The scholarship initiative, which was first announced by Africa’s foremost technology entrepreneur and Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, is designed to empower indigent but exceptionally gifted Nigerian students to study Computer Science and other technology-related disciplines in federal and state universities, as well as polytechnics, across the country.

Interested applicants can now visit Konga.com and click on the “1000 Tech Scholarship” banner, where all relevant information and application guidelines are available.

The initiative was inspired by Ekeh’s decision to mark his 70th birthday in an unconventional yet impactful manner. Rather than host an elaborate celebration, the serial digital entrepreneur and Forbes-recognised tech icon chose to invest directly in Nigeria’s future as a way of giving back to the corporate institutions and Nigerians who supported and trusted his business startup from its early stages and have continued to patronise his businesses over the years.

For decades, Ekeh, a recognised tech disruptor and a notably private personality, has remained a major force in the continent’s digital ecosystem.

He pioneered indigenous computer manufacturing through Zinox Technologies, ICT Solutions through Task Systems, drove technology distribution through TD Africa, and transforming e-commerce with Konga. Through his businesses and philanthropic efforts, more than 6,700 Nigerians have reportedly benefited from technology training and empowerment initiatives championed by him over the years.

According to stakeholders behind the programme, the scholarship initiative goes beyond financial support and represents a strategic investment in Nigeria’s digital future. Beneficiaries will enjoy full scholarships covering tuition, accommodation, and monthly stipends.

In addition, they will undergo intensive holiday training focused on strategic self-development and digital skills designed to prepare them for global opportunities upon graduation.

Globally, the impact of technology on economic growth has become undeniable. According to reports by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, digital economies contribute more than 15% of global GDP, while countries that invest heavily in digital education and technology infrastructure consistently record higher employment rates, stronger innovation ecosystems, and improved economic competitiveness.

In Africa, the technology sector is projected to contribute over $1.5 trillion to the continent’s economy by 2030, with millions of digital jobs expected to emerge within the decade.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, stands at the centre of this opportunity. However, experts have consistently stressed that the country’s ability to compete globally will depend significantly on how quickly it develops a new generation of highly skilled technology professionals.

It is this critical gap the Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation hopes to bridge.

Beyond tuition support, beneficiaries will gain access to mentorship, industry exposure, and practical guidance from distinguished members of the Nigeria Computer Society and other technology professionals. The initiative is structured to equip students with market-relevant skills, hands-on experience, and professional networks capable of positioning them for success in today’s rapidly evolving digital economy.

The scholarship programme also reflects a broader vision shared by its supporting partners (TD Africa, Konga, Zinox Technologies, and Task Systems) all of whom have played significant roles in shaping Africa’s ICT landscape over the years.

Industry observers believe the initiative could become one of the most impactful private-sector-driven educational interventions in Nigeria’s technology sector, particularly at a time when the country is aggressively pursuing digital transformation across education, governance, business, and public services.

As applications officially commence, organisers have assured prospective candidates that the selection process will remain transparent, merit-driven, and inclusive, with equal opportunities for qualified applicants from across Nigeria.

For easy access to the scholarship portal, application details, and participation guidelines, interested students are encouraged to visit Konga.com and click on the “1000 Tech Scholarship” banner.

Instead of hosting a lavish celebration to mark his milestone birthday, Ekeh is committing to fund 1,000 university scholarships for indigent Nigerian students to study Computer Science in federal universities across the country.

The initiative, he says, is designed to build a new generation of tech-driven leaders who can strengthen Nigeria’s public and private sector competitiveness.

According to Ekeh, the beneficiaries “who will not be bonded, shall disrupt global wealth equation in favour of Nigeria and defend our tech independence.”

Selection criteria and structure

Selection for the scholarship will be based on a nationwide assessment of minimum Intelligent Quotient (IQ) and age.

The programme targets students from poor homes and families whose parents earn below Government Level 10 or its equivalent in the private sector.

Beyond tuition support, the initiative is structured as a holistic development pipeline. Beneficiaries will be exposed to global standards, mentorship, and multi-disciplinary learning beyond core technology studies.

Speaking in a phone interview, Ekeh said:

“Each shall have a tech mentor from year one, as I plan a partnership with Computer Society of Nigeria and every vocation they shall be engaged resourcefully. Beneficiaries shall be from poor homes and those with parents who earn below Government Level 10 and its equivalent in the private sector.

The first batch starts this September, and I expect each to earn first class degree. This is my Group of companies’ and my little way of appreciating my country, individuals and corporates that gave us the opportunities in the last 40 years and still patronizing our Tech Group, Task Systems, TD Africa, Zinox Technologies, Konga etc. If we are successful with this spiritual mandate, I can then celebrate my 100 years on earth with a bang. With God and AI, I am aiming to make 120 years.”

Why Ekeh believes Nigeria must act now

Ekeh, who has largely avoided elaborate birthday celebrations in the past, says the decision aligns with his long-standing belief that technology remains Nigeria’s most realistic pathway to economic transformation.

“We need quality and tech-savvy wiz-kids who can drive the future of government and e-governance and those who will become change-makers in the private sector,” he said.

He warned that Nigeria risks technological dependency if it fails to deliberately build indigenous talent capable of managing the anticipated expansion in oil and gas, banking, agriculture, manufacturing, mining, entertainment, and the public sector over the next decade.

“I have been blessed and bruised in this country and I thank God. Frankly, I don’t see enough Nigerian tech wiz-kids who can defend the massive development anticipated in the next 5 – 10 years… We are becoming slaves in our own country in a knowledge century which is unfortunate.

…only four God-anointed tech wiz-kids can alter the GDP of this country in five years. The man who controls your tech resources decides your profit level and how far your country and corporations can grow in this second quarter of the 21st Century and in future.”

The tech entrepreneur, who was decorated as “Icon of Hope” by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003, added:

“The future is here but very fragile and disruptive, it’s either you are something or nothing at all. No middle ground. We need to alter the digital trajectories of our people. Technology is realistically the only profession in the world today that can alter the destiny of brilliant and humble kids from poor families and position them as huge wealth creators and sustainers.

Though I am not really from a very poor family, but I am a testimony and shall tell the whole story in my book that shall be published last quarter of 2027. It shall be most revealing.

This is my additional contribution amongst others to appreciate Nigerians, the Federal Government, sub- nationals and corporations that have been supporting my tech commitments and innovations on this side of the Atlantic.”

Cost implications and long-term commitment

On the financial commitment required to execute the project, Ekeh described it as “a spirit-driven project.”

“It is a spirit-driven project to thank those who supported and are still supporting companies within the Zinox Group. It has an annual cost that shall run into billions of Naira and my group is committed to it amongst other social responsibility projects like TD Africa Project to produce 10,000 female tech experts out of which 400 have graduated and are fully employed in different corporates in Nigeria. This is a 10-year project with other perks. The full package shall be revealed online on April 22, 2026.”

