General News
Policy Implementation Hinders Broadband Revolution – Adebayo
Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and managing director of Communications Network Support Services Limited (CNSSL) a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), operator in the telecommunications sector is a thoroughbred telecom engineer.
His career started from Siemens Germany where he spent 19 years before relocating to the country to assume the post of General Manager of VGC Communications.
When the Company was bought by MTN Nigeria, he founded CNSSL to support services to telecommunications operators which also included Call Centre management.
Adebayo spoke to chike onwuegbuchi on issues around quality of service and BPO operation in the country.
Quality of Service, Regulations and Protection of Telecom Infrastructure
The industry has done well. In particular, when we look at the service provision and the value the industry has brought to the ecosystem, it has done fairly-well.
Looking at job creation and employment opportunities, supports to small and medium enterprises and to other sectors of the economy, contribution to the GDP and FDI, the telecom sector is the best thing that has happened to Nigeria.
The telecom is in the forefront of taking Nigeria to the group of industrialized nations as we work towards vision 20:2020. In summary, the industry will continue to do well in-spite of the local challenges.
The industry is one of the few in the country that have brought value to the socio-economic development.
States Hostile to Providers in Terms of Regulations
There are few States that are in exception of being hostile to telecom operators. Majority of them, from the South to East, West and North; it is basically the same thing. Few are in exception, for example Lagos.
The Governor has shown some good examples that others should emulate. It is not just by reducing the charges on Right of Way (RoW) approval.
In the area of providing the enabling environment that operators require to deploy critical infrastructure, the State leads.
Also, there are efforts by the State Government to protect telecom infrastructure which is well commended. So, with the exception of Lagos, Edo and Kwara, others have not joined the trend of telecom revolution.
I put it that way, because once you allow telecom to blossom you have activated that economy. Meanwhile, it behooves on us, the operators to win the interests of those States that are hostile, but they have to show the desire.
They need to see the future socio-economic benefits of telecom more than the immediate internally generated revenue in telecom provisions. Therefore, there should be continuous engagement.
I am glad the Minister of Communications Technology has ignited the drive towards declaring telecom infrastructure as critical public assets; her efforts at the Federal Executive Council that led to the constituting of the National Broadband Council which comprises of all State Commissioners related to ICT, and so many other initiatives is commendable.
I am hoping that we will start reaping from the efforts that were made in 2013 and years ago. Lagos is a very good testimony and I am hoping we will have more of such within the first and second quarter of 2014.
Sanctions to Soften Hostile States
I think sanctions do not often help. We are engaging stakeholders at all levels. We have held meetings with different States to discuss some issues they raise concerning our members. But when all efforts made through dialogue are rebuffed, we will have no choice than to consider other alternatives.
And such alternative will be to accept whatever it is that will protect investments in this sector. Against that, we will clave our regulator to approve for us discriminative tariff in such that in States where there are higher costs of business we will have no choice than transfer the huge costs to the consumer.
It may lead to regime that when you make a call from State “A” tariff will stand at X and when it is from another location it switches to Y. Nevertheless, I am hoping that we will not get to that level. I have confidence in the commitments of various stakeholders to address the situation; and together we can move the industry forward.
It will push the economy higher as well, because we are not yet there. Next revolution is broadband, which is an enabler of trade more than the voice services.
If we are to achieve the level of broadband provision to move our economy forward, then, we must remove all the barriers to network operations and maintenance.
Fast-tracking Broadband Revolution
One thing I have discovered is that we are good at identifying issues relating to broadband. But we are not good at proffering solutions to problems associated with the processes. It is not just in telecoms that this kind of attitude is obvious in our economy.
We know what the problems are, but instead of taking responsibility and dealing with the issues, remove the barriers and move; we tend to prefer to apportion blames.
Therefore, in the next dispensation and for us to be where we ought to be and have a driver for broadband, we need to take individual and collective responsibilities.
The era of apportioning blames should be over. In fact, NCC coming to blame operators and other regulators and counter blames from different quarters must stop. Every stakeholder must take responsibility.
It is an industry battle whereby we need collaborate to make the impact; both at the regulators level, communications, planning and approval, each one must take responsibility. The era of penalties and threats should be over.
Without that, I am afraid, it will be very difficult to achieve. I have been privileged to be a member of one of the broadband policy implementation councils and have seen the excellent work done by the Committee. But the implementation will pose its own challenges, unless we come together.
