Telecom
World Water Day: Improving Access to Clean Water, One Community at a Time

As the world celebrates World Water Day, the Social investment vehicle of MTN Nigeria, MTN Foundation, reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that communities in Nigeria have access to clean water.
World Water Day, held on 22 March every year since 1993, focuses on the importance of freshwater. The day is set aside to celebrate water and raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water.
It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.
According to the latest Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report, 771 million people – 1 in 10 – lack access to safe water, and the water crisis is the 5th global risk in terms of impact on society. 144 million people depend on surface water, like a river, to meet their basic needs, and millions of people take multiple trips each day to collect water.
Based on reports from UNICEF in 2021, 26.5 million Nigerian children, or 29 per cent of Nigerian children experience high or extremely high water vulnerability, with over 86 per cent of Nigerians lacking access to a safely managed drinking water source.
MTN Foundation has continued to make giant strides in ensuring that communities across Nigeria have access to clean water. Through its What Can We Do Together project, a community based “give-back” initiative, MTN Foundation has successfully rolled out various interventions in 510 communities under 454 LGAs in Nigeria since 2015. Over the past seven years, MTN Foundation has ensured the availability of potable water in 50 communities.
After the installation of a 650ft borehole in Damaturu Local Government Area under the What Can We Do Together initiative, one of the residents in the community mentioned that prior to the donation, residents of that community had never had access to potable water.
He said, “We have never had access to potable water and we feel this more with the presence of a community school with a population of about 3,975 students. These students during the break period move from one compound to another requesting for water to drink from people who have sunk private boreholes.”
“Thank God for MTN Foundation. Today, with this borehole, we can now fetch and drink water without begging.” No organization has carried out a project of this magnitude in this community.” He concluded.
Recently, the MTN Foundation successfully installed solar-powered boreholes in Dawanu Janguru Community, Dawaki Tofa Local Government Area, Kano state and Gudugi community, Pategi Local Government area, Kwara state to improve their access to clean drinking water.
Speaking on the Foundation’s contributions in this space, C said “MTN is a company that believes that its success as a business is tied to the wellbeing of the people in the communities in which they operate. Connectivity for us is beyond the services we offer, but for people to live with basic standards of life and have access to the basic things of life. This is why we have tailored our interventions to align with national priorities and the SDGs.”
MTN Foundation is the social investment vehicle of MTN Nigeria. The Foundation was founded in 2004 and commissioned in May 2005 with MTN Nigeria Communication PLC committing up to 1% of its Profit after Tax (PAT) as its main source of funding for projects. MTN Foundation has invested over NGN 23.7 Billion in the 36 states of the federation and FCT.
MTN Foundation has over 924 project sites across Nigeria with 48 unique projects which spans 2,604 communities and reached over 30,741,005 people.
Telecom
NCC, REA Move to Power Telecoms with Renewable Energy

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have teamed up to develop an initiative that will reduce the $350 million annual spending on diesel by telecom operators in Nigeria.
According to a press statement by Nnenna Ukoha, acting had of Public Affairs, NCC, this collaboration will focus on deploying renewable energy solutions to support telecom infrastructure, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
To that end, the two agencies have inaugurated what they called NCC–REA Collaboration Committee, aimed at deploying renewable energy solutions to power telecom infrastructure across the country.
According to the State of Africa’s Infrastructure Report 2025 by the Africa Finance Corporation, telecom operators in Nigeria consume more than 40 million litres of diesel every month, costing them over $350 million annually.
The statement read, “The Nigerian Communications Commission has formally inaugurated the NCC–REA Collaboration Committee, marking a pivotal step towards advancing Nigeria’s digital and energy inclusion objectives by developing modalities for the deployment of renewable energy to support telecom infrastructure in Nigeria.”
The inauguration ceremony, held on Friday, at the NCC Headquarters in Abuja, was presided over by Dr Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer, NCC.
Maida was joined by Abba Aliyu, managing director of the REA, along with senior executives and committee members from both organisations.
Speaking at the event, Maida described the collaboration as a timely and strategic alignment of national priorities.
He noted that bridging the connectivity and power gaps in rural areas remains critical for Nigeria’s growth and development.
He highlighted that the demand for digital services and connected communities creates an opportunity for renewable energy to play a crucial role.
Maida further emphasised that the partnership goes beyond infrastructure; it is aimed at driving inclusion, reducing inequalities, and fostering shared prosperity.
“Whether it is powering a base station or enabling a child to access digital learning, this partnership has the potential to transform realities and bring opportunity closer to the people.
“This initiative is about more than infrastructure, it is about driving inclusion, bridging inequalities and creating the conditions for shared prosperity,” he was quoted in the statement.
He also noted that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to ensure no community is left behind in Nigeria’s energy and digital transformation.
Aliyu, representing REA, expressed confidence in the transformative potential of the collaboration.
“This partnership will unlock sustainable development opportunities for millions of Nigerians, especially those in areas lacking traditional infrastructure,” he said.
He further emphasised that the collaboration would address both energy and connectivity gaps, benefiting those who are currently underserved.
The newly established NCC-REA Collaboration Committee will work to co-develop and implement integrated solutions that leverage renewable energy to power telecom sites.
The statement noted that the committee will also focus on sharing geospatial data to improve planning, aligning funding frameworks, and tracking the socio-economic impact of the project through clear performance indicators.
Telecom
NCC Approves MTN, 9Mobile Roaming Collaboration Deal

