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How Heavy Taxes, Harassments Hobble Telcos

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Nigeria has championed the telecom industry to business and political audiences around the world as the next big thing paved with ease of doing business and other government cushions.

 

An in-depth look however, paints a different picture: the industry is beset by myriad of challenges most of them occasioned by the same government which is touting an investment haven.

 

No doubt, telecom has become one of the most vibrant industries in Nigeria. According to Statista, a global statistics company, there are approximately 76.2 million Nigerian internet users as of 2017; an increase of nearly 50 percent from the 2013 figure of 51.8 million.

 

But, the multiplicity of taxes across different tiers of government, is today hampering the growth and development of the sector.

 

Some of the taxes and levies include: Aviation Clearance fee, Building Permit fee, Employee Development Levy, Site levy, Operational Permit levy, Business Premises levy, Building Fitness levy, Sanitation fee, Infrastructure Maintenance fee, Tenement Rate, Signage and Advert levy, Fire Service fee, Effluent Discharge fee, Environmental/Ecological fee, Gaseous emission fee, among others.

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These taxes are for the same industry that provides direct and indirect employment to thousands of Nigerians.

 

The industry also contributes N450 billion in form of taxes to Nigeria’s economy and accounts for nearly 10 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

 

Yet, the telecom firms are targets of incessant harassment and fines from many quarters in the country.

 

Tobechukwu Okigbo, Corporate Relations Executive, MTN Nigeria, reacting to the recent disruption of his company’s operations by Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), said the “the violence and the needless destruction of property is deeply saddening. As always our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our employees, some of whom were attacked by supposed NLC operatives and have sustained injuries”

 

Elsewhere, Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has expressed concerns over the disruption of operations of MTN Nigeria, saying that “Damage to any Telecom Facilities will lead to the disruption of critical national security and economic services which will expose innocent citizens to great danger.

 

“Attempts have been made to disrupt the network operations of some of our members through the shut down and vandalisation of critical network facilities”

 

On taxation, Olusola Teniola, president, Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), urged the ministry of finance to work towards harmonisation of the various taxes to stop overtaxing in the telecom industry and appealed to the governments to use the taxes to improve the lives of the citizens.

 

 


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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.

Telecom

9Mobile Blames Network Outage on Data Center Fire in Lagos

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9Mobile, mobile network operator, has blamed a network outage this week on a fire incident at its main data center in Lagos.

9Mobile Blames Network Outage on Data Center Fire in Lagos

The fire is said to have happened on Tuesday night (December 17), leading to network issues for 9Mobile’s customers until Thursday.

9Mobile said it had experienced multiple fiber cuts which had led to some of the disruption.

Its customers have taken to social media to complain about a lack of voice and data services.

9Mobile is estimated to have more than 11 million mobile subscribers.

The latest outage follows a six-day outage that impacted the carrier in July.

“9Mobile sincerely apologizes for the recent service outages experienced by our valued customers which have affected our ability to provide voice, data, and internet services. We understand the frustration these disruptions have caused and deeply regret the inconvenience,” said 9Mobile in a statement.

“Our technical team has identified the root causes of the outages including a fire incident at our main data center in Lagos last night which severely impacted services, especially in the Lagos and South-West.  We are grateful for the swift intervention of the Lagos State Fire Service, which helped prevent further damage.”

The cause of the fire was not revealed by the carrier.

Acknowledging the fiber cuts, 9Mobile explained that prior to the fire, a fiber cut on the backbone links in Lagos led to a total data outage across the country. Other vandalism incidents in Lagos and Abuja led to a total service outage in the southwest and a data service outage in the north of the country.


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Sytemap Announces 50% Discount on Verified Lands for Women, March 8–14, 2025

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Sytemap, a trusted leader in land acquisition and technology solutions, is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking initiative designed to empower women through affordable and secure land ownership.

From March 8 to March 14, 2025, women—including professionals in Africa and the diaspora—will enjoy an exclusive 50% discount on plots from verified estate developers through the Sytemap platform.

