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Telecom

Fuelling Growth in Telecom With W.AFri.Tel

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The growth in telecommunications sector in the country did not only bring about employment and increased telephone access to Nigerians, it also created opportunity for investment and exhibition.

Since Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) operators rolled out services over six years ago, the industry has witnessed an increase in exhibitions that offer industry players the opportunity to showcase their products and solutions as the case may be.

One of the exhibition events that have remained committed to providing platform for both foreign and local Information and Communications Technology companies to reach out to customers is West African International Telecommunications and Information Communications Technology Exhibition (W.Afri.Tel).

W.Afri.Tel was initiated by British born, but South African resident John Thomson in June 2001. He did this through his company, Exhibition Management Services (EMS), which has experience in organizing exhibitions throughout the world, for over 15 years now. IT & Telecom Digest, Africa’s leading ICT magazine, is the sole Nigeria agent for W.Afri.Tel.

W.Afri.Tel has been taking place every June since 2001 with phenomenal growth, recording over 50-60 % growth each successive year. The exhibition’s only problem has been finding space for the increasing number of prospective exhibitors as many companies jostles for space to be part of the window of opportunities created by W.Afri.Tel.

Since its inception W.Afri.Tel has been very instrumental, and continues to be so, in helping to focus global attention on the Nigerian ICT industry; it has been at the forefront in bringing global telecom equipment manufacturers to exhibit, for the first time, in Nigeria, thereby instilling confidence in the foreign investor about the Nigerian economy.

W.Afri.Tel has been growing rapidly over the last three years doubling its growth, with last year being more than double the growth in particular the number of visitors and the caliber of exhibitors.

Having recognised it’s potential in driving their businesses, many leading Nigerian ICT companies, telecom operators, mobile operators, equipment vendors have come to take W.Afri.Tel as their priority ICT show in Nigeria.

No wonder it is voted, year in, year out, as the biggest and the best organized professional exhibition in the West African sub-region.

From a time when foreign direct investment from the ICT sector was just under $50 million, to this day when FDI to Nigeria through the sector stands at over $15 billion.

Leading operators in the telecom sector, including the second national operator, Globacom, Celtel Nigeria, Starcomms, and the newest mobile operator, Etisalat are some of the exhibitors at this year’s event. Others include Sony Ericsson, Netcom Africa, DCC Satellite among others.

Impressed with the growth dimension of telecom in Africa and Nigeria’s leading role, Mr. John Thomson chief executive officer of Events Management Services said the continued rise in foreign direct investment (FDI) into Nigeria’s telecom is a "renewed confidence in the country’s economy as a peaceful environment where people- foreigners and indigenes now transact businesses without hindrance," he said.

According to Thomson, W.Afri.Tel is an event aimed ostensibly to further the growth in Nigeria’s telecom sector. He explained that as Africa’s mobile phone subscriber-base exceeds 100 million which is only 11 per cent of the continent’s population. "The African telecoms market is booming; but the fact remains that it is only the surface that has been scratched, and Nigeria has taken the lead proving that the potential is still immense. We are glad that W.Afri.Tel has contributed in its own way towards this growth in the Nigerian telecom sector," he added.

Dr. Chris Nwannenna, former president of the Nigeria Computer Society, and managing director, Condata Nigeria, described W.Afri.Tel as a wonderful window of opportunity that allow foreign companies and Nigerian companies to come together to offer value added services to Nigerians. He added that the event introduces Nigerian workforce to possibilities and opportunities. "It allows the telecom industry to have a view of all the latest and greatest technologies. Most people think, there’s only CTIA, World GSM, but W.Afri.Tel is in reality the most aggressive, most comprehensive, most powerful show. Because in a very small space, it allows one to visit many more people without having to have his legs get tired; so you get a lot more done in W.Afri.Tel," he said.

W.Afri.Tel is West Africa’s most professional and biggest information and communications technology exhibition, and has maintained a seven-year unbroken lead opening up investment and business opportunities for operators as well as governments in the sub-region. It brings the world of ICT, from manufacturers to professionals, experts to academia, and operators to governments to Lagos.

