Telecom
Telecommunications industry has become a victim of its own success – ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo laments
Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators in Nigeria (ALTON) has called for regulatory reforms within the country’s telecommunications sector, to alleviate the burden on operators and attract investments for industry growth.
Recently, Financial Derivatives Company hosted a telecoms investment forum tagged “Telecom Industry 2.0 – The Next Investment Frontier in Africa”, an event aimed at creating awareness on the current state of the telecommunications industry in Nigeria and opportunities for growth within the sector.
The hybrid event had key stakeholders within the telecommunications sector engage in thought provoking panel discussions on the challenges Nigeria’s telecoms industry is faced with and possible ways forward.
Amongst these key industry players were Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Exchange Group, Temi Popoola; Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola; Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Carl Cruz and Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators in Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo.
During the interactive panel session, the chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, spoke on how the growth of Nigeria’s telecommunications industry has, ironically, resulted in some negative impact on the sector, with individuals, corporate bodies and government agencies viewing the sector as a “cash cow”. “I think the telecommunications industry has become a victim of its own success. Due to the transition and improvement, it has experienced over the years, the telecoms sector is now seen as a major source of income for the government on various levels”.
Gbenga Adebayo went further to air grievances on the multiple taxes imposed on the industry operators and the need for the government to curb the excesses of its parastatals. He cited these numerous taxes as detrimental to the progress of operations within the sector.
“There are 54 different taxes and levies imposed on the telecoms industry in Nigeria. With this trend, the sustainability of the sector cannot be guaranteed” he said.
The ALTON chairman opined that the stringent policies guiding the telecommunications industry have made it unattractive for investors.
He stated that this is a disadvantage to the sector, as investments are a catalyst for the sector’s growth, and urged the government to implement changes that would make the industry investor friendly. “The steps taken by public actors appear to be a disincentive to investment in the industry. The government needs to be more receptive to foreign investment”.
In addition, Gbenga Adebayo cited the decline in the services rendered by telcos due to the high operational costs and lack of investment in infrastructure.
According to him, the operations of these major MNOs cannot be optimal as there is a lack of adequate infrastructure, but an ever-growing demand to meet. He added that the high cost of energy has made it even more difficult for operators to efficiently power their facilities.
With the rising cost of operations, high inflation rates and other economic challenges Nigeria is presently faced with, it has become necessary for various strategies and policy reforms to be implemented within the telecommunications industry, to spur growth and prevent further decline.
In the wake of increasing geopolitical tension, Cassava Technologies has unveiled its National Sovereign Cloud offering for African governments.
The solution, the company claims, will help the continent’s governments ensure data is kept on infrastructure that remains under local legal and operational jurisdiction.
According to the official announcement, made yesterday, the solution provides “secure, locally-governed digital infrastructure that enables the deployment of AI-enabled public services”.
The overarching solution encompasses cloud, cyber security, AI computing infrastructure, as well as local language AI models and skills support for governments.
The announcement comes amid increasing uncertainty over the hosting of sensitive national data on cloud services operated by foreign hyperscalers, which are subject to legal frameworks, such as the U.S. CLOUD Act. The CLOUD Act opens the door to allow American authorities to access data stored on the servers of US hyperscalers, wherever those servers are physically located.
Cassava has claimed separately that currently, “approximately 33% to 45% of the world’s data is hosted in the USA”.
The company added: “A sovereign cloud reduces exposure to extraterritorial laws, improves cyber resilience, and ensures that model weights and training data for public AI remain under national custody.”
The Africa Data Centres Association’s 2026 Economic Report states that “data sovereignty has evolved from a legal aspiration into a strategic policy lever”.
Ahmed El Beheiry, Group COO and Group Chief Technology and AI Officer, Cassava Technologies said: “Across Africa, governments are accelerating their digital transformation agendas and are increasingly focused on ensuring that data and digital infrastructure remain secure and sovereign.”
Announced at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona, this week, the Sovereign Cloud offering launch accompanied the launch of Cassava’s Cloud Partner programme.
The partner programme targets mobile network operators and system integrators across Africa to resell and distribute AI, cloud, and other digital services using Cassava’s infrastructure and technology platforms.
El Beheiry added: “We are expanding Africa’s sovereign AI ecosystem to build solutions that address the continent’s unique challenges while creating new opportunities for growth and digital inclusion.”
The programme offers partners access to NVIDIA Cloud Partner solutions, Cassava’s AI Factory, its own native AI solutions and its AI Multi-Model Exchange, which supports both Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini models.
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
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