Telecom
Direct Peering, Cost as Roadblocks to Telecom Development- Experts

Stakeholders in the country’s telecommunications ecosystem have identified direct peering among service providers as well as high cost of national transmission link as major obstacles to the development of telecommunications.
Direct peering is a business model where operators providing services or content exchange such service or content directly without going through a licensed third party platform.
They were reacting to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek investigations that revealed that GSM operators are flouting Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) guideline on the establishment of interconnect clearing houses, where telcos are mandated to route at least 10% of their traffic through the clearing houses.
As at today, most of the telcos are not reaching the mandated volume rather they are routing mostly through direct peering.
More so, it was gathered that efforts to encourage local hosting of internet content in the country are being frustrated by high cost charged on provision of connectivity services to commercial data centres especially for content providers outside of Lagos.
For instance, universities and others that have digitized contents who are located in the north, south-east among others and intend to host them in data centres in Lagos are charged as high as 400% compared to offering them connectivity to the internet which enables them to host it outside of the country.
The implication of this scenario is that since it is far cheaper for them to get connected to the internet than data centres in Nigeria they prefer to host their servers out of the country which requires only connectivity to the internet, thereby endangering the survival of data centres as well as federal government efforts to encourage local hosting aimed at keeping local internet traffic local.
Ike Nnamani, chief executive officer, Medallion, explained that direct peering in voice interconnectivity is allowed by law and that the two options co-exist for the growth of the industry.
He urged operators to see the bigger picture of growth and survival of the industry which will enhance the contributions of the sector to the GDP of the country.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek investigations also revealed that direct peering is happening between content giant Google and some GSM operators which see them exchanging internet traffic directly without going through Internet exchange point Nigeria.
This arrangement denies clearing exchange of revenue they would have earned if such traffics were routed through their platforms.
Reacting to connection to data centres, Mohammed Rudman, managing director, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), said: “For the information and communications technology to flourish especially in data centre and local hosting business, cost of in-country connection must be much cheaper than international connectivity. If all the telecommunications operators are interconnected at the various commercial data centres in the country, the cost of connecting universities and others located outside of Lagos to the data centres for them to host their servers locally will be reduced.”
He noted: Chinese content is in China, Indian content is in India and Nigerian content should be in Nigeria, this could be realized if the country is well interconnected through the various commercial data centres, telcos and exchange point.”
Mohammed however, urged relevant government agencies to engage telcos on the way forward to easy interconnectivity issues as well as sharing of fibre optic links just the way it is done in the colocation of masts, so that the industry could start experiencing the needed growth and development.
Telecom
NCC Expands IPv6 Board with the Appointment of Olusola Teniola, Funke Opeke Others

Olusola Teniola, ipNX Director has been named to the newly inaugurated IPv6 Council Board by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), as part of a broader industry effort to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).

The inauguration, which took place in Ikeja, Lagos, underscores the Commission’s renewed commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), a critical enabler of the country’s digital future.
Mr. Teniola joins a distinguished group of industry leaders, including Funke Opeke, Muhammed Rudman (Chairman), Chris Uwaje (Vice Chairman), Mary Uduma, Gbenga Adebayo, Lanre Ajayi, and Latif Ladid, alongside representatives from key regulatory and government institutions.
Speaking on his appointment, Teniola expressed appreciation to the NCC for the opportunity to serve and reiterated the importance of collaborative action in driving Nigeria’s digital transformation.
“The transition to IPv6 is no longer a future consideration; it is an immediate priority for Nigeria’s digital economy. As data consumption grows and emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT, and AI become more pervasive, we must ensure that our underlying infrastructure is scalable, secure, and globally competitive,” he said.
He further emphasized that achieving meaningful IPv6 adoption will require strong alignment across stakeholders, including telecom operators, internet service providers, enterprises, academia, and government.
“This is a collective responsibility. We must invest in capacity building, drive awareness, and create the right policy and regulatory environment to accelerate adoption. Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind in an increasingly connected world.”
The IPv6 Council Board has been tasked with developing and overseeing the implementation of a national IPv6 strategy, monitoring progress, and providing periodic updates on adoption levels across the country. The Council will also play a key role in addressing infrastructure challenges, strengthening technical expertise, and recommending policy incentives to support nationwide deployment.
Teniola’s appointment reflects ipNX’s continued commitment to shaping Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and advancing the development of resilient, future-ready network infrastructure across the country.
Telecom
QNET, Manchester City Host Football Clinic for Young Talents in Ghana

In a transformative initiative focused on youth empowerment, talent development and community impact, QNET, an international wellness and lifestyle company and a decade-long Official Direct Selling Partner of Manchester City , has successfully hosted an elite football clinic in Accra for 25 promising young Ghanaian footballers aged 7 to 11.

