By Abbas Badmus,

The conversation around internet access in Nigeria has taken a new turn following recent remarks by the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, who stated that offering unlimited data over mobile networks is not commercially feasible. His comments sparked widespread debate among Nigerians, many of whom insist that unlimited internet access should no longer be considered a luxury but a necessity in today’s digital economy.

While mobile subscribers may have to wait longer for truly unlimited data on smartphones, a quiet revolution is already unfolding in Nigeria’s broadband market. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and telecom operators are investing heavily in Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) infrastructure, making unlimited internet increasingly accessible to homes and businesses across the country.

Nigeria’s Data Appetite Keeps Growing
The demand for internet connectivity has continued to soar despite the recent 50 percent increase in telecommunications tariffs, which raised the cost of voice calls, SMS and mobile data.

According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigerians now consume approximately 45,800 terabytes of data every day, an indication that digital services have become indispensable for work, education, entertainment, financial services and communication.

Speaking at a recent industry forum in Lagos, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Aminu Maida, attributed the rising consumption to increasing broadband penetration and expanding internet usage across the country.

One of the biggest drivers of this trend is the rapid expansion of fibre broadband services, which now offer subscribers something many mobile users have long desired—truly unlimited internet without restrictive Fair Usage Policies (FUPs).

Unlike traditional mobile data bundles that come with monthly caps and speed throttling after heavy usage, fibre broadband delivers consistent, high-speed internet with no data limits.

Competition among providers has intensified significantly over the last few years. Both traditional Internet Service Providers and major mobile network operators are racing to attract customers by offering faster speeds, lower subscription fees and wider coverage.

As competition increases, prices are gradually becoming more affordable, giving households and businesses more options than ever before.

However, while pricing remains a major deciding factor, subscribers are advised to also consider service availability, network reliability, installation costs and customer support before choosing a provider.

Top 10 Cheapest Unlimited Data Plans in Nigeria (June 2026)

1. Wifiber Broadband – Home Smart
Monthly Subscription: ₦15,380
Validity: 30 Days
Speed: Up to 35 Mbps

Wifiber Broadband currently offers Nigeria’s most affordable unlimited fibre package. Available in Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan, the Home Smart plan delivers reliable high-speed internet ideal for streaming, remote work, online classes and smart homes.

2. Ngcom – FiberMax Liteplus

Monthly Subscription: ₦15,500
Validity: 30 Days
Speed: Up to 20 Mbps

Operating in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, Ngcom provides unlimited broadband services for residential and business users. Its FiberMax Liteplus package remains one of the most competitive offerings in the market.

3. Hoop Telecoms – Home Deluxe

Monthly Subscription: ₦15,500
Validity: 30 Days
Speed: Up to 15 Mbps

With service coverage extending across Nigeria through a combination of owned and partner infrastructure, Hoop Telecoms has emerged as one of the country’s fastest-growing broadband providers.

4. Tizeti – Residential Unlimited

Monthly Subscription: ₦17,500
Validity: 30 Days

Known for eliminating both data caps and device limits, Tizeti’s unlimited residential package remains attractive for households with multiple connected devices. The company currently serves Lagos, Ogun and Port Harcourt while expanding nationwide.

5. FibreOne – SmartHome

Monthly Subscription: ₦17,604
Validity: 30 Days
Speed: 30 Mbps

FibreOne has built a strong reputation as one of Nigeria’s leading FTTH providers, delivering reliable internet services for homes and offices through high-quality fibre infrastructure.

6. iPNX – Bronze Unlimited

Monthly Subscription: ₦22,253
Validity: 30 Days
Speed: 20 Mbps

As one of Nigeria’s pioneers in fibre broadband, iPNX continues to offer premium unlimited internet services backed by industry-leading fibre technology and stable network performance.

7. Airtel Nigeria – Unlimited 50

Monthly Subscription: ₦25,000
Validity: 30 Days
Speed: Up to 50 Mbps

Unlike its regular mobile data bundles, Airtel’s Unlimited 50 package is available through its SmartConnect 5G Outdoor Unit (ODU) router, providing users with unrestricted internet access and impressive speeds.