We should continue to remind ourselves that against wide held opinion, telecom is beyond the quality of service (QoS). Today, the industry is being assessed only from the trend of QoS. We are beginning to forget, and very quickly too, other benefits accruable in telecom operations which job creation, telecom as the driver of other industries, etc.
The banking sector in Nigeria, today, is reported to be one of the best in Africa. This success is traceable to the support and services provided by the telecom industry.
In summation, the benefits accruable in the industry are far beyond the issues we are focusing on presently.
As players, we will continue to improve on technology, although environmental factors are more of the challenges that we face.
Regulations and policies need to take cognizance of the challenges. And if the regulators will not take responsibility, go to town to feel the pulse of the industry they regulate, then we are in for a battle.
Extending BPO Call Centers to Other Sectors
We need to begin to see the benefits. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) saves companies costs and turns them to be more efficient. It helps in reducing overhead costs for companies; they can give a portion of that aspect of their business to the third party.
And I think we have to start developing the confidence in that regards, which is about adopting the trend.
Such business was mainly carried out by the Indians, China and rest of them, but our people have started developing in such business area.
And Nigeria is seen as the next destination for the infrastructure, due to our level of education, population and most importantly, the benefits that telecoms have afford to businesses in BPO to thrive.
Without that the companies wouldn’t come in. in fact, you wouldn’t see their representatives or connect to them in far- away Europe and other parts of the world.
As players in that areas, we need to create awareness, while encouraging other sectors like banking and finance, aviation to embrace it.
And even the government is in need of contact; government can’t be the ‘be-all’ and ‘do-all’.
If they can provide an enabling environment, restoring confidence to what we do, it can make us (the industry) attractive. There are companies willing and across the world, they will come in.
Poor Welfare Package for Staff Among Some BPO Operators
In that regards, we need to encourage indigenous companies. I am glad that you have mentioned that the dominate players which are not local companies are the ones found wanting.
The indigenous companies are doing better and we will continue to do better hence we understand Nigeria’s socio-cultural environment.
We also understand the economic implications. Again, one factor that users will consider is the governance structure.
It’s not enough to identify these bad practices, but there should be need to fix the challenges confronting employees. However, among those socio-economic issues, there are things we can look at as the industry grows.
Telecom Services in the North-East
We are thankful to the government for the maintained efforts to curtail the insurgencies in the North-East.
Permit me to re-state our call for first line declaration for the protection of the telecom infrastructure after the incidents we had in the past years. It is an ongoing things; we are working with all stakeholders to ensure there is no part of the country that is not connected or remains out of service.
We are hoping that as the general situation improves in those areas, so also will telecom services will improve.
What is important is that we are working with the stakeholders. The speed of work will be determined by and considered by the various stakeholders.
We are cooperating with everyone. As an industry, we would like to have every part of the country connected or covered.
It is not in our interest that those things have happened; we wish that such experience does not repeat in our country.
We assure the public that we are doing the needful by working with the government and other Agencies to achieve the best for the whole country.
Federal government has proposed setting up a National Examination Malpractice Court to swiftly prosecute exam cheats and curb malpractice nationwide.
Dr. Tunji Alausa, minister of Education, affirmed this recommendation of the 17-man committee headed by Professor Is-haq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) as chairman, on Improvement of the Quality of Examination in Nigeria.
The committee which the Minister inaugurated in January this year submitted its interim report to him on Friday after about five months of extensive work, coming up with far-reaching recommendations aimed at improving the quality of examination and curbing examination malpractices in Nigeria.
Oloyede, in one of the recommendations, asked the Federal Ministry of Education to interface with the National Assembly to enact an Act to establish a National Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal for prompt prosecution of examination malpractices to serve as a deterrent to others.
Alausa, in his response, assured the committee members that all the 12-point recommendations would be implemented, saying the government would deploy all its machinery to fight the menace of examination malpractice in Nigeria.
His words: “All the 12 recommendations that you reeled out, everyone will agree with me today that none of those recommendations will be impossible to implement. They are all practicable things. The one that we will implement now, we will do that right away, and once we leave here, myself and the permanent Secretary have work to do”.
Some of the recommendations of the committee include: “All documents, including certificates, registration and result slips, etc., should contain National Identification Number (NIN), photograph and date of birth to guard against identity theft and impersonation.
“All Invigilators and Supervisors must register through NIN and subscribe to the Examination body’s Short Code, using the same pattern of 55019/66019 of JAMB in order so track and have full information about the examination officials, including examiners, supervisors and invigilators.