The scholarship scheme adds to a portfolio of human capital development initiatives undertaken by Ekeh and the Zinox Group over the past four decades.

His companies have trained over 3,000 Nigerians and donated tech centres to more than 25 institutions nationwide.

Through the Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation (LSEF) and affiliated companies, the group has also launched entrepreneurship centres at St. Augustine University, Epe; Federal University, Birnin Kebbi; and Imo State University (IMSU), among others. These centres focus on upskilling young Nigerians, providing stipends, mentorship, digital devices, and in some cases, interest-free loans to support business take-off.

A philosophy of capitalism with empathy

Ekeh, a devout Catholic from Ubomiri in Imo State and former mass servant and chorister, has consistently drawn a distinction between profit and purpose.

He believes capitalism must wear a human face and often reiterates that no one comes into the world with cash nor leaves with it.

At the dedication of a church he built in his hometown, he reflected on his journey:

“I come from a lineage of people who served God dedicatedly. I think I am a miracle child… I saw myself as an only Child even though I have siblings and, as an orphan even though my parents were alive… so I decided to take the pain before pleasure alone.

I love God and will never hesitate to do anything in the service of God and humanity… As a mark of God’s mercy to me, I pay corporate tithes for all my companies. I didn’t read it in the Bible but I do it.”

He once told journalists:

“God is the architect of my success… As an entrepreneur, I have strategised, stayed up late, made projections but if there was no mercy of God and His grace to help me implement these, there will be no success… I work an average of 20 hours a day and near zero holidays and I have no health challenges.”

The bigger picture

For Ekeh, the 1,000-student scholarship programme is only “a tiny drop in the ocean” of his philanthropic commitments.

However, in the context of Nigeria’s widening digital skills gap and increasing dependence on foreign expertise, the initiative could represent a strategic intervention, one aimed at shifting the country from tech consumption to tech sovereignty.

As Nigeria grapples with AI disruption and global economic realignment, Ekeh’s 70th birthday may ultimately be remembered less for the age milestone and more for the human capital investment he hopes will outlive him.

This milestone marks a strategic alignment between two industry giants united by one mission: to advance Africa’s digital transformation through homegrown innovation and world-class distribution.

With this partnership, Zinox Technologies will leverage TD Africa’s robust distribution network and regional expertise to expand the reach of its cutting-edge ICT products and enterprise solutions across Africa.

The collaboration underscores TD Africa’s commitment to bridging the gap between global standards and African innovation.

“This partnership isn’t just about distribution; it’s about redefining what African technology can achieve,” said Chioma Chimere, coordinating managing director, TD Africa. “By welcoming Zinox into our family of brands, we’re spotlighting the power of local innovation to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the world. Together, we’re building a new story for Africa, one of excellence, access, and empowerment.”

From Zinox’s perspective, the partnership represents both a strategic expansion and a homecoming.

“Collaborating with TD Africa gives Zinox the scale, reach, and synergy to transform how African businesses experience technology,” said Kelechi Eze-Okonta, managing director, Zinox Technologies. “TD Africa’s unrivalled network and reputation will help us take our solutions to every corner of the continent, enabling enterprises and individuals to harness the full power of digital technology made in Africa, for Africa.”

This alliance comes at a time of rising demand for resilient ICT infrastructure and locally driven innovation across Africa.

TD Africa, already a trusted partner to global brands such as HP, Dell, IBM, Microsoft, Starlink and Cisco, continues to reinforce its position as the backbone of Africa’s technology ecosystem, empowering individuals and businesses with technology and innovation.

Among the most astounding highlights was the official unveiling of the Computerise Nigeria Initiative by Nigeria’s integrated ICT solution company and OEM Zinox Technologies, in partnership with KongaCares, at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos.

The ambitious one-computer-per-child program aims to provide at least one million young Nigerians with laptops and supporting digital infrastructure. It represents one of the boldest corporate social responsibility efforts in Nigeria’s tech sector.

Designed as a holistic intervention, the initiative promises not just devices but also uninterrupted power solutions through iPower inverters, reliable satellite internet connectivity powered by Starlink, and ongoing training and after-sales support.

The launch event witnessed an impressive gathering of ICT sector luminaries, including Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox Group; Mrs. Kelechi Eze-Okonta, Managing Director of Zinox Technologies; Dave Omoregie, Chief Operating Officer of Konga Group; and Ajibade Laolu-Adewale, Executive Director at Wema Bank and current Executive Chairman at CeBIH.

The Nigeria Computer Society was prominently represented by its leadership team, including Dr. Muhammed Sirajo Aliyu (President), Dr. Charles Onyeukwu (Deputy President), Segun Adekunle (Executive Secretary), and Veronica Owolabi (Provost).

Mrs. Kelechi Eze-Okonta, managing director of Zinox Technologies, opened the program by welcoming distinguished guests and providing insights into Zinox’s extensive operations.

She emphasized that Zinox maintains a footprint across all 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria, positioning the company uniquely to execute this nationwide initiative.

“If you don’t digitize the education system, you can’t digitize the economy,” she declared, highlighting Zinox’s reputation for venturing into uncharted territories to support Nigeria’s educational advancement.

In his address, Dr. Muhammed Sirajo Aliyu, president of the Nigeria Computer Society, commended Zinox Technologies for its consistent leadership and innovation, noting that the company has continued to provide affordable solutions that directly support digital education.

He praised the initiative as a landmark effort that could transform classrooms nationwide. Dr. Aliyu particularly thanked Leo Stan Ekeh for his unwavering support to NCS, education, and Nigeria’s broader digital transformation journey.

Ajibade Laolu-Adewale of Wema Bank praised Zinox Technologies for their sustained belief in Nigeria’s digital economy potential.

He shared insights about CeBIH’s activities while urging both government and private sector entities to increase investments in science and technology education, recognizing these sectors as fundamental drivers of economic advancement.

The event’s climax came with Leo Stan Ekeh’s financial support for digital education initiatives. The Zinox Group Chairman renewed his commitment to the Nigeria Computer Society by donating ₦10 million to support the organization’s activities.

Additionally, he presented a special ₦5 million donation to Mrs. Veronica Owolabi, NCS Provost, in recognition of her exceptional dedication and hard work toward promoting technology education across Nigeria.

Ekeh articulated his comprehensive vision of seeing every educational institution, from primary schools to universities, fully equipped with appropriate digital resources.

He emphasized the urgent need to create a digitally-oriented lifestyle among Nigerians, calling for robust support from government agencies, religious organizations, and other stakeholders in this transformative endeavour.

At the heart of the Computerise Nigeria Initiative is the vision of each child to a computer. With flexible, interest-free payment options available, the program is designed to break financial barriers and make access to technology inclusive.

This model is backed by quarterly donor reports, ensuring that contributors, whether government agencies, alumni associations, NGOs, or well-meaning Nigerians, see how their support is transforming classrooms and communities.

