By Adedapo Adesanya

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has threatened to start service shedding if the plans to increase tariffs are not implemented as soon as possible.

In a statement in Lagos, the Chairman of ALTON, Mr Gbenga Adebayo, said the Nigerian telecommunications industry was facing a critical challenge that required urgent attention.

He argued that operators were struggling to survive due to rising operational costs and stagnant tariffs.

“As we reflect on the end of year 2024, there is a need to issue an urgent and critical call to action for the future of our telecommunications industry.

“The survival of the sector demands immediate and bold reform for its sustainability.

“Tariffs must be reviewed to reflect the economic realities of delivering telecoms services at a minimum for industry sustainability,” he said.

The ALTON boss warned that without this review, operators could not continue to guarantee service availability, adding that the sector might face grim consequences, noting some consequences to include service shedding, economic fallout, and national economic disruption.

Mr Adebayo explained that service shedding would mean that operators may not provide services in some areas and at some times of the day, leaving millions of Nigerians disconnected.

“This will have significant economic fallouts, as businesses will suffer from a lack of connectivity, stalling growth and innovation,” he said.

Mr Adebayo also warned of national economic disruption, noting that key sectors like security, commerce, healthcare, and education, which rely heavily on telecoms infrastructure, would face serious disruptions.

He also stressed that the challenges facing the industry are not new, adding that, however, they had become more acute and more threatening with the passing year.

He cited rising operational costs, skyrocketing energy costs, the relentless pressure of inflation, and volatile exchange rates.

The ALTON boss expressed confidence that stakeholders would come together to uphold the values and importance of telecommunications in society, adding that more needed to be done to secure the future of the industry.

Mr Adebayo called on stakeholders to acknowledge the urgency of the situation and commit to saving the sector, warning that failure to act may jeopardise one of the most critical pillars of Nigeria’s development.

He stated that ALTON stood ready to work with all stakeholders to ensure the sector’s survival and prosperity.

“Let this be the moment when we come together, acknowledge the urgency of the situation, and commit to saving this sector.

“If we fail to act, history will record that we had countless warnings, yet we allowed inaction to jeopardise one of the most critical pillars of Nigeria’s development.

“If we succeed, 2025 can be the year we turn things around, a year of hope, resilience, and sustainability for the telecoms industry,” Mr Adebayo said.

Business Post reports that telecoms tariffs could rise by up to 40 per cent based on stakeholders’ proposals.

According to reports, if implemented, the cost of a phone call will increase from N11 to N15.40 per minute, SMS charges will rise from N4 to N5.60, and the base price of a 1GB bundle will increase from N1,000 to at least N1,400.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Relatively unknown Nigerian telecommunication company, Mafab Communications, after multiple delays, will now commence operations before the end of the first quarter of 2025.

As per TechCabal, the company which secured a 5G licence alongside MTN Nigeria Plc in December 2021, will start rolling out its services by the end of March 2025.

Mafab will launch its 5G services with 102 operational sites in Kano and Abuja and subscribers will need to buy routers to connect to the network, according to the company’s chief operating officer, Mr Adebayo Onigbanjo.

This will mark the first time Mafab’s services will be commercially available, nearly three years after the company entered the 5G market alongside MTN.

It obtained the licence from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for $273.6 million but delayed its rollout, while its competitor, MTN, started in August 2022 in a few cities.

According to the company’s executive, Mafab’s operations were impacted by the Nigerian operational environment, particularly foreign exchange challenges.

“As with many telecoms operators, foreign exchange (FX) fluctuations have been a major challenge, leading to increased rollout costs compared to the initial projections,” Mr Onigbanjo told Tech Cabal.

Business Post reports that  Mafab in January 2023 held a ceremony at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja, to commence operations in the country, promising to deepen broadband penetration.

“We are fully committed to bringing the benefits of 5G services to Nigerians and deploying a network that will drive economic development with increased broadband capabilities nationwide.