“Swapping Invigilators and Supervisors, not candidates, should commence with effect from the 2025 private SSCE due to the strong views against student swapping expressed by the four concerned examination bodies (WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS) pertaining to security, logistics and the fact that centre details are traditionally printed on candidates’ certificates
“Except where absolutely impossible, Invigilators and Supervisors should always be public officials/teachers on pensionable appointments.
“The standard requirements of examination halls/centres should not be waived for any school, while the recommended seating arrangement should be 1.5m by 1.2m, or 1.8 sqm per candidate.
“All examination halls and centres should be equipped with stationary CCTV cameras for surveillance and monitoring purposes. In addition, every examination centre shall have a mini control room where the CCTV camera is monitored for urgent and immediate alert.
“All four concerned examination bodies shall jointly own central control facilities for their use during their examinations to save costs. Body camcorders should be deployed in examination halls and centres for effective monitoring.
“At the point of entry into Basic School, every pupil must generate a unique code which is linked to his/her NIN, which must be identified with the pupil throughout his/her educational journey in Nigeria.
“The Federal Ministry of Education should interface with the National Assembly to enact an Act to establish a National Examination Malpractice Court/Tribunal for prompt prosecution of examination malpractices to serve as deterrent for others.
“The non-implementation of the 1999 Examination Malpractice Act suggests either a lack of political will or non-implementability. Consequently, the Committee recommends a review of the Act in such a manner that it can be immediately implemented to curb examination malpractice.
“Rather than wait till 2027 as initially suggested, the Computer-Based Examination (CBE) should be implemented for objective questions in 2025 private examinations and in full for school candidates in 2026.
“The 30 per cent Continuous Assessment component in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations has become a veritable source of corruption in the examination system due to the fraudulent process of inputting the scores in arrears.
“It is therefore recommended that the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and any other FME agency, which must have recommended the policy for the approval of the National Council on Education (NCE), should immediately be requested to review the Continuous Assessment System”.’
General News
Nigeria Relaunches National Talent Export Programme to Unlock $1 Trillion Global Outsourcing Market
The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has announced the relaunch of the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), a bold initiative led by the Honourable Minister, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole.
The renewed programme is designed to tap into the $1 trillion global outsourcing industry by positioning Nigeria’s youth as a world-class talent pool for digital and professional services.
“What we celebrate today is not merely the launch of a program; it represents the continuation of a vision to position Nigeria as a global leader in the future of work and services,” said Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.
“With digital transformation firmly embedded in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic vision, Nigeria is enhancing the infrastructure, systems, and policy tools necessary for an inclusive and innovation-driven future.”
In alignment with President Tinubu’s 8-point agenda, NATEP is designed to empower Nigeria’s youth, harness global service export opportunities, and drive inclusive economic transformation. With a youthful, English-speaking population, a strategic time zone, and rapidly advancing digital infrastructure, Nigeria is uniquely positioned to become a competitive global supplier of skilled talent.
Under the leadership of Dr. Oduwole, NATEP represents a strategic move to diversify Nigeria’s economy, boost foreign exchange earnings, and create sustainable employment.
The programme will focus on aggregating global demand and connecting it with Nigeria’s skilled workforce through structured and ethical talent export pathways.
The Ministry’s goal is to create 1 million direct export-linked jobs and up to 5 million indirect jobs within five years.
In addition, NATEP aims to attract over $1 billion in foreign direct investment to Nigeria’s growing service export economy. This programme targets high-impact sectors such as technology, business process outsourcing (BPO), the creative economy, healthcare, professional services, and remote work.
As part of this relaunch, Mrs. Teju Abisoye has been appointed as the National Coordinator of NATEP. A development finance expert with over two decades of experience, she has led major national employment initiatives and played key roles in government interventions, entrepreneurship support, and private sector engagement.
Her leadership brings clarity, focus, and execution strength to the programme’s vision.
Speaking at the relaunch, Teju noted, “Our mandate at NATEP is to position Nigeria as Africa’s peerless global talent hub by building an enabling ecosystem through policy, platforms, promotion, and partnerships.
We would actualise this critical national objective by upskilling and enabling Nigeria’s teeming young human capital to take advantage of the $1 trillion global service trade, with soaring demand for digital services, outsourcing, and remote work.
This is one of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s strategic interventions to tackle youth unemployment head-on, generate vital foreign exchange, and diversify our economy through service sector expansion”.
NATEP, a Special Purpose Vehicle under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, has evolved from a basic outsourcing facilitator into a full-scale ecosystem enabler. The programme will now drive policy reform, expand digital infrastructure, strengthen international partnerships, and create reliable talent pipelines that match global standards.
