Telecom
Inside Nigeria’s Telecom Exploitation Crisis Draining Household Budgets
By Blaise Udunze
For about a year now, millions of Nigerians relying on the internet to make a living have been groaning over the manipulation of airtime and data consumption that has turned into a relentless drain on household budgets. Painfully, individuals and businesses buying airtime or data increasingly feel less like paying for a service and more like entering a wager whose odds are permanently stacked against the consumer. Around the nooks and crannies of the country, across cities and rural communities alike, subscribers tell the same weary story of data that evaporates mysteriously, airtime consumed faster than reason allows, and customer care responses that sound rehearsed rather than responsive.
Inside Nigeria’s Telecom Exploitation Crisis Draining Household Budgets
The majority will agree that this collective frustration is not a coincidence, nor is it merely the product of careless smartphone use, because others might argue that there are several technical factors inducing rapid mobile data usage. Leave it or take it, it is the outcome of a broken ecosystem where multinational telecom companies wield immense power in an environment marked by weak institutional checks, limited transparency, and a population stretched thin by economic hardship.
The recent 50 per cent upward adjustment of telecom tariffs, later revised in policy conversations to 35 per cent, has intensified this tension, though it is not justifiable as exploitation. For millions of Nigerians already battling inflation, currency volatility, and shrinking purchasing power, the hike landed not as an economic necessity but as an additional burden. When communication costs begin to claim up to 15 per cent or, in some cases, nearly 30 percent of the national minimum wage, something fundamental has gone wrong. Access to communication is no longer a luxury; it is the infrastructure of modern survival. Yet the price Nigerians are now paying for this access is becoming socially and economically unsustainable.
A published report showed that as of January 2025, statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) disclosed that there were 141 million Internet users via the narrowband (GSM), while broadband penetration stood at 45 per cent. Data consumption has increased to 1,000,930.6 terabytes.
A review of the multinational telecom companies indicated that the new tariff for MTN’s revised data prices showed the 1.8GB monthly plan now goes for N1,500, against the previous 1.5GB plan priced at N1,000. The 20GB plan has been adjusted to N7,500, up from N5,500, while the 15GB plan now costs N6,500, rising from N4,500.
Under this new pricing regime, the same would be said of Airtel as it has replaced its cheapest monthly data plan of 1.2GB plan for N1,000 with 2GB plan for N1,500. For 3GB for N2, 000 (from 1.5GB at N1, 200), 4GB for N2, 500, formerly 3GB at N1, 500, and 8GB for N3, 000 (formerly 4.5GB at N2, 000). Other adjustments include 10GB for N4, 000 (formerly 6GB at N2, 500), 13GB for N5, 000 (from 10GB at N3, 000), 18GB for N6, 000 (formerly 15GB at N4, 000) and 25GB for N8, 000 as this replaces 18GB at N5, 000.
Further, the 75GB monthly bundle, which costs N16, 000 has been renamed as plan, costing N20, 000; 100GB for two months, costing N20, 000 have been upgraded to 150GB to cost N40, 000, while 400GB for three months, which cost N50,000 is now upgraded to 480GB to cost N120,000.
The bubble burst was further complicated tariff increase, which is the resurgence of widespread complaints about rapid data depletion. The issue is that businesses, students, families, and professionals are now raising alarms that data bundles, which previously lasted weeks, now disappear in days or even hours, which is questionable. Another critical area affected is small and medium-sized enterprises that rely on cloud services, digital marketing, logistics platforms, and online payments are finding their operating costs spiraling without any justification. For many, the crux of the matter is that profitability is being quietly eroded, not by poor business decisions, but by the rising cost and unpredictability of connectivity.
The telecom operators, backed by the regulator, have responded with familiar explanations that have always favoured their unscrupulous and illicit activities, with the explanation that data, they say, depletes faster because of background applications, automatic updates, high-definition streaming, malware, faster networks, and users’ failure to manage device settings. Technically, these explanations are not false because modern smartphones are indeed data-hungry, and digital behaviour has evolved. But this defence, repeated endlessly, misses the deeper issue, as the fact is that the problem Nigerians are confronting is not simply that data is consumed; it is that the system governing how data is measured, billed, and explained is not transparent, hard to understand, unaccountable, and tilted entirely in favour of the service providers.
In Nigeria’s telecom market, operators are both the umpires and the players. They measure usage, bill customers, interpret anomalies, and adjudicate complaints, which does not create ground for fair play. Subscribers, on the other hand, are expected to accept consumption figures hook, line, and sinker, which they cannot independently verify. An unacceptable fact is that there are no universally accessible, third-party audited data meters that allow users to confirm what they have truly consumed in real time. Customers and service providers do not have equal access to information; this asymmetry creates fertile ground for silent overbilling, whether intentional or structural, and it erodes trust in a sector that should be built on transparency not obscurity.
