Telecom
Nigeria Leads as World Inches to 7Bn Mobile Users
The world is inching towards the milestone seven billion mobile subscription mark by December 2013, with emerging markets as major drivers of the growth engine, according to a new study by Pyramid Research.
The study noted that Middle East & Africa (MEA) region has already surpassed the one billion mobile subscription mark in March 2013, making it only the second region (after Asia-Pacific) to reach this milestone.
Specifically, four countries in the MEA market – Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Turkey – account for 35 per cent of the region’s total subscriptions.
Pyramid Research projects that by 2022, MEA will be home to more mobile subscriptions than all developed regions combined.
“This projected growth will help raise the global profile of the region’s largest players on the global stage, specifically MTN and Etisalat, and help Western European players heavily invested in the region, such as Vodafone and France Telecom.”
Significantly, the reports states that total revenue from emerging markets could be up to $720 Billion this year, an improvement of over seven per cent from 2012, whereas revenue from the developed markets are expected experience a marginal increase of 1.4 per cent reaching $1.1 Trillion.
A good sign following the 2012 slump that saw revenues contrast to 0.2per cent.
“Over the next five years, total telecommunications service revenue in emerging markets will expand at a CAGR of 6.4 per cent, nearly three-and-a-half times the rate of growth we expect to see in developed markets (1.9per cent CAGR). Leading the charge will be Emerging Asia, specifically India, China, Indonesia and Thailand.
“In 2015, mobile service revenue generated in emerging markets will exceed mobile service revenue generated in developed markets for the first time. In 2026, total telecommunications service revenue generated in emerging markets (mobile, fixed and pay-TV) will be higher than total telecommunications service revenue generated in the developed world. Operators eager to observe sustained organic growth will have no choice but to deepen their footprints in emerging markets to capture this opportunity.”
The big beneficiaries in new emerging trend are the major operators in the MEA region like MTN Group, Airtel and Etisalat who have invested heavily in infrastructure.
China which invests heavily in the region is also expected to look at the market as a significant honey pot for telecommunications business.
Already, Huawei is doing good business in the infrastructure development and deployment with a number of key operators in the region.
“Consolidation has progressed most quickly in recent years in markets where subscriber growth has slowed, competitive pressures are squeezing margins and upcoming capital requirements are high. We believe that the same forces driving consolidation in developed markets will now force the hand of players in emerging markets.
“In Africa we see potential for consolidation in markets such as Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda, each of which is home to five operators or more. In Asia-Pacific, markets that are ripe for M&A activity include Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The drivers for consolidation may be strongest in Central & Eastern Europe, where growth rates now mirror those of developed markets. Russia, Poland, Romania and Ukraine are each home to five or more players, making these ripe for consolidation.
Although historically we have seen more developed market players take advantage of these M&A opportunities, in 2013 we expect to see a greater number of emerging market players take advantage of these consolidation opportunities, not only in emerging markets but in developed markets, as well.”
As the markets continue to witness poor performances by smaller operators, the new trend will experience more mergers and acquisitions as big operators try to establish their market dominance.
“Governments will continue to float and privatize incumbents to raise funds for social programmes. International groups will look to refocus on their core business (Orascom has divested from North Africa, and Vivendi seems set to exit Maroc Telecom).
Regional operators will look for efficiencies. MTN and Airtel, for example, will seriously consider rationalizing their current footprint and potential for partnerships, while France Telecom will focus on countries with a larger subscriber base and market share leadership. Middle Eastern operators will continue to expand, while Chinese operators will seem to limit their involvement in the region.
We will likely see some of the first significant domestic consolidations with a potential merger of CDMA operators in Nigeria, as well as multiple configurations for consolidations in South Africa and the East African region.”
MTN Nigeria expanded its lead in Nigeria’s fixed broadband market after adding 13,433 subscribers to its fibre-to-the-home service in December 2025. The gains come as smaller providers struggle to retain users amid rising demand for high-speed internet.
Industry data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed sharp subscriber losses among smaller operators.
21st Century Technologies saw its subscriber base fall from 175 in December to 82 in January, a drop of more than 50 percent.
SWIFT Nigeria recorded an even larger decline.
The company lost 11,285 users, with total subscribers falling from 25,484 to 14,199, a 44.3 percent decrease.
The gap between large infrastructure providers and smaller operators is widening as broadband demand grows across Nigeria.
Companies with extensive fibre networks can offer faster speeds and wider coverage, while smaller competitors face higher costs and limited scale.
MTN has accelerated its investment in network infrastructure to maintain its lead.
