General News
Collocation Reduces Operators’ Headaches- Onakomaiya
Mr. Gbenga Onakomaiya, chief commercial officer (CCO) of IHS, a company reputed for building and managing Nigeria’s Telecom Infrastructure with the highest quality at affordable cost. Onakomaiya has over a decade experience in the telecommunications industry and worked in Motophone where he handled finance and adminstrastion. A very unassuming and consummate salesman, he speaks with passion about collocation and sundry issue in this interview with emeka okafor.
Accident on Duty
Fortunately we have not experienced any casualty in our own case by the Grace of God and after that by the safety measures we put in place, we believe very much in safety procedures we adhere strictly to safety issues and quality issues and that is why we know we are also ISO certified. One of the requirements for ISO certification is to be safety conscious and we do not compromise it with regards to building of sites, we go to the minutest details to ensure that things are secured both for the community and for our staff. It saves a lot of money, because by the end of the day if you don’t do that you spend it ten times more than what you were to spend initially. We don’t compromise safety, if we do, may be our certificate will be withdrawn from ISO. It’s a continuous assessment they are always on our neck, we are always ready for them
Collocation
Economy of scale has shown that you have to do something about collocation. The operators themselves are now seeing the business angle in doing that in the sense that when you, for example you use $6000 dollar per month to maintain a site as a company when you have an option of paying $ 2000 a month sharing location .They are now seeing the economic sense in sharing infrastructure.
Initially, everybody wanted to provide services by themselves but now they are now seeing the economic sense because the sites are growing .It’s now much bigger for them to maintain .They need to digress themselves from these services and focus their attention on the core things they do. The competition has been wonderful and that is what has been keeping us going. We know there is competition and we strive to be the best in what we do because we do not want to be cluttered away, competition is the driving force we have, and without competition we will be relaxed. Since we know more competition is still coming we don’t want to lag behind. We have to make returns to our shareholders.
Problem of Touts and Youth Restiveness
It is very simple. There’s no place all over the world where you don’t have youth restiveness even in India. It is very rampant, but the way you manage it is very important. In IHS for instance, what we do is we have meetings with stakeholders, the community leaders, the youths and everybody. We call them and tell them that we are all stakeholders in the business and as such they should see themselves as part owners of the business and we tell them their benefits. You may be surprised that most of them don’t even know that there are benefits accruing to them. They believe the presence of any telecom project in their area is a national cake which they have to take their own share of but when you tell them the benefits of siting a base station in their community, that it can bring development to them either directly or indirectly because if there’s a base station in a community, there’s good network coverage in that community and you will have a lot of business centres being operated. One other thing we do is that right from the time of construction of any project; we involve the community where the project is located. We engage the local artisans and don’t hire them from outside. At the end of the day we engage two or three of them as security to man the cell site. Periodically, we engage the community in discussions to see how we can develop the community. Then we have conquered that aspect of youth restiveness because we believe in them and take them along in what we do, so they now feel we are part of them.
Leveraging on Shared Infrastructure
Oh very well. They have now seen the need and benefits of it in terms of taking the headache of maintaining, managing and monitoring the sites off them. They can now use their energy in other areas of service which they are providing. It also encourages shared expenses among two or three operators. This reduces the expenses they make and increases their profit which they can now divert in other areas.
Role in Corporate Social Responsibility
What we want to achieve very soon most companies or all the companies will be accessed not only by the profit they make but what they give back to the society. What social responsibility have you been able to do?. If you do not develop community the repercussion will be on you because you have to spend more on developing infrastructure or building infrastructure but if you develop a community you have less money to spend on accessing the community so we know by donating to them we are making things easier for us at the same time building a relationship with the community you are making the community to trust you and believe in what you do. Anytime you need anything, the community will be there to assist you.
State Government Tasking Operators to Share Infrastructure
I am hearing that for the first time that the state government is tasking telecom operators to encourage them to share infrastructure. It’s a welcome development if it is doing that, but then, as a matter of fact most operators have seen the benefits of sharing infrastructure and we are in discussions with some of them to take over their sites so that other operators who are not there yet can also collocate on the site. That is the kind of agreement we are making with them. We are not dismantling any site already built. The site that is already available can be acquired from the operators for us to manage it for them .More operators are coming in and they want coverage in certain areas so they can come in and make use of the base stations that are already in existence.
Capacity to Handle More Operators
IHS has the capacity to accommodate any new company that is coming in and as a matter of fact, we are building based on the imagination of what the future would be like, the number of operators that are coming in or envisaged to come in. We have sites that can take in at least four operators at a time. As a matter of fact, we have our equipment in the country now that can establish 500 sites and by the grace of God we should be building more 500 sites by the end of 2009. We should be commissioning 54 sites any time from now after NCC’s approval.
