Telecom
Government Intervention Required to Attract Investments in Telecom- Teniola
The Nigerian Telecommunications industry was once referred to as one of the fastest growing in the world. The situation is, however, a lot different today as many operators are faced with loss of revenue, largely due to the economic recession, over the top players, multiple taxation, insecurity and other issues.
I was recently with Olusola Teniola, President of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, and he spoke at length on the some of the challenges in the Telecom industry and the way forward.
Olusola stated that, the reason why investors are not investing in the Telecom industry in Nigeria for now can be looked at from both the macro and the micro economic environment within Nigeria.
Having being in recession for more than two quarters, and the low growth rate of between 0.3% and 0.8%, which is not the kind of growth rate that an investor is looking to invest in. “Investors will be looking for high single digit or double digit growth rate regime to invest in”, he maintained.
He stated that Kenya and Ethiopia are the current leaders in the Telecom industry in Africa at the moment, with Nigeria and South Africa lagging behind. The recession, he declared, has made many capital projects to be put on hold in the Telecom industry which is capital intensive.
Olusola stated that the industry needs the government to create the enabling environment, as well as create a more stable foreign exchange regime because, the multitude of forex windows we currently have, is not encouraging the investor. He also stated that the debt facility problem being faced by about two of the players in the industry.
Speaking on how all these has impacted on the quality of service provided by these Telecom companies, Olusola stated that, there are two aspects to the quality of service provided and this is where the micro economic environment comes in. He emphasized that, one of them is the technical aspect of quality.
The NCC, he said, focuses on the technical aspect of it in terms of the KPI’s set and are usually driven by the ITU standards. The other aspect, he stated, has to do with capacity management, which has to deal with investments in networks. “If you look at the actual composition of the industry to date, there has been an investment of about $68billion, right from the time the industry was liberalized in 2001 to date and that represents quite a significant amount of Dollars flowing in”, he observed.
He emphasized that, about half of the $68billion investment, so far, came in through FDI, and if it is broken down further, only one operator has contributed 50% of that, as about $16billion came from only one operator, where we have many operators.
He opined, that, the investments, so far, has not covered the whole of Nigeria, hence, the industry is still in need of further injection of investment to grow. He said that there are about 150million subscribers where the networks have, so far, deployed in Nigeria.
He made it known that, services to these subscribers, is based on the infrastructure that we have, so far, which was built, predominantly, for voice, but which now also runs e-payments, mobile money, etc.
“You can see that, the struggle to try and keep up with the congestion requires that more capacity has to be put in place and that means funding”, he observed
When asked what he recommends as steps, going forward, Olusola stated that ATCON has always advocated that its members have their equipment and investments protected, which he reiterated, is significant.
He observed that, yes, ICT has now become critical to the success of the Nigerian economy, Telecom, however, is a key factor and an infrastructure player in Nigeria at the moment because, without the infrastructure, we cannot even use our smartphones for any other thing other than to using it for making the basic calls.
On security of the Telecom infrastructure, there has been a liaison with NCC and other security outfits, like the Nigerian Police, to protect these infrastructures.
The Association, he stated, also encourages the reporting of incidences of damages to infrastructures the more instead of just repairing the damages and keeping mum over the damages.
The idea, he maintained, is to raise awareness about the negative impact on the quality of services rendered, caused by tampering with Telecom facilities
Olusola is of the opinion that, it is not about the fact that, whether Floor pricing has to go or has to stay, but it is about innovation, competition and the best consumer choice. The extinction of the CDMA’s, he observed, had to do with the management of the companies involved as well as operating on a regional basis and not on national basis, rather than about pricing.
“The forces that dictate the market chose the GSM technology for many reasons, and one of the reasons is that the SIM card can be divorced from the device and the devices, in my opinion, are actually, more smarter and lovelier in the GSM realm than in the CDMA”, he concluded.
CFA is the Founder, www.CFAtech.ng & Co-producer/Presenter,Tech Trends on Channels Television
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it has successfully eliminated users of unregistered subscriber identity modules (SIM), from the Nigerian telecommunication network, a development that can boost national and cyber security.
Eng. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman of NCC,
Eng. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman of NCC, who disclosed the information at a media briefing in Abuja on Monday, said, however, that it was beyond the scope of the agency to control the names with which some customers used in registered their SIMs.
The NCC CEO pointed out that while the commission had successfully removed unregistered SIMs from its network, some strange names being attached to some of the subscribers reflect what the owners used while registering with their operators.
“No unregistered SIM is operating on the network as of today, but there may be people using names they did not register with, apparently to mask their identities. We cannot control the names attached to each SIM, as they reflect what the owners used at the time of registration with their respective operators,” the EVC said.
“While NCC cannot control that behaviour, it is to be noted that it is an offence to use fake names to make or receive calls in Nigeria,” Maida warned.
The EVC, however, said that the commission has put necessary measures in place to ensure sanity and stability in the industry so that every user can determine the best network operator to patronise based on performance, service delivery and charges.
He said the commission would, in September this year, launch a public map to show subscribers which of the telecoms networks provides the best service and tariff plan to determine which to patronise based on their locations.
