Telecom
NCC to Strengthen AOL Administration
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is unwavering in its commitment to deploy a Revenue Assurance Solution (RAS) in the telecommunication sector to ensure a more robust Annual Operating Levy (AOL) administration in the telecom industry.
L- R: Mr. Akwu Okolo, Head, Energy and Urban Infrastructure,Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission; Mr. Yakubu Gontor, Director of Finance Services, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Mr. Adeleke Adewolu, Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management, NCC; Danbatta; Ms.Josephine Amuwa, Director, Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC; Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs NCC; Engr. Edoyemi Ogoh, Deputy Director, NCC; Mr. Reuben Muoka, Head Special Duties, NCC
This subject matter was the focus of an industry stakeholder consultative engagement organized by the Commission at its Head Office in Abuja on Friday, February 25, 2022, which is in congruence with the NCC’s renowned commitment to inclusive participation and consultative stakeholder engagement as part of its regulatory practice.
The RAS application is designed to ensure a linkage with licensed telecommunications operators’ systems and will have the capability of capturing and reporting in near real-time, billing activities by the operators for the purposes, amongst others, of computing and assuring with minimal margin of error, the accruable AOL to NCC from the licensees.
When deployed, the NCC RAS will bring significant solutions to the industry’s challenges, including a more effective and enhanced monitoring and regulation of the licensed telecommunications operators.
Speaking at the event, which was well attended by representatives of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Licensees of the Value Added Service chain, officials of the Commission and other industry stakeholders, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, said AOL remains the bedrock of an efficient and effective telecommunications regulatory environment.
Danbatta said the event was organized to sensitize industry stakeholders through a conversation on the Commission’s plan to deploy RAS that will instill greater transparency and increased accuracy in the administration of AOL in the sector, as stipulated by the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003.
According to the EVC, since the NCA 2003 came into force and pursuant to Section 72 of the Act, various efforts have been made by the Commission towards achieving an effective AOL administration, including the development of AOL Regulations 2014, which is being reviewed.
He said the Commission believes that the deployment of appropriate RAS would enhance monitoring and regulatory activities around AOL administration and confer higher levels of integrity and fidelity on the AOL figures obtainable in the industry.
In a contextual recall, Danbatta stated that the need to deploy the most appropriate Revenue Assurance Systems in the Nigerian telecommunications industry began since 2015 when Commission published an invitation to bid for the services, in which 3R Company Nigeria Limited emerged the preferred bidder.
“The EVC informed that during the bid process, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), indicated a ‘no objection’ to the process.
“However, it was reasoned thereafter, that due to the scope of the project, the solution would be more appropriately procured under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
“This led to the invitation of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to guide the process, as mandated by its regulations.
“Following this, the Commission set up a Project Delivery Team (PDT), which worked with a consortium of legal advisers, financial modelers and PPP experts under the guidance of ICRC, and took the appropriate steps required under the ICRC Regulations 2005,” he said.
He said part of the process included a proper due diligence of the preferred partner, which received a clean bill of health from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) while the Commission also subjected the software and hardware components of the proposed RAS to the certification of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
The EVC stated further that the Commission recorded a major feat in December 17, 2021, as the transaction received the Certificate of Compliance from the ICRC in line with the Provisions of the ICRC Act 2005.
“Thus, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), minister of Communications and Digital Economy, graciously presented the NCC RAS project to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting on January 26, 2022, where the final approval was given for the implementation of the solution,” he said.
Underscoring the EVC’s position, the Head, Special Duties, Reuben Muoka, stated that the industry has been waiting for the RAS from the Commission. He also signaled that this current regulatory intervention will bring about a multiplier effect on the economy, local content and several other sectors in the Nigerian economy.
Speaking in the same vein, Edoyemi Ogoh, Deputy Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, NCC, stated that the approval of the RAS project by the FEC is a major success in finding a transparent process for an independent assessment, validation and completeness of the Annual Operating Levy (AOL).
Ogoh said the solution has the capability to limit the loss of revenue due to faulty billings, inaccurate or incomplete data and information from service providers, redundantly provided services and frauds.
“It will enable the resolution of inconsistencies in billings for services provided by licensed service providers to their subscribers as well as AOL bills from NCC to service providers, resulting in optimum efficiency and accuracy.
“The RAS would enable the Commission to validate the information, records and data that are supplied to the Commission by the licensees,” Ogoh emphasised.
National Economic Council (NEC) of Nigeria has officially approved 112 as the unified, toll-free national emergency number to streamline responses to security, medical, fire, and natural disasters.
It is part of measures to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency lifeline and build a unified and coordinated national response to emergencies.
NEC also approved the establishment of a multi-agency implementation committee and programme coordination led by the Office of the Vice President and the National Communications Commission (NCC).
The approval was part of decisions taken at the 157th meeting of the NEC held virtually and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Shettima said the 112 emergency lifeline had become necessary to prevent delay caused by bureaucratic bottlenecks, noting that what the citizens seek urgently when confronted by a natural disaster or insecurity is an urgent response and not bureaucracy.