This initiative, themed “Her Land, Her Future,” underscores Sytemap’s commitment to breaking cultural and economic barriers that have historically sidelined women from property ownership. Partnering with over 30 reputable estate developers, Sytemap is creating unprecedented opportunities for women to invest in land with confidence.

For decades, women in Nigeria and across Africa have faced significant hurdles in land acquisition, including high costs, fear of fraud, and societal biases. In fact, studies show that 65% of victims of land scams in Nigeria are women.

Sytemap’s CEO, Nnamdi Uba, stated, “Women have long been marginalized in land ownership, a critical path to building wealth and security. Our mission is not only to make land ownership accessible but to eliminate the fears and uncertainties that hold women back.”

With this initiative, Sytemap leverages its reputation for transparency and cutting-edge technology to offer a simple, scam-free, and empowering process for land purchase.

The campaign is designed to resonate with young professionals, particularly women with good-paying jobs who are ready to invest in their future. For women in the diaspora, the initiative offers tailored support, including seamless international payment options and an innovative plot-monitoring app that allows buyers to manage their investments from anywhere in the world.

Key Features Include:

50% Discount: Available only during the trade fair window (March 8–14, 2025).

Verified Estates: Secure locations vetted by Sytemap and trusted developers.

Flexible Payment Plans: Options to spread payments over several months to ease financial stress.

Digital Monitoring: A dedicated app to track land purchases and allocation progress.

Guaranteed Transparency: Every outright payment comes with instant, verifiable certificate allocation, with land documents delivered within three weeks.

This initiative will launch during the “Sytemap Land Trade Fair 1.0,” an event bringing together key stakeholders, women’s organizations, and influencers to celebrate this transformative moment. Women in the diaspora are encouraged to participate and take advantage of this life-changing opportunity.

Imagine a future where women are equal stakeholders in property ownership, shaping communities and securing generational wealth.

Sytemap invites women across Africa and the diaspora to claim their space and rewrite the narrative of land ownership.

For more details and to reserve your plot, visit https://sytemap.com/women.


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Konga to Launch Africa’s First AI-Powered Hit Music & Commerce Radio Station

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Konga, a leading composite e-commerce group, is poised to transform the Nigerian media and commerce landscape with the upcoming launch of its AI-powered FM radio station in Lagos.

The groundbreaking initiative, set to debut in January 2025, will mark Africa’s first Hit Music & Commerce Station, blending Technology, Entertainment, Commerce and more to drive impactful connections across the continent and the world.

A reliable source reveals that the station – KongaFM will be a pioneering platform to empower brands, distributors, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to connect with untapped markets, revolutionizing commerce in real time. While offering businesses a new avenue for product visibility and market penetration, the station promises to deliver non-stop hit music, ensuring listeners enjoy a unique mix of entertainment and commercial opportunities. It will be a completely new experience for Nigerians.

Equipped with state-of-the-art broadcasting technology and staffed by a dynamic new blend of seasoned professionals and youthful talent, the station will begin test transmissions in the second week of January 2025.

Konga’s latest media venture comes as part of its broader strategy to disrupt conventional marketing communications and amplify consumer engagement across sectors, including FMCG, electronics, and digital solutions.

The move is expected to send ripples across Nigeria’s FX market, potentially influencing the pricing and availability of key goods and commodities. This aligns with Konga’s history of innovation in the e-commerce sector.

This initiative will also complement Konga’s existing TV arm and other media services, positioning the brand as a dominant force in Marketing Communications. Together, these platforms will create synergies that set new benchmarks for how entertainment and commerce converge in Africa while streaming globally.

When asked for further details, Prince Nnamdi Ekeh, CEO of Konga Group, remained tight-lipped, stating that “full details and official announcements will be made in January 2025.”

The anticipation around this launch continues to grow as industry experts and media enthusiasts eagerly await what is already being hailed as the next major evolution in Africa’s media and commerce space.


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