General News
Collocation is About Opex Reduction—Hussain
Fazal Hussain is chief executive officer of Helios Towers, pioneer collocation company. He has executed many international telecommunications projects in his over twenty years working experience that saw him work in several countries around the world. He joined Helios Towers from PTCL (Incumbent operator in Pakistan) where he provided solutions to carriers for both passive and active shared infrastructure. Hussain spoke to chike onwuegbuchi and funmi ilesanmi on collocation initiative in the telecom industry.
Infrastructure Deployment
It has been very supportive as far as we are concerned. As you are aware we just raised another $250 million from the IFC, we are very happy with the opportunities in Nigeria and we will continue to provide basic world class services to operators mainly focusing on helping them to reduce their operational expenses (Opex).
Target of Facility
The idea is that the money is for investing in capital, so that we can put more towers on ground, and as we do that it means we are able to provide services to not only the big GSM players but also the Wimax operators.
Cooperation on Infrastructure Sharing
It’s been very good. If you are a service provider, I can come to you and say I can take 70 percent of your Opex out and I am sure you will want to talk to me. We can help you take Opex out and cut the cost so that operators can be more profitable by providing services to more and more customers. Our focus is solely Opex reduction to manage services and we are a world class company providing services to all the operators.
Challenges in Managing Towers
We have invested over $10 million in our network operation centre in Victoria Island. What happens is that we are getting live pictures, live signals and alarms when somebody enters the site even to check the temperature. We get all the information to our network operation centre in Lagos and we then delegate people who are in the field to go and investigate very quickly. We do a lot of preventive and corrective maintenance as well. Our people go to site two or three times a week just to make sure everything is fine. They check if the battery is fine, check the generators, and check everything basically because that is how to provide 99.9 percent uptime.
Encouraging Operators to Collocate
It is very simple, we provide world class service, and we provide 99.9 percent uptime which nobody does in Nigeria. We are the only company that can provide the uptime with what is called plug and play. The operator does not have to do anything, within two days they can switch on their equipment and its up and running. They don’t have to worry about anything; we provide everything, security and all. At the end of the day, we help them reduce Opex and our objective is to help operators reduce Opex by up to 70 percent. We provide world class service at a very good price.
We build our sites to the highest specification and it is designed for multiple tenants. As you know in Nigeria you get public power supply for about 6 hours in a day so 18 hours in a day you don’t have power. So what we do is to provide battery backup then we have a generator and then back up generator. We have personnel on that site with a mobile generator for quick response if there is a problem with the battery and the two generators. This is to ensure that the site does not go down at all.
Today, quality of service is relatively poor but in two years time and with the emergence of new operators, quality of service will be taken seriously as consumer will not tolerate any operator that provides poor quality of service.
Adding Value to Telecom Infrastructure
When we put a tower in an area there is no need to put more towers. One tower can service the GSM, CDMA and the Wimax operators, so they don’t have to spend any capital; they reduce their Opex so they can go spend it somewhere else. Whenever we put up a tower, the operators are very happy to come and use our towers for the simple reason of the assurance that we can provide 99.9 percent fully managed service.
Leasing Fibre to Operators
We are looking into doing what is called back haul. Our objective is to do collocation, managed services and backhaul so that we can put fibre on our towers.
Assessment of Telecom Industry
The telecom industry in Nigeria is still growing. First it was the voice , 2G the GSM and the CDMA obviously that has been growing after the deregulation and probably at the end there will be about 80 to 100 million subscribers because Nigeria is a large country. The second wave of technology which is to provide value added services on top of the voice and the third which is data base services of broadband internet based on 3G and Wimax. I believe as far as telecom sector is concerned the consumers will benefit because it is a competitive market and it is very positive as far as I am concerned
We are the pioneers and as a matter of fact we started the collocation business so the relationship has been very good.
In essence we provide two services at the moment. We build sites for collocation, meaning sites that allows at least four different operators whether GSM, CDMA, WiMax. Secondly, we manage passive infrastructures on behalf of the operators.
We guarantee 99.9% uptime and so far we have more than 1,000 sites nationwide and we plan to increase it to 2,000 fully managed sites.
Operational Model
The market dynamics is very critical but it is peculiar to emerging markets. Average revenue per user (ARPU) is declining rapidly, interconnect rates are very high, transmission cost is also very high and operating expenses is increasing. The subscribers are becoming increasingly demanding and quality of service is now a big issue. The two key aspects of the lean operator model are managed services and infrastructure sharing. Helios Towers provides these services to enable operators to concentrate in managing their customers, brand, sales and not managed infrastructure.
