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President Izuagbe Emoekpere of ATCON and Chairman Adebayo of ALTON at the recent 50MVPs in Nigeria’s Digital Economy Conference & Award in Lagos
The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) have issued a joint appeal to the Nigerian government, highlighting the pressing challenges facing the telecommunications sector and urging swift action.
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President Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere of ATCON and Chairman Gbenga Adebayo of ALTON voiced their concerns, cautioning that the government’s inaction on addressing these challenges could impede the sector’s progress and hinder its development.
As the umbrella organizations representing mobile network operators and telecommunication companies in Nigeria, they emphasized the gravity of the situation.
In a statement, the associations highlighted persistent issues such as multiple taxation, burdensome regulations, exorbitant Right of Way (RoW) charges, inadequate power supply, and infrastructure vandalism, all of which continue to hamper access to essential telecommunication services.
ALTON and ATCON stressed the critical importance of collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors to surmount these obstacles and facilitate the growth and advancement of the telecom industry. They reaffirmed their dedication to partnering with the government to confront these challenges head-on.
In an interview with IT Edge News last March, Adebayo had expressed concern over the telecom sector’s sustainability amid rising inflation and government intervention in pricing. He warned that government’s reluctance to let market forces dictate pricing could deter investor interest, leading to stagnation. He also urged for urgent adoption of a Critical National Infrastructure policy to safeguard telecom infrastructure from vandalism, emphasizing its benefits for subscribers and the economy
ATCON has also consistently called for government to energise the Critical National Infrastructure policy. The association through its immediate past president, Ikechukwu Nnamani, told IT Edge News in 2022 that government and other stakeholders have an urgent duty to ensure bills and policies designed for protection of critical national infrastructure (CNI), become laws.
Emoekpere and Adebayo emphasized that by fostering a favourable regulatory environment, prioritizing infrastructure development, enhancing security measures, and facilitating necessary pricing adjustments, the government can unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector. This, in turn, would drive economic growth and societal development for the nation as a whole.
Their words: “by fostering a conducive regulatory environment, prioritizing infrastructure development, enhancing security measures, and facilitating pricing adjustments, the government can unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, driving economic growth and societal development.”
Our Concerns – by ATCON and ALTON
- Protection of Assets and Network Infrastructure – Advocating for legislation that designates telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure (“CNI”): Both Associations expressed deep concern over the escalating security threats facing telecommunications infrastructure in Nigeria. Telecommunications infrastructure undisputedly plays a pivotal role in Nigeria’s national security and socioeconomic growth, especially as the country currently contends with multiple security challenges that require urgent and immediate actions in response to these threats. Attacks on cell towers, fibre optic cables, and other critical assets disrupt telecommunications services and result in significant financial losses for operators. The associations urge the government to prioritize the security of telecommunications infrastructure and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to enhance protection measures and combat vandalism and sabotage effectively.
- Cost-Reflective Tariff of Services: ALTON and ATCON respectfully reiterate that telecommunications infrastructure development requires substantial investments in network expansion, maintenance, and technology upgrades. Despite the adverse economic headwinds, the telecommunications industry remains the only industry yet to review its general service pricing framework upward in the last (11) years, primarily due to regulatory constraints. For a fully liberalized and deregulated sector, the current price control mechanism, which is not aligned with economic realities, threatens the industry’s sustainability and can erode investors’ confidence. ATCON and ALTON call upon the government to facilitate a constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders to address pricing challenges and establish a framework that balances consumers’ affordability with operators’ financial viability.
- Regulatory Independence: ALTON & ATCON advocates for the sustenance of a culture of independence in the regulatory landscape to safeguard against undue influence and unwholesome incursion into the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) or (Commission) domain, which will inspire trust in the telecommunications sector and encourage investment. Regulatory neutrality and independence are crucial to ensuring a thriving telecommunications sector. Statutory provisions lend credence to this notion, as a lack of an impartial regulator will lead to a failure to maintain public confidence in the objectivity and independence of its decisions.