8. MTN FibreX – Basic Plan

Monthly Subscription: ₦30,000
Validity: 30 Days
Speed: 50 Mbps

Although MTN maintains that unlimited mobile data is currently unsustainable, the telecom giant offers unlimited broadband through its FibreX service. One major advantage is that installation comes at no additional cost, unlike many competing providers.

9. Cobranet – UgoFlix

Monthly Subscription: ₦32,000
Validity: 30 Days
Speed: Up to 8 Mbps

One of Nigeria’s oldest Internet Service Providers, Cobranet continues to provide dependable residential internet services across Lagos, Abuja and several other major cities.

10. Cyberspace – Cyber Unlimited Classic

Monthly Subscription: ₦33,910
Validity: 30 Days

Established in 1995, Cyberspace has remained a significant player in Nigeria’s ICT industry. Its Cyber Unlimited Classic package is designed primarily for business users requiring uninterrupted internet connectivity.

The debate over unlimited mobile data may continue for years, but one fact is already becoming evident: Nigeria’s broadband future lies in fibre.

As telecom companies and Internet Service Providers continue expanding fibre infrastructure, millions of Nigerians are expected to enjoy faster, more reliable and genuinely unlimited internet services. Increased competition is also likely to drive prices lower while improving service quality.

For consumers, the growing number of unlimited broadband providers means greater freedom to stream, work remotely, game online, run digital businesses and connect multiple devices without worrying about exhausting monthly data allocations.

Nevertheless, prospective subscribers should carefully verify network availability within their neighbourhoods before making a decision. Most fibre providers have location-specific coverage, and many require one-time installation or setup fees, although a few providers—such as MTN FibreX—currently waive installation costs.

As Nigeria accelerates its digital transformation journey, affordable unlimited broadband is gradually shifting from being a premium service to becoming an essential utility for households and businesses alike.

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Growth in the telecommunication sector slowed in the third quarter of 2023, following the increasing impact of high inflation and the foreign exchange unification policy.

In the quarter under review, the contributions of the sector, in real terms, declined by N219.97 billion. This is a 8.38 per cent quarter-on-quarter decline and coincides with the increasing foreign exchange loss recorded by telcos.

Despite the decline, the telecoms sector spurred the country’s economic growth in Q3, 2023.

During the period, telecoms contributed N2.63tn to real GDP, a slight decrease from the N2.85tn it recorded in Q2, 2023.

Nigeria’s GDP grew by 2.54 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms in Q3 2023, driven largely by the service sector (that includes telecoms), which recorded a growth of 3.99 per cent and contributed 52.70 per cent to the aggregate GDP.

Commenting on the growth of the Information and Communication sector, which constitutes telecoms, the National Bureau of Statistics said, “The sector in the third quarter of 2023 recorded a growth rate of 6.69 per cent in real terms, year-on-year.

“From the rate recorded in the corresponding period of 2022, there was a decrease of 3.84 per cent points. On a quarter-on-quarter, the sector exhibited a growth of -10.30 per cent in real terms.

“Of total real GDP, the sector contributed 15.97 per cent in the 2023 third quarter, higher than in the same quarter of the previous year in which it represented 15.35 per cent and lower than the preceding quarter in which it represented 19.54 per cent.”

The growth of the telecoms sector in recent years is evidenced by its sustained contributions to GDP. However, a challenging macroeconomic environment is now threatening this.

Record high inflation has reduced purchasing power and a currency reevaluation has cut margins.

In the first nine months of the year, MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa (the only two telcos publicly traded) lost N479 billion to currency revaluation and recorded reduced profit margins.

On its part, Airtel recorded a loss of $13m. The firm said, “Loss after tax was $13m driven largely by a foreign exchange loss of $471m recorded in finance cost before tax and $317m after tax because of the devaluation of the Nigerian naira in June 2023. This impact has been classified as an exceptional item.”

Commenting on the challenges of the operating environment in the firm’s nine-month financial statement for the period ended 30th September 2023, MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, said,

“The operating conditions in the first nine months of 2023 remained tough. This was in line with expectations following the removal of the fuel subsidy, the currency devaluation due to the liberalisation of foreign exchange (forex) management, and the impact of the 2023 Finance Act.”

He highlighted that consumer spending power had been diminished by the upward pressure on overall inflation.