The initiative addresses a critical gap in Nigeria’s educational infrastructure, where many institutions struggle to provide students with adequate exposure to modern computing technologies.

By democratizing access to premium digital resources, the program aims to level the playing field and ensure that geographical location or economic circumstances do not determine a student’s digital future.

Stakeholders who wish to participate can visit www.konga.com/content/kongacares or contact dedicated support lines at 07080635799 and 09111327983 via WhatsApp for more information.

The interview, held at Konga 103.7FM’s studios, featured Mr. Darlington Ibeleme, Zinox Technologies’ marketing lead, alongside Zinox Project Manager Mr. Daniel Okpara. They provided an in-depth look into the company’s groundbreaking efforts in driving Nigeria’s digital transformation.

Founded in 2001, Zinox Technologies has evolved from producing Nigeria’s first internationally certified computer into one of Africa’s most impactful ICT conglomerates.

The interview illuminated key milestones:

Pioneering IT Solutions: Zinox computerised over 65% of tertiary institutions in Nigeria, partnering with global players like Intel to deliver e-education platforms at significantly reduced costs.

Renewable Energy Revolution: Through its iPower solar and inverter brand, Zinox is investing over $250 million, deploying clean energy solutions with up to 25-year warranties, serving over 25,000 homes, schools, and offices, while training and certifying over 500 Nigerian engineers and technicians.

Speaking on the company’s trajectory, Mr. Ibeleme noted, “Zinox was founded with the vision to domesticate IT infrastructure in Nigeria. We began by manufacturing computers, but today, we have expanded into renewable energy, consumer electronics, and ICT solutions that touch nearly every facet of national development.”

Mr. Okpara emphasized Zinox’s deeper vision beyond technology, highlighting its role as a key player in nation-building.

“For over two decades, Zinox has driven Nigeria’s digital growth by creating access to technology and empowering Nigerians to use it meaningfully. We are bridging the digital divide and fostering sustainable progress through infrastructure rollouts in underserved communities and digital literacy training for youth, civil servants, and small business owners.”

He further noted that the company sees itself not merely as a tech enterprise but as a nation builder.

“True digital inclusion isn’t only about gadgets or connectivity, it’s about equipping citizens with knowledge, platforms, and tools to engage meaningfully. Mr. Okpara explained that our rural deployments and digital literacy training initiatives are about empowerment and opportunity.

Konga 103.7FM, through The Market Square, continues to elevate stories of Nigerian enterprises whose innovation transcends business and contributes to national well-being.

By profiling Zinox, the station aligns itself with advocates of economic development, technological sovereignty, and inclusive growth.

Like many Nigerians, I have learned to take such a political promise with a grain of salt. But in Imo State, the Eastern Heartland, a remarkable transformation is taking place.

During a recent visit to Owerri for the 4th Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Summit organized by the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), I had the rare opportunity to witness firsthand the executive governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma’s, unwavering commitment to positioning Imo as Nigeria’s premier digital economy.

Far from merely paying lip service to innovation, the governor was actively engaging with young innovators, demonstrating his administration’s genuine dedication to digitalizing Imo State.

Governor Hope Uzodimma didn’t just deliver a speech at the NCS event; he laid out a blueprint. His administration’s vision is clear: to make Imo State a global player in AI, robotics, and digital innovation. And he is not waiting.

At the centre of Governor Uzodimma’s digital revolution stands the Imo Digital City — a groundbreaking initiative poised to catapult the state onto the global technology stage.

This ambitious project is not just another government white elephant; it’s already taking shape as a comprehensive ecosystem designed to nurture innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Imo Digital City features cutting-edge facilities, including high-tech classrooms, innovation hubs, and co-working spaces equipped with state-of-the-art tech tools.

These resources are strategically designed to cultivate the next generation of digital entrepreneurs and position Imo as a formidable player in the global digital economy.

While his administration is doing its part, he understands the importance of partnership with the private sector.

In March 2025, the governor signed a landmark agreement with the US Market Access Centre (US-MAC) to fully realize the potential of the Imo Digital City.

This collaboration aims to replicate the success of Silicon Valley by fostering local tech talent, accelerating startup growth, and attracting global investment.

Beyond US-Mac, the administration has fostered partnerships with global tech giants including Microsoft, Zinox Technologies, Cisco, Konga Group, and the European Union Digital SME Alliance.

These strategic alliances are structured to provide training, infrastructure, and funding that will establish Imo as Nigeria’s premier technology hub.

The governor’s digital initiatives extend beyond infrastructure to human capital development. The Skill-Up Imo Programme has already trained and empowered 40,000 youths, many of whom are now gainfully employed.

This initiative forms part of a broader strategy to create over 300,000 jobs through various digital economy programs.

What sets this initiative apart is its focus on entrepreneurship. As Governor Uzodimma stated during his address at the NCS summit, “We don’t just want to create jobs; we want to create those who will create jobs.” This philosophy underscores his administration’s forward-thinking approach to governance and economic development.

He even added that his administration is rolling out fibre optic infrastructure across all 27 Local Government Areas to bridge the digital divide.

Additionally, the soon-to-be-launched “My Imo App” will democratize access to government services, while an automated Land Information System will ensure efficiency and transparency in land administration.

Vision without execution is a hallucination. Fortunately, Governor Uzodinma has assembled a dynamic team to ensure these projects do not remain on paper.

Leading the charge is Dr. Chimezie Amadi, the honourableCommissioner for Digital Economy and E-Government, whose expertise and enthusiasm have been instrumental in fast-tracking these initiatives.

While many Nigerian leaders pay lip service to youth empowerment and tech innovation, Governor Hope Uzodimma is putting Imo on the map as a model for digital governance.

If he maintains this momentum, Imo won’t just be the pride of the South-East, it will be Nigeria’s business and technology hub.

*Chimezie Orisakwe is a Corporate and Marketing Communications expert

It will be recalled that Joseph, in his statement on oath in suit No: LD/4335/2014 in the High Court of Justice, Lagos State, dated 28th June, 2019, averred that his company, Citadel, did not execute any contract with FIRS and that he was not aware that a contract had been awarded to Citadel.

In his deposition under oath, Joseph claimed that Citadel, “did not at any time execute any contract for the FIRS and neither did the 2nd defendant (Princess O. Kama) who is its agent in respect of the contract it bid for with the FIRS deliver/release any documents to the Claimant (Citadel) indicating that the contract it bid for, or any other contract was awarded to it by the FIRS or any other body.”

However, a letter from the FIRS addressed to the chamber of Afe Babalola & Co dated 11th February 2014 (FIRS/PD/GDS/2559) and signed by one Idrissa Kogo, Head Legal Department, stated: “Contrary to your client’s claim that they knew nothing about the execution of the contract awarded to them and that they did not receive any payment for the execution of the contract, our record reveals otherwise.