One critical aspect that must be addressed squarely is that the regulatory weakness compounds the problem. While the Nigerian Communications Commission possesses statutory authority, enforcement has often appeared slow, reactive, and insufficiently punitive. Penalties imposed on multinational firms with billion-dollar balance sheets rarely feel consequential. Investigations drag on, public disclosures are limited, and even when infractions are established, consumers seldom receive refunds. In such an environment, corporate restraint becomes optional. Where regulators lack teeth, corporations inevitably test boundaries.
The market structure itself offers little relief as the market setup does not protect consumers. Nigeria’s telecom sector is effectively oligopolistic, dominated by a few large powerful players with similar pricing models and limited incentive to compete on fairness. Tariff structures are deliberately complicated and complex, with multiple conditions and layered with bonuses, rollover conditions, expiry clauses, and promotional data that behaves differently from paid data. For the average subscriber, understanding these distinctions is exhausting. Complexity becomes a strategy, not an accident, reducing accountability while increasing revenue certainty for operators.
Though economic pressure on the telecom companies is real, and it must be acknowledged, knowing fully well that exchange rate volatility, energy costs, vandalism, and inflation have hurt profitability. Airtel’s revenue decline and MTN’s reported losses underscore the financial strain facing operators in Nigeria’s macroeconomic climate. It must be understood that corporate hardship does not justify consumer exploitation. The risk arises because multinational firms are subjected to pressure to meet global revenue targets and repatriate profits, adopt aggressive monetisation strategies in markets where regulation is weak and consumer resistance is fragmented.
From experiences thus far, the human cost of this imbalance is becoming impossible to ignore. From students like Abiodun Yusuf, who spends most of his allowance on data that barely supports his academic needs, and also to small business owners like Cynthia Jude, whose online shop struggles to stay viable, the stories repeat themselves with unsettling consistency and outcomes. Families ration children’s screen time not out of discipline, but out of financial desperation. The adverse part that has continued is the widening of an already dangerous digital divide, as rural communities withdraw from digital platforms altogether because of exploitation.
Perhaps most telling is how quickly exploitation has been normalized in Nigeria. Many Nigerians now shrug and say, “That’s how it is.” This resignation is the greatest victory for an unfair system and when people stop believing that fairness is possible, for this reason, exploitation becomes invisible, and abuse thrives without resistance.
Consumer advocacy groups like NATCOMS have begun to signal a shift in posture, including the possibility of court action. Labour unions have threatened boycotts. Civil society organisations warn of social and economic repercussions. These responses indicate that public patience is wearing thin. If left unaddressed, subscription apathy, however gradual, could ultimately undermine the very growth the telecom sector seeks to protect.
For a better understanding of what Nigeria faces is not merely a dispute over megabytes and tariffs, for clarity, it is a governance challenge that cuts across corporate ethics, regulatory independence, consumer empowerment and economic justice. A digital economy cannot thrive on distrust. Transparency and easily understandable data billing must become mandatory, not an aspirational goodwill promise. Independent audits should be public, regular, and credible. Complaint resolution mechanisms must be simplified, fast, and binding. Regulators must act not as mediators between equals, but as defenders of the public interest in an asymmetrical power relationship.
Equally important is consumer education, but awareness campaigns alone cannot substitute for structural reform. Digital literacy must go hand in hand with corporate accountability because the better it is understood that teaching users how to conserve data does not absolve operators from the responsibility to bill fairly and transparently.
At its core, the telecom debate reflects a large Nigerian dilemma, if not a broader problem in Nigeria, as corporate power has grown faster than institutional strength. Until regulators are truly independent and totally free from corporate and political influence, transparency is enforced by law, and consumers are recognized and treated not as passive revenue streams but as stakeholders with rights, exploitation will remain systemic rather than accidental or a series of isolated mistakes.
Communication is the bloodstream of modern society. When access to it becomes exploitative, the cost is paid not only in naira but in opportunity, dignity, and trust. Nigeria must decide whether its digital future will be built on fairness that respects consumers or allow it to rest on fatigue, frustration, and exploitation of users. The choice Nigeria makes will make more impact and the answer will shape not just the telecom sector, but the credibility of governance in an increasingly connected nation.
Blaise, a journalist and PR professional, writes from Lagos and can be reached via: [email protected]
Nigeria among other African countries are falling “dangerously” behind the rest of the world in the adoption of WiFi technologies, with nearly half of the continent’s internet users still relying on the ageing WiFi 4 standard, while developed markets increasingly transition to WiFi 6 and WiFi 7.
This is according to Ookla’s Global State of WiFi 2026 report, which analysed speed test data from Android devices worldwide and found a widening gap between Africa and leading global markets.
The firm used these devices to track the prevalence of different WiFi generations (WiFi 4 through WiFi 7), the spectrum bands being used (2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz), and the installed base of customer premises equipment connected to those devices.
