Due to processes put in place by the nation’s telecoms regulatory body, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to help the industry achieve optimal service delivery, the telecommunications industry has so far this year attracted about $1 billion.
Speaking at a media parley in Lagos on Friday, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida disclosed that the decision to return to market-driven pricing in the sector brought about the surge in infrastructure investment.
The EVC noted the policies, some of which were introduced early this year, positioned mobile network operators (MNOs) where investors looked favourably at them. One of such policies was the adjustment of tariffs by up to 50%.
Also, allowing operators to co-locate and share infrastructure also instilled confidence in investors.
According to him, this is the first time in over three years that some operators are making major equipment purchases, with shipments already arriving since June. He said these investments will fund upgrades of existing base stations, construction of new sites, and expansion of fibre backbones across the country, starting from the North Central region.
“This act alone has allowed investments to flow in. we will be revealing more specific figures in the coming weeks after verification, but we are talking about over a billion dollars of investment in 2025 alone.
This is an industry that requires continuous investment. The world is moving ahead, and if we do not create the right conditions, we will be left behind”.
He said that investment in the sector will address capacity challenge, improve quality of service and experience, and finance growth towards global competitiveness. Dr. Maida disclosed that the imported equipment started coming in from June and is being used for upgrades of telecom infrastructure
He said the industry requires continuous investment and applauded federal governments subsidy removal and unification of the exchange rate, which have contributed to the stability of economy, and attracted investments.
The EVC, while disclosing that only three countries in the world produce most of the infrastructure in use globally, noted that localization of infrastructure plants may not happen now, but that Nigeria will get there, but it will take time. He further disclosed that telecom operators use 40 million liters of diesel monthly to power their base stations, most of which are imported, but there is hope since local production has been increased.
The Director, Public Affairs, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha noted that the interaction with the media is one of the ways the Commission gets feedbacks from telecom consumers. The media, she said, translates policies to the grassroot.