IHS and Stock Exchange
As you are aware we are through with our private placement and as a result we were given the go ahead to register our shares. We submitted our application to the Stock Exchange to be listed and you will be the first to hear that we have been given approval to list on the Stock Exchange and we will be listing any moment from now officially. We are public limited liability company now and we will be fully quoted so that people can buy our shares and that is why we want to improve and continue to improve for people to be able to have better result on their investments
Best Telecom Infrastructure Provider Award Expectations from IHS
It has given us operators the impetus to work harder and as a matter of fact we have won another award from another IT magazine, IT and Telecoms Digest. It’s a pleasant surprise and another challenge for us to keep on providing good quality service to every body in the industry.
Your Role in Miss Telecoms
We have the urged to encourage the youths. We sponsored the event and gave out the first prize and want to do more than that. The winner of Miss Telecoms will be involved in a campaign that will be announced very soon. The campaign will benefit the society because we want to campaign against environmental pollution.
Why Has IHS Suddenly Become Known
IHS has been in existence since 2001. We are about the first company that went into service delivery in the telecoms industry but we have been working silently because we believe in working and not talking. .We have built the highest number of sites in the industry. When you consider the total number of sites built so far IHS has built at least 30% of all the sites we have today and we believe in quality. It could be because more telecoms operators are coming in that people are beginning to know us but we have been working silently. We will continue to do our work silently but the public will be seeing what we are doing.
Breathe Life Foundation partnered with Teach Nigeria Fellow, Ms Bunmi Rotimi, to deliver a respiratory health awareness session for over 200 senior students of Cleggs Girls High School, Surulere, Lagos.
The session equipped students aged 15–19 years with practical knowledge about the risks associated with smoking, vaping, and shisha, while challenging the misconception that shisha is a safer alternative to cigarettes or other substances.
Through an engaging and interactive discussion, students explored the influence of peer pressure and learned practical strategies for making healthier, more informed lifestyle choices.
They also gained a better understanding of common environmental triggers of asthma and other respiratory conditions, including cigarette smoke, generator fumes, bush burning, mosquito coil smoke, candles, charcoal, and firewood.
The session highlighted an important reality: young people may not always recognise how seemingly routine lifestyle choices and environmental exposures can gradually affect their respiratory health, quality of life, and long-term wellbeing.
For Breathe Life Foundation, this reinforces the importance of shifting the conversation from treatment to prevention through awareness and education. By equipping young people with the knowledge to identify risks and make healthier choices early, the Foundation is helping to build a generation that is more conscious of – and better prepared to protect – its respiratory health.
Breathe Life Foundation is dedicated to advancing respiratory health, an often-neglected public health priority. Healthy lungs are essential to life, yet respiratory diseases remain among the world’s leading causes of death and disability, even though many are preventable and treatable.
Nigeria’s technology retail landscape reached another significant milestone on Monday, August 3, 2026, as global technology giant ASUS, in partnership with Konga, officially commissioned its first flagship experience store in West Africa.
Strategically located at 16 Otigba Street, Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos; the heartbeat of Nigeria’s technology ecosystem, the state-of-the-art facility represents a major investment in customer experience, product accessibility, and digital innovation.
The launch also reinforces Konga’s growing reputation as a preferred gateway for leading global technology brands into the Nigerian market.
The landmark event attracted Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, who officially commissioned the store.
Also in attendance were the Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh; Chief Operating Officer of Konga, Dave Omoregie; VP Omni-channel & Commercial Planning, Melvin Onochie; and Head of Marketing and Communications at Konga Group, Victor Oluwaleye.
The ASUS team was led by E.EMEA General Manager, Aaron Tsai, alongside Business Development Manager, Sunnie Chen; Sales Manager, Mohammed Kazim; Gaming Product Manager, Joy Chen; Marketing Manager, Adeola Odeleye; and Sales Specialist, Williams Okenna.
The Honourable Minister described the facility as a defining achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy, noting that it is far more than the opening of a retail outlet.
He called it a strong vote of confidence by a global technology brand in Nigeria’s innovation, science, and technology ecosystem and the immense potential of its market.
He noted that his presence underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to fostering stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors, describing such partnerships as essential to achieving Nigeria’s ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy driven by private enterprise and enabled by government.
The Minister paid tribute to Leo Stan Ekeh, describing him as one of the foremost architects of Nigeria’s digital transformation.
He announced that Ekeh had recently agreed to champion the Federal Government’s Youth and Students in Innovation initiative, a flagship programme aimed at equipping young Nigerians with entrepreneurial and technology skills.
According to him, Ekeh’s decades of visionary entrepreneurship have played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s technology ecosystem and attracting prominent technology companies into the Nigerian market.
Using the occasion to address the international business community, the Minister encouraged global investors and brands to look beyond establishing commercial operations in Nigeria and actively partner with the government in driving national development.
He assured investors of the Federal Government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment that safeguards investments and delivers sustainable returns.
Speaking at the event, ASUS E.EMEA General Manager, Aaron Tsai, expressed appreciation to partners, government representatives, and customers for their support.
He explained that the flagship store was conceived to provide consumers with direct access to authentic ASUS products, and expressed confidence that the partnership with Konga will further accelerate the brand’s growth and strengthen customer engagement in the region.