“This is not only a technical reform. It is a test of the state’s humanity. In moments of fire, accident, robbery, medical emergency, flood, violence, or panic, citizens do not need bureaucracy.
“They need a response. They need to know one number to call, one system to trust, and one coordinated chain of action that moves quickly enough to save lives,” he stated.
He explained that while Nigeria is not beginning from zero, as the emergency number had been in existence, what is required at the moment “is coordination, adoption, standard operating procedures, public awareness, institutional ownership, and trust”.
The vice president described NEC as the nation’s economic engine room, where the federal government and the states must convert the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu into practical outcomes.
The Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja Judicial Division, interim injunction on 24 April 2026 restraining MTN Nigeria Communications PLC and Airtel Networks Limited from suspending or interfering with Nairtime’s access to critical telecommunications platforms has helped to ensure access to essential airtime and data services for millions of Nigerians.
The Order, issued in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/779/2026, prevents any disruption to essential infrastructure such as Short Codes, SMS, USSD, and billing services following a directive issued by the FCCPC that left Nigerians without a safety net.
This ruling ensures that millions of Nigerian consumers, particularly those without access to traditional banking can continue to access airtime and data on credit, services that are increasingly vital for daily communication, work, education, and digital participation.
The Court’s intervention provides policy certainty and helps preserve continuity for users who depend on these services not just for connectivity, but also as a gateway to financial inclusion and digital identity in an increasingly connected economy. The decision also reinforces the legitimacy of Nairtime’s operations, which are conducted under a valid Value-Added Service (VAS) licence issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission.
Nairtime maintains that it has consistently complied with all regulatory requirements and contractual obligations. The company noted that the suspension linked to the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025 risked disrupting services relied upon daily by ordinary Nigerians.
Speaking on the development, Ms Uchenna Agbo, Chief Commercial Officer, Optasia, and Chief Executive Officer, Nairtime Nigeria Limited said: “This decision is ultimately about protecting underserved Nigerian consumers. It ensures that millions of people many of whom are underserved by traditional financial systems, retain uninterrupted access to essential digital services.
“Over time, using these services responsibly can help them prove reliability and improve their chances of accessing bigger financial opportunities in the future. Our platform enables responsible, data-driven lending that keeps people connected when they need it most and we look forward to working with our partners to restore services in a manner that resumes full service value to the Nigerian consumers without further delay.”
Nairtime Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to consumer and data protection through stringent governance frameworks and ethical use of artificial intelligence.
The company emphasized that it shares the broader consumer protection objectives of the Federal Government and remains committed to constructive engagement with regulators and industry partners.
She added: “We have built a system that supports inclusion at scale, while maintaining strong risk controls for industry stability and economic impact. This ruling allows us to continue delivering safe, reliable services that Nigerians depend on every day. We remain focused on ensuring that the Nigerian consumer stays at the centre of innovation and will continue working with regulators and our partners, including MTN and Airtel, to promote a fair, transparent, and inclusive digital ecosystem that benefits Nigeria and all Nigerians.”
Optasia, which listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in late 2025, was founded in Nigeria 14 years ago and provides the infrastructure layer that connects mobile network operators and banks to millions of underserved customers.
Through its global partnerships with 50 distribution partners and 17 financial institutions —including some of Africa’s largest mobile network operators (MNOs) and tier-one banks — the platform leverages proprietary AI which processes credit decisions in under one second, using alternative data to assess risk for customers who have never held a formal credit product.
Beyond telcos, the company is also developing new propositions including SME and merchant finance, longer terms and higher-value credit, telco BNPL and revolving credit lines, and embedding its platform across adjacent ecosystems and verticals.
Shares of Meta Platforms plunged nearly 10 per cent at Wall Street’s opening on Thursday, April 30, contrasting sharply with a more than six per cent surge in Google-parent Alphabet’s stock.
Meta
The split performance underscores investor differentiation among Big Tech firms’ aggressive artificial intelligence spending strategies.
Alphabet led the quarterly earnings pack, with investors cheering its AI pivot and strong results across divisions, reporting 62.6 billion dollars profit on nearly 110 billion dollars revenue that beat expectations.
Meta, however, rattled markets by hiking capital spending by 10 billion dollars to 125-145 billion dollars—mostly for data centres—to chase “superintelligence,” with quarterly expenses hitting 33.4 billion dollars.
Unlike Alphabet, Amazon or Microsoft, which offset AI costs via cloud sales, Meta lacks immediate revenue from its investments.
Amazon and Microsoft shares dipped two per cent and 3.7 per cent respectively amid concerns over returns on infrastructure outlays.
Broader indices held steady: Dow Jones rose 0.8 per cent to 49,241 points, S&P 500 gained 0.2 per cent to 7,151, while Nasdaq stayed flat at 24,665.
Meta last week announced 8,000 job cuts and 6,000 unfilled roles to curb costs for AI goals, but Wall Street questions the spending scale.
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