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eStream will Bring Real 4G Services to Nigerians – Ogungboye

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Muyiwa Ogungboye is the managing director of e.Stream Network,
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Muyiwa Ogungboye is the managing director of e.Stream Network, an internet service provider.
He spoke to chike onwuegbuchi on issues around e.Stream Network’s decade of service delivery in Nigeria as well as it expansion plan to other cities with LTE technology.

eStream 10 Years of Operation
eStream was founded on March 2006, so, we have clocked 10 years old. As an entrepreneur that saw a problem in the country in terms of connectivity and providing a solution to it, that was how eStream was formed.
We started with VSat as means of communications. Ten years ago, the fiber network in Nigeria was limited, radio connectivity was also limited. Mainly, satellite was the choice. As years go-bye we found that there was a need for us to start incorporating newer technologies in our network.
To that end, we have put in fiber and radio. We still have satellite running up to date.
Actually, over the past ten years, it has been challenging. The situations in the country are such that dollar has never been stable, all the equipment are bought from abroad, government regulations have been tough with accruable multiple taxation. Accessing funds from the banks is another major bottleneck we encounter in as we pursue growth. In all, we have been able to weather the storms.
Generally, I will say that it was the urge to solve problems in the country that manifested in having eStream come to live. We also want a situation that indigenous companies can be perceived as capable of executing, even better projects, what Americans and Europeans are doing for us. So, during the course of our ten years, we also obtained our certification on quality management. I think we got that ISO:1900 certification when we clocked seven (7) years.
The whole idea is to prove to the outside world that there are some indigenous companies that can do it in the right way. Corporate governance is something we hold very seriously in this organization. Quality is also something we don’t play with. In all, it has been challenging and interesting in the life of the company.
Moving forward, we intend to expand our network on fiber and especially on radio. There are some sub-marine cables that have come into the country, but the problem is distribution. It is a factor to induce results in the sector.

Expansion Strategy
Last year, we came up with a five-year business plan. When we started the company ten years ago, the business plan we had was exhausted at about the fifth year. Another one was written, which ended last year. So, our focus for the next five year is majorly on expansion.
Right now, we have agreements on colocation on certain base stations across the country, but we also want to invest on some of those base stations. We have some already, but we are expanding. Like in Onitsha, the ones we have are not enough. In Abuja we have one and we will launch another one before the end of the month. There is an existing one in Calabar, we want to launch another one there too; so that we can cover the larger part of the country and also the hinterlands.
Secondly, we just signed an agreement with Bitflux, which won the licensing for deploying LTE in Nigeria. But by the law they can’t sell to the end users, rather through internet service providers like us. We are one of their major partners. The base stations we are building will help in spreading their signals across the country; it is a collaborative drive where they set up some and we do too. We also have plan for setting up our cloud services. Discussions are on with Microsoft and Dell for the purchase of the software and hardware. We expect that the cloud will soon be up and running.
For the LTE, it is not going to be working only on WiFi or MiFi; it will still work on mobile as well. It is not restrictive; as long as your phone has the capacity of working on 2.3GHz spectrum, the signal will work. We are spending a lot of money in setting up these base stations. It costs a minimum of N20million to set up one base station. If we do some arrangements with people that have buildings, we will be spending N10 to N12million. That is going to be the major drive of our services.

Investments on Distribution
For this year, we have a budget of about $1.2million. What we did was to break down the five year plan into yearly focus. That is why, this year we are focusing on coverage. By next year, it is going to be more on Value Added Services (VAS), because the coverage would have been established. Then, we have plans to have a TV business. TV perfectly works on satellite. We are trying to incorporate IPTV into our existing business. That will probably happen by next year. Our team is already having talks with a Kenyan Company. We have visited each company’s facilities; we are hoping to tidy up the agreements this year, so that by next year we can launch our IPTV business.

