Telecom
The 5G Opportunity for Nigeria
By: Eniola Campbell
There has been a lot of talk about 5G, but the reality is that in Africa, many operators are still focusing on 4G to get the most return on investment from the networks. Is this the case in Nigeria?
Eniola Campbell, Country Senior Officer and CBT Head for Nigeria at Nokia
Yes, in Nigeria this is still the case. According to the GSMA, operators in Nigeria have managed to achieve 45% 4G coverage since the launch of the first 4G network in 2016.
This increased 4G coverage has already resulted in improved network download and upload speeds and lower latencies as operators continue to roll out 4G in cities. There are several reasons why the market is lagging in 5G adoption, including cost of infrastructure roll-out, smart phone penetration and affordability.
According to Global Monitor, the Nigeria Telecom Market is expected to continue seeing strong growth over the next 4 – 5 years.
This is mainly due to increased urbanization and the slowly rising adoption of mobile phones that support 3G, 4G and 5G services.
Global Monitor further expects that all the remaining major 2G/3G platforms will be closed by the end of 2025 and forecasts that by 2029 most mobile connections will be on 5G. This is also in support of Nigeria’s 2020-2025 National Broadband Plan, which has set very ambitious targets for Nigerian CSPs.
5G holds a lot of promise for the world, but it requires a huge investment to attain nationwide 5G coverage.
This coupled with the economic impact of COVID-19 in Nigeria will impact the investment case for 5G in Nigeria and the rest of Africa in the short term, thus 3G will remain a viable option due to the lower adoption rate of 4G and the need to have a fallback strategy for rural areas.
Recent developments, however, have seen a big push toward making 5G a reality for the country.
Spectrum for 5G is set to be auctioned in the last quarter of the year and the Federal Government hopes that urban centres in Nigeria will have been 5G enabled by 2025. The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has also submitted a 5G Development Plan (5GDP) to Federal Government for final approval, paving the way for increased momentum in rolling out 5G.
What are some of the key inhibitors in building 4G networks and ultimately making the shift to 5G?
The key inhibitors in building 4G networks include right of way for fiber deployment, the cost associated with network upgrades and limited, albeit growing, smart phone penetration in the market.
These elements will ultimately affect 5G introduction. In addition, the 5G spectrum in Nigeria is still being defined and needs to be allocated in enough contiguous spectrum to allow the value of 5G to be realized in the mid to low frequency bands.
At the beginning of May, the Nigerian Communications Commission did, however, sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with NigcomSat, around the use of C-Band spectrum for 5G services, showing a commitment to fast-tracking the roll out of the technology. The Commission highlighted the possibilities that 5G will bring to the economy, including higher connection speeds, mobility, and capacity, as well as low latency capabilities.
What are some of the biggest trends you see in 4G adoption?
There are several big trends that are driving 4G adoption currently. These include continued remote working policies due to COVID-19, an increased use in social media platforms, video-on-demand and streaming services, and eLearning. These have positively impacted 4G adoption and increased demand. On the downside, 4G enables the use of voice-over-IP (VoIP), which becomes a substitute to voice services offered by communications service providers, and this has led to a decline in voice revenue for operators in Nigeria.
How ready is the country to adopt 5G and what are some of the interesting discussions that are emerging around it?
Nigerian market is ripe for 5G adoption. We have already seen commitments by the Ministry for Communication and Digital Economy and the Nigerian Communications Commission through the National Broadband Plan, and the MOU signed with NigcomSat to prioritise pervasive broadband and speed up 5G roll out plans. There is a segment of society, the early adopters, that will see a lot of value with the enhanced mobile broadband and ultra-low latency use cases that 5G will enable. Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) for home broadband users is a key trend that would drive 5G adoption in Nigeria.
Which industries in Nigeria do you foresee will be early adopters of 5G and what are some of the use cases you expect to see emerging?
5G as a technology will enable high download speeds and low-latency applications. These are important for remote learning, media, medical, public safety (citywide surveillance) and manufacturing industries. We believe the early adopters will majorly be the media industry especially streaming and video-on-demand service providers.5G will also be a key driver in developing smart cities in Nigeria as it provides a high-performance network foundation and robust city-grade platforms to bring together the intelligence within smart city applications and services to fuel economic and social growth in cities.
What are some of the most recent enhancements that Nokia has made to its product portfolio?
