Nigeria’s new Minister for Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani has charged Nigerian telecom providers to unlock telecom services for more people by utilizing digital technology. During a meeting with the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to discuss industry concerns, Tijani encouraged telecom operators to be inventive and reach the underserved in Nigeria’s underserved areas. The minister stated that companies must unlock telecom services for more people by utilizing digital technology.

In their response, the telcos expressed concerns over 5G spectrum distribution, claiming that the current approach was expensive and unsustainable for the innovation required for 5G services.

ALTON’s Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, recommended to the minister that he (the minister) speak with the regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on the proposed review of spectrum costs.

ALTON also stressed the long-standing issue of unpaid Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) debt by Nigerian banks, which has accumulated to N130 billion as of September. Frustrated by the lack of resolution, ALTON is now considering legal action to compel banks to settle the outstanding debt. The telcos had a commercial service agreement with banks to provide USSD services for seamless financial transactions. This agreement allows for legal action in case of disputes, making it the next step for the telcos. 

The threat of legal action comes after repeated attempts to resolve the USSD debt issue, and it reflects the telcos’ determination to address the matter definitively.