Telecom
NCC Says Unfriendly Taxes Inhibitive to Broadband Growth
With unalloyed interest in deepening broadband growth in the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has sought governments and their agencies understandings on the need to discontinue unfriendly tax system.
Mr. Tony Ojobo, director, Public Affairs (NCC), made the appeal at the recently-concluded International Telecoms Union (ITU) Telecom World conference held in Budapest, Hungary.
“Unfriendly tax system actually usually a disincentive to investment and so , if you have a friendly tax regime especially for investment, there will be actually no anxiety for investors and it will go a long way in creating jobs and also growing businesses,” Ojobo said.
Ojobo, who explained that the Commission has been working assiduously with various stakeholders in the country to make them understand the negative implications on Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs) into the nation’s telecoms sector said “this is the direction we want the country to toe going forward.”
He said to encourage telecoms investors to come to Nigeria to invest in our broadband sector, there is a need for various stakeholders in the country to join the NCC’s efforts in creating a much friendlier and more conducive environment for telecoms business.
He also said by encouraging more investment into the country, Nigeria stands the chance of getting improved quality of services on their mobile networks and from licensed Internet service providers (ISPs).
Meanwhile, Tony, who noted that challenges confronting telecoms sector in most developing countries are peculiar, said emerging challenges are power, vandalism and multiple taxation, among others.
“Some governments at some level are looking at telecoms as ‘cash-cow’ that they need to milk as much as possible. You find out that in developed countries, it is not so because telecoms is now an enabler, which continues to impact existing sectors and creating new ones such as e-commerce in the economy. So, I think there is need for a bit of understanding and government also needs to know it,” he said.
Ojobo explained that, already, the NCC had started engaging the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) to ensure that all existing bottlenecks to broadband infrastructure deployment are removed to encourage investment inflow.
“Our Executive Vice Chairman made a presentation at the NGF recently, especially around the need for state governments to remove the bottlenecks hampering the deployment ICT infrastructure in the states with a view to getting them to understand that, being an enabler, it will be more beneficial to have this infrastructure on ground that would help in generating revenue and creating jobs and also growing the middle-class in those states than having to tax operators heavily before investment.”
Meanwhile, Ojobo has explained that the NCC had quality engagement with international communities and global investors at the ITU conference this year, saying, the event provided NCC the opportunity to share best international practices with other regulators and equipment manufacturers on how to move the nation’s telecoms sector forward.
He said: “The quality of engagement and discussions with investors has been very impressive, especially after the Nigerian Night, which held on the second day of the conference, precisely on October 12.
“At the Nigerian Night, we showcased the giant strides that we have taken in the area of ICT as well as the potential, looking at our population and what has happened in the area of entertainment, education, agriculture and e-commerce among others.
“Indeed, investors have been coming to ask us questions to really know how they can go about bringing investment in those areas. Huawei invited us to make a presentation, looking at the technology of the future, especially in the area of broadband and we believe that this has been engaging.
“Some investors from Hungary have also come to ask questions and they have been given the kind of information that they require and I think that will go along in helping them to take decision. By and large, I think it has been a worthwhile outing for us. It is just for us to leverage on the experience and then move on.”
Telecom
NCC Retains Rudman as Chair of Newly Inaugurated IPv6 Council Board, Urges Advancement of Nigeria’s Digital Migration
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has officially inaugurated the new board of the Nigerian Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) Council in Ikeja, Lagos. Mr. Muhammed Rudman, Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), will continue to serve as Chairman.
This inauguration marks a significant milestone for Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, as global demand for IPv4 now exceeds the available IPv4 address space.
Following the event, Rudman acknowledged the contributions of former board members, including Olusola Teniola (former President, ATCON), Funke Opeke (Founder, MainOne), Mary Uduma (former President, NiRA), and Lanre Ajayi (past President, ATCON), emphasizing that their involvement was instrumental in establishing the nation’s foundational IPv6 migration efforts.
Rudman noted that membership in the IPv6 Council is institution-based. The reconstituted board includes Mr. Muhammed Rudman as Chairman and a representative from the NCC as Co-Chairman. Institutional representatives from NITDA, ATCON, NIRA, ALTON, ISPON, and NgREN serve as board members, with Dr. Chris Uwaje and Prof. Latif Ladid acting as Advisers. This group is responsible for leading the nationwide migration from IPv4 to IPv6.
“The transition to IPv6 is a strategic national priority. It is essential for enabling Nigeria’s digital transformation, economic growth, and global competitiveness. The council’s strategy identifies IPv6 as a primary catalyst for national development, focusing on three pillars: supporting emerging technologies such as 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT), promoting economic diversification, and providing enhanced security and performance compared to legacy solutions such as Network Address Translation (NAT),” Rudman stated.
