Telecom
Medallion, Galaxy Backbone Make Case for Infrastructure Sharing in ICT Sector

The issue of infrastructure sharing in Nigerian telecommunications industry is extremely important since the resources used to provide the services are limited.
Whether in passive or active model, infrastructure sharing is a key element in promoting healthy competition among market players, with a reasonable investment value and a fair price to be charged to the consumer.
These were the thoughts of panellists at the Mobile and Disruptive Technology Forum (#MoDiTECH2019) organised by TechEconomy.ng in Lagos, recently.
Moderated by Mr. Toba Obaniyi, the Vice President, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), the panelists discussed issues around “Infrastructure as a Limitation to Unleashing Digital Services in Nigeria”.
Dr. Kris Ranganath, Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Medallion Communications, speaking during the panel session, reiterated that leveraging the capacity of colocation companies such as Medallion Communications Limited could be the way out for players to reduce capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX).
Dr. Ranganath said that despite a record of over $70 billion local and foreign direct investments (FDIs) into the country’s telecoms sector, lack of a robust infrastructure remains one of the challenges that have bedevilled the industry.
He said that as the major employer of labour and an enabler of economic development, the industry deserves protection by the government to continue to add value to the GDP.
He said that Medallion Communications Limited, one of West African one-stop interconnect and hosting companies readily comes into the picture as an enabler of colocation model for the country
The CTO said that the Company has preached and has painstakingly been building infrastructure backbone supporting Nigeria’s ICT and telecommunications industry in the area of carrier neutral infrastructure sharing and connectivity over the years and will continue to add value to the ecosystem.
He said, although they have not totally addressed the challenges, but their efforts have given rise to Nigerians appreciating the value of shared infrastructure and data center service delivery.
“The Medallion collocation center, located in Lagos, is today, one of the most connected facilities in Nigeria. Over 80 service providers, including all global system for mobile communications (GSM) operators, code division multiple access (CDMA) operators, fixed wireless and fixed line operators in Nigeria are connected to the Medallion’s collocation center.
“The resilience telecom infrastructure Medallion has built over the years is currently accommodating the hosting of contents from both local and international service providers in Nigeria. Therefore, we are localising a huge percentage of content and data, which were hitherto hosted abroad,” the Medallion Communications CTO added.
He said that while the Company drives colocation, among other services, the client lists also include all long distance, international fiber network operators and metro fiber transmission providers in Nigeria.
More so, Chidi Okpala, Marketing Manager, Galaxy Backbone Limited, said that infrastructure sharing is a way of reducing the costs of investing in networks, increasing the value of the business, optimizing the allocation and use of infrastructures when duplication is impossible, and guaranteeing the compliance with regulatory obligations.
He added that the resultant impact is in an improvement of the conditions of the service provided to the users, especially in offering quality service.
Okpala said that more importantly, infrastructure sharing is always advisable to foster competition in the sector, thus favouring the final consumer, either with an improvement in the quality of the service, or with a possible reduction in the prices charged by the sector.
According to him, Galaxy Backbone has continued to provide connectivity services to Government MDAs across the length and breadth of Nigeria on its 1GOV.ng platform.
“This has given federal government the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of economies of scale and encourage local partnerships”.
Galaxy Backbone (GBB) is the Digital and Shared Services Infrastructure provider of the federal government.
For close to two decades, GBB has continued to strive towards living its mission being, to drive national development through the provision of pervasive ICT Infrastructure and services to public institutions, underserved communities and other stakeholders.
This mission propels the day to day running of the organisation and how it interacts with institutions, local communities and other stakeholders.
Similarly, the persistent infrastructure deficit in the Nigerian telecoms sector are due to obvious multifaceted factors like multiple taxation, vandalism, inconsistent policies, among other factors.
In his contribution, the president, Association of Licensed Mobile Payment Operators (ALMPO), Mr. Chinedu Onuoha, said that in addition to improved infrastructure deployment, introducing innovative solutions that have the potential to reduce costs in digital payments is crucial too.
He said that FinTechs must continue to strive to develop and unleash real-time settlement solutions for financial institutions and capable of impacting of rural dwellers.
He said that standardization through policies cannot be overemphazised as the costs, risks and delays inherent in today’s infrastructure often limit electronic payment products, particularly to large-value transactions.
He referred to the recent issues generated by the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) charges by banks and telecos could have been addressed through stakeholders’ engagements.
He reminded the participants that infrastructure deficit is chief among the reasons financial institutions find it difficult to even offer low-value payment products.
For instance, banks and licensed mobile money operators lack capacity to manager issues arising from network downtime among other issues.
Mr. Onuoha said that for these reasons and more, ALMPO was formed “to create a voice for the industry in order to create, influence and shape policies, Government legislations and to build standards within the frameworks that will provide stability and growth to the mobile money environment and also to contribute to the economy of the Mobile payment initiative in Nigeria”.
Telecom
9mobile Nigeria Inks Agreement to Roam with MTN

