This follows a decade of systemic risks that nearly pushed major operators to the brink of insolvency.

During a congratulatory visit to Dr. Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, the recently appointed board chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on February 19, 2026, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, laid bare the high-stakes history of the sector’s recent recovery.

At the heart of this survival story are two critical milestones: the end of a 13-year tariff freeze and the final resolution of a toxic ₦300 billion USSD debt.

The 13-Year Pricing Freeze: From Stagnation to Cost-Reflective Reality

For over a decade, Nigeria’s telecom tariffs were frozen in time. While the cost of diesel, foreign exchange, and infrastructure maintenance skyrocketed, call and data rates remained pegged to 2013 economic realities.

The Background

Until early 2025, operators were largely operating on a cost study conducted over 10 years prior.

By 2024, with inflation crossing 30% and the Naira devalued by over 200%, the industry reached a service rationing warning stage.

Operators like MTN Nigeria reported record losses (over ₦514 billion) primarily due to forex exposure and static pricing.

In January 2025, the NCC, under Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman approved a 50% tariff adjustment.

While operators had clamored for a 100% increase, the 50% sustainability intervention raised voice call floors from roughly ₦6.40 to ₦9.60 per minute, providing the necessary liquidity to resume capital expenditure (CAPEX).

The USSD Debt Saga: Resolving the ₦300 Billion Systemic Risk

Perhaps the most contentious battle in the history of Nigerian fintech was the USSD debt dispute between Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Deposit Money Banks (DMBs).

What began as a ₦42 billion disagreement in 2021 ballooned into a ₦300 billion crisis by early 2026.

The History of the Dispute:

Phase 1 marked by standoff: Banks refused to remit USSD service fees to telcos, arguing that the service should be billed to consumers differently.

Phase 2 marked by regulatory deadlock: Previous attempts at resolution saw the debt rise from ₦120 billion to ₦250 billion as both parties waited for a definitive regulatory hammer.

Phase 3 marked the final settlement): In late 2024 and throughout 2025, a joint directive from the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) mandated a structured repayment plan.

Banks were ordered to clear 60-85% of outstanding invoices as a final settlement.

By February 2026, Engr. Adebayo confirmed that the banks had successfully cleared the nearly ₦300 billion debt, effectively de-risking the digital financial ecosystem.

The Shift to End-User Billing (EUB)

The resolution of the USSD debt paved the way for a permanent structural change: End-User Billing.

Under this new framework, the middleman friction has been eliminated. Instead of banks collecting fees and (potentially) failing to remit them to telcos, charges are now deducted directly from the user’s airtime at the point of the USSD session (currently ₦6.98 per 120 seconds).

Why EUB Matters:

Users see exactly what they are paying for in real-time, telcos receive their revenue instantly, preventing future debt accumulation, and it secures the platform that millions of unbanked Nigerians rely on for basic transfers and balance inquiries.

The Road Ahead: Protecting the Gains

While Engr. Adebayo celebrated these victories, he warned that the industry’s recovery remains fragile.

The focus has now shifted to Infrastructure Protection. Despite the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) status, operators still face daily fibre cuts by road contractors and multiple taxation by sub-national governments.

Industry analysts believe that the successful resolution of the USSD debt and the tariff review marks a reset for Nigeria’s digital economy.

For years, the telecom sector was the shock absorber for the economy’s inefficiencies. By allowing cost-reflective pricing and enforcing debt settlement, the NCC has signaled to global investors that Nigeria is ready to move away from subsidized consumption toward a more sustainable, investment-driven model.

The next battle for the NCC Board will be ensuring this new revenue is actually funneled back into network quality, as subscribers now expect Gold Standard service for their higher payments.

The post ALTON Credits NCC Tariff Reforms, ₦300bn USSD Debt Resolution for Sector Survival appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

This milestone comes at a high-stakes moment for the country’s digital sovereignty, as the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC) moves to standardize how it protects critical national infrastructure.

The timing is equally political; the successful wrap-up of this training serves as a precursor to President Bola Tinubu’s upcoming State Visit to the UK, where a renewal of the UK–Nigeria Cyber Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is expected to be a flagship agenda item.

The Milestone: From “Reaction” to “Audit”

The NCCC isn’t just looking to patch bugs; it’s building a regulatory framework. This phase of the partnership, delivered by implementing partner TAG International, focused on high-level institutional capacity.

Key wins from the programme include:

• Elite Auditing: Four NCCC professionals are now among the first SIM3 certified cybersecurity auditors in Africa, a globally recognized maturity model for incident response teams.
• Intelligence Gathering: A fresh cohort of experts has been minted through the Certified Threat Intelligence Manager course.
• Policy Overhaul: The partnership completed a comprehensive review of the National Incident Response Plan and laid the groundwork for Nigeria’s National Digital Forensics Policies.

