Tag: Telcos

Poor network service: FG orders telcos to compensate subscribers

Aminu Imam
FG orders telcos

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed Mobile Network Operators to compensate subscribers in areas where network quality falls below prescribed standards. In a statement issued yesterday, Head of Public Affairs at the Commission, Nnenna Ukoha, said affected users will receive airtime credits calculated based on their average spending patterns and their presence within local government areas where service failures occur. “Subscribers should not be made to bear the full burden of service disruptions where operators fail to meet prescribed standards of service delivery. The compensation will be provided in…

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‘Telcos added ₦4.4tr to economy in Q3’ – Report

Aminu Imam
Telcos Report

Telecommunications companies contributed ₦4.4trillion to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the third quarter of 2025, representing 84.5% of the ₦5.2trillion generated by the wider Information and Communications sector, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated in its latest report. The ICT sector, which also includes broadcasting, sound and media production, and publishing, accounted for 9.1% of real GDP in Q3 2025, down from 11.8% in the previous quarter. Despite the decline in quarterly share, the sector achieved year-on-year growth of 5.78%, highlighting its sustained contribution to economic expansion. These…

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Telcos alert FG to diesel shortages to 16,000 telephone sites

Aminu Imam
Telcos alert FG

Telecommunications operators (Telcos) have expressed deep concerns about ongoing disruptions to the supply logistics of diesel to cell sites across the country. The operators, under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, (ALTON), in a statement on Thursday, signed by the Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, said the body has received credible reports that members of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria, (NOGASA), on Tuesday, blocked access to diesel loading depots in Kaduna, Lagos, and…

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Banks mull USSD charges over new telcos tariff hike

Aminu Imam
Banks mull USSD charges

Nigerian banks are considering passing USSD transaction costs to customers after telecom companies raised tariffs, citing inflation and operational expenses.  This move has sparked concerns over higher mobile banking costs, particularly for users without smartphones or internet access. Telecom firms, under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), recently adjusted their USSD pricing, affecting banks that rely on the service for financial transactions.  USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data), according to experts is a platform that enables bank customers to transfer money digitally using their phones…

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Telcos may suspend USSD services in 2 weeks over ₦250b bank debts

Aminu Imam
Telcos may suspend

Except there is any other intervention, indications emerged Monday that the telecoms operators (telcos) have concluded plans to suspend the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, (USSD), over the non-compliance of deposit money banks (DMBs) to the payment of the protracted N250 billion debt. The suspension of the USSD service is expected in two weeks due to the failure of the banks to comply with the December 23, 2024 joint directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which required them to make part payment of…

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‘Telcos seeking 100% tariff hike’ – MTN CEO, Toriola

Aminu Imam
MTN CEO, Toriola

MTN Nigeria has revealed that telecommunications companies are seeking a 100% tariff increase, but it remains uncertain whether the telecom regulator Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), will approve the proposal. The disclosure was made by the Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, who made the disclosure during an interview yesterday, said the proposed tariff hike is necessary for the sustainability of the industry, which has been facing significant financial pressures due to rising operational costs. “We’ve put forward requests of approximately 100% tariff increases to regulators. I doubt they’re going…

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MTN, Airtel, 9Mobile to raise prices in 2025 after NCC approval

Aminu Imam
Telecoms tariff

The Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), has approved a long-awaited telecom tariff hike, ending over a decade of lobbying by major operators like MTN Nigeria, Airtel, and 9Mobile.  New rates for calls, SMS, and internet bundles will take effect in January 2025, with tariffs expected to rise by up to 40%.   Under the revised structure, call charges will increase from ?11 to ?15.40 per minute, SMS costs will rise from ?4 to ?5.60, and a 1GB data bundle will cost at least ?1,400, up from ?1,000.  This marks the end of…

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NCC deny granting MTN, Glo, others permission to increase tariff

Aminu Imam
NCC 1

The Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), has denied granting telecommunications companies in the country like MTN, Glo and others permission to increase tariffs. Executive Vice-Chairman/CEO of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, stated this on his verified X account on Saturday, while addressing the false information circulating within the telecom sector. Reports had emerged across some sections of the media that the telecoms industry regulator had granted the request of the network providers to increase tariffs. The report stated that NCC had approved tariff increases for MTN, Airtel, Glo, and other telecom…

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NIN-SIM verification: NCC orders telcos to re-activate all lines barred

Aminu Imam
NCC orders telcos

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered all telecommunication companies in the country to re-activate all lines they have barred over issues surrounding the linking and verification of National Identification Numbers (NIN) linked with their Subscriber Identification Modules, (SIMs). The sudden U-turn from the regulator, which had earlier given the telecom operators a July 31 deadline to bar all lines with unverified NINs, may not be unconnected with the planned protest and the claims that the government was trying to frustrate the protest through telecommunications.  Millions of lines were barred…

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“?Telecom sector not a panacea for economic challenges” - Telcos to FG

Aminu Imam

Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, has rebuffed the notion of using the telecom sector as a quick fix for Nigeria’s economic woes. Speaking at the launch of the Groupe Spécial Mobile Association (GSMA) digital economy report in Abuja, Adebayo underscored the need to address the telecom industry’s fundamental challenges rather than rely on it as a sole solution to broader economic issues. Highlighting the sector’s multifaceted challenges, Adebayo stressed the importance of sustainable investment, streamlined regulation, and a conducive business environment to…

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