Telecom
ntel CEO Outlines Roadmap for Nigeria’s Telecoms Resurgence
Mr. Soji Maurice-Diya, the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (ntel), has unveiled a comprehensive roadmap aimed at reviving Nigeria’s telecommunications industry, with plans for a market comeback in the first quarter of 2026.
Speaking during the Technology Times Thought Leadership Series in Lagos, Maurice-Diya emphasized ntel’s vision to reposition the once-dormant national carrier through innovation, youth inclusion, and strategic collaboration within the telecoms ecosystem.
Maurice-Diya, who took office earlier this year, reflected on Nigeria’s 25-year telecoms evolution, describing the sector as a resilient pillar of the economy that has evolved from a volatile market into a more stable, predictable ecosystem contributing significantly to Nigeria’s GDP.
He credited major operators such as MTN, Airtel, and Glo for their sustained commitment, which has led to market stability and growth.
However, he urged the industry to leverage ongoing regulatory reforms introduced by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, aimed at improving investment conditions and enhancing capacity.
Highlighting the need for cross-sector collaboration, Maurice-Diya stressed that synergy between telecoms and the financial sector is essential for future growth, positioning telcos as digital platforms capable of unlocking fintech, health-tech, and ed-tech opportunities.
Addressing longstanding connectivity challenges, the CEO highlighted the importance of the Critical National Infrastructure Act, which protects telecom assets from vandalism, alongside government investments in 7,000 new rural telecom towers and a 90,000-kilometer national fibre-optic project aimed at bridging Nigeria’s connectivity divide.
Maurice-Diya called on regulators to strike a balance between oversight and innovation, cautioning against over-regulation that could stifle growth and urging responsive, rather than restrictive, regulatory frameworks especially in emerging technologies like blockchain and fintech.
On global trends such as spectrum liberalization and infrastructure sharing, he noted Nigeria’s strategic advantage due to its population size, which is among the world’s largest.
He advocated infrastructure sharing to lower costs and reinvest savings into technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Further, Maurice-Diya stressed the significance of local content and indigenous capacity, noting that the sustainability of Nigeria’s telecom industry depends on the localization of technology, infrastructure, and technical expertise.
He praised initiatives like the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, aimed at developing a skilled digital workforce.
Turning to ntel’s own revival, Maurice-Diya explained that ntel, which evolved from the legacy carrier NITEL, plans a “light digital play” focusing on creating niche products tailored to Nigeria’s youthful population rather than competing for mass market share.
He forecasted that the company will leverage legacy infrastructure and partner with industry players to share network capacity, thereby offering innovative, targeted services.
He highlighted Nigeria’s demographic opportunity, noting that between three and four million young Nigerians reach adulthood annually, a market segment ntel aims to capture through youth-focused digital services that promote inclusion and loyalty.
Maurice-Diya called for a level playing field in Nigeria’s telecom market, advocating for no preferential treatment among operators to foster fair competition, which he believes will catalyze innovation and consumer choice.
Concluding, the ntel CEO expressed optimism about the industry’s future role in driving Nigeria’s economic diversification and digital inclusion goals.
He said ntel is committed to making a meaningful impact not only on subscribers but also on the broader ecosystem by delivering overlooked yet essential telecom solutions.
“We owe it to ourselves to give it another shot,” Maurice-Diya said, underlining his confidence in ntel’s potential to contribute significantly to Nigeria’s digital economy.
Nigeria has exactly 156,662 active fixed wired internet subscriptions as of mid-2026.
This is a tiny fraction compared to mobile GSM networks, which dominate the market with over 154 million subscribers.
The fixed wired market primarily consists of homes and offices using direct physical cables like fiber optics.
Fixed wired services use physical cables, like glass fiber or copper wire, to bring internet directly into a building.
It is like a dedicated, private water pipe for your home. It provides very fast speeds, unlimited data, and is reliable.
In contrast, mobile GSM uses radio waves transmitted from tall towers to phones, acting more like a sprinkler that sprays a signal across an entire neighborhood.
Because laying physical cables across cities is expensive and hard to do, these subscriptions are very rare.
