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Telecom

NCC Targets 120,000km Fibre Deployment

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Prof Umar Danbatta, EVC, NCC
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Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will be facilitating the deployment of 120,000 kilometres of fibre in the next five years, according to Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman, NCC.

NCC Targets 120,000km Fibre Deployment

Prof Umar Danbatta, EVC, NCC

Danbatta, said would be achieved through the implementation of the National Broadband Plan (NBP 2020-2025).

The NCC boss, who disclosed this, said the NCC under his leadership had already facilitated an increase in fibre deployment from 47,000 kilometres to 54,725. “In line with Federal Government’s target, additional 120,000 kilometres of fibre are being planned over the next four years.
In this regard, the NCC is working on last-mile connectivity to different parts of the country through leveraging the 40 terabyte capacity of five submarine cables on the coastal shores of Nigeria,” he said.

Against this backdrop, the EVC said the attainment of 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025 would be one of his top priorities in the next five years.

Speaking at an interactive session with media chiefs, Danbatta, who was recently reappointed for a second term of five years, said his regulatory priority areas would also include consumer protection and empowerment; and consolidation of spectrum trading to ensure maximum and efficient usage of available frequencies. Other areas of focus, according to him, will include continuous SIM registration audit to provide security and curtail incidences of banditry, kidnapping, and armed robbery; creation of Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) in more states of the federation; and execution of the counterpart funding agreements with the licensed infrastructure companies (InfraCos) to facilitate the digital transformation of the economy.

Speaking on his achievements in the last five years, Danbatta said that the diligent implementation of NCC’s Strategic Vision Plan (SVP), which focused on the 8-Point Agenda, had helped to lift broadband penetration from six per cent in 2015 to 42.02 per cent by July 2020.

The sector’s contribution to GDP increased from 8.50 per cent in 2015 to 14.30 per cent in the second quarter of 2020.

In financial terms, Danbatta said the Q2’20 contribution translates to N2.272 trillion.

He noted that when he came on board five years ago, 217 access gap clusters were identified in the country affecting 40 million Nigerians without access to telecoms services.

“But today, we have reduced the access gap clusters to 114 with 15 million of the 40 million digitally excluded Nigerians now having access to telecoms services. “We are committed to addressing the remaining access gap clusters, which are areas outside the frontier of economic viability to ensure the remaining 25 million Nigerians have access,” he said.

On capital importation, the EVC said in 2015, foreign direct investment in the telecom sector stood at $1 billion but declined to $212 million by 2018. Noting, however, that through regulatory efforts, the FDI in the sector has picked up again reaching $930 million according to recent figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Danbatta also talked about the various consumer-centric initiatives his leadership has put in place to strengthen consumer protection and empowerment.

These include the declaration of 2017 as the Year of the Consumer, the introduction of the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) 2442 Short Code, the introduction of the NCC toll-free Number 622 and the stringent provisions of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) registration guidelines and the issuance of direction on forceful subscription among others.


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Telecom

Airtel Recommits to Fraud Prevention after NCC’s N104m Fine for SIM Registration Breaches

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Airtel Nigeria has restated its commitment to transparency, customer safety, and regulatory collaboration following recent regulatory enforcement by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Airtel Recommits to Fraud Prevention after NCC’s N104m Fine for SIM Registration Breaches

The NCC had served Airtel Nigeria a notice of sanction over some alleged SIM infractions in Kano State and consequently slammed a fine of N104 million on the telecommunications firm.

NCC had in  a letter, addressed to Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, dated May 26, 2025, signed by Chizua Whyte, head, Legal and Regulatory Services, and Mohammed Dari, acting head, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement,  on behalf of Dr Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC,  titled: ‘Notice of Sanction: Non-Compliance with SIM Registration Directive in Kano,’ where the infractions were spelt out.

According to NCC, Airtel infractions include unauthorised SIM registrations using 198 unapproved devices, resulting in 8,275 registrations outside the 281 verified Airtel shops; premature activation of 63 MSISDNs prior to proper SIM registration, contrary to the provisions of the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations 2022; failure to conduct effective eyeballing, leading to 407 fraudulent SIM registrations with multiple NINs, contrary to the provision of the Registration of Communications Subscribers Regulations 2022 and failure to provide satisfactory explanation for SIM registrations conducted between 12.00 a.m and 6.00 a.m.

On the matter, the letter revealed that there were some letter exchanges and subsequent meetings on the infractions between the telecom regulator and Airtel, starting from January 12, 2025, March 19, 2025, March 24, 2025, and March 27, 2025, respectively.

Apparently, after investigations and responses from Airtel, the NCC was not satisfied and this led to the fine of N104 million, which was to be paid within seven days from the date the letter was issued.

Specifically, NCC fined Airtel N5 million, N12 million, N81.4 million and N5 million for the infractions respectively.

