• “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.

Data is gold in our increasingly digitised world, just as the value of gold is only realised in the refinement process. Data needs to be refined to unlock its real value.

Unrefined data can damage businesses, their competitiveness and ability to capitalise on opportunities. Good quality data, which is refined, can be leveraged to improve competitiveness, decision-making and profitability.

The pace at which data is being collected and stored is unprecedented, and this will only continue to accelerate.

Modern organisations expect Data to drive innovation, progress and competitiveness, however Data is only as good as its quality.

Poor-quality data can severely damage a business’s ability to make good, informed decisions. This has a direct bearing on performance, resulting in lost revenue and missed opportunities, possible reputational damage and increased operational costs trying to deal with data errors.

Beyond this, poor data quality may well lead to misguided strategic investment decisions. It is abundantly clear that businesses must prioritise high-quality data.

So, how do businesses end up with poor-quality data? Human error, outdated systems, inconsistent data-entry protocols and a lack of data governance lead to duplication, inaccuracies, inconsistencies and conflicting data sets. Without proper data governance there is no standardised process for maintaining high-quality data.

Maintaining good, clean data requires implementing essential key performance indicators (KPIs). These are: relevance, integrity, completeness, uniqueness, timeliness, validity, accuracy, consistency, accessibility and reliability.

A good data partner will assist an organisation with tracking these KPIs on an ongoing basis to maintain high-quality data.

Relevance is crucial as it ensures that data aligns with the context in which it is being used. Irrelevant data can clutter the analysis process and hinder effective decision making.

It is advisable for companies to consistently assess their data collection standards and clearly define their data needs. Furthermore, eliminating unnecessary data is equally important.

Integrity plays a vital role in fostering trust and compliance, encompassing practices such as data encryption, access control measures and regular integrity audits to detect any breaches.

Completeness ensures that all necessary data elements are present, which is essential for analysis and informed decision making.

This involves mandatory fields in data entry systems, conducting audits to identify any gaps and automating the process of collecting relevant information.

Uniqueness evaluates whether there are any duplications within the dataset, which can impede analysis and lead to inefficiencies.

Organisations can mitigate this risk by leveraging de-duplication tools, establishing protocols for data-entry procedures and conducting audits to identify and eliminate duplicates.

Timeliness reflects how up to date the data is. Outdated data may result in missed opportunities and flawed decision making.

Validity ensures that all collected data adheres to specified parameters and formats. Invalid information can introduce errors and distort interpretations. Implementing checks and utilising machine learning can enhance the accuracy of entering data.

Accuracy pertains to how the collected data mirrors reality. Implementing cross-checking mechanisms, using authoritative data sources, and regularly verifying data against external benchmarks are crucial for maintaining data accuracy.

Consistency speaks to the uniformity and reliability of data, across datasets and systems. Discrepancies can lead to confusion and undermine confidence in the data.

Developing data governance frameworks harmonising data across systems and utilising master data management (MDM) solutions can enhance data consistency.

Accessibility relates to how readily available and easily accessible data is to authorised users. Inaccessible data may cause delays in decision-making processes and impede operations. Implementing user protocols for accessing data is essential for enhancing data accessibility.

Reliability ensures that the accuracy of data remains consistent over time. Performing assessments of data quality, adopting maintenance practices for managing data and promoting a culture of responsible data stewardship are essential for upholding the reliability of the data.

To address dirty data and build trust, organisations should:

• Implement Data Cleaning processes – Regularly clean the datasets by eliminating errors, duplicates and outdated information using tools designed for this purpose.

• Standardise data entry – Set guidelines for entering new data to maintain uniformity within the database. Make sure to train your staff on these guidelines and implement data validation rules to enforce them.

• Enhance data governance – Establish a comprehensive framework for data governance that includes standards for data quality, policies and procedures. Designate data stewards to drive data quality and ensure compliance with governance protocols.

• Leverage technology – Make use of data management technologies such as master data management (MDM) and data integration tools to maintain consistent and accurate data across different systems.

• Promote data literacy – Educate employees on the significance of maintaining high quality data. Foster a culture where everyone takes responsibility for ensuring data quality.

The pursuit of high-quality data is an ongoing process that requires a strategic approach and commitment from all stakeholders.

Organisations can build a robust data quality framework by focusing on data quality KPIs, while implementing best practices such as data governance, automation, training, regular audits, data integration and a culture of continuous improvement, will help them significantly improve the quality of their data.