Business
FG Says “No to 100% Tariffs Hike by Telcos”
“I know that Nigerians are agitated to hear the exact percentage approved. There are still some stakeholder engagements that we are going through, but you will hear from us within a week or two.
The Federal Government has approved the planned hikes in telecom tariffs by MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile, but it will not be the 100 percent that telecom operators are pushing for at the moment.
This was the outcome of a stakeholders’ meeting with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) with the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, on Wednesday in Abuja.
The Minister disclosed during the consultations and engagements meeting that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), would soon approve the new tariffs and make it public to Nigerians.
He said: “You have seen over the past weeks that there has been agitation from some of these companies to increase tariff. They are requesting for 100 percent tariff increase.
“But it will not be by 100 percent. We are still looking at that study and NCC will come up with a clear directive on how we will go about it.
“We want to strike the balance as a government to protect our people, but also protect and ensure that these companies can continue to invest significantly.
“We need to ensure that as a sector, we get our acts together, ensure that from the regulation side, we put the right regulations in place that can ensure the growth of this sector.”
The Minister also noted that the Federal Government would no longer leave investments in infrastructure in the sector to private companies alone.
As a country, over time, we have left these investments in the hands of the private sector. They typically invest where they can see returns in the short to medium term.
“We will not want this conversation to just be about tariff increase. I think what the world is talking about today is meaningful connectivity.
The Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said that the meeting with stakeholders was about the sustainability of the industry.
“We have looked at all of these factors, and that is why, as the Minister said, it is not likely that we are going to approve a 100 percent tariff increase.
“I know that Nigerians are agitated to hear the exact percentage approved. There are still some stakeholder engagements that we are going through, but you will hear from us within a week or two.
” He said that the NCC had put some tools and instruments into place by revising its quality of service regulations for compliance service quality. He said that the MNOs must comply with simplified templates to show Nigerians charges per minute for voice calls, SMS, and a megabyte of data.
We are moving away from the regime where you will have a main rate, then you will now have a bonus which is at a different rate.
“It makes it often complicated for Nigerians to understand what they are being charged for.
“This is one of the things when we took a lot of time over the past year looking at data there is this agitation that the MNOs are stealing our data,” he said
The CEO of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, represented by Femi Adeniran, Airtel media spokesperson, noted that for the telecoms commitment to delivering superior connectivity and fostering digital inclusion, there is need for tariff increments.
“The economic realities of rising operational and capital costs necessitated the proposed tariff adjustments.
This is aimed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the sector while unlocking significant benefits for Nigerian consumers,” he said.
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Business
NAFDAC Gives Conditions For Reopening Sealed Factories of Alcoholic Manufacturers
The reopening and continued opening of any facility shall be subject to:Full compliance with the nationwide recall directive. Payment of all applicable investigative charges and regulatory fees…
• NAFDAC DG, Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Monday gave the conditions for the reopening of sealed factories of alcoholic beverages manufacturers nationwide.
At a press briefing in Lagos, the agency’s Director – General, Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, also directed the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), and their member companies who have not comply with the ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET (plastic) bottles below 200ml to do so.
“Affected manufacturers are required to immediately commence a nationwide recall of all alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml from distributors, warehouses, and other points within the supply chain and submit to the agency for destruction,” she said.
Emphasising on reopening sealed factories, she said: ” NAFDAC imposed investigative charges on defaulting companies found to have violated regulatory directives relating to the manufacture and distribution of alcoholic beverages in prohibited package sizes.
The affected companies are required to settle the applicable charges within the stipulated period and comply fully with all regulatory directives issued by the Agency.
The Agency wishes to emphasize that all recalled alcoholic products shall be subjected to inventory verification and destruction under NAFDAC supervision in accordance with the terms of the enforcement undertaking. Manufacturers shall bear the full cost of such destruction exercises.
Furthermore, before any sealed facility involved in the production of alcoholic beverages in sachets or PET bottles below 200ml can be reopened, NAFDAC will require satisfactory evidence that the production lines used for the prohibited package sizes have been dismantled, permanently disabled, or reconfigured to prevent the manufacture and packaging of alcoholic products in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml.
Such dismantling or reconfiguration shall be carried out under the direct supervision and verification of NAFDAC officers.
The reopening and continued opening of any facility shall be subject to:Full compliance with the nationwide recall directive. Payment of all applicable investigative charges and regulatory fees.Successful destruction of recalled products under NAFDAC supervision. Verification of the dismantling, reconfiguration, or decommissioning of equipment used for prohibited package sizes.Satisfactory inspection and certification by NAFDAC that the facility is compliant with all regulatory requirements.”
Business
Cybercriminals cloning DStv, other brands to steal bank accounts across Africa
According to cybersecurity company NordVPN, the campaign distributes Remote Access Trojans (RATs) and banking trojans, forms of malware that can give criminals control over infected devices and access to sensitive information.
Cybercriminals are impersonating popular companies and government agencies across Africa in a campaign designed to take over smartphones and bank accounts.
More than 100 fake websites linked to the malware campaign have been identified since August 2025.
Brands including DStv, Takealot and South African Airways, as well as the South African Revenue Service (SARS), are being used to make fraudulent messages and websites appear legitimate.
According to cybersecurity company NordVPN, the campaign distributes Remote Access Trojans (RATs) and banking trojans, forms of malware that can give criminals control over infected devices and access to sensitive information.
The attacks are particularly concerning in South Africa, where Android dominates the mobile operating system market.
NordVPN said the attacks typically begin with social engineering, where criminals send convincing messages through SMS, WhatsApp or social media.
The messages may contain urgent offers or requests involving job opportunities, tax refunds, identity renewals or pension verification.
Victims are then directed to fake websites designed to closely resemble the official websites of trusted organisations.
The sites encourage users to download an Android application. Once installed, the malicious software can operate quietly in the background, including after the smartphone is restarted.
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