Telecom
A Greener Future for the Telecoms Industry
The telecommunications industry globally has experienced growth and transformation, with a rapid increase in data usage and the development of infrastructure to cater to the ever-growing demands of consumers. However, this growth has also brought about environmental concerns.
According to a 2024 report by the World Bank Group, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector contributes at least 1.7 percent to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally.
With climate change and global warming becoming growing concerns, it has become necessary for operators within the telecommunications sector to be aware of the impact of their operations on the environment and take responsible measures to curb the negative ways in which they could affect the environment.
Fortunately, several organizations within the industry have stepped up to imbibe Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles, realizing the need to implement policies and strategies that are geared towards environmental sustainability.
British multinational telecommunications company, Vodafone, has set out an extensive climate transition plan as it hopes to achieve an absolute reduction of at least 90% of GHG emissions in its operations worldwide by 2040. So far, the company has been able to reduce the amount of energy required for each unit of data traffic across its network by 65% less than what was needed in 2020. Also, since 2021, 100% of the grid electricity used in its operations across Europe has been matched with renewable energy sources.
In the United States of America, AT & T has created the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) which is committed to promoting the utilization of smart climate solutions that use AT&T connectivity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The company is known to be one of the largest corporate buyers of renewable energy in the United States.
Within the local telecommunications sector, MTN Nigeria has recognized its responsibility to protect the planet and consider the impact of its operations on the environment. As such, the telecommunications giant has taken active steps towards ensuring best practices for a sustainable future.
In 2021, MTN launched its Project Zero Initiative, in line with its long-term goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and its overall carbon footprint. The organization has gradually transitioned from utilizing high-emission energy sources to eco-friendly and cost-effective alternatives.
According to its 2023 Sustainability report, the company has implemented several energy efficiency measures, including the utilization of 5G and fibre using renewable energy sources in operations and sensitising its value chain actors on energy management and efficiency. These innovative steps have significantly paid off, as MTN achieved a 10.3% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2023, compared to the emission values in 2021.
Scope 1, being the emissions from energy sources directly used and controlled by MTN, decreased from 65,899 tCO2e in 2021 to 58,356 tCO2e in 2023. The telco was also able to manage emissions from its energy production sources, which account for Scope 2 emissions, reducing the emission value from 44,196 tCO2e to 40,360 between 2021 and 2023. These reductions in scope 1 and 2 emissions were achieved, despite MTN’s 5.3% increase in total energy consumption in 2023.
The telco has also taken up the responsibility to sensitize its value chain actors on energy management and efficiency, as they are responsible for Scope 3 emissions, which are the toughest to reduce.
With its 2 to 1 SIM Registration Device Revival initiative, MTN has also been able to manage e-waste, which is also a contributor to GHG emissions. The initiative, which involves dismantling two devices to retrieve one, is expected to divert 11,760kgs of e-waste from landfills.
Although MTN has made these impressive strides in its sustainability goals, it is only a fragment of what the company intends to achieve, as the goal is absolute carbon neutrality.
Speaking on MTN’s commitment to protecting the planet and the Project Zero initiative, the Chief Technical Officer, Mohammed Rufai, said “With a core focus on reducing our carbon footprint to achieve Net Zero by 2040, Project Zero exemplifies our dedication to sustainability and drives transformative change across all aspects of our operations. By prioritising initiatives like renewable energy adoption and green technology integration, Project Zero helps us meet our sustainability goals”.
Even as the telco moves towards expansion, it remains committed to its environmental sustainability goals. The company has stated that its soon-to-be-launched data centre will operate using eco-friendly energy sources with low-emission properties and eventually move to utilizing zero-emission energy sources.
The telecommunications sector is a significant contributor to innovation and economic growth within a nation. But it must also be a frontrunner in environmental sustainability. With notable organizations like MTN embracing eco-friendly practices, the industry can reduce its environmental impact and contribute to a sustainable future.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have finalized a consumer protection framework to swiftly resolve complaints from failed airtime and data purchases caused by network outages, system errors, or user mistakes.
NCC, CBN
Developed after months of consultations with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Value Added Service (VAS) providers, Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), and other stakeholders, the framework responds to surging reports of debits without service delivery and prolonged resolution delays.
