Telecom
Nokia Networks Aligns Vision with Nigeria National Broadband Plan
Nokia Networks (NNs) at its telecom conference titled, ‘Connect Nigeria: Exploring ICT Potential for Growth’, declared its readiness to enable Nigeria’s broadband strategy become reality.
NNs explored the road for connected Nigeria in line with the government’s ambitious National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2013-2018.
The plan aims to increase broadband penetration from 6% in 2013 to 30% by 2018.
It also aims to cover 80% of the population with 3G and LTE services and offer a minimum download speed of 1.5 Mbps.
About 150 industry experts representing Nokia Networks, operators, government, and IT companies participated in the conference.
According to a recent GSMA report, Nigeria is a fast growing economy and the largest one in Africa, but has low mobile broadband penetration.
However, due to various factors including high access rates of over 50% of the population (those who use a mobile despite not owning one), data consumption growth, a rise in digital entrepreneurship, and a large youthful population, Nigeria presents a growing opportunity for investment and innovation in telecom networks.
At the Conference, Dr. Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), “The Nokia Networks conference has brought out excellent insights from various telecom industry players on how to achieve further mobile broadband penetration in Nigeria in line with our ambitious NBP.
“The government is committed to enabling the operators to take the quality and coverage of mobile broadband services to a new level for the benefit of greater socio-economic development. We are confident that Nokia Networks’ commitments and advanced 2G, 3G and 4G mobile broadband technologies will significantly contribute in providing high quality mobile broadband services in our country on a par with leading services around the world.”
Also speaking, Bernard Najm, vice president and head of Middle East and Africa, Nokia Networks, said that Nigeria is a priority country in the Africa region for Nokia Networks.
Najm said, “Mobile broadband infrastructure in Nigeria needs to be strengthened to significantly improve network coverage and speed across the country including mid-size cities and rural areas. To help achieve National Broadband Plan’s objectives and drive the country’s socio-economic development, we are committed to providing operators here with our advanced 2G, 3G and 4G technologies, and global expertise in services to build and run the networks cost efficiently.”
In addition to its office in Abuja, the company opened its second modern office in Lagos in 2014 to enhance its operational agility for delivery of its mobile broadband infrastructure for all operators in the country.
In his contribution, David Gaul, head of Central East & West Africa (CEWA), said that Nokia Networks is the world’s specialist in mobile broadband with more than 200 3G radio customers serving over 1 bn 3G users worldwide.
He added that, the company is a global leader in LTE with 162 LTE customers by the end of 2014 and holds the world record in TDD-FDD carrier aggregation with 4.1Gbps.
“The company’s leadership in LTE has been recognized by Gartner which positioned the company in the ‘Leaders’ quadrant of the analyst’s Magic Quadrant for LTE in Q4, 2014. Nokia Networks’2020 vision predicts consumption of 1GB of personalized data per user per day.
“The company’s advanced, scalable radio technologies coupled with professional services aim to help operators in countries with low Average Revenue Per User (ARPUs) meet the ever growing network demands in a profitable way.
According to him, Nokia has since incorporated Nigeria in its strategy anchored on developing its businesses in order to realize its vision of being a technology leader in a connected world and, in turn, create long-term shareholder value.
He said Nokia works towards a ‘programmable’ world. “Today, most humans in the world are connected. By 2020, we think the number will reach 5 billion. This means we are entering a new phase, connecting things as well as people; this is a rapid shift to what we call the Programmable World. By 2025, we could have 50 billion things connected through devices, modules and sensors. That might even prove to be a conservative estimate.
“But the programmable world is about more than connectivity it is the interaction of sensors, people and ‘things’ and, in this context, a ‘nuclear power station’ could be a ‘thing’. The possibilities are endless and software will be the glue that brings both meaning and value to the Programmable World.
But there are also some challenges and conflicts to address: Explosion of technology choices; Alienating, increasing complexity of tech; Needy tech and Dependence on data and privacy, post Snowden world.
Also, Dr. Sam Nwosu, country director, Nokia Networks said that the Nigeria must address infrastructural challenges and remove other administrative bottlenecks militating against the network operators.
“Through Nokia Networks, Nokia invests in the innovative products and services needed by telecoms operators to manage the increase in wireless data traffic which is more than doubling every year.
“Future investment will focus on further building on our strong position in mobile broadband and related services, and strengthening our leadership position in next-generation network technologies. Our global experts invent the new capabilities our customers need in their networks. We provide the world’s most efficient mobile networks, the intelligence to maximize the value of those networks, and the services to make it all work seamlessly.
