Telecom
BPO: Roar of the Sleeping Giant
by Sourin Buragohain
Let’s start this editorial with a story from far away India. Over the last 20 years, India has become the world’s favoured market for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies, among other competitors, such as, Philippines, Brazil, Hungary, Canada, Australia, Ireland etc.
The A T Kearney’s 2016 Global Services Location Index (GSLI) study rated India as number one out of the total 55 countries in the list. According to study, Offshoring to India remains a highly attractive proposition for many global companies. As per Gartner, the cost advantages of outsourcing from India are noteworthy as it costs less than US$ 7,500 per annum for a call center agent in India (cost to company) as compared to $ 19,000 in the US and US$ 17,000 in Australia. That is well over a massive 50% costs reduction for the customers outsourcing their business processes to India.
The Indian BPO sector employs over 3.5 million people directly and provides indirect employment to another million or more – through ancillary industries dependent on the IT-BPO sector. The BPOs in India handle 55% of the global outsourcing market. The annual revenue of the Indian BPO market is more than $26 Billion and contributes around 1% of the GDP.
Africa – The sleeping giant out of its slumber…
Africa is the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent. It is so huge that it covers almost a quarter of the total land mass of the world. With 1.1 billion people as of 2014, it accounts for about 16% of the world’s human population. Africa’s population is the youngest amongst all the continents; the median age in 2012 was 19 years, when the worldwide median age was 30 years. So, it is a great, positive irony that Africa, widely accepted as the place of origin of humans in the world, is also the youngest continent in the globe, in terms of population. It is this power of youth and exuberance that will shape the future of Africa. It really is time for Africa in the truest sense of the term!
Lessons for Africa from India success story
- Making skilled resource readily available in the country – more spending on education and skill development programs for the African youth by the Govts.
- Low operating costs – cut down on taxes, have a liberalized tax regime – Tax breaks and sops offered by the government
- Development of special economic zones (SEZs) which also help IT/BPO companies get tax benefits
It is in this context that it is worthwhile to share the success of a company, which is very much an African entity, with registered office in Mauritius and corporate HQ in Lagos, Nigeria. The iSON Group comprises of two main division – the leader in technology services and consulting, helps clients in 29 countries in Africa and Middle East to create digital transformation strategies.
From application development to business process management to AI, Blockchain, Machine Learning, and Big Data Analytics it helps clients to solve the problems effectively and efficiently. Additionally, iSON offers BPO services through iSON BPO, its data analytics is driven BPO arm.
The robust BPO services infrastructure is built on global delivery framework to deliver voice, non-voice and other knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) services through local presence and on-shore/remote support, leading to superior customer experience, highly satisfied customers and growth in business.
iSON Group has been doing business in the IT-ITeS space in Africa since the last 8 years, with its inception in 2010. In its own humble ways, iSON Group has been the pioneer of the BPO industry with an un-matched multi-country presence across Africa.
iSON BPO employs close to 12,000 people across its Africa operations and 99% of its staff are local – Africans, serving African clients and customers.
Having started with 6 countries in Africa, with a large Telecom operator, managing 50% share of the business, iSON BPO has grown to approx 10 countries for them handling 70% share of the business – A testimony of the client’s on iSON’s proven capability and service delivery.
The Top telecom company in Africa has also awarded the contract to iSON BPO for 7 countries to handle their 100 million subscribers end to end with technology. With this, iSON BPO now handles over 150 million customer base in Africa itself.
Besides Telecom sector, iSON BPO also has the presence in Retail, Airlines, BFSI and Technology sectors, across Africa.
iSON BPO, by virtue of the business impact it has created for its clients across Africa, has become the largest partner for most of its clients. Thus it can be inferred, the iSON Group is completely dedicated to the cause of the African dream and has laid out for itself ambitious plans to grow organically within Africa, thereby creating more employment opportunities for the deserving and hardworking African youth.
iSON takes a lot of pride in promoting local talent and this is an essential aspect of its HR / People development delivery.
Thus, the emerging Africa BPO story, a story of endless opportunities, has already begun and iSON BPO has been a flag bearer cum leader in the journey so far, in its own humble ways, doing its bit to fuel this dream for Africa. Africa will need hundreds and hundreds of such #iSONs to propel its dream.
The government and the private sector companies, agencies should encourage, recognize such companies which in turn will inspire a whole new generation of African youth to see and live the African dream. Yes, the time has come for the world to listen to the roar of the sleeping giant, out of its slumber – it’s time for Africa!!!
MTN Nigeria, in collaboration with ONErpm and Ultima Studios, has announced Ayodeji Benson, popularly known as Ayo Benzi, as the winner of the maiden edition of the Next Afrobeats Star reality show.
L-R: Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria; Ayodeji Benson, Winner, Next Afrobeats Star Reality Show (Season 1) and Emamoke Ogoro, General Manager, Brand and Communication, MTN Nigeria, at the grand finale of the Next Afrobeats Star Reality Show (Season 1), held at the Ultima Studios, Lekki, Lagos on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
The grand finale, held on Sunday night at Ultima Studios in Lekki, Lagos, marked the climax of a nationwide talent search that began in September with over 15,000 aspiring musicians.
