Telecom
Etisalat Promises More Local Innovation in Telecoms Industry
Etisalat Nigeria, the fourth entrant into the GSM market in Nigeria has promised to increase its involvement in local innovation that will further drive the telecoms sector.
Chineze Amanfo, public relations manager at Etisalat Nigeria, made the promise in Lagos at the quarterly seminar organised by the Nigeria Information and Communications Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA).
The seminar, which was sponsored by Etisalat Nigeria, had its theme: “Engendering Local Innovation in the Telecoms Sector.”
According to Amanfo, Etisalat has been at the forefront, promoting local innovation in the telecoms industry, and promised that the company would do more in engendering participation in local innovation in the telecoms industry, especially now that the subscriber number across all networks is increasing daily, with its current figure put at 142 million active subscribers.
She emphasised the need to further grow the telecoms sector through capacity building and local innovation solutions.
She said that Etisalat is partnering with Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in the training telecommunication engineers, which she said, would enhance local capacity building in the sector.
Mr. Emma Okonji, president of NITRA, said Nigeria is today recognised as the largest economy in Africa with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of over $500 billion, a figure arrived after the rebasing exercise that took place last year.
He explained that the activities of telecommunications, no doubt, contributed immensely in helping Nigeria to achieve this feat.
Considering the growth in telecommunications in Nigeria, with over 190 million connected lines on all networks and over 142 million of these lines active, and with a teledensity that has surpassed 101 per cent, Okonji challenged telecoms operators to develop local capacity and engender local innovations in the sector.
“In order to build upon the current achievements in telecoms, NITRA has taken it as a point of duty to the industry to use its quarterly seminar series, as veritable platform, to advance discussions on the need to promote local innovations in the telecoms industry. We therefore consider the topic for this seminar apt and timely as it gives us the lee-way to discuss issues around the use of local content and local innovations in creating relevant ICT devices and solutions that will drive further development in the telecoms sector,” Okonji said.
Dr. Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), represented by Dr. Mike Onyia, an NCC commissioner, said: “From a regulatory point of view, innovation is key to the telecom industry. After the initial discoveries and development in the telecom sector, it is innovation that has catapulted growth in the sector to the height that it is achieved today. Innovation in the industry is also an attribute that is not exclusive to nations or states. The ready examples of uncountable number of apps developed in different parts of the world, riding on all available networks or platforms, shows that innovation is driving the industry.”
According to Juwah, the Commission has adopted technology neutrality in its licensing process. The reason for this is to provide opportunity for creativity and innovation in the provision of services. Restriction of service to specific technologies may not allow for innovation.
Provision of choice with the entry of multiple providers, and encouraging competition using regulatory tools is also designed to encourage local innovation in the provision of services. It is well known that innovation provides mutual benefit to bother the service provider and consumer of the service, Juwah said.
He promised that NCC would continue to encourage innovations in all aspects of the industry, as it is appropriate to predict that when broadband services become very much available in Nigeria as planned, it will also come with inevitable push for more innovations in the ways services are delivered today.
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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