The Chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Chief Idris Olorunnimbe, has called on telecommunications operators to support the Federal Government’s education reform agenda, strengthen the protection of critical national infrastructure and deepen collaboration with the regulator to sustain stability in the sector.
Olorunnimbe made the appeal while receiving the leadership of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, led by its Chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, at the Commission’s Lagos office. The engagement comes at a time when Nigeria’s telecommunications sector remains central to digital transformation, economic productivity and public service delivery across the country.
He described the telecommunications industry as indispensable to Nigeria’s economy, noting that the country’s digital transformation would be impossible without sustained private sector investment and resilience. He stressed that Nigeria’s digital transformation would be impossible without your investment, your perseverance, and your willingness to operate in conditions that would make even advanced markets run in crisis.
Commending operators for maintaining sector stability despite macroeconomic headwinds, the NCC Board Chairman outlined three key requests. He urged ALTON members to align more closely with the government’s drive to improve education standards and expand digital skills nationwide.
“I would like to request that you consider how to further improve the quality of our education. Increase our literacy level. Increase our urban quality. Do not look at this as revenue loss, look at it as profit and benefit,” he stressed.
He explained that short-term, skill-based programmes under the Federal Government’s talent export initiative could deliver transformative results within months if supported by industry players, accelerating impact and expanding opportunities for young Nigerians.
“This request is not for me personally. It is for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he emphasised.
Olorunnimbe also called for stronger collaboration in the protection and operationalisation of Critical National Infrastructure, warning that telecommunications services are too vital to national life and commerce to suffer disruptions.
“We are critical to commerce. We are critical to social and entertainment. We are critical to health. We are critical to life.”
He stated that the Commission would widen communication channels with operators to proactively address emerging risks across the ecosystem. On the issue of fibre vandalism, he said the Commission would engage sub-national governments and relevant agencies to ensure that contractors responsible for damaging telecom infrastructure are held accountable.
“He who cuts it loses it. If the contractor knows that when they destroy national infrastructure they will fix it at their cost, they will stop,” he added.
The NCC Board Chairman further advocated a structured audit of industry interventions in schools, hospitals and other public institutions to prevent duplication of efforts and ensure long-term sustainability. He proposed the development of a three- to five-year intervention roadmap.
“Once we know what has been done, it will be easy to know what is yet to be done, what is outdated and what needs renewal,” he said.
Earlier, ALTON Chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, congratulated Olorunnimbe on his appointment, describing it as coming at a defining moment for our sector, a time of recovery, recalibration, and renewed investor confidence.
Adebayo credited the Commission’s leadership for resolving legacy challenges, including the nearly N300 billion USSD debt crisis.
“Through structured engagement, Dr. Maida and his team resolved this issue. Today, there is no outstanding USSD debt. What was once a looming crisis has been converted into a sustainable framework,” he said.
He also stated that the cost-reflective tariff adjustment approved last year prevented a total industry collapse, noting that investment had slowed and network infrastructure was under strain prior to the intervention. According to him, operators were approaching service rationing due to rising energy costs, foreign exchange scarcity and static pricing structures.
He added that stability has since improved, foreign obligations are being met and investor confidence is gradually returning. Adebayo further appealed for regulatory independence, stressing that it must not only exist in law, and called for sustained engagement with state governors on right-of-way charges and multiple taxation.
In response, the NCC Board Chairman reassured operators of fairness and equity in regulatory dealings, affirming that the Commission would continue to support industry growth while safeguarding consumer interests.
“Regulator, licensee, those relationships exist. But the most important thing is that we are partners in progress,” he said.