QNET
Delivered by official Manchester City coaches from 21 to 24 May 2026, the football clinic brought together talented young boys and girls from different communities across Ghana at AIS School Park, East Legon, for a unique opportunity to receive world-class football coaching, mentorship and life-skills training inspired by one of the world’s leading football clubs.
For many of the participants, the experience represented more than football. It was an opportunity to dream bigger, build confidence and believe that through hard work, discipline and determination, young Ghanaians can achieve their full potential both on and off the pitch.
Football holds a special place in Ghanaian culture and identity, inspiring generations of young people across the country. Through this initiative, QNET and Manchester City Football Club aimed to contribute meaningfully to the future of youth development in Ghana by creating an inclusive platform where children can learn, grow and thrive regardless of their background.
Trevor Kuna, Chief of Network Development at QNET said, “Football does something that few things can — it cuts across language, background and circumstance and gives young people a common language of ambition. When you watch these children on the pitch, you see not just their talent but their hunger to grow, to prove themselves, to be seen. At QNET, we believe that hunger deserves to be met with opportunity, and that is exactly what this clinic is about.”
The clinic focused not only on football skills and tactical development, but also on teamwork, leadership, discipline, perseverance and self-belief, values that are essential both in sport and in life.
Cherif Abdoulaye, QNET’s Deputy Regional General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, said,“,“When QNET took this initiative to Nigeria in 2023, we saw first-hand what happens when young people are given access to world-class coaching in their own communities — it shifts something in how they see themselves and what they believe is possible. Bringing it to Ghana felt like the natural next step. Ghana has a football culture that runs deep, and a new generation ready to carry it forward. We are proud that QNET and Manchester City can be part of that story.”
Philipa Harrison, Partnerships Marketing Manager for City Football Group’s MENA region, said “Over the past few days, we have witnessed tremendous passion, energy and commitment from these young players. This football clinic is about helping young people develop their abilities, enjoy the game and believe in what they can achieve in the future. We are proud to partner with QNET to bring this experience to young players in Ghana.”
For more than 10 years, QNET has been the Official Direct Selling Partner of Manchester City Football Club. QNET has also maintained a longstanding partnership with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), supporting major African interclub competitions including the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
These partnerships reflect QNET’s broader commitment to youth empowerment, community engagement, and the development of sports across Africa.
Beyond its sports and community initiatives, QNET continues to champion ethical business practices, transparency and public education across its markets while working closely with stakeholders and authorities to address the misuse of its brand by unauthorised individuals.
Telecom
Telcos Mull Calculator to Address Data Depletion Complaints

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) may introduce data calculator to enable users to measure their data usage and address complaints of rapid data depletion.

Data depletion is the rapid exhaustion of your internet data bundle before its expected expiration.
The data calculator is a tool that will show subscribers how their data is used daily.
Telecom operators, largely the MNOs, are already providing subscribers a daily report of data used the previous day, as part of directives from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to drive transparency.
According to a report by Nairametrics, an industry source confirmed the new measure, noting that subscriber complaints over data depletion have now become a major concern in the industry, as it undermines trust.
“An average subscriber believes their service provider steals their data once their data is exhausted before time or depletes faster than they expected, which is not true.
“Over the years, we have tried to enlighten subscribers on factors that could lead to the fast depletion of their data, which include smartphone functionality, among others.
“And now, we are looking at tools that could show the subscribers not just what they have used, but also how they have used it to further promote transparency,” the source said.
According to the source, operators are also intensifying their sensitisation campaigns to help subscribers understand why their data can run out quickly.
Recall that NCC carried out an audit about 24 months ago across the mobile networks and found out that there was “no major” issue of data depletion, contrary to claims and complaints by subscribers.
Findings showed that the major issue still concerns the types of mobile phones and the activities users perform on them.
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