Telecom
Poor Engineering Contributory To Poor QoS- Adeyeye
Aderemi Adeyeye is the president/chairman, Enext Wireless, Inc. Aderemi worked for Alcatel-Lucent for 20 years in various areas, starting with training service provider engineers in wireless network deployment. He has been engaged in LTE work since 2008. He participated in the first LTE trial by Alcatel-Lucent in North America.(2008 – 2010) and was the Lead RF Alcatel-Lucent RF engineer in support of the first LTE deployment by Verizon Wireless in the Washington-Baltimore market in the United States (2010) and Alcatel-Lucent Subject Matter Expert in support of AT&T LTE deployment in the New York City / New Jersey market, which is one of the most challenging markets for RF deployment.
He has over 40 years experience in telecommunications, including a design of financial data transmission network using the vertical blanking interval of the North American Television standard (NTSC) for which he shares a patent with two others. He also performed link layer telecommunication work in support of NASA contract at its Goddard Space Flight Center facilities in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. Aderemi Adeyeye is presently the Chairman of Enextgen Wireless Ltd.
Mr Adeyeye has Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Bsc Math, from the College Park Campus of the University of Maryland. He spoke to peter oluka on ways to address telecoms quality of service (QoS) related issues in Nigeria and other sundry issues.
What is Enextgen Wireless’ Focus?
We have two primary focal points. First, to provide quality LTE network deployment to the public in Nigeria; to help the public receive value for their money, in terms of quality of (network) service. The second objective is to work with the service providers, on where we find issues on their networks; we collect data from their networks to form a report which we publish for public awareness on the quality of service provided to them. On the same data, we assist service providers identify issues on their RF (radio frequency) and provide technical assistance in resolving those issues.
The intention is actually for Nigerians to get value for what they are subscribing to, in terms of broadband connection, especially in the LTE which is the new deployment standard.
Why Poor Quality of Service Persists
There could be many reasons for drop calls or poor quality of service generally. But, the most important requirement to have consistent service is to make sure the radio frequency part is properly deployed; that is, ensuring the signals go in the direction they are designed for, smooth sign off from one cell to the other. FromEnextgen Wireless’ experience there are some levels of deficiency in the deployment of networks by some operators. It appears, deployment in Nigeria is made in such manner that as soon as the service providers finishes building the cell site, they turn it on- making network available to the public.
That is not normally done in other jurisdictions; before you deploy you are supposed to have cluster of sites, collect data using a third party or your network optimization devices, just to be sure that the radio frequency is performing as expected. But that isn’t the experience in Nigeria. Some service providers are better than others. However, it seems a routine for the site to get turned commercial almost as soon as the equipment is installed.
How Long Has Enextgen Wireless Been In The Market And Achievements So Far?
For almost two years, we have operated in this market. Our purpose has always been to help with the LTE deployment, which is the new broadband/communications standard. When we started, it was only Smile Communications that had LTE deployment and it operated with a small spectrum. Though, with a nationwide licence, they covered only a handful of key cities. Then, NTel acquired the resources of formal NITEL. While others typicallyhad the underlining networks- 2G and 3G on top of which they deployed LTE, NTel started out without an underlying network, even though they purchased the assets of the defunct NITEL. They couldn’t capitalise on Nitelassets which were left unattended for years. So, we have been there to assist these companies to avoid some of the pitfalls others have encountered.
How Can Issues Around Poor Quality of (Network) Service Be Addressed?
Basically, both the regulator and the operators need to pay attention to the level of engineering in the deployment of the services. It is like in haulage, you need a good road network before you can start troubling yourself about optimizing the quantity of goodstaken from one area to others.
Jammers and the poor quality of devices should not be that much a concern in LTE networks. The NCC can continue to use sanctions and insistence on using UEs that are certified as meeting 3GPP specifications. Any unauthorized booster issues can be addressed through network monitoring and sanctions.
If cells are built and turned on for commercial subscription without proper optimization, the network will have poor QoS. As such, regulations mandating a minimum level of performance optimization before commercial deployment might help.
Importance of R&D
Yes, research and development (R&D) is somewhat a complex situation because to have a reliable R&D the government has to pay attention to education. That will also spur individual enterprises to do much in that regard. There is also need to pay attention to the engineering studies in our academic institutions; giving the students access to measurement equipment, various network infrastructures and so on. For us as a Company engage in analyses on (network) performance quality. We can analyse as the low in level as the resource grade which is the output element that carries the data for each resource LTE.