9mobile, Nigerian operator, has reportedly gained approval for roaming on the MTN Nigeria network in a deal that some commentators suggest could improve its position in the market and, more specifically, tempt back lost subscribers.
After finally gaining regulatory approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), 9mobile plans to launch national roaming services on the MTN network from this month.
Under the agreement, 9mobile subscribers will gain access to MTN’s infrastructure for calls, texts and data in areas where 9mobile’s coverage is weak or unavailable.
For 9mobile, the deal offers a cost-effective way to expand coverage without the heavy investment required for nationwide infrastructure.
According to ITWeb Africa, the decision comes nearly five years after initial discussions – much longer than expected due, the Techloy news service said, to regulatory bottlenecks, shifting market conditions, and unclear execution timelines.
It may, however, prove pivotal for 9mobile, whose market share has dwindled to 1.72% in April 2025, down from 6.6% in 2020 when the proposal was first submitted. Indeed, in 2015 the company once known as Etisalat Nigeria had over 23 million subscribers and a 15.7% market share.
Of course, there’s also something in this for MTN. In exchange for network access, MTN gains utilisation rights to 9mobile’s underused spectrum in the 900MHz, 1800MHz, and 2100MHz bands – key frequencies for expanding coverage and improving data capacity.
For MTN, which serves over 84 million subscribers, this additional spectrum could reduce congestion and improve service quality.
The company has also had financial difficulties in the Nigerian market due to the naira’s substantial depreciation; this deal could support better service provision at a reduced cost.
That said, MTN Nigeria’s results for the first quarter to March 31 2025 were apparently much improved, and the company recently announced a massive capital expenditure drive for 2025 of some NGN900 billion (US$568.5 million) as it seeks to significantly enhance network service quality in major cities like Lagos and Abuja and extend improvements to other areas.
Telecom
Banks, Telcos to Start Deducting USSD Charges from Airtime Today

Banks and telecom companies will begin deducting USSD banking charges directly from customers’ airtime instead of their bank accounts beginning from today, June 3.
USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, is a communications protocol used by GSM cellular telephones to interact with a mobile network operator’s computers.
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) announced this change in an e-mail message to customers, following a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Key details:
Each USSD session will cost ₦6.98 per 120 seconds, charged by your mobile network.
You will be asked to approve the charge before it’s deducted from your airtime.
If you prefer, you can use other banking channels like ATMs, mobile apps, or internet banking.
This change is part of a move to end the long-standing debt dispute between banks and telecoms over unpaid USSD fees.
As of late 2024, banks owed telecom companies ₦160 billion. For example, MTN was owed ₦42 billion by Nigerian banks.
By shifting USSD fees to customers’ airtime, the telcos aim to recover these debts and avoid future issues.
Telecom
IHS Nigeria Moves to Enhance G4S Secure Solutions Site Patrols and Increase Operational Efficiency with Patrol Vehicles

IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of IHS Holding Limited and one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared telecommunications infrastructure in the world by tower count, has formally commissioned 65 Response, Patrol, and Escort (RPE) vehicles to G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited, its long-standing security partner.
The commissioning ceremony which held in Ikeja GRA, Lagos, underscores IHS Nigeria’s commitment to operational excellence, safety, and strategic partnerships.
The fully equipped vehicles, customized with radio systems, public address systems, medical kits, ladders, and amber lights, are expected to significantly enhance G4S’s patrol capabilities and enable proactive risk mitigation across IHS Nigeria’s infrastructure footprint in the country.
Speaking at the event, Jubril Saba, Vice President, Operations at IHS Nigeria, remarked: “IHS Nigeria is delighted to formally hand over these Response, Patrol and Escort (RPE) vehicles to our valued security partner, G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited. As a company, we recognize that the success of our operations lies not only in our technology and infrastructure but also in the strength of the partnerships we build and sustain.
G4S has been an essential partner in protecting our sites, supporting our teams, and ensuring operational continuity across the country. This initiative is more than just a commissioning of vehicles; it is a reaffirmation of our commitment to the safety of our people and assets, our drive for operational excellence, and our belief in strong partnerships.
We understand that securing our infrastructure and communities is critical to sustaining high-quality services nationwide, and we are confident this fleet will enhance G4S’s capacity to support us.”
Also speaking at the event, Jonas Ahl, Managing Director of G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited, expressed his appreciation for the partnership:
“We are proud to receive these 65 custom-built patrol vehicles from IHS Nigeria. Each unit is fully outfitted to meet the specific security needs of our operations, equipped with communication systems, emergency response tools, and visibility-enhancing features. These vehicles will not only improve our response times and field presence but also enable us to reduce risk and deter criminal activity more effectively.
I would like to thank the IHS team for their excellent collaboration throughout this project. We are proud to serve IHS and remain committed to protecting the assets that power connectivity across Nigeria.”
This strategic gesture reinforces IHS Nigeria’s position as a socially responsible and security-conscious industry leader, while highlighting the value of operational synergy with trusted partners like G4S.
The deployment of these vehicles marks another milestone in IHS’s mission to secure its infrastructure and deliver uninterrupted service to millions of users across the country.
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