Telecom
Kano Trade Fair: Emir of Kano, Others Applaud NCC’s Consumer Initiatives
The Emir of Kano, Alh. Aminu Ado Bayero, influential individuals, who visited the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) pavilion as well as telecom consumers, who participated at the ‘NCC Special Day’ at the recently-concluded 42nd edition of the Kano International Trade Fair, 2021 in Kano State, have commended the Commission for its various consumer-centric initiatives.
Bayero engaged the Commission’s staff at the NCC Pavilion while asking series of questions about the activities of NCC as it relates to service delivery and subsequently commended Management of the Commission led by its Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, for being consumer-focused in its regulatory activities.
He charged other regulatory organisations across the country to emulate NCC’s template of constantly creating platforms, leveraging different fora and emplacing frameworks and initiatives to enhance consumer protection in their respective sectors which they supervise.
Another eminent visitor to the Commission’s pavilion on the exhibition ground at the trade fair was the Karaje in Kano State, Alh. Ibrahim Abubakar II. Several other telecom consumers also thronged the NCC’s Stand where representatives of various mobile networks, namely MTN, Glo, Airtel and 9mobile were on hand to resolve all complaints referred to them by the Commission’s official at the pavilion.
Aside having their complaints resolved, the NCC officials also shared Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials on various topical telecom issues to consumers both at the NCC Pavilion and, more importantly, at the ‘NCC Day’ event which held later in the afternoon of December 6, 2021.
Addressing a large gathering of telecoms consumers at the NCC Day event, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, thanked the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), organisers of the fair, for the constant invitation to NCC to leverage the trade fair platform as an avenue for engaging telecom stakeholders, especially the consumers.
Danbatta, who was represented by the NCC’s Director, Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, spoke on the theme of the trade fair: ‘Consolidating the Challenges of Covid-19 Pandemic to Opportunities for Growth and Development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria,” and promised that the Commission will continue to stimulate the increased access to digital infrastructure to support businesses and individuals, as well as constantly protect consumer rights and privileges.
According to Danbatta, telecommunications sector has been a major driver of the digital economy agenda of the Federal Government, as it continues to provide the needed digital sinews that support the economy, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant restriction period.
“Since the outbreak of the pandemic, government institutions, businesses and individuals have relied heavily on telecoms services to carry out their daily operations and official routines.
“In response to the increased demand for telecoms services, the Commission put a number of regulatory measures in place to ensure seamless access by Nigerians to telecommunications services and protect them against any adverse impact on the quality of service enjoyed by consumers,” he said.
He said as the Commission continue to drive the remarkable digital transformation being witnessed in the Nigerian economy, one area that the Commission pays greater priority to is how consumers are treated by the service providers.
“This is why at NCC, we continue to treat consumers as Kings and Queens. Of course, that is who they are because without the consumer, both the regulator and the service providers have no business being in business,” he said.
Danbatta reiterated NCC’s commitment to protecting and empowering consumers – whether individuals and corporate consumers – from unfair practices willingly or unwillingly orchestrated by the service providers.
“This is based on our regulatory mandate of ensuring that consumers of telecommunications services deserve to get value for their money, and to be treated right as very important stakeholders in the scheme of things,” he added.
In the same vein, Efosa Idehen, Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, NCC, in his address, took a great deal of time enlightening the consumers on various consumer-centric initiatives put in place by the Commission to protect consumer rights. The initiatives, explained in great details, include the NCC’s various channels of lodging complaints, the NCC toll-free Number 622, the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) short code 2442, the NCC’s Emergency Number 112, among several other consumer-focused programmes.
In his remarks, President, Dalhatu Abubakar, KACCIMA, applauded NCC for prioritising consumer protection in all that it does.
“I commend you for your efforts in ensuring that telecoms continue to play a critical role in not only transforming the way people live, work and play but also contribute significantly to the growth of Nigerian economy, as evidenced in the sector’s impressive contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” he said.
Telecom consumers, who won various prizes in a raffle conducted to excite them at the event, also expressed appreciation to the Commission for being one of the leading public institutions championing the interest of the consumers.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has announced the formation of Airbel Ventures, a new humanitarian impact investing fund aimed at accelerating the introduction and scaling of breakthrough technologies in crisis-affected communities.
The fund will invest in companies whose ideas have the potential to change humanitarian response, including digital infrastructure for frontline health systems and climate-resilient agriculture.
The launch of Airbel Ventures follows a period of rapid innovation at the IRC, despite the humanitarian sector facing record funding cuts.
