The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has publicly commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for impactful regulatory actions that have bolstered stability and restored investor confidence in the telecom sector.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to Idris Olorunnimbe, chairman of the NCC Board, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, ALTON chairman, highlighted recent policy interventions as pivotal in addressing longstanding structural challenges.
According to Adebayo, strategic foreign exchange reforms and the resolution of a nearly ₦300 billion USSD debt backlog helped alleviate financial strain on operators, particularly where revenues earned in Naira were strained by foreign-denominated costs for bandwidth, equipment and international traffic.
Regulatory guidance that migrated USSD billing to end-user billing effectively eliminated these systemic debts, he said, turning a looming crisis into a sustainable framework.
On pricing, the ALTON chairman underscored the significance of the NCC’s decision to approve tariff adjustments after 13 years of static pricing.
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He noted that inflationary pressures, exchange volatility and rising energy costs had pushed service pricing below sustainable cost levels. The tariff review, he argued, not only prevented service rationing and industry decline but also improved network stability and revived operators’ capital expenditure planning.
Despite these gains, Adebayo drew attention to infrastructure risks, particularly recurring fibre cuts linked to road construction activities.
He called for enforced consequence management, insisting that contractors responsible for telecom infrastructure damage must be held accountable and required to restore connectivity before continuing work.
Responding to the commendation, Idris Olorunnimbe, NCC Chairman, described telecommunications as the central nervous system of the economy, stressing that failures in connectivity can ripple across commerce, education, health and governance.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to regulatory independence, fairness and partnerships that elevate service quality for consumers.
Olorunnimbe also reaffirmed efforts to enforce Critical National Infrastructure protections and called on operators to support broader national objectives, including expanding access in underserved communities and exploring zero-rated educational platforms to enhance digital inclusion.