While WiFi 6 has become firmly established across much of the world, Africa remains heavily dependent on legacy wireless technologies that were introduced more than a decade ago, the report finds.
While countries such as South Korea, Japan, Singapore and the US are rapidly migrating toward WiFi 6 and WiFi 7, Africa remains largely anchored on WiFi 4.
South Africa remains one of the continent’s most advanced broadband markets, yet the country is struggling to gain traction with the latest WiFi technologies, states Ookla.
The report notes: “WiFi 4 – a standard finalised back in 2009 – still accounted for 48.8% of Africa’s WiFi samples in the first quarter, with WiFi 5 a fast riser at 34.4%, up from 19.9% four years earlier. WiFi 6 climbed from 1.6% to 16.8% over the same period, while WiFi 7 barely registered at 0.1%.”
Ookla’s findings show a divide between advanced broadband markets and developing regions when it comes to next-generation WiFi adoption.
By comparison, WiFi 6 has already captured 27% of the global market, up from just 6% in 2022.
“WiFi 7 has also begun establishing a foothold globally, accounting for nearly 2% of worldwide connections. Meanwhile, older WiFi 4 and WiFi 5 technologies continue to decline globally, falling to 34% and 39%, respectively,” says Ookla.
The strongest uptake of WiFi 6 and WiFi 7 is concentrated in technologically-mature markets such as the US, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and several Western European countries, where fibre broadband penetration is high and consumers upgrade smartphones, routers and home networking equipment more frequently, according to the report.
“These markets have also moved more aggressively to open up the 6GHz spectrum needed to support WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 services, helping accelerate adoption of newer wireless technologies.”
WiFi 7, the next evolution of the WiFi network protocol, promises to be a substantial upgrade over its predecessor – surpassing the speeds of Ethernet cables, and significantly improving connection reliability and latency over WiFi 6.
While SA’s market is still in the early stages of migration to next-generation wireless technologies, research firm 6Wresearch forecasts strong growth in SA’s WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E ecosystem over the next few years, driven by increasing demand for high-speed connectivity, fibre expansion and growing use of connected devices.
Legacy spectrum dependency
The report also highlights Africa’s continued dependence on older wireless spectrum bands.
The congested 2.4GHz band remains the dominant carrier of internet traffic across Africa, accounting for 52.4% of all WiFi samples during the first quarter of 2026.
Although this represents a significant improvement from the 76.4% share recorded in 2022, the continent still lags behind regions where users have largely migrated to higher-capacity spectrum, the report states.
The 5GHz band has expanded rapidly across Africa, growing from 23.6% of samples in 2022 to 47.6% in 2026. However, the newer 6GHz spectrum, which is critical to unlocking the full capabilities of WiFi 6E and WiFi 7, remains virtually non-existent across the continent.
“The congested 2.4GHz band remained the continent’s majority carrier at 52.4%, down from 76.4% in 2022, with the 5GHz band the chief beneficiary, rising from 23.6% to 47.6%.”
One of the starkest findings in the report is Africa’s complete absence from the global shift towards 6GHz WiFi.
Across the continent as a whole, the 6GHz band accounted for a flat 0.0% share of WiFi samples during the first quarter of 2026. South Africa was the only market to record any meaningful activity on the band, but even then usage reached just 0.2%.
The report states: “Just 0.2% of WiFi connections in South Africa ran over the 6GHz band in the first quarter of 2026. In a market where households keep routers and handsets for years, and where service providers have been slow to bundle 6GHz-capable customer premises equipment, an allocation on paper turns into real-world use only gradually.”
According to forecasts from Grand View Research, SA’s demand for WiFi 6 and WiFi 6E technologies is expected to accelerate sharply over the remainder of the decade, driven by enterprise digital transformation, smart-home deployments and increasing bandwidth requirements.
Device readiness
The Ookla report suggests that consumer devices are no longer the primary barrier to WiFi upgrades globally and in SA.
According to Ookla, 61.4% of Android devices sampled worldwide already support WiFi 6 or newer technologies. This indicates that many markets now possess the device ecosystem needed to support more advanced wireless networks.
“However, Africa faces a different reality. The continent’s slower replacement cycle for smartphones and routers, combined with high equipment costs, and slower deployment of advanced customer premises equipment, continues to delay migration to newer standards,” notes the report.
Other obstacles include regulatory and spectrum availability constraints, as a result of the full 6GHz spectrum still being debated by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa and local telecoms operators.
Widening connectivity gap
The Ookla findings suggest Africa risks falling further behind as the rest of the world accelerates toward WiFi 6, WiFi 6E and WiFi 7.
While the continent has made notable progress by shifting traffic from the overcrowded 2.4GHz spectrum to the more capable 5GHz band, the overwhelming dominance of WiFi 4 and the near absence of 6GHz adoption highlight the scale of the challenge ahead.
