Telecom
Asaju, Spectrum Expert, Bows Out of NCC with Accolades
Engr. Oluwatoyin Asaju, former Director of Spectrum Administration Department of the Nigerian Communications Commission, who turned 60 recently, has bowed out of the regulatory body, after 17 years of meritorious service, with encomiums from management and industry experts.
Engr. Asaju who led the team that managed the 3.5Ghz Band Auction process that attracted fame and fortune to the Federal Government through the transparent auction process for the sale of the 5G licenses conducted by the Commission, was hosted to a valedictory session to celebrate his performance, by the leadership and staff of the Commission.
Professor Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman of the NCC, who presided over the event, described Engr. Asaju’s performance in superlatives, stating that the retiring staff epitomizes hard work, resilience, professionalism and humility.
“I have worked closely with the celebrant while he was the Director in the Special Duties Department, and later Spectrum Administration Department, and in his capacity as Director in these departments, he demonstrated high level of professionalism and excellence.
He was also impartial, forthright and resoluteness in discharging his duties. This is worthy of commendations and emulation from younger staff present in this room,” he said.
Professor Danbatta, described the retired engineer as one staff of the Commission who “exceeded all expectations throughout his service years at NCC. He is so competent, confident and resourceful.
“I am happy to have come into NCC at a time when there are resourceful people like Engr. Asaju in the system to help drive our digital agenda for the Nigerian economy”,
He particularly expressed the gratitude of the staff and management of the Commission for Engr. Asaju’s dedication to duty.
“I recall your efforts which led to successful auction of two slots in the 3.5 gigahertz spectrum for the deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) services in December, 2021.
“Of course these are just examples of your many contributions to the achievement of the strategic vision of the Commission and we cannot thank you enough”, Danbatta stated.
“On behalf of the board, management and staff of the Commission, I wish to thank you for your dedication throughout your 17 years of commendable, laudable and dedicated service to the Commission in particular and to the Nigerian telecom sector in general.”, he declared.
A rain of tributes poured on Engr. Asaju from Colleagues, led by Engr. Ubale Maska, executive commissioner, Technical Services, and other friends and members of the family of the celebrant who joined the Commission in 2005, as a Senior Manager, and later rose through the ranks to become a director at the Commission.
Before he joined the Commission, he had worked at then Federal Ministry of Communications where he rose to the position of Chief Engineer.
Engr Asaju began his career after obtaining a Bachelor of Engineering degree specializing in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Ilorin.
He also holds a Master of Business Administration and a postgraduate diploma in Computer Science from same university in addition to a Master’s Degree in Telecommunications Regulation and Policy with a distinction from the University of West Indies, through a scholarship offered by the International Telecommunications Union, ITU.
Engr. Asaju, a fellow of many professional bodies, expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity to serve at a globally respected institution like the NCC, and commended Prof. Danbatta for his remarkable leadership qualities which has repositioned the Commission as a flagship Nigerian public sector institution, committed to championing the Federal Government’s vision for a robust digital economy and culture.
Joined by his wife, Ayisat, children and family members and friends, Engr. Asaju expressed gratitude to colleagues of many years with whom he shared the vision and commitment to a better digital Nigeria.
Engr. Asaju’s career was one of exemplary professionalism, expressed in his top level fellowship and membership of many professional bodies including the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronics in Engineers, NIEEE, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE), West Africa Society for Communication and Administration (WASCA), and the Nigerian Institution of Information and Communications Engineers (NIICTE).
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has announced the formation of Airbel Ventures, a new humanitarian impact investing fund aimed at accelerating the introduction and scaling of breakthrough technologies in crisis-affected communities.
The fund will invest in companies whose ideas have the potential to change humanitarian response, including digital infrastructure for frontline health systems and climate-resilient agriculture.
The launch of Airbel Ventures follows a period of rapid innovation at the IRC, despite the humanitarian sector facing record funding cuts.
In the past year, the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab has advanced more than twenty Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology initiatives—from anticipatory action tools powered by climate and vulnerability data, to frontline service delivery using safe, orchestrated AI systems, to breakthrough diagnostic tools for emerging diseases.
Airbel Ventures’ first impact investment is in Signalytic, a company delivering solar-powered computing devices that ensure reliable electricity and connectivity for remote health facilities.
