The first phase of the exercise, which commenced at Toyin Street, Ikeja, and adjoining streets, revealed widespread cases of improperly deployed over-the-air fibre cables, with several cables found dangerously hanging on gates, utility poles, gutters, and bare floors.

Some of the exposed cables were observed to be live and hanging dangerously close to the ground, posing risks to public safety, environmental aesthetics, and telecom service quality.

Speaking during the exercise, Mr. Tunji Jimoh, Zonal Controller of the NCC Lagos Zonal Office, said the initiative forms part of nationwide efforts to safeguard telecommunications infrastructure and improve quality of service delivery.

Represented by Mr. Deji Roberts, Assistant Director at NCC, Jimoh expressed concern over the poor manner in which some telecom infrastructure had been deployed across parts of Lagos.

“The Commission is concerned about the manner these telecom infrastructures are deployed. Neglecting them exposes critical infrastructure to damage and can negatively impact quality of service delivery to subscribers,” he said.

He noted that the exercise is a national initiative currently piloted in Lagos State and commended LASIMRA for its collaboration and support toward sanitising the environment and ensuring proper infrastructure redeployment.

Jimoh also assured residents and subscribers that the cleanup and redeployment process would not disrupt telecom services within the affected areas.

Also speaking, Mr. Akinbiyi Akindipe, Head of Monitoring and Enforcement at LASIMRA, described the exercise as evidence of the Agency’s commitment to maintaining a “human-face” regulatory approach while ensuring compliance with infrastructure standards.

According to him, allowing telecom infrastructure to remain improperly deployed would continue to affect network service quality, public safety, and the urban environment.

“Lagos State under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu places high priority on the protection of critical national infrastructure. However, improper deployment of such infrastructure must be addressed,” he said.

Akindipe added that LASIMRA was giving operators, through ATCON, the opportunity to urgently correct identified infractions before enforcement actions become necessary.

He stressed that the Agency was not in a hurry to impose sanctions but insisted that operators must take immediate responsibility for redeploying infrastructure according to approved standards.

On his part, Mr. Segun Okuneye, chairman of the ATCON Clean-up Committee, said the exercise demonstrates the telecommunications industry’s commitment to supporting environmental sustainability and improving the aesthetics of Lagos State.

“The telecommunications industry remains committed to supporting initiatives that create a cleaner, safer, and more organised environment for residents and businesses across Lagos State,” he said.

Okuneye disclosed that ATCON would convene an urgent industry-wide stakeholders’ meeting to develop a comprehensive roadmap for correcting legacy infrastructure deployment issues and preventing future occurrences.

He further urged Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and telecom operators to strictly comply with laid-down infrastructure deployment procedures and assured regulators of ATCON members’ readiness to collaborate fully with NCC and LASIMRA throughout the exercise.

The cleanup exercise attracted participation from several telecom infrastructure and service providers, including Galaxy Backbone Limited, MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, FibreOne, TNL, ipNX, IHS Nigeria, OneData, African Data Centres, and other industry players.

The initiative is expected to continue across different parts of Lagos State as regulators and industry stakeholders intensify efforts to improve infrastructure standards, public safety, environmental orderliness, and telecom service reliability.

]]> https://techeconomy.ng/exclusive-ncc-lasimra-atcon-begin-telecom-infrastructure-cleanup-exercise-in-lagos/feed/ 0 https://techeconomy.ng/onedata-partners-caleb-university-to-transform-campus-connectivity/ https://techeconomy.ng/onedata-partners-caleb-university-to-transform-campus-connectivity/#respond Tue, 08 Apr 2025 09:14:03 +0000 https://techeconomy.ng/?p=156446 OneData, a trusted provider of fibre-based broadband internet services in Nigeria, has partnered with Caleb University to bolster campus connectivity and train students with the digital skills required to thrive in a technology-driven world. 

This strategic collaboration aligns with Caleb University’s vision of becoming the Centre of Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) Excellence, bridging the gap between education and digital innovation.

Transforming Campus Connectivity

Under this partnership, OneData has deployed high-speed, campus-wide fibre internet, ensuring uninterrupted access to online learning platforms, research databases, and communication tools.

This will modernize the university’s digital infrastructure, creating an environment where students and faculty members can excel in an ICT-driven world.

Fostering Digital Excellence

Beyond providing internet services, OneData is launching “Digital and Entrepreneurial Hubs”, dedicated spaces designed to cultivate innovation, digital literacy, and business acumen for students at Caleb University.

These hubs will serve as incubators where students can develop technological solutions, explore business opportunities, and gain industry-ready skills.

“Reliable internet is not just an educational tool; it is the foundation of a thriving digital economy,” said Mr Olawale Owoeye, CEO of OneData.

“By collaborating with Caleb University, we have not only provided for campus connectivity but are also empowering students with the training, resources, and opportunities needed to lead in technology, media, and telecommunications. This is a game-changer for higher education in Nigeria.”

Similarly, Professor Nosa Owens-Ibie, Vice Chancellor of Caleb University, stated:

“This partnership with OneData is a significant step toward our mission of becoming a centre of excellence in education and innovation. By integrating world-class internet services and fostering entrepreneurial hubs, we are equipping students with the skills and opportunities to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s digital transformation.”

Expanding Digital Access

OneData’s vision extends beyond Caleb University. The company is committed to scaling this model in universities nationwide, ensuring more students gain access to high-speed internet, education, and entrepreneurial resources.

This initiative is not just about internet access; it is about empowering the next generation to drive Nigeria’s digital transformation.

The fast-growing ISP made the pledge at its first anniversary just held in Lagos, where it highlighted its expansion trajectory in Lagos and Ogun states in the last 12 months of its operations.

