Telecom
Blame e-Banking, Other Services for Deteriorating QoS- Bello
Participants at Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) organized workshop for legislators at weekend were told that e-banking and services relating to cashless economy are putting a lot of pressure on the telephone networks leading to deteriorating quality of service (QoS).
Stephen A. Bello, principal partner, KayafasKonsult Limited, in a paper titled: “The Impact Of ICT Infrastructure on Economic Development- An Appraisal Of Existing Infrastructure,” said that the effect of extra traffic imposed on the existing networks pose serious degradation in quality of service.
Bello who started with a call for improved infrastructure, said that one of the main indices for measuring economic development is the growth achieved by a nation over a period of time.
He said that growth in turn can only happen if there is additional investment in an economy.
Bello said: “Countries and economic blocks constantly make effort to attract both local and foreign investment to themselves. Nigeria, like any other nation has to compete for the limited investible capital available in the world’s economic system.
“Investors generally establish criteria for selecting and deciding on where and how to invest their surplus capital, one of these is the infrastructure available in the country. Good infrastructure lowers the cost of investment, thereby generating more return on capital or greater shareholder value”.
He identified ICT infrastructure as helps to lower the cost of doing business, and has multiplier effect in encouraging investment in other industrial sectors.
While appraising existing ICT infrastructure in Nigeria in terms of their availability, affordability, quality and adequacy, he classified infrastructure in this regard into Physical and institutional infrastructure.
The physical he listed to include: telephone, internet, while Institutional infrastructure entail ICT regulations, laws, guidelines, acts of parliament and executive orders.
He said that equal emphasis should be placed on both types of infrastructure if the ICT sector is to have a balanced and accelerated development.
On affordability, Bello said, “Cost of intercity-transport and international access are still very high; cost of voice calls moderate but still a lot of room for improvement. Roaming cost is very high even within the ECOWAS sub-region.
“Availability: (a) signal is available to about 70% of the population and 50% of land area. There is still a lot of ground to be covered. (b) A lot of international bandwidth is stranded in Lagos due to inadequate long distance infrastructure to carry it to the hinterland.
“Quality: the telephone network was designed and optimized for voice calls. It’s now made to carry a lot of extra traffic from smartphones, ( twitter, Facebook) which are data hungry devices.
“E-banking and services relating to cashless economy are putting a lot of pressure on the telephone network. The effect of this extra traffic is serious degradation in quality of service”.
Reeling out statistics on the internet structure in the country, he said that on availability only about 30% of Nigerians have access to the internet or have ability to use it, while the cost of internet service at about N1500/Gigabytes of data or N10,000 month for unlimited download is still too high.
“This translates to 55% of minimum wage as against 5% recommended by the International Telecommunications Union.
On quality, he said, “internet speed which averages about 100kbits/sec is grossly inadequate and service is also unreliable.
Bello told the participating legislator that, to address the challenges needs a review of the Acts establishing most of the institutional infrastructure under telecommunication circuit.
“Most parastatals that are concerned with the regulation or development of ICT have enabling acts which gives them legal authority to regulate the industry. However, many of these enabling laws are due for review in order to incorporate new technical development and services. ICT is a fast changing industry, hence enabling acts governing ICT should be reviewed every 10-15 years,” Bello said.
He further called for convergence hence the dividing line between ICT services is getting more blurred year by year.
The workshop organized by the NCC had as it theme: ‘’ ICT Infrastructure As A Key Driver For Economic Development: What Role For The Legislature?’’
Google has launched its Search Live feature globally to over 200 countries, including Nigeria, where AI Mode is available, enabling voice-and-camera conversations in users’ preferred languages.
Powered by the new multilingual Gemini 3.1 Flash Live model, it delivers natural, real-time interactions via the Google app on Android or iOS—tap the Live icon under the Search bar.
Ideal for hands-free help, users can speak queries for audio replies, follow-ups, or web links. Camera integration adds visual context, like troubleshooting a shelving unit, or pairs with Google Lens for real-world chats.
From the app or Lens, Nigerians can now explore, learn, or solve tasks instantly, boosting everyday productivity worldwide.
Clean and reliable power for telecom networks in Ethiopia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will be expanded following a $45 million investment by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in IPT PowerTech.
The investment targets countries where limited power supply continues to slow digital connectivity and broader economic participation, the institution stated earlier this week.
To enable this expansion, the IFC is providing a $45 million corporate financing package consisting of an A-loan of $27 million and $18 million in blended finance.
The blended portion is sourced from the Canada-IFC Blended Climate Finance Programme and the IDA20 Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility.
The initiative marks the IFC’s first direct infrastructure engagement in Liberia in a decade and in Sierra Leone in six years.
It will help scale solar- and battery-based power systems that reduce reliance on diesel and support greener, more resilient telecom networks.
By improving the quality and stability of power to telecom towers, the initiative will strengthen mobile coverage and ensure that households, schools, health centres, and small businesses can depend on consistent digital services, said the IFC.
The funding supports the modernisation, operation, and maintenance of 2 235 telecom sites across the three nations. More than 90% of these are located in off-grid or weak-grid locations.
With new solar and battery systems powering these sites, mobile networks will experience fewer outages and improved service quality.
Optimising the energy mix is estimated to reduce power costs for operators by up to 30% in Liberia, 26% in Sierra Leone, and 52% in Ethiopia.
This transition is also expected to cut emissions by more than 10 624 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Furthermore, the partnership will promote gender inclusion by expanding opportunities for women in technical, operational, and leadership roles within the sector, says the IFC.
This agreement reflects a shared vision for a greener telecom industry and empowers the company to scale its innovative energy platforms, according to Nabil Haddad, CEO of IPT PowerTech Group.
Reliable and affordable power for telecom networks is a cornerstone of Africa’s digital transformation, said Nathalie Kouassi-Akon, IFC regional director for West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.
Through this partnership, the institution is supporting a scalable, private sector-led solution that enables mobile operators to reach underserved and fragile communities more sustainably, added Kouassi-Akon.
The project advances the World Bank Group and African Development Bank’s Mission 300 initiative, which aims to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
Expedier has unveiled “Expedier for Business,” an online pro-banking platform to simplify global payments, multi-currency transactions, and financial operations for expanding companies.
Kingsley Madu
The tool centralizes payments, invoicing, payroll, and treasury into one secure dashboard, tackling challenges like fragmented systems and poor visibility that hinder international scaling.
Kingsley Madu, Co-Founder and CEO of Expedier, said: “African businesses are increasingly global… Expedier for Business was built to simplify how companies manage money across borders while maintaining visibility, control, and compliance.”
Key features include customizable dashboards for payments, invoices, and workflows; support for USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, and more; virtual cards; automated payroll/invoicing; currency swaps; and real-time tracking.
Security measures cover two-factor authentication, KYC/KYB verification, and team access controls.
As cross-border trade and remote work boom in Africa, the platform aids firms dealing with international suppliers, teams, and customers. It is now available for organizations scaling globally.
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