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ALTON Raises Alarm, Says Telcos Face Difficulty in Traffic Obligations

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Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has raised alarm over upheaval task and frustrations faced by the members to settle their international call termination charges.

Addressing a group of Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) at the quarterly training in Lagos recently, Engineer Gbenga Adebayo, ALTON President, said that the operators have continued to compete in an unhealthy environment, making it difficult to meet financial obligations or remain stable.

He said that is further compounded by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) maintaining the status quo on the inclusion of telecoms equipment in the 41 items excluded from accessing forex

He said that, despite the CBN’s interventions to ‘save’ the Naira from free-fall in the foreign exchange market, the members are yet to feel the impact, as they have continued to source the essential ‘commodity’ through the ‘black’ market.

Engr. Adebayo said, “In the absence of local substitutes for its plant and machinery, the Telecommunications Service Providers are constrained to source FX from interbank market at higher rates compared to other sectors such as Manufacturing, Aviation and Agriculture accorded priority in FX allocation at reduced rates by the CBN.

“That means, if I have traffic obligation to settle at five Cents, I can’t source it, rather I have to buy the equivalent from the ‘Black market’. That means, in actually fact, my settlement rate could be higher than it should be.

“So, why would the telecoms would not been accorded forex priority? Owing to the prevailing economic situation in the country, ALTON members cannot transfer the increased cost burden to the consumers, thereby contracting profitability and ability to make further investment to drive growth in the industry.

“You can only invest in the network if you have extras. What this is telling us is that the rate of transfer to settle foreign obligations, as we have to procure from the open market, is higher than the cost and profit. In other words, you will not have anything left.

“They continued to compete in a very difficult market; purchasing equipment at ‘black market’ rates, can’t honour obligations as due, we have to deal with these things. Like I said earlier, there is no service provider in this country that has headrow to accommodate the overflow if one network operator is out of service, no matter what is the capacity. Even an operator with five million subscribers goes off I do not see any operator to accommodate that”.

According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), there there are three main ways in which operators pay interconnection charges for carrying each other’s traffic:

Calling party network pays (CPNP) — the originating operator pays a per-minute charge to the operator that terminates the traffic being exchanged. It is the most common interconnection regime.

Bill and keep (BAK) — under this system (sometimes called “sender keeps all”), each operator agrees to terminate calls from another network at no charge (usually on condition that traffic is roughly balanced in each direction).

Receiving party network pays (RPNP) — an operator receiving a call pays a per-minute charge to the originating operator. Less common than CPNP, this system is used in North America and Japan.

Operators generally seek to recover their net costs through charging consumers of their services. There are two main ways to do this:

Calling party pays (CPP) —the person who makes the call pays for the entire cost of that call, but nothing for calls received. This system usually coexists with CPNP interconnection charges for operators.

Receiving party pays (RPP) — the person receiving a call pays all or most of the cost. In the mobile sector, this refers to payment of the “airtime charge” for termination on the recipient’s handset, while the originator too might still pay for a local call. This retail charging system usually coexists with RPNP.


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Telecom

NCC Expands IPv6 Board with the Appointment of Olusola Teniola, Funke Opeke Others

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Olusola Teniola, ipNX Director has been named to the newly inaugurated IPv6 Council Board by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), as part of a broader industry effort to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).

The inauguration, which took place in Ikeja, Lagos, underscores the Commission’s renewed commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), a critical enabler of the country’s digital future.

Mr. Teniola joins a distinguished group of industry leaders, including Funke Opeke, Muhammed Rudman (Chairman), Chris Uwaje (Vice Chairman), Mary Uduma, Gbenga Adebayo, Lanre Ajayi, and Latif Ladid, alongside representatives from key regulatory and government institutions.

Speaking on his appointment, Teniola expressed appreciation to the NCC for the opportunity to serve and reiterated the importance of collaborative action in driving Nigeria’s digital transformation.

“The transition to IPv6 is no longer a future consideration; it is an immediate priority for Nigeria’s digital economy. As data consumption grows and emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT, and AI become more pervasive, we must ensure that our underlying infrastructure is scalable, secure, and globally competitive,” he said.

He further emphasized that achieving meaningful IPv6 adoption will require strong alignment across stakeholders, including telecom operators, internet service providers, enterprises, academia, and government.

“This is a collective responsibility. We must invest in capacity building, drive awareness, and create the right policy and regulatory environment to accelerate adoption. Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind in an increasingly connected world.”

