at the landmark event was first conveyed to Realnews in March 2025. In his response to a follow-up message from the magazine on October 31, 2025, he reaffirmed his attendance, writing simply but assuredly: “I will attend by God’s grace.”

    It was a fitting affirmation from a man whose steady rise through the legal and public service ranks has been defined by diligence, integrity, and a strong sense of purpose.

    Appointed as ICPC Chairman by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on October 17, 2023, Dr. Aliyu has since been steering the Commission with a renewed sense of direction and energy.

    Barely a few days before that appointment, on October 12, 2023, he attained the highest professional recognition for legal practitioners in Nigeria — the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) — crowning years of commitment to law, governance, and public accountability.

    Before assuming national duties, Dr. Aliyu had served as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Jigawa State between 2019 and 2023, where he initiated far-reaching reforms in the justice sector. His tenure left behind a strong imprint of institutional accountability and legal innovation.

    He was instrumental in setting up the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission of Jigawa State, a pioneering structure that deepened transparency and citizen engagement in governance.

    He also worked closely with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to strengthen legal frameworks for anti-corruption and justice administration.

    Beyond the courtroom and government offices, Dr. Aliyu has also walked the corridors of academia. He lectured at the Jigawa State College of Islamic Legal Studies, Ringim, and at the Faculty of Law, Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State, contributing to the grooming of Nigeria’s next generation of legal minds.

    He has authored scholarly articles in national and international journals and presented papers at conferences around the world.

    At the ICPC, Dr. Aliyu’s leadership has been marked by quiet transformation. He has repositioned the Commission as a more credible and collaborative institution, one that commands respect both within and outside Nigeria’s borders.

    His emphasis on ethics, professionalism, and adherence to international best practices has not only boosted morale within the agency but has also attracted high-level partnerships with development organizations and civil society actors.

    Born in Birnin-Kudu, Jigawa State, on December 27, 1977, Dr. Aliyu’s journey has been one of steady and purposeful progress.

    From Central Primary School, Birnin-Kudu (1983–1989) to Government College, Bauchi (1990–1995), and on to Bayero University, Kano (LL.B, 2003), Nigerian Law School (B.L, 2004), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (LL.M, 2011), and ultimately a Ph.D. in Law from Universiti Utara Malaysia (2019), he has built a formidable academic and professional foundation that continues to define his approach to leadership.

    The 13th Realnews Anniversary Lecture will be chaired by Hon. Justice Ayotunde Phillips, former Chief Judge of Lagos State and former Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, who will also moderate the panel session.

    As Africa pushes toward the ambitions of Agenda 2063 — the African Union’s blueprint for inclusive growth and sustainable development — Dr. Aliyu’s lecture promises to explore how the continent can safeguard its economic future by tackling illicit financial flows and strengthening digital governance.

    It is, without doubt, a conversation whose time has come — and one that only a voice like Dr. Aliyu’s can lead with both clarity and conviction.

  • Telecoms tariff hike will hinder learning, research – students lament

    Telecoms tariff hike will hinder learning, research – students lament

    A cross section of students in Enugu State, on Wednesday,  appealed for the reversal of the 50 per cent hike in tariff in telecommunication services due to prevailing socioeconomic hardship.

    They were of the view that telecommunication services, such as internet data service, have enhanced learning and research work; making its usage indispensable to all students.

    They made their feelings known in separate interviews while reacting to the telecom tariff hike with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    READ ALSO: Why Nigerians should not pay tax

    Mr Divine Eze, a student of the Department of Environmental Management in the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus (UNEC), urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and telecom companies to consider the financial struggle of students and their parents.

    Eze said that currently most students could not easily cope with the high cost of textbooks and other educational materials, which cost increased in the past few years.

    “The only relief we have for now is the telecommunication services that had helped students to manage; thus, reducing need for travels, time doing research and writing same research work and essential social media communication,” he said.

    Speaking, a student of the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Mrs Chiamaka Dike, called on NCC and telecom companies not to put an increase in data service as it impacted negatively on learning and education the more.

    “Usage of data have made me to manage the N2,000 that my parents usual give to me monthly for GSM services.

    “Many other students I know go through such strict condition by using only data only when necessay,” Dike, who is of the Department of Banking and Finance, said.

