Mr Soji Maurice-Diya, the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (ntel), has unveiled a forward-looking roadmap for the resurgence of Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
Speaking in an exclusive Technology Times Thought Leadership Series in Lagos, the ntel boss outlined a comprehensive vision that positions the once-dormant national carrier for a digital comeback driven by innovation, youth inclusion, and strategic industry collaboration.
Maurice-Diya, who assumed office as ntel’s CEO earlier in 2025, spoke extensively on Nigeria’s telecoms evolution, regulatory direction, infrastructure gaps, and ntel’s plans to re-emerge in the market by the first quarter of 2026. He emphasised the importance of building on Nigeria’s 25-year telecoms legacy through renewed innovation, policy synergy, and deeper localisation of content and infrastructure.
Maurice-Diya, who assumed office as ntel’s CEO earlier in 2025, spoke extensively on Nigeria’s telecoms evolution, regulatory direction, infrastructure gaps, and ntel’s plans to re-emerge in the market by the first quarter of 2026. He emphasised the importance of building on Nigeria’s 25-year telecoms legacy through renewed innovation, policy synergy, and deeper localisation of content and infrastructure.
ntel CEO on a quarter-century of transformation
Reflecting on Nigeria’s telecommunications journey, Maurice-Diya noted that the sector has matured into one of the country’s most resilient economic pillars.
“Most of us are aware that the telecoms industry in Nigeria, as we know it today, started almost 25 years ago,” he said. “It has witnessed significant and impactful growth, particularly in supporting Nigeria’s broader commercial ecosystem.”
He credited the major operators—MTN, Airtel, and Glo—for demonstrating long-term commitment that brought relative market stability after the turbulent early years of deregulation. The industry, he explained, has evolved from a high-entry, volatile market into a more predictable ecosystem that contributes substantially to Nigeria’s GDP.
This maturity, he added, presents both opportunities and responsibilities. “If you recall, in the early years there were several players—some started, some stopped—but now there’s a bit more stability,” he observed.
Policy alignment and financial-sector synergy
Maurice-Diya commended ongoing government efforts to improve investment conditions through tariff relief and policy innovation, crediting the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy for introducing reforms that increased industry capacity.
He called for greater collaboration between the telecoms and financial sectors, predicting that future growth will depend on this convergence.
“There needs to be more synergy between the communications ecosystem and the financial sector,” he explained. “Telcos have to be able to play more than just a communication or connectivity role and become a digital platform that can enable and unlock a lot of additional opportunities.”
According to the ntel CEO, Nigeria’s next wave of telecoms transformation will hinge on this cross-sector partnership, which can foster a robust digital economy spanning fintech, health-tech, and ed-tech.
“There needs to be more synergy between the communications ecosystem and the financial sector,” he explained. “Telcos have to be able to play more than just a communication or connectivity role and become a digital platform that can enable and unlock a lot of additional opportunities.”
Tackling persistent challenges with innovation
Addressing Nigeria’s connectivity challenges, Maurice-Diya pointed to the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Act, which now protects telecoms assets against vandalism and sabotage, as a milestone. He said complementary measures—such as dynamic pricing, tax incentives, and green-energy adoption—will deepen sector resilience.
He cited the Federal Government’s ongoing investments in 7,000 new rural telecoms towers and the 90,000-kilometre national fibre-optic project as crucial steps toward bridging Nigeria’s connectivity divide.
“We at ntel will play a role not only by supporting the ecosystem but also by creating interesting products that will broaden and deepen connectivity,” he said.
These government-led infrastructure projects, he noted, provide fertile ground for telcos like ntel to re-enter the market with innovative, targeted services.
Balancing innovation and regulation
Maurice-Diya urged Nigerian regulators to maintain a delicate balance between oversight and innovation.
“A lot of times regulation comes on the back of innovation,” he said. “You’ve got to innovate first and people test boundaries, especially where there’s ambiguity. When you over-regulate, you stifle innovation.”
He advised government agencies to monitor emerging technologies closely, intervening only when necessary to curb excesses—rather than imposing pre-emptive restrictions that deter progress.
This approach, he argued, would sustain Nigeria’s competitiveness in new digital frontiers such as cryptocurrency, blockchain, and fintech, where early innovation followed by responsive regulation has proven globally effective.
Positioning Nigeria in global telecoms trends
On global trends such as spectrum liberalisation, infrastructure sharing, and 5G deployment, Maurice-Diya said Nigeria’s large population and market size give it a strategic edge.
“Needless to say, Nigeria has one of the world’s six or seven largest populations. One in five black people is Nigerian,” he noted.
He explained that infrastructure and cost-sharing initiatives would reduce service costs and free capital for reinvestment in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
By expanding these digital foundations, Nigeria could extend telecoms innovation into adjacent sectors—such as healthcare, education, and logistics—creating multi-industry impact.
“All of those innovations have an immediate effect on the economies of business,” he said. “They lay the foundation where additional returns can be deployed into emerging technologies.”
