
Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), has called for a comprehensive evaluation of service pricing within the telecommunications sector. ALTON serves as the overarching entity representing telecom companies such as MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom, 9mobile, and Spectranet, among others.
Speaking during the conclusion of the Nigeria Telecoms Indigenous Content Expo (NTICE 2023) on Thursday, Adebayo expressed concerns over the current pricing structure for calls and data services, highlighting that they fall below the actual production costs for telecommunications firms.
“We must look at a more realistic pricing for the services we offer because the current pricing is not sustainable. We are giving out the price below our production cost,” Adebayo emphasized.
Simultaneously, Adebayo also raised the issue of deposit money banks (DMBs) that have defaulted on payments amounting to N150 billion for their use of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) by their customers. Adebayo underscored that political interference has hindered telecom providers from taking appropriate measures. He indicated that given the banks’ failure to meet their contractual obligations, consideration should be given to blocking access to the USSD platform.
Despite interventions from the Ministry of Communications, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Adebayo lamented that progress in resolving this issue has been elusive.
The telecom industry in Nigeria faces multifaceted challenges, including pricing concerns and financial disputes with banks, which Adebayo’s statements underscore. As industry stakeholders seek a balance between sustainability and operational challenges, the path forward remains complex and calls for collaborative solutions.