The IPv6 Council Board has been tasked with developing and overseeing the implementation of a national IPv6 strategy, monitoring progress, and providing periodic updates on adoption levels across the country. The Council will also play a key role in addressing infrastructure challenges, strengthening technical expertise, and recommending policy incentives to support nationwide deployment.

Teniola’s appointment reflects ipNX’s continued commitment to shaping Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and advancing the development of resilient, future-ready network infrastructure across the country.


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QNET, Manchester City Host Football Clinic for Young Talents in Ghana

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In a transformative initiative focused on youth empowerment, talent development and community impact, QNET, an international wellness and lifestyle company and a decade-long Official Direct Selling Partner of Manchester City , has successfully hosted an elite football clinic in Accra for 25 promising young Ghanaian footballers aged 7 to 11.

QNET, Manchester City Host Football Clinic for Young Talents in Ghana

QNET

Delivered by official Manchester City coaches from 21 to 24 May 2026, the football clinic brought together talented young boys and girls from different communities across Ghana at AIS School Park, East Legon, for a unique opportunity to receive world-class football coaching, mentorship and life-skills training inspired by one of the world’s leading football clubs.

For many of the participants, the experience represented more than football. It was an opportunity to dream bigger, build confidence and believe that through hard work, discipline and determination, young Ghanaians can achieve their full potential both on and off the pitch.

Football holds a special place in Ghanaian culture and identity, inspiring generations of young people across the country. Through this initiative, QNET and Manchester City Football Club aimed to contribute meaningfully to the future of youth development in Ghana by creating an inclusive platform where children can learn, grow and thrive regardless of their background.

Trevor Kuna, Chief of Network Development at QNET said, “Football does something that few things can — it cuts across language, background and circumstance and gives young people a common language of ambition. When you watch these children on the pitch, you see not just their talent but their hunger to grow, to prove themselves, to be seen. At QNET, we believe that hunger deserves to be met with opportunity, and that is exactly what this clinic is about.”

The clinic focused not only on football skills and tactical development, but also on teamwork, leadership, discipline, perseverance and self-belief, values that are essential both in sport and in life.

Cherif Abdoulaye, QNET’s Deputy Regional General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, said,“,“When QNET took this initiative to Nigeria in 2023, we saw first-hand what happens when young people are given access to world-class coaching in their own communities — it shifts something in how they see themselves and what they believe is possible. Bringing it to Ghana felt like the natural next step. Ghana has a football culture that runs deep, and a new generation ready to carry it forward. We are proud that QNET and Manchester City can be part of that story.”

Philipa Harrison, Partnerships Marketing Manager for City Football Group’s MENA region, said “Over the past few days, we have witnessed tremendous passion, energy and commitment from these young players. This football clinic is about helping young people develop their abilities, enjoy the game and believe in what they can achieve in the future. We are proud to partner with QNET to bring this experience to young players in Ghana.”

For more than 10 years, QNET has been the Official Direct Selling Partner of Manchester City Football Club. QNET has also maintained a longstanding partnership with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), supporting major African interclub competitions including the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

These partnerships reflect QNET’s broader commitment to youth empowerment, community engagement, and the development of sports across Africa.

Beyond its sports and community initiatives, QNET continues to champion ethical business practices, transparency and public education across its markets while working closely with stakeholders and authorities to address the misuse of its brand by unauthorised individuals.


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Telcos Mull Calculator to Address Data Depletion Complaints

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Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) may introduce  data calculator to enable users to measure their data usage and address complaints of rapid data depletion.

Telcos Mull Calculator to Address Data Depletion Complaints

Data depletion is the rapid exhaustion of your internet data bundle before its expected expiration.

The data calculator is a tool that will show subscribers how their data is used daily.

Telecom operators, largely the MNOs, are already providing subscribers a daily report of data used the previous day, as part of directives from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to drive transparency.

According to a report by Nairametrics, an industry source confirmed the new measure, noting that subscriber complaints over data depletion have now become a major concern in the industry, as it undermines trust.

“An average subscriber believes their service provider steals their data once their data is exhausted before time or depletes faster than they expected, which is not true.

“Over the years, we have tried to enlighten subscribers on factors that could lead to the fast depletion of their data, which include smartphone functionality, among others.

“And now, we are looking at tools that could show the subscribers not just what they have used, but also how they have used it to further promote transparency,” the source said.

According to the source, operators are also intensifying their sensitisation campaigns to help subscribers understand why their data can run out quickly.

Recall that NCC carried out an audit about 24 months ago across the mobile networks and found out that there was “no major” issue of data depletion, contrary to claims and complaints by subscribers.

Findings showed that the major issue still concerns the types of mobile phones and the activities users perform on them.


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