Following the investment, the IRC will pilot Signalytic’s technology with its Nigeria Health team, demonstrating the viability of next-generation digital infrastructure in humanitarian settings.
“We know breakthrough solutions already exist—what’s missing is the path to scale in humanitarian contexts,” said Dr. Jeannie Annan, Senior Vice President for Research & Innovation at the IRC and head of the Airbel Impact Lab.
MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecommunications operator, recorded a historic surge in network disruptions in 2025, suffering 9,218 fibre cuts as of December 31, alongside 211 base station sites affected by theft and vandalism, incidents that disrupted mobile and data services relied upon daily by millions of Nigerians.
The data was revealed by Dr Karl Toriola, chief executive officer/managing director, MTN Nigeria via a social media post titled ‘MTN Nigeria 2025 Wrapped’.
The scale of the damage highlights the growing vulnerability of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure, which has come under increasing pressure from road construction activities, cable theft and deliberate acts of vandalism.
MTN said 5,478 fibre cuts occurred within just the first seven months of 2025, with 760 incidents recorded in July alone, underscoring the intensity of the challenge.
Some of the incidents had wide-ranging consequences, knocking out connectivity across multiple states simultaneously and affecting voice calls, data services, digital payments and enterprise operations.
The company described the situation as a national infrastructure problem, rather than an isolated corporate issue, given the economy’s deep dependence on mobile networks.
“These gaps were shaped by real operational challenges such as fibre cuts, theft, and vandalism. Their impact is felt directly by customers and reflected in what they tell us,” Toriola,
The disruptions were reflected in customer feedback volumes, as MTN handled an unprecedented number of complaints during the year. The operator said it resolved 1,624,263 customer complaints in 2025, spanning call centres, social media platforms, emails and physical service centres nationwide.
Despite the setbacks, MTN pointed to signs of operational resilience. The company retained its ranking as Nigeria’s best network by Ookla, returned to profitability after a challenging period, declared an interim dividend, and expanded its subscriber base to over 85 million users by September 2025.
The figures show that while Nigeria’s telecom operators continue to invest heavily in network expansion and customer service, infrastructure sabotage remains a major drag on service quality and operating costs.
MTN acknowledged that performance improvements remain a work in progress. “We are not where we want to be yet. We see you. We hear you. We exist because of you. And we will get better,” Toriola said.
As the company enters its 25th year of operations in Nigeria, Toriola said MTN is doubling down on customer-centricity, treating every piece of feedback as a guide for improvement, while also stepping up engagement with government agencies.
The CEO renewed calls for stronger regulatory and legal protections for telecommunications infrastructure, urging policymakers to classify fibre cables, base stations and other critical assets as national infrastructure and criminalise vandalism to deter repeat attacks.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted operating licences to six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs), effective January 1, 2026, raising the total number of authorised ISPs in the country to 231 from 225 recorded in December 2025.
NCC
The newly licensed firms are Intellvision Technologies Limited, Granet Technologies Limited, Fiber Sonic Limited, Dasol Solution Services Ltd, Boost ISP Limited, and Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited.
Five of these companies are headquartered in Lagos, while Granet Technologies Limited operates from Owerri in Imo State, highlighting the persistent concentration of broadband infrastructure in major commercial hubs like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
This development intensifies competition in Nigeria’s broadband market, which faces pressure from dominant mobile network operators such as MTN and Airtel, alongside rapid expansion by satellite providers like Starlink.
Traditional ISPs continue to grapple with shrinking customer bases, aggressive data pricing from telcos, and satellite disruptions, even as NCC data from Q2 2025 showed Spectranet, Starlink, and FibreOne controlling about 65 per cent of the 313,713 active ISP subscribers.
The inclusion of Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited marks a significant entry of global satellite broadband competition, building on Nigeria’s recent approvals for other low Earth orbit providers to enhance connectivity in underserved areas.
Industry analysts view the licences as a strategic push to improve internet quality amid rising demand for digital services, though geographic clustering underscores ongoing infrastructure challenges outside urban centres.
NCC’s move aligns with broader efforts to foster a competitive telecoms sector critical to Nigeria’s digital economy ambitions.
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