Telecom
5G and Enterprise, a Match Made for Growth
By Lucky La Riccia
Digital technologies are transforming industries worldwide. With 5G being deployed across the region, service providers increasingly recognize the new business opportunities that digital transformation of the enterprise market will bring. However, to successfully address these opportunities and accelerate longer-term growth, they need to extend their focus from traditional revenue streams to center on digitalizing targeted industries.
While leading service providers in the region are already taking steps to look beyond connectivity and focusing on a few specific industries, they should also expand their strategic ambition beyond mobile broadband in each targeted industry.
According to Ericsson report titled “Capturing business opportunities beyond mobile broadband”, almost half of the total projected value of industry digitalization will be enabled by 5G in 2030.
Service providers’ revenues from existing business, mainly driven by connectivity, are expected to remain stagnant. It is a must to look into new opportunities to capture a larger share of the potential global ICT revenue enabled by 5G, a figure up to USD 700 billion in 2030 (across 10 industries).
Critical capabilities and closing the readiness gap
For most service providers, business, operational and technical capabilities are highly critical in capturing business opportunities beyond mobile broadband. As the current gap to reach the desired state is wide, service providers must begin ramping up the most critical capabilities, particularly on the business and operational fronts, to ensure successful execution.
The top five capabilities pinpointed as most critical are:
- Effective B2B and B2B2X go-to-market: To engage with enterprise customers beyond legacy business, an effective go-to-market model is crucial. This involves efficient and scalable processes for engaging with customers and partners, and for distributing insights and learnings across the organization. Moreover, it concerns making sure sales teams are properly equipped to understand and address enterprise customers’ business challenges.
- Leadership and culture: Leadership involves ensuring the enterprise segment receives the right level of attention from both top and middle management, and that the strategic priorities are clear. The culture should support and strengthen the strategic ambition and priorities beyond legacy business, for example through encouraging co-creation and a customer-oriented and innovative mindset.
- Industry knowledge of targeted verticals: This capability refers to having the optimal processes and resources in place to ensure an organizational understanding of industry trends, as well as customers’ business challenges, strategic priorities and digitalization needs. This is key to efficiently design, develop and sell relevant solutions to customers.
- Skills: Developing and selling new solutions in new ways requires a different set of workforce competencies. Therefore, organizations must ensure sales teams are ready to serve enterprises beyond legacy business by being able to build a deeper understanding of their business needs and strategically engaging with other decision makers.
Moreover, the workforce must adapt to automation and software-based operations. If these competencies are not acquired through partners, service providers must ensure appropriate processes and tools to upskill, cross-skill, recruit and retain sought-after competencies.
Service orchestration, assurance and automation: This capability refers to automating the design, creation and delivery of end-to-end network services, while guaranteeing quality and optimizing data analysis and decision-making.
This is important, as networks are becoming more real-time oriented, driven by customers’ preferences for innovation and speed, and the need to meet or exceed those expectations with increased agility and lower cost structures. Orchestration answers the call for more dynamic management of information and technology in converged ICT networks, and supports services and resources throughout their life cycle – from planning to fulfillment and closed-loop assurance.
This is a fundamental step in further developing the capability. Ultimately, it should support end-to-end automation from RAN to core, and fully autonomous service orchestration in both internal and external customer IT environments.
At the same time, service providers around the world are not the same, and their digital strategy must be adapted to suit their unique circumstances. Furthermore, the development of execution capabilities should reflect the strategic ambition.
Service providers are in a strong position to capture emerging digitalization opportunities based on their strong customer relationships, extensive network coverage and deep knowledge of digitalization connectivity requirements. Notably, they can offer end-to-end data and network security, which is a key prerequisite in enterprises’ digital transformation.
Only by addressing these key capability gaps, service providers can truly gain the ability to engage, sell and deliver solutions to enterprise segments and truly capture this revenue growth.
Lucky La Riccia is Head of Digital Services at Ericsson Middle East & Africa
Meta has announced its intention to appeal the decision of the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT), which upheld a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) over its data practices.
The penalty follows a 38-month investigation conducted by the FCCPC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), which ran from 2021 to December 2023.
The investigation found evidence of unauthorised data sharing, insufficient user consent mechanisms, and discriminatory practices that treated Nigerian consumers differently from those in other regions.
In July 2024, the FCCPC imposed the $220 million fine on Meta and WhatsApp, citing violations of Nigeria’s data protection and consumer rights laws. Additionally, the ruling mandated corrective actions to ensure that Meta’s business practices comply with Nigerian regulations.
In a decision delivered on Friday, April 25, the tribunal upheld the fine, reaffirming the FCCPC’s authority and investigative processes. The tribunal also ordered Meta to pay an additional $35,000 to cover the costs incurred during the investigation.
However, Meta expressed disagreement with the tribunal’s ruling, stating in a statement on Saturday, April 26, that it would urgently seek to appeal the decision and apply for a stay of execution.
“We are urgently applying to stay the order and appeal today’s decision to avoid any impact to users,” WhatsApp said.
The company also contested the tribunal’s findings, claiming that the ruling misrepresented how WhatsApp operates and contained inaccuracies regarding its data practices.
Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal has upheld a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Meta Platforms Inc. and WhatsApp LLC for data privacy violations in Nigeria.
The Tribunal also awarded $35,000 in investigative costs to the country’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission .
In a statement issued by the FCCPC, the Tribunal delivered its judgment in the appeal filed by Meta Platforms Incorporated (Facebook) and WhatsApp LLC against the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), affirming the Commission’s authority and ruling in favour of its actions on nearly all contested issues.
