Telecom
ALTON Seeks Policies to Propel Industry Growth
Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has listed issues confronting the operators in the country and urged the federal government to intervene to propel the industry.
Gbenga Adebayo, president, ALTON spoke when Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), led a delegation from his agency and ALTON, Dr. Isa Pantami, minister of Communications, to discuss critical industry issues affecting telecommunications operations in the country.
Adebayo, listed and extensively discussed a number of issues confronting the operators, which include: the problem of denial and exorbitant cost of Right of Way (RoW) by state governments, vandalism of telecoms infrastructure, poor and lack of access to public electricity to run telecoms operations, multiple taxation and regulations, the need for Executive Order to protect telecoms infrastructure, and the need for a national digital policy, among others.
Adebayo solicited the minister’s interventions, requesting him to use his good offices to address the issues in view of the significance of telecoms as a central and pivotal infrastructure shaping the economy.
Adebayo, who submitted a document detailing issues requiring immediate attention, specially acknowledged the exceptional leadership of Danbatta as the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, stressing that the current upbeat status of the industry is largely traceable to the good regulatory regime instituted by the leadership of the Commission.
In his remarks, Danbatta said while the federal government, through the ministry and the NCC, was committed to deepening digital access, the RoW issue, among several others, remained the biggest challenge standing in the way of the accelerated telecoms infrastructure and by extension, broadband development.
“So ALTON is led to talk as a body about the challenges they are facing as operators in the industry. We also believe that achieving federal government’s target of 127,000 kilometers of fibre across the country, which is critical to our broadband and digital economy drive, depends on how these industry issues are addressed,” Danbatta said.
He further commended the minister ‘for the way and manner he had hit the ground running upon assumption of office, adding that the Commission facilitated the meeting in order for the operators to ventilate their views to the minister on various challenges in the industry and as a sequel to the report the Commission already presented to the minister upon assumption of office.
Responding to issues raised, the minister acknowledged that he was fully aware of 90 per cent of the challenges confronting the operators through the NCC and that the ministry had started making efforts to address the issues through engaging the president and other relevant government agencies.
Pantami disclosed that “the ministry is on the verge of developing a National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, which will be ready shortly. He also stated that efforts were ongoing to address all the concerns raised by the operators.”
While assuring ALTON delegation of his unflinching support, Pantami said: “We are already working on some of the issues raised by ALTON. I have had continuous engagements with the President on some of the issues, we would study your submission and begin to address the various issues you have raised. Accordingly, we will also explore better alternatives besides and beyond what ALTON has recommended in its submission to us towards ensuring that the issues are dealt with in the interest of all Nigerians.”
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.
Telecom
ntel Unveils ‘The Next Frontier’ Strategy to Drive Growth in Connectivity, Infrastructure, Real Estate
ntel has unveiled “The Next Frontier,” a new corporate strategy aimed at accelerating growth across digital connectivity, telecommunications infrastructure, and real estate development as it repositions itself as an integrated technology and infrastructure company.
L-R; Chairman, Natcom Development Investment Ltd, Mr. Adeleke Alex-Adedipe; Director, Natcom Development Investment Ltd, Ms. Oladele Aremu; Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo; Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Chief Idris Olorunnimbe; MD\CEO, Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr. Gbenga Alade and MD/CEO NATCOM Development Investment Ltd trading as ntel, Mr. Soji Maurice-Diya, during the relaunch of ntel business in Lagos on Monday evening
The strategy is built on the company’s BET Agenda, which is anchored on three business pillars—Beam, Eden, and Titan—designed to drive innovation, optimise assets, and create long-term value through technology, infrastructure, and property development.
Speaking at the unveiling, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NatCom Development & Investment Limited (trading as ntel), Soji Maurice-Diya, said the initiative represents a significant step in the company’s transformation beyond traditional telecommunications.
According to him, The Next Frontier reflects ntel’s commitment to building an integrated ecosystem that connects people, empowers businesses, promotes digital inclusion, and contributes to Nigeria’s economic growth.
He noted that over the past year, the company has strengthened stakeholder engagement, aligned its business strategy, held constructive discussions with creditors, pursued strategic partnerships with mobile network operators, and restructured its operations to improve efficiency while maximising the value of its infrastructure assets.
As part of the Beam business pillar, ntel launched WakaGo, a global e-SIM solution designed to provide seamless connectivity for international travellers. The company also introduced AirFibre, a high-speed fixed wireless broadband service targeted at businesses requiring reliable internet connectivity.
Under Titan, ntel showcased its expanding infrastructure business, which includes tower development, fibre-optic connectivity, duct infrastructure, colocation services, and infrastructure-sharing solutions aimed at supporting telecommunications operators, enterprises, and technology providers.
The company also unveiled Eden, its real estate development platform, which seeks to transform NatCom’s extensive property portfolio into premium commercial and residential developments.
Three flagship projects announced under the platform include Eden Place, a multi-storey commercial development in Lagos; Nova Place, a commercial complex located in Port Harcourt; and Terenna Court, a premium residential apartment development in Abuja.
According to the company, the projects are expected to unlock greater value from its real estate assets through strategic partnerships, innovative design, and sustainable development.
The unveiling attracted prominent stakeholders from government, the telecommunications sector, and the private sector, including the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of AMCON, Gbenga Alade; Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Chief Idris Olorunnimbe; Chairman of NatCom Development & Investment Limited, Adeleke Alex-Adedipe; Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo; President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere; alongside other industry leaders.
The company said the new strategy positions ntel to leverage opportunities at the intersection of digital connectivity, infrastructure development, and real estate, while supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation and economic development.
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