Telecom
Reasons Smile Selected Ericsson for 4G/LTE Managed Services

The coming together of like minds produces better results, and Nigeria CommunicationsWeek investigations showed that the prevailing factors for the first 4G/LTE managed services contract signed in Sub-Saharan Africa between Smile Communications Nigeria Limited and Ericsson Corporation about a week ago.
The contract is in line with Smile Communications’ plan to outsource its network managed services and concentrate on rolling-out services to other cities across the country.
Accordingly, Smile Communications relying on its 800GHz spectrum has scheduled to roll-out services in three States in the third quarter of 2015, thereby requiring the expertise Ericsson represents to ensure unrivaled quality of service provisioning.
Smile presently in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja and Port Harcourt is itching to launch 4G/LTE services in Benin, Kaduna and Enugu between August and October 2015.
Still on the purpose of the Smile/Ericsson contract agreement, Mrs. Alero Ladipo, chief marketing officer (CMO) of Smile Communications Nigeria Limited told Nigeria Communications in Lagos, that the Company is forward thinking in its approach to market penetration.
According to her, the Smile Communications has penchant interest in offering the customers the best quality of service.
Ladipo said, “Smile Communications is putting things together for the future. Our drives are geared towards, first of all, presenting good products to our customers. The Ericsson partnership is about good partnership. Initially, everyone was skeptical; you started well, will you finish well.
“The whole idea now is that Smile and Ericsson partnership is about continuously doing well and wherever there is an end it will continuously be good. So, that is key to: service perfection, product superiority and we are trying to maintain that. We are making people to understand that the use of data comes in the reach of everybody. And nobody should feel they cannot use data for whatever thing they want to do.
Now, data is being used in education, health, medicine, agriculture, et cetera., in fact no sector has not been impacted by data availability. We are also leading telemedicine approach in Nigeria through our partnership with First Consultant Medical Centre, Lagos; where you sit at home and say, ‘Doctor, my head is aching me’ and he pulls-up files and say maybe this and that are the issues. At that point, you need not to take a trip all the way to the doctor’s office”.
She added that the contract was part of the Company’s drives to moving Nigerians and the country forward.
Also speaking to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, Mr. Tobe Okigbo, chief corporate services officer for Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, reiterated that the managed services contract, essentially means that each of the partners concentrate on their areas of expertise.
“Ericsson is an expert in the areas of developing a network. Therefore, Ericsson takes care of the network, Smile takes care of making sure that the services get to the people. It is symbiotic relationship that both will benefit from.
“Now, think about this: Smile’s spectrum is 800 and the LTE, currently, is the only genuine LTE in Nigeria. People are claiming they offer LTE; on 2.3MHz or 3.4MHz spectrum? Ours is on 800MHz, an innovative spectrum. So, the Smile Communications and Ericsson partnership means the coming together of the best to offer consumers the best. The brand promise at Smile is to offer the best and we are consistently pursuing the promise,” Okigbo said.
Telecom
Airtel Recommits to Fraud Prevention after NCC’s N104m Fine for SIM Registration Breaches

Airtel Nigeria has restated its commitment to transparency, customer safety, and regulatory collaboration following recent regulatory enforcement by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
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.
Telecom
Kenya Beats Nigeria As the Most Progressive ICT Regulation in Africa

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

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.
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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