He added, “This is supported by the government’s reform programmes aimed at creating an environment that enables businesses to thrive. Furthermore, the liberalisation of the forex management in June 2023 resulted in a 68.5 per cent upward movement in the exchange rate from N461/$1 in December 2022 to N777/US$ at the end of September, resulting in higher cost of doing business.”

Both MTN and Airtel strongly believed that the recent economic challenges in the country would bear long-term benefits.

However, the Federal Government intends to increase its revenue from the telecommunications industry by 100 per cent between now and 2027 and has set a target of 22 per cent contribution to GDP by the end of 2027.

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Mobile network operators in Nigeria witnessed a significant boost in earnings, thanks to increased data consumption in the third quarter ending September 30, 2023.

Specifically, during this period, MTN reported earnings of N279.5 billion, marking a 38.9% increase, while Airtel earned N123.7 billion (equivalent to $157 million) from data subscriptions, reflecting a 29.3% growth in data revenue for the company.Together, these earnings amounted to N403.2 billion, indicating an average 34.1% rise in their combined earnings for the period under review.

MTN’s Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, attributed the surge in data usage and earnings to various factors. These included the revamping of MTN’s data bundle offerings, increased smartphone penetration, and investments in network infrastructure to expand coverage and improve the customer experience. The 4G network now covers 80.5% of the population, data usage per user grew by 29.1% to 8.6GB, and the number of smartphones on their network increased by 7.6%. As a result, they recorded a 46.3% growth in data traffic, with the 4G network accounting for 83.7% of total data usage.

Segun Ogunsanya, CEO of Airtel Africa, highlighted a significant increase in data consumption for Airtel Nigeria during the same period. Data revenue grew by 29.3% in constant currency, driven by a 17.4% increase in the data customer base and a 12.3% growth in data Average Revenue per User (ARPU).

Airtel’s continued rollout of 4G network services played a pivotal role, with nearly 100% of their sites now delivering 4G. Additionally, 233 5G sites became operational. For Q2 ’24, 4G customers accounted for 51.1% of their total data customer base and contributed to 85.3% of total data usage. Q2 ’24 4G data usage per customer reached 11.7GB per month, an increase of 41.3% compared to the previous year.

However, both companies acknowledged the impact of foreign exchange crises in Nigeria on their operations.

The devaluation of the Naira and VAT on lease costs, coupled with ongoing inflationary pressures, were expected to pose challenges in the upcoming quarter. Despite these challenges, MTN and Airtel remained committed to enhancing long-term value and growth in the Nigerian market.

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TECHDIGEST – Emma Okonji writes about the impact of telecom services on the Nigerian economy in 2022, despite the many challenges it faced

As the year 2022 winds down, telecom operators stand tall to count their many achievements, which they said have impacted the Nigerian economy, including individuals and organisations in several ways, despite the challenges it faced with government agencies in some states that imposed all manners of levies and taxes on telecom operations.

Social miscreants, who were bent on milking the telecom sector dry, also faced operators with unnecessary monetary demands and willful destruction of telecom facilities.

Despite the challenges faced in 2021, the telecom operators, the industry regulator and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, have said the telecom sector raised the Nigerian Gross Domestic Product (GDP), created job opportunities and sustained the Nigerian economy by cushioning the effect of COVID pandemic on the economy.

Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, told THISDAY that the telecom industry did well in 2022 in the areas of broadband penetration and coverage. According to him, in 2021, there were discussions around 5G spectrum licence, which was concluded in 2022, and one of the winners of the 5G spectrum licence, MTN, has since rolled out its 5G network in some states of the country. In 2022, another 5G licence was auctioned and Airtel was offered the 5G licence.

“The telecom industry in 2022 impacted a lot of sectors of the Nigerian economy.

It also supported the financial sector in ensuring that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) achieved its financial inclusion goals for the country. The telecoms sector also supported the Fintech in disrupting the financial sector, especially the banks,” Adebayo said.

GDP Growth

In August this year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released data on sector contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2022. According to NBS statistics, the telecom sector contributed 12.12 per cent to total nominal GDP and 18.44 per cent to total real GDP in the second quarter of 2022.

Telecom and information services are the major components of the sector. Of the sector’s total nominal GDP contribution in the first two quarter of 2022, telecom contributed 76.29 per cent, and 79.49 per cent to its total real GDP contribution.