The company spent ₦1 trillion, or about $715 million, in capital expenditure in 2025, more than double the ₦443.5 billion invested in 2024.
The investment followed a return to profitability, with profit after tax reaching ₦1.1 trillion after losses in 2024 linked to foreign-exchange pressures.
Spending focused on network modernization, 4G expansion, 5G rollout and deeper fibre deployment.
The operator expanded its fibre-to-the-home footprint to about 4 million households, concentrating deployments in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Ibadan as data traffic rose 34 percent.
Network vandalism remains a challenge. MTN recorded 9,218 fibre cuts in 2025, an average of 25 incidents per day, affecting 211 base stations.
Key Takeaways
Nigeria’s broadband market is entering a scale phase where infrastructure investment is becoming the main competitive advantage.
Telecom operators with strong balance sheets are deploying billions of naira into fibre networks to capture demand for high-speed connectivity driven by streaming, remote work, digital payments and cloud services.
Fibre infrastructure also strengthens mobile networks by connecting base stations and improving 4G and 5G performance.
However, the economics of building and maintaining fibre networks remain challenging in emerging markets. Infrastructure vandalism, power supply instability and high deployment costs increase operational risk.
These factors make it difficult for smaller internet service providers to compete with large telecom operators that can spread costs across millions of customers.
As demand for broadband continues to grow in Africa’s largest economy, the sector may see further consolidation, with dominant operators strengthening their market position while regulators face increasing pressure to maintain competition and affordable access to high-speed internet.
credit…. dabafinance.com
Telecom
VDT Communications Achieves Two Prestigious Certifications ISO /IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27032:2023 Reinforcing its Leadership in Broadband Service Provision
VDT Communications Limited, a provider of Enterprise communication solutions, is proud to announce that it has been awarded the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information Security Management System (ISMS) and ISO/IEC 27032:2023 Cybersecurity Management System certifications.
These prestigious certifications demonstrate VDT’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of information security and cybersecurity, ensuring the protection of sensitive customer data and maintaining the trust of its clients.
These certifications are a testament to VDT’s dedication to implementing robust information security and cybersecurity measures, aligning with international best practices.
The ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification recognizes VDT’s ability to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve its ISMS, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of customer information. The ISO/IEC 27032:2023 certification highlights its commitment to protecting its customers’ information assets and preventing Cyber threats.
VDT Communications Limited has consistently demonstrated its commitment to excellence, previously earning and maintaining ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and ISO 20000-1:2018 IT Service Management certifications. These certifications have enabled the company to deliver high-quality services, ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty.
“We are thrilled to receive these two prestigious certifications, which reinforce our commitment to information security and cybersecurity. These certifications demonstrate our dedication to implementing robust security measures that ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of customer data” said Engr. Abiodun Omoniyi, GMD of VDT Communications Limited.
The ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO/IEC 27032:2023 certifications bring numerous benefits to VDT’s customers, including:
- Enhanced information security and cybersecurity posture
- Protection of sensitive customer data
- Compliance with international standards and regulations
- Improved risk management and incident response
- Increased trust and confidence in VDT’s services
“We are proud to serve our customers with the highest level of security and quality,” Bimbo Ikumariegbe, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of VDT. “These certifications demonstrate our commitment to excellence and our dedication to delivering innovative communication solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers” – Olufemi Akinola, Head, Information Technology.
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has issued a stern warning to content creators filming and sharing videos of unsuspecting citizens on social media, describing such practices as direct violations of citizens’ rights to informational self-determination.
NDPC
The Commission drew attention to individuals capturing pictures and footage of the general public without consent, breaching Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act).
NDPC specifically flagged a content creator in Lagos State who films unsuspecting passersby at roadsides for a “reality show”. The Commission stressed that processing personal images in this manner demands explicit consent or a justifiable lawful basis under the NDP Act.
Preliminary investigations revealed no public or legitimate interest served by this “wilful invasion of privacy”. Data subjects, the Commission noted, have no reasonable expectation that their images would be captured and broadcast globally by an unknown individual.
National Commissioner/CEO Dr Vincent Olatunji has instructed social media platform owners—including TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Meta—to intensify enforcement of community guidelines to prevent harm from unlawful and unfair personal data processing.
Platforms failing to act promptly face sanctions under the NDP Act. Individual creators remain personally liable for violations, potentially facing criminal prosecution for infringing citizens’ and data subjects’ privacy rights.
The advisory was signed by Babatunde Bamigboye, Esq. CDPRP, Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations.
NDPC emphasised that abuse of rights under the guise of entertainment will not be tolerated, urging compliance to safeguard Nigerians’ data privacy in the digital age.
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