Nokia recently announced some enhancements to our mobile network portfolio that will enable CSPs to offer superior services to their subscribers while lowering their overall total cost of ownership. Some of these include the industries lightest 32×32 TRX massive MIMO radio at 17kg, O-RAN support of RF products and the widest Instantaneous Bandwidth (IBW) of 400 MHz in the market. It also includes high-capacity baseband called ABIO that supports 90,000 connected users.
To reduce time to rollout, while ensuring optimal performance of cell sites, we have introduced Nokia Digital Deploy and best-in-class 5G/NR RF planning and optimization services and tools.
From a transport infrastructure perspective, Nokia’s integrated IP/optical solution combines high performance 7750 Service Routers with high capacity 1830 Photonic Service Switches and network automation improve response times. It also reduces service delivery times so that customers can always operate at full speed, growing and scaling up connectivity as needed.
Our optical portfolio is powered by Nokia in-house, advanced chipsets (Photonic Service Engine) that can transmit high-capacity optical signals of up to 800 Gbps over long distances. Nokia’s industry-leading edge routing portfolio provides the scale, performance, and extensive service capabilities that our customers need to keep pace with evolving network demands. Featuring the breakthrough in-house-designed router silicon innovations, our proven Service Router Operating System (SR OS) enables software and multi-vendor systems integration capabilities.
To address the rising demand for home broadband, the Nokia GPON, XGS and 25G PON products are powered by the Nokia Quillion chipset to enhance capacity and performance of the network. In addition, Nokia Fixed Wireless Access products, Nokia Residential Gateway and Indoor CPE have been designed for optimal performance to unlock value to home broadband customers in a secure manner.
The complexity of modern networks has introduced new security requirements and to address this Nokia has released NetGuard XDR Security Operations to extended detection and response (XDR), which natively integrates multiple security products into a cohesive security operations system. XDR provides overarching security lifecycle management that orchestrates and automates risk and threat prediction, detection, and response, with threat intelligence tailored to a CSP’s unique requirements.
– Campbell is Country Senior Officer and CBT Head for Nigeria at Nokia
News
NITDA Communications Director Hadiza Umar Named in 2026 PR Power List, Graces Glazia Magazine Cover
Mrs. Hadiza Umar, Director of the Corporate Communications and Media Relations Department at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has been officially recognised as one of Nigeria’s top public relations professionals in the prestigious 2026 PR Power List.
The definitive annual list, compiled by GLG Communications in partnership with The Guardian, was unveiled to commemorate World PR Day.
It celebrates 50 outstanding professionals within Nigeria and the diaspora whose strategic communication strategies have significantly shaped organisations, influenced public discourse, and advanced the profession over the past 12 months.
Adding to the momentous milestone, Mrs. Umar was hit with a major surprise at the exclusive PR Power List Soirée and Awards ceremony held at the Alliance Française in Ikoyi, Lagos, where she was unveiled as a front-cover personality for the Glazia Magazine PR Power List Special Issue.
The double recognition highlights her exceptional distinction and impact in public sector communications and narrative management.
Speaking on the dual achievement, Mrs. Umar expressed profound gratitude for the honours, describing the magazine cover appearance as a breathtaking surprise.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to be recognized on the 2026 PR Power List and to feature on the cover of Glazia Magazine alongside other exceptional industry titans,” Umar said.
“This milestone is a testament to the enabling environment and visionary leadership of the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, which has allowed us to strategically drive the narrative of Nigeria’s digital economy and technological innovation.”
Mrs. Umar, a highly respected corporate communications strategist, holds professional fellowships in the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (Chartered), the African Public Relations Association (APRA), and the Institute of Corporate Administration (CICA).
Under her supervisory role, NITDA’s media relations have consistently projected national information technology frameworks, start-up support frameworks, and digital literacy initiatives, to position Nigeria competitively on the global stage.
The 2026 PR Power List selection process involved a rigorous, independent evaluation led by a distinguished international jury.
The organisers noted that the class of 2026 represents professionals raising the standard of strategic communications and introducing new ideas to the industry.
The need for Nigeria to think outside the box in its need to drive towards global relevance with innovations and scientific developments will be on the front burner at the NITRA Innovative & Scientific Conference scheduled to hold on Thursday July 23, 2026 in Ikeja, Lagos.