Explaining the sector’s impact on the economy, NBS said, “In nominal terms, in the second quarter of 2022, the sector growth was recorded at 14.11 per cent (year-on-year), 14.18 per cent points increase from the rate of -0.07 per cent recorded in the same quarter of 2021, and 6.43 per cent points lower than the rate recorded in the preceding quarter.

“The quarter-on-quarter growth rate recorded in the second quarter of 2022 was 14.13 per cent. The Information and Communications sector contributed 12.12 per cent to the total nominal GDP in the 2022 second quarter, lower than the rate of 12.22 per cent recorded in the same quarter of 2021 and higher than the 10.55 per cent it contributed in the preceding quarter.

“The sector in the second quarter of 2022 recorded a growth rate of 6.55 per cent in real terms, year-on-year. From the rate recorded in the corresponding period of 2021, there was an increase of 0.99 percentage points. Quarter-on-quarter, the sector exhibited a growth of 13.41 per cent in real terms.

“Of total real GDP, the sector contributed 18.44 per cent in 2022 second quarter, higher than in the same quarter of the previous year in which it represented 17.92 per cent and higher than the preceding quarter in which it represented 16.20 per cent.”

Broadband Penetration

The latest statistics obtained from the website of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecom industry regulator, showed that broadband subscription and penetration increased in 2022.

According to the statistics, in July 2022, Nigeria recorded broadband subscription number of 84.9 million with a penetration rate of 44.49 per cent. In August 2022, broadband subscription increased to 85.2 million and penetration also increased to 44.65 per cent. In September 2022, broadband subscription rose again to 86.06 million with an increased penetration of 45.09 per cent. In October 2022, broadband subscription also increased to 86.94 million and penetration also increased to 45.55 per cent.

The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said with the continued increase in the growth rate of broadband subscription and penetration, Nigeria would be able to achieve the 70 per cent broadband penetration target as contained in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020-2025). The broadband plan seeks to deliver data download speeds across Nigeria at a minimum of 25Mbps in urban areas, and 10Mbps in rural areas, with effective coverage available to at least 90 per cent of the population and penetration rate of 70 per cent by 2025 at a price not more than N390 per 1GB of data. The broadband plan also targets the deployment of nationwide fibre coverage to reach all state capitals, and provision of a point of presence in at least 90 per cent of local government headquarters. It also targets tertiary educational institutions, major hospitals in each state and fibre connectivity at statutory rates of N145/ linear metre for Right of Way (RoW).

Analysing the growth of broadband subscription and penetration in 2022, Adebayo said the growth helped more Nigerians to have access to the internet to perform various online transactions in the financial sector and the e-commerce sector. He said more Nigerians were able to carry out online businesses in 2022, and also successfully carried out financial transactions from their smartphones and other devices. “With increased broadband connectivity, people were able to communicate seamlessly through voice calls and data communication via chats.” Adebayo said.

Digital Economy Policy

Riding on the federal government’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS 2020-2030), which seeks to fast-track digital development and empower Nigerians with the right technology skills that will enable them develop technology solutions that will drive digital transformation across the country, the NCC, under the leadership of Danbatta, initiated the development of ICT Parks in each of the six geopolitical zones, and the commission is in the process completing the technology parks. When completed, it will boost youth digital skills acquisition, promote innovations, provide jobs for the teaming Nigerian youth and ultimately support the overall digital economy agenda of the federal government.

According to NCC, the four main objectives of establishing the ICT Parks are to provide Innovation Labs and Digital Fabrication Laboratories (Fablabs) for use by ICT innovators and entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into products and prototypes; provide a Commercial Hub for ICT capacity building and digital skills; create employment and entrepreneurial activities; and facilitate smart city deployment across the digital industrial complex.

NDEPS, which was launched in November 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari, was developed to reposition the Nigerian economy in order to take advantage of the many opportunities that digital technology provides. The policy was developed to diversify the Nigerian economy away from dependence on oil and gas sector.

The NDEPS has eight pillars which include: Development Regulations; Digital Literacy; Skill Development; Solid Infrastructure; Service Infrastructure; Soft Infrastructure; Digital Societies and Emerging Technologies, as well as Indigenous Development.