What This Signals

In a landscape where ransomeware attacks on African financial and energy infrastructure are becoming more sophisticated, “readiness” is the new currency.

“These milestones strengthen not only Nigeria’s cyber readiness but also the wider regional and global digital ecosystem,” said Salawu Sheriff, technical assistant to the National Coordinator at the NCCC.

For the UK, this is “tech diplomacy” in action. Mrs. Gill Lever OBE, British deputy high commissioner, described the partnership as a “testament to strength and strategic alignment,” signaling that the UK views Nigeria as its primary digital security anchor in West Africa.

Building a “Cyber Maturity” Framework

Beyond the certificates, the real value lies in the Cyber Maturity Frameworks. These are the “rulebooks” for protecting Nigeria’s Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), the digital nervous system that keeps the lights on and the banks running.

By standardizing these frameworks now, the NCCC is preparing for a future where Nigerian digital forensics can hold up in international courts, and its incident response teams operate at the same level as their G7 counterparts.

The new shift

The focus now shifts from Abuja to London. As the UK–Nigeria Cyber MoU approaches its renewal date, expect the conversation to move toward deeper bilateral data-sharing and joint operations against cross-border cybercrime.

With President Tinubu set to visit the UK shortly, this “Gold Medal” performance in the Africa Cyber Programme provides the Nigerian delegation with significant leverage to demand more advanced technology transfers and deeper investments in the local tech ecosystem.

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The Forum, which is being organized as a collaboration between industry media group, the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) and telecom operators under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) was earlier billed to hold on July 30, 2025, but has to seek a new date following an all-inclusive telecom stakeholders’ event by the regulator.

The event also has the support of industry associations such as the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).

The ‘Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure Order, 2024’ was passed in August 2024. However, the industry is yet to feel the real impact of the Act.

NITRA, the umbrella Association for technology reporters in Nigeria, in a statement announcing a joint-industry forum, had noted that mere declaration of the CNII order as an Act cannot solely guarantee infrastructure safety except certain internal and standardisation issues are first resolved by operators, further disclosed that the forum will bring stakeholders together to address pertinent issues and questions begging for answers.

Scheduled to hold at CitiHeight Hotel, Ikeja, the event, tagged “Industry Sustainability And CNII Conference 2025 – Way Forward” will gather stakeholders to discuss the practical way forward, noting that passage of the Bill alone will not achieve desired results.

According to the organisers, questions that stakeholders will provide answers to at the event include:

• How do we ensure that this law is implemented to the letter?
• Are there areas worth looking into once more, or is the Act perfect as it is?
• What are the roles of each stakeholder in the industry – Federal, States, Operators, Consumers, and other actors?
• Are individual telecom companies and service providers keying into the CNII provisions, and how?
• What are the roles of regulators in ensuring public compliance to the Act?
• How do we ensure security?
• What is the place of collaboration?
• Publicity: how much of the CNII provisions are the public aware of?
• How can we sustain the growth and development of telecommunications in Nigeria?

The Panel Discussion sessions will look into some of the questions arising from industry sustainability and CNII implementation.

Expected at the event are the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, network operators, security agencies, regulators, the media, infrastructure companies and decision makers in private and public firms, among other guests.

According to a statement from NITRA, “It is a known fact that the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is crucial to the survivability of a nation, and that the destruction or disruption of these systems and communication networks would significantly affect the economic strength, image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety.”

Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, had in a forum stressed the importance of proper infrastructure maintenance and tech-upgraded installation to prevent vandalism and theft.

Chairman of NITRA, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, spoke of the importance of the Industry Sustainability and CNII Conference, noting that industry stakeholders need to come around a table to broker an understanding on how to secure telecom infrastructure, standing on FG’s proclamation of CNII.

He noted that with the CNII Act in place, stakeholders will have to formulate implementation measures on provisions of the Act and enforce compliance. These he disclosed, will be the outcome of the forum to be held in Lagos.

The post NITRA-ALTON CNII & Sustainability Conference Gets New Date in August appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The meeting will be held under the theme: “Rallying Critical Stakeholders to Drive the Successful Execution of the Executive Order on Critical National Information Infrastructure”, according to a statement available to Techeconomy, signed by Mr. Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, president of ATCON.

He said that the high-level dialogue follows the recent issuance of an Executive Order by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which formally designates telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).

According to the ATCON President,

“This marks a significant milestone for Nigeria’s digital economy, and it is expected to usher in a more secure and investment-friendly environment for telecom operators and service providers”.

