Telecom
NCC Blames Taxes for Poor QoS, Warns Against Unauthorized Radio
Peter Igho, chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has decried multiple taxation on telephone service providers by different levels of governments, denials of rights of way for expansion of telecommunication infrastructure and vandalization of equipment as the major factors militating against the attainment of quality service in the country’s telecommunication sector, regarded as one of the fastest growing in the world.
This is coming as the commission yesterday warned that it is illegal to sell, install or use in Nigeria any Radio Frequency (RF) Jamming device without its authorization.
But speaking during a courtesy call on Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, Ondo State governor, in his Akure Office during the week, Igho, appealed to governments to ease these burdens for the sector to record the desired growth.
The NCC chairman specifically appealed to Mimiko, who is a member of the National Economic Council on Multiple Taxation, Levies and Charges on ICT Infrastructure in Nigeria, under the chairmanship of Namadi Sambo, Vice-President,to further influence the reduction in the taxes and levies payable by telecommunication companies operating in Nigeria.
He described the outlined impediments as being beyond the scope of the NCC as the regulatory body of the telecommunication industry “but within the mandate of the government”, and that the commission is already tackling those under its control to achieve maximum results.
According to him, “the issue of right of way and multiple taxations deserves serious attention. There are multiple taxations and regulations that await the service providers at the various levels of government, including state governments and even some communities.
“In most cases, unfortunately, telecom masts and towers easily become specific targets for multiple taxes and regulations even where there are other masts and towers in existence, or even when appropriate taxes have been imposed at the Federal level.
“The resolution of these issues would go beyond enhancing quality of service as it would contribute to expansion of infrastructure and attraction of investment in the sector for the benefit of the nation.
“As we all know, rights of way for deployment of infrastructure determines the ease with which service providers can easily and quickly deploy or add new infrastructures at a given time and place. Related also is the vandalization of equipment across the nation, which also contributes negatively to quality of service.”
The NCC boss, who was accompanied on the visit by members of the board and management of the commission also blamed ignorance of how the communication system works across the globe on the way authorities in Nigeria seek to limit the infrastructure of the service providers especially in the erection of masts.
He said: “In the United Kingdom, there are more than 65,000 base stations for telecommunication services in a land that is far less than Nigeria’s. Nigeria is yet to achieve 25,000 installations across its huge land mass, yet many feel that we already have enough and are defacing the environment.
“This of course is causing infrastructure deficit and the situation is alreasy becoming very discouraging to the service providers who are being forced to depend on very few base stations to serve the populace.”
Igho however sought the support of the Ondo governor as the commission according to him, “is currently pursuing a major broadband infrastructure deployment programme and we would expect progressive governments to join hands with us and also plan ahead to tap on these potentials.”
He also disclosed that the commission is currently putting on efforts in the provision of Emergency Communication Centres (ECC) across the country and that by this, the NCC “has elected to assist the Federal and state governments to introduce this most desired service across the nation in partnership with state governments.
“The pilot of these centres in Awka and Minna were currently commissioned. Few more centres located in some other state would be commissioned soon. It may not be out of place to say that all citizens of Ondo state would appreciate this service.”
Mimiko who requested the NCC to assist the state in the provision of a three-digit line to be deployed in the operations of the state’s intervention programmes in healthcare delivery such as the Abiye Safe Motherhood programme, the Trauma and Kidney Care Centres, charged the commission to put in place a quality measurement mechanism ‘that will tell us the efficiency of our telecom service.”
According to him, “the perception of Nigerians that the service providers are only out to cheat them and milk them dry must be changed and the NCC must see to it because for each minute that subscribers are denied usage of their telephones through bad service, billions of naira are skimmed from them.”
Elsewhere, NCC said it is illegal to sell, install or use in Nigeria any Radio Frequency (RF) Jamming device without its authorization.
Radio Frequency (RF) Jammers are devices used to disrupt or prevent communication via a broadcasted RF signal.
“Individual towers partition cities into small sections called cells. As a cell phone user traverses the cells in an area, the signal is passed from tower to tower.
Jamming devices take advantage of this fact by transmitting on the spectrum of radio frequencies used by cellular devices.
Through its concurrent transmission, the jamming device is able to disrupt the two-way communication between the phone and the base station. This form of a denial-of-service attack inhibits all cellular communication within range of the device.