“Your client instructed FIRS through a letter dated 13th December 2012 to deal with Princess O. Kama (Your client’s agent) in relation to the contract. Through three separate letters dated 20th December 2012, your client instructed FIRS to pay to the client’s account with Access Bank plc. Please note that FIRS acted in compliance with your client’s instruction and with due diligence,” the FIRS letter stated.

The FIRS letter was a response to inquiry by Afe Babalola Chamber, lawyers to Citadel Oracle Concept Ltd and its MD, Mr. Benjamin Joseph, at that time.

Spokesman for Zinox, Mr. Chimezie Orisakwe, when contacted, confirmed the letter, stressing that the document from FIRS was actually in response to inquiries by the chamber of Afe Babalola SAN, who was Joseph’s first lawyer.

“Mr. Joseph had been presenting the story in a manner that portrays him as the victim in a business relationship, but it was apparent that he did not give full disclosure to the chamber of Afe Babalola, who had to write the FIRS to get a proper brief on the matter. I want to believe that the disclosure from FIRS which rubbished all the depositions of Joseph and exposed him as a perjurer must have informed the withdrawal of the highly respected Afe Babalola from the case. Interestingly, this letter has already been filed in Suit No. LD/4335/2014, the civil case at the Lagos State High Court.

“More curious is that Mr. Benjamin Joseph, in his Witness Statement on Oath in the said civil case, admitted that he gave the corporate documents of Citadel Oracle Concept Ltd and a letter of authorisation to Princess Kama, his staff, dated 13th December 2012, in respect of the FIRS contract. This, therefore, contradicts his present claim that his corporate documents were forged to open the bank account”, Mr. Orisakwe added.

The Zinox spokesman expressed shock that Femi Falana would include Zinox in his purported fiat/charges, even when the company has nothing to do with the transaction or allegations.

He said:

“Zinox has never been invited by any investigative agency, including the police and the EFCC, on the so-called allegations. There is no report either by the police or the EFCC or any investigative agency where the name of Zinox was mentioned as a suspect. There is no judgment or ruling of any court where Zinox was mentioned as having anything to do, whatsoever, with the transaction or the allegations, the basis of the fiat/charges. Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, the Chairman of Zinox, has never made any statement to the police in the course of any investigations and has never been mentioned in any court proceedings or judgment as part of any investigations relating to these allegations.”

Orisakwe cited instances in which Mr. Joseph lost the case and its allied suits. In a petition/case Mr. Joseph reported since 2013 and for which the Inspector General of Police charged him for false information in charge no.CR/216/16, the Zinox spokesman said Mr. Joseph was unable to prove his case.

He recalled that in another case filed by the EFCC at his instance against his partner, Princess O. Kama, in charge no. FCT/HC/CR/244/2018,  Honorable Justice Danlami Z. Senchi of the FCT High Court (as he then was), dismissed as false all the allegations made by Benjamin Joseph, and imposed the sum of N20 million as damages against him for false petitioning in relation to these same allegations.

The Zinox spokesman alleged that the current charges said to have been filed by Falana on the basis of a fiat from the Attorney General is the third in a row as he had earlier filed charge no.CR/469/2022, which was struck out by Honourable Justice C. O. Oba of the FCT High Court, by an order dated 8th November 2022.

“He filed the same charges before Honorable Justice A. S. Adepoju of the FCT High Court, and the charges were, once more, struck out by the Honourable Court on 19th March 2024, with Honorable Justice Adepoju holding that: ‘This matter was brought in dead, extinct and should be confined into the dustbin of history…I hold that the instant suit is an abuse of the process of court and it is hereby struck out accordingly,’ Orisakwe said.

He expressed shock that a “learned Senior Advocate in the person of Femi Falana, would, yet, proceed to file the same charges before Honourable Justice A. O. Ebong of the FCT High Court in charge no. FCT/HC/CR/985/24 in November 2024.”

According to the Zinox spokesman, “It is very clear that the deliberate intention for instituting this new charge by Femi Falana SAN, to include the name of Zinox and its Chairman and other persons who were never part of the investigations, is to embarrass them, harm their reputation, and thereby damage their businesses.”

Meanwhile, when the case came up on 9th January 2025, the lawyers to Zinox and Technology Distributions filed Preliminary Objections boldly challenging the jurisdiction of the court over the case and the appearance of Falana, on the ground that the purported Fiat was legally wrongful and defective, and ought not to have been granted to Mr. Femi Falana SAN, in the first place.

This, thus, robs the court of jurisdiction because the case is brought on the basis of the Fiat, and if it is shown that the Fiat is defective and invalid, the court cannot exercise its jurisdiction over the case.

In the light of this development, Mr. Falana asked the court for an adjournment to enable him respond to the Preliminary Objections.

The court consequently adjourned the case to 3rd March 2025, to hear the Preliminary Objections and any other pending application. From a legal perspective, the issue of jurisdiction must first be determined by the court before any other step can be taken in the case, including the plea of the defendants.

This was the reason for the absence of the defendants in court on the said January 9 2025, especially as the individual defendants were yet to be served the court papers.

In a statement on Sunday, Zinox referenced recent news items in the media relating to certain charges filed by  Falana, purporting to act on a fiat donated to him by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi SAN, whom Zinox said may not have been properly briefed.

“We are sure that if the circumstances of this case were made available to the respected Honorable Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, he would not have granted the purported fiat to Femi Falana,” Zinox said in the statement.

In the news reports, Falana was said to have filed a suit before Honorable Justice A. O. Ebong of the FCT High Court in charge no. FCT/HC/CR/985/24 in November 2024, a suit Zinox said was based on the same claims which various courts had in the past dismissed as falsehood and baseless.

“Our initial reaction was to ignore these publications as the usual campaigns of calumny that have been orchestrated against Zinox since 2014 by one Mr. Benjamin Joseph, the Managing Director of Citadel Oracle Concept Ltd, the client of Mr. Femi Falana SAN. However, we are persuaded to respond by the consideration that once falsehood is sustained over time, it tends to acquire the garb of truth.”

Zinox said the case arose from a contract between Citadel and Technology Distributions Limited over the supply of computers to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), stressing that the matter has no bearing whatsoever with Zinox and its promoter, Mr Leo Stan Ekeh.

“Firstly, we are shocked that Femi Falana would include Zinox in his purported fiat/charges, a company that has nothing to do with the transaction or allegations. For the records, we want to state as follows:

“Zinox has never been invited by any investigative agency, including the police and the EFCC, on these allegations. There is no report either by the police or the EFCC or any investigative agency where the name of Zinox was mentioned as a suspect. There is no judgment or ruling of any court where Zinox was mentioned as having anything to do, whatsoever, with the transaction or the allegations, the basis of the fiat/charges. Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, the Chairman of Zinox, has never made any statement to the police in the course of any investigations and has never been mentioned in any court proceedings or judgment as part of any investigations relating to these allegations. Indeed, he has never met with Benjamin Joseph before,” the statement said.