Consequently, the NCC’s ICT Parks project resonates with three the key pillars of the NDEPS, which Danbatta said, impacted the Nigerian economy in 2022.

The ICT Parks, involve the construction and equipping of fully-functional Tier-4 Digital Industrial Complex (DIC) in each of the six geo-political zones across the country.

Danbatta promised that since the project was designed to have a national spread, the commission would ensure that no part of the country would be left out of the initiative, adding that every corner of Nigeria will see the initiative taking off at different times.

5G Spectrum Auction

The NCC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, in 2021, commenced the process of auctioning 5G spectrum licence and concluded it in 2022, after it issued 5G licence to MTN Nigeria Plc and Mafab Communications Limited. In November this year, NCC planned the second round of 5G spectrum auction in the 3.5GHz band, and had released the final information memorandum and bidders have expressed their interests to bid, before NCC eventually announced Airtel as the winner of the 5G spectrum in December, since it was the only operator among the bidders that met the payment deadline for the 10 per cent initial bid deposit.

READ ALSO: Rwanda leads rest of Africa in Internet speed

According to the information memorandum, which NCC had released, NCC had planned to offer the remaining lots of 2 x 100MHz TDD in the 3.5GHz Spectrum band to support the rollout of 5G services in Nigeria. The proposed deployment is in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020 – 2030, National Policy on Fifth Generation (5G) Networks for Nigeria’s Digital Economy and in fulfilment of one of the key initiatives of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 (NNBP).

5G technology, also known as the fifth generation technology, is expected to bring a lot of benefits and opportunities that will engender accelerated growth and smart living in the country, when fully deployed. The technology is also expected to bring substantial network improvements, including higher connection speed, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities. 5G is projected to contribute $2.2 trillion to the global economy by 2034, according to a 2020 GSMA Intelligence report, titled: ‘The Mobile Economy’.

Determined to take the market by storm, MTN had earlier this year, launched its commercial 5G network in Lagos and Abuja, with plans to launch in additional five cities, namely Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri.

The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Karl Toriola, had said customers with certain enabled devices would be allowed to connect with and try out the new service where coverage is available.

To access the 5G network and enjoy its benefits, customers will need compatible devices, such as routers and mobile phones, which can be pre-ordered from designated MTN walk-in stores and online via the MTN Nigeria website and e-marketplace.

Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Adia Sowho, said: “Every major technological evolution redefines what is possible – changing the way we live and the way we connect. MTN Nigeria has been at the forefront of every leap in telecommunications: from GSM to 2G, 3G, and 4G. 5G has the potential to change everything. It will allow us to connect, create, collaborate, and compete in ways we have not even begun to imagine.”

The Challenges

Despite the achievements of telecom sector in 2022, the sector also faced some challenges, which Adebayo said must be addressed in 2023 in order to sustain the gains of the telecom sector.

According to Adebayo, “The telecom sector had its challenges in 2022. Telecom operators suffered too many destructions of telecom equipment in 2022, which affected infrastructure rollout across the country. Telecom masts and a lot of fibre optic cables were damaged in 2022. The sector suffered multiple regulations from different tiers of government and government agencies, who used that opportunity to impose multiple taxes and levies on telecom operations in the country. The challenges affected growth in telecom because telecom operators had to contend with the challenges.”

We were also faced with the challenges of Forex, and high cost of diesel to power base transceiver stations (BTS). A lot of the telecom sites run on diesel and cost of diesel jumped from less than N300 per litre in January 2022 to over N800 per litre by December 2022, which affected the cost of delivering telecom services, even though we have not increased cost of telecom services, Adebayo further said. He therefore called on government to begin to think about the sustainability of the telecom industry, to avoid further challenges in 2023.

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TECHDIGEST – The number of mobile Internet subscriptions grew by 12.17 million to 152.15 million in October, the latest data from the Nigerian Communications Commission have revealed.

This was an 8.69 per cent growth from the 139.98 million mobile Internet subscriptions from October 2021.

In the time under review, the growth recorded was influenced by MTN which recorded the highest increase of 10.61 per cent from 58.32 million in October 2021 to 64.51 million, followed by Globacom which grew by 8.83 per cent from 38.97 million to 42.41 million. Airtel’s mobile Internet subscriptions also rose by 8.76% from 36.89 million to 40.12 million during this period.

