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Telecom

Telcos Say 30m Lines not Properly Linked to NINs

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Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), has disclosed that over 30 million lines have not been properly linked to a National Identification Number (NIN).

Telcos Say 30m Lines not Properly Linked to NINs

Gbenga Adebayo, chairman. ALTON

These lines are mainly in car trackers, MiFi units, WiFi devices, and Point of Sale (PoS) machines. He said this during a recent interview with News Central on the back of recent chaos caused by the unblocking of lines not connected to their NINs.

“The numbers are staggering,” Adebayo, the president of the umbrella body of telcos, said. “We are looking at potentially over 30 million SIM cards, including those in various digital devices, that have not been properly linked to the NIN. Many of these SIMS are in car trackers, POS machines, MiFis, WiFis, and many other devices that use SIMs to operate.”

Over the weekend, telcos began barring phone lines not linked with NINs days before the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)’s July 31, 2024 deadline.

Since February 2024, telcos have implemented a phased disconnection of lines in compliance with an NCC directive. At the end of 2023, the regulator asked telcos to disconnect lines that had not been successfully linked with an NIN across three phases, ending July 31, 2024.

About 50 million lines have been impacted by earlier rounds of disconnections. Nigeria has 219.01 million connected lines as of March 2024.

Some subscribers affected by this round of disconnections claimed that their SIMs and NIN had been linked. According to Adebayo, these subscribers were disconnected because of discrepancies in records between telecom operators and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

“There are instances where individuals provided their NINs, but the information did not match our records,” Adebayo noted.

“These discrepancies must be resolved at service centers to ensure proper verification.”

While the timing of the disconnections coincided with nationwide protests, Adebayo emphasised that there was no link as the action had begun long before the protests.

“Unfortunately, the disconnection coincided with the planned protests, but it had nothing to do with stifling communication,” he said. “We are guided by our social contract with subscribers and provide services on a non-discriminatory basis.”

The ALTON boss further highlighted the role of accurate data in building a reliable national database. He stressed the importance of individuals providing truthful and consistent information during registration to avoid future complications.

“To have a reliable and equipped national database, all of us must contribute accurate information,” Adebayo urged. “This database can only be as reliable as the information provided by the public.”

Public outcry over the implementation of the last phase of disconnection eventually made the NCC extend its deadline to a yet-to-be-set date.

“The consumer is our priority, therefore, considering the challenges the blockages have caused, the commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend… Reactivated consumers are to note that this is for a limited period to allow them to properly link their NIN to their SIM,” the commission said.

Credit: Businessday

 

 


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Telecom

Equinix Strengthens Commitment to Nigeria’s Digital Economy with New LG2.3 Data Center Expansion

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Equinix, Inc. the world’s digital infrastructure company™, has officially opened its latest data center expansion in Lagos. Called LG2.3, the facility will support Nigeria’s growing digital transformation efforts, providing state-of-the-art colocation and secure interconnection solutions which will empower businesses across the region.

It also signifies Equinix’s unwavering dedication to advancing Nigeria’s position in the global digital economy, reinforcing the company’s commitment to the region.

As part of the inauguration, Bruce Owen, President of EMEA at Equinix, along with other Equinix executives, led the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly expanded site. In addition to an official visit to the Governor of Lagos State, Equinix hosted an exclusive customer engagement event, bringing together key customers and partners from Nigeria’s business and technology sectors.

Attendees discussed shared successes and Equinix’s role in facilitating digital transformation, while also connecting directly with Bruce Owen for insights into how Equinix’s solutions drive innovation and business agility in the region.

Equinix executives also took part in a tree-planting ceremony, symbolising Equinix’s continued investment in sustainable initiatives across the globe and highlighting the company’s broader goal of reducing its carbon footprint while supporting greener practices across its operations worldwide.

Speaking about the expansion, Bruce Owen, President of EMEA at Equinix said “Nigeria is a crucial market for Equinix. Today’s opening is a clear demonstration of our continued commitments to invest and grow digital infrastructure that will benefit the many thousands of businesses in Nigeria and on the continent as a whole.

“I am deeply encouraged by the enthusiastic partnerships and innovations emerging from this dynamic region, which continue to inspire our commitment to Nigeria’s digital and sustainable future.”

Adding to this, Wole Abu, Managing Director of Equinix West Africa, highlighted the critical role of data centers in driving economic growth stating “Data centers continue to play a pivotal role in driving economic development in Nigeria, serving as critical infrastructure that supports digital transformation and economic growth.

