Telecom
Consumers Ask FG Stop Issuing of Deadlines for SIM-NIN Linkage
National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), the umbrella body of telecoms subscribers in Nigeria has asked the federal government to suspend for the National Identification Number- issuing of deadlines Subscriber Identity Module data verification exercise and adopt a continuous registration model.
Adeolu Ogunbanjo, president, NATCOMS
Adeolu Ogunbanjo, president of the association, disclosed this in an interview with Punch at the weekend
This, according to the industry pressure body, will help the government to accommodate the National Identity Management Commission’s lack of capacity to host the data of telecommunication subscribers.
Ogunbanjo, said that a continuous registration process will cover the various hiccups experienced by the exercise.
He said, “Unfortunately, there are so many hiccups with the SIM-NIN linkage. The NIMC lacks the capacity to do the uploads after the registration.
“I will now tell the government to let the linkage continue just like the SIM. Let them remove the deadlines, for now. Let it be a continuous one. If they don’t do that, they will make people abandon their SIMs, and make the network operators lose a lot of income on these unused SIMs.
“So, these will even get slower. Let the minister postpone the deadline until December 2022 for now. They should give us a nine-month window to ensure that NIMC puts its house in order.
“Maybe they would have capacity then. Many of the NIMC centres do not register more than 10 new subscribers in a day. And there are so many subscribers seeking to do so. Also, for about two, three weeks, it was off. So, I think the capacity should be built upon, and then let’s look at the end of the year.”
According to a source in one of the telecommunication companies in the nation, progress has not been made as regards the SIM-NIN exercise.
The source said the NIMC does not have the required infrastructure to facilitate the exercise, seamlessly.
The source said, “We disclosed in our last report that not much has happened as regards the SIM-NIN linkage because of the challenges that are still very much in place.
“Essentially, the fault is from the NIMC. The NIMC doesn’t have the infrastructure to support this exercise. Nothing has changed. The government is definitely going to extend the deadline. The agency will keep postponing the deadline to buy time.”
A source in the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria confirmed to our correspondent that while the NIMC’s servers had been fixed, it was still been experiencing frequent downtime.
This, he said, was impacting the pace of the verification exercise as telcos had to wait for hours before gaining access to the portal.
Telecom
Celebrating African Creativity: Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ Returns for Its Fifth Year
The “Made by Africa, Loved by the World” campaign is back for its fifth year, celebrating African creativity and global influence. This year’s theme, “Where Culture Meets Connection,” highlights how social media fosters conversations around cultural moments worldwide.
The campaign features three cinematic films premiering on the Meta Africa page, showcasing the groundbreaking work and personal stories of six dynamic African creatives.
These artists, from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, represent diverse disciplines, including rap, animation, dance, photography, fashion, and videography.
Here are some of the featured talents:
- Ladipoe (Nigeria) – A BET-nominated rapper known for blending global hip-hop with African rhythms.
- Fatboy Animations (Kenya) – An animation studio founded by Michael Muthiga, recognized by Forbes for its original African storytelling.
- Lisa Quama (Ghana) – A dancer who gained fame after appearing in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video.
- Gilbert Asante (Ghana) – A photographer and creative director featured in GQ and Glam Africa.
- David Tlale (South Africa) – A fashion designer whose bold designs have been showcased at major fashion events, including the Met Gala.
- Ofentse Mwase (South Africa) – A filmmaker with over 24 international awards for his unique visual storytelling.
Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director for Africa, Middle East & Turkey, emphasized that the campaign not only celebrates individual success stories but also showcases how culture and social media drive meaningful connections and inspiration.
Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has raised the alarm over a diesel supply crisis caused by an ongoing strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Mr Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON in a statement said that the fuel supply disruption is critically affecting telecom base stations, pushing them to the brink of a shutdown and threatening millions of mobile and internet users in the region.
“This strike, which stems from the persistent harassment of tanker and petroleum product drivers by police officers in Lagos State, has effectively halted all truck loading operations and fuel movements,” Emoekpere stated.
He explained that diesel supply to telecom infrastructure has been severely impacted, leaving critical sites with dangerously low fuel levels.
According to him, if urgent measures are not taken, the situation could escalate into a full-blown network blackout, disrupting essential services, including mobile and internet access, business operations, emergency response systems, and daily communications.
ATCON has called on the governors of Lagos and Ogun states to intervene immediately by facilitating the release of diesel from depots to telecom operators to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
“This is not just a telecom issue—it is a national emergency that could cripple economic activities and compromise public safety,” Emoekpere stressed.
The association also appealed to security agencies and petroleum unions to resolve the crisis swiftly to safeguard Nigeria’s connectivity and economic stability.
ATCON emphasised that a prolonged disruption in fuel supply to telecom infrastructure could have far-reaching consequences for both businesses and individuals who rely on stable communication networks for daily operations.
In 2023, Nigerians spent a total of about ₦5.3 trillion on telecommunications services, which includes calls, data, SMS, and other telecom services, according to the Leadership.
Specifically for voice calls, Nigerians made approximately 408.5 billion minutes of local calls, generating around ₦3.28 trillion from outgoing calls and ₦3.23 trillion from incoming calls, totaling about ₦6.51 trillion in call-related revenue according to projections based on 2023 call volumes and tariff data.
However, the ₦5.3 trillion figure represents the overall telecom sector revenue, with voice calls being a major component but also including data and other services.
For individual spending, MTN subscribers spent an average of ₦2,508 monthly on voice calls in 2023, showing a 14.4% increase from 2022, while Airtel customers spent about ₦1,694 monthly on voice calls.
Total telecom spending (calls, data, SMS, etc.): ₦5.3 trillion in 2023
Estimated revenue from voice calls alone: around ₦6.5 trillion based on call minutes and tariffs
Average monthly spending on calls per subscriber: ₦1,694 to ₦2,508 depending on the network
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