It unites telecom and financial sectors by pinpointing root causes—like debits without service credits—and enforces a Service Level Agreement (SLA) defining roles for all parties in transactions and refunds.
Key provisions include refunds within 30 seconds for debited but undelivered airtime or data (extendable to 24 hours for pending cases), mandatory SMS notifications on transaction status, and remedies for errors such as recharges to ported numbers, wrong purchases, or misdirected transactions.
NCC Consumer Affairs Director, Mrs. Freda Bruce-Bennett, highlighted a new Central Monitoring Dashboard, co-hosted by NCC and CBN, for real-time tracking of failures, culprits, refunds, and SLA violations.
“Failed top-ups are among the top three consumer complaints. True to our mandate, we prioritized a rapid solution,” she stated.
Bruce-Bennett thanked stakeholders, especially CBN leadership, noting that MNOs and banks have already refunded over N10 billion pending formal approval.
Implementation begins March 1, 2026, following regulator approvals and technical integrations by MNOs, VAS providers, and DMBs.
National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has announced the launch of an Inter-Agency Innovation Competition and Awards to stimulate creativity and technological advancement among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government.
NASENI
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, NASENI said the initiative was designed to harness innovative ideas from public servants that can drive indigenous industrialization, job creation and national progress.
According to the agency, the competition will provide a platform for MDAs to propose solutions in critical sectors such as health, agriculture, education and infrastructure, leveraging science and technology to improve public service delivery and enhance the quality of life for Nigerians.
“The competition seeks to promote collaboration and creativity among MDAs while addressing pressing national challenges through innovation,” the statement said.
NASENI urged interested MDAs to submit their entries through its innovation portal at naseni.gov.ng/innovation.
The agency reiterated its statutory mission “to develop and maintain a dynamic infrastructure to drive Nigeria’s indigenous industrialization, job creation and national progress,” adding that the competition would further strengthen efforts to unlock the nation’s potential through science and technology.
Users of satellite internet service provider Starlink in Nigeria are being required to complete a biometric Know Your Customer (KYC) process as a precondition to continue enjoying their services, according to .biometricupdate.
According to local reports, more than 66,000 Starlink subscribers in the country had a December 31 ultimatum from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to complete the biometric verification or have their connection discontinued.
The process essentially entails linking a Starlkink account with the subscriber’s national digital ID.
The NCC, which is Nigeria’s telecoms industry regulator, is said to have first issued the directive in August last year, setting a three-month deadline which was to elapse on November 19, TechCabal reports.
The body however later extended it to December 31 after consultations with industry stakeholders. The internet account-NIN linkage, the NCC said, is to enhance identity verification and strengthen security within the country’s telecoms space.
Just a few days to the December 31 deadline, Starlink’s Nigeria office sent an email to its subscribers reminding them of the KYC requirement, and warned that all those who fail to comply would be disconnected.
And that once disconnected, reconnection would depend on network capacity in the concerned area.
The service provider said in its email that the process takes less than two minutes and users can complete it by logging in to their account via an app.
One user, quoted by TechCabal, said one needs to upload their selfie biometrics, provide their national identification number (NIN) and then give their consent for the account to be linked to their ID information.
Starlink’s internet service is present in about 155 countries with nine million users, as of 2025. Its growth in Nigeria is said to be rapid, making it the second largest internet service provider in the country, according to The Traffic.
Biometric identification for Starlink subscribers could become a continent-wide trend given that some countries have expressed reservations in opening up their internet space to the company over security concerns.
There’ve been fears that jihadists in countries like Mali and Nigeria may have exploited Starlink terminals to coordinate terror operations, and cybersecurity experts have also warned of risks related to weak regulation, digital sovereignty and data breaches.
The requirement for Starlink internet users to have their accounts linked with the NIN is similar to the SIM-NIN linkage policy which the Nigerian government battled to implement for many years, with many deadline extensions.
In October last year, the NCC, which is was at the forefront of the policy implementation, announced that all active SIM cards across all network providers had complied with the directive which was issued in 2020.
The idea, the federal government argued, was to strengthen security and curb criminality such as kidnappings which are aided and abetted by improperly identified mobile phone numbers.
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