    Corroborating, Mr Chidiebere Chimdobe, a student of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), noted that NCC and telecom companies failed to consult and carry all telecom stakeholders along in pushing for the hike.

    READ ALSO: Tinubu appoints Opeifa as NRC Managing Director

    Chimdobe said that the telecommunication services drove millions of soft job or e-jobs which students and fresh graduates engage in within the past 10 years.

    According to him, NCC and telecom companies are thoroughly insensitive to the hradship, daily struggles and difficult plights of Nigerian youths, which majority are students.

    “If they go ahead with the hike, it will further compound hardship and will increase social vices as well,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Progressive Students Movement (PSM), a pan-African students movement, has given an ultimatum of 72-hour to NCC and telecom companies to reverse recent 50 per cent hike in tariff.

    The President of PSM, Mr Bestman Okereafor, called for the review and reversal in a statement made available to newsmen in Enugu.

    Okereafor noted that the 50 per cent increment at this time is “unjustifiable, untimely, and insensitive; hence the total rejection of this anti-masses increment.”

    According to him, PSM is calling on NCC and telecommunications companies to review its stance as a matter of urgency.

    He said, “The attention of PSM has been drawn to NCC’s approval of Telecom operators 50 per cent tariff increment.

    READ ALSO: CBN moves to end trade in Naira notes

    “It will be recalled that telecom operators had previously demanded to adjust their tariff rate; a request which many Nigerians especially Nigerian students frowned at.

    “Information at our disposal shows that NCC approved the telecom companies request in response to rising operational costs, at the detriment of Nigerians and the obvious economic realities facing the country.

    “However, this development, which allows for a maximum of 50 per cent adjustment to current tariffs, was announced in a statement signed by Reuben Muoka, the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, on Monday, Jan. 20.”

    The PSM President warned that the entire students’ bodies would be protesting this abnormal and inconsiderate 50 per cent increment in tariff if not reviewed in the next 72 hours.

  • CBN moves to end the trade in Naira notes

    CBN moves to end the trade in Naira notes

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced measures to stop the trading of Naira notes, a practice that has become a growing problem across the country.  

    This announcement was made during the inaugural Stakeholders’ Conference of the Committee of Heads of Banks Operations (CHBO) held in Lagos.

    Themed “Commoditization of Naira: The Way Forward,” the event brought together financial leaders to discuss solutions to this challenge.  

    Olayemi Cardoso, CBN Governor, represented by his Senior Special Adviser, Fatai Kareem, explained that treating the Naira as a commodity undermines its role as a medium of exchange. 

    READ ALSO: Tinubu to grant presidential pardons

    He noted that this practice impacts both the banking sector and the everyday lives of Nigerians who depend on the currency for transactions.  

    “The Naira is not just a currency; it reflects our national identity. Its stability is essential for the country’s economic development,” he said.  

    To tackle the issue, the CBN outlined several strategies, including:  

    – Educating the public on proper currency use  

    – Improving cash distribution systems to prevent scarcity  

    – Collaborating with law enforcement to enforce regulations  

    – Encouraging digital payment methods to reduce reliance on cash  

    Abraham Aziegbe, Chairman of the CHBO Executive Committee, attributed the problem to cash shortages over the past two years, which led to the trading of Naira at a premium for everyday transactions.

    He emphasized the need for immediate action to restore trust in the financial system.  

    The CBN’s initiatives aim to ensure the Naira remains a stable and functional currency for all Nigerians.

  • NCC approves 50% tariff hike for Telcos  

    NCC approves 50% tariff hike for Telcos  

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved a limited increase in telecommunication tariffs for network operators. 

    The decision was made after engaging with stakeholders to address the rising costs of operations while maintaining consumer interests.  

    The adjustment, capped at a 50% maximum increase, is lower than the requests made by some operators. 

    The aim is to enable operators to manage operational expenses, invest in infrastructure, and improve service quality.  

    Telecom tariffs in Nigeria have remained unchanged since 2013, despite economic challenges such as inflation and the depreciation of the Naira. 

    This has strained operators like MTN Nigeria and Airtel, which have reported significant financial losses due to escalating costs and regulatory restrictions on tariff changes.  

    To protect consumers, the NCC has directed operators to implement the adjustments fairly and transparently.

     They are also required to inform the public about the new rates and ensure measurable improvements in service delivery.  