While SA can function without widespread WiFi 6 and WiFi 7 adoption, there are significant economic, technological and competitiveness consequences if the country falls too far behind.
“These include reduced return on fibre investments, challenges supporting artificial intelligence and data-intensive applications, lower business competitiveness, persistent network congestion, slower smart city and internet of things development.”
Yuno, the global financial infrastructure platform, today announced a strategic partnership with Onafriq, the leading Pan-African payments network, to bring Africa’s most expansive payments infrastructure to merchants worldwide. Through this integration, Yuno’s clients gain instant access to Onafriq’s network spanning 43 African markets, nearly 1 billion mobile wallets, 500 million bank accounts, and 2,000 cross-border payment corridors, all through Yuno’s single, developer-friendly API.
As businesses increasingly look to Africa as a high-growth frontier, the partnership addresses one of the most persistent friction points in cross-border commerce: the complexity of connecting to fragmented, local payment rails across dozens of markets. By combining Yuno’s payment infrastructure capabilities with Onafriq’s deep-rooted African network, the two companies aim to dramatically reduce the time and technical overhead required for merchants to go live and scale across the continent.
Onafriq’s infrastructure supports the full payment lifecycle, from real-time disbursements and omnichannel collections to card issuance, treasury management, and stablecoin settlement, all underpinned by local regulatory licences and ISO 27001 and CMML3-certified security. For Yuno’s merchant base, this means the ability to pay out to mobile wallets, bank accounts, or cash pickup points, and accept payments across channels, without managing multiple integrations or compliance frameworks independently.
“Africa represents one of the most exciting growth opportunities in global commerce, and yet too many merchants are still locked out by payment infrastructure that wasn’t built for scale. Our partnership with Onafriq changes that,” said Juan Pablo Ortega, Co-Founder and CEO, Yuno. “By bringing their unmatched African network into our infrastructure layer, we’re giving our clients a single path to a continent-wide ecosystem with the reliability, compliance, and local depth they need to grow with confidence.”
The partnership is part of Yuno’s broader strategy to build a truly global platform that connects merchants to every meaningful payment method and network, regardless of geography. Following successful expansion in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, Africa is a key pillar of Yuno’s next phase of growth.
For Onafriq, the integration with Yuno extends its reach to an entirely new segment of global merchants who now benefit from a streamlined entry point into African markets. The partnership reinforces Onafriq’s mission of making borders matter less, bringing together mobile money operators, banks, fintechs, and enterprises into one connected payment ecosystem.
“Africa’s payment landscape has never lacked ambition or momentum, what it needed is the right infrastructure that matches its pace. Our partnership with Yuno changes the equation for global merchants who want to be part of this growth story” said Dare Okoudjou, CEO, Onafriq. “Through a single connection, global merchants can reach consumers and businesses across Africa more seamlessly than ever before, while more people across the continent gain access to the digital economy on their own terms. For us, this is what making borders matter less looks like in practice.”
The integration is now live and available across Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, and Uganda. Yuno’s clients can access Onafriq’s capabilities, including mobile money disbursements and collections, card issuance, and FX treasury services, directly from the Yuno dashboard with no additional contract or integration required.
Coloplus Worldwide Service Limited, a subsidiary of Fusewall Holdings, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. John Dodge as its Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director.
Mr. Dodge brings to the organization an exceptional wealth of international experience spanning more than 35 years in the telecommunications industry, covering both passive and active infrastructure deployments and operations.
Having worked across six continents and in numerous countries, he possesses extensive cultural and professional expertise in leading diverse teams and managing complex projects in challenging environments.
His proven ability to motivate multidisciplinary teams and maintain a strong focus on client requirements has earned him a distinguished reputation within the global telecommunications sector.
A highly accomplished team player, Mr. Dodge is recognized for his focused, flexible, dedicated, and proactive approach to problem-solving and operational excellence.
He remains calm under pressure and has consistently demonstrated the ability to navigate and resolve challenging situations while driving teams toward common objectives.
Throughout his career, Mr. Dodge has built a reputation for meticulous attention to detail, strong leadership, and an unwavering commitment to quality and best-practice standards.
His disciplined work ethic, collaborative management style, and commitment to health and safety compliance have enabled him to deliver outstanding results across a wide range of telecommunications projects worldwide.
In his new role, Mr. Dodge will work closely with the leadership of Coloplus Worldwide Service Limited to strengthen the company’s strategic direction, accelerate operational excellence, expand market opportunities, and reinforce its position as a leading provider of telecommunications infrastructure and digital solutions.
The Board and Management of Coloplus Worldwide Service Limited warmly welcome Mr. John Dodge and look forward to the immense value his global expertise, leadership, and industry knowledge will bring to the organization and its stakeholders.
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