After weeks of auditions, mentorship, and rigorous training, five finalists – Ayo Benzi, Dave Cash, Kaeko, Somto O’Laker, and Lucky Yay – battled for the top prize in a high-energy showcase of performance and artistry.
At the end of the electrifying contest, Ayo Benzi emerged victorious, securing a ₦150 million music deal. Dave Cash was named first runner-up with ₦100 million, while Kaeko, Somto O’Laker, and Lucky Yay received ₦75 million, ₦50 million, and ₦25 million respectively.
Throughout the season, contestants were mentored by leading Afrobeats producers Sarz, Puffy Tee, P Prime, and Andre Vibez. Benzi, who was part of Puffy Tee’s team, credited the mentorship programme for sharpening his craft and stage presence.
Speaking at the event, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Nigeria, said the initiative reflects the company’s commitment to youth empowerment and cultural expression.
“The Next Afrobeats Star platform is about creating real opportunities for young Nigerians and giving their talent the structure, visibility, and support it deserves.
“Afrobeats continues to place Nigeria on the global cultural map, and MTN is proud to be enabling the next generation of artists who will take this sound even further,” she said.
She added that the finale was not just a competition but a celebration of growth and readiness for the global stage.
In his acceptance speech, Ayo Benzi described the victory as a defining moment in his career.
“A big thank you to MTN. From the audition days, the treatment MTN has given us has been amazing. God bless the brand,” he said.
The finale also featured guest performances by Afrobeats stars Iyanya and Bella Shmurda, adding glamour to the night and reinforcing the show’s connection to the wider music ecosystem.
With the successful conclusion of the season, MTN Nigeria and its partners reaffirmed their role in championing youth ambition, supporting creative industries, and shaping the future of Nigerian music through platforms that turn potential into opportunity.
T2, formerly known as 9mobile, is under investigation by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Benue State for an undisclosed incident disrupting USSD, SMS, voice, and data services across nine local government areas.
T2
The affected areas include Ado, Agatu, Gwer East, Gwer West, Konshisha, Obi, Ohimini, Okpokwu, and Otukpo, as detailed in an advisory on the NCC Major Outages Portal, which tracks significant disruptions reported by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
Neither T2 nor its public relations firm, Chain Reactions, has responded to inquiries on the outage’s cause or restoration efforts as of this report.
The NCC’s continued reference to the operator as 9mobile, months after its public rebranding to T2 in August 2025, has sparked questions about whether the name change was formally notified to the regulator.
This probe aligns with NCC mandates requiring operators to disclose major outages, their impacts, and timelines for fixes, with compensation obligatory for disruptions exceeding 24 hours under the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.
Industry watchers note that such incidents, often linked to fibre cuts, power failures, or infrastructure faults, underscore ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s telecoms sector, particularly amid T2’s subscriber losses post-rebrand. NCC vows transparency via its portal to hold operators accountable and protect consumers.
Telecom
NCC Unveils Draft 5-Year Spectrum Roadmap, 60 GHz License-Exempt Guidelines to Boost Broadband, Innovation
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled two pivotal regulatory draft documents aimed at reshaping Nigeria’s communications sector over the next five years and fast-tracking deployment of ultra-high-speed wireless technologies.
NCC
In a public notice dated December 19, 2025, and issued pursuant to its mandate under the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, the Commission published the Draft 5-Year Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector (2025–2030) and Draft Guidelines for the Use of the 60 GHz License-Exempt Band for Multi-Gigabit Wireless Systems.
Both documents are accessible on the NCC website for stakeholder review, with the roadmap outlining strategic spectrum planning, allocation, and management to optimise utilisation, support emerging technologies like 5G and IoT, expand broadband access, and align with global best practices.
The Spectrum Roadmap emphasises four core pillars: bridging the digital divide through low-band spectrum and satellite services, attracting investments via flexible licensing models, enhancing service quality with mid-band optimisation, and fostering innovation in areas such as direct-to-device connectivity and secondary spectrum trading.
It sets ambitious targets including universal 4G coverage nationwide, 50 per cent 5G penetration in state capitals, and average broadband speeds of 100 Mbps by 2030, while addressing rising data demand through band refarming and efficient management.
Complementing this, the 60 GHz Guidelines establish a license-exempt framework for the 57–66 GHz band, enabling multi-gigabit speeds up to 10 Gbps for short-range applications like WiGig, fixed wireless access, enterprise connectivity, urban broadband, and backhaul solutions.
The rules mandate NCC type approval for equipment, site registration for outdoor use, and interference mitigation measures, while prohibiting wide-area networks to safeguard primary users.
In line with Section 58 of the NCA 2003, NCC invites comments from industry operators, equipment manufacturers, consumer groups, and the public, with submissions due by Friday, January 16, 2025, via email to [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected].
The notice, signed by Mrs Nnenna Ukoha, Head of Public Affairs, stresses that stakeholder inputs will refine the frameworks to drive innovation, investment, competition, and sustainable growth in Nigeria’s telecoms ecosystem.
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