    The Commission assured Nigerians that it remains committed to creating a balanced environment where consumer protection, industry sustainability, and sector growth are prioritized.

  • FG announces N100M AI fund for Nigerian startups

    FG announces N100M AI fund for Nigerian startups

    The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, NCAIR, has announced the launch of a N100 million AI Fund in collaboration with Google.
    This initiative aims to support Nigerian startups that are leveraging Artificial Intelligence, AI to develop innovative solutions across various sectors.
    The fund will provide up to N10 million in funding to selected startups, along with access to Google’s AI tools, mentorship, and global network.
    The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, stated, “The AI Fund is a significant step in nurturing homegrown innovation and driving the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy. By supporting our startups, we are investing in the future of our nation.”
    The AI Fund is open to Nigerian-based startups that are focused on AI-driven technology solutions with the potential for significant impact. Applications are now being accepted, and the recipients will be announced in October.
    National Coordinator of NCAIR, Dr. Bunmi Ajala, highlighted the collaborative effort: “Our partnership with Google is a reflection of our shared vision for Nigeria’s technological advancement. The AI Fund is designed to empower our entrepreneurs with the resources they need to create impactful AI solutions. We are excited to see the transformative innovations that will emerge from this program.”
    Also, the West Africa Director, Google, Olumide Balogun, reiterated Google’s commitment: “Google’s support for the AI Fund is part of our broader mission to enhance digital capabilities across Africa. We are committed to providing Nigerian startups with the tools, mentorship, and resources they need to innovate and succeed on a global stage.”
    The AI Fund seeks applications from Nigerian startups that meet the following criteria: startups with their headquarters in Nigeria, it must have at least one Nigerian founder, focus on developing scalable AI-driven solutions and possess a live product demonstrating early traction and market fit.
    Interested startups can apply through the link as a rigorous selection process will identify promising startups with not only innovative AI solutions but also the potential for significant impact and scalability.
    Successful applicants will be announced in October 2024, with the programme officially commencing shortly thereafter.
  • Ex-MTN Group CEO, Sifiso Dabengwa Is Dead

    Ex-MTN Group CEO, Sifiso Dabengwa Is Dead

    A former CEO of MTN Group, Sifiso Dabengwa, has reportedly died.
    Reports obtained by Naija News revealed that Dabengwa passed away on Monday morning after a battle with cancer.
    Dabengwa held the position of CEO at MTN from March 2011 until 2015, when he resigned amid the company’s efforts to address a substantial fine of ₦1.04 trillion imposed by Nigeria for failing to disconnect over five million customers with unregistered SIM cards.
    Originally from Zimbabwe, Dabengwa also had a brief tenure as the CEO of MTN Nigeria until 2006.
    South African media sources have reported confirmation of his death from family spokesperson Themba Sibanyoni.
    In a statement made available to newsmen on Monday, Sibanyoni said: “Dabengwa was a titan in the telecommunications industry and an astute businessman. His tenure as CEO of MTN Group from 2011 to 2015 was marked by visionary leadership, integrity, and dedication that drove significant advancements in the industry”.
    Sibanyoni said Dabengwa left a legacy that extends far beyond the boardroom.
    “He was an advocate for education and a fervent believer in the power of technology to transform lives,” he praised the deceased.
    A senior executive at MTN, who verified the news of the passing at the company’s headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, expressed that MTN received the announcement with profound shock and sorrow.
    She remarked that the entire MTN community is in a state of mourning, given that Dabengwa remained a part of the MTN family after leading the telecommunications giant for several impactful years.
  • Digital Bridge Institute, NigComsat get new CEO, Executive Directors

    Digital Bridge Institute, NigComsat get new CEO, Executive Directors

    President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Daser David as the new President/Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI).

     

    Mr. David is an academic and industry expert with a deep understanding of digital technologies and educational leadership.

     

    The President has also approved the appointment of Mr. Reuben Oshomah as Executive Director, Marketing, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), and Mr. Adama Kure, Executive Director, Finance and Administration, (NIGCOMSAT).

     

    Mr. Oshomah has extensive experience in communications satellite marketing and strategic business development, while Mr. Kure is a seasoned finance professional with a strong record in financial management and corporate governance.

     

    The President expects the newly appointed officers to bring their wealth of experience and expertise to bear in driving the strategic vision for these institutions.