“I have no doubt that the service will help deliver improvements in the fields of education, business, smart cities and entertainment,” the Chairman of Mafab, Mr Mushabu Bashir, said at the 2023 event.

While Mafab has continued to delay its operations, more established telcos like MTN and Airtel have continued to dominate the 5G market. MTN currently holds almost 80 per cent of the market share, while Airtel has the remaining 20 per cent.

By Femi Adeniran

Imagine waking up one morning to find no internet, no mobile network, and no access to emergency services—all because a single fibre cable was carelessly severed during routine construction. This is not just a hypothetical scenario; it’s a reality that plays out daily across Nigeria, threatening the backbone of our digital economy and undermining national security.

The Federal Government’s recent designation of telecommunications assets as critical national infrastructure is a landmark decision that underscores the strategic importance of connectivity in today’s Nigeria. Telecommunications infrastructure is not just about phone calls or browsing the internet; it powers vital sectors like education, healthcare, banking, and public safety. In a world increasingly defined by digital transformation, the integrity of our telecom networks is as critical as our roads, bridges, and airports.

Yet, this critical infrastructure faces relentless threats. Fibre cuts—primarily caused by construction activities, vandalism, and a lack of coordination between stakeholders—have become an epidemic. On average, operators report multiple incidents daily, disrupting services to millions of Nigerians.  Airtel Nigeria alone records a daily average of 43 fibre cuts and in the last six months, a total of 7742. These interruptions not only inconvenience consumers but also hinder businesses, delay government operations, and compromise public safety, particularly in emergencies.

The dry season, while ideal for construction and public works, has exacerbated the problem. With an increase in road and building projects, the frequency of fibre cuts has spiked alarmingly. This trend jeopardizes Nigeria’s broadband penetration goals and the collective efforts to harness technology for economic growth and social inclusion.

This is therefore a clarion call to all stakeholders—government agencies, security agencies, construction companies, telecom operators, the media and civil society—to collaborate urgently in safeguarding Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure. Beyond policy declaration, there is a need to urgently move to practical actionable steps some of which are:

1. Stronger Enforcement and Coordination: Security Agencies and Regulatory bodies, must enforce stricter penalties for fibre damage while creating platforms for seamless coordination between construction companies and telecom operators.
2. Regulating and Monitoring the Operations of Construction Companies: Construction companies to be regulated and monitored to ensure they accord similar status to telecom assets as they do to assets of other utility companies.
3. Right-of-Way (RoW) Simplification: Streamlining the RoW process will ensure operators can bury cables securely and proactively plan for infrastructure protection in partnership with local governments.
4. Adoption of Technology: Leveraging geospatial mapping and real-time monitoring tools will enable better identification of high-risk zones and faster response to incidents.
5. Increased interest and Support from the Nigerian Media: Media stakeholders should support Public and private sector actors to drive targeted campaigns and public enlightenment on the importance of telecom infrastructure and the dire consequences of fibre cuts.

Nigeria’s digital economy is a critical pillar of our national development strategy. To achieve the ambitious targets of the National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 and unlock the full potential of critical initiatives of the Federal Government like the 3 Million Technical Talents 3MTT which aims to train and find job placements for 3 million Nigerian youths (local and international) by 2027, the “Project 774” of the Federal Government of aimed at digitizing all the 774 local government offices across the country for efficiency, and private sector led developmental initiatives such as the Airtel-UNICEF Reimagine Education Project where Airtel Africa has committed $57m to connect children to digital learning across the 14 countries of its operations in Africa, with Nigeria taking the lead,  our telecommunications networks must be protected with the same rigor we reserve for our power grids, water systems, and transportation networks.

The time to act is now. Together, we can ensure that Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure remains resilient, reliable, and ready to power the future. Failure to act will cost us more than just dropped calls—it will jeopardize our journey to a truly connected nation.

Femi Adeniran is the Director for Corporate Communications and CSR at Airtel Nigeria