Reacting, Airtel, expressed appreciation to the NCC for uncovering the infractions, describing the development as a critical opportunity to strengthen internal processes and further align with national security and regulatory expectations

“We thank the NCC for its vigilance and continued support in protecting the integrity of the telecoms ecosystem. Airtel takes these findings seriously and is already implementing corrective measures,” a spokesperson for the company said.

Only recently, Airtel Nigeria’s CEO recently announced that the company is doubling its investment in the country, focusing on network expansion, fiber-to-the-street rollout, 4G/5G deployment, customer care upgrades, and digital infrastructure security.

These investments reinforce Airtel’s long-term vision of building a resilient and forward-looking telecom network that meets the evolving needs of Nigerians.

“Our systems are constantly evolving to stay ahead of scammers and malicious actors,” the spokesperson added. “This is not just about compliance; it’s about our responsibility to the millions of Nigerians who rely on Airtel daily.”

Airtel Nigeria says it will continue to work closely with the NCC and other arms of government to ensure high standards of service and safety for all telecom users nationwide.

 

 

 

 


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Telecom

Kenya Beats Nigeria As the Most Progressive ICT Regulation in Africa

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Kenya is celebrating its regulatory ecosystem being ranked as the most progressive in Africa. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has ranked the East African country first in its most recent ICT Regulatory Tracker.

ITU’s ICT Regulatory Tracker is an evidence-gathering tool for decision-makers and regulators. It demonstrates the effectiveness of regulatory systems in the age of technology.

The ITU evaluates the design of the national regulatory authority, the scope of the regulatory mandate, the obtaining regulatory environment, and the robustness of the competition framework in member countries.

Kenya received 93 points, up from 92 in 2023, and now leads the continent in best practices for ICT regulations.

Nigeria and South Africa finished second and third, with 92 and 88 points respectively. Malawi, Egypt, Rwanda, Morocco, Uganda, Burkina Faso, and Senegal complete the top 10 list.

Globally, Kenya was ranked 20th out of 194 countries covered.Italy led the rankings, with 100 points.

The regulator, Communications Authority (CA) of Kenya, said the achievement underscored Kenya’s commitment to creating a robust, technology-neutral regulatory environment that supports innovation, affordability and access.

Steve Isaboke, permanent secretary for broadcasting and telecommunications, visited CA Centre in Nairobi following the announcement on Thursday.

“The ranking is a clear testament of the excellent work that CA has done in spearheading Kenya’s digital transformation and driving digital access for all,” he said.

“After 25 years, CA’s regulatory regime has attained maturity, and gained global recognition. This ranking shows that the CA staff and leadership are executing their work diligently.”


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MTN’s Female Leadership Surges to 41.4%, Doubles Industry Average

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MTN
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MTN Nigeria Communications PLC has announced a significant increase in female representation within its leadership, with women now making up 41.4% of its workforce, a notable rise from 38.7% in 2023.

MTN

This figure reportedly doubles the industry average, positioning MTN Nigeria as a frontrunner in gender diversity within Nigeria’s ICT sector.

The company’s recently released 2024 Annual Report highlights its sustained commitment to workplace inclusion and gender equality, aligning with its “Ambition 2025” strategy. Female representation within the executive management team has reached approximately 46.7%.

MTN Nigeria attributes this progress to dedicated initiatives aimed at empowering women professionally. These include the “Women in Tech” programme, which provides targeted upskilling in high-demand fields such as Cloud Computing, Software Engineering, AI/ML, Data Science, and Cyber Security.

The “MTN Y’ello Mums Internship Programme” also supports young mothers in their transition back into the corporate world after career breaks.

Odunayo Sanya, executive director of the MTN Foundation, was recognised as the CSI Personality of the Year at the Nigeria Tech Innovation & Telecoms Awards (NTITA), further underscoring the company’s impactful social initiatives.

Additionally, Uto Ukpanah, the company secretary, received the inaugural Global Corporate Secretary of the Year Award from the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA).

Speaking at a recent conference, Odunayo Sanya, emphasised the importance of balancing profitability and sustainability equation, saying, “Businesses today need to be purpose-driven. While the soul of business is profitability, it is not profitability alone that should matter to stakeholders.”

Uto Ukpanah, added, “Showcasing our corporate values and ethos to the world opens the door for greater collaboration with other organisations, as we believe there’s a lot to learn when we all come together. Governance continues to evolve. The challenges today are not the same as they were 10 years ago. Greater accountability is expected, and companies can only continue to do better.”

The company’s broader efforts in diversity and inclusion have been acknowledged with multiple accolades, including the Corporate Responsibility Award. MTN Nigeria also received the “Employer of the Year” award at the 4th Edition of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Employers’ Excellence Awards.

Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, in the report, reiterated the company’s commitment to building a purpose-driven organisation, emphasising that its success is intrinsically linked to its people and their dedication to a shared vision.

“Since we initiated our culture transformation journey in 2021, our culture transformation has significantly enhanced employee engagement and organisational cohesion. It’s directly strengthened our ability to deliver outstanding business performance and drive sustainable long-term value for all our stakeholders.”


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