Telecom
Lagos Future Conference 2025: Stakeholders Call for Digital Responsibility and Grassroots Innovation
The Lagos Future Conference 2025, themed ‘Future-Forward – Harnessing the Power of Youth, Innovation, and Technology for National Economic Growth,’ concluded last week with a resounding call for both online cyber responsibility and a renewed focus on grassroots innovation to truly unlock Nigeria’s digital potential.
Stakeholders from government, industry, and academia emphasized the critical role of youth, while also highlighting persistent challenges in infrastructure and policy implementation.
Dr. Bayero Agabi, President of DigiVation Network and convener of the conference, set the tone in his welcome address, stressing the importance of “Online Cyber Responsibility” to protect intellectual property rights and national values.
“As we stand at the threshold of a new era, we recognize the transformative power of technology, entrepreneurship, and human ingenuity. It is our responsibility to harness these forces to drive sustainable development, create opportunities and improve the lives of our citizens,” he remarked.
He further emphasized the harmonious nexus between online cyber responsibility and national values, advocating for respecting cultural norms, protecting national security, promoting digital citizenship and upholding intellectual property rights.
Meanwhile, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) echoed the sentiment of youth empowerment. Malam Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of NITDA, speaking through Dr. Aristotle Onumo, Director of Stakeholder Management & Partnerships, asserted that Nigeria’s greatest asset is not under the ground, but in classrooms, co-working spaces, and innovation hubs.
He highlighted the nation’s youthful demographic, with over 70% of the population under 35, as an incredible demographic dividend capable of driving unprecedented economic growth.
The DG celebrated the success of Nigerian startups, which attracted over $1.2 billion in venture capital funding in 2024, cementing Nigeria’s position as Africa’s leading tech ecosystem.
However, the path to a truly inclusive digital economy remains challenging. Dr. Yele Okeremi, founder of Precise Financial Systems (PFS), highlighted a significant digital divide. Represented by Mr. Babajide Alaka, Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications, Dr. Okeremi pointed out that nearly half of Nigeria’s internet access is concentrated in just three cities: Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
“Nigeria’s vast rural and peri-urban regions are still largely digitally disconnected. Bridging this divide is not just a matter of fairness; it’s a strategic imperative. “Stop admiring problems; start engineering solutions,” he urged.
Adding to the concerns about equitable access, Dr. Tola Yusuf, co-founder of Infratel Africa, highlighted the 23% of Nigeria that are totally unconnected, a population larger than some entire countries. He stressed the urgent need for deliberate investments and enabling policies to connect these underserved areas, which he believes is crucial to curbing the “japa syndrome” – the mass exodus of Nigerian tech talent.
“Human beings will find a way to navigate to where life gives you the best. Thus, there is a need for Nigeria to expand its frontiers to retain young talent,” he said.
Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, Chairman of Teledom Group, lamented a serious disconnect between the IT industry and the government, particularly concerning the financing of the Nigeria Startup Act (NSA). “The fact is what part of our GDP or what percentage of our accumulated revenue annually is allocated to finance the content of the startup act?” he questioned, stressing that it cannot fire-up the startups where there are no resources for them to become entrepreneurs. He urged agencies to collaborate with state and local governments to identify and nurture grassroots talent.
On a positive note, Engineer Abisoye Coker-Odusote, DG/CEO of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), represented by Prince Ajibade Ayeni Omobalufon, highlighted the National Identification Number (NIN) as a key tool for “opening doors, breaking barriers, and creating pathways to future growth and development.
She noted NIMC’s partnership with the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) in providing access to education loans and job creation opportunities through the NIMC Entrepreneurship System.
Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, represented by Victor Imonieroh, outlined significant strides in digital infrastructure. He announced the expansion of their high-speed fiber optic network to over 5,000 kilometers, reaching nearly 30 states. Furthermore, Galaxy Backbone is partnering with NIGCOMSAT to bring connectivity to all 774 local government areas, with six communities already online.
The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), through its Deputy National President Dr. Charles Onyeukwu, called for more empowerment for young people to combat the ‘japa syndrome’ and urged them to enroll in NCS membership schemes, emphasizing collective effort in providing meaningful avenues for youth expression.
The Lagos Future Conference concluded with a renewed sense of purpose, recognizing that while significant progress has been made in Nigeria’s digital journey, a concerted and inclusive approach is vital to harness the full potential of its youth, innovation, and technology for national economic growth.
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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