Nigerians do not understand the gravity of the dispute between South Africa’s Optasia and Nigeria’s FCCPC, even though I have repeatedly written about it.
Let me give a summary breakdown!
Optasia is a global conglomerate, listed on the South African Stock Market. In Nigeria, it operates as Nairatime.
It is the only company in Nigeria that powers the platform MTN, Airtel, and other telecoms companies in Nigeria use to lend airtime and data to Nigerians. It takes all the profits and flies the money to South Africa, where it’s based.
Since Telecoms companies like MTN and Airtel began lending airtime and data to Nigerians, their transactions have been unregulated, unlike in other countries.
So, earlier last year, the FCCPC, the federal authority in charge of regulating the relationship between companies and customers in Nigeria, moved to regulate airtime and data lending by the telecoms companies.
The regulation included opening up the market to other players, especially Nigerian-owned companies. It mandated that Optasia will no longer be the only company that will provide MTN, Airtel, and co the platform to power their airtime and data lending services.
The regulation provides that the telecoms companies must do business with or employ the services of at least one Nigerian-owned company.
Immediately the regulation came out, Optasia, the South African company, seeing that it would crush its monopoly, moved into full swing to stop it. They ensured that the regulation, which has been pending since July 2025 till now, is not implemented
When Optasia saw that its efforts were not yielding, it rushed to obtain a dubious court order from a Nigerian court stopping the FCCPC from proceeding to implement the regulation. Can you imagine that?
Well, I was one of the voices who got wind of the case and stood against Optasia’s effrontery and disrespectful audacity. I wrote a couple of times to educate Nigerians on the issue.
Finally, and fortunately, the FCCPC has risen to the occasion and is proceeding with implementing the regulation, after appealing the dubious court order that Optasia obtained from one of our courts.
This is the situation! For the corruption that has eaten so deeply into our system, Optasia had the guts to reject and fight to stop a regulation by a Nigerian authority.
Meanwhile, in the over 30 countries where it operates, including South Africa where it is listed, Optasia obeys the regulations of the country, even to the letter!✍️
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Pa Isaac Omolehin 🗣: You are going to patiently listen to me because some of the things I want to say you will not be comfortable with it, out of 10 richest pastors in the world 5 of them are Nigerians but out of 10 richest churches in the world none of them is Nigerian.."
An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday discharged Miss Comfort Emmason of charges bordering on unruly behaviour and assaulting the flight crew aboard an Ibom Air aircraft from Uyo to Lagos on Monday.
Magistrate Olanrewaju Salami struck out the five-count charge against Emmason after the police prosecution team withdrew the case.
The NDLEA Amendment Bill, 2025, aimed to allow Nigeria's anti-drug agency to retain part of seized drug crime proceeds to fund operations, reducing reliance on government budgets. President Tinubu rejected it on June 26, 2025, citing conflicts with Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates all proceeds go to a centralized account with oversight from the president and National Assembly. The rejection was due to concerns over transparency and potential mismanagement, as the bill bypassed established legal protocols. Supporters argue it could boost NDLEA efficiency, while critics highlight risks of corruption and constitutional violationsThe NDLEA Amendment Bill, 2025, aimed to allow Nigeria's anti-drug agency to retain part of seized drug crime proceeds to fund operations, reducing reliance on government budgets. President Tinubu rejected it on June 26, 2025, citing conflicts with Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates all proceeds go to a centralized account with oversight from the president and National Assembly. The rejection was due to concerns over transparency and potential mismanagement, as the bill bypassed established legal protocols. Supporters argue it could boost NDLEA efficiency, while critics highlight risks of corruption and constitutional violations.
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The posture of every believer should be that of humility.
Especially for ministers, humility should be a default posture.
Don’t wait for God to humble.
My dear @mayegunAmina, you guys work hand in hand with DSS and Interpol.
What saved me was that my lawyer is the great Femi Falana. Your foolish officers gave me their phones to call my driver at the airport and ask him to go, so I used it to call Professor Wole Soyinka,
A work colleague lent me a copy of Dele Farotimi's book. I have read it.
The allegations are quite damning such that even if an episode of the events written about is actually the case, we, as ministers in the temple of Justice should be alarmed.
Suffice it to say, the story is head-bursting.