NITRA
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will lead other delegates to discuss and take far-reaching decisions at the event, which has its theme as “Bridging Nigeria’s Digital Divide With Scientific Innovation”.
Other companies that have indicated interest in partnering with NITRA include mobile communications company, Tecno; Africa’s premier end-to-end AI solutions company, Hyperspace; and telecommunications data infrastructure company, Digital Realty.
Speaking on the proposed event, the Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Chike Onwuegbuchi noted that the event will seek to create a platform for government and private organisations to deliberate on policies around scientific innovations in Nigeria, challenges, place of indigenous and foreign collaboration, roles of each stakeholder, and grassroots development in that regard, among others.
According to him: “The Federal government, with series of programmes and partnerships, has established the urgent need to create an ecosystem that thrives on scientific innovation, breeding institutions and individuals with a target of placing the country at the fore-front of Next-Gen development.
It is a known fact that digital and scientific innovations are crucial, not only to the survivability of a nation, but also to the sustainability of its growth and development, with significant effect on economic strength, global image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety, communication and digital footprint, among others.
The federal government is actively driving scientific innovation to foster economic diversification and build a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Efforts are heavily focused on commercializing research, establishing massive research funds, and funding strategic infrastructure, particularly in technology, biotechnology, and healthcare. Core government initiatives and policies include the newly instituted National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), which aims to mobilize about $500 million annually to support research and the commercialization of scientific outputs; and the Nigeria Genomic City, a multi-ministerial initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria into a leading hub for genomics, precision medicine, and biotechnology. It is designed to protect indigenous data, stimulate artificial intelligence in health, and develop a highly skilled scientific workforce.
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum will also be a vehicle to propagating the views of decision makers to the public, thereby furthering the cause of public awareness and information dissemination on the topic.
The focus, he said will be on how Nigeria can sustain digital innovative growth and scientific development in Nigeria
The board of global payments company, PayPal, says a 53 billion dollars takeover offer from financial technology firm, Stripe, and private equity company, Advent International, does not adequately reflect the company’s long-term value.
PayPal
According to reports, the proposed acquisition, valued at 60.50 dollars per share, remains under consideration, with the board yet to formally respond to the offer.
The directors are said to be evaluating not only the financial value of the proposal but also the structure of the financing, the timeline for completing the transaction and the likelihood of obtaining regulatory approvals.
They are also considering the possibility of competing bids emerging.
Although the offer represents a premium of about 28 per cent above PayPal’s recent share price, the board believes the company could deliver greater value to shareholders if its ongoing turnaround strategy succeeds.
Following reports of the bid, PayPal shares gained about two per cent to close at 56.73 dollars.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Stripe and Advent have secured approximately 50 billion dollars in debt financing from JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, while both firms would jointly contribute 17 billion dollars in equity.
Under the proposal, the two companies would jointly own PayPal instead of dividing its operations.
PayPal, Stripe, Advent International, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have all declined to comment on the proposed transaction.
The discussions come as PayPal seeks to strengthen its business after years of increasing competition from rivals including Apple Pay, Google Pay and emerging financial technology firms.
The company, which was valued at about 360 billion dollars in 2021, now has a market capitalisation of approximately 36 billion dollars.
Since assuming office as Chief Executive Officer in March 2026, Enrique Lores has embarked on a restructuring programme aimed at improving operational efficiency and restoring growth.
The restructuring includes the creation of three business divisions comprising Checkout, Venmo and Consumer Financial Services, and Payments and Crypto.
The company is also targeting 1.5 billion dollars in cost savings through the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
PayPal’s latest financial results indicated signs of recovery, with first-quarter revenue rising seven per cent year-on-year to 8.35 billion dollars, while total payment volume increased by eight per cent to 464 billion dollars.
If approved, the transaction would combine two of the world’s largest digital payments companies.
The combined business would process an estimated 3.7 trillion dollars in annual payment volume, significantly strengthening its position in the global online payments market.
However, analysts expect the proposed acquisition to face intense regulatory scrutiny because of the companies’ combined market share in merchant payment services.
To address possible antitrust concerns, the bidders have reportedly considered options, including separating PayPal’s Braintree business or other assets if required by regulators.
Sources said Stripe and Advent remain interested in pursuing the acquisition despite the board’s reservations, although negotiations are expected to continue.
Market observers are also awaiting PayPal’s earnings report scheduled for July 28 for further indications of the company’s financial recovery and future growth prospects.
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