“At the same time, we encourage the enhancement of infrastructural development in the country to augment telecom operators’ investments,” he said.
Nokia invests in technologies important in a world where billions of devices are connected.
It’s focused on three businesses: network infrastructure software, hardware and services, which offered through Nokia Networks; location intelligence, which it provides through HERE; and advanced technology development and licensing, which it pursues through Nokia Technologies.
Meanwhile, Nokia divested its handset business to Microsoft in early 2014. The new Nokia now focuses on three strong business divisions – Nokia Networks, HERE, and Nokia Technologies.
Nokia Networks (which was formerly known as Nokia Solutions and Networks or NSN) is the largest business (90%) in the new Nokia, with this division contributing to 90% of its overall business in the company.
Telecommunications operators have called on the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to establish a clear regulatory framework for airtime and data credit services, warning that millions of Nigerians could face fresh disruptions if the agencies fail to coordinate their responsibilities.
Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON
This is coming on the heels of the Federal High Court judgment affirming the FCCPC’s authority to regulate consumer protection in the airtime and data credit market while preserving the NCC’s exclusive mandate over telecommunications licensing and technical regulation.
The ruling effectively clarified that both regulators have complementary roles rather than overlapping powers.
Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), said the judgment should serve as the basis for stronger collaboration between the two regulators to avoid the regulatory uncertainty that earlier forced operators to suspend airtime and data credit services.
Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON, said the industry was not disputing the authority of either regulator but was seeking a clearly defined operational framework before any further regulatory actions are taken.
“The court has done something important. It has confirmed the FCCPC’s authority and, in the same breath, affirmed that the NCC’s role is preserved. Concurrency means coexistence. The industry now expects both regulators to establish the coordination framework that the court’s reasoning requires,” Adebayo said.
He stressed that regulatory certainty had become critical because millions of Nigerians depend on airtime and data credit services for daily communication.
“Forty million Nigerians depend on these services. The court has made clear that both regulators have a role. The industry is asking them to define how that works before any action that could disrupt access again,” he stated.
Adebayo also urged both agencies to engage industry stakeholders before introducing measures capable of affecting consumer access to the services.
According to him, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) directive requiring Regulatory Impact Assessments before major policy changes should be observed to minimise unintended consequences on businesses and consumers.
The renewed call comes months after major mobile network operators temporarily suspended airtime and data borrowing services following the implementation of the FCCPC’s Digital, Electronic, Online and Non-Traditional Consumer Lending (DEON) Regulations, a development that affected millions of subscribers nationwide.
In its judgment, the Federal High Court held that while the FCCPC has powers over competition and consumer protection issues in the digital lending ecosystem, it cannot assume the NCC’s statutory responsibility for licensing telecommunications operators.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa ruled that the two agencies must operate within their respective mandates, describing their relationship as one of “coexistence, not displacement.”
MTN Nigeria has warned customers to disregard fraudulent online posts claiming the telecom operator is offering “1 Month Free Data for Old Subscribers,” describing the promotion as fake and unauthorised.
In a statement shared on its X handle, the telco said the circulating promotion is not from MTN and is not affiliated with the company.
MTN urged customers not to click on the accompanying link in the online post or provide their phone numbers or personal information on any third-party website.
Customers are advised not to click on the link or provide their phone numbers or personal information on any third-party website.
“We will never require customers to submit their details on external platforms to claim data or any other reward,” MTN said.
The company added that all genuine promotions, products and services are announced only through its official communication channels.
“All authentic MTN promotions, products and services are communicated exclusively through our official channels, including www.mtn.ng, our verified social media pages and *180#,” the company said.
MTN also urged customers to remain vigilant against online scams designed to steal personal information, warning that fraudulent offers often impersonate trusted brands to deceive unsuspecting users.
“Don’t be the next victim!” the company said, reiterating that the purported “1 Month Free Data for Old Subscribers” offer is fake and not associated with MTN Nigeria.
National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has dismissed a Notice of Preliminary Objection filed by Pan African Towers Ltd. (PAT) in an employment dispute instituted by its former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Azeez Amida.
The court also awarded ₦500,000 in costs against the company after holding that the application lacked merit.
Justice Essien, who delivered the ruling on July 21 in Suit No. NICN/LA/143/2025: Mr. Azeez Amida v. Pan African Towers Limited, held that the substantive case concerning Amida’s alleged outstanding contractual entitlements under a Mutual Separation Agreement should proceed to hearing.
