Telecommunication operators have called for visible regulatory independence, harmonised taxation, stronger infrastructure protection and coordinated government action to sustain recent gains in the sector.
The new Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, assured stakeholders of fairness, accountability and a firm commitment to creating an enabling environment for long-term stability and investment.
The engagement took place in Lagos during a congratulatory visit by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), marking the first official interaction between the new NCC Board leadership and key industry players since Olorunnimbe’s appointment.
In his remarks, Olorunnimbe thanked telecom operators for their resilience and long-term investments in Nigeria despite difficult operating conditions, noting that the country’s digital transformation would not be possible without their continued commitment.
He stressed that telecommunications has evolved into essential national infrastructure underpinning commerce, governance, healthcare, education, security and everyday social interaction, warning that any widespread network disruption would immediately affect economic and social stability.
The NCC chairman said this reality justified the Federal Government’s designation of telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure, adding that the Commission would work closely with operators and government institutions to strengthen protection and improve service quality nationwide.
Earlier, ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, described the sector as emerging from one of the most delicate periods in its history, shaped by financial pressures, regulatory uncertainty, foreign-exchange constraints and infrastructure challenges.
He credited recent regulatory and policy interventions with stabilising the ecosystem and gradually restoring investor confidence.
Adebayo particularly praised the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, for resolving the long-standing USSD debt crisis, which had accumulated to nearly ₦300 billion over four years and posed systemic risks to both telecom operators and the digital financial services ecosystem.
He noted that the migration to an end-user billing framework eliminated the debt burden and restored sustainability across the value chain.
(The Sun)