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has announced the execution of a national roaming agreement with Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Limited (9Mobile), a move that signals a major milestone in Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry’s regulatory authority, has approved the three-year deal, which allows 9Mobile subscribers to roam seamlessly on MTN Nigeria’s extensive network infrastructure across the country.
The agreement, effective immediately, will significantly enhance connectivity and user experience for 9Mobile customers, particularly in areas where its network coverage is limited.
By leveraging MTN’s expansive infrastructure, 9Mobile can now offer improved service reach and reliability, without duplicating capital-intensive investments in network deployment.
In a notice to the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the investing public, MTN Nigeria described the arrangement as a strategic collaboration that underscores its leadership in fostering innovation, industry cooperation, and operational efficiency.
The company emphasized that the initiative aligns with the NCC’s broader objective of promoting infrastructure sharing to improve telecommunications services nationwide.
“This agreement represents a significant step in our commitment to driving industry collaboration, improving customer experience, and supporting the NCC’s vision of a fully connected Nigeria,” said Karl Toriola, chief executive officer, MTN Nigeria.
“Delivering the scale required for telecommunications services in Nigeria requires strong collaboration between the private sector, public sector, and long-term investors. This agreement demonstrates what we can achieve when we collaborate, and we are delighted to announce it today after months of groundwork.”The national roaming deal enables subscribers from 9Mobile to access voice and data services through MTN’s network in areas where the former lacks adequate coverage.
This marks the first such large-scale, cross-network roaming arrangement between two major operators in Nigeria, setting a precedent for future cooperative efforts in the telecom industry.
MTN Nigeria highlighted that the agreement contributes to more effective use of telecommunications resources, reduces infrastructure duplication, and accelerates the expansion of mobile broadband access across underserved regions.
It also supports both operators’ sustainability objectives by maximizing existing investments and reducing the environmental impact of deploying overlapping network facilities.
“This strategic collaboration is yet another first in the country by MTN Nigeria and marks a significant milestone for the sustainability of the telecommunications industry,” the company stated.
“By enabling national roaming, MTN Nigeria is contributing to a more effective use of telecommunications resources and accelerating efforts to expand connectivity across the country.”
The agreement is expected to benefit not just subscribers and operators but also regulators and investors who have consistently advocated for policies that promote shared infrastructure and efficient capital utilization in Nigeria’s digital economy.
Uto Ukpanah, company secretary, MTN Nigeria, affirmed the company’s ongoing dedication to initiatives that create shared value.
“MTN remains committed to fostering innovation and partnerships that create sustainable value for all stakeholders while promoting digital and financial inclusion nationwide,” she noted.
With the successful rollout of this agreement, the telecoms industry is expected to see improved service delivery and expanded access to quality mobile services, especially in rural and semi-urban communities. The collaboration sets a benchmark for future inter-operator partnerships and reinforces the importance of regulatory support in advancing national connectivity goals.
Telecom
Don’t Visit Telecom Centers for Now — ALTON Warns of SIM Service Downtime

Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has announced a temporary disruption in SIM-related services across all mobile networks in the country.
The disruption, according to a statement on Wednesday, follows a directive from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), mandating mobile network operators (MNOs) to migrate to a new identity verification platform.
ALTON said the transition had triggered unforeseen technical challenges, affecting services such as SIM registration, replacement, and mobile number portability.
“While the new platform is intended to enhance the integrity and efficiency of identity management in Nigeria, unfortunately, the transition has temporarily impacted service delivery,” the association stated.
It added that MNOs would not be able to support SIM swaps, new activations, and related services until the issues are resolved.
ALTON noted that its members are working closely with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), NIMC, and other stakeholders to restore normalcy.
The association appealed for public understanding and urged subscribers to delay visits to service centers for SIM-related matters.
“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and will continue to provide timely updates,” the statement read.
ALTON reaffirmed its commitment to delivering secure and quality telecommunications services to Nigerians.
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