ALTON Top Leadership Visits NCC Board, Appeals For Regulatory Intervention On Burning Industry Subjects

By Angeline Mgbele, Bureau Chief, Northern Nigeria

Chairman of telecommunications sector advocacy body, the Association of  Licensed Telecommunications Operators Of Nigeria(ALTON), Engr Gbenga Adebayo, has led a delegation of Senior Executives of member telecom companies on a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission,(NCC)  Idris Ibikunle Olorunimbe, Cyber Era NG learns.

We gather  that the crucial visit validates the full confidence the telecom Industry reposes in the new NCC Board Chairman’s leadership while urging urgent action on regulatory independence, harmonized taxation, and protection of critical infrastructure to secure long‑term sector stability and growth, among others.

Find below Dr. Adebayo’s speech:

Protocols.

It is with deep respect and sincere pleasure that we pay this congratulatory visit to  you today on behalf of the entire telecommunications industry in Nigeria.

Please allow me to speak briefly about our Board Chairman, Dr. Idris Ibikunle  Olorunnimbe.

Before his appointment to the NCC, he served on the Board of the Lagos State  Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), where he chaired the Stakeholder and Governance  Committee, providing strategic oversight on youth employment and entrepreneurship initiatives.

He is the Founder of The Temple Management Company (TMC), a firm active in  talent, media, entertainment, and sports management, where he has led innovative projects bridging private enterprise and the creative industry.

Dr. Olorunnimbe also served as Special Adviser on Civic Engagement to the Governor  of Lagos State, promoting civic participation and youth development.

His blend of legal training, entrepreneurship, and public service experience brings  strong governance insight and collaborative leadership to the NCC Board.

Mr. Chairman, please accept our warm congratulations on your appointment as  Chairman of the Board of Commissioners. Your distinguished professional journey, your record of reform-oriented leadership, your administrative discipline, and your history of  delivering results in complex institutions give us great confidence that this Board is in capable hands.

Your appointment comes at a defining moment for our sector — a time of recovery,  recalibration, and renewed investor confidence.

We are truly delighted by your appointment and confident that under your stewardship,  this Board will not only meet the expectations of Mr. President, but indeed surpass them.

We have come in our full strength and numbers to welcome you — as evidenced by  the calibre and quality of industry leaders present here today — reflecting the high regard in which you are held and our collective commitment to working closely with  you for the advancement of the sector.

We commend His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the thoughtful  composition of the Board of Commissioners. The calibre and depth of expertise  represented reflect strong confidence in institutional strengthening and sector  sustainability. We wish all Board members every success in their tenure.

Appreciation to the Executive Vice Chairman and Leadership

Permit me to specially acknowledge and appreciate the Executive Vice Chairman, Dr.  Aminu Maida, and his Executive Commissioners for steering the ship of this sector  through one of its most delicate periods.

When Dr. Maida assumed office, he inherited significant industry challenges.  One of the most difficult was the USSD debt crisis — a debt burden that grew over  four years to nearly ₦300 billion. It had become a systemic risk to our sector and  the digital financial ecosystem.

Through firm leadership, structured engagement, and decisive coordination, Dr. Maida  and his team resolved this issue. Today, there is no outstanding USSD debt. The  ecosystem has fully migrated to end-user billing. What was once a looming crisis has been converted into a sustainable framework.

We are immensely grateful. Kindly help us convey our deep appreciation to him — because without that intervention, this would have been a major challenge awaiting you upon assumption of office.

Tariff Reform and Sector Survival

For thirteen years, our industry maintained static pricing despite rising inflation,  currency volatility, aging infrastructure, and escalating energy costs.  Our tariffs fell significantly below cost. Investment slowed. Networks became strained.  The sector was approaching a stage where service rationing was becoming a real possibility.

We made evidence-based representations to Government. The approval granted last  year for cost-reflective tariff adjustments was not merely administrative — it saved the  industry from collapse.

Today, we are seeing companies gradually return to profitability. Network stabilization  has improved. Capital expenditure planning has resumed.

We commend the Honourable Minister Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Executive Vice Chairman, and the leadership of Government for presenting the right case and securing approval  for tariff review. That decision preserved sector viability.

Presidential Economic Reforms and Forex Stability

Telecommunications is heavily forex-dependent. We earn in Naira but pay international  obligations in foreign currency — for bandwidth, software, satellite capacity, equipment sourcing, and international traffic settlement.

Under the previous regime, forex scarcity created severe strain. Operators accumulated foreign obligations and struggled to meet global commitments.

The current forex reforms, though initially challenging, have yielded stability. Today,  forex is available. Foreign obligations are being met. Foreign debt exposure has  reduced significantly. Investor confidence has strengthened.