ATCON, through its National President, Executive Council, and member companies, is extending invitations to Commissioners of ICT and Digital Economy, Permanent Secretaries, and Heads of ICT Agencies across the 36 states of the Federation, as well as key Federal Ministries and regulatory bodies, to participate in this timely engagement.

“The effective implementation of this Executive Order hinges significantly on continuous engagement and collaboration with all key stakeholders,” said Mr. Emoekpere.

“State-level leadership is critical to achieving the national objectives set out in the Order. Our 36 State Commissioners hold the key to ensuring that telecom infrastructure is not only protected but also developed to its full potential.”

This landmark development underscores the Nigerian government’s commitment to safeguarding digital infrastructure, an imperative for national security, economic competitiveness, and public safety.

The implementation of the CNII designation is expected to drastically reduce vandalism and service disruptions while improving the quality and reach of telecom services nationwide.

On the strategic objectives of the meeting, Mr. Ajibola Olude, the executive secretary of ATCO, said they aim to ensure “Secure State-Level Commitment and Collaboration”, to foster a unified national approach by encouraging state governments to commit to the objectives of the Executive Order, including creating enabling policies and local initiatives that protect telecom infrastructure.

“Accelerate Broadband Deployment and Economic Impact: Build partnerships that leverage broadband as a tool for job creation, poverty alleviation, and innovation across state economies.

“Encourage Nationwide Investment by ATCON Members: Promote equitable industry participation across the Federation by encouraging ATCON members to invest in under-served and high-potential regions, thereby ensuring balanced digital development.

“This strategic meeting is expected to be a watershed moment in aligning national and subnational priorities toward securing and expanding Nigeria’s critical telecom infrastructure” he added.

ATCON is the premier industry association representing the interests of telecommunications and ICT companies in Nigeria.

It champions industry growth through policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and collaborative initiatives that support innovation and infrastructure development.

The post ATCON to Convene Second Strategic Stakeholders’ Meeting on CNII in Abuja appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

NITRA, the umbrella Association for technology reporters in Nigeria, in a statement announcing a joint-industry forum, being organized in collaboration with the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), noted that mere declaration of the CNII order cannot solely guarantee infrastructure safety except certain internal and standardisation issues are first resolved by operators, further disclosed that the forum will bring stakeholders together to address pertinent issues and questions begging for answers.

Scheduled to hold at CitiHeight Hotel, Ikeja on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, the event, tagged “Industry Sustainability And CNII Conference 2025 – Way Forward” will gather stakeholders to discuss the practical way forward, noting that passage of the Bill along will not achieve desired results.

According to the organisers, questions that stakeholders will provide answers to at the event include:

• How do we ensure that this law is implemented to the letter?
• Are there areas worth looking into once more, or is the Bill perfect as it is?
• What are the roles of each stakeholder in the industry – Federal, States, Operators, Consumers, and other actors?
• Are individual telecom companies and service providers keying into the CNNI provisions, and how?
• What are the roles of regulators in ensuring public compliance to the Bill?
• How do we ensure security?
• What is the place of collaboration?
• Publicity: how much of the CNII provisions are the public aware of?
• How can we sustain the growth and development of telecommunications in Nigeria?

The Panel Discussion sessions will look into some of the questions arising from industry sustainability and CNII implementation.

Expected at the event are the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, network operators, security agencies, regulators, the media, infrastructure companies and decision makers in private and public firms, among other guests.

According to a statement from NITRA, “It is a known fact that the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is crucial to the survivability of a nation, and that the destruction or disruption of these systems and communication networks would significantly affect the economic strength, image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety.”

Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, had in a forum stressed the importance of proper infrastructure maintenance and tech-upgraded installation to prevent vandalism and theft.

He highlighted the widespread issue of stolen manhole covers, fibre cables and poles; community resistance to infrastructure projects; unauthorised installation of infrastructure without government approval; malicious destruction of telecom infrastructure; among other challenges to be curbed.

Chairman of NITRA, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, spoke of the importance of the Industry Sustainability and CNII Conference, noting that industry stakeholders need to come around a table to broker an understanding on how to secure telecom infrastructure, standing on FG’s proclamation of CNII.

He noted that with the CNII Bill in place, stakeholders will have to formulate measures to take to implement the provisions of the Bill and enforce compliance. These he disclosed, will be the outcome of the forum to be held in Lagos.

According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum, which will have other industry Associations also make their inputs, will afford the public opportunity to share their thoughts, especially as it regards the security of infrastructure in their localities.

The post NITRA, ALTON to Host Stakeholders on CNII & Sustainability Discuss appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

They argued that before CNII can have a real impact, internal operational issues, standardisation challenges, and industry-wide inefficiencies must first be addressed by telecom operators.

Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), noted the broad challenges such as infrastructure vandalism, unauthorised installations, and cable theft.