We can analyse the spectrum miles: how they deviate from the standard of deployment or otherwise. So, we can do very deep analyses on over-the-air (OTA) signals that providers broadcast. But we are not service providers; all we have access is the over-the-air. We have the resources to work with service providers, especially the core networks, where they are interested in working with us to improve end-to-end performance of their network.
In addition to the OTA RF, we have the resources to help them look at the performance from the User Equipment (UE), all the way from calling to the terminating point. As far as the product is concerned, we use the standard UEs for mobile or smartphone; ones which have been utilised in network deployment in the developed markets. Most times we focus on Samsung products, because the chips allow you to deeper investigation. The advantage in our case is that we produce unquestionable reference to determine the quality of deployment.
Enextgen Wireless’ Observations With regards to QoS in Nigeria
Our observation is that the quality of deployment in Nigeria is very poor. How bad? It varies from a provider to the other. Nevertheless, there is a specific service provider that seems very aggressive in providing quality LTE deployment and akin to deploy services nationwide. Meanwhile, this service provider, in some areas, has some major issues such as connection failure and drops. Overall, their network is very good. If you move from there you quickly find some other smaller service provider whose deployment is so bad; no where in the world, except in this clime would a service provider be allowed to deploy that kind of network to the public. The quality is so bad.
Mitigating Rural-Urban Migration Through Quality 4G LTE Deployment
You are on point. However, the service providers should first show interest. Their permanent interest should go beyond economic. That is where the government comes in, probably, through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF). It is very important to provide additional help to the service providers to cover areas where the profitability might be marginal to non-existent.
On the other hand, the service providers need to partner with smaller companies with special talents to distribute networks beyond the big towers. Such sites are coming up in Kenya where smaller companies are deploying solar-powered solutions to provide coverage in rural areas.
No small company can provide network in huge human density areas without the big network operator providing the backbone. Government needs to encourage such partnerships and innovative service deployment through USPF subsidies.
InfraCo Model
Actually, it is going to help the system a lot. Those are the kinds of solution-provisioning that government should be paying close attention to. It is not just setting up the structure or management; you need to have people with the required skills, dedicated to this work. And you can’t really blame the NCC, but the situation where operators are ‘dumping’ bad networks here does not show the market in good light. NCC has received a lot of accolades for its regulatory exploits in the market, but service providers getting away with the deployment of poor LTE services should not be condoned in anyway; the operators should engage people with the required skills to deploy the right solutions.
How Quality Are The Equipment (Hardware) Used In Deploying The Networks?
I think in Nigeria, the service providers tend to use the same vendors. So, the quality can’t be the issue as such. Even in the United States, no service provider will depend on a vendor to provide the level of quality they need. They have sophisticated engineers and people who have vested interests in making sure they are getting from the vendors the quality they require. We should encourage such here (in Nigeria).
You can’t say because you have given the contract to Vendor X and because it develops good quality equipment in the United State, therefore, you will get such quality here. It doesn’t follow. Somebody has to monitor the activities of these people. Like any engineering, you do the design yourself, identity the equipment you want to use for deployment, then implement. You cannot just leave every part of the process to a vendor just because they flashed certain certifications before you.
Remember, the vendor is here to make money. Even though they parade high quality products, when they realise that the local people are not interested in challenging them to implement the right solutions, they are likely to pull wool over your eyes. So, as we assess the equipment, we have to make sure the resources (human) are handy to ensure the right processes are followed.
What Has Enextgen Wireless Been Doing Lately and Your Future Plans
Since we started, we have been working on a service we called National Independent Wireless Broadband Quality Reporting (NIWBQR). Based on the data we collated, we prepared the report and share, freely, to the service providers. The report gives them a sense of how their network is performing.
Also, we have a very detailed engineering log we can use to help them resolve the issues, if they are interested. Most of the time, they are not interested. But, we now have an exception and that is the same company I said is visibly trying to expand their network in a quality manner. Others would give excuses like ‘NCC monitors us’ ‘this is not from NCC’. In other words, they are saying there is no incentive on their part to serve the public other than meeting the requirement of somebody supervising them.
To me, any company that serves the public, typically, their interest lies on making sure the consumer is happy. In Nigeria, it is the contrary. So, even with the availability of the report they would find one excuse or the other. Honestly, most of the networks being deployed wouldnot be acceptable in many places; (I will say of an environment I am familiar with) in the United States.