To achieve these objectives, the council’s action plan is structured around two primary initiatives: awareness-raising and capacity-building. The board will prioritize promoting national awareness of IPv6 through targeted events and workshops, while also providing IPv6 training to network engineers across various operators, including ISPs, telecommunications companies, educational institutions, and financial organizations. These efforts are expected to facilitate the acquisition and deployment of IPv6 throughout Nigerian networks.
The council will develop and oversee the national IPv6 strategy, monitor adoption across sectors, and report regularly to the Federal Government. Additionally, the council will identify technical challenges, strengthen local engineering capacity, and recommend regulatory measures to encourage ISPs, telecommunications operators, academic institutions, and enterprises to upgrade.
With the Nigeria IPv6 Council now operational, local enterprises and network providers are required to upgrade their systems to sustain the nation’s position in the global digital landscape.
Leading telecommunications, technology, and internet governance stakeholders have thrown their weight behind the 16th milestone edition of the annual Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum (NDSF) on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D), scheduled to hold on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at the Welcome Centre Hotels, Ikeja-Lagos.
The high-profile convergence, organized by pioneer tech-media firm ITREALMS Media and hosted by DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA); an ICANN-certified At-Large Structure, will center its discourse on the national theme: “Sustaining WSIS Vision with Multistakeholder Synergy in Nigeria.”
Confirming their corporate backing and institutional participation are industry giants including ICT infrastructure leader MTN Nigeria; the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON); premier software and DNS infrastructure firm Upperlink Limited; and the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA).
Speaking on the preparations, the Lead Convener of NDSF and Group Executive Editor of ITREALMS Media Group, Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, KSM, stated that the 2026 forum marks a crucial trajectory in examining how local multi-stakeholder synergy can sustain the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) frameworks to accelerate Nigeria’s digital public infrastructure (DPI) and domain economy.
“We are delighted to have the robust support of critical ecosystem drivers like MTN, ALTON, Upperlink, and NiRA. Their participation underscores the vital importance of multi-stakeholder dialogue in addressing contemporary policy, infrastructure growth, digital rights, and the transition into more advanced, secure digital spaces,” Nweke said.
A major highlight of this year’s forum will be that it will hold under the distinguished chairmanship of industry veteran, Dr. Olusola Teniola (hon), as approved by the Board of Directorate and the Central Committee. Under his chairmanship, the forum will also feature the presentation of the prestigious DigitalSENSE Africa 2026 awards to distinguished players in the ecosystem and corporate technology landscape across the continent.
The forum’s comprehensive agenda will feature high-level plenaries and technical sessions led by seasoned industry experts. Key areas of discourse will cut across the role of regulatory organs in the digital economy, bridging innovation gaps, leveraging Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for SME growth, digital rights, and data protection.
The organizers have invited additional internet stakeholders, including civil society organizations (CSOs), academia, young innovators, women in tech, and industry professionals, to maximize the networking and advocacy windows presented by this 16th edition.
With corporate sponsorship tiers spanning Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze partnerships now actively filling up, corporate brand materials and production collaterals are expected to reach the NDSF secretariat on or before Thursday, June 4, 2026, to guarantee technical alignment.
Olusola Teniola, ipNX Director has been named to the newly inaugurated IPv6 Council Board by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), as part of a broader industry effort to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).
The inauguration, which took place in Ikeja, Lagos, underscores the Commission’s renewed commitment to accelerating Nigeria’s transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), a critical enabler of the country’s digital future.
Mr. Teniola joins a distinguished group of industry leaders, including Funke Opeke, Muhammed Rudman (Chairman), Chris Uwaje (Vice Chairman), Mary Uduma, Gbenga Adebayo, Lanre Ajayi, and Latif Ladid, alongside representatives from key regulatory and government institutions.
Speaking on his appointment, Teniola expressed appreciation to the NCC for the opportunity to serve and reiterated the importance of collaborative action in driving Nigeria’s digital transformation.
“The transition to IPv6 is no longer a future consideration; it is an immediate priority for Nigeria’s digital economy. As data consumption grows and emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT, and AI become more pervasive, we must ensure that our underlying infrastructure is scalable, secure, and globally competitive,” he said.
He further emphasized that achieving meaningful IPv6 adoption will require strong alignment across stakeholders, including telecom operators, internet service providers, enterprises, academia, and government.
“This is a collective responsibility. We must invest in capacity building, drive awareness, and create the right policy and regulatory environment to accelerate adoption. Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind in an increasingly connected world.”
The IPv6 Council Board has been tasked with developing and overseeing the implementation of a national IPv6 strategy, monitoring progress, and providing periodic updates on adoption levels across the country. The Council will also play a key role in addressing infrastructure challenges, strengthening technical expertise, and recommending policy incentives to support nationwide deployment.
Teniola’s appointment reflects ipNX’s continued commitment to shaping Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and advancing the development of resilient, future-ready network infrastructure across the country.
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