Telecom
Brain Drain: NCC Tasks Telcos to Partner Academia to Groom Telecom Talents
In an effort to bridge the skills gap and curb brain drain in the Nigerian telecom sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has tasked telcos with industry-academia collaboration.
Dr Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman of the commission, who made this call in Lagos as the keynote speaker, also urged telecom companies to adopt flexible work policies, better renumerations and foster a culture of innovation to create an environment that attract and retains talents.
Speaking at the Fifth Edition of the Telecom Sector Sustainability Forum (TSSF 5.0) organised by Business Remarks themed “Mitigating the Effects of Talent Exodus and its Impact on the Growth of Nigeria’s Telecommunications Industry”, Maida who was represented by the NCC Lagos Zonal Controller, Mr Tunji Jimoh said talent is the lifeblood of innovation and development, and the loss of skilled professionals is a major setback for our industry.
According to him, the global demand for tech talent has driven a good number of Nigeria’s brightest minds to pursue lucrative opportunities abroad, leaving vacuums in the industry skills gap that potentially can threaten the sustainability of the telecoms sector.
Quoting the report from the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Maida noted that over 500 software engineers and more than 2,000 trained telecom professionals left the country in 2022 alone. This trend, if left unchecked, could jeopardize the growth and sustainability of the industry.
Speaking on measures to mitigate brain drain and address talent exodus in the telecom sector, the EVC said, professionals, especially in the tech sector, seek environments where they feel valued, engaged, and given the freedom to explore new ideas. Offering remote work options, continuous learning opportunities, and collaborative spaces where creativity is encouraged will make the local telecom sector more appealing to professionals who might otherwise seek opportunities abroad.
He emphasized the need for telecom companies to continue to invest in the regular upskilling and reskilling initiatives for their existing workforce.
By offering employees opportunities for professional development, companies not only enhance their workforce’s competencies but also provide incentives for talent to stay, knowing they have a pathway to career advancement within their current organization, he said.
Furthermore, Maida called for the need to ensure a steady flow of skilled professionals. He tasked the telecom sector and companies to actively engage and partner with universities, technical schools, and training institutes to create tailored programs designed to equip graduates with industry-relevant skills.
According to him, this strategy will not only help fill the talent gap but also foster a pipeline of young, ambitious professionals eager to build their careers within Nigeria. Internships, apprenticeships, and industry-sponsored research projects can be a practical way for telecom operators to integrate students and recent graduates into the workforce, ensuring they have the competencies required to thrive in the sector.
The EVC Boss tasked telcos on Industry-wide mentorship programs, where seasoned professionals can guide younger talent. Maida noted this would be an effective way to encourage the transfer of skills and knowledge.
Additionally, telecom companies can collaborate on initiatives like tech hubs, start-up incubators, and innovation challenges to not only cultivate local talent but also to provide platforms for professionals to showcase their skills and stay motivated within the industry.
Adopt cutting-edge technologies like 5G, AI, and IoT to create an exciting and innovative environment for professionals. Invest in R&D and support entrepreneurship in the telecommunications space to create an environment where Nigerian professionals can pioneer new technologies, rather than having to seek these opportunities elsewhere. This is, because, the telecoms sector thrives on innovation, and one way to retain talent is by fostering a forward-thinking, technology-driven environment, he stressed.
On part of the commission, the NCC Boss said that the commission has been instrumental in mitigating talent migration through its initiatives to promote indigenous content, improve infrastructure, and create an enabling environment for digital growth. The NCC’s collaboration with stakeholders, MDAs, state governments, and international agencies has been crucial in achieving these goals.
According to him, the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Program, launched by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, aims to train 3 million Nigerians in digital and technical skills by 2027. The NCC is actively participating in this program by supporting participants with training devices.
Additionally, the NCC’s partnership with Nokia to provide a 4G/5G test lab will equip young Nigerians with the skills required for the industry. The NCC is also committed to promoting the development and adoption of indigenous content through the Nigeria Office for Developing Indigenous Content for Telecoms Sector (NODITS), he said.
By pooling resources, the telecom sector can create an ecosystem that nurtures talent at all stages, from entry-level to experienced professionals, and aligns with global standards, the EVC highlighted.
In her welcome address, TSSF 5.0 Convener who also doubles as the Managing Editor of Business Remarks, Bukola Olanrewaju stated that human capital flight, the exodus of skilled professionals from their home countries, has become a global phenomenon with far-reaching implications.
According to her, human capital flight is not merely a statistic; for the telecom industry, it poses significant challenges such as a tangible loss of talent, brain drain, diminished innovation, and intellectual capital. It erodes the very fabric of the industry, leaving behind a void that is difficult to fill. The consequences are farreaching, from weakened competitiveness to a diminished capacity for research and development.
While quoting an analysis from PwC that revealed the talent exodus trend is projected to result in a potential loss of $4.7 billion in productivity and tax revenue for the Nigerian economy by 2027, Olanrewaju noted that amidst the challenges, there lies an opportunity for transformation.
“By addressing the underlying factors that drive the huge depletion in its talent workforce -the severe brain drain, and by fostering a conducive environment for talent development and retention, we can mitigate the effects of this to create a more sustainable, attractive, resilience and prosperous industry.
These facts stress the need to invest in talent development and retention, foster a supportive work environment, and offer competitive compensation and benefits”, Olanrewaju said.
