Telecom
ICT Experts Harp On The Critical State Of Infrastructure Needs In Nigeria
Panelists at the just concluded NITRA ICT Growth Conference 2.0, have emphasized the need for an urgent review of Nigeria’s state of infrastructure so as to position the country to massively reap the benefits of a digital economy as obtained in some developed nations of the world.
Themed ‘Creating a Digital Ecosystem in Nigeria: The Hurdles, The Gains,’ the panelists drawn from both the public and private sector establishments, were of the consensus that infrastructure provisioning remained Nigeria’s surest pathway to building a robust digital economy.
At a second panel session during proceedings at the NITRA flagship technology conference held at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki Lagos, and moderated by Mr. Peter Oluka, Editor of TechEconomy.ng, the panelists agreed that efforts at building Nigeria’s digital economy cannot yield the much-desired fruit unless there is sustained commitment on the part of the government to prioritise the provision of infrastructure.
Seyi Olarenwaju, CFO of Medallion Data Centre said infrastructure is going to play a vital role in enhancing digital systems in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, noting that “if there is no infrastructure in place, there is nothing.”
He stated that since governance has now been replaced by electioneering campaigns in preparation for the 2023 general election, the incoming administration should be focused, identify a particular infrastructure, and fix it, and expressed the hope that if in this regard, power is given priority attention, a lot of things will follow suit.
Kelechukwu Nsofor of Rack Centre, a carrier-neutral Tier III data centre who spoke from a data centre provider’s perspective, said power is the key infrastructure that drives a data centre business, describing it as basically the livewire of any data centre.
According to Nsofor, “The key infrastructure that we rely on is power. Power is basically the livewire of any data centre. Unfortunately, if you go back to 1999 since we started the current democratic dispensation in the country, what has been the installed capacity in terms of power? 20 years down the line, where are we today in terms of power?
“At a point, we were generating 1600MW, today, it’s still hovering around 3000MW. Where does that leave us as an economy of over 200 million people? So, if you look at the population growth rate and try to compare it with what we are growing in terms of power, you see that there’s a total disconnect.”
He said that Nigeria is blessed with a rich reservoir of policies and knowledge expertise but expressed worries that this has not been translated to results in the country’s power industry.
“Now, tying that to Rack Centre and indeed the data centre space, we have been generating our own power in the last nine years that we have been operating. And we’ve been fully in control of generating that power now. As we look to expand, we are also looking at ways where we can continue to generate power or do it more cost-effectively.
“We would like a situation where the government will actually stop the lip service that goes into infrastructure like power and actually start showing serious commitment by playing a major role in the provisioning of power infrastructure,” he said.
Noting that the digital economy is all about using the internet basically to push economic activities, Nsofor stated that what is critical even with the efforts at bringing in foreign direct investment, all the marine cables sitting on the coast of Lagos, is how to work with the private sector and knowledge experts basically on how to get things like multiple taxations and right of way out of the road.
“Operators can now push that capacity where it is actually needed. This will help us increase internet penetration, increase the digital economy growth, and push the economy forward,” he concluded.
In his contribution to the discourse, Babalola Olalekan of Phase 3 Telecoms admitted that the government was doing enough to provide infrastructure but stated that there was a need for stronger synergy between the government and service providers.
“There was a document released last year called Strategic Roadmap/Action Plan: A four-year plan 2021-2024. The key performance indices released in that document classified infrastructure in such categories as soft, service and hardware.
“When you look at the hardware infrastructure, we talk about how far we’ve gone in hardware infrastructure deployments like fibre cables. We talk of active devices and so on and so forth. But there’s something the government has put in place especially at the federal level by cutting down right-of-way charges all over the federation.
“Another area we have taken advantage of is the concession plan we call public-private partnership (PPP), where I expect the operators and players to key into and take advantage of our existing infrastructure, and opportunities.
“Another thing I will encourage we should be doing is a collaboration among players. All of us can only fight about a particular position or location. We can join hands on how to collaborate, leverage each other, and supply as a single network.
“So, I think the government is doing enough with policies. The onus is on us to tap into it, put more pressure on the government and be more up and doing in our collaborative efforts and take advantage of what is available to us through the government,” Olalekan said.
He said that going into the 2023 election, the most important thing to be focused on is security, stating that operators have many works to do out there in the field yet, they find it difficult to restore the network in the shortest possible time. “So, whatever government can do to make sure that our roads, our villages, our towns are secured, we will surely have a good general election.”
Chidi Okpala of Galaxy Backbone, in his intervention, acknowledged the fact that government understands the importance of infrastructure in growing the country’s digital economy, noting that one of the things the current administration holds dear to its heart, is infrastructure.