Mr. Maida said for the industry to make the required progress and serve the interests of the people, there is a need for a fresh injection of capital from outside the industry, adding that the commission had already revised a series of good governance guidelines to guide operators in the industry.
According to him, the guidelines are aimed at promoting transparency, accountability and boosting investors’ confidence and customers’ trust in the industry.
He said, “The need for good corporate governance guidelines requires that operators in the industry must provide audited reports to boost investors’ confidence and earn the trust and confidence of their customers”.
The ECV explained that the commission approved the recent tariff hike for the industry due to the fact that there had not been any cost-reflective tariff adjustment for a decade, adding that the commission was mindful of the need to protect the interests of both the operators and Nigerian subscribers.
On the issue of threats to telecoms infrastructure nationwide, the EVC announced that he would soon meet with governors to discuss the need for them to team up with NCC to protect telecoms infrastructure in their domains and to also eliminate multiple taxes on the operators so as to improve service delivery and ensure national security.
The West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Association (WATRA) has commended Nigeria for its exemplary leadership in broadband infrastructure mapping, following the successful ITU Africa Broadband Mapping (BBMaps) National Event recently held in Abuja.
The national event marked a key milestone in the pilot phase of the Africa-BB-Maps initiative, a flagship project of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), implemented with funding from the European Union. The four-year (2025–2028) programme aims to support eleven Sub-Saharan African countries, including Nigeria, in establishing harmonized national broadband mapping systems to accelerate digital development and investment.
WATRA’s Strategic Engagement
Representing WATRA at the event, Mr. Ruffus Samuel, Principal Manager for Partnerships, contributed to a high-level session titled “Context and Current State – Intervention by International Partners”. WATRA highlighted the importance of broadband mapping harmonization across West Africa, stressing its potential to serve as a foundation for smart regulation, infrastructure investment, and regional digital integration.
WATRA Executive Secretary Aliyu Yusuf Aboki reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to working closely with national regulators such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to promote coordinated approaches to infrastructure mapping.
“Nigeria’s robust and transparent broadband mapping system stands as a model for the West African region,” said Mr. Aboki. “Through data-driven policymaking, we can close connectivity gaps and lay the groundwork for an inclusive digital economy.”
Nigeria’s Role as Regional Leader
The event spotlighted the NCC’s broadband mapping framework as a leading example for Africa. Participants from across the continent acknowledged the NCC’s technical capacity and policy foresight, underscoring Nigeria’s growing role in shaping regional ICT strategy.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of the NCC, with notable participation from:
- Dr. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
- Zissimos Vergos, Deputy Head of EU Delegation to Nigeria
- Inga Stefanowicz, Head of Green and Digital Economy, EU Delegation
- Senior representatives from ITU, ECOWAS, and national stakeholders
Key Recommendations and Outcomes
- Stakeholders recommended the creation of a National Broadband Mapping Task Force chaired by the NCC to coordinate data standards, governance, and updates.
- WATRA emphasized the importance of regional interoperability and pledged continued engagement with ITU, NCC, and development partners.
- The event underscored the necessity of collaboration among governments, regulators, infrastructure owners, and technical partners to ensure the reliability and usefulness of broadband data.
Toward Regional Digital Transformation
The Africa-BB-Maps initiative is aligned with the Africa–Europe Digital Regulators Partnership and the EU Global Gateway Strategy, both of which promote sustainable digital infrastructure development and cross-border cooperation. WATRA plays a critical role in translating these goals into actionable frameworks for its 16 member states.
“This initiative is more than mapping—it’s about enabling investment, expanding opportunity, and achieving our collective digital aspirations,” Mr. Aboki concluded.
MTN Group has announced a restructuring of its executive leadership team to strengthen the implementation of its Ambition 2025 strategy and drive long-term growth across key markets.
The telecommunications giant disclosed this in a statement on Monday, noting that the changes are aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and accelerating digital inclusion across Africa.
According to the statement, Dr Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, has been appointed Vice President for Francophone Africa, effective Nov. 1, 2025.
He will oversee operations in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin and Congo Brazzaville, while retaining his role as CEO of MTN Nigeria.
MTN said the appointment reflects its confidence in Nigerian leadership and underscores Nigeria’s strategic importance to the Group’s overall success.
Under Toriola’s leadership, MTN Nigeria became the first telecommunications company to attain ₦10 trillion in market capitalisation, driven by strong financial performance, innovation and operational excellence.
Toriola previously served as Vice President for West and Central Africa between 2015 and 2021, overseeing 13 countries.
Commenting on the development, MTN Group President and CEO, Ralph Mupita, said the leadership changes would support the accelerated execution of the Group’s strategy beyond 2025 and enhance value creation for stakeholders.
“These changes illustrate the depth of talent and experience across the Group,” Mupita said.
The restructuring aligns with MTN’s strategic focus on three core platforms: Connectivity, Fintech and Digital Infrastructure.
The Group said it is intensifying efforts to expand home broadband services, simplify digital offerings, scale financial services through a digital-first approach, and invest in fibre networks, data centres and AI-driven efficiencies.
MTN reaffirmed its commitment to leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress, noting that the leadership evolution is a key step towards achieving its long-term vision.
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