Celebrated as the most successful and best organized ICT event in the West African region, W.Afri.Tel often leaves a memorable tale behind after each edition. Thus the enthusiasm at witnessing another year of the show is understandable, and this led to many companies that have become familiar with how competitive getting a stand at the event can be, preparing early and grabbing the available spaces.


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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Telecom

Fines: Meta Threatens to Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Nigeria

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Meta may shut down its Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in protest against the substantial fines imposed by multiple government agencies.

Fines: Meta Threatens to Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Nigeria

The tech giant has been ordered to pay nearly $300 million in fines in Africa’s most populous nation, following regulatory demands which Meta described as “unrealistic.”

In July 2024, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), imposed a $220 million fine on Meta for allegedly discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerian consumers.

The commission stated that Meta had failed to engage a Data Protection Compliance Organisation and had not submitted a Nigeria Data Protection Regulation audit report for two consecutive years.

Similarly, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), demanded $37.5 million over unapproved advertising, while the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), announced a $32.8 million fine for an alleged data privacy breach.

Meta challenged the decisions at the Federal High Court in Abuja but was unsuccessful, as the court upheld the fines in a ruling delivered last week.

The court directed the company to comply with payment by the end of June, but Meta has indicated it may not do so, according to the BBC.

“The applicant may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures,” the company stated in court documents.

Responding to the NDPC’s assertion that Meta’s data processing could expose Nigerian users to health and financial risks, the company said the agency had failed to “properly interpret the laws guiding data privacy.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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 Telecoms Services Resume in Kogi State as Telcos, Govt Resolve Dispute

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 Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of ALTON,
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Telecommunications services disrupted in Kogi State have resumed following a resolution of the dispute between MTN Nigeria and the state government, the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has said.

 Telecoms Services Resume in Kogi State as Telcos, Govt Resolve Dispute

Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of ALTON, told TVC News that the issues that led to the shutdown of telecom masts in the state, primarily affecting MTN, had been addressed, paving the way for service restoration.

TVC News earlier reported that businessmen and women were counting their losses as they suffered the impact of a shut down of telecommunication service in Kogi State

Over the past two weeks, telecoms connectivity had been erratic, with competing brands experiencing glitches, particularly in the Lokoja metropolis.

The State government suspended the operations of some telecom services citing unpaid taxes and fibre-related dues.

The shutdown stemmed from a compliance dispute between MTN and the Kogi State Utility Infrastructure Management and Compliance Agency, which accused the telecom giant of violating operational rules and under-declaring the extent of its optic fibre network coverage in the state.

 


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Banks Settle ₦160Bn USSD Debt to Telcos, Ending Five-Year Dispute

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The protracted Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) debt misunderstanding between the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and telecommunications operators appears to have been resolved.

This was confirmed by the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, Thursday, March 1, when he appeared on Arise TV to speak on the firm’s first-quarter 2025 result, where the telecommunications company reported over N1 trillion in revenue earnings.

Recall that the USSD debt had been a major issue between the DMBs and telcos and had lasted for about five years.

In the third quarter of 2024, the telcos had threatened to withdraw their service over the lingering debt, which was around N200 billion at the time. This led to the swift intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and an agreement was reached on payment.

As of November 2024, the NCC put the debt at N160 billion. However, earlier this year, when it appeared the banks were not forthcoming with payments, the NCC directed the telcos to withdraw the USSD services from debt-owning DMBs, where about 18 banks were listed.

This directive prompted the banks to look inward and start to comply with an earlier circular signed by the CBN and NCC, which articulated the payment patterns for the debt.

Speaking, on Arise TV this morning, May 1, Toriola confirmed that the matter has been fully resolved and that banks have made payments.

“I can confirm that the matter has been fully resolved. We have received payments in full. Special thanks to the CBN, NCC, the banks, and other stakeholders that intervened in the matter,” the MTN CEO stated.


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