Telecom
NCC Reiterates Commitment to MVNO Licensing, Says Process will be Finalised this Year
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reaffirmed its commitment to finalise the issuance of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) licenses before the year ends.
The commission’s Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umar Danbatta made this disclosure at the event organised by Business Remarks themed “Creating Awareness and Ensuring Sustainability of MVNOs in Nigeria’s 5G Ecosystem held in Lagos.
Speaking at the event in his keynote address, Danbatta said the NCC was committed to improving telecommunications services, especially with the introduction of the MVNO license and the deployment of 5G.
“The commission has introduced mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) licences that will generate employment and also bridge the gap between the unserved and the underserved in society. It will also further engender competition and provide choices for telecommunications consumers,” he said.
Danbatta who was ably represented by NCC Director of Licensing and Authorisation, Alhaji Muhammed Babajika noted that the MVNO license is a Five (5) Tier classification that has distinctive services to be offered by the players in different tiers.
According to him, each of these license categories has a long duration of 10 years validation tenure before renewal. Speaking further, he stated the commission is currently restructuring all its licenses due to global technological advancement. This includes the terms of the license, scope, conditions, limitations, benchmark and also the pricing policies as some of these are already obsolete.
Recall the Nigeria telecom regulator extended the deadline for the submission of applications for MVNO licenses following several requests by prospective MVNO’s and MNO’s arising from the magnitude of the grant requirements being the first of its nature in the industry and to get the Host Mobile Network Operators abreast.
Babajika who applauded NCC for introducing MVNO into Nigeria’s telecom space said the four weeks extension terminated on 11th October 2022 and applications are already ongoing an evaluation process.
For further clarification, he noted that a committee has already been set up by NCC management and the board for the evaluation and the making of appropriate recommendations thereafter.
The NCC Boss also advised that negotiations with host mobile network operators should commence immediately after the grant of the licence and such agreements will be filed with the commission.
” It is therefore imperative for industry stakeholders to collaborate on various efforts that will contribute positivity while continuing to ensure that operations are conducted within the respective telecommunication licenses, and that service challenges and demands are adequately delivered” Danbatta urged.
In her opening speech, the convener and Managing Editor of Business Remarks, Bukola Olanrewaju noted that with the appropriate regulatory environment and access to infrastructure, MVNOs in emerging markets like Africa can be steered in the same direction.
She said the Adroit Market Research predicted that the MVNO market will reach USD 112.0 billion by 2025 due to this growth and the latest evolutionary wave is seeing MVNOs capture 10 to 40 per cent of mobile business in developed markets.
“The introduction of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) is believed to add value for both operators and customers; for the operators by using their available excess capacity and for the customers by offering innovative and several niche value-added services that were not offered by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs),”. She pointed out.
In the wake of increasing geopolitical tension, Cassava Technologies has unveiled its National Sovereign Cloud offering for African governments.
The solution, the company claims, will help the continent’s governments ensure data is kept on infrastructure that remains under local legal and operational jurisdiction.
According to the official announcement, made yesterday, the solution provides “secure, locally-governed digital infrastructure that enables the deployment of AI-enabled public services”.
The overarching solution encompasses cloud, cyber security, AI computing infrastructure, as well as local language AI models and skills support for governments.
The announcement comes amid increasing uncertainty over the hosting of sensitive national data on cloud services operated by foreign hyperscalers, which are subject to legal frameworks, such as the U.S. CLOUD Act. The CLOUD Act opens the door to allow American authorities to access data stored on the servers of US hyperscalers, wherever those servers are physically located.
Cassava has claimed separately that currently, “approximately 33% to 45% of the world’s data is hosted in the USA”.
The company added: “A sovereign cloud reduces exposure to extraterritorial laws, improves cyber resilience, and ensures that model weights and training data for public AI remain under national custody.”
The Africa Data Centres Association’s 2026 Economic Report states that “data sovereignty has evolved from a legal aspiration into a strategic policy lever”.
Ahmed El Beheiry, Group COO and Group Chief Technology and AI Officer, Cassava Technologies said: “Across Africa, governments are accelerating their digital transformation agendas and are increasingly focused on ensuring that data and digital infrastructure remain secure and sovereign.”
Announced at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona, this week, the Sovereign Cloud offering launch accompanied the launch of Cassava’s Cloud Partner programme.
The partner programme targets mobile network operators and system integrators across Africa to resell and distribute AI, cloud, and other digital services using Cassava’s infrastructure and technology platforms.
El Beheiry added: “We are expanding Africa’s sovereign AI ecosystem to build solutions that address the continent’s unique challenges while creating new opportunities for growth and digital inclusion.”
The programme offers partners access to NVIDIA Cloud Partner solutions, Cassava’s AI Factory, its own native AI solutions and its AI Multi-Model Exchange, which supports both Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini models.
Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.
MTN Nigeria
The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”
Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.
Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.
The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.
Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.
The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.
Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”
To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.
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