Highlights
- “We are rapidly seeing Telecommunications companies (Telcos) becoming Technology companies, (Techcos)”
- More 5G commercialization
- Taxes and Incentives like the USPF should be amplified
- Investors need more reassurance from the government
- ‘japa syndrome’ to reduce
Tinuade Oguntuyi, an IT and Network Infrastructure expert, has predicted that more telecommunications companies (Telcos) would become metamorphosed to technology companies (Techcos); infusing cloud, cybersecurity, data analytics, ML, etc.), this year.
In a chat with Techeconomy, Tinuade who has spearheaded the design, deployment, and optimization of network solutions for over 30 telecom base stations across Nigeria, referenced the partnership between MTN and Cloudflare to elevate Africa’s cybersecurity landscape, as a pointer to more developments to expect in the industry this year.
In a significant collaboration set to redefine cybersecurity standards across Africa, MTN Converged Solutions and Cloudflare, a global leader in internet security and performance, have joined forces.
In the words of Tinuade (Women in Tech to Watch in 2025 nominee):
“We are rapidly seeing Telecommunications companies (Telcos) becoming Technology companies, (Techcos) infusing cloud, cybersecurity, data analytics, ML, etc.) as we saw towards the end of 2024 when MTN partnered with Cloudflare.
“This broadening of focus will enable telcos to become key players in the technology ecosystem, not just the telecommunications sector.
“Simply put, ‘Telco to Techco’ marks a strategic shift as telecommunications companies integrate more advanced tech capabilities to offer end-to-end digital solutions in 2025 and beyond
“We see 2025 as a year of more 5G commercialization especially as AI tools are empowering significant and explosive inventions
“No doubt, AI has come to stay, we are here for both exciting and challenging times, where more will be needed especially in fraud detection tools/mechanisms as AI exploits open doors for threats and strengthen the dark web, another rising concern is hyper-personalization, though it offers convenience, it also raises ethical questions related to privacy, data security, and the ‘filter bubble’ effect, where users are only exposed to ideas and content that align with their preferences, limiting diversity of thought”.
More investments
“Investors need to be sure they are coming into a terrain that has growth potential, with Nigeria’s macro economy significant challenges, we need a lot from the Government to address Inflation, monetary policies, and overall economic growth.
Lesser impacts of the ‘japa syndrome’ in the telecoms sector
‘Japa‘ is a seemingly expensive project these days, in my opinion, there will be fewer japa compared to initial post covid years but remote work will continue to have great numbers and what we are seeing is this – though people work physically here still takes up one or more remote jobs.
“Beyond japa, a trend I have observed is that the number of core telecom engineers – Network engineers, network architects, NOC Engineers, Telecoms engineers, etc. are diversifying into other core tech areas like Machine learning, DevOps, Cybersecurity, etc. while this move itself is great for telecoms industry, we still need quality talents in the other areas experiencing less attraction
Areas government shouldn’t downplay
“Sure, especially in the area of taxation and tax incentives, although with the new tax reforms ongoing, we are hopeful there will be some improvements
“Ease of doing business, this can’t be overemphasized, companies especially Indigenous need a lot of support when it comes to forex, this has impacted the telecoms business posture, lately in the news you have seen several telco bodies calling for approval to hike prices of services and solutions. Sadly, we import almost everything we use for operations and developments, from hardware to software licenses – that tells you why there is so much bleeding in the sector as seen from financial reports
“Incentives like the USPF should be amplified, and support in infrastructure –power.
“Telcos should enjoy appropriate forex facilities like manufacturing, oil and gas, etc”, she added.
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