Telecom
ATCON Reaffirms Date for National Dialogue on telecoms and ICT
The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has enjoined its entire stakeholders to take note of the new date for the National Dialogue on Telecommunications and ICT Sector in Nigeria.
The event which has a well-researched theme “Harnessing the Digital Resources for the building of our National Economy” will now hold on Thursday, October 15, 2020 at NAF Conference Centre Abuja.
Speaking in a statement released on Monday, Olusola Teniola, President, ATCON, said that the event is positioned to grow the entire sector of the Nigerian economy exponentially as thought leaders are expected to come up with brilliant ideas as to what the public and private sector can do to maximize the benefits inherent in the digital economy such that the recent fall in Nigeria’s GDP can be reversed.
The recent Index of Digital Quality of Life positioned Nigeria in the pursuit of digital economy and ranked as 20th position at the beginning of the survey (Nigeria is currently ranked 81st).
“We are pleased to announce the confirmation of the following very important personalities to grace the event: Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy; Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Simon Bako Lalong, Executive Governor, Plateau State; Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, EVC/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Mr Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General/CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); Mr Shubham Chaudhuri, Country Director (Nigeria), World Bank; Mr Segun Ogunsanya, Managing Director/CEO, Airtel Networks; Mr Alan Sinfield, Managing Director/CEO, 9mobile; Mr Trevor Liuyan, CEO, Huawei Nigeria and many others.
“This National Dialogue on Telecoms and ICT is targeted at changing the structure of the country’s development through the maximum utilization of digital resources such that Federal Government, State Government and other key stakeholders in the Agriculture, Education, Oil & Gas, Health, Industry, Trade and Investment, Security and Defence Sector would leverage on the outcome of this event to improve their contributions to the nation’s GDP.
“The preposition above is based on effective collaboration amongst the different sectors of the economy as we all know that collaboration is the new competition.
“The supply side which is comprised of Telecom and ICT Companies and the demand side which is made up of all the Ministries, States, Local Governments, Nigerians and Non-Nigerians are expected to have higher level of productivity on the condition that they adopt and leverage on the opportunities presented by the digital economy to improve their output. This strategic dialogue plans to bring together the Presidency, National Assembly, relevant Federal Ministries, State Governors, ICT State Commissioners, Telecom and ICT Operating Companies, World Bank and other international relevant agencies”, ATCON said.
The underlining strategic objectives of the proposed National Dialogue are as follows:
To intentionally channel collaborative positive efforts toward Nigerian Digital Economy with the sole aim of accelerating our economy’s performance in relation to other leading African countries
To serve as a forum to discuss the recently launched documents on Digital Economy and take stakeholders input for implementation.
To optimally X-ray the factors that have worked for and against the telecom and ICT sector in Nigeria.
To discuss regulations and policies around AI, IoTS and Blockchain and the rest.
Thought leaders in the industry have been invited to do justice to the following panel sessions:
Digital Economy in Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities
Private Public Partnership and Development of Mechanism for the seamless Management of Inter-Ministries and Agencies: an imperative for Broadband Infrastructure Development in Nigeria
National Funding and Investment Strategy for Broadband Infrastructure and Digital Economy: The Importance of Education and Awareness
Regulation on Emerging Technologies (AI, IoT, Robotics, Blockchain, etc): Leveraging on Nigerian Young Population’s Innovation and Creativity for National Development
learned that there shall be a special sectoral discussion tagged “Harnessing Digital Resources for Sectoral Effectiveness and Efficiency for National Development”
The special session discussants are:
Mallam Adamu Adamu, Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Education
Dr Osagie Ehanire, Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Health
Alhaji Mohammed Sabo Nanono, Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (Rtd), Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Defence
Chief Timipre Sylva, Honourable Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources
Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo CON, Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment
Alhaji Muhammad Musa Bello, Honourable Minister, Federal Capital Territory Administration
Mr Rotimi Ameachi, Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Transportation
Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing
“One of the overriding deliverables of this national dialogue on telecoms and ICT sector is that the adoption of digital resources by all aforementioned sectors would lead to development which would eventually make Nigeria to join the league of the top 20 global economies”, the statement concludes.