Zinox cited instances in which Mr. Joseph lost the case and its adjunct suit. In a petition/case Mr. Joseph reported since 2013 and for which the Inspector General of Police charged him for false information in charge no.CR/216/16, he was unable to prove his allegations for more than 8years.

In another case filed by the EFCC at his instance against his partner, Princess Kama, in charge no. FCT/HC/CR/244/2018, Honorable Justice Danlami Z. Senchi of the FCT High Court (as he then was), dismissed as false all the allegations made by Benjamin Joseph, and imposed the sum of N20 million as damages against him for false petitioning in relation to these same allegations.

Zinox alleged that the current charges said to have been filed by Falana on the basis of a fiat from the Attorney General is the third in a row as he had earlier filed charge no.CR/469/2022, which was struck out by Honorable Justice C. O. Oba of the FCT High Court, by an order dated 8th November 2022.

In what appears to be forum shopping and abuse of court process, “he filed the same charges before Honorable Justice A. S. Adepoju of the FCT High Court, which charges were, once more, struck out by the Honorable Court on 19th March 2024, with Honorable Justice Adepoju holding that:

“This matter was brought in dead, extinct and should be confined into the dustbin of history…I hold that the instant suit is an abuse of the process of court and it is hereby struck out accordingly,” the statement said.

Zinox said it was shocked that a “learned Senior Advocate in the person of Femi Falana, would proceed to file the same charges before Honorable Justice A. O. Ebong of the FCT High Court in charge no. FCT/HC/CR/985/24 in November 2024.”

The statement said: “It is, therefore, very clear that the deliberate intention for instituting this new charge by Femi Falana SAN, to include the name of Zinox and its Chairman and other persons who were never part of the investigations, is to embarrass them, harm their reputation, and thereby damage their businesses. In the circumstance, we hereby demand a public apology from Mr. Femi Falana SAN, if he is unable to produce the evidence demanded above.

“We, therefore, assure all our business partners, stakeholders, and friends, that we are not ruffled by these spurious allegations. While our lawyers are set to defend the present charges purportedly filed by Femi Falana SAN, we shall not fail to explore all legal remedies against persons associated with orchestrating these false allegations and publications against us,” Zinox said.

The new fraud is corporate and Personal blackmail, which my companies and I have fallen victim to. I am sure you have read some in the newspapers where CEOs of responsible corporations in Nigeria are tagged fraudsters.

This is the work of blackmailers, and they partner with a few blogs, engage some innocent respected law firms for hyping and a few government officials to achieve their set objectives to destroy your corporate and personal reputations.

These negative online materials are then lifted by Google, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms so that when people search your organisation or personal names, you are seen as a crook. This is with the intent to destroy your brand and affect your credit rating globally.

In some cases, they sue you in multiple courts in Nigeria for the noise and to have the content to continue to upload on various social media platforms.

Having set this platform against you, your competitors would leverage them to blackmail you by paying them handsomely.

In some cases, they secure a Fiat from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to give an impression that the Federal Government is suing you for fraud, which allegations they cannot prove in courts.

This is to make more money from your competitors and extort you if you want such negative news taken down from social media pages.

I am a private person, but for the first time in the history of my entrepreneurship, I will tell you a bit about the Group I founded over 38 years ago. In Nigeria, humility is seen as stupidity. You are free to reconcile and appreciate the noise a certain Benjamin Joseph and Femi Falana chambers are making as an insult to themselves and the nation.

My integrated technology group is the largest on the continent, and we have the second-highest credit rating in the tech sector as far as I have been told in the whole of Africa.

What this means is that if you award us a contract of over $5 billion, we don’t need to borrow to execute because we are trusted. In 38 years of tech entrepreneurship, we have had a global turnover of over $23.7 billion, and we have not borrowed a kobo from any financial institution in the world, neither do we owe any. We have delivered the biggest tech projects across Africa and most of them you are aware of. I set out from day one as an orphan and an only child even though my parents were alive and I have five other siblings.

So, I am my own adviser. We built the Group as corporate collateral, we are trusted by all our over 35 global partners and most of them are listed in Fortune 100. We do our best to promote a trust economy.

A few weeks ago, I paid one of the leading multinationals over $31m for a debt one of the companies in the Group incurred due to Naira devaluation challenges, and this is one out of 31 multinationals. So, I am like someone on steroids 24 hours a day and manage to sleep 3 hours a day to maintain this global reputation.

Last week, I inspected our companies’ books, and the group exposure on credit extension to companies in Nigeria was over $89m. We have worked very hard to build knowledge, infrastructure, and spiritual capacities for our survival, and the Group is not focused on money but on our passion. Please research all these before our final meeting in the first quarter of 2025. I shall tell my full story one day.

Using what my companies TD Africa Distributions, Zinox Technologies, my colleagues in both companies, my wife, and I have suffered in the last 11 years in the hands of Benjamin Joseph of Citadel Oracle Concepts Ltd, an Enugu indigene based in Ibadan, and an alleged serial blackmailer and fraudster as a case study, you shall appreciate it.

I have never met Benjamin Joseph in my life, and neither has he directly or indirectly enquired or transacted any business with Zinox Technologies Ltd in the history of our existence.  Citadel Oracle Concepts Ltd was amongst 13 companies awarded HP PC contract by Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) in 2012, with instruction from the FIRS that the laptops must be sourced genuinely from HP Authorized Distributor in Nigeria, and TD Africa is the biggest HP Partner in Nigeria.

This is because the FIRS wanted to guard against grey or fake products and the challenges of after-sales support.

Citadel, through its authorised partner, Princess Kama (with a letter of Authority signed by Benjamin Joseph as the MD of Citadel Oracle Concepts Ltd), approached TD Africa to supply Citadel the laptops on credit as the company did not have enough funds to pay TD Africa.

The agreed condition was that FIRS should pay into a Citadel Account, where two staff members of TD shall be signatories to protect our pre-agreed invoice value, plus an additional guarantee from a responsible Nigerian.

Citadel raised a Board resolution to include two TD staff: Chris Eze Ozims and Shade Oyebode, as the signatories in an account Citadel opened with Access Bank.  TD Africa then supplied the systems to FIRS with serial number of each system captured.

This was the same process for the other companies awarded similar contracts by the FIRS who didn’t have enough funds to pay for the laptops.

FIRS, as a responsible FGN agency, paid all on time, and other companies immediately remitted the pre-agreed amount from the dedicated account to TD Africa Account.

But Benjamin Joseph, the CEO of Citadel, as I was told by his partner, Princess Kama, wanted to divert the fund and possibly pay us at his own time or never. However, Princess Kama, because her Uncle Chief Igbokwe (a long-time partner of TD Africa) was an additional guarantor for the credit extended to Citadel, disagreed with the plans of Benjamin Joseph.

She approached TD Africa signatories/representatives to debit the dedicated bank account for the pre-agreed amount, as Benjamin Joseph insisted on diverting the funds. TD representatives actioned immediately. This is where the problem started.

One year after this transaction was closed and forgotten, we did not know both partners had been fighting over the profit-sharing ratio.