“As governments and enterprises increasingly acknowledge their significance, global demand for data center capacity is poised to rise. While Africa’s demand for data solutions is still evolving compared to more mature markets, the continent is demonstrating strong potential for digital adoption and innovation.

“To meet this growing need, Equinix is actively advancing three major data center projects in Nigeria, with future expansion plans for Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Africa.”

Equinix remains steadfast in its mission to enable secure, scalable, and sustainable digital growth for economies across the world.


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Telecom

African Women Hit Hardest as Mobile Internet Gender Gap Persists

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African women remain among the most digitally excluded globally, with smartphone affordability and digital literacy among the key barriers. New data from the 2025 GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report, launched recently, reveals a persistent global gender gap in mobile internet use across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

It further notes that literacy, digital skills, safety, and affordability of data also remain critical barriers. The report highlights that 885 million women across these regions still do not use mobile internet, with nearly 60% of them living in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

While mobile internet is the primary way women in LMICs access the internet, offering critical lifelines to health, education, and financial services, the pace of female adoption has stalled, leaving 235 million fewer women than men connected.

Claire Sibthorpe, head of digital inclusion at GSMA, highlighted that the gender gap had narrowed significantly between 2017 and 2020, but progress flatlined in recent years.

Although 2023 brought a slight improvement, restoring the gap to 15%, 2024 saw minimal change, with the gap settling at 14%.

The disparity is most severe in Sub-Saharan Africa, where women are 29% less likely than men to use mobile internet.

“It’s disheartening that progress in reducing the mobile internet gender gap has stalled. The digital divide is driven by deep-rooted socio-economic and cultural factors that disproportionately impact women,” said Sibthorpe.

GSMA projects that closing the gender gap by 2030 could add $1.3 trillion to GDP across LMICs and deliver $230 billion in revenue to the mobile industry.

The report, funded by the UK FCDO, Sida, and the Gates Foundation, stresses the urgent need for targeted investment and policy action to bridge the digital divide and ensure that no woman is left offline.

“The mobile internet gender gap is not going to close on its own. It is driven by deep-rooted social, economic, and cultural factors that disproportionately impact women,” said Sibthorpe.

 


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Telecom

₦800 Billion Infrastructure Plan Set to Boost MTN’s Network Quality Nationwide

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In a recent interview, MTN Nigeria reaffirmed that its ongoing infrastructure investment is a strategic step to improve network quality, speed, and nationwide coverage.

Speaking on Beyond the Headlines with Nifemi Oguntoye, Ugonwa Nwoye, Chief Customer and Experience Officer at MTN Nigeria, explained that although public concern is valid, the company undertook several internal cost-efficiency measures before making structural adjustments.

She emphasised that improved investment is critical to fast-tracking improvements across MTN’s network.

Nwoye explained that MTN undertook extensive internal reforms before embarking on structural changes needed to support this scale of investment.

The company completed its phased roll-out of the increase between February and March, ensuring that every existing data plan was below the 50% increase, and most remained below 25%.

She also noted that customers were proactively informed about all changes, particularly when certain legacy plans were retired and replaced with new ones. “We gave customers six to eight weeks’ notice,” she explained.

“This is why it has taken us some time to complete this process, where we let customers know that at a certain date, this particular tariff is not going to exist.”

Nwoye stressed that MTN had exhausted other internal measures before turning to broader structural updates. Now, with the new pricing structure in place, the company is accelerating its investment in infrastructure, spending over ₦200 billion in the first quarter of 2025 alone, a 159% increase from the same period last year. A total capital expenditure of ₦800 billion is planned for the year.

She noted that this investment is a direct outcome of long-term operational restructuring aimed at improving service quality.

She added, “We are investing over ₦800 billion this year alone in our infrastructure. This will translate into better customer experience, reduced congestion, faster internet speeds, and wider network reach.”

This investment will support the upgrade of over 1,000 cell sites and the expansion of more than 2,000 transmission links nationwide.

Nwoye stressed that these upgrades are designed to deliver faster data speeds, fewer dropped calls, and broader network reach, especially in underserved areas.

She acknowledged the public’s expectations for immediate service improvements but emphasised that large-scale infrastructure takes time to deploy.

Nonetheless, MTN expects customers to begin experiencing visible improvements in network performance by the second half of the year.

In a sector where service quality and customer satisfaction are closely watched, MTN maintains that its ongoing investments are not merely capital commitments but vital enablers of improved digital experiences across Nigeria.


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