A service provider would build the network and test same for months- collecting data to conduct performance analyses, before they ever launch for public consumption. In Nigeria, when you confront these operators they usually take it as ‘Nigerian thing’.
We have other plans of using small cells to provide broadband services to enterprises. We discovered, most time, you may have good coverage outside of your enterprise building, but indoors it’s a different case. So, using facilities of the service providers we can boost the in-house coverage.
On the other hand, most small companies can’t afford the cost of fibre optic connections, while others don’t really need such high speed that fibre provides which shows they will require to embrace the LTE if somebody will give them the services.
Key Observations of Enextgen’s NIWBQR
There are basic things the operators should do which, in my view, do not require so much innovations rather basic engineering. If you deploy a network, the cell sites have to talk each other. When someone wants to move or transfer data from one network to the other, your network has to be aware of such movement by allowing connection to the nearest cell site.
Beyond that, you start talking of innovations. If you have wireless (engineering) labs in our schools the academics can stimulate a lot of these changes required in the sector. It will enable the development of intuitive solutions and save the operators from paying in foreign currencies to obtain the solutions abroad.
We have some of the brightest people in the country, but they need to have access to the equipment- the means of measuring performance, doing designs, etc. That will be the biggest innovations, because nothing is so unique with places like the United State, except their approach to engineering is more practical. Even as a small company we have the tools such as spectrum analyser, vector network analyser; we have means or characterising the performance of the networks in terms of the RF signal quality.
We are working on the means of creating some sensors that could be used in the farm; simply call it Internet of Things (IoT). We are experimenting on that now. For the future, that is the area we would want to focus on.
Likewise, the buzz is on 5G, though it will not become commercial till 2020, but most service providers in the US are on 5G trial mood. The technology will enable a lot of things like Internet of Things (IoT)- communicating through packets of data. We are leveraging our small lab to investigate things along IoT. Our aim is to build solutions to assist the agricultural sector. That is our long term goal. Presently, our resources are geared toward helping the service providers ensure quality delivery.
NIWBQR Report
The latest version of the report covers some areas where LTE has been deployed like Victoria Island and the mainland covering Ikeja and parts of Yaba, all in Lagos State. Then, BeninCity- though Benin doesn’t have LTE coverage across the city, however, as we carry out the test, areas where LTE isn’t available, we try to collect data on the UMTS or 2G or whatever they have. While we have capacity to analyse 2G and 3G, our primary focus is usually 4G LTE. Next week we will be going to Abuja.
Getting Across To NCC
Actually, for almost two years, we have been sending copies of our reports to the NCC. Lately, they have started responding to our correspondences. We really look forward to working with them to achieve this singular objective- contributing something meaningful to the society based on our technical knowledge.
As the public gets value for their money, the service providers get even ahead of challenges of poor QoS. NCC has done well as a Commission, however, there is need to step up monitoring and evaluation of the networks, especially during deployments to ensure not only are standards followed, but the public are not short-changed. Enextgen Wireless will be very happy to work with them in this area.
I think it is cultural: Nigerians like to have organisations that function like the counterparts in the United State or any developed country, but we do shy away from key implementation strategies. It is not about the nomenclature, rather the strategy adopted and followed judiciously. It is disheartening to see that basic rules are not being adhered to by operators while deploying networks.
Spectrum, Broadband and Rural Connectivity, e.g. Smile Communications
In my view, a company like Smile Communications, by the nature of its structure, shouldn’t be expected to have a national focus at the present. Yes, they want to deploy services and make money in the process; I mean there is a very little money for them in the rural areas, so they focus on the cosmopolitan areas where they could make money. We started our work when only Smile had LTE for deployment in Nigeria.
You can see the quality of their network going down because the customer base has increased, but they are not investing in improving the quality. At the early stage Smile stood out in terms of Quality of Service (QoS). In Victoria Island, for instance, it stood out. Now, Glo, MTN and other service providers are now focused on LTE in VI, you can see the Smile’s quality nose-diving.
When you have limited spectrum and want to attract a lot of customers, you either have to improve on the engineering so that the spectrum could accommodate more customers or you have additional spectrum you could use to service a segment of the customer base. Smile only has 10 MHz bandwidth; even though it is a nationwide licence, the rural area will not provide them the kind of revenue they need to boost the network.