Thus, “Radio jamming is the (usually deliberate) transmission of radio signals that disrupt communications by decreasing the signal to noise ratio”.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day capacity building/workshop for ICT journalists in Lagos, Engineer Austine Nwaulune, director, Spectrum Administration at NCC lamented the spray in radio frequency jammers usage in churches, mosques, hotels and other social outlets, especially without the permission of the Regulator.
He said that the effect is evident in the low quality of service (QoS) which has become topical in the industry in recent time, particularly, polarizing the Regulator, operators and telecom subscribers in the country.
He said, “These devices are illegal to sell, install or use in Nigeria without authorisation from the Commission and have been found to be used by Hotels, Security operatives, Courts, Religious institutions to prevent the operation of phone devices in their premises and areas of security concerns.
“They contribute to degrade the QoS in the areas they are deployed and could affect a large area depending on the range and transmit power of the jammer.
“Like any radio transmitter they can radiate beyond the intended perimeter of coverage.
The use is prohibited by extant laws of the country”.
He warned the perpetrators to obtain permission from the Commission, desist from the act or face full wrath of the law, adding that NCC is unrelenting on its responsibilities to monitor the trend.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) had established National & International Frequency Coordination, that is a technical and regulatory process which is intended to remove or mitigate radio-frequency interference between different radio systems which utilize the same operational frequency.
International coordination is carried out through Intergovernmental treaties in line with coordination procedures in the Radio Regulations of the ITU.
NCC’s powers are drawn from its enabling Act 2003 in Nigeria and as a national coordination under ITU to undertaken by spectrum regulators/operators within an administration to ensure coexistence between inter and intra service users of the spectrum.
Tony Ojobo, (4th from left), director, Corporate Communications (NCC), flanked by speakers and staff off NCC at the opening of a two-day capacity building/workshop for ICT journalists in Lagos on Wednesday.
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Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has blamed the actions of the National Oil and Gas Suppliers Association (NOGASA), for the recent telecom blackout experienced in the Abuja area.
NCC
A statement issued on Friday by the Head, Public Relations, NCC, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, while acknowledging the challenges and impact of the degraded Quality of Service (QoS) in the area on subscriber experience, stated: “The challenges are a result of the activities of the National Oil and Gas Suppliers Association (NOGASA), which disrupted diesel supplies to sites with the attendant telecommunications services outages in Abuja.”
She however disclosed that the telecommunications sector regulator is committed to ensuring restoration of seamless communication services to the affected area, and all Nigerians at large, and recognizes the importance of reliable power supply for the provision of optimal telecommunication services.
“The Commission is collaborating with major stakeholders and licensees to address these challenges, largely caused by disruption to diesel supply affecting IHS Nigeria Limited, the colocation provider responsible for powering Airtel and MTN base stations in the affected areas.
“The NCC is actively engaging with relevant stakeholders to address the diesel supply issues and explore sustainable solutions.
“The Commission urges all parties to work together to collaboratively resolve these challenges swiftly by removing the diesel supply bottlenecks affecting critical telecommunications infrastructure, arising from NOGASA’s actions.
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“In the face of these challenges, we reiterate our commitment to fostering a conducive environment for the growth and sustainability of telecommunications services in Nigeria.
“We are taking proactive steps to facilitate dialogues between the impacted service providers and other stakeholders to promptly resolve the diesel supply concerns that have negatively impacted service quality.”
While assuring that the Commission remains dedicated to effectively managing the situation and will keep the public updated on progress towards restoring full telecommunication services in Abuja, Mrs. Ukoha appreciated subscribers for their patience.
“We thank telecommunications subscribers for their understanding and patience during this period and reaffirm our commitment to delivering high-quality telecommunications services nationwide,” she said.
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has called for a fundamental shift in Kano State’s economic strategy, urging stakeholders to embrace innovation, technology and collaboration as the drivers of growth in the 21st century.
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
This is contained in a press statement e-authored by the Director of Corporate Communications & External Relations at NITDA, Hajia Hadiza Umar.
Speaking at the Kano Startup Weekend, Mallam Abdullahi acknowledged Kano’s long-standing reputation as the commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria and the wider Sahelian region, noting that its history of trade, enterprise and human capital provided a solid foundation for future growth.
Abdullahi emphasised that while these strengths powered Kano’s success for centuries, the modern economy now offered even greater opportunities through innovation and technology.
He described innovation as the process of transforming ideas into impactful solutions through commercialization, stressing that when ideas were effectively deployed, they created value, solved societal challenges and generated sustainable economic growth.
