By Martin Ekpeke
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has disclosed that telecom giants, including Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Tower Companies, and other industry players, invested approximately ₦2.13 trillion in capital expenditure (CapEx) into network expansion in 2025.
Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of ALTON, who delivered a keynote address at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) International Business Conference & Expo in Lagos, also revealed that for 2026, the industry has planned an additional ₦1.86 trillion in investment to expand network infrastructure, modernise technology, improve resilience, and enhance Quality of Service (QoS) across the country.
Speaking on the theme “Building Nigeria’s Digital Economy: Telecommunications as the Foundation for Investment, Innovation and Inclusive Growth,” Adebayo emphasized that these figures demonstrate the sector’s firm commitment to powering Nigeria’s digital future despite ongoing macroeconomic headwinds.
Addressing government representatives and business leaders, Adebayo pointed out that conventional capital importation statistics fail to capture the true scale of growth in the sector, as a substantial proportion of telecoms funding comes from domestic capital, reinvested earnings, and local financing structures.
“A substantial proportion of telecommunications investment is financed through domestic capital, reinvested earnings, and other financing mechanisms that are not fully captured by conventional capital importation statistics. This creates a gap between reported investment figures and the actual level of infrastructure deployment taking place across the country,” Adebayo explained.
To bridge this gap, ALTON proposed a collaborative framework among the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to develop an accurate and transparent investment-reporting system. Adebayo noted that clear market information builds investor confidence, which relies heavily on policy consistency, regulatory certainty, and infrastructure protection.
The ALTON Chairman acknowledged that the Federal Government’s strategic tariff adjustment approved in 2025 served as a critical catalyst, insisting that the policy intervention helped operators transition from severe financial pressure to an aggressive cycle of capital reinvestment, network modernization, and 5G deployment.
To sustain the ₦1.86 trillion investment push in 2026, ALTON outlined several vital industry priorities. These include streamlining Right-of-Way (RoW) by harmonizing fees and approval processes across all 36 states, as well as rationalizing taxes to end multiple taxation and arbitrary site closures by local authorities. Additionally, the association called for full operational enforcement of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) order to eradicate network vandalism, alongside speeding up statutory approvals for fiber optic builds and cell site rollouts.
Highlighting the economic shift toward emerging technologies, Adebayo noted that modern industries, from banking and logistics to precision agriculture, depend entirely on robust broadband networks.
“Without resilient telecommunications networks, there can be no meaningful Artificial Intelligence (AI) economy. Our objective should not merely be to consume AI technologies, but to create an enabling ecosystem where Nigerian innovators can develop AI solutions that address African challenges,” Adebayo stressed.
He urged all levels of government, security agencies, and local communities to adopt a whole-of-society approach to protect critical telecom assets against theft and sabotage, describing network protection as a shared national imperative.
Adebayo also tackled widespread public misconceptions regarding data usage, firmly denying claims that network operators manipulate or “steal” customer data balances.
He explained that modern telecom billing systems adhere to strict, independently audited international standards regulated by the NCC. Instead, the rapid exhaustion of data balances is predominantly driven by feature-rich smartphone activity, including background application refreshes, automatic OS updates, high-definition media streaming, cloud backups, and embedded AI services.
“Operators have absolutely no commercial incentive to steal customers’ data. Trust is fundamental to the digital economy, and the digital economy cannot flourish where misinformation erodes trust,” he said.
Adebayo urged stakeholders to focus on boosting digital literacy so consumers can monitor background app settings and utilize built-in data management tools, ensuring public trust remains intact as Nigeria works to solidify its position as Africa’s premier digital economy.