I think currently, they are focused on satisfying the current customers, because they seem not to be improving on the engineering of the 10MHz, because we could see it from our data. The way Smile could go to the rural areas is if government mandates them, which government probably wouldn’t dare it. Also, they could be given subsidy to achieve that purpose.
We also have Bitflux which has a bigger spectrum with 30 MHz bandwidth and its license is also nationwide, even though the frequency is high at 2.3 GHz. It is better Bitflux has not gone ahead to deploy in some key cities, because where they are presently they have done terribly with the network deployment. As a country, we wouldn’t want such things happening.
Obinna Adumike is a seasoned technology leader with a proven track record in driving digital transformation across Africa. As Head of Converged Digital Infrastructure for Africa at Open Access Data Centre, he is spearheading the development of critical digital infrastructure to support the region’s growing connectivity needs. He spoke on what digital transformation holds for Africa’s economic growth.
Could you explain what the digital transformation of Africa is about. What are the prospects and the challenges?
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss Africa’s digital transformation journey. Over the past decade, the continent has made remarkable strides in adopting and leveraging digital technologies, positioning itself as a hub for innovation and growth.
The past few years have seen the advancement of FinTech, as well as a massive growth in e-commerce, e-health, Agric-tech and EdTech. Jobs and businesses are being created and are thriving around various social media platforms. Such developments are creating positive impact and supporting a transforming Africa.
All of this is possible due to major advancements in digital infrastructure including significant investment in high-capacity subsea and terrestrial cable systems to carry Africa’s ever-expanding data nationally and internationally, data centres that support business ecosystems and drive local interconnectivity, broadband rollout and mobile communication deployment enabling businesses and consumers to connect, and so on.
One example of transformation is the massive growth in internet penetration on the continent from a modest 16% in 2013 to about 45% by 2024. You can see tremendous growth in countries like Morocco, Libya, Seychelles, Botswana, Mauritius and South Africa, all with internet penetration rates between 70% to 90%. Also countries like Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Cape Verde and Djibouti are in the range of 40% to 69%, all of which are comparable to global averages.
Whilst these are great improvements, a lot still remains to be done to consolidate the gains and drive further growth. Many remote regions continue to lack basic IT infrastructure like fibre-optic cable systems and access to reliable power, which ultimately are basics for innovation. Security is another major challenge that needs to be addressed, and regulators have a responsibility to provide a level digital playing field that protects IT infrastructure companies and assets.
Where is digital transformation or digital dynamics in Africa going from here, what does the future portend?
The future of digital transformation in Africa is incredibly promising, with key trends indicating accelerated growth, deeper integration of technology across sectors and greater economic impact. Internet access will continue to grow; supported by the establishment of new initiatives by internet service providers (ISPs) in extending existing broadband access.
Domestic and international cloud and content providers and distributors will continue to establish more points of presence on the continent, extending their reach and improving user experience for consumers.
These will by extension drive the need for more data centre capacity – to support hyperscale expansion, growing business demand for colocation and value-added service, and Government initiatives concerning data sovereignty and repatriation.
It is estimated that data centre revenue in Africa will continue to increase at an annual compound growth rate of 7.35% between 2025 and 2029. Africa needs about 750MW of DC power from its current installed 250MW capacity to optimally support its workload and digital economy. Seeing the advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) and the inflow of global content and cloud providers also supports this argument.
AI adoption in Africa will increase rapidly, with services and processes built around AI hosted in Africa. If African governments can guarantee protection for investments and a stable economy, I see Africa becoming the new hub for AI, especially as Europe’s power sector is already strained.
This has the potential to revolutionise sectors like agriculture, finance and healthcare, enhancing productivity and decision-making. Also, a new age of AI-powered chatbots and automation will drive efficiency, especially in customer service and government services.
Fintech & Digital Payments Expansion: Mobile money transactions in Africa exceeded $1 trillion in 2022, and this number will keep rising as financial inclusion deepens.
The demand for digital skills training will grow, leading to more investments in EdTech platforms and online learning. Remote working models will increase, fostering a more globalised workforce with a vast number of Africans contributing to the global workforce from the comfort of Africa.
I firmly anticipate the next decade seeing Africa emerge as a global digital powerhouse, with innovations shaping the global tech landscape. To make this happen, governments, private sector players and investors must collaborate to ensure sustainable, inclusive digital growth.
