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Telecom

Reforms, New Policies Required To Drive Telecoms Sector- Experts

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Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
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The liberalisation of the Nigerian telecommunications sector almost two decades ago, catalysed and opened up the sector to local and foreign direct investment (FDI) estimated at over $68 billion as at November 2016.

The sector is currently considered a key contributor to economic growth and one that can help lift Nigeria out of recession; created approximately over 2.5 million jobs over the past 10 years, with its impact reaching across all industries.

Until June 2016, the telecoms sector was growing rapidly and comprised 9.8% of Nigeria’s GDP but this growth has now stalled, with the sector at a strategic crossroads.

However, experts in the industry believe that several factors have converged simultaneously, which could materially impact the industry and undermine its potential to drive economic growth and stimulate the Nigerian economy as a whole hence reforms and new policy directions are needed.

The weak Naira, the experts pointed out, has made the importation of much needed telecom equipment into the country difficult, and the upgrading of towers and service capacity expansion too expensive to conduct on a large scale.

Operators are now either deferring or delaying upgrades or expansion of their networks and customers are starting to feel the impact.

Lending his voice to the calls for the review of certain policies in the industry, Engineer Gbenga Adeabyo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications of Nigeria (ALTON), cited the Abuja masterplan as not giving room for deployment of telecommunications base stations.

He said the situation is capable of impacting signal quality, increase in incidences of dropped calls, and overall customer service quality decline.

Engr. Adeabyo holds the view Nigerian consumers have every right to demand more and should never have to settle for poor network quality or services.

Mr Olusola Teniola, president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, “A drastic change is required in the manner the industry is regulated by NCC and as the CJN recently noted, the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 is now outdated and needs immediate review to encompass latest regulatory thinking on matters that properly addresses the data centric world that we find ourselves in and propagates a converged regulatory environment focused on latest technological themes and not just on how voice calls are meant to be regulated”.

To further compound matters for operators, consumers continue to move away from legacy voice services and are switching to data bundle packs, which allows them use over the top (OTT) service providers such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook to make phone calls inexpensively over broadband connectivity not minding the often poor quality of these services.

While it’s clear that the simple solution to addressing this trend is massive investment into telecom tower network densification, as new 3G and 4G technologies are rolled out, these network upgrades can only be done if there is adequate financing and a suitable business case.

The recent default status of Etisalat Nigeria, is a prime example of how it can all go wrong. Etisalat is/was the fourth largest telecom operator in the country, but as a direct result of the company’s razor thin margins on its current service offerings, and against the backdrop of the devaluation of the Naira, the company has failed to meet its obligations to its lenders.

Speaking on issues concerning the telecommunications sector, Fatai Folarin, Tax & Regulatory Services Lead Partner at Deloitte noted that, “The telecommunications industry in Nigeria is one that can currently be described as self-aware and steadily adapting to the stark realities of business – changing trends, intense rivalry, regulatory uncertainties etc.

“There is a general understanding that to remain sustainable, there is a need to recreate existing products, diversify into new areas for which the capabilities and resources are near, improve on general business processes and navigate through the regulatory landscape.”

To Mr. Teniola, the enabling environment is what the industry needs to thrive under any government in power “and this current administration is attempting to ensure that this environment is put in place to allow the private sector to contribute the innovative solutions and economic growth that will allow the citizens of the country to benefit from ICT advancements, the efficiency and productivity that this brings to the growth.

“On the flip side most the growth in ICT has always been driven by innovation from experts and products and services has always been ahead of policy decision making and will always lead the way as long as we are a nation of consumers of technology,” he said.

As the ATCON President pointed out, reforms should be all encompassing and address competition, markets and converged Services – finance, media, technology and telecoms are heavily intertwined and areas such as Fintech, mobile money, block-chain and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are disruptive in nature and impact business models across all verticals and therefore reform needs to be proactive as opposed to reactive in nature.

What are the expectations from telecom subscribers to drive quest for better policy and service delivery; again, Mr. Teniola said, “Subscribers are important, however, the Customer is King. Customers should demand that there are right choices that meets there every day needs and requirements.

“Getting a product cheap doesn’t mean that it is the best or gives the User Experience expected – so the Customer needs to continuously challenge the offerings that they are presented with and promote the services or products that provides their best Customer Experience based on quality and not just on being the lowest price.