According to the statement by the FCCPC, “The Tribunal specifically determined that the Commission adhered to prevailing laws, fulfilled its mandate, and exercised its powers by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“It ruled that the multiple actions by WhatsApp and Meta, for which the Commission made findings of violations, were correctly identified, and that the Commission did not err in making those findings.”
The statement revealed that WhatsApp and Meta’s legal team was led by Professor Gbolahan Elias (SAN), while the FCCPC was represented by Babatunde Irukera.
It added that both legal teams presented their final arguments on behalf of their respective clients on January 28, 2025.
“The FCCPC had on July on July 19, 2024, issued a Final Order imposing a $220 million administrative penalty after concluding that the companies engaged in discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerian consumers, the investigation started in 2020.
“The case arose from a 38-month joint investigation initiated by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) into the conduct, privacy practices, and consumer data policies of Meta Platforms and WhatsApp.
“Dissatisfied with the Order last year, Meta and WhatsApp appealed to the Tribunal, challenging both the legal basis and the findings of the Commission,” FCCPC said.
The Tribunal upheld the FCCPC’s authority and investigative procedures in Meta and WhatsApp’s appeal, resolving most of the contested issues in the Commission’s favour.
It confirmed that the FCCPC acted within its constitutional and statutory mandate, particularly regarding fair hearing, data protection, and consumer rights.
While it dismissed the majority of the appellants’ objections, it set aside one specific order (Order 7) for lacking sufficient legal basis.
While expressing satisfaction with the judgment, Tunji Bello, executive vice chairman/CEO, commended the Commission’s legal team for their exceptional diligence and forensic expertise in assembling evidence and presenting their case.
He reaffirmed the FCCPC’s unwavering commitment not only to protecting the rights of Nigerian consumers but also to promoting fair business practices in line with the FCCPA (2018) and the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Nigerian government.
Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), has made history with the listing of Legend Internet Service Plc as the first company in its Telecoms sector and the first company to be listed this year.
Legend’s N2 billion ordinary shares, with a par value of 50 kobo each, were listed at N5.64 per share.
Dr Umaru Kwairanga, chairman of NGX Group, who welcomed Legend’s board and management, commended the company for its successful listing on the Exchange
He highlighted that listing signifies an elevated commitment to corporate governance and provides opportunities to leverage the Exchange’s diverse asset classes for capital raising.
He stated, “As we celebrate this listing, with many more in the pipeline, I commend the management of Legend Internet Plc for this remarkable milestone.
“This bold step demonstrates confidence in your business model and growth vision.
It also marks the formal emergence of a broadband service as a distinct sub-sector on our Exchange.
Legend has evolved from a focused digital network provider to a diversified technology player, achieving significant advancements in broadband infrastructure development and data services.
We anticipate continued growth in the future.
“We are still bringing many companies on board the NGX, including Dangote, NNPC and others.
“As Africa’s leading exchange, NGX has consistently championed innovation, transparency and sustainable value creation through our investment in cutting-edge infrastructure and a comprehensive range of product offerings, spanning equities, bonds, ETFs and derivatives
Speaking at the Facts Behind the Listing Ceremony, Dr Ladi Bada, chairman, Legend emphasised that the company, as the first indigenous telecommunications company on NGX, has substantial value to offer the market.
Bada encouraged Nigerians to embrace the broadband industry, recognizing it as the fastest-growing sector globally.
He noted that the company had been instrumental in laying fiber optic cables connecting 250 homes in the Suleja and Abuja environs.
He expressed optimism that the Exchange would serve as a catalyst to replicate such commendable projects across other regions of Nigeria.
“We are here to create an enabling digital infrastructure to achieve the projected one-trillion dollar economy.
“On this special day, Legend Internet takes a bold step forward, not just for itself, but for the broader ecosystem of technology, infrastructure, and enterprise in Nigeria.
“As we begin this exciting new chapter as a publicly listed company, we do so with humility and boldness.
We remain committed to continuous innovation, expanding our reach, and delivering value to shareholders and society
“A listing on the Nigerian Exchange is more than a financial event. It is a signal and a declaration that a business is ready to be held to the highest standards of governance, performance, and public trust,” he said
Providing insights into the company’s development, Ms Aisha Abdulaziz, chief executive officer of Legend Internet Plc, stated that the company had evolved from an internet service provider to a comprehensive digital service provider.
Abdulaziz noted that with broadband penetration in Nigeria being less than one per cent, Legend Internet was strategically positioned to deepen access
She affirmed the company’s commitment to taking Nigeria’s digital economy to the next level
“When we started Legend, we weren’t just building an internet company; we were building a movement
A movement fueled by the belief that every Nigerian deserves access to premium, reliable, and high-speed internet, regardless of their location or occupation
“From late nights in our first office to laying fiber across Abuja, to launching products that made people’s lives easier and faster, our journey has always been about connections
“Connecting people to opportunities, connecting homes to entertainment, connecting Nigeria to the digital future it deserves. Our journey has always been about a better way to live.
“This listing is a symbol of our commitment to transparency, sustainable growth, and the kind of excellence that outlives hype.
“Legend’s primary focus now is on unlocking digital value at the household level,” she said.
Mr Jude Chiemeka, chief executive officer of NGX, congratulated the company for making the strategic decision to list.
Mr Chiemeka noted that Legend’s listing on NGX now brings the total number of listed securities to 322
Also, Mr Temi Popoola, chief executive officer of the Nigerian Exchange Group, encouraged the investing public to support the newly listed company.
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