In the past year, the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab has advanced more than twenty Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology initiatives—from anticipatory action tools powered by climate and vulnerability data, to frontline service delivery using safe, orchestrated AI systems, to breakthrough diagnostic tools for emerging diseases.
Airbel Ventures’ first impact investment is in Signalytic, a company delivering solar-powered computing devices that ensure reliable electricity and connectivity for remote health facilities.
Following the investment, the IRC will pilot Signalytic’s technology with its Nigeria Health team, demonstrating the viability of next-generation digital infrastructure in humanitarian settings.
“We know breakthrough solutions already exist—what’s missing is the path to scale in humanitarian contexts,” said Dr. Jeannie Annan, Senior Vice President for Research & Innovation at the IRC and head of the Airbel Impact Lab.
MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecommunications operator, recorded a historic surge in network disruptions in 2025, suffering 9,218 fibre cuts as of December 31, alongside 211 base station sites affected by theft and vandalism, incidents that disrupted mobile and data services relied upon daily by millions of Nigerians.
The data was revealed by Dr Karl Toriola, chief executive officer/managing director, MTN Nigeria via a social media post titled ‘MTN Nigeria 2025 Wrapped’.
The scale of the damage highlights the growing vulnerability of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure, which has come under increasing pressure from road construction activities, cable theft and deliberate acts of vandalism.
MTN said 5,478 fibre cuts occurred within just the first seven months of 2025, with 760 incidents recorded in July alone, underscoring the intensity of the challenge.
Some of the incidents had wide-ranging consequences, knocking out connectivity across multiple states simultaneously and affecting voice calls, data services, digital payments and enterprise operations.
The company described the situation as a national infrastructure problem, rather than an isolated corporate issue, given the economy’s deep dependence on mobile networks.
“These gaps were shaped by real operational challenges such as fibre cuts, theft, and vandalism. Their impact is felt directly by customers and reflected in what they tell us,” Toriola,
The disruptions were reflected in customer feedback volumes, as MTN handled an unprecedented number of complaints during the year. The operator said it resolved 1,624,263 customer complaints in 2025, spanning call centres, social media platforms, emails and physical service centres nationwide.
Despite the setbacks, MTN pointed to signs of operational resilience. The company retained its ranking as Nigeria’s best network by Ookla, returned to profitability after a challenging period, declared an interim dividend, and expanded its subscriber base to over 85 million users by September 2025.
The figures show that while Nigeria’s telecom operators continue to invest heavily in network expansion and customer service, infrastructure sabotage remains a major drag on service quality and operating costs.
MTN acknowledged that performance improvements remain a work in progress. “We are not where we want to be yet. We see you. We hear you. We exist because of you. And we will get better,” Toriola said.
As the company enters its 25th year of operations in Nigeria, Toriola said MTN is doubling down on customer-centricity, treating every piece of feedback as a guide for improvement, while also stepping up engagement with government agencies.
The CEO renewed calls for stronger regulatory and legal protections for telecommunications infrastructure, urging policymakers to classify fibre cables, base stations and other critical assets as national infrastructure and criminalise vandalism to deter repeat attacks.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted operating licences to six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs), effective January 1, 2026, raising the total number of authorised ISPs in the country to 231 from 225 recorded in December 2025.
NCC
The newly licensed firms are Intellvision Technologies Limited, Granet Technologies Limited, Fiber Sonic Limited, Dasol Solution Services Ltd, Boost ISP Limited, and Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited.
Five of these companies are headquartered in Lagos, while Granet Technologies Limited operates from Owerri in Imo State, highlighting the persistent concentration of broadband infrastructure in major commercial hubs like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
This development intensifies competition in Nigeria’s broadband market, which faces pressure from dominant mobile network operators such as MTN and Airtel, alongside rapid expansion by satellite providers like Starlink.
Traditional ISPs continue to grapple with shrinking customer bases, aggressive data pricing from telcos, and satellite disruptions, even as NCC data from Q2 2025 showed Spectranet, Starlink, and FibreOne controlling about 65 per cent of the 313,713 active ISP subscribers.
The inclusion of Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited marks a significant entry of global satellite broadband competition, building on Nigeria’s recent approvals for other low Earth orbit providers to enhance connectivity in underserved areas.
Industry analysts view the licences as a strategic push to improve internet quality amid rising demand for digital services, though geographic clustering underscores ongoing infrastructure challenges outside urban centres.
NCC’s move aligns with broader efforts to foster a competitive telecoms sector critical to Nigeria’s digital economy ambitions.
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