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馃嚦馃嚞Punch Nigeria路42 mins ago
NCC and CAC introduce new ownership rules for Nigerian telecom companies
The Nigerian Communications Commission NCC and the Corporate Affairs Commission CAC have jointly announced new compliance requirements for telecommunications companies in Nigeria. The directive mandates that telecom companies obtain a Letter of No Objection from the NCC before transferring shares amounting to 10 percent or more of their total share capital. This requirement, based on the Nigerian Communications Act NCA 2003, takes immediate effect for NCC-licensed companies proposing changes in ownership or control, including multiple share transfers that collectively exceed the 10 percent threshold. Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, NCC Director of Public Affairs, stated that the CAC will ensure evidence of NCC approval before registering shareholding changes. The policy aims to prevent anti-competitive practices, preserve a fair and competitive market structure, strengthen oversight of ownership changes, and improve transparency, investor confidence, and regulatory certainty, ultimately safeguarding the long-term stability of Nigeria鈥檚 communications sector. Both agencies are committed to promoting a transparent business environment and fair market practices to support the industry's sustainable growth.
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Nigeria records 279 kidnappings and 842 deaths in May amid rising insecurity
Nigeria experienced 279 kidnappings and 842 deaths across 156 violent incidents in May 2026, according to new data from Nextier鈥檚 Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database. These figures represent a rise in insecurity compared to May 2025, with violent incidents increasing by 51.5 percent, casualties by 90.1 percent, and kidnap victims by 19.7 percent. Amid concerns that peacebuilding efforts are not yielding measurable results, development practitioner Jamilu Musa and Dr. Chukwuma Okoli, a Political Science lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, warned in a Nextier policy article that weak impact assessment frameworks undermine intervention effectiveness. They noted that measuring peacebuilding outcomes is challenging due to intangible indicators like trust and social cohesion, and shrinking international funding partly due to global crises and shifting economic priorities. Musa and Okoli proposed four key indicators for peacebuilding assessments: conflict dynamics, social cohesion, governance and inclusion, and resilience/conflict prevention. They identified challenges such as attribution bias, short donor funding cycles, and poor baseline data. To address these, they recommended modern evaluation tools, institutionalizing peace measurement frameworks, and stronger collaboration among stakeholders to ensure interventions make communities safer, more inclusive, and more resilient.
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Nigerian Air Force graduates 111 special forces operators to boost national security
The Nigerian Air Force NAF has graduated 111 personnel from Special Forces Course 13/2026 at the Regiment Training Centre Annex, Bauchi. This initiative aims to enhance the NAF's operational capacity and strengthen national security. The NAF stated that this marks a significant step in building a highly skilled, combat-ready force capable of addressing Nigeria's evolving security challenges. The intensive program equipped personnel with specialist knowledge, tactical skills, and resilience for complex Special Forces operations supporting air and joint military missions. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, represented by the Chief of Training, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Ahmed Dari, congratulated the graduates and urged them to maintain professionalism and discipline. The ceremony included tactical demonstrations such as obstacle crossing drills, commando self-defense techniques, and air assault operations. The NAF emphasized that this graduation highlights its ongoing investment in human capacity development and operational excellence to bolster its ability to deliver air power for national security objectives.
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