Meanwhile, 9mobile slowed down the mobile Internet subscription growth, decreasing from 5.80 million in 2021 to 5.11 million in the same period this year..

Broadband penetration also improved from 39.89 per cent in October 2021 to 45.55 per cent in October 2022.

Recently, industry experts predicted that data revenues would outpace voice revenue in the not-too-distant future.

Speaking on the growth of data in his firm’s third-quarter results, the MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, said, “Data revenue rose by 49.1 per cent on increased subscribers and data usage. This was sustained by an aggressive 4G network expansion and enhanced quality and capacity of our network to support rising data traffic as we continue to drive the conversion of existing subscribers on the 3G network to 4G and drive smartphone penetration.

“As a result, data traffic grew by 70.6 per cent YoY, with 4G accounting for 78.6 per cent of overall traffic, while data usage (MB per user) rose by 52.2 per cent. In addition, the number of smartphones on our network continues to increase, with the addition of about 4.4 million in the nine months, bringing smartphone penetration to 52.0 per cent.”

In its ‘The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2022,’ GSMA, the global association for telcos, disclosed that most people in Nigeria and Africa accessed the Internet through their phones.

It said, “As the primary way most people access the internet in Sub-Saharan Africa, mobile is driving digital inclusion. This delivers significant economic benefits, reduces poverty, and transforms lives by providing people with access to a range of life-enhancing services.

READ ALSO: Tech Firm Promotes Industrial Automation

“By the end of 2021, around 40 per cent of the adult population in Sub-Saharan Africa subscribed to mobile internet services. Although this figure is a marked increase from the 35 per cent at the start of the pandemic, it still lags behind the global average of 70 per cent by a considerable margin.”

It further stated that in 2021, mobile technologies and services generated around eight per cent of GDP across Sub-Saharan Africa, a contribution that amounted to almost $140bn of economic value added.

“The mobile ecosystem also supported more than 3.2 million jobs (directly and indirectly) and made a substantial contribution to the funding of the public sector, with $16bn raised through taxes on the sector.

“By 2025, mobile’s contribution will grow by approximately $16bn (to almost $155bn), as the countries in the region increasingly benefit from the improvements in productivity and efficiency brought about by the increased take-up of mobile services.”

According to the association, while a considerable percentage of individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa currently use mobile internet services, another 44 per cent live in areas covered by mobile broadband networks but do not yet use mobile internet services.

It stated that addressing these usage gaps remains a major barrier to mobile internet adoption. It explained that these barriers include affordability and lack of digital skills.

It added, “Mobile connectivity has the potential to accelerate Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital transformation and drive socioeconomic advancement, but realising this potential requires policy measures to support network investments and improve the affordability of digital services for consumers.”

Recently, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Adia Sowho, said, “Smartphones have become the computer for many Nigerians today.

“Unfortunately, the high costs of these devices have made them out of reach for many. Factors such as forex fluctuation, chipset shortages, and inflation are continuously driving up the cost of phones.”

According to the World Bank, Nigeria has the largest mobile market in Sub-Saharan Africa and a 10 per cent increase in mobile broadband penetration could lead to a 2.46 per cent growth in Africa.

Source: Punchng.com

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TECHDIGEST – The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, has urged Nigerians to consider acquiring skills in areas that are in high demand and also identified some skills that employers will be demanding for in the future.

Toriola says technology will continue to make a lot of skills obsolete because Artificial Intelligence (AI) will soon be able to carry out complex work, albeit better and faster than humans.

Specifically, he noted accounting and engineering skills are fast becoming outdated as apps and AI are taking over those roles.

Toriola identified robotics as a key area of the future of work, emphazising that the more skills employees have in the field, the more employable they will become and that content creation is another area that will continue to be profitable, as there will always be demand for online entertainment.

READ ALSO: DBI, ICDL To Partner On Digital Skills Certification Programmes

In an interview with Nairametrics, Toriola said “If it’s accounting or law that you’re studying, or if it is engineering, going by the way we teach engineering, a lot of that knowledge is going to become near obsolete, because there are apps that are going to do all those calculations, or you plug in the court case, it picks up the few keywords, using the artificial intelligence and tells you, this is the best defence, etc.