Capacity to Meet Operators Demand
We are very relevant to speedy roll out of telecom and related services in Nigeria, as a matter of fact; we are the heart of the wireless operators.
We do have the capacity and even with the coming of new entrants into the market. We are rolling out as fast as we can. First of all we are rolling out in the major cities and the smaller cities and then the villages. So far, we have spent over $300 million and recently IFC, granted us $250 funding to roll out additional 1,000 sites. This will bring our sites to over 2,000. Finance is not a problem to us as we are well funded to provide efficient services to the operators.
Managed services allows operators to focus on core strength of managing the business and not running the network, adopt a third party strategy and service consolidation to achieve immediate cost reduction by 70%, achieve operational excellence in a market where average site uptime is only 70% ,focus on service quality improvement to achieve business key performance indicator.
Congestion of the Landscape by the Erection of Towers
We are a very responsible corporate citizen of the country, and therefore obtain approvals from the appropriate authorities before building our sites. We have a high specification of our sites and our towers do not fall as they are designed for 25 years. They are not local standard but international standard, so we ensure that we get the approval of the government entities concerned before we build our sites.
More so, financially we have not really face challenges in the sense that we have been able to raise money internationally, we are actually a company registered in Nigeria but investment comes from abroad. The biggest challenge that we are facing is finding good quality sites. If for example you are given the license to operate telecommunication services in Nigeria, and you want to roll out nationwide, you will spend a lot of money in getting a good quality site and besides it will take you sometime to get it.
Effect of Taxes on Bottomline
Whenever you pay taxes, it affects your bottom line. But whatever taxes we pay, operators have to pay if I have five people or four on a tower; I pay only once so I could pass those savings to them, so they don’t have to pay.
Parameter of Your Charges
Our charges are very affordable. It depends on the space that you want to hang your equipment, if you are a GSM or CDMA operator, you will probably take more space, but the cyber café or Wimax operator, radio station, Television station etc take smaller space and pays lesser than the former. So, our charges depend on the space and specifications of your equipment.
Helios Towers in Future
We hope to see Helios Towers in other African countries. Right now, we are still serving Nigeria because Nigeria is a big market but very soon we are looking forward to exporting our skills to other African countries apart from Nigeria. By 2010, we will probably have close to 2000 towers. We have over a thousand right now.
Federal government has proposed setting up a National Examination Malpractice Court to swiftly prosecute exam cheats and curb malpractice nationwide.
Dr. Tunji Alausa, minister of Education, affirmed this recommendation of the 17-man committee headed by Professor Is-haq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) as chairman, on Improvement of the Quality of Examination in Nigeria.
The committee which the Minister inaugurated in January this year submitted its interim report to him on Friday after about five months of extensive work, coming up with far-reaching recommendations aimed at improving the quality of examination and curbing examination malpractices in Nigeria.
Oloyede, in one of the recommendations, asked the Federal Ministry of Education to interface with the National Assembly to enact an Act to establish a National Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal for prompt prosecution of examination malpractices to serve as a deterrent to others.
Alausa, in his response, assured the committee members that all the 12-point recommendations would be implemented, saying the government would deploy all its machinery to fight the menace of examination malpractice in Nigeria.
His words: “All the 12 recommendations that you reeled out, everyone will agree with me today that none of those recommendations will be impossible to implement. They are all practicable things. The one that we will implement now, we will do that right away, and once we leave here, myself and the permanent Secretary have work to do”.
Some of the recommendations of the committee include: “All documents, including certificates, registration and result slips, etc., should contain National Identification Number (NIN), photograph and date of birth to guard against identity theft and impersonation.
“All Invigilators and Supervisors must register through NIN and subscribe to the Examination body’s Short Code, using the same pattern of 55019/66019 of JAMB in order so track and have full information about the examination officials, including examiners, supervisors and invigilators.
“Swapping Invigilators and Supervisors, not candidates, should commence with effect from the 2025 private SSCE due to the strong views against student swapping expressed by the four concerned examination bodies (WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS) pertaining to security, logistics and the fact that centre details are traditionally printed on candidates’ certificates
“Except where absolutely impossible, Invigilators and Supervisors should always be public officials/teachers on pensionable appointments.