Benjamin Joseph engaged Afe Babalola Chambers and claimed that his company was used to defraud FGN, that no laptops were supplied, and that he was not aware of both the contract and Citadel Account opened with Access Bank Plc.

According to Princess Kama, Chief Afe Babalola SAN, a distinguished lawyer of Afe Babalola Chambers, invited her to Ibadan and she obliged. When he raised the claims by Benjamin Joseph, she presented documentary evidence which was confirmed by FIRS management that Benjamin Joseph was aware of the contract, and indeed submitted a copy of his Travel Passport, a Letter of Acceptance of the FIRS Contract, and the appointment of Princess Kama as the duly authorised representative of Citadel on the FIRS contract.

In fact, her position was vindicated by the FIRS in a letter dated 11th February 2014 and signed by FIRS Head of Legal, Idrissa Kogo, addressed to the same Afe Babalola and Co. confirming that Mr. Benjamin Joseph was aware of the contract and even gave FIRS a letter dated 13th December, 2012 to deal with Princess Kama in relation to the contract.

In the same letter, FIRS confirmed that Citadel instructed them to pay the proceed of the laptop into the Citadel Account with Access Bank.

These matters would later be corroborated in the Witness Statement on Oath by Benjamin Joseph in a civil case he filed at the Lagos State High Court, accepting he was aware of the contract and gave those documents to Princess Kama.

According to Princess Kama, Chief Afe Babalola advised her to increase Benjamin Joseph’s share by an additional N2m from the N10million she had initially offered. However, Mr. Joseph insisted on taking all the profit from the transaction, and she refused.

It was after one year that Benjamin Joseph started writing all sorts of petitions to different police stations and EFCC offices both in Lagos and Abuja and publishing interviews against me and Zinox with his hired media agents.

I checked with Zinox and they never transacted any business with his company. When my staff started receiving invitations from the Police and EFCC, I had to independently investigate the transaction, and it was in order. I had no idea who both Benjamin Joseph and his partner Princess Kama were, and because a lady was involved, I had to investigate both and, particularly Princess Kama to establish their partnership, in case she was a member of a fraud syndicate and their true relationship.

I hired foreign-certified detectives who worked with local ones to establish their long-term relationships. They once belonged in the same church, nearly got married, and were partners for years.

They even had previous contract bids which Princess Kama did for Citadel Oracle Concept Ltd in many offices, including the Presidency. This cost me then $241,000. It was after I received a comprehensive report from the detectives that I asked my office to invite her to see me and she came and confirmed everything.

Mr. Joseph, who was properly investigated and documented, including his financial status, became more aggressive in publishing false claims and probably expected me to call him to negotiate as he was told I am a very rich man.

At one point, an AIG of Police invited us to meet in his office at SFU Milverton, Ikoyi, to find a solution because he was shocked that someone was writing a petition against my companies, my staff, and myself for less than N170m.

But at the last minute, I apologised to the AIG that I would not attend as Mr. Benjamin Joseph, who came from Ibadan for the meeting, was already blackmailing me in blogs and newspapers. He could use that meeting to a negative advantage.

Sometime in November 2013, the law firm of Afe Babalola, acting for Mr. Benjamin Joseph and his company, Citadel, wrote the first petition to the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigerian Police at Milverton Ikoyi, that his signature was forged on the Board resolution and other documents.

The SFU investigated his petitions and wrote a report that his claim of the forged signature by his partner Princess Kama and his claim that no computers were supplied to FIRS were false.

He, again, petitioned the DIG of Police, then Dr. Solomon Arase, who finally became Inspector General of Police. Dr. Arase, according to what I was told, sent his crack team to visit FIRS office and investigated other claims and found out that Mr. Benjamin Joseph lied absolutely.

Consequently, the IG of Police charged him to court in Charge No. CR/216/16 before Honourable Justice Peter Kekemeke of the FCT High Court, for false information. Even though the Prosecution proved and closed its case in 2018, Mr. Benjamin Joseph could not defend or substantiate his allegations after being required many times by the court to open his defence.

He would change lawyers and absent himself from court, giving medical reasons. Rather than opening his defence, Mr. Joseph was spending time in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation begging for the AGF to take over the case and discontinue the charges against him.

However, the then Attorney General, after reviewing the case file on each of those three occasions, wrote to the Police to continue with his prosecution to a logical conclusion. These directives were contained in three separate letters dated 10th February 2017, 7th May 2018, and 6th June 2022.

While the above case was on, Benjamin wrote the same lies to the then Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, claiming that his company was used to defraud the FGN. The VP rightly instructed the Chairman of EFCC to investigate and report back.

The EFCC, in their report, stated that the allegation was false and absolved TD and its staff of any wrongdoing because they are entitled to payment for the laptops they supplied on credit and did not forge any documents; in fact, they had no reasons to forge documents. However, the EFCC charged Princess Kama and her uncle, Chief Igbokwe, to court before Honourable Justice Senchi of the FCT High Court on the instigation of Mr. Benjamin Joseph.

But, again, Mr. Benjamin Joseph, was unable to prove his allegations against them, and in a judgment delivered in February 2021, Honourable Justice Danlami Senchi in Charge No. FCT/HC/CR/244/2018, discharged and acquitted both Princess Kama and Chief Igbokwe, and imposed a damage of N20 million against Mr. Benjamin Joseph for false petitioning and to serve as a deterrence against others who engage in false petitions that waste tax payers’ money.

More importantly, the judgment of Honourable Justice Senchi unequivocally stated that Technology Distributions and its staff were not liable for any fraud and that they were entitled to receive the proceeds of the laptops supplied on credit to Citadel Oracle Concept Limited, which were delivered to FIRS, and confirmed by them. This judgment is still subsisting and  Mr. Joseph has yet to pay the damage of N20 million imposed on him.

Before this point, Mr. Joseph and his media partners became desperate in blackmailing my wife, myself, and  Zinox Technologies in cheap blogs, as no responsible media ever published any of their press releases except Sahara Reporters, who were co-opted and refused to hear our side of the story.

All these years, none of my staff, companies or myself was invited or included in all these court processes except the EFCC court case where TD was only invited as a witness because Citadel  transacted with them. But his media blackmail was on me and Zinox and he smartly avoided his partner Princess Kama.

What Benjamin Joseph and his syndicate set up is a platform to work with my competitors who are willing to sponsor them to diminish my reputation by escalating in the media same case he could not defend and begged that it should be withdrawn.

This is the cause of the Nigeria digital census project delay till date and equipment worth over N300b are wasting in warehouses because my competitors and their sponsors at the highest level used them and engaged Femi Falana SAN to secure a Fiat against my name, my wife, my companies to tag us as frauds. By their action, Zinox almost lost a digital census contract of over $250m of which it was the most qualified.