WIOCC as the digital backbone of Africa, what does that means and the impact of WIOCC on Africa’s digital transformation?
You’re right; at WIOCC we take great pride in being the digital backbone of Africa, a role that goes beyond providing reliable, high-capacity metro, national and international connectivity to include building and operating open-access data centres, enabling cloud connectivity and providing the human resources to deliver infrastructure, innovation and impact.
Our wholesale digital infrastructure supports the creation and operation of seamless, high-capacity digital services that drive Africa’s digital transformation, ensuring that businesses, governments and individuals have access to the digital tools and capabilities needed to thrive in an increasing digital world. Being Africa’s digital backbone means WIOCC is the hub of the continent’s connectivity, data centre and cloud ecosystem.
Strategic investment in the subsea cables connecting Africa to the world, and the world to Africa, is critical to our role in the industry. WIOCC is a key partner in major subsea cables such as Equiano, 2Africa and EASSy, ensuring continuity of Africa’s global connectivity.
For instance, during the unprecedented submarine cable cuts of the coast of west Africa in March 2024, WIOCC’s network – together with Open Access Data Centres (OADC) Lagos – the landing station for the Equiano cable system – played a critical role in supporting the region’s digital economy. Our infrastructure delivered stability of international connectivity, even throughout the restoration process.
Open Access Data Centres is another member of WIOCC Group, dedicated to constructing and operating open-access, Tier-III data centres that are becoming critical for hosting critical IT workloads, delivering cloud connectivity and content delivery, and underpinning enterprise digital transformation, enabling businesses to scale without reliance on offshore data hosting.
OADC is at the forefront of cloud adoption in Africa, providing low-latency, high-speed interconnection with global cloud platforms via our recently launched OAfabric. Our network of smaller, edge data centres ensure data is processed closer to the user, improving efficiency and supporting applications like Internet of Things (IoT) and AI.
Finally, WIOCC’s Open Access Metro services has – in a single year – deployed wholesale broadband connectivity to over 5 million homes in partnership with local ISPs in Lagos, Nigeria. This is a project that directly impacts people and businesses for the better.
WIOCC Group companies deliver wholesale infrastructure solutions that form the foundation for ISPs, cloud operators, mobile network operators, financial enterprises, oil and gas companies, small/medium enterprises (SMEs) and indeed everyone to deliver world-class digital services that have direct positive impact on the continent. Our infrastructure supports mobile money platforms and digital banking solutions, ensuring seamless transactions across borders and facilitating financial inclusion for millions.
With low-latency, high-speed connectivity, startups, SMEs and large enterprises can leverage digital tools, cloud services and AI to scale their operations. WIOCC’s ecosystem is also enabling Africa’s growing tech hubs and innovation centres.
WIOCC infrastructure underpins streaming services, social media and content platforms, ensuring users across Africa enjoy high-performance entertainment services and content consumption. Our robust digital infrastructure is a key enabler for Smart City initiatives, IoT applications and AI-driven solutions, ensuring Africa is ready for the next phase of technological advancement.
As the head of the converged Digital Infrastructures for Open Data Access Data Centres–what does your job entails and has Africa developed enough skill set in such a specialized area?
As the Head of Converged Digital Infrastructure at OADC, my primary responsibility is to analyse, optimise and manage digital infrastructure assets, ensuring they are seamlessly integrated into an ecosystem that drives growth and innovation. This involves overseeing our data centre interconnect, cloud and connectivity infrastructure to deliver maximum value to our clients.
A major aspect of my role is promoting collaboration with Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), content providers, Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), ISPs and enterprises to ensure seamless alignment and cross-service delivery leveraging our data centre services, connectivity, internet peering and other offerings. I also oversee our recently launched OAfabric: a platform that consolidates our interconnect and data centre ecosystem. OAfabric is designed with some key features:
- Cloud Interconnect services – offering cloud on-ramp service to cloud users; the platform hosts major global cloud providers and domestic cloud providers around Africa.
- Multi IX Access Point is another service offered through OAfabric; this is in line with our goal of supporting defragmentation of the internet. By enabling IXP centralisation, networks and users can access multiple IXPs from a single location and platform.
- OAfabric Peering – in locations without a functional IXP, this service ensures that content is localised, and we are able to deliver much-needed content in such locations thereby bridging the digital divide and fostering inclusivity.
Converged Digital Infrastructure involves integrating components like connectivity, data centres, peering, and interconnection–in all these, is investment a key factor?
