Telecom
NCC Approves New Palliatives for Telecom Operators
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC says new palliatives have been approved to accommodate all telecom operators.
Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman of the Commission,disclosed this yesterday at the 84th edition of Telecom Consumer Parliament (TCP), held at NAF Conference Centre, Abuja.
The EVC said the new palliatives are meant to provide level playing field, especially for the smaller operators in the industry and to fast-track the ongoing efforts to close the existing 195 access gaps across the country.
He said the palliatives range from reduction from the amount they pay for spectrum and others which would be made available as soon as the process is completed.
‘‘These palliatives range from reduction from the amount they pay for spectrum and others that will be made available as soon as the memo requesting the approval is received.
‘‘I granted the approval yesterday and the details will be made available. I went through the memo and I know there are palliatives.
‘‘There are palliatives for spectrum and there is reduction, there is also a palliative for payment itself. We are introducing palliatives by way of installment payments, spreading the payment rather than compelling operators to make full payment for spectrum acquisition. Information on the new palliatives will be provided in due course,’’ he stated.
On Rural Telephony project, the NCC boss noted that the Commission is in partnership with relevant stakeholders in deployment of base transceiver stations in the needy areas in order to close the existing access gaps.
‘‘The NCC in partnership with stakeholders deployed base transceiver stations in those areas do not have access to bridge access gaps. We are doing this at the rate of about 10 per annum and going by the number of access gaps, it is going to take the NCC close to 20 years to close all access gaps.
‘‘The rural population does not have the time to wait, they are not going to be patient for 20 years without access to telecommunication services. Therefore, there is need to find ingenious ways to close these gaps within a shorter period of time and technology fortunately for us presents itself amenable to solving this problem in shorter time.
‘‘There is a Rural Technology Solution which we have deployed through a pilot scheme in about three locations in the country and we are very happy about the outcome of this pilot deployment.
‘‘We are in partnership with those in possession of this technology here in Nigeria to reciprocate the deployment beyond the pilot, so that we can close 20 of those access gaps and then see what happens. But by my estimation, we can through rural technology solution bridge the gaps in about 3-4 years.
‘‘When you want to bridge gaps, you have to have spectrum and of course, the spectrum belong to operators. We are leveraging this important resource to facilitating the partnership between the owners of the solution with the operators and NCC is right there ensuring that the partnership becomes operative.
‘‘I am happy to report that most of the operators are disposed of this as well as the owners of the technology solutions,’’ Danbatta said.
On the withdrawal of 36 million dormant line, the EVC explained that the intention was to ensure that all resources at NCC’s disposal, number resources, spectrum resources were put into good use and benefit of the country.
According to him, the Commission is not in the habit of allowing resources to waste , insisting that the affected line were not active as at the time of the withdrawal but were only those which operators had allowed to be dormant for over the stipulated period of time.
‘‘Those are lines that are redundant. We always give statistics about active lines. We have noticed that the teledensity is growing steadily, growing for 6-7 months and has exceeded 150million mark now.
‘‘It is expected of NCC that resources that are not being put into use are withdrawn so that this can in turn be a sign to all operators so that they can put them in good use and activate them.
‘‘These are redundant lines and when they are redundant, it means they are not in use. We do not have time to allow resources to waste. The intention is to ensure that all resources at our disposal, number resources, spectrum resources are put into god use and benefit of this country,’’ he further explained.
Clean and reliable power for telecom networks in Ethiopia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will be expanded following a $45 million investment by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in IPT PowerTech.
The investment targets countries where limited power supply continues to slow digital connectivity and broader economic participation, the institution stated earlier this week.
To enable this expansion, the IFC is providing a $45 million corporate financing package consisting of an A-loan of $27 million and $18 million in blended finance.
The blended portion is sourced from the Canada-IFC Blended Climate Finance Programme and the IDA20 Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility.
The initiative marks the IFC’s first direct infrastructure engagement in Liberia in a decade and in Sierra Leone in six years.
It will help scale solar- and battery-based power systems that reduce reliance on diesel and support greener, more resilient telecom networks.
By improving the quality and stability of power to telecom towers, the initiative will strengthen mobile coverage and ensure that households, schools, health centres, and small businesses can depend on consistent digital services, said the IFC.
The funding supports the modernisation, operation, and maintenance of 2 235 telecom sites across the three nations. More than 90% of these are located in off-grid or weak-grid locations.
With new solar and battery systems powering these sites, mobile networks will experience fewer outages and improved service quality.
Optimising the energy mix is estimated to reduce power costs for operators by up to 30% in Liberia, 26% in Sierra Leone, and 52% in Ethiopia.
This transition is also expected to cut emissions by more than 10 624 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Furthermore, the partnership will promote gender inclusion by expanding opportunities for women in technical, operational, and leadership roles within the sector, says the IFC.
This agreement reflects a shared vision for a greener telecom industry and empowers the company to scale its innovative energy platforms, according to Nabil Haddad, CEO of IPT PowerTech Group.
Reliable and affordable power for telecom networks is a cornerstone of Africa’s digital transformation, said Nathalie Kouassi-Akon, IFC regional director for West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.
Through this partnership, the institution is supporting a scalable, private sector-led solution that enables mobile operators to reach underserved and fragile communities more sustainably, added Kouassi-Akon.
The project advances the World Bank Group and African Development Bank’s Mission 300 initiative, which aims to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
Expedier has unveiled “Expedier for Business,” an online pro-banking platform to simplify global payments, multi-currency transactions, and financial operations for expanding companies.
Kingsley Madu
The tool centralizes payments, invoicing, payroll, and treasury into one secure dashboard, tackling challenges like fragmented systems and poor visibility that hinder international scaling.
Kingsley Madu, Co-Founder and CEO of Expedier, said: “African businesses are increasingly global… Expedier for Business was built to simplify how companies manage money across borders while maintaining visibility, control, and compliance.”
Key features include customizable dashboards for payments, invoices, and workflows; support for USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, and more; virtual cards; automated payroll/invoicing; currency swaps; and real-time tracking.
Security measures cover two-factor authentication, KYC/KYB verification, and team access controls.
As cross-border trade and remote work boom in Africa, the platform aids firms dealing with international suppliers, teams, and customers. It is now available for organizations scaling globally.
Nigerian fintech unicorn Moniepoint Inc. has finalised its acquisition of a 78% stake in Kenya’s Sumac Microfinance Bank, gaining a key deposit-taking licence for credit expansion in East Africa’s biggest economy.
The deal, marked by a Nairobi reception, bypasses the Central Bank of Kenya’s licence freeze, letting Moniepoint rival giants like Safaricom and Equity Group after a stalled Kopo Kopo bid.
It signals Africa’s fintech shift to licensed banking and mergers, equipping Moniepoint to roll out high-speed SME lending via Sumac’s 20-year-old infrastructure and branches.
The acquisition builds a cross-border merchant ecosystem beyond fees, integrating recent Orda buyout (cloud restaurant software) for “business-in-a-box” tools like inventory, payroll, and capital amid Kenya’s digital lending scrutiny.
Moniepoint, which hit $294 billion annualised transactions in 2025, eyes Kenya’s SMEs with Nigeria-honed retail expertise.
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