However, then Attorney General of Federation, Mr. Malami SAN, when he found out that he was deceived by Femi Falana (SAN) in granting the Fiat, wrote him a letter dated 28th October 2022, withdrawing the Fiat and discontinuing the case against me and my company which they had filed, unknown to us.

This is because Femi Falana SAN did not disclose fully to the Attorney General the fact that there is a subsisting judgment given by Honourable Justice Senchi that has dismissed all the allegations of Mr. Joseph and asked him to pay N20 million damages.

He also did not disclose the fact that his client, Mr. Joseph, was still facing a criminal trial brought by the IG of Police against him.  So, a few days after, President Muhammadu Buhari, based on submissions at the Federal Executive Council meeting, approved that the contract be awarded to Zinox Technologies Ltd based on competence, capacity and experience. And it was awarded to Zinox Technologies after months of blackmail to eliminate us from the deal.

We delivered the project on time per our terms of engagement, but it was too late for the previous administration to conduct the Digital Census. What it means is that these blackmailers with support of people like Femi Falana caused the lack of credible data to move the country forward as all the equipment procured for the census are lying waste in warehouses nationwide. That’s shameless Nigerians for you and they walk the street as free men till date.

The arrival of the new Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, changed everything. As a lawyer who had worked with Afe Babalola chambers (former lawyers to Benjamin Joseph), one of his early actions in office was to discontinue the Police case (CR/216/16) against Benjamin Joseph following the petition lodged by the chambers of Afe Babalola SAN at the SFU, Milvertion Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, on behalf of Mr. Benjamin Jospeh, that was found to be false.

As a distinguished lawyer that I respect, I expected him to request for source documents of the cases including one already decided against Joseph by Honourable Justice Senchi of the FCT High Court that had already found Mr. Benjamin Joseph of lying in his petition with a damage of N20 million imposed on him.

As the number one judicial officer of the nation, even if he wanted to save Mr. Joseph from going to jail, I expected the Honourable Attorney General to act dispassionately in the light of a subsisting case/order directed against him to refrain from discontinuing the Police Charge pending the determination of that case, and also in the light of the valid and subsisting judgment of Honourable Justice Senchi.

Instead, he, against all the glaring SFU and EFCC reports and the decided case, withdrew the Police case against Mr. Joseph on reasons best known to him, thereby setting Mr. Joseph free, and he has been celebrating the withdrawal of a case he reported and could not prove/defend for years.

To date, Benjamin Joseph acts as a blackmail platform for my competitors whenever we are competing on a bid, using nefarious publications in social media directed at me, my wife, and my company, Zinox.

Please, as stakeholders and future Nigerian trillionaires, learn from my experience. However, you must not dine with blackmailers, as technology will soon delete them from the tech ecosystem.

Since Independence in 1960, the telecoms sector has impacted on the Nigerian economy in several positive ways, creating jobs and contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Nigerian economy.

Before Nigeria gained independence in 1960, communication was mainly through the telegraphic wire, initiated by the colonial masters, but after independence in 1960, the Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), was established in 1985, following the separation of postal services from telecommunications services.

At that time, telecommunication was the exclusive right of the affluent in the society as only few people had access to telephony.

People had to queue for hours and days, just to make international calls and sometimes local calls with the 090 NITEL line.

During that period, the existing Telecom operators were NITEL and a few other Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators. However, the advent of GSM in 2001 eventually demystified telecommunications, and gave every Nigerian the access and right to communicate.

The introduction of GSM in 2001, increased the number of registered lines from less than 400,000 in 41 years of independence, to over one million lines in less than one year after the introduction of GSM.

After 2001, more and more Nigerians could sit at the comfort of their homes and offices to make instant calls within and outside Nigeria, through their personal hand-held devices called the mobile phones.

Banking activities are now transacted on the mobile phones, without the bank customer visiting the banks.

The most eventful period was between 2001 and 2015, when the telecoms sector was deregulated.

The Structures

In preparation for the proper regulation of the telecoms sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator was established by an Act of law in 2000, and in 2003, the Nigeria Telecommunications Act was enacted, which defined the structures of the Nigerian telecoms sector.

In 2001, the first set of GSM operators were licensed by NCC. They included Econet Wireless (now Airtel), MTN and NITEL.

In 2003, Globacom was licensed and in 2008, Etisalat, now 9mobile, was licensed, while NTEL, the mobile arm of NITEL was licensed in 2014, but rolled out services in 2016, after the successful privatisation process, through a guided liquidation exercise.

However, following the inability of NITEL to cope with competition from GSM operators, it folded up its operations and was eventually sold to NATCOM in 2014, and later re-sold to private investor after it was unbundled and it currently trades as Ntel, under a private ownership and with the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria as a majority shareholder.

Core Telcos

The core telecom operators (Telcos), such as MTN, Airtel, Globacom and 9mobile were initially licensed by NCC to provide mobile voice services.

The NCC however licensed Globacom as a Second National Operator (SNO) to offer fixed (landline), in addition to wired and wireless (mobile) services that other core operators were offering.

NCC also licensed Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to offer internet data services, but in 2005, NCC deregulated the telecoms sector and granted a five year exclusivity period to GSM operators and also extended their license to cover data service offering.

The core telecoms operators had to roll out their own telecoms infrastructure to aid network expansion across the country.

Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engineer Gbenga Adebayo, said the core telcos had to reinvest their profits into telecoms infrastructure rollout because the federal government could not deploy the $285 million licence fee paid by each core operators for telecoms infrastructure rollout as early promised.

“To achieve effective network coverage, the core telcos were in building Base Transceiver Station (BTS) and connecting radio links, while at the same time, laying fibre optic cables and connecting them to BTS for effective coverage, which come at a huge cost and burden to telecoms operators. Again, the cost of maintaining BTS was on the high side, because each BTS runs on two generating sets on a 24 hours basis and the cost of diesel has continued to increase, even more so with the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government,” Adebayo said.

He however said at a point, the core telcos had to outsource the building of telecoms masts (BTS) and the maintenance and operations to core infrastructure companies like IHS, to enable the core telecoms operators to focus on their core area of telecoms service delivery to telecoms subscribers.

Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos)

Infrastructure Companies like IHS, MainOne, Pan African Towers, SWAP Technologies, Zinox Technologies, Broadbased Communications, Brinks Integrated Solutions, O’dua Infraco Resources among others, were initially licensed as InfraCos to provide telecoms infrastructure across the six geo-political zones in the country, but the arrangement failed years later because of the difficulties most of the licensed faced in deploying telecoms infrastructure across the various regions.

The InfraCos were supposed to provide BTS also known as Base Stations, as well as fibre optic cables and radio links for the transmission of voice and data services, but they were resisted by agencies of state governments and social miscreants who demanded and to a large extent continue to demand outrageous amounts of money from them as condition for rollout of telecoms infrastructure in the various regions.

Some agencies of state governments either refused to grant Right of way (RoW) permit for infrastructure rollout, or arbitrarily hiked the charges for RoW in their states, thus making it difficult for InfraCos to roll out telecoms infrastructure in most states.