The experience centre features dedicated sections showcasing ASUS’ complete portfolio of premium laptops, gaming devices, AI-powered PCs, and cutting-edge innovations. A standout attraction is an interactive digital display that allows visitors to explore ASUS’ latest technologies virtually before making purchase decisions, creating a more engaging and informed customer journey. Plus, every ASUS device purchased through the flagship store or online on Konga comes with a special one-year replacement warranty at no extra cost.
In his remark, Chief Operating Officer of Konga Group, Dave Omoregie, said the flagship store reflects Konga’s deliberate strategy to give Nigerian consumers a seamless blend of online and offline retail.
He noted that Konga’s logistics network, payment infrastructure, and nationwide retail footprint uniquely position the company to support global brands like ASUS at scale, while ensuring customers enjoy authentic products backed by reliable after-sales service.
According to him, the partnership demonstrates what becomes possible when world-class technology brands trust Nigerian platforms to deliver exceptional experiences, adding that Konga remains committed to setting the operational standard for authentic technology retail across the country.
The launch further reinforces the enduring partnership between ASUS and Konga, built on shared values of innovation, authenticity, and customer satisfaction.
It also highlights Konga’s continued evolution beyond traditional e-commerce into a comprehensive omnichannel technology ecosystem that combines online convenience with physical retail experiences.
For Nigerian consumers and businesses, the new ASUS Flagship Experience Store represents more than a retail outlet; it is a symbol of confidence in Nigeria’s technology market. It highlights Konga’s commitment to bridging the gap between global technology brands and Nigerian consumers. With its robust logistics infrastructure, digital payment solutions, and nationwide physical retail presence, Konga continues to set the standard for authentic, accessible, and reliable technology retail across Africa.
The flagship store opening featured guided product demonstrations, immersive technology experiences, exclusive launch-day offers and customer engagement activities celebrating this historic milestone.
Customers can begin shopping immediately at the ASUS Flagship Experience Store, located at 16 Otigba Street, Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos. Visitors can explore authentic ASUS products, experience live product demonstrations, receive expert guidance, and access dedicated Starlink customer-support services.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to direct, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), attorney general of the federation and minister of Justice; Olatunji Rilwan Disu, inspector-general of Police, and relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate allegations that more than ₦6.79 billion in public funds were missing, diverted or misapplied within the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs.
The allegations are contained in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2022 Annual Report, published on September 9, 2025.
In a letter dated August 1, 2026, and signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, SERAP, the organisation urged the government to ensure that anyone implicated in the report is prosecuted and that all missing public funds, firearms and ammunition are recovered.
“Anyone suspected to be responsible—including contractors, companies and public officials implicated in the report—should be promptly prosecuted, while all missing public funds, firearms and ammunition should be fully recovered, secured and properly accounted for.”
SERAP described the Auditor-General’s findings as a serious breach of public trust.
“The Auditor-General’s findings suggest a grave betrayal of the public trust and raise serious concerns about corruption and the management of public funds, police exhibits, firearms and ammunition.”
The organisation also expressed concern over allegations involving missing firearms, unauthorised use and release of police exhibits, and poor storage of weapons.
“The report also raises serious concerns over missing firearms and ammunition, the unauthorised use and release of police exhibits, failures to properly account for exhibits, and the insecure storage of firearms, creating significant risks to public safety and national security.”
According to SERAP, the alleged diversion of funds meant for policing and the reported irregularities have weakened the operational effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force.
“The diversion of funds meant for policing, abandoned security projects, missing firearms and ammunition, and the misuse of police exhibits undermine the operational effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force, weaken public confidence and may contribute to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.”
The organisation said the Auditor-General’s report documented several alleged financial irregularities, including payments for projects that were never executed, abandoned contracts, inflated contract costs, irregular procurement, unretired cash advances, unsettled insurance claims and payments for services allegedly not rendered.
“The report documented numerous alleged financial irregularities within the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, including payments for projects that were never executed, abandoned contracts, inflated contract costs, and irregular procurement.”
“The report also documented unretired cash advances, unsettled insurance claims, payments for services allegedly not rendered, and other suspected diversion and misapplication of public funds amounting to over ₦6.79 billion.”SERAP further cited allegations of missing firearms and ammunition, failures to properly account for recovered weapons and exhibits, and insecure storage of firearms.
“The allegations also include missing firearms and ammunition, the unauthorised use and release of police exhibits, failures to properly account for recovered firearms and other exhibits, and the insecure storage of firearms, posing serious risks to public safety and national security.”
The organisation gave the Federal Government seven days to act on its demands, warning that it would pursue legal action if no response is received.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal action to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.”
SERAP also argued that the allegations, if left unaddressed, would violate constitutional provisions requiring the government to combat corruption and safeguard the welfare and security of Nigerians.
Among the specific findings cited from the Auditor-General’s report were allegations of payments for abandoned and unexecuted police projects worth hundreds of millions of naira, inflated contract values, unretired cash advances, irregular procurement processes, unsettled insurance claims exceeding ₦681 million, over ₦1 billion in uncleared insurance policy liabilities, missing firearms and ammunition, unauthorised release of police exhibits, and contracts allegedly awarded without due diligence by the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs.
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