End-Users Services against Corporate Services Delivery
What heralded the birth of our Company was due to the challenge in the corporate market, basically, connectivity. We have achieved a milestone on that, however, we also realized that in the retail or mass market sector, what is focused on is mobile, be it MiFi, or mobile phone, that was what led us into signing agreement with Bitflux. It is basically to solve some problems in the mass market segment. But you know that as at today most of the mobile internet services providers are on 2G/3G. None of them is actually what is regarded as full 4G. What we intend bringing on board is the pure 4G service which has a minimum of 10Megabytes per second. Anything short of that is not 4G, but most Nigerians do not understand the definitions of 2G, 3G or 4G. If the public is educated on how to test the service they are getting, they will understand better. Therefore, we want to bring alongside, education on 4G. It comes with exceptional speed at a very competitive price. You can imagine getting 100megabytes per second for as little as N5,000. As I speak, it is already happening in some locations in Lagos such as Ikoyi, Victoria Island, among others. Our focus is that before the end of the year, Lagos State would have been covered. With that, you and I will have access to affordable, reliable and exceptionally fast internet connectivity. In Europe you get a minimum of 12megabytes per second. They are advanced, because on the move you want to watch CNN, BBC, skype with your wife or husband. These services need big bandwidth, which 2G or 3G cannot really offer.

True Value Of What Subscribers Pay
We are already in mobile, just that the devices that will support our 4G services are not yet available. I want to believe that before the end of the year, it will be available. As we speak, Huawei is already producing 2.3Ghz phone which is compatible with our services. I want to believe that organizations like Samsung, among others are thinking towards that direction. We don’t want to be restrictive in such a way that you must buy our particular set of mobile phones. No. let people have varieties. It will definitely happen.
On whether other companies offer real 4G, I wouldn’t want to quote companies, but what we have experienced is that some are still deploying 2G or 3G. But they say it is 4G. Education needs to come in, the Nigerian citizens to understand the differences. A typical 4G services have minimum of 10megabytes speed. But 2G is like 2megabytes while 3G gives about 4megabytes. It is not enough to watch Nollywood content via the mobile phones, but people need the services real time. Only 4G can accord you the pleasure.


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FG Plans N50m STEEM Grant to Support Student Innovation in August

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In a giant stride to support innovation, entrepreneurship and economic transformation, the Federal Government is set to unveil a N50 million grant for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences (STEEM) students in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

The project, which is referred to as the Student Venture Capital Grant (S-VCG), is a pioneering initiative designed to empower the students towards building the next generation of scalable, job-creating ventures.

According to a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Education, Folashade Boriowo, Friday, the initiative will be formally unveiled in August by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.

Boriowo stated that the minister made the disclosure during a stakeholders’ engagement session held in Abuja in the presence of vice-chancellors, provosts, rectors, student leaders, academic staff, and development partners, and will chart a collective course for nurturing student-led innovation.

The statement noted that the grant targets full-time undergraduate students in STEMM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences), specifically those in 300 level and above.

“Each selected student-led project will be eligible to receive startup funding of up to N50 million, along with access to mentorship, incubation services and business development support.

“The initiative will be implemented in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BoI) to ensure financial transparency, impact measurement and effective project execution.

“S-VCG is not just a grant. It’s a launchpad for bold, young innovators to lead Nigeria’s industrial and technological transformation,” said Alausa.

Speaking at the session, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, described the grant as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s knowledge economy.

“We’re building a stronger, more competitive future by supporting innovation from the ground up,” she said, adding that the programme’s design was informed by months of consultation with students, faculty and institutional leaders.

Participants at the event welcomed the STEMM-Up Grant as a timely, strategic and high-impact initiative that will drive youth innovation, tackle graduate unemployment, and position Nigeria as a hub for student-led entrepreneurship in Africa.

 


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UK Businesses Look to Africa As Strategic Growth Partners

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New research by UK-based Strategy Management Partners reveals that a growing number of British businesses are identifying Africa as a key strategic growth region – drawn by structural reforms, demographic momentum, and rapid digital transformation across the continent.

The research, based on a survey of senior decision-makers from 250 large UK-based companies, finds that 50% are already active in African markets and planning to expand further.

An additional 28% are considering entry, signalling a clear uptick in long-term interest from international businesses with the resources to scale regionally.

The findings challenge outdated perceptions of Africa as a high-risk or secondary market. Instead, they highlight key drivers behind renewed commercial interest: • 61 per cent of UK leaders cited Africa’s large and growing consumer markets as a major draw. • 61 per cent pointed to the continent’s rapid pace of digital and technological adoption. • 50 per cent highlighted the potential of Africa’s young, skilled, and digitally native population.

The study also suggests that Africa is no longer viewed simply as a market for philanthropic initiatives or shortterm gain. Only 20 per cent of respondents cited philanthropic motives, while most are focused on building commercially viable, long-term operations.

Initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), are also laying the groundwork for significant economic growth.