Yes, investment is a critical factor in building and sustaining converged digital infrastructure in Africa, just as every business requires investment. The integration of connectivity, data centres, peering and interconnection requires substantial capital expenditure (CAPEX) and long-term financial commitment.
Without significant investment, Africa risks falling behind in the global digital economy. Investment is key to expanding fibre-optic connectivity, scaling data centre infrastructure, strengthening peering and interconnection, and enabling cloud and edge computing. Investment is not just a key factor in the lifeline of Africa’s converged digital infrastructure.
Without sustained capital injections from governments, private investors and development partners, Africa will struggle to meet its digital transformation goals. However, with the right level of strategic investment and regulatory support, Africa’s digital infrastructure will continue to thrive, driving economic growth and innovation across the continent. This is why at WIOCC Group our strategy is based on continuous and strategic investment in Africa.
How have investments improved or impaired your activities and has working in WIOCC/OADC helped?
Investment has been a crucial factor in shaping our work at WIOCC and OADC, significantly influencing the opportunity to build Africa’s leading digital infrastructure business. On the positive side, our strategic investments in terrestrial fibre networks, subsea cables and data centres have accelerated digital transformation across the continent.
The expansion of our terrestrial fibre network and strategic participation in major subsea cable systems have strengthened connectivity, allowing us to deliver reliable, high-speed, low-latency solutions that power businesses.
Similarly, investments in OADC – as seen with the involvement of International Finance Corporation (IFC) and leading African-focussed investment firm African Capital Alliance (ACA) – have facilitated the growth of our facilities and critical services, enabling us to expand, extend and offer more services to our clients.
The high capital expenditure required for digital infrastructure development means that projects typically face funding bottlenecks, regulatory delays and power supply constraints, particularly in regions where stable electricity is not guaranteed.
WIOCC and OADC have navigated these hurdles themselves, enabling them to offer clients a strong platform to navigate these complexities, offering access to extensive infrastructure, technical expertise, and strategic partnerships.
Working in such an environment has enabled me and my colleagues to drive digital transformation by ensuring that Africa’s connectivity and data centre ecosystems remain robust, scalable and futureproof.
In most parts of Africa, there is still a lack of access to digital infrastructures, how serious is this?
The lack of access to digital infrastructure in many parts of Africa is a major challenge that directly impacts economic growth, education, healthcare and overall digital inclusion.
While major cities and business hubs are experiencing rapid digital transformation, as seen in Lagos, Abuja, Accra, Nairobi, Cape Town and so on, vast parts of the continent – particularly rural and underserved areas – continue to have minimal access to high-speed internet, reliable data centres and cloud services.
Even in connected regions, issues such as low broadband speeds, high data costs, frequent fibre-optic cable cuts and inadequate infrastructure hinder effective digital participation.
The deployment of fibre-optic networks is typically concentrated in urban centres, leaving rural communities reliant on mobile networks. Additionally, many African countries still lack the high-quality data centres needed to host IT infrastructure efficiently.
Africa is still extremely dependent on international content – even when content is developed in Africa, it is often stored offshore before being returned to the eventual consumers in Africa, leading to high latency and bandwidth cost. This is because many content providers host their content in just a few major African cities, or it is somewhere “in the cloud”.
This lack of a fully comprehensive, pan-African digital infrastructure has serious economic implications. Businesses struggle with unreliable connectivity, making it difficult to compete in a global digital economy. Financial inclusion is also affected, as millions remain excluded from mobile banking and digital payment systems due to poor connectivity. The education sector suffers as well, with students in remote areas unable to access online learning resources.
Closing this gap requires substantial investment, not just from private sector players but also through public-private partnerships and government-led initiatives. Large-scale fibre rollouts, improved mobile broadband penetration and the expansion of edge and hyperscale data centres are all critical to ensuring that Africa’s digital transformation is inclusive and sustainable. Without such initiatives continuing, the digital divide will continue to widen, limiting the continent’s ability to fully leverage the opportunities presented by the digital economy.
WIOCC Converged Digital Infrastructure–CODI focuses on connecting open access subsea and terrestrial networks to digital hubs, promoting wider digital access across Africa–walk us through this and its strategic importance and relevance?
