Telecom
el-Rufai Responsible for Nitel’s Death, Former Workers Claim
Some former chief executives, union members and retirees of failed national carrier, the Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (Nitel) have joined the war of words over the failure of national carrier and asked the federal government to hold Nasir el-Rufai, former director general of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) responsible for the misfortunes of Nitel.
They said that the appointment of Pentascope, a little known Dutch company, to take over Nitel’s management in 2000 by the BPE, under el-Rufai’s watch was the cause of the death of the national carrier.
el-Rufai, also former minister of Federal Capital Territory and Abubakar Atiku, former Vice-President have been trading words over the controversial contractual agreement with Pentascope.
The former Vice President said that el-Rufai was responsible for the failure of Nitel’s privatisation as a result of personal interest.
el-Rufai through Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye, his media advisor, fired back saying that it was understandable that Atiku (former Vice President) would be enduring some unease at the disclosures made in el Rufai’s recently-launched memoir:
But Mr. Kunle Bello, a former managing director of Mtel, the GSM subsidiary of Nitel , said he foresaw the collapse of the national carrier due to insincere and inconsistent implementation of policies by the el-Rufa’i-led BPE.
Bello, who said he voluntarily resigned, described the Pentascope management brought in by el-Rufa’i as a disaster for the company and the staff, “who have been dying one after another” due to nonpayment of pensions.
Bello, an ITU telecommunications expert said Pentascope squandered more than N100 billion of NITEL’s hard-earned money, besides the loss of revenue without adding a single telephone line.
He challenged the nation’s judicial and executive arms of government to rise to the occasion to acquaint themselves of blame by going after the perpetrators of the fraud.
Prof. Buba Bajoga, a former Managing Director of Nitel told National Mirror that the destruction of the national carrier was “very painful.”
He said by the time he left the organisation as its head in 2000, Nitel was a very viable commercial organisation.
“We approved the payment of dividends to government and I remember that I left N15 billion and $200 million in the coffers of the organisation,” he said.
Bajoga said Nitel made more profit than most banks. “We paid all our bills and were financing all our projects,” he added.
Also former workers said in a statement issued that the claim in a widely-circulated statement by el-Rufa’i that former vice-president approved the appointment of Pentascope, the failed management consultant hired to manage NITEL in 2003, was false.
The former workers, who said they held el- Rufa’i responsible not only for the collapse of Nitel, but also the destruction of their careers, said the issue at stake is beyond the debate of who signed and who did not sign.
“The issue is who issued or originated the memorandum to the National Council on Privatisation, NCP? How did el-Rufa’i, as BPE director-general pick Pentascope to manage NITEL?”
The retirees accused el-Rufa’i of misleading, not only the NCP, but the Federal Government by presenting Pentascope as a capable management company that could turn Nitel around.
The retirees went on to say that the true story of the destruction of their national carrier has been revealed in two reports by the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Quoting from the report, the retirees said that; “Rather than using Atiku as scapegoat for the collapse of NITEL to serve his hidden agenda, the concerned group of former Nitel workers advised El-Rufa’i to be honourable enough to accept responsibility for rail-roading and blackmailing the former NITEL board and the privatisation council into approving a contract that had short-changed Nigerians and children yet unborn.
Nigeria’s telecom operators recorded 155, 397 fibre-cut incidents between April and May 2026, and these they blame on why internet or calls suddenly stop working.
Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed fibre-cut incidents increased from 74 276 in April to a record 79 121 in May, bringing the two-month total to the highest level recorded by the industry.
This represents a 2 428% increase from the 5 934 incidents reported during the first quarter of 2026.
Vandalism remained the leading cause of fibre cuts, accounting for more than 54 000 incidents despite telecom infrastructure being designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure, a classification intended to strengthen protection of key digital assets.
Also road construction constantly damages fiber where iggers and machines tear up buried cables during road repairs or construction.
Even with all these, some state governments make it hard for companies to fix cables quickly across different areas with all manners of fees and levies.
The NCC designation provides for penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment for offenders, but operators continue to face widespread infrastructure damage.
Proposed solutions, including Nigeria’s Dig-Once policy and AI-powered fibre sensing technologies, have yet to achieve widespread adoption.
The NCC is developing a cost-based framework for shared underground duct infrastructure, while operators are exploring AI-powered fibre sensing technologies that can detect cable damage in real time and improve network resilience.
Nigeria is pursuing ambitious broadband targets under its National Broadband Plan and has expanded fibre deployment to about 35 000 kilometres.
However, infrastructure protection has not kept pace with network expansion, leaving subscribers vulnerable to unreliable connectivity despite continued operator investment.
Standard Bank has partnered with Helios Towers to provide a $29 million Social Documentary Credit Facility. According to the financial services company, this transaction marks Standard Bank’s first Documentary Credit Facility structured in a Sustainable Finance format.
It notes that the facility will support the procurement and importation of telecommunications infrastructure and related services across Africa.
It will also provide payment certainty to suppliers, while supporting Helios Towers’ working capital requirements and infrastructure expansion programme, the bank adds.
Structured in accordance with the Loan Market Association’s Social Loan Principles, the financing is designed to promote digital connectivity and telecommunications infrastructure development in underserved markets.
This will help Helios Towers further expand its footprint and enhance mobile network coverage and connectivity across the continent.
Helios Towers operates one of Africa’s independent telecommunications tower platforms, enabling mobile network operators to extend coverage across multiple markets.
Standard Bank notes that the facility supports the expansion of tower infrastructure and services, increased network densification and improved connectivity in underserved markets and remote regions across the African continent.
It will also drive digital inclusion and tackle the digital divide while supporting economic growth and socio-economic development.
“This transaction demonstrates the power of innovation in trade finance. By combining a first-to-market Social Documentary Credit Facility with a cross-border funding solution, Standard Bank has supported Helios Towers’ growth ambitions while helping extend digital connectivity to underserved communities across Africa,” says Benoit Samouilhan, global transaction banker at Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking.
According to the bank, this facility enables positive social impact by increasing and improving network coverage and connectivity in some of the world’s most remote regions.
“Reliable digital infrastructure is fundamental to Africa’s future growth and development,” says Alex Carter, group finance director at Helios Towers.
“This facility provides us with the flexibility and certainty needed to support our ongoing infrastructure investments while advancing our mission of expanding connectivity across the continent. We value our longstanding relationship with Standard Bank and look forward to building on this partnership.”
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will on Thursday convene a stakeholders’ consultative forum to review the draft business rules for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) in Nigeria.
NCC
The forum, scheduled to hold at 10 a.m. at the NCC Annex Office, Mbora, Abuja, is expected to bring together telecommunications operators, industry associations and other stakeholders to provide input on the proposed regulatory framework before its finalisation.
The commission announced the event on its official social media platforms, inviting interested stakeholders to participate in the consultation process.
The engagement is part of the NCC’s efforts to strengthen the regulatory framework for MVNO operations and promote greater competition, innovation and consumer choice in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
Mobile Virtual Network Operators are telecommunications service providers that offer mobile services by leasing network capacity from licensed Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), rather than owning spectrum licences or telecommunications infrastructure.
The NCC has identified the MVNO licensing framework as one of its initiatives aimed at deepening competition, expanding access to telecommunications services and driving digital inclusion across the country.
The consultative forum is expected to provide stakeholders with the opportunity to review the draft business rules, make recommendations and contribute to the development of a robust operational framework for the emerging MVNO segment.
The commission is expected to issue further details on the outcome of the consultation after the meeting.
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