Key components of NATEP include:
- Training 10 million Nigerians in globally recognized digital and professional certifications
- Incentivizing BPO and IT-enabled service companies to expand operations in Nigeria
- Creating legal and ethical pathways for talent export in alignment with global labor needs
- Building a national talent database to map skills and track employment opportunities
- Partnering with global outsourcing platforms and employers to aggregate demand
In alignment with President Tinubu’s 8-point agenda, NATEP is designed to empower Nigeria’s youth, enhance foreign exchange earnings, and support inclusive economic transformation. With a youthful, English-speaking population, strategic time zone, and growing digital infrastructure, Nigeria is uniquely positioned to become a competitive global talent supplier.
Minister, NATEP Sign MoU with Alaro City and Itana
To mark this renewed direction, the Honourable Minister led a high-level delegation on an official visit to Alaro City, home to Itana, Nigeria’s first Digital Special Economic Zone, on Friday, May 30, 2025.
The Minister also leveraged the visit to execute a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening public-private sector collaboration and showcasing the infrastructure and innovation ecosystem that will support the programme’s success.
Dr. Oduwole stated, “I am proud to announce a significant milestone in this effort: the successful signing of a strategic agreement to create an initial 100,000 jobs across high-impact sectors — made possible through collaboration with platforms like Itana, Alaro City, and other partners to mark the beginning of a new phase of joint execution.”
General News
Uche Uzoebo, SANEF CEO Makes Case for More Financial Inclusion Strategies Targeting Women
Leveraging digital infrastructure is key to accelerating financial inclusion, especially through a multi-stakeholder approach involving governments, fintechs, telecoms, regulators and even the customers.
According to the World Bank report, a significant portion of the global adult population remains unbanked.
Specifically, 27% of adults globally are considered unbanked, and an additional 50% are underbanked, defined as lacking a credit card, , according to Lucidity Insights.
By investing in awareness, robust digital ID systems, interoperable payment rails, and inclusive policy frameworks, stakeholders can expand access to financial services, particularly in underserved regions, and reduce the global unbanked population significantly.
Stakeholders who gathered at the Regtech Conference 2025 discussed these strategies and more, especially facilitating cross-border payments and investment opportunities across Africa.
The event featured a thought-provoking panel discussion moderated by Uche Uzoebo, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF) Limited.
The panel discussion themed, “From Borders to Bridges: Leveraging Digital Infrastructure to Drive Financial Inclusion through a Multi-Stakeholder Approach”, brought together diverse voices across banking, fintech, policy, and government to explore how digital infrastructure can be annexed to drive financial inclusion.
Uzoebo highlighted how women often face unique challenges in accessing financial services coupled with limited digital literacy and cultural barriers.
She engaged the panelists to discuss targeted interventions aimed at promoting gender inclusivity in the financial sector and effective financial education programs that empower individuals to utilize digital financial services.
Jacqueline Mpare, Head of Agency Banking, Ecobank Group, highlighted how her organization had established a women-focused initiative to provide support to businesses targeted at women and those with women as part of the leadership by providing them with access to finance and non-financial support.
Isa Aliyushata, Regional Advisor, Africa, Corum Group Limited, stressed the need to inculcate financial literacy into the education curriculum to ensure everyone is exposed to the knowledge of financial literacy from a young age.
The panelists include Ajibade Laolu-Adewale, Chief Partnership & Ecosystems Officer, Wema Bank; Gerald Munyaradzi Nyakwawa, Head of Digital Channels, MoneyMart Finance (Private) Limited, Zimbabwe; Dr. Henry Clarke Kisembo, Group Global Lead and Executive Chairman, Development Associates Link International (DALI); Jacqueline Mpare, Head of Agency Banking, Ecobank Group; Jean Jacques Kajuga, Chief Operations Officer, RSwitch Rwanda; and Isa Aliyushata, Regional Advisor, Africa, Corum Group Limited.
The panelists emphasized collaboration, leading by example, speed and legislative alignment, a unified infrastructure payment system, and collaboration between national and regional switchers to allow a low-cost cross-border payment as key to ensuring financial inclusion.
Meanwhile, her organization, Shared Agency Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF), was honored with the title of 2025 Financial Literacy Champion at the RegTech Awards. This prestigious recognition highlights SANEF’s steadfast commitment to promoting financial literacy and enhancing financial inclusion across Nigeria. Through strategic partnerships, the expansion of agent networks nationwide, and impactful educational programs, SANEF continues to equip millions with the knowledge and tools to make informed financial decisions.
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