Telecoms Operators’ Infrastructure Deployment in 2022 Raises Hope for Nigeria’s Digital Transformation

Emma Okonji

The 2022 Subscriber/Network Data Annual Report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has revealed that telecoms industry infrastructure deployment increased in 2022, compared to the infrastructure deployed in previous years, an indication of their readiness to deepen digital transformation across the country.

The report showed a high volume of deployment of telecoms infrastructure, a development industry sources believe would further boost digital transformation across the country.

According to the report, a total of 34,862 towers were recorded in 2022 from telecom operators across the country, with a total number of 127,294 Base Stations, while microwave radio deployment and coverage recorded in 2022 stood at 289,270.48km. A total number of 125 Gateways were in use in the telecom industry as at December 2022, while the total fiber optics deployment (terrestrial fibre and submarine cable), stood at 96,198 km as at December 2022.

According to NCC’s statistics, as at December 2022, the total on-land fibre deployment was 49,367.20km as against 47,128.7km in 2021.

A breakdown of the figure for terrestrial (land) fibre deployment, shows that MTN deployed as much as 14,612km of fibre optic cable in 2021, and maintain same volume of deployment in 2022, while Globacom deployed 13,233km of fibre optic cable in 2021 and increased the volume of deployment to 13,813km in 2022.

Airtel deployed as much as 14,454km of fibre optic cable in 2021 and increased the volume of deployment to 16,112km in 2022. Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Ltd (EMTS), operating as 9mobile, deployed 4,650km of fibre optic cable in 2021 and maintained same volume in 2022, while NTEL deployed 180km of fibre optic cable in 2021 and also maintained same volume of deployment in 2022.    

For submarine cable deployment, MTN deployed 17,934km of submarine cable in 2021 and increased the volume to 17,984km in 2022. Globacom deployed 9,800km of submarine cable in 2021 and 2022 respectively, while Airtel deployed 14.3km of submarine cable in 2021 and 2022 respectively. NTEL also deployed 70km of submarine cable in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

However, the NCC data showed a slight drop in the number of microwave radio deployment across networks in 2022, compared to what was deployed in 2021. As at December 2022, the mobile operators had deployed a total of 288,947.48km of microwave radio links as against the 290,625.69km of microwave radio links reported in 2021, which is a slight decrease of 0.57 per cent.  

Microwave radio links are deployed for point-to-point communications in remote areas where fibre optic cable cannot be deployed.

A breakdown of the microwave deployment shows that in 2021, MTN deployed 85,551km of microwave radio and 80,074km of microwave radio in 2022. Globacom deployed 71,540km of microwave radio in 2021 and increased it to 75,061km in 2022, while Airtel deployed 77,095km of microwave radio in 2021 and increased it to 81,352km of microwave radio in 2022. EMTS, which operates as 9mobile, deployed 48,958km of microwave radio in 2021 and 48,957km of microwave radio in 2022. SMILE, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology provider, deployed 2,948km of microwave radio in 2021 and deployed same volume in 2022, while NTEL deployed 4,534km of microwave radio in 2021 and increased it to 4,553km in 2022.

Commenting on the increased volume of telecoms infrastructure deployment in 2022, the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, said telecoms operators continued to re-invest their revenues in infrastructure deployment in order to maintain network stability and to deepen digital transformation that is driven majorly by telecoms infrastructure rollout.

Adebayo however decried the willful destruction and theft of telecoms facilities across the country by miscreants, and further stressed the need for government to declare telecoms infrastructure as critical national infrastructure that must be protected by law.

FG: Unauthorised Adverts Triggered Disbandment of ASG, Suspension of ARCON’s Directors

Raheem Akingbolu

The disbandment of the Advertising Standard Panel (ASP) and suspension of two senior officials of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), by the federal government on Tuesday, became necessary to avoid further damage to the various reforms and regulations being undergone by the current leadership of ARCON, according to THISDAY investigation.

The federal government had on Tuesday disbanded the Secretariat of the ASP due to its endorsement of billboards accused of attempting to manipulate the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal with the slogan: “All Eyes on The Judiciary.”

The Director-General of ARCON, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, conveyed the dissolution of the panel through a statement he issued and circulated in the media.

The ASP, a statutory panel within the council, is tasked with ensuring that advertisements adhere to the prevailing laws of the federation and the code of ethics for advertising professionals.

Pointing out the reasons for which the advertisement should not have been approved, the Director-General of ARCON, stated: “The attention of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria has been drawn to the “All Eyes on the Judiciary” advertisements exposed on some billboards across the country. The concepts exposed were not approved by the advertising standards panel, hence, the council has directed that all the materials being exposed be brought down immediately and the violators sanctioned. The advertising standards panel of the council also erred in the approval of one of the concepts as the advertisement failed to vet the guidelines.

The cause forming the central theme of the campaign in the advertisement is a matter pending before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal; hence it’s sub-judice, “the statement stated. 

The regulatory council also announced the suspension of two high-ranking officials for approving the advertisement. 

 Fadolapo, who confirmed the suspension, said the affected officials included the Director and Deputy Director, Regulations of the council.

Meanwhile, THISDAY investigation has revealed that the disbandment and suspension of the officials became necessary to rid the council of retrogressive elements that could frustrate ARCON’s efforts to sanitise the industry.

In the last one and half years, Fadolapo and his team have embarked on all- round review and reform of the entire marketing communications industry in Nigeria, a situation, which has pitched him against a few multinationals under the auspices of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN).

In March, ARCON commenced the enforcement of sanctions on unapproved adverts on secondary digital media platforms.

“Any commercial or advertisement done on the secondary digital media space that is not vetted before exposure by ARCON will be sanctioned by the provisions of the law,” Fadolapo had stated while announcing the commencement of the exercise.

He said content producers, bloggers, skit makers need to choose between eight hours, 16 hours and 10 working days to submit their content to ARCON for vetting and approval before exposure to the general public.

In April, the council announced that it was set to sanction FrieslandCampina WAMCO, producers of Peak Milk, and other companies for publishing adverts without obtaining approval from the council.

The council said this against the backdrop of a provocative Easter advert by makers of Peak Milk.

In June, the apex advertising regulatory body faulted Trophy Lager Beer and Tiwa Commercial Hub, over exposure of non-vetted materials in some states of the federation, and on the digital space without the requisite approval.

The agency, in a statement signed by its Director General, to express its disapproval of the Trophy lager beer advert, stated that it decided to wield the big stick; since the said advertisements offended the sensitivities of some sections of the nation’s ethnic and religious communities.

It stated further that though it had ordered for the removal of the ‘reprehensible’ ads nationwide, it would still take all necessary and appropriate steps to ensure  the violators are sanctioned  in line with the nation’s relevant advertising laws.

The exposure of the current controversial adverts, which appears to blackmail the judiciary is viewed by pundits as a calculated attempt by some enemies within to frustrate Fadolapo and his team in ARCON in their resolve to further standardise the entire marketing communications landscape.