“The standard requirements of examination halls/centres should not be waived for any school, while the recommended seating arrangement should be 1.5m by 1.2m, or 1.8 sqm per candidate.
“All examination halls and centres should be equipped with stationary CCTV cameras for surveillance and monitoring purposes. In addition, every examination centre shall have a mini control room where the CCTV camera is monitored for urgent and immediate alert.
“All four concerned examination bodies shall jointly own central control facilities for their use during their examinations to save costs. Body camcorders should be deployed in examination halls and centres for effective monitoring.
“At the point of entry into Basic School, every pupil must generate a unique code which is linked to his/her NIN, which must be identified with the pupil throughout his/her educational journey in Nigeria.
“The Federal Ministry of Education should interface with the National Assembly to enact an Act to establish a National Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal for prompt prosecution of examination malpractices to serve as deterrent for others.
“The non-implementation of the 1999 Examination Malpractice Act suggests either a lack of political will or non-implementability. Consequently, the Committee recommends a review of the Act in such a manner that it can be immediately implemented to curb examination malpractice.
“Rather than wait till 2027 as initially suggested, the Computer-Based Examination (CBE) should be implemented for objective questions in 2025 private examinations and in full for school candidates in 2026.
“The 30 per cent Continuous Assessment component in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations has become a veritable source of corruption in the examination system due to the fraudulent process of inputting the scores in arrears.
“It is therefore recommended that the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and any other FME agency, which must have recommended the policy for the approval of the National Council on Education (NCE), should immediately be requested to review the Continuous Assessment System”.’
General News
Nigeria Relaunches National Talent Export Programme to Unlock $1 Trillion Global Outsourcing Market
The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has announced the relaunch of the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), a bold initiative led by the Honourable Minister, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole.
The renewed programme is designed to tap into the $1 trillion global outsourcing industry by positioning Nigeria’s youth as a world-class talent pool for digital and professional services.
“What we celebrate today is not merely the launch of a program; it represents the continuation of a vision to position Nigeria as a global leader in the future of work and services,” said Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.
“With digital transformation firmly embedded in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic vision, Nigeria is enhancing the infrastructure, systems, and policy tools necessary for an inclusive and innovation-driven future.”
In alignment with President Tinubu’s 8-point agenda, NATEP is designed to empower Nigeria’s youth, harness global service export opportunities, and drive inclusive economic transformation. With a youthful, English-speaking population, a strategic time zone, and rapidly advancing digital infrastructure, Nigeria is uniquely positioned to become a competitive global supplier of skilled talent.
Under the leadership of Dr. Oduwole, NATEP represents a strategic move to diversify Nigeria’s economy, boost foreign exchange earnings, and create sustainable employment.
The programme will focus on aggregating global demand and connecting it with Nigeria’s skilled workforce through structured and ethical talent export pathways.
The Ministry’s goal is to create 1 million direct export-linked jobs and up to 5 million indirect jobs within five years.
In addition, NATEP aims to attract over $1 billion in foreign direct investment to Nigeria’s growing service export economy. This programme targets high-impact sectors such as technology, business process outsourcing (BPO), the creative economy, healthcare, professional services, and remote work.
As part of this relaunch, Mrs. Teju Abisoye has been appointed as the National Coordinator of NATEP. A development finance expert with over two decades of experience, she has led major national employment initiatives and played key roles in government interventions, entrepreneurship support, and private sector engagement.
Her leadership brings clarity, focus, and execution strength to the programme’s vision.
Speaking at the relaunch, Teju noted, “Our mandate at NATEP is to position Nigeria as Africa’s peerless global talent hub by building an enabling ecosystem through policy, platforms, promotion, and partnerships.
We would actualise this critical national objective by upskilling and enabling Nigeria’s teeming young human capital to take advantage of the $1 trillion global service trade, with soaring demand for digital services, outsourcing, and remote work.
This is one of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s strategic interventions to tackle youth unemployment head-on, generate vital foreign exchange, and diversify our economy through service sector expansion”.
NATEP, a Special Purpose Vehicle under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, has evolved from a basic outsourcing facilitator into a full-scale ecosystem enabler. The programme will now drive policy reform, expand digital infrastructure, strengthen international partnerships, and create reliable talent pipelines that match global standards.