Recent major infrastructure investment announcements in the tower segment further  demonstrate renewed global confidence in Nigeria’s telecom market.

Energy, Security and CNII Protection

Energy remains one of our largest operating costs. While fuel prices have risen, supply availability and distribution stability have improved significantly compared to previous years.

On security, vandalism and fibre damage historically posed severe threats to network  reliability.

We commend this Administration for designating telecommunications infrastructure as  Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) through Executive Order. This  recognition is transformative.

Although more work is required for full operationalization, it signals strong federal  commitment to infrastructure protection.

As we speak, a high-level delegation from the Office of the National Security Adviser  is in Lagos engaging our command centres and infrastructure protection architecture.  These engagements are encouraging and promising.

Our Contribution to National Development

Telecommunications remains one of the most critical sectors of the Nigerian economy.  We enable banking, education, health, security, commerce, and governance.

Operators continue to invest in:

• Fibre connectivity to schools

• Digital enablement of hospitals

• Broadband access to government institutions

• Support to security agencies

• Rural broadband expansion

• Youth employment and technology development

Our sector is a major private employer, directly and indirectly supporting millions of  Nigerians across towers, fibre deployment, retail distribution, engineering, logistics,  digital services, and call centre operations.

Key Structural Challenges

However, Mr. Chairman, we respectfully draw attention to urgent challenges. 

Fibre Cuts by Government Road Contractors  Daily fibre cuts — often caused by federal and state road construction contractors — are creating enormous economic losses.

• Nationwide service disruptions

• Destruction of critical digital infrastructure

• Loss of assets without compensation

• Banking, education, and security interruptions

There is currently insufficient institutional recourse for operators when these damages  occur. A structured pre-construction fibre mapping and mandatory coordination  framework is urgently required.

Key Regulatory Priorities For Sector Stability

1. Independence of the Regulator

Sections 1(b) and 25(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 establish the NCC  as an independent regulator.

Regulatory independence ensures:

• Credible oversight

• Investor confidence

• Transparent decision-making

• Long-term sector stability

Independence must not only exist in law — it must be visible in practice.

We recommend:

• Legislative reinforcement explicitly affirming NCC independence

• Clear codification of interaction boundaries between the regulator and

supervising authorities

• Operational safeguards insulating regulatory processes from undue influence

We commend the Honourable Minister for allowing the NCC to function without  interference thus far. That culture must continue.

2. Multiple Regulation

Overlapping regulatory interventions by various MDAs on matters already within NCC  jurisdiction create:

• Duplicative investigations

• Conflicting directives

• Increased compliance costs

• Regulatory uncertainty

We recommend structured inter-agency coordination frameworks and legislative  clarification reaffirming NCC’s exclusive jurisdiction over telecommunications matters.

3. Multiple Taxation

Operators continue to face excessive sub-national taxes and levies.

Enforcement tactics such as site shutdowns directly affect Quality of Service and  national connectivity.

A harmonized national telecom taxation framework is essential for broadband  expansion and digital inclusion.

Executive Advocacy and Strategic Engagement

Beyond legislation, structured Executive Advocacy is essential.

We respectfully recommend proactive engagement by the Board with:

• Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) – RoW harmonization and sub-national  taxation

• National Economic Council (NEC) – Integrating telecom infrastructure into state  planning

• Federal and State Ministries of Works – Fibre mapping and damage  compensation protocols

• Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) – CNII enforcement framework

• FIRS & Joint Tax Board – Harmonized fiscal treatment

• National Assembly Committees – Legislative amendments reinforcing regulatory  clarity

• Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) – Investor confidence alignment

Policy clarity must be matched by executive coordination.

Strategic Imperative

For Nigeria’s digital economy to scale sustainably, three pillars must be secured:

• A visibly independent regulator

• A clearly defined single-sector authority

• A harmonized and predictable fiscal environment

Assurance of Support

Mr. Chairman,

Government has done well. Reform momentum is visible. Investor confidence is  returning.

We assure you of ALTON’s full cooperation and institutional support.

We also extend a formal invitation for you to visit one of our wholly Nigerian-operated  call centres employing hundreds of young Nigerians — demonstrating the employment and economic potential of our sector.

Closing

Your appointment comes at a critical and promising moment.  The sector has stabilized. Reform is yielding results. Confidence is returning.  Under your leadership, we are confident this Board will guide Nigeria’s  telecommunications industry into an even stronger era of stability, innovation, and  national impact.

Once again, congratulations.

We wish you wisdom, courage, and outstanding success. Thank you very much.