“Have they done all the things expected of them as government? Maybe not. But have they made some efforts in bridging the infrastructure gap? The answer is yes. But there is a whole lot of learning, a whole lot of training in trying to create that awareness, into fully understanding how this impacts the day-to-day living of everyone.
“As an organisation, what we are trying to do is to bridge that gap of understanding especially, people in leadership level in government; to let them understand this is what this infrastructure stands for, this is what it is all about. It is not just for sending emails but how it affects your life, your family, and the work that you do.
“We have done quite a lot together with some of the other organisations within the information technology space in the public sector. We are still doing a lot to raise that awareness of what this infrastructure means so that people can understand more and collaborate more.
“Collaboration is the key, talking about the benefits and not dwelling more on talking about the problems because sometimes when we do that, we cloud ourselves of the opportunities around us,” he said.
Okpala expressed the need for policymakers to be much more intentional about what the country is doing, how it the affects everyone, and how the efforts at building the country’s digital economy can be sustained.
The session, which was anchored by the Editor of TechEconomy, Mr. Peter Oluka, was unanimous with its position that infrastructure is the bedrock of ICT development and global competitiveness in Nigeria.
Karl Toriola, chief executive officer, MTN Nigeria, has stated that the telecom company is “a Nigerian company through and through,” emphasising that it belongs as much to Nigerians as to its global investors, with over 11 million Nigerians holding indirect stakes through pension funds.
Toriola also defended the federal government’s approval of telecom tariff adjustments, noting that the move helped prevent a financial crisis in the sector and enabled the company to ramp up capital expenditure to about N1 trillion in 2025 to improve network quality.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News, the MTN boss dismissed claims that the company is solely South African, despite its origins.
According to him, MTN Nigeria is incorporated locally, listed on the Nigerian Exchange, pays taxes in Nigeria, and is largely managed by Nigerians.
“We are labelled as a South African company because MTN Group was founded in South Africa. But the reality is that MTN Group has a very diverse global shareholding. Only about 50 percent of the shareholding is African, while the rest is held by investors from North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific,” he said.
Speaking further on MTN Nigeria’s identity, Toriola stressed the company’s deep roots in the Nigerian economy.
“MTN Nigeria is a Nigerian company through and through. We are domiciled in Nigeria. We are listed on the Nigerian Exchange. We pay all the taxes, duties and levies expected of us, and we are run by Nigerians.
“I am Nigerian. Apart from one executive, every member of our executive committee is Nigerian, while our entire expatriate workforce in Nigeria is just four people.
“We have over 201,000 retail investors, while about 11 million Nigerians own MTN shares indirectly through pension funds. We are very proud of our Nigerian identity,” he stated.
On the recent telecom tariff adjustment, Toriola said the increase was driven by necessity rather than profit motives, noting that operators were struggling to meet basic financial obligations before the review.
“People perceived the tariff increase as an aspiration for profitability, but the reality was that we were on our knees financially. We couldn’t even pay our month-to-month bills with the revenues we were generating. The tariff adjustment was an absolute necessity. It enabled us to stay alive,” he said.
He added that the improved revenue base has enabled MTN to scale up infrastructure investments to enhance service delivery.
“In the first quarter of this year alone, we spent N390 billion on capital expenditure, compared with a profit after tax of N359 billion. That shows our commitment to improving quality of service,” he said.
Addressing concerns over poor network quality, Toriola attributed the challenges to increasing demand, infrastructure gaps, vandalism, insecurity, and unreliable power supply.
“There are people who deliberately pour petrol into our manholes and set them on fire. A single incident can knock out services for millions of subscribers. We also face security challenges that prevent our engineers from quickly accessing some sites.
“In addition, we operate about 18,000 sites nationwide, each requiring generators, batteries, rectifiers and constant fuelling because of inadequate public electricity supply. All these affect quality of service,” he explained.
While acknowledging that service quality still needs improvement, he assured customers of continued investment.
“We are not perfect, but we are investing aggressively and continuously striving to do better,” he added.
On allegations that telecom operators deliberately deplete customers’ data, Toriola said findings often point to background data usage by smartphone applications.
“There is a perception that MTN goes and takes customers’ data, but our studies have shown repeatedly that background applications are consuming much of that data.
“I encourage customers to check their device settings. Daily automatic backups are unnecessary for many users. If possible, carry out backups over Wi-Fi instead of mobile data,” he advised.
MTN Nigeria celebrated its 2026 edition of the 25 Days of Y’ello Care employee volunteerism initiative with an impact showcase held at the MTN Rooftop, Ikoyi, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
MTN Nigeria
This year’s edition saw employees move beyond financial donations to invest their time, skills, and even their blood [donations] into underserved communities across the country.