The situation forced some InfraCos like IHS and MainOne to return their InfraCo licence to the NCC, after paying N2.5 million for a ten-year InfraCo licence.

Some operators were licensed to deploy telecoms masts across the country, maintain the operations of telecoms masts and allow telecoms operators to collocate by fixing their radio links and antennae on the installed telecoms masts.

Operators involved in providing telecoms masts include: IHS, American Towers Company (ATC), Pan African Towers, Coloplus Limited, among others.

Telecom mast providers are faced with a myriad of challenges in deploying telecoms masts across the country, a development that affects the quality of telecoms service delivery across networks.

Multiple taxation, foreign exchange rate volatility and availability, vandalism, insecurity, asset theft, intra-industry indebtedness, non-designation of telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure and power solutions are some of the problems facing the industry sub-sector.

All these issues culminate in having an adverse impact on communications because the quality of service is ultimately affected.

With a gap of approximately 40,000 towers needed (without 5G) to cover the country as has repeatedly been said by NCC, these issues need to be addressed not only to improve the quality of current service delivery but also to provide network coverage for the rest of the country.

The building of towers in close proximity to already existing towers must also be addressed if national coverage is to be achieved within a reasonable time. The network must expand to currently unserved parts of the country.

Mr. Mike Ofili, CEO of Coloplus Limited, admitted to the huge challenges faced in deploying telecom masts across the country.

According to Ofili, the telecoms mast providers must have the buying and consent of telecoms operators, before investing in a single telecoms mast (Tower), which he said, cost between N35 million to N40 million, depending on the location.

Speaking on some of the challenges in deploying telecoms masts, Ofili said:

“Nigeria imports virtually everything that has to do with telecoms’ tower equipment and installation. We import the towers, generating sets, batteries, rectifiers, including iron/rod used for reinforcement. The rising cost of dollar and the weak value of the naira against the dollar, coupled with the inability to access Forex, have affected importation of equipment, thus slowed down network expansion, leading to poor telecoms’ service delivery. The issue of multiple regulation and multiple taxes imposed on telecoms’ operators by agents of governments, are also affecting the deployment of telecoms masts, which telecoms operators rely on to provide quality service to subscribers,” Ofili said.

According to him, with multiple regulations from state agencies, telcos are forced to pay for Environmental Impact Assessment fee, Right of Way (RoW) charges, mast installation charges, radioactive emission charges, among other charges that amount to multiple taxes.

“Cost of maintaining BTS is also very expensive. Nigeria has about 30,000 BTS installed across the country, with some decommissioned while about 30,000 BTS are still active, with high cost of maintenance. The cost of diesel to power a BTS is on the increase and the financial demand from non-state actors who parade themselves as social miscreants, is becoming rampant and impacting negatively on the running cost of a BTS. Network operators had tried severally to increase cost of telecoms services delivery in line with the rising cost of providing telecoms services, but the regulator, the NCC, will not agree, and the situation is adversely affecting telecoms operations across networks,” Ofili said.

Other sources online put the number of installed towers in Nigeria at over 40,000 as at 2021.

The development slowed down network expansion of telecoms operators and invariably, quality of telecoms service delivery has been adversely affected.

Following the collapse of the InfraCo arrangement, telecoms infrastructure providers started making personal negotiations to roll out telecoms infrastructure, but at a very slow pace that is negatively affecting telecoms service delivery, because the telecoms operators largely depend on the telecoms infrastructure companies to deliver telecoms services to the subscribers.

Speaking on some other challenges faced by telecoms operators, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON),  said maintenance of BTS was becoming a major challenge as cost of diesel continued to rise since the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.

According to Adebayo, the operators have called for an increase in telecoms tariff, but the move has always been resisted by the NCC and the telecoms subscribers.

Adebayo added that all other sectors of the Nigerian economy have had reasons to increase cost of service delivery to the people because of the prevailing circumstances in the country occasioned by fuel subsidy removal, but there had always been resistance each time the telcos talk about price increase.

Value Added Service (VAS) Operators

VAS operators are another set of operators that the telecoms operators rely on in providing quality telecoms services to telecoms subscribers.

VAS operators are licensed by the NCC to provide value added services that will enable telecom operators to serve telecom subscribers in a most effective way. Although they do not have telecoms infrastructure, they ride on existing telecoms infrastructure to offer telecom services that are regarded as value added services to telecom operators.

Their services are essential because they determine the quality of service that telcos offer to their subscribers.

Some of the services include: Call waiting, Call forwarding, multi-party conferencing, Short Message Service (SMS), and special ringtones.

The major challenge faced by VAS operators is in the area of pricing of the solutions developed and offered by VAS operators.

Mr. Chijioke Ezeh, National Chairman of VAS operators, who confirmed the issue of pricing, said the issue still persists, because the sharing ratio between VAS operators and telecoms operators are never favorable to VAS operators. According to him, the telecoms operators will want to take the lion share from the proceeds of any VAS solution offered by telecoms operators, just because the telecoms operators own the telecoms infrastructure on which the VAS solution rides on.

Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO)

In addition to the services that Value Added Service (VAS) operators are offering in the telecoms sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), recently licensed 25 Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) that will also ride on the existing telecoms infrastructure to provide telecoms services that will enhance telecoms subscribers’ experience.

REVEALED: First Set of Licensed MVNOs in Nigeria

Although many industry analysts have blamed the licensing of 25 MVNOs, insisting it would lead to duplication of solutions and harsh competition between VAS operators and MVNOs. National Chairman of VAS operators, Mr. Chijioke Eze, however said both VAS and MVNOs could collaborate and offer quality services without any form of friction.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

The Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are another set of operators licensed by NCC to provide internet connectivity for data services.

Their role is interwoven with telecom operators that also offer data services, alongside voice services.

The interwoven nature of the role of both operators is causing great concern to ISPs that are smaller in size and capacity. Because the telcos have the numbers, with a subscriber base of over 220 million across networks, they appear to run out the smaller ISPs that have less subscriber base.

Commenting on the situation, Mr. Charles Anudo, the CEO of Swift Networks, who is an ISP, said most ISPs are being suffocated by Telecom operators that provide the same data service with ISP.

Top Internet Service Providers in Nigeria 2023

According to him, ISPs were originally licensed to provide data services, while telcos were originally licensed to provide voice services.

He however said the deregulation of the telecoms sector, provided opportunity for telcos to offer data services, a development, he said, was already affecting ISPs. He called on the regulator to ensure protection of ISPs, especially the smaller ISPs, in order to save them from going into extinction.

From the analysis above, it is evident that the challenges in the telecoms sector is not only embedded with telecoms operators, as it cuts across several sub-sectors like VAS, InfraCos, MVNOs, and ISPs, making it a web of challenges that has to be addressed by all the players in the industry, including the regulator, the NCC.

Olajide Adisa, is a Telecoms/ICT Analysts & Commentator writes from Abuja