At least 43 million lines were disconnected from networks service providers for non compliance with the National Identification Number (NIN) SIM linkage policy of the federal government, report has revealed.
The number of teleocm subscriber in the country fell by 43.7 million subscribers from 216,974,742 in April 2024 to 172,948,309.
This effectively reduced teledensity from 100.09 per cent to 79.78 per cent.
Teledensity is calculated based on Nigerian Population Commission’s projected population figure of 216 million, according to the NCC.
A breakdown showed that Airtel subscribers dropped from 62,933,351 in April 2024 to 58,586,914 in April 2025.
Globacom witnessed a drop from 62,055,248 in April 2024 to 20,607,726 in April 2025.
The amount of customers lost by Globacom was 20,607,726 making it the biggest loser.
9Mobile subscribers dropped to 2,964,445 in April 2025 from 8,956,568 subscribers in April 2024.
However, MTN Nigeria Communications was the only teleocm company that survived the shock.
MTN saw a rise in its subscribers from 82,716,236 in April 2025 to 90,508,170 in April 2025.
Analysis showed that the 43.7 million subscribers’ loss was a result of the disconnection of unregistered lines.
“The removal of Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) that are not linked to verifiable National Identification Numbers (NINs) and the rectification of a major discrepancy by a Mobile Network Operator explain the significant drop in Nigeria’s telecoms subscriber base,” the regulator explained in the report.
In 2022, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy announced the NIN-SIM linkage policy was for national security and accuracy of the national SIM ownership database.
Subscribers whose lines were not associated with a verified NIN were advised to complete NIN verification to reactivate their lines.
After multiple deadlines for compliance, the NCC set a final deadline of September 14, 2024, for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to complete the linkage process.
IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of the IHS Towers group, announced on Thursday it has formed a strategic partnership with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to increase protection of critical telecoms infrastructure across Nigeria.
Under an MoU signed by both organizations, IHS Nigeria and the NSCDC plan to develop and implement strategies aimed at safeguarding IHS Nigeria’s assets and other telecoms infrastructure from theft and sabotage.
IHS Nigeria owns and operates over 16,000 towers in Nigeria and has deployed over 15,000km of fibre.
The NSCDC will aim to support IHS Nigeria for areas such as site surveillance, emergency responses and incident reporting.
That includes assisting in matters related to tower decommissioning as well as investigating, apprehending and prosecuting alleged site violators.
Mohamad Darwish, CEO, IHS Nigeria, said the collaboration with NSCDC was a key step to enhancing the resilience, reliability and availability of telecoms connectivity in Nigeria.
“By working closely with the NSCDC, which enforces the law that designates telecommunication towers as critical national information infrastructure, we aim to create a safer and more secure environment for our operations, including our infrastructure, and more importantly, ensure better quality of service for all users in Nigeria,” he said in a statement.
Vandalism and theft of fibre cables, backup batteries and other telecoms infrastructure has been a growing problem in Nigeria – so much so that Nigerian president Bola Tinubu declared telecoms infrastructure to be Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) via an executive order last year.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a fresh directive mandating telecom operators to compensate subscribers when major service outages last longer than 24 hours.
The commission also mandated telecom licensees in Nigeria to inform consumers of major service outages on their networks through media channels, stating the cause(s) of the service interruption, and the area(s) affected by the service interruption/outage, as well as the time that would be taken to restore service.
Consumers must also be informed one week in advance where operators have planned service outages.
This development, contained in the “Directive on Reportage of Major Network Outages by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs),” is part of the Commission’s drive to ensure timely resolution of outages, enhance quality of experience for telecom consumers, and keep consumers informed.
According to the Directive, Mobile Network Operators, Internet Service Providers and other operators that provide last mile services will also provide proportional compensation, including extension of validity, as may be applicable and in line with the provisions of the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations, where any major network outage continues for more than 24 hours.
It identifies three types of major outages to include: Any network operational condition such as fibre cut due to construction/access issues/theft & vandalism and force majeure that impacts five per cent or more of the affected operator’s subscriber base or five or more Local Government Areas (LGAs); having an occasion of unplanned outage of, or complete isolation of network resources in 100 or more sites or five per cent of the total number of sites (whichever is less) or 1 cluster that lasts for 30 minutes or more; and lastly, any form of outage that can degrade network quality in the top 10 states based on traffic volume as specified by the Commission from time to time.
In furtherance of this, the Commission has further directed that all Major Outages are to be reported by operators through the Commision’s Major Outage Reporting Portal, which is accessible to the public through the Commission’s website, www.ncc.gov.ng. The portal additionally discloses the identity of the culprit responsible for the disruption.
Commenting on the Directive and the Major Outage Reporting Portal, the Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Engr. Edoyemi Ogor stated that, “The Commission has trialed the reporting process and portal with operators for some months now before issuing the directive.
“By providing consumers and stakeholders in the telecommunications industry with timely and transparent information on network outages, we are entrenching a culture of accountability and transparency. This approach also ensures that culprits are held responsible for sabotage to telecommunications infrastructure.
“This also aligns with our broader commitment to the effective implementation of the Executive Order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which designates telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII). It reinforces the need to safeguard these assets, given their centrality to national security, economic stability, and the everyday lives of Nigerians,” Engr Edoyemi Ogor said.
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