The impact showcase served as a reflection point on weeks of intensive outreach, including the recent medical intervention at Badore Market in Ajah, where traders received free screenings for hypertension, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases which schools benefit from and many more.
Hundreds of market women, artisans, and residents benefited from on-the-spot consultations, medications, and health education sessions led by MTN staff volunteers.
In Lagos, the initiative brought critical health and wellness resources directly to the youth at Kuramo Senior College. Volunteers led intensive health awareness campaigns and structured medical outreach programmes, equipping students with vital information on preventive care and personal well-being.
Simultaneously, the regional execution extended to the nation’s capital to support the busy transit community at Utako Motor Park in Jabi, Abuja.
This regional activation targeted transport workers and commuters with the “Know Your Numbers” campaign, providing accessible basic health screenings, general wellness education, and essential medical checkups designed to promote long-term preventive healthcare.
Setting the tone for the ceremony, Ayham Moussa, Chief Operating Officer, MTN Nigeria, praised the dedication of staff volunteers who consistently showed up across the campaign’s field activations. “From day one, we said we don’t just give money we sacrifice, we put in the effort, we go to the field, and we even give our blood.
“Not many companies are doing what we are doing today. We are one of the very few making this kind of big impact,” he said.
Building on that sentiment, Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, celebrated the cultural shift the initiative has triggered both inside and outside the organisation. “The greatest takeaway from Y’ello Care is that it confronts you with your privilege and helps you channel that privilege in the right direction.
“Someone told me today that she never knew MTN would do these kinds of things in the market. We are changing the narrative of what MTN means to communities,” she noted.
The impact showcase ultimately reinforced that Y’ello Care is a sustained movement embedded in MTN Nigeria’s corporate culture. With healthier markets, empowered communities, and inspired employees as visible proof of impact, the company signaled that its commitment to equitable health and social good will continue well beyond the 25 days shaping a future where business and purpose remain inseparable.
As teens spend more time online connecting, creating, and exploring their interests, safety needs to be built into their digital experiences.
To ensure safe, age-appropriate online experiences for teens, Meta has Teen Accounts to give parents more peace of mind and address their top concerns: making sure teens see age-appropriate content and don’t experience unwanted contact.
Here are 10 ways Teen Accounts are helping create safer and more positive online experiences for young people.
Teen Accounts Are Private by Default: Teen Accounts automatically come with private settings enabled. This means teens must approve new followers, and people who don’t follow them cannot view or interact with their content. And with Teen Accounts teens under 16 need a parent’s permission to change any settings to be less strict.
Stricter Messaging Controls Reduce Unwanted Contact: Teen Accounts are automatically placed in the strictest messaging settings, allowing messages only from people teens already follow or are connected to.
Sensitive Content Is Limited Automatically: Teens are automatically enrolled in Teen Accounts and defaulted into 13+ age appropriate content settings, These settings help create a more age-appropriate experience by limiting exposure to sensitive content such as violence, graphic imagery or content promoting cosmetic procedures. Teens also won’t be able to follow, message or see accounts that regularly share age-inappropriate content, or whose profile photo, name or bio suggests the account may not be suitable for younger users.
Protections Against Bullying Are Built In: Meta automatically enables its strongest anti-bullying protections for Teen Accounts. Hidden Words filters offensive language from comments and message requests, helping create a more positive experience.
Tagging and Mentions Are More Controlled: To reduce unwanted interactions, teens can only be tagged or mentioned by people they already follow.
Screen Time Reminders Encourage Healthier Habits: After 60 minutes of daily usage, teens receive reminders encouraging them to take a break from the app and spend time offline.
Sleep Mode Supports Better Digital Wellbeing: Teen Accounts automatically switch to Sleep Mode between 10 PM and 7 AM, muting notifications and sending automatic replies to direct messages overnight.
Parents Can See Who Their Teens Are Chatting With: While parents cannot read their teen’s messages, supervision tools allow them to view who their teen has messaged over the previous seven days, creating greater transparency while respecting privacy.
Parents Can Set Time Limits and Usage Schedules: Parents can establish daily Instagram usage limits and block access during specific times, such as school hours, study periods, or overnight.
Family Center Gives Parents Resources and Support: Meta’s Family Center brings all parental tools across Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger into one hub, so parents can manage and supervise their teen’s experiences more easily. Parents can also see the topics their teen has chosen to explore, and access expert-backed resources to help them have meaningful conversations about being online.
Building Safer Digital Experiences Together
Teen Accounts are designed to help parents feel more confident about their teens’ online experiences while empowering young people to connect, create, and discover content in age-appropriate ways. Combined with parental supervision tools, Family Center resources, and digital literacy initiatives, Teen Accounts represent Meta’s ongoing commitment to creating safer online spaces for young people and their families.
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