“A lot of those skills are obsolete, and they have been effectively enmeshed into our computing and knowledge system that doesn’t require the human brain for it, and they can pull on it when they need it.

“So, the skills that are needed for the future are skills around being able to imagine things in a completely different light, reinvent business models, change the way things are done, increase things on productivity like food production; help with environmental issues like waste management, and all the other issues that are facing the world of tomorrow.

“So, why is Cristiano Ronaldo a billionaire? Do you know why? Is it just because he’s the best footballer or Messi is the best footballer? It’s because they create content through their sport. And then leverage brand and consumer relationships in creating content and all sorts of other value across multiple industries; even through YouTube, Instagram, and other social media platforms, that’s what’s making the money. So, the space for entertainment is going to be incredibly important. And creating content and entertainment, and knowledge for the future is important.”

The MTN CEO, who has almost three decades of experience working in the telecom sector across Africa and America, noted that while there is no clear-cut guarantee to success, young people should consider acquiring skills in areas that are in high demand.

He added, “The ability to build and manage relationships, to interconnect all of those things is key. So social skills are also going to be incredibly important for people to succeed in the future”.

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TECHDIGEST – MTN Nigeria on Sunday rolled out 5G technology in Lagos with a promise to launch the network in six other cities including Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri. With this, Nigeria has become the 3rd African country to deploy the technology after South Africa and Kenya.

The Lagos 5G commercial launch came on the heels of its 5G pilot launch three weeks ago, as mandated by the telecoms industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

MTN in its half-year 2022 report, revealed that it had deployed 127 5G sites in preparation for its 5G launch. The technology is expected to be rolled out in phases, with full national coverage expected by 2025.

The advanced 5G technology promises to extend the reach and capacity of MTN Nigeria’s data network and enable much faster speeds and lower latency, giving customers near-instant access to the things they care about and downloads that take seconds, instead of minutes.

READ ALSO: Why kidnappers still demand ransom via phone calls despite NIN, sim card link — Pantami

While speaking at the launch, chief executive officer, MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, said: “Every major technological evolution changes the way we live, the way we connect; changes what is possible. GSM took phone calls on the road, 2G added texting to our experience (and created a whole new language), 3G brought the internet to our phones, and 4G made video widely available on mobiles.

“5G will change everything. It will allow us to connect, create, collaborate, and compete in ways we cannot imagine yet. Today we will show you a glimpse of the many possibilities 5G has in store. What is most important is what you and every Nigerian can create with it.”

The executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, noted, “Today, we are celebrating the outcome of the successful auction of the 5G spectrum, we are celebrating the commercial launch of 5G services in the country. This puts the country on the global 5G space and from today many of you will experience the super speed associated with 5G.

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TECHDIGEST – The leading mobile network provider, MTN Nigeria Plc extended free airtime and data to all customers; 68.9 million subscribers received 200MB of data, and their first call of the day was free for up to five minutes.

To commemorate its twentieth (20th) anniversary, and express appreciation to the subscribers, 20 customers will be gifted brand new Honda HRVs.

According to Karl Toriola, chief executive officer, MTN Nigeria, the 20 year journey has not been the company’s alone. “Ours has been a classic case of ‘together in progress,’ and we are thankful to all Nigerians for standing by us and helping us get to this milestone.

“Indeed, anything we’ve achieved over the past 20 years is due to the support and faith of our customers, the people who sustain our network, the government and regulators who have been guides and allies in driving sector growth, all the contractors and partners who have worked by our side, and the thousands of investors who hold our stock.

“Finally, I must especially appreciate the people who helped shape our journey – MTN Nigeria’s Board of Directors and our staff, past and present; and reiterate our unwavering commitment to the advancement of this great nation, which we have humbly contributed to.”

This announcement follows anniversary plans previously published with MTN’s 2021 half-year results in July.

These include a commitment to participate in the restoration and rehabilitation of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway through the Federal Government’s Road Infrastructure Tax Credit (RITC) Scheme, and to initiate plans for the construction of a purpose-built, state of the art Head Office, in Lagos.

The company had also restated its plans to sell down 14% of MTN shares to over 2 million Nigerian retail investors.