Converged Open-access Digital Infrastructure (CODI) articulates WIOCC Group’s proposition to Africa’s wholesale marketplace. CODI integrates open-access subsea and terrestrial networks with interconnection hubs, open-access core and edge data centres and a managed services “wrap” to enhance digital connectivity across the continent.
By combining carrier-neutral data centres with high-capacity, resilient networks, CODI is creating an open-access wholesale platform. that enables our clients of all sizes – from major content providers and cloud operators to telcos and ISPs – to contribute to the digitisation of the continent by bringing to market improved service offerings and expanding their operations across the continent with scaleably and flexibly.
The strategic importance of CODI lies in its ability to underpin the development and growth of vibrant, interconnected digital ecosystems, giving our clients the freedom to select infrastructure solutions that best meet their specific needs.
In many cases, this reduces operational complexities and optimises costs by shifting expenditures from capital to operational and responsibilities from in-house to outsourced, supporting rapid scalability.
CODI is also instrumental in bringing cloud services closer to the point of consumption in Africa, enhancing user experience through reduced latency. Access to our local expertise and support further helps regional and global clients maximise of pan-African opportunities.
Converging open-access digital infrastructure enables a radical transformation of digitalisation across the continent, attracting international investment as global clients engage with the continent’s rapidly developing markets. This infrastructure facilitates the deployment of transformative products, services and technologies across African markets, offering enormous benefits for all, including Africa’s SMEs and tech start-ups.
Improved efforts at collaboration among financial service providers, telecommunication operators, and tech Startups, with conscious effort geared at consumer awareness, have been proffered as key remedies to the challenge of financial inclusion in the country.
L-r: Chika Nwosu, managing director of PalmPay; Oluwabunmi Ogunyemi, customer support lead at Moniepoint MFB; Munachi Duru, Head of Innovation and partnership at AfriGoPay Financial Services Limited; Mrs. Uche Uzoebo, MD/CEO, Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities Limited (SANEF) Limited; Happiness Ohioha, CEO, Tizel Cybersecurity; Ibirogba Oluwagunwa, chairman, Lagos State Chapter of the Association of Mobile Money & Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN); Chike Onwuegbuchi and Peter Oluka, co-conveners, Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON), at PAFON 2.0 held in Lagos, recently.
This is the viewpoint of stakeholders that gathered for the second edition of Payment Forum Nigeria (PAFON 2.0) held recently in Lagos.
Delivering a keynote address on the theme, “Bridging the Customer Experience Gap for Financial Inclusion Using AI”, Ebehijie Momoh (Mrs.), the managing director and chief executive officer of AfriGoPay Financial Services Limited, said that with 64% of Nigerian adults being financial included the country has made immense progress in that regards.
She said that between 2012 till date, the country has recorded robust regulatory reforms, especially the launch of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) in 2014 making it easier to identify and track customers across different banks.
“This initiative enhanced the credibility of the financial sector and increased confidence in formal banking systems.
The growth in adoption of smartphones has also helped the financial sector to leapfrog financial inclusion. Nigeria has 142.16 mobile internet subscriptions with an average consumption of ~7.04GB / month as of January 2025. If you juxtapose it to the 15.9% decline in shipments of feature phones to 18.8 million units in Africa as at Q1 2024, you will understand that the uptake in smartphones has helped us a great deal.
Mrs. Momoh who spoke through Mr. Munachi Duru, the head of Innovation and Strategic Partnership at AfriGoPay, said the adoption of artificial intelligence banking gave birth to solutions like smile identity, a leading KYC verification provider launches facial recognition capabilities in Nigeria as neobanks and commercial banks are deploying AI-based KYC verification tools, enabling cheaper and efficient customer acquisition and servicing.
In her goodwill message, Mrs. Uche Uzoebo, MD/CEO, Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities Limited (SANEF) Limited said that with progress made in accelerating financial inclusion to unbanked and underbanked communities in Nigeria, SANEF has leveraged Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the next step to advancement in financial services in the country.
She noted that as technology evolves rapidly within the financial ecosystem, Financial Inclusion must continue to be at the center of the nation’s progress.
According to her, agent banking has been a game-changer in expanding financial inclusion across Nigeria. “By deploying agents in underserved areas, we have brought financial services and banking products such as account opening, cash in, cash out, bill payment, transfers and other services closer to the unbanked and underserved.”
Speaking during a panel session, Mr. Ibirogba Oluwagunwa, chairman, Lagos State Chapter of the Association of Mobile Money & Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN), spoke of lack of collaboration and slow institutional drive towards AI as key barriers hindering digital inclusion.
