Telecom
MTN Opens Nigerian Apps Free Downloads Gateway to 61m Subscribers
Truly, the world is changing faster than we ever imagined some decades ago, this MTN Nigeria calls the era of APPtitude!
The increased penetration of technology across the globe especially through mobile phone has changed the way we live and work.
Like never before the adoption of mobile phones has enhanced in many ways, economic and social activity on the continent of Africa and Nigeria in particular.
A recent study shows that 90 percent of access to the internet in Nigeria is done via mobile devices.
In view of this development, and motivated by the need to help Nigerians stay in touch with new opportunities through the internet, Nigeria’s leading ICT Company, MTN Nigeria, is offering Nigerians a full month of free downloads for all Nigerian apps under the auspices of a movement, tagged as APPtitude.
Its intention is to help Nigerians embrace mobile applications as a shortcut to navigating the internet in an easy, faster and more efficient manner.
The APPtitude campaign, which runs from May 1 – 30, 2015, offers Nigerians the chance to download their favourite apps for free by texting APP to 131.
As part of the benefits of the movement, an APPtitude portal has been created on the MTN website, which curates a host of local apps in the market under different categories that include sports, entertainment, lifestyle, health/fitness, business as well as religion.
The apps can be downloaded by everyone FREE of charge for 30 days.
Speaking at the media ceremony to usher in the APPtitude Campaign, Bayo Adekanmbi, chief marketing officer, MTN Nigeria, said many Nigeria-centric websites are complex with hard-to-remember URLs.
He added that apps provide a better, and an alternative way of engaging users, irrespective of social class as their functionality is defined by the user’s ability to interact with icons and images.
“This movement is a continuation of the BetterMe journey and its core aim is to democratize access to the internet. The APPtitude movement is borne out of the need to educate our customers on the value which can be derived from making use of mobile application in their everyday business. We are also driven by the vision to build an ecosystem that allows people to pursue their different passions and interests by leveraging on the simplicity which mobile apps provide,” Adekanmbi said.
In addition, MTN promises to support app developers, associations and SMEs in converting their websites to mobile applications while bearing the cost of maintaining and hosting the apps.
As such local app developers are encouraged to submit their apps on the APPtitude portal even as MTN is committed to promoting these apps by providing them with visibility and reach to its 61 million subscribers.
App developers who want to upload their apps on the portal should visit, http://cp.nexva.com/r/mtn and follow the steps.
MTN’s commitment to providing solutions through the development of mobile apps is well chronicled. In 2013, the leading telco launched the NextApps store to boost the aggregation of local content and later organized an app developer challenge to support app development in the country.
MTN also launched the Music+ app in 2014 to provide content owners with a robust platform for engagement and concretized its engagement with the launch of the BetterMe app this year in a bid to usher in Telco 2.0, a full scale focus on data and digital services.
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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