Telecom
Celebrating African Creativity: Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ Returns for Its Fifth Year
The “Made by Africa, Loved by the World” campaign is back for its fifth year, celebrating African creativity and global influence. This year’s theme, “Where Culture Meets Connection,” highlights how social media fosters conversations around cultural moments worldwide.
The campaign features three cinematic films premiering on the Meta Africa page, showcasing the groundbreaking work and personal stories of six dynamic African creatives.
These artists, from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, represent diverse disciplines, including rap, animation, dance, photography, fashion, and videography.
Here are some of the featured talents:
- Ladipoe (Nigeria) – A BET-nominated rapper known for blending global hip-hop with African rhythms.
- Fatboy Animations (Kenya) – An animation studio founded by Michael Muthiga, recognized by Forbes for its original African storytelling.
- Lisa Quama (Ghana) – A dancer who gained fame after appearing in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video.
- Gilbert Asante (Ghana) – A photographer and creative director featured in GQ and Glam Africa.
- David Tlale (South Africa) – A fashion designer whose bold designs have been showcased at major fashion events, including the Met Gala.
- Ofentse Mwase (South Africa) – A filmmaker with over 24 international awards for his unique visual storytelling.
Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director for Africa, Middle East & Turkey, emphasized that the campaign not only celebrates individual success stories but also showcases how culture and social media drive meaningful connections and inspiration.
Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has raised the alarm over a diesel supply crisis caused by an ongoing strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Mr Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON in a statement said that the fuel supply disruption is critically affecting telecom base stations, pushing them to the brink of a shutdown and threatening millions of mobile and internet users in the region.
“This strike, which stems from the persistent harassment of tanker and petroleum product drivers by police officers in Lagos State, has effectively halted all truck loading operations and fuel movements,” Emoekpere stated.
He explained that diesel supply to telecom infrastructure has been severely impacted, leaving critical sites with dangerously low fuel levels.
According to him, if urgent measures are not taken, the situation could escalate into a full-blown network blackout, disrupting essential services, including mobile and internet access, business operations, emergency response systems, and daily communications.
ATCON has called on the governors of Lagos and Ogun states to intervene immediately by facilitating the release of diesel from depots to telecom operators to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
“This is not just a telecom issue—it is a national emergency that could cripple economic activities and compromise public safety,” Emoekpere stressed.
The association also appealed to security agencies and petroleum unions to resolve the crisis swiftly to safeguard Nigeria’s connectivity and economic stability.
ATCON emphasised that a prolonged disruption in fuel supply to telecom infrastructure could have far-reaching consequences for both businesses and individuals who rely on stable communication networks for daily operations.
In 2023, Nigerians spent a total of about ₦5.3 trillion on telecommunications services, which includes calls, data, SMS, and other telecom services, according to the Leadership.
Specifically for voice calls, Nigerians made approximately 408.5 billion minutes of local calls, generating around ₦3.28 trillion from outgoing calls and ₦3.23 trillion from incoming calls, totaling about ₦6.51 trillion in call-related revenue according to projections based on 2023 call volumes and tariff data.
However, the ₦5.3 trillion figure represents the overall telecom sector revenue, with voice calls being a major component but also including data and other services.
For individual spending, MTN subscribers spent an average of ₦2,508 monthly on voice calls in 2023, showing a 14.4% increase from 2022, while Airtel customers spent about ₦1,694 monthly on voice calls.
Total telecom spending (calls, data, SMS, etc.): ₦5.3 trillion in 2023
Estimated revenue from voice calls alone: around ₦6.5 trillion based on call minutes and tariffs
Average monthly spending on calls per subscriber: ₦1,694 to ₦2,508 depending on the network
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