He pointed to poor maintenance as a key factor enabling theft and vandalism. “When properly installed, these components are difficult to remove. However, due to negligence, they are often left unsecured, making them easy targets for theft,” he said.

Beyond vandalism, Adebayo noted that community resistance to telecom projects has slowed progress. He recalled an incident where “A diesel supplier was blocked from entering an estate because a previous contractor had damaged their property and failed to make repairs. This lack of accountability breeds distrust and delays crucial projects.”

To prevent such conflicts, he urged stakeholders to promote better relationships with local communities.

Adebayo also identified the unauthorised installation of telecom infrastructure without government approval as a major issue. He explained, “Government agencies often damage unregistered infrastructure simply because they were not documented in official records. Proper approvals and collaboration with authorities will ensure accountability and protection of critical infrastructure.”

He called for improved coordination within the industry, stressing that operators must resolve internal challenges before relying on external protections promised by CNII provisions.

Tony Emoekpere, president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), emphasised that Nigeria’s infrastructure challenges go beyond technical issues, extending into environmental and moral concerns.

“We are dealing with a moral challenge. An engineer who switched from diesel to gas generators encountered a new problem—workers began stealing engine oil instead, as they could no longer siphon diesel. These issues require both technical and ethical solutions,” he said.

He stressed that the lack of proper standardisation weakens infrastructure sustainability. “If infrastructure is deployed in a suboptimal manner, failure is inevitable. We need to establish proper standards that all stakeholders—government, private sector, and the public—can align with,” he stated.

Emoekpere also noted that while Nigeria has strong policies, such as local content policies, implementation remains a major challenge. “We must move beyond discussions and focus on actionable steps, follow-ups, and policy enforcement,” he added.

Wale Owoeye, CEO of Cedarview Communications Limited, spoke about the frequent cable theft, which disrupts network operations and increases maintenance costs.

“Cable theft is a serious issue. Airtel representatives told me they experience a cable cut every six minutes. The assumption that all black cables contain valuable copper leads to reckless vandalism,” he explained.

To tackle this, Owoeye proposed three key approaches:

1. Community Reorientation – “We need to engage local communities in their native languages, educating them on the consequences of vandalism.”
2. Stricter Enforcement – “Strict legal penalties, including long-term imprisonment, should be enforced to deter offenders.”
3. Proactive Prevention – “Prevention is always more effective and cost-efficient than restoration.”

As a necessary measure, he suggested creating a dedicated fund to support advocacy and awareness campaigns across Nigeria.

In this regard, he pledged to contribute ₦500,000 quarterly as a seed fund and encouraged other industry players to follow suit. “This is like planting a seed. With collective effort, we can grow it into a sustainable solution for protecting Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure,” he said.

The speakers collectively emphasised that addressing these challenges requires collaboration among industry players, government agencies, and local communities.

They called for a concerted effort to enforce policies, engage stakeholders, and implement practical solutions that will ensure the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure.

The post Beyond CNII: Telecom Experts Identify Stronger Infrastructure Protection Measures appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The federal government recently designated telecoms and ICT assets in the country as critical national infrastructure to guarantee their safety and protection through the passage of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc,) Amendment Act 2024.

While addressing select journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, Oluwambe, a telecoms expert in the Internet Service Provider (ISP) space, said the effective implementation of the CNII provision should not just protect deployed assets but also guarantee seamless rollout of more backbone infrastructures for digital economy drive.

He said: “The passage of the CNII is commendable and with it, we hope to see a respite from incessant attacks on our infrastructure. Operators have suffered huge losses dealing with theft, vandalisation of telecoms and ICT facilities or arbitrary shutdown of our sites by state agencies.

“More importantly, I believe achieving reduced right of way charges and imposition of different taxes on operators in the course of rolling out services should also be a major consideration in implementing the CNII.

“If there is any bottleneck that should be removed to accelerate the rate of bridging digital access gaps in Nigeria, it should be RoW abolition at best or its reduction to a reasonable amount, at least.”

He added that inflated RoW charges that remain a major challenge in many states of the federation is inimical to investment appetite in the ISPs space, thus, creating a barrier against robust connectivity in the hinterlands and remote areas.

“The new CNII regime is expected to lead to safety of telecoms facilities and protection of operations of telecoms companies, given that the advocacy to have the Bill passed lasted more than a decade.

“Now that it has been passed, stakeholders must work in tandem with the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA), the body saddled with the implementation tasks, to make the passage count for something.

“As they do this, the industry must pay close attention to the issue of right of way charges imposed by state actors so that our state leaders can be made to see things differently.

“A city that is well connected is where businesses will move into and thrive; and what is made by the state from the charges of RoW will later come in as bigger revenues for the state as taxes from the successful businesses.”

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