However, the market has seen recent growth, driven largely by Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services.
The top players are: MTN FibreX with 110,564 subscribers, which is roughly 88.7 per cent of the entire market.
SWIFTNG accounts for about 13,945 connections.
The others are ipNX and 21st Century Technologies which make up the number.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is intensifying efforts to implement Nigeria’s planned 112 national emergency number following its approval by the National Economic Council (NEC).
NCC
The commission disclosed this during a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and an NCC delegation led by the Chairman of its Governing Board, Chief Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Briefing the Vice President, Olorunnimbe said the NCC had already established about 35 Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) across the country to support a unified national emergency response system.
He said the next phase of implementation would focus on closer collaboration with state governments and emergency response agencies to ensure the effective rollout of the initiative.
The development follows the recent approval by the NEC, chaired by the Vice President, for the adoption of 112 as Nigeria’s single national emergency number across all tiers of government and emergency response agencies.
The council also approved the establishment of a multi-agency implementation committee to be jointly coordinated by the Office of the Vice President and the NCC.
Olorunnimbe stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on the commitment of state governments to support and maintain emergency communications infrastructure, as well as the readiness of response agencies to promptly attend to distress calls.
“We need commitment at every level of all response agencies—from top to bottom—including the Nigeria Police Force, ambulance services across the states and, at the national level, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),” he said.
Responding, Shettima directed the NCC to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the nationwide implementation of the single emergency number in line with international best practices.
He also urged the commission to work closely with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), citing the agency’s experience in disaster management, relief and rehabilitation.
The Vice President assured the commission of the Federal Government’s commitment to sustaining the initiative, saying funding would be mobilised through the National Economic Council and partnerships with the private sector.
He also called for greater dedication from all emergency response agencies to ensure the success of the programme.
The adoption of 112 is expected to harmonise emergency communications across Nigeria by providing a single number through which citizens can quickly access police, fire, ambulance and other emergency services.
The initiative is also expected to replace multiple emergency contact numbers currently in use and improve coordination and response during emergencies.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it was strengthening collaboration with state governments and industry players to develop a transparent, cost-based pricing framework for sharing telecom ducts as part of efforts to speed up broadband expansion across Nigeria.
Ayuba Shuaibu, director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC, disclosed this at the Stakeholders’ Forum in Abuja.
Shuaibu said the initiative was designed to build consensus among all parties.
“The primary purpose of this forum is to ensure seamless synergy between the Commission and all stakeholders,” he said.
The director said the consultation was prompted by longstanding complaints over permits, levies and other charges imposed by different levels of government.
He said bringing together state commissioners, telecom operators, tower companies and representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had helped improve understanding of the issues.
“This engagement is a work in progress. We expect more input from stakeholders before presenting the outcome to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum,” he added.
Dr Helen Adeneye, commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Kogi State. welcomed the consultation, saying Nigeria needs a harmonised policy that clearly defines the responsibilities of both the federal and state governments.
“We need a harmonised policy that allows states to collaborate better with telecom operators and creates a more business-friendly environment,” she said.
Dr Adeneye added that adopting the Dig-Once policy would establish a uniform pricing system and help resolve disputes over charges for telecom infrastructure deployment.
Chidi Ajuzie, chief executive officer, WTES Projects Limited, whose firm is conducting the consultancy study, said the proposed framework would introduce a common cost structure for duct sharing to support broadband investment and economic growth.
“The study is designed to create a uniform pricing model that will drive broadband growth, economic development and wider adoption across the country,” he said.
Ajuzie explained that the consultants had developed preliminary floor and ceiling prices to guide operators while allowing flexibility within the approved range.
He added that the recommendations remain open to industry input before the NCC finalises the framework.
The Dig-Once Policy is designed to reduce the cost and disruption of deploying broadband infrastructure by requiring fibre ducts to be installed whenever roads are constructed or rehabilitated.
The NCC is developing a cost-based pricing framework for sharing these ducts to promote fair pricing, reduce duplication of infrastructure and encourage investment.
The proposed model is expected to support the Federal Government’s broadband expansion targets while improving collaboration between telecom operators and state governments.
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