“This way innovation is promoted and the industry becomes healthy in the long run and the Customer ultimately benefits through wider choice.

 

 

 

 


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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Telecom

MTN Mulls Establishment of Fintech Firm in Nigeria, Others

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MTN Uganda is seeking input from stakeholders on a plan to structurally separate its mobile money service, MoMo, from its core telecoms business.

According to the company, the proposed change will be discussed at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on July 2.

If approved, the telco’s fintech business will be run by a new company controlled by MTN Group Fintech Holdings B.V. and a trust benefiting minority shareholders following a merger.

Additionally, the restructuring also aligns with MTN Group’s ambition 2025 strategy which aims to unlock value, attract new investors, and strengthen regulatory compliance by creating standalone fintech entities in Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.

The company’s fintech division has over 13 million customers, with an 18.4% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by 19.0% growth in mobile money services, 19.8% growth in transaction volumes, and a 31.4% increase in transaction value.

Reports say the decision is part of the telco’s compliance with the National Payment Systems Act 2020, which mandates mobile money businesses to operate as standalone entities, and to align with MTN Group’s regional fintech strategy.

MTN Uganda, which is led by CEO Sylvia Mulinge, highlighted that the implementation of the proposed transaction will be subjected to a number of conditions and regulatory procedures.

“The implementation of the proposed transaction shall be subject to a number of conditions, including the company and MTN MoMo receiving all required regulatory approvals and no-objections and complying with any regulatory conditions,” said MTN Uganda in notice.

 


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Netflix Expands European Presence with €1 Billion Investment in Spain

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Netflix has announced plans to invest more than €1 billion in Spanish film and television productions over the next four years, reinforcing its commitment to Spain as a key creative hub in Europe.

The announcement was made by co-chief executive Ted Sarandos at an event held at Netflix’s production studios near Madrid, celebrating the company’s 10-year presence in the country.

Sarandos emphasized that the investment would contribute significantly to Spain’s economy, create jobs, and enable the streaming platform to produce more local content. He was joined by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in unveiling the initiative.

Netflix first established its international production studios in Madrid in 2019, following the success of the Spanish-language hit series Money Heist.

Since then, its 22,000-square-meter facility has become one of Netflix’s major production centers within the European Union.

The company currently supports over 20,000 jobs in Spain, highlighting the nation’s growing influence in global entertainment.

The investment reflects Netflix’s ongoing strategy to expand its presence in European markets through original content and local talent.


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ngCERT Issues High Alert to Nigerians Using Android Phones

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Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) has raised alarms over a new wave of advanced cyberattacks targeting Android mobile phones through a malware campaign dubbed Tria Stealer.

ngCERT Issues High Alert to Nigerians Using Android Phones

The malicious software is designed to infiltrate Android devices, hijack messaging accounts, intercept One-Time Passwords (OTPs), to steal sensitive personal and financial data.

According to ngCERT, Tria Stealer spreads primarily through deceptive tactics, such as fake event invitations distributed via popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.

Unsuspecting users are enticed to download an infected  (APK) file, often disguised as a harmless system application, to evade detection.

Once installed, Tria Stealer requests extensive permissions, including access to SMS, call logs, and app notifications.

It immediately commences data harvesting activities, sending stolen information to a Command and Control (C2) server operated via Telegram bots.

This trojan spreads through fake links, usually disguised as wedding or event invites, and tricks users into downloading malicious APK files

“Account takeover of messaging platforms. Impersonation of victim for fraudulent money transfer requests. Compromise of banking and financial applications. Identity theft and credential harvesting.”

In plain terms, if your phone is compromised, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Your financial apps are vulnerable, your reputation could be ruined by impersonation and even simple personal messages could be twisted into tools for scams.

Here’s what users should be doing now:

Don’t download apps outside the official Play Store.

Be suspicious of random invites or links, even from people you know.

Turn on 2FA for everything—banking, emails, social platforms.

Get a reputable antivirus and keep it updated.

If you run an organisation, you should already be taking this seriously.

ngCERT’s guidance says you should raise awareness, monitor mobile devices, and not let your team click on unverified links.

“Deploy network monitoring for suspicious outbound connections to known C2 domains,” it said, meaning, keep an eye on every digital door in and out.

This isn’t one of those cases where you wait to see if it affects you. By the time you realise it, it may already be too late.

 

 

 


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