Telecom
Telecom Stakeholders Back Lawful Phone Interception
Telecommunications stakeholders have expressed support for federal government phone interception policy, an initiative to empower relevant security agencies in the country to intercept communications prejudicial to national security for public interest.
Rising from the just concluded Telecom Executives and Regulator’s forum organized by Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) in Lagos, the stakeholders noted that lawful interception of individuals’ phones is desirable provided there is a law to ensure that government does not employ executive fiat to trample on the rights of individuals.
According to a communique issued at the end of their deliberations, the forum stated that whereas NCC is empowered to regulate lawful interception, the existing laws have hurdles that could impede the interception process, adding that unlawful interception requires some sanctions because it is criminal.
“There needs to be an act from the National Assembly to describe the extent to which security agents can go for lawful interception and what is unlawful and authorization of warrant for lawful interception should not be limited to judges because it might impede urgency,” the statement added.
The forum dispelled the fear that government subsidy to newly licensed infrastructure providers could negate liberalization and competition in the industry, thereby discouraging private investors as the regulator assures that government has no equity in the infrastructure service providers but is simply providing incentives to fast track the deployment of services in Nigeria.
On quality of service, stakeholders at the forum observed that besides the usual reasons often advanced by operators for poor quality of service, inadequate network capacity accounts for a high percentage of issues of quality of service.
“Quality of mobile devices used by subscribers can also tamper with quality of service so we need to fight against fake phones in Nigeria as N730billion is lost annually due to poor quality of service.”
It was however observed that Mobile Number Portability scheme seems not to be very effective in Nigeria because most subscribers already have two, three or more mobile phones.
“Multi-SIM phones also hinder the success of porting because it encourages subscribers to use more than one SIM card and this defeats the porting phenomenon. More so, porting has made the operators to be more customer-friendly and operators must agree amongst themselves not to port postpaid subscribers owing their source networks.”
Telecom
Celebrating African Creativity: Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ Returns for Its Fifth Year
The “Made by Africa, Loved by the World” campaign is back for its fifth year, celebrating African creativity and global influence. This year’s theme, “Where Culture Meets Connection,” highlights how social media fosters conversations around cultural moments worldwide.
The campaign features three cinematic films premiering on the Meta Africa page, showcasing the groundbreaking work and personal stories of six dynamic African creatives.
These artists, from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, represent diverse disciplines, including rap, animation, dance, photography, fashion, and videography.
Here are some of the featured talents:
- Ladipoe (Nigeria) – A BET-nominated rapper known for blending global hip-hop with African rhythms.
- Fatboy Animations (Kenya) – An animation studio founded by Michael Muthiga, recognized by Forbes for its original African storytelling.
- Lisa Quama (Ghana) – A dancer who gained fame after appearing in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video.
- Gilbert Asante (Ghana) – A photographer and creative director featured in GQ and Glam Africa.
- David Tlale (South Africa) – A fashion designer whose bold designs have been showcased at major fashion events, including the Met Gala.
- Ofentse Mwase (South Africa) – A filmmaker with over 24 international awards for his unique visual storytelling.
Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director for Africa, Middle East & Turkey, emphasized that the campaign not only celebrates individual success stories but also showcases how culture and social media drive meaningful connections and inspiration.
Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has raised the alarm over a diesel supply crisis caused by an ongoing strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Mr Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON in a statement said that the fuel supply disruption is critically affecting telecom base stations, pushing them to the brink of a shutdown and threatening millions of mobile and internet users in the region.
“This strike, which stems from the persistent harassment of tanker and petroleum product drivers by police officers in Lagos State, has effectively halted all truck loading operations and fuel movements,” Emoekpere stated.
He explained that diesel supply to telecom infrastructure has been severely impacted, leaving critical sites with dangerously low fuel levels.
According to him, if urgent measures are not taken, the situation could escalate into a full-blown network blackout, disrupting essential services, including mobile and internet access, business operations, emergency response systems, and daily communications.
ATCON has called on the governors of Lagos and Ogun states to intervene immediately by facilitating the release of diesel from depots to telecom operators to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
“This is not just a telecom issue—it is a national emergency that could cripple economic activities and compromise public safety,” Emoekpere stressed.
The association also appealed to security agencies and petroleum unions to resolve the crisis swiftly to safeguard Nigeria’s connectivity and economic stability.
ATCON emphasised that a prolonged disruption in fuel supply to telecom infrastructure could have far-reaching consequences for both businesses and individuals who rely on stable communication networks for daily operations.
In 2023, Nigerians spent a total of about ₦5.3 trillion on telecommunications services, which includes calls, data, SMS, and other telecom services, according to the Leadership.
Specifically for voice calls, Nigerians made approximately 408.5 billion minutes of local calls, generating around ₦3.28 trillion from outgoing calls and ₦3.23 trillion from incoming calls, totaling about ₦6.51 trillion in call-related revenue according to projections based on 2023 call volumes and tariff data.
However, the ₦5.3 trillion figure represents the overall telecom sector revenue, with voice calls being a major component but also including data and other services.
For individual spending, MTN subscribers spent an average of ₦2,508 monthly on voice calls in 2023, showing a 14.4% increase from 2022, while Airtel customers spent about ₦1,694 monthly on voice calls.
Total telecom spending (calls, data, SMS, etc.): ₦5.3 trillion in 2023
Estimated revenue from voice calls alone: around ₦6.5 trillion based on call minutes and tariffs
Average monthly spending on calls per subscriber: ₦1,694 to ₦2,508 depending on the network
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