Telecom
WTIS Seeks Harmonized Data on Global ICT Access, Affordability
Delegates to the just concluded ITU’s World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Symposium (WTIS), have endorsed the need to strengthen and adapt the way data on information and communication technologies (ICTs) is collected to better meet the needs of today’s fast-evolving environment.
Accurate data on indicators like network access, service affordability and connection speeds is increasingly recognized as essential to each country’s plans for social development and economic growth.
The three-day symposium is the world’s most important meeting of ICT data experts from around the world. Organized by ITU, and hosted this year by Mexican regulator the Federal Institute for Telecommunications (IFT), the event welcomed over 300 delegates, including government Ministers, industry CEOs and heads of national and international statistics agencies.
“The ICT sector is evolving faster than any sector in human history. The role of this annual symposium is to meet the challenge of measuring the rapid evolution of the sector, and of making sure that ICT data, statistics and indicators are internationally-harmonized, and internationally-comparable,” said Dr Hamadoun I. Touré , ITU secretary-general, in his closing address to delegates.
“Only by doing this can we paint a clear, impartial and – most importantly – universal picture that will enable us to make meaningful comparisons and track the evolution of the ICT ecosystem.”
ITU’s work in global ICT statistics gathering and analysis is relied upon by policy makers around the world, referenced by other influential institutions including the UN family of agencies, the World Bank, the IMF and the World Economic Forum, and acted upon by a growing international community of investors.
For the first time this year, the event featured a High-Level opening day with three key debates around future post-2015 development frameworks, the role of monitoring in building tomorrow’s information society, and strategies for enhancing multi-stakeholder dialogue and national coordination in data collection.
It brought together expert speakers and panelists to share views and best practices, and emphasized the importance of ensuring that ICTs are a cornerstone of the post-2015 development agenda as the catalyst of broad social and economic development.
“This has been the best-attended WTIS event to date, which demonstrates the growing recognition of the importance of data and statistics in the ICT sector. We look forward to seeing even greater participation next year,” said Brahima Sanou, director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau.
“ITU remains committed to this process, and we look forward to continuing our work with the global community in this field as we move forward”.
In his opening remarks to the conference earlier, WTIS Chair, Luis Lucatero, chief of Regulatory Policy at IFT, said: “The biggest enemy of investment is information asymmetry. An ICT regulator is like an architect, building a strong and robust market that ultimately serves as a platform for national growth across all business sectors. The global dialogue that this event promotes is unique, and will help all players – industry, government and regulators – fulfil the ultimate goal of serving the needs of the ICT consumer.”
This year’s symposium also featured two special side events; the first hosted by Costa Rica on the national approach to data collection in partnership with ICT operators, and the second by Iran on the development and implementation of a new data measurement system.
The event also incorporated a special tour led by IFT to view a community ICT centre developed by Red de Innovación y Aprendizaje (RIA), a learning and innovation project of the Fundación Proacceso which is designed to bring access to technology training to marginalized communities.
The tour was hosted by young co-founder, Jorge Camil Starr, and has already brought the power of ICTs to over 425,000 children and youth in 95 schools in the Mexico City environs.
Telecommunications services disrupted in Kogi State have resumed following a resolution of the dispute between MTN Nigeria and the state government, the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has said.
Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of ALTON, told TVC News that the issues that led to the shutdown of telecom masts in the state, primarily affecting MTN, had been addressed, paving the way for service restoration.
TVC News earlier reported that businessmen and women were counting their losses as they suffered the impact of a shut down of telecommunication service in Kogi State
Over the past two weeks, telecoms connectivity had been erratic, with competing brands experiencing glitches, particularly in the Lokoja metropolis.
The State government suspended the operations of some telecom services citing unpaid taxes and fibre-related dues.
The shutdown stemmed from a compliance dispute between MTN and the Kogi State Utility Infrastructure Management and Compliance Agency, which accused the telecom giant of violating operational rules and under-declaring the extent of its optic fibre network coverage in the state.
The protracted Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) debt misunderstanding between the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and telecommunications operators appears to have been resolved.
This was confirmed by the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, Thursday, March 1, when he appeared on Arise TV to speak on the firm’s first-quarter 2025 result, where the telecommunications company reported over N1 trillion in revenue earnings.
Recall that the USSD debt had been a major issue between the DMBs and telcos and had lasted for about five years.
In the third quarter of 2024, the telcos had threatened to withdraw their service over the lingering debt, which was around N200 billion at the time. This led to the swift intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and an agreement was reached on payment.
As of November 2024, the NCC put the debt at N160 billion. However, earlier this year, when it appeared the banks were not forthcoming with payments, the NCC directed the telcos to withdraw the USSD services from debt-owning DMBs, where about 18 banks were listed.
This directive prompted the banks to look inward and start to comply with an earlier circular signed by the CBN and NCC, which articulated the payment patterns for the debt.
Speaking, on Arise TV this morning, May 1, Toriola confirmed that the matter has been fully resolved and that banks have made payments.
“I can confirm that the matter has been fully resolved. We have received payments in full. Special thanks to the CBN, NCC, the banks, and other stakeholders that intervened in the matter,” the MTN CEO stated.
Sterling Bank, Leading commercial bank and Africa’s most agile company has announced the introduction of AlwaysOn by Sterling, a bold new feature on its OneBank platform that will give eligible customers up to ₦1 million extra every month -even when their account balances are running low.
Launched on Workers’ Day 2025, the initiative is part of an ongoing movement to remove structural barriers to financial freedom and empower everyday Nigerians to move boldly, even in uncertain times.
AlwaysOn is a specialised, invitation-only feature for customers who maintain an active OneBank account for a while. It provides an advance to settle bills or make payments without delays, or any of the friction associated with traditional credit systems.
“This is not just about funds,” said Abubakar Suleiman, Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank. “It’s about freedom and dignity. It’s about backing our customers with the trust and tools to act boldly when life demands it.”
Suleiman emphasised that the new feature is not a product, it’s a logical shift in how the bank supports its customers.
“We’re building a financial ecosystem designed for momentum -for people with grit, urgency, and dreams too big to wait. If you’ve banked with us, you’ve earned our confidence. Now you’ll have our backing to match,” added Suleiman.
The introduction of AlwaysOn marks the next chapter in Sterling’s growing movement to create a fairer and more responsive financial system. It follows the Zero Transfer Fees initiative in April, which returned an estimated ₦13 billion to Nigerians by eliminating transfer charges across the OneBank platform. It also builds on Sterling’s Free Bus Ride initiative, which helped commuters get home from work for free during a time of intense economic pressure.
Together, these efforts reflect the bank’s bold, people-first approach to customer impact, now made possible by its adoption of SeaBaas, Nigeria’s first indigenous core banking platform.
“We’re not the kind of bank that stands on the sidelines while Nigerians hustle,” said Obinna Ukachukwu, Growth Executive for Retail and Consumer Banking. “We removed the fees that slowed them down. Now we’re giving Nigerians the financial freedom to seize opportunity when it shows up. We’re on the pitch with them.”
Sterling’s actions have sparked widespread public support and national recognition as they have continued to push the boundaries of what corporate citizenship can mean to everyday Nigerians.
Notable icons from various fields have canvassed their support and praised the bank’s stance in redefining financial services, inspiring other institutions to follow suit.
Nigerians are encouraged to apply to join the waitlist for the scheme when it goes live in later this month and ultimately, eligibility for up to N1M extra in relief advances.
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