Insecurity Threatening Telecoms Industry in Nigeria—Cruz

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The chief executive of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Carl Cruz, has emphasised that insecurity in the country is threatening the telecommunications industry, calling on the government to tackle the issue promptly.

Mr Cruz said this at an event held recently in Lagos to discuss issues affecting the sector, with several stakeholders in attendance, including the chief executive of MTN Nigeria, Mr Karl Toriola; the Chief Operations Officer of HIS Towers, Mr Kazeem Oladepo; the chief executive of MainOne, Ms Funke Opeke; and the chief executive of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr Olatunji Bello; the chief executive of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group, Mr Temi Popoola, among others.

Speaking at the forum titled Two Decades After: What Next for the Telecoms Industry, Mr Cruz noted that the government must create an investment-friendly environment to sustain the role of the telecoms industry in driving digital inclusion and economic growth in Nigeria.

“One of the major challenges faced by the telecoms industry is the issue of security. The cases of sabotage and fibre theft on a monthly basis are over a thousand.

“Now, capital being invested in Nigeria is being compared to capital being invested in other countries due to some of the impacts of these challenges.

“However, at Airtel, we understand that investing in infrastructure can be challenging, so we adopt a forward-looking approach as we believe that a country’s growth is significantly boosted by substantial investments.

“To illustrate this, I’m pleased to share that Airtel has established a digital lab here in Nigeria, serving our operations across the 13 other countries where we have a presence,” he said.

Mr Cruz further stated that, “Industry collaboration with regulators is also very essential for the country to progress. It is, therefore, imperative for players in the telecoms industry to engage in constant communication with our regulators, especially to address the limiting factors affecting the telecoms business.

“On this note, I can say that Airtel and other operators in the telecoms industry are currently doing this and are optimistic about favourable deliberations and outcomes that will boost the success of the telecoms industry.”