Within the period under review, OneData has registered robust presence in Lekki, Ikeja, Idimu, Ikoyi, Ogba, Ojodu and Yaba areas of Lagos State as well as Mowe in Ogun State.

OneData is powered by Ciudad Infrastructure Limited which is a licensee of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Ciudad has over the years explored partnership with top global infrastructure giants such as Italian Sparkle to deliver super-fast internet speed of up to 10Gigabits to its enterprise and individual customers in Nigeria.

As OneData expands, one of its latest moves was the lighting of Africa Data Centre (ADC) with its presence, thus opening a wide range of seamless digital possibilities to organisations hosting in ADC at the Eko Atlantic, a strategic location fast becoming a hosting and collocation hub.

“We are proud of the journey in the last 12 months during which we have successfully registered presence in various locations with a fast-growing customer base as we continue to master the act of meeting customers’ needs as far as fast and reliable Internet in concerned,” says Sunkanmi Adeyemi, Divisional Head for OneData.

“As OneData expands with a target to be among top 10 ISPs in Nigeria by 2025, we prioritise customer satisfaction by matching access with speed and the integrity of our service.

“We can say this informed the honour accorded OneData as the Innovative Internet Service Provider of the Year 2022 at Titans of Tech Awards that held in July, this year,” he added.

In his remarks, Captain Ola, the Executive Director said Onedata is growing to become a one-stop shop brand for internet access and capacity.

“We look beyond just access. For instance, our deal with the ADC allows us do more. Whether for internet or capacity such as a leased line, organisations can access their content through our own presence in Africa Data Centre,” he said.

According to him, Internet has become inevitable and data consumption and usage are on the rise, adding: “more speed means more data and more data requires increased capacity and this is what OneData has been innovatively offering.”

Meanwhile, Sunkanmi Adeyemi appreciated customers, clients and partners of OneData for holding hands with the company with trust in the last one year, as he made cheers to more super-blazing years of broadband deployment in the country.

The seminal conference had the theme: Leveraging the Right Policies and Technologies in Taming Insecurity and Cyber Threats. 

Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy of Nigeria who delivered the lead paper noted that combating cyber security is a collective effort that demands a multi-sector approach.

He stated that every component of society from the government at the highest level to private individuals has a role to play in achieving secure cyberspace.

According to him, “Many intelligent learning techniques, like deep learning and reinforcement learning, are now being added to cybersecurity systems to make them safer and better at protecting privacy for both personal and ubiquitous systems.” 

Dr. Lawan Mohammed, Head of Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT) Unit at NITDA, who represented Prof Isa Pantami added that artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to change security and the way cyber-attacks are tackled.

Prof Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) observed that it would be beneficial to establish partnerships and collaboration with relevant stakeholders to improve security.

He revealed that efforts are already underway including initiatives such as linking NIN with SIMs, the Cyber security incidence team and the Internet Code of Practice among others. 

Prof Danbatta was represented by Engineer Austine Nwanoli, Director of Digital Economy at the NCC. 

According to Eng Abdullahi Sule, Executive Governor, Nasarawa State in his keynote presentation, “In considering how to leverage the right policies and technologies in taming insecurity and cyber-threats, one word that comes to mind is vulnerabilities. The scale of ransomware attacks and the large scope of threats shows that no organization, no state, no company is immune.”

He added that we must train and retrain ourselves, collaborate with partners and work to mitigate the threats. Shehu Ibrahim, DG, Bureau for ICT, Nasarawa State, who represented the governor insisted that technology can solve insecurity. 

Mrs. Folashade Jaji, Secretary to The Lagos State Government, in her goodwill message praised is Excellency, Governor Babajide SanwoOlu for T.H.E.M.E.S Development agenda, which stands for Transportation & Traffic Management, Health and Environment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy, Entertainment and Tourism, Security and Governance. Security, she noted, is a cardinal pillar for this administration. 

She revealed that the government has a lot of initiatives in the works to tackle insecurity including the Unmanned Area Vehicle (UAV) for the Geo-mapping of the State’s landscape and to manage emergency, security and disaster recovery management amongst others. In addition, cameras are being deployed on major routes for better traffic management and security of road users across Lagos State. Mrs. Tolani Oshodi, Permanent secretary, cabinet office of the SSG, represented the SSG. 

Engineer Ikechukwu Nnamani, President Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) called for closer collaboration between services providers and regulators. We must endeavour to digitize our methods to mitigate the impact of insecurity, he remarked. 

Abiodun Alabi, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, revealed that the NPF Force HQ has a Technical Intelligence Unit (T.I.U) to combat cybercrime and physical threats to Nigerians noting that the police is collaborating with the West African Police Information System (WAPIS) to begin data collation of all nefarious individuals across the West African region, NCC and Interpol. 

Benjamin Hundeyin, SP Police, who represented the CP, said that there is a national crime and incidence centre in Lagos, the NPF social media unit is now fully operational and the Rescue me App has also been launched.

Veteran Tech Journalist and Managing Partner, Africa Telecom and IT news Prince Bayo Abiodun Chaired one while Amos Emmanuel, Founder, Innovationbed Africa chaired two day. 

Don Pedro Aganbi, the Convener of PADISE 2022 poised that insecurity affects every country today, as they hamper efforts to promote and protect human rights and are an obstacle to sustainable development.

The Summit held side by side with an exhibition which featured companies like Zoho Technologies, Africa Data Centres, IHS towers, itel, Ethnos IT Solutions, OneData, TeleAfrica, Medallion Communications, OneData, Cloudflex, Alpha Technologies, EcoExcel and ICSL among others.