Telecom
Danbatta, Patami to Lead Discussion at 5th Edition of TERF

The National Executive Council of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has announced that the 5th edition of its Telecom Executives and Regulators Forum, which is one of its flagship events have been fixed for July 11, 2019 at the prestigious Fourpoints by Sheraton, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Ajibola Olude, Executive Secretary, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) stated this in a statement released over the weekend.
According to him, “the National Executive Council led by its President, Mr. Olusola Teniola is pleased to extend invitation to all relevant stakeholders such as; Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency, MNOs/IDAs Operators, PNL/Fixed Line Operators, FINTECH/e-Commerce Operators, OEMs, Interconnect/Data Centre Operators, Towers/Base Stations Providers, Consulting/Internet Services Providers (ISP), Value Added Services Providers (VAS) and Equipment Dealers.
“The Association is of the opinion that today’s telecom and ICT sector in Nigeria is built on continuous strategic engagements amongst all players in the sector and the projected growth can only be realized if these engagements continue.
“ATCON is providing this platform for the purpose of accelerating and harnessing the changes that are taking place in the industry in order to grow the industry for all its teeming members who have made huge investments in the Nigerian telecom and ICT sector.
“The forum is set to discuss and proffer lasting solutions to the following topical industry issues; Formulation of Policy and Regulation for OTTs: Challenges and Prospects; Funding Telecoms Investment in Nigeria: How would the deficit in the Nigerian telecom infrastructure be financed;
“Eradication of the influx of cloned and fake phones and other telecoms devices in Nigeria: The role of NCC, Nigerian Custom, SON, and other Relevant Government Agencies; Regulation and Policies on Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity threats in Nigeria.
“There is a saying that says “change is inevitable”, the truth is that our industry is changing on daily basis or we can say that the industry is being disrupted by new technological innovations and for our members to stay afloat and remain players in the industry, new business models must be evolved by our members but regulation and policies also need to be reviewed, fine tuned and strengthened so that all and sundry can remain in business.
“The business thought leaders in the Nigeria telecom and ICT sector have been invited to do justice to all the topics earlier mentioned.
“Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and his counterparts in the person of Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Patami, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) would deliver keynote addresses respectively.”
The release further stated that “ATCON has carefully selected few industry leaders that would serve as panel chairs for the four segments of the panel sessions.
“These are; Ms. Funke Opeke, MD/CEO, MainOne -Formulation of Policy and Regulation for OTTs: Challenges and Prospects; Mr. Yusuf Kazure, MD/CEO, Galaxy Backbone -Funding Telecoms and ICT Investment in Nigeria: How would the deficit in the Nigerian telecom infrastructure be financed?; Eradication of the influx of cloned and fake phones and other telecoms devices in Nigeria: The role of NCC, Nigerian Custom, SON, and other Relevant Government Agencies and Mr. Ayotunde Coker, MD/CEO, Rack Centre Limited –Regulation and Policies on Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity threats in Nigeria.
“The panel discussants are also made up of leading figures in the Nigerian telecom and ICT sector.
“Other relevant organizations invited are; Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), Banks, Nigerian Customs Service and so on.
“ATCON firmly believes that this very important platform would provide a great opportunity for all critical stakeholders in the industry to leverage on this rare opportunity to share their views, contribute their expertise and experiences in discussion about best practices in their jurisdictions with a focus to grow and sustain the industry.”
Telecom
MTN @ Swish Fusion Summit, Showcases 5G Rollout Strategy