He noted that Kano’s large market, strategic location and vibrant entrepreneurial culture placed it in a strong position to take advantage of innovation-driven opportunities.
According to him, “Innovation is the process of taking an idea from inception to impact. Invention on its own is a cost centre, but when you commercialise an idea, when you turn it into a product or service that solves a real problem and creates value, that is when you begin to drive economic growth and inclusion.”
He noted that the state hosted numerous degree-awarding institutions across federal, state and private ownership, providing a strong base for human capital development.
However, the NITDA DG expressed concern that these institutions often operated in isolation from industry, with research outputs rarely translating into commercial or industrial applications.
He explained that innovation did not happen in silos and stressed the need for a strong, interconnected ecosystem that brought together academia, industry, startups, entrepreneurs and government.
According to him, universities should conduct research informed by industry needs, industries should leverage research to improve productivity and competitiveness, and startups should serve as the bridge that converted ideas into market-ready solutions.
The NITDA boss further encouraged entrepreneurs to leverage technology to build businesses that could grow beyond local markets, explaining that innovation-driven enterprises had the power to scale rapidly, create jobs and position Kano competitively at both national and global levels.
According to him, digital platforms and emerging technologies now made it easier for startups to reach wider markets and develop solutions that were previously unimaginable.
“You can start your business here in Kano, but your thinking must be global from day one. Technology has removed barriers. With the right skills and platforms, a startup in Kano can build solutions that serve not just Nigeria, but the world,” he noted.
Highlighting NITDA’s ongoing interventions, its Director-General outlined the Agency’s commitment to building national innovation capacity through targeted human capital development programmes.
He cited the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative, which aimed to equip Nigerians across all segments of society with essential digital skills, and the 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT) programme, designed to produce a pipeline of globally competitive technical professionals in areas such as software development, data analysis and emerging technologies.
He said, “Through DL4ALL, we are ensuring that Nigerians at all levels have the basic digital skills needed to participate in the digital economy, while 3MTT is deliberately building a pipeline of globally competitive technical talents who can drive innovation, create jobs and attract investment.”
Abdullahi explained that these programmes were key pillars of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritised skills development, innovation, job creation and inclusive economic growth as pathways to national prosperity.
According to him, empowering Nigerians with digital and technical skills was essential for building a resilient economy capable of competing in the global digital landscape.
“President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is about investing in people, empowering them with relevant skills and creating opportunities for inclusive growth.
“At NITDA, we are using digital skills and innovation as tools to translate that vision into real economic impact for Nigerians,” he said.
The NITDA boss urged all stakeholders in Kano to work together to build a functional innovation ecosystem that could unlock the state’s vast potential and expressed confidence that with the right mindset, strong collaboration and sustained investment in digital skills and innovation, Kano could reclaim its historic leadership role and emerge as a major innovation and entrepreneurship hub in Nigeria and beyond.
Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, yesterday claimed that bandits and terrorists are able to communicate and coordinate their activities with ease because they exploit gaps in the country’s telecommunications network.
Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy,
Tijani, who spoke Politics Today, a Channels Television’s programme, on Friday, Tijani said the criminals exploit gaps in the country’s telecommunications network.
He also claimed the bandits use advanced technology to bounce calls across multiple towers in areas with poor connectivity.
“They weren’t using the normal towers; they bounced calls off multiple towers, which is why they favor areas that are largely unconnected,” he said.
When asked about reports that unregistered or fraudulently registered SIM cards are still in use despite the Bank Verification Number (BVN) and the National Identification Number (NIN)–Subscriber Identity Module linkage policies, Tijani said the issue is technically complex and the reports are not fully verified.
“Whether it’s fact or not, I do not know where you’re getting that from, and I do not know who has evidence that there are people with unregistered SIMs,” he added.
The minister stated that the federal government is investing in telecom towers in underserved regions, upgrading the country’s communication satellites to improve coverage, and expanding fiber-optic networks to strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure.
“If our towers are not working, our satellites will work. Nigeria is the only country in West Africa with communication satellites, and we are bringing new satellites to upgrade their capabilities,” Tijani said.
He added that these initiatives aim to ensure better connectivity for Nigerians while closing loopholes that criminals exploit, thereby enhancing national security.
The minister’s comments come amid rising concerns over insecurity in several parts of the North, where banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism have escalated in recent years.
There are also reports of bandits flaunting ransom payments on social media platforms such as TikTok, raising alarm among authorities and the public
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