Telecom
NCC Charges Nigerian Youths on Responsible Internet Usage
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged Nigerian youths to leverage Internet/broadband access to unleash their potentials for innovation and creativity, as well as their quest for job opportunities and skills acquisition.
Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice chairman (EVC) of the Commission, made the call during the presentation of 100 pieces of mattresses to the Federal Capital Territory’s Permanent Orientation Camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Kubwa, Abuja recently.
The presentation of the mattresses was in demonstration of the Commission’s solidarity and corporate social responsibility (CSR) to support the replacement of some of the items carted away from the camp by hoodlums during the EndSARS protests of October 27, 2020.
Speaking on behalf of Danbatta during the presentation, NCC’s Director, Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, said the youths play a great role in nation building as they contribute to national development by bringing about social reforms, noting that the NCC will always support the course of the youth in the country.
Adinde said the Commission, has various youth initiatives and programmes aimed at making them self-reliant while enhancing their contributions to the economy.
He, therefore, charged the corps members to use Internet services for gainful and profitable activities, while also advising them to refrain from using their access to telecoms services for irresponsible and nefarious activities, which could land them in trouble.
“Access to telecommunication services, especially the Internet, plays a key role in job creation for the youths and ultimately for accelerating economic development.
“It is critical to the overall socio-economic well-being of every economy and the youth have a greater role to play, as agents of social change, in using the Internet for positive ventures,” he said.
He also charged the large gathering of corps members, who attended the presentation ceremony, to take advantage of the various consumer-centric initiatives which the Commission has emplaced to protect and empower them as active users of telecoms services.
These include the NCC’s toll-free number 622 for consumer complaints resolution, the NCC Do-No-Disturb 2442 Short Code for dealing with unsolicited text messages, the 112 National Emergency Number managed by the Commission’s Emergency Communications Centres (ECC) located across the country.
Meanwhile, Abdul Suleman, Coordinator, NYSC FCT, expressed appreciation for the solidary and support shown by the NCC to the NYSC family, especially regarding the welfare of corps members deployed to the Federal capital for the mandatory one year service to the nation.
Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) (2nd from left) in a symbolic presentation of the 100 mattresses to the NYSC officials and corps members during the programme
“I am happy to receive 100 mattresses donated by the NCC, under the leadership of Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, to alleviate the pains inflicted by the miscreants who vandalized the camp.
“The generosity of the NCC is coming at a time it is most needed, especially with the orientation camp in session.”
“On behalf of the Director-General, Management, Staff and Corps members, I wholeheartedly express our profound gratitude to the NCC for the magnanimous gesture and for investing in the Nigerian youths,” Suleman said.
At the presentation ceremony, the Commission created a lot of fun and excitement for the corps members through the ‘fast-finger’ game where airtime of different network operators were picked up freely by the corps members. Smart phones were also given out to lucky winners of the raffle draw organized by the Commission.
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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