He harped on the need for information sharing among fintech operators, and improved free flow of information to consumers. “The human barrier angle needs to be addressed. Fintechs need to be pushed to move forward, AI cannot operate itself.”
In his contribution, Mr. Chika Nwosu, managing director of PalmPay, reiterated the need to reach the consumers with simple format communication and education style.
He said operators should create awareness and design consumer–centric approach in developing any products. This will not only draw the consumers towards the product, but also generate trust and ease the use of such products.
Focusing on the use of AI to ensure reach, inclusion and security, Azure Application and AI Specialist at Microsoft UK, Olusoji Solomon Adeyemo, spoke on the need for AI and Blockchain in the bid to extend services to rural communities and the unbanked.
According to him, “AI, Blockchain and CBDs are shaping the future of payment, and there is a serious need for education. We need to align with global trends in new tech adoption.”
While noting that AI can ensure reach, Adeyomo said blockchain will also create digital identity that is exclusive and will promote digital financial inclusion.
In her position, Oluwabunmi Ogunyemi, the customer support lead at Moniepoint MFB, proffered physical and digital meet with customers, even in rural areas, as a viable means of inclusivity.
Also speaking, Olusegun Afolabi, the co-founder of Face Technologies UK Ltd., called for improved collaborations among stakeholders in the financial sector.
According to him, the fintech companies must also embrace effective identification solutions, focusing on biometrics and card technologies to ensure topnotch security for users.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Mr. Peter Oluka, co-Convener of the Forum, noted that the financial inclusion journey in the country has come to a crucial juncture where over 30 million adults are still financially excluded, many of whom reside in rural areas or belong to vulnerable demographics.
He noted that despite 12% growth in access to formal financial services between 2020 and 2023, as recorded by the EFInA Access to Financial Services Survey 2023, challenges still exist that hinders the unlocking of the potentials of digital payments to drive inclusive growth in Nigeria.
He further posited: “As digital infrastructure grows and fintech innovation accelerates, we must channel these advancements toward building a more inclusive, secure, and trusted financial ecosystem. This is not just about transactions — it’s about empowerment, opportunity, and economic participation for all.
Nodding in agreement, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, co-Convener, PAFON, reiterated the need for all stakeholders in the financial payment industry, including regulators, to participate in forums as PAFON, to map out, growth strategies with consumers and other strata of the ecosystem.
He promised to invite security stakeholders, such as the EFCC and others in subsequent editions of the event. This will help give insight into security concerns in deployment of products and services in rural and unbanked communities.
Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON) is a platform dedicated to shaping the future of digital payments and financial services in our country.
MTN Nigeria has proudly announced the rebranding of its fibre broadband service to FibreX, marking a significant stride in delivering next-generation internet solutions across the nation.
Formerly called MTN Fibre Broadband, FibreX embodies the company’s commitment to providing ultra-fast, reliable, and accessible internet services, aligning seamlessly with Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2020–2025.
The NBP aims to achieve 70% broadband penetration by 2025, ensuring minimum speeds of 25 Mbps in urban areas and 10 Mbps in rural regions.
“The launch of FibreX reiterates our dedication to supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation journey,” said Egerton Idehen, Chief Broadband Officer, MTN Nigeria. “By enhancing our infrastructure and services, we aim to bridge the digital divide and foster inclusive growth.”
FibreX is set to play a pivotal role in the Federal Government’s initiative to expand the nation’s fibre-optic network by an additional 90,000 kilometers, aiming to increase fibre capacity from 35,000 km to 125,000 km.
FibreX promises ultra-fast and reliable internet connectivity, aiming to meet the diverse needs of Nigerians, from bustling urban centres to remote rural areas.
While the service itself retains its powerful FTTH (fibre to the home) infrastructure, the new name embodies a more modern, relatable, and emotionally resonant brand that is positioned to lead the conversation around what premium internet should feel like.
The new name, FibreX, was adopted to create a more customer-friendly brand. The goal is to educate and excite consumers within home-passed locations (the potential number of premises within a service area that can be connected to an FTTH network) about the benefits of the product.
As Nigeria strides towards a digitally inclusive future, initiatives like FibreX are crucial in bridging the digital divide and fostering nationwide connectivity.
For more information about FibreX and its offerings, please visit www.mtn.ng/fibrex.
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