The ruling effectively rejected the company’s attempt to terminate the proceedings on jurisdictional grounds.
Jurisdictional Challenge Rejected
Pan African Towers had argued that the National Industrial Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter because the Mutual Separation Agreement executed between the parties required disputes to first pass through negotiation, mediation and arbitration before litigation could be initiated.
The company maintained that Mr. Amida failed to exhaust those contractual dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the court.
However, Justice Essien rejected the argument after examining evidence presented by the claimant showing that several attempts had been made to activate the agreed dispute resolution process before legal proceedings commenced.
According to the court, documentary evidence showed that Mr. Amida, through his solicitors, issued correspondence and formal demand letters aimed at resolving the dispute amicably in line with the terms of the agreement.
The court found that rather than engaging with those efforts, Pan African Towers failed to meaningfully participate in the process and later sought to rely on the same contractual provisions to challenge the court’s jurisdiction.
Evidence Considered by the Court
According to evidence presented by Mr. Amida’s legal team, the court considered correspondence involving senior officials of Pan African Towers and its investors.
Among the documents relied upon was a letter allegedly written by the Chairman of the Board of Pan African Towers and Partner at Development Partners International (DPI), Mr. Adefolarin Ogunsanya, rejecting the demand made by Mr. Amida’s legal representatives for an amicable resolution before litigation.
The claimant’s legal team also tendered multiple email communications allegedly sent from January 2025 to Verod Capital Management’s in-house legal counsel, Mr. Dipo Okuribido.
According to the claimant, those emails did not receive any response before the commencement of the suit.
Based on the evidence before it, the court held that the conduct of Pan African Towers was inconsistent with reliance on the contractual dispute resolution provisions.
Justice Essien ruled that the company had effectively waived its right to insist on arbitration after frustrating the preliminary dispute resolution process contemplated by the parties’ agreement.
The court consequently held that Pan African Towers could not rely on the arbitration clause to prevent the court from hearing the substantive claims.
Court Awards Costs
Having dismissed the Preliminary Objection, the National Industrial Court awarded costs of ₦500,000 against Pan African Towers.
The court described the objection as lacking merit.
Substantive Defence Yet to Be Filed
The ruling represents the first judicial determination in the employment dispute.
The claimant’s legal team noted that since the suit commenced, the principal response filed by Pan African Towers had been the Preliminary Objection challenging the jurisdiction of the National Industrial Court.
According to the claimant, the company has yet to file a substantive defence addressing the merits of the claims relating to the alleged outstanding contractual entitlements.
With the dismissal of the jurisdictional challenge, the matter will now proceed to hearing on its merits.
The court adjourned the substantive suit until Jan. 12, 2027.
Background to the Dispute
The dispute arose following Mr. Amida’s departure from Pan African Towers after both parties executed a Mutual Separation Agreement.
According to the claimant, while the agreement governed the terms of his exit from the company, certain contractual entitlements remained unpaid.
His legal representatives said they initially sought to resolve the dispute through the mechanisms provided under the agreement by engaging the company through correspondence and formal demand letters.
When those efforts failed to produce a resolution, they commenced proceedings before the National Industrial Court seeking payment of the outstanding contractual entitlements.
Rather than filing a substantive defence to the claims, Pan African Towers challenged the jurisdiction of the court, arguing that arbitration and other dispute resolution mechanisms had not been exhausted.
The National Industrial Court has now rejected that position.
Related Commercial Litigation
The employment proceedings are separate from ongoing commercial cases before the Federal High Court involving Mr. Amida, Development Partners International (DPI), Verod Capital Management and other parties.
Those proceedings relate to issues concerning the ownership of Pan African Towers and remain pending before the courts.
The National Industrial Court noted that those matters would be determined independently based on their respective facts, evidence and applicable legal principles.
Legal Team Reacts
Reacting to the ruling, representatives of Mr. Amida’s legal team welcomed the decision.
“The Court has affirmed an important principle of contractual dispute resolution.
“A party cannot frustrate the agreed process and later seek to rely on that same process to prevent a claim from being heard.
“We now look forward to presenting the substantive case before the Court,” the legal team said.
The lawyers acknowledged that Pan African Towers retained the right under Nigerian law to pursue any available appellate remedies but stated that they were fully prepared for the substantive hearing scheduled for January 2027.
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