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has joined other professionals across media, technology, and business gathered in Lagos for the Swish Fusion Tech and Media Summit.
Themed ‘Africa: Big Wins & New Breaks’, the summit drew thousands of attendees and featured more than 40 speakers exploring the intersection of innovation, regulation, and economic growth across the continent.
Among the sessions, MTN Nigeria presented a detailed look at the company’s ongoing 5G deployment efforts and its role in shaping enterprise infrastructure.
Njideka Jack, senior manager for Partnerships in MTN’s Enterprise Business Division, shared details of the investments, reiterating the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality 5G-powered services.
The company’s 5G rollout timeline began in 2022 with license acquisition from the Nigerian Communications Commission. In 2023, MTN moved into pilot testing and infrastructure investment.
By 2024, coverage had expanded to key cities and business hubs.
The company now plans to extend access to more underserved areas throughout 2025 while deepening collaboration with OEMs and regulators.
Beyond the rollout itself, Jack also spoke on the potential of private 5G networks for Nigerian enterprises.
With the ability to offer secure, high-speed, low-latency connectivity, these networks are increasingly being adopted in manufacturing, healthcare, education, and logistics sectors.
The summit’s broader agenda reflected a similar sense of urgency around Africa’s digital future.
Panels and breakout sessions tackled topics ranging from mobile-first product design and regulatory frameworks to the rise of AI in content creation and the realities of funding early-stage tech ventures on the continent.
Speakers from companies like Jumia, Stears and local startups provided perspectives on both the barriers and breakthroughs in building scalable African solutions.
The sessions also sparked conversations about how African businesses are adapting to consumer behaviour shifts and infrastructure limitations.
Telecom
PAT Taps Osi as CEO

Pan African Towers (PAT), a Nigerian infrastructure provider serving 9mobile and Spectranet, has appointed Echezona Osi as chief executive officer.

Echezona Osi
Adefolarin Ogunsanya, company’s, board chairman, explained in a statement that Osi would succeed Oladipo Badru, whose tenure lasted nine months in acting CEO position. Osi has more than 28 years of experience in the telecommunications sector across various regions of Africa.
Prior to his appointment as CEO, he had served as the head of network deployment at Airtel Nigeria, operations director and chief technical information officer at MIC Tanzania, chief technology officer roles at IPT PowerTech Nigeria, Rhino Niger Networks and Biswal Nigeria.
He obtained a degree in electrical/ electronic engineering from the University of Benin and a postgraduate diploma in data science and business analytics from the University of Texas.
Telecom
NCC Introduces N10m Licence Fee for Bulk SMS Service

Companies sending bulk international text messages, also known as Application-to-Person (A2P) messages, will now have apply for a licence that costs N10 million.
This is part of new rules introduced by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) aimed at cleaning up the system, fighting fraud, blocking spam messages and stopping money from leaving the country unchecked.
These A2P messages are the kind customers get from banks, online stores, hospitals and political campaigns, automated texts sent from apps to their phones.
According to the commission, the bulk international text message system has been poorly regulated, allowing misuse and invasion of privacy.
“The International SMS Service Ecosystem in Nigeria has not been fully brought under regulatory control. It has been observed that the excessive use of the Short Message Service has led to fraud, spam and illegal activities,” the NCC said.
The regulator warned that without action, the problem would worsen as more people use mobile phones and digital services.
To solve this, the NCC is creating a central platform, or gateway, through which all international bulk text messages must pass through.
The agency said this would help to monitor messages in real time, ensure proper fees are paid, and make sure the money stays in Nigeria where it can contribute to the economy.
As part of the incoming change, service providers must follow strict rules, including strong data protection, spam filters, and message encryption.
Also, they must also work with local mobile networks and make sure all messages come from a verified sender
The NCC warned that any message without a proper sender ID will be blocked and not delivered to users.
To protect users from unwanted texts, the new rules say companies must get clear permission before sending any promotional content.
The rule also says people must also be able to choose whether they want to receive such messages or not.
Companies are now required to keep records of all messages for at least six months and must clearly state all charges involved.
The NCC said fees for help requests, cancellations, or service info must be transparent and not include hidden charges.
The commission will issue licences to several providers to encourage healthy competition but may limit new licences if needed.
Only companies that show they can stop fraud and safely deliver messages will be allowed to operate. They must also regularly report their message traffic and finances to the NCC.
It warned that any company that breaks the rules risks getting fined, suspended, or having its licence revoked.
Offences like charging illegal tariffs, ignoring security rules, or avoiding taxes will be punished, the NCC said.
The commission added that the new rules follow the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023 and support the federal government’s goal of strengthening cybersecurity and controlling Nigeria’s digital space.
The framework will also be reviewed from time to time to keep up with new technology and market trends.
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