With 23 countries already implementing preferential tariffs, the framework is expected to facilitate smoother intra-regional trade, enable market scale, and support more efficient supply chains.

These structural improvements are making Africa more attractive to global firms with the ambition to operate at scale.

However, despite rising optimism, significant operational and policy challenges remain. The top four barriers to investment cited by UK business leaders were: political and country risk (68%); safety and security issues 66.4%); regulatory barriers and tariffs (60.4%); and the complexity of cross-border transactions (60%).

Addressing these issues will be crucial to unlocking Africa’s full potential for UK investment. UK companies are showing the most interest in sectors that align with Africa’s core strengths, such as natural resources, agriculture, a young and expanding population, and infrastructure development.

These areas are seen as the backbone for long-term commercial growth, offering opportunities to build local supply chains, expand digital services, scale manufacturing, and meet rising consumer demand.

However, for companies looking to invest or expand into Africa, success also depends on key enabling conditions. According to business leaders surveyed, the top factors supporting investment are: • The size of market and consumer demand (49.6%) • Reliable and consistent energy supply (48.4%) • Access to affordable, educated and capable talent (44.8%) • Efficient transportation networks, such as roads, ports, airports (38%) • A favourable macroeconomic environment: low interest rates, low inflation, stable exchange rates, and seamless cross-border transactions and repatriation of earnings(38%).

“UK businesses are increasingly seeing Africa as a strategic growth market, driven by structural reforms, digital adoption, and the momentum behind the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” says Muibat Ijaiya, Partner at Strategy Management Partners.

“But real progress will depend on practical cooperation with African governments. The AfCFTAis a pivotal step forward – what’s needed now is a deeper alignment between public policy and private investment to address trade, regulatory and infrastructure barriers, and unlock long-term, sustainable growth.”

 


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Experts Champion Sustainability at Lagos Green Economy Forum

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Lagos State’s transition to a greener economy is gaining momentum, with female leaders from top corporations taking the lead and the state government beginning to record early wins from its plastic bag policy.

At the Lagos Green Economy Forum held on July 23, senior executives from MTN Nigeria, IHS Towers, TechnoServe, and other large organisations highlighted the role of corporate innovation in advancing sustainability.

The all-female panel also emphasised the urgent need to integrate Nigeria’s thousands of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) into the country’s green transition.

“We’re not just here to share strategies,” said Temilade Olabanji, Senior Manager, Sustainability and Shared Value, MTN Nigeria. “We are here to build local resilience. Our Project Zero is not only helping us cut emissions but also equipping our suppliers with the knowledge to do the same.”

MTN’s Project Zero aims for net-zero emissions by 2040, with a 50% reduction target by 2030. The company is already powering base stations and data centres with renewables, while training suppliers to understand carbon footprints and adopt circular practices. MTN has pledged that by 2026, 80% of its top suppliers will align with its sustainability goals.

Titilope Oguntuga, Director of Sustainability, IHS Towers, reinforced this approach, noting that the company’s Project Green is decarbonising its over 16,000 tower sites across Nigeria by switching to renewable energy. “Project Green is enabling all sites to run effectively with more renewable sources of energy rather than the typical fossil fuels,” she said. IHS also runs Clinic Without Walls, a free micro-health insurance scheme for underserved communities.

From the nonprofit sector, Juliet Ezeani, Senior Business Advisor of TechnoServe, explained how the organisation supports vendors through environmental impact assessments, sustainability training, and responsible procurement.“For all our projects, we look at how the project runs and especially how it affects the environment,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government provided an update on its green policy efforts, especially the plastic bag ban introduced two months ago.

“All of what we have done so far is towards making the economy of Lagos or the quality of life of the average Lagosian much better,” said Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, General Manager of the Lagos Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), who represented the Honourable Commissioner, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab.

On the plastic bag ban, he added: “What that [the ban] has also done is to free up our drainage from the plastic waste. In some way, we have reduced flooding, reduced pollution, and reduced the headache and the cost of maintaining drainages and labourers.”

Dr. Ajayi emphasised that green transition is not just a compliance issue for SMEs but an economic opportunity. “It helps them drive their engines, their entire businesses in a more sustainable manner.”

As Lagos accounts for nearly 30% of Nigeria’s GDP, the increasing alignment between corporate leaders and public policy towards a greener economy is positioning the state as a model for inclusive, environmentally responsible development.


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