Since MTN Nigeria began commercial operations on August 8, 2001, it has led the sector. It is a preferred partner for progress, a premium investment opportunity and the primary connectivity provider to people nationwide.

MTN Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest providers of communications services, connecting 68.9 million people in communities across the country with each other and the world.

Guided by a vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world, MTN Nigeria’s leadership position in coverage, capacity and innovation has remained constant, since its launch in 2001.

MTN Nigeria is part of the MTN Group – a leading emerging market operator, connecting 277.9 million subscribers in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East.

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TECH DIGEST – Serial tech entrepreneur and the Founder/CEO of Future Africa, Mr. Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, the CEO of Flutterwave, Mr. Olugbenga Agboola, the DG of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and the CEO of MTN Nigeria Plc, Mr. Karl Toriola, have been named, among six others, as the “Worldex Top 10 Tech Leaders” for Nigeria in 2021.

The “Worldex Top 10 Tech Leaders” recognizes and honours the most influential men and women, in both the public and private sectors, who drive the growth of the ICT industry throughout Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Worldex (World Digital Exhibition) is a technology trade fair that seeks to link up SSA with the rest of the global technology community. The inaugural edition of the event is expected to be held in Abuja, FCT, Nigeria, in February 2023.

These other six who were on the “Worldex Top 10 Tech Leaders” list for Nigeria for both 2020 and 2021 are the Federal Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, the Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the CEO of MainOne Cable Nigeria Limited, Ms. Funke Opeke, the Chairman of Zinox Technologies Limited, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, the Founder/CEO of Interswitch Group, Mr. Mitchell Elegbe, and the CEO of SystemSpecs Nigeria Limited, Mr. John Obaro.

The “Worldex Top 10 Tech Leaders” list was first published in June/July 2020, featuring such leaders in eight countries: Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi and Botswana. In 2021, the list of countries will be expanded to 12, comprising leaders drawn from both public and private sectors.

The list is compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit (BIC) of Alford Conferences Limited, the owner and producer of the annual Worlex. Contributions to the list were made by a few selected ICT journalists and tech bloggers drawn from several countries in the SSA region. SSA is the second most populated region of the world after Asia, with over 1 billion people. Majority of the youths in this region are digital natives.

Over the past six years, many of these African youngsters have earned the respect and investment of notable venture capital (VC) firms in Europe and North America. In 2018, VC companies, especially from Europe, invested $1.63 billion in start-up companies founded by these young Africans, based mainly in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. The figure rose to $2.02 billion in 2019.

Ms. Linda Idakwo
Head, Social Media
Alford Conferences Limited
Abuja, FCT, Nigeria

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TECH DIGEST – Commercial banks have reconnected MTN customers earlier denied access to the unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) payment channels.

In a letter seen by TheCable, on Sunday, Karl Toriola, managing director and chief executive officer of MTN Nigeria, announced a decision to revert discount offered to banks on airtime sales to 4.5 percent commission.

The mobile network operator (MNO) had reduced banks’ commission from an average of 3.5 percent to 2.5 percent, this led to a disagreement between MTN and commercial banks.

“Our virtual meeting between yourself (Wigwe) and Segun Agbaje (MD of GTBank) on the one hand and myself (Toriola) and Modupe Kadri (chief financial officer of MTN Nigeria) on the other refers,” the statement read.

“In an attempt to resolve the current USSD recharge impasse, given the interventions from our regulators, we hereby agree The Banks revert to the status quo of 4.5% commission.

“However, the banks and MTN Communications Nigeria Plc, shall sit to agree on various options that will result in the reduction in the costs on 6th of April 2021.”

Commercial banks had asked MTN to reverse its action to the old commission or would block MTN airtime recharge services in both mobile banking applications and unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) payment channels.

Due to MTN’s refusal to revert back the commission percentage, commercial banks except Zenith Bank, which is connected directly to the MNO, left many subscribers stranded and frustrated as they were informed to recharge their lines with physical cards.

On Friday, Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, had said the issue encountered by MTN users through the USSD channel will be resolved soon.

On Saturday, MTN had offered alternative channels for its subscribers to use in recharging their lines such as dialling *904# and *606#, and other electronic payment platforms.

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