Key components of NATEP include:
- Training 10 million Nigerians in globally recognized digital and professional certifications
- Incentivizing BPO and IT-enabled service companies to expand operations in Nigeria
- Creating legal and ethical pathways for talent export in alignment with global labor needs
- Building a national talent database to map skills and track employment opportunities
- Partnering with global outsourcing platforms and employers to aggregate demand
In alignment with President Tinubu’s 8-point agenda, NATEP is designed to empower Nigeria’s youth, enhance foreign exchange earnings, and support inclusive economic transformation. With a youthful, English-speaking population, strategic time zone, and growing digital infrastructure, Nigeria is uniquely positioned to become a competitive global talent supplier.
Minister, NATEP Sign MoU with Alaro City and Itana
To mark this renewed direction, the Honourable Minister led a high-level delegation on an official visit to Alaro City, home to Itana, Nigeria’s first Digital Special Economic Zone, on Friday, May 30, 2025.
The Minister also leveraged the visit to execute a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening public-private sector collaboration and showcasing the infrastructure and innovation ecosystem that will support the programme’s success.
Dr. Oduwole stated, “I am proud to announce a significant milestone in this effort: the successful signing of a strategic agreement to create an initial 100,000 jobs across high-impact sectors — made possible through collaboration with platforms like Itana, Alaro City, and other partners to mark the beginning of a new phase of joint execution.”
General News
Uche Uzoebo, SANEF CEO Makes Case for More Financial Inclusion Strategies Targeting Women
Leveraging digital infrastructure is key to accelerating financial inclusion, especially through a multi-stakeholder approach involving governments, fintechs, telecoms, regulators and even the customers.
According to the World Bank report, a significant portion of the global adult population remains unbanked.
Specifically, 27% of adults globally are considered unbanked, and an additional 50% are underbanked, defined as lacking a credit card, , according to Lucidity Insights.
By investing in awareness, robust digital ID systems, interoperable payment rails, and inclusive policy frameworks, stakeholders can expand access to financial services, particularly in underserved regions, and reduce the global unbanked population significantly.
Stakeholders who gathered at the Regtech Conference 2025 discussed these strategies and more, especially facilitating cross-border payments and investment opportunities across Africa.
The event featured a thought-provoking panel discussion moderated by Uche Uzoebo, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF) Limited.
The panel discussion themed, “From Borders to Bridges: Leveraging Digital Infrastructure to Drive Financial Inclusion through a Multi-Stakeholder Approach”, brought together diverse voices across banking, fintech, policy, and government to explore how digital infrastructure can be annexed to drive financial inclusion.
Uzoebo highlighted how women often face unique challenges in accessing financial services coupled with limited digital literacy and cultural barriers.
She engaged the panelists to discuss targeted interventions aimed at promoting gender inclusivity in the financial sector and effective financial education programs that empower individuals to utilize digital financial services.
Jacqueline Mpare, Head of Agency Banking, Ecobank Group, highlighted how her organization had established a women-focused initiative to provide support to businesses targeted at women and those with women as part of the leadership by providing them with access to finance and non-financial support.
Isa Aliyushata, Regional Advisor, Africa, Corum Group Limited, stressed the need to inculcate financial literacy into the education curriculum to ensure everyone is exposed to the knowledge of financial literacy from a young age.
The panelists include Ajibade Laolu-Adewale, Chief Partnership & Ecosystems Officer, Wema Bank; Gerald Munyaradzi Nyakwawa, Head of Digital Channels, MoneyMart Finance (Private) Limited, Zimbabwe; Dr. Henry Clarke Kisembo, Group Global Lead and Executive Chairman, Development Associates Link International (DALI); Jacqueline Mpare, Head of Agency Banking, Ecobank Group; Jean Jacques Kajuga, Chief Operations Officer, RSwitch Rwanda; and Isa Aliyushata, Regional Advisor, Africa, Corum Group Limited.
The panelists emphasized collaboration, leading by example, speed and legislative alignment, a unified infrastructure payment system, and collaboration between national and regional switchers to allow a low-cost cross-border payment as key to ensuring financial inclusion.
Meanwhile, her organization, Shared Agency Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF), was honored with the title of 2025 Financial Literacy Champion at the RegTech Awards. This prestigious recognition highlights SANEF’s steadfast commitment to promoting financial literacy and enhancing financial inclusion across Nigeria. Through strategic partnerships, the expansion of agent networks nationwide, and impactful educational programs, SANEF continues to equip millions with the knowledge and tools to make informed financial decisions.
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