By expanding these digital foundations, Nigeria could extend telecoms innovation into adjacent sectors—such as healthcare, education, and logistics—creating multi-industry impact. “All of those innovations have an immediate effect on the economies of business,” he said. “They lay the foundation where additional returns can be deployed into emerging technologies.”
Building local content and indigenous capacity
Maurice-Diya stressed that Nigeria’s long-term telecom sustainability depends on localisation—of technology, infrastructure, and human capacity.
“A lot of times we confuse indigenous ownership with promoting local content,” he observed. “The sustainability of the industry is predicated on the ability to localise as much as possible.”
He traced Nigeria’s early reliance on expatriate expertise to build its telecoms ecosystem but argued that the next phase must prioritise home-grown capacity and technology.
He lauded initiatives such as the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, which aims to build a skilled digital workforce, as instrumental to achieving this goal.
Maurice-Diya called for continued government support that encourages innovation without imposing protectionist limits on foreign participation. “Each aspect of the value chain can be evaluated,” he said, “and where there’s a need based on innovation, the government can step in and promote localisation intelligently.”
Attracting long-term investment
On financing and capital inflow, the ntel CEO said global investors will continue to back Nigeria’s telecoms sector if they see long-term value, policy stability, and reliable exit mechanisms.
“Investors are savvy and unemotional about their investments. Wherever they see long-term value, they will deploy capital,” he said.
He highlighted recent fiscal and foreign-exchange reforms that have boosted investor confidence but recommended further tax incentives tied to long-term commitments.
Maurice-Diya also urged a friendlier revenue-sharing formula between the telecoms industry and other sectors benefiting from digital transformation, noting that such alignment would accelerate growth and capital retention.
ntel’s comeback strategy: innovation and niche focus
Turning to ntel’s own revival, Maurice-Diya described the brand’s legacy as both an advantage and a responsibility.
“As many might know, ntel was the legacy carrier, NITEL, that transformed into its current form in 2015. It made a decent run at penetrating the market but had to pause,” he explained.
He confirmed ntel’s planned market re-entry in the first quarter of 2026, describing it as a “light digital play” centred on innovation and targeted engagement.
While withholding product specifics, he said ntel’s new strategy focuses on creating “very niche products that meet the needs of a teeming and young population.”
“We think there’s a lot of innovation yet to happen in this space,” he stated. “We don’t intend to compete for 100 million subscribers. We want to serve a small subset extremely well.”
This focused model, he added, reflects ntel’s confidence in Nigeria’s fast-growing youth market and its readiness to challenge incumbents through creativity rather than scale.
Nigeria’s demographic reality—millions of young citizens entering adulthood each year—forms a key pillar of ntel’s growth plan. “Between three and four million Nigerians turn 18 every year,” Maurice-Diya noted. “We think that’s an opportunity where there aren’t as many incumbents in their minds. If we can tap into that, we can deepen our penetration and grow with them.”
Youth inclusion and digital engagement
Nigeria’s demographic reality—millions of young citizens entering adulthood each year—forms a key pillar of ntel’s growth plan.
“Between three and four million Nigerians turn 18 every year,” Maurice-Diya noted. “We think that’s an opportunity where there aren’t as many incumbents in their minds. If we can tap into that, we can deepen our penetration and grow with them.”
He said ntel aims to engage youth through digital-first services that resonate with their lifestyles and aspirations, building loyalty and inclusion in the process.
Legacy, infrastructure, and future impact
Looking ahead, Maurice-Diya envisioned ntel as both a digital innovator and an infrastructure partner in Nigeria’s telecoms ecosystem.
“Our legacy is that in 10, 15, 20 years we will have provided services that truly differentiate us and made an impact,” he said.
He disclosed that ntel plans to leverage its existing legacy infrastructure to support industry-wide capacity-sharing while also investing in digital platforms that deliver new customer experiences.
Maurice-Diya said the company’s twin focus—modernising legacy assets and pioneering digital offerings—will ensure it contributes meaningfully to Nigeria’s connectivity goals.
A call for fair competition and market liberalisation
On the policy environment, Maurice-Diya reiterated the need for a level playing field across the industry.
“The ecosystem has to see that there aren’t any preferential treatments being handed out to different players,” he said.
He commended Nigeria’s continued economic liberalisation and open-market orientation, noting that fair competition encourages innovation and invites new entrants that expand consumer choice.
“We have players that are quite dominant,” he observed. “There’s nothing wrong with how they’ve gotten there, but the market is big enough to sustain a multiplicity of players, and we hope to play that role.”
The broader digital future
Maurice-Diya underscored that ntel’s return aligns with a broader national vision to drive digital inclusion and economic diversification through technology.
He said the company’s re-entry strategy mirrors Nigeria’s ambition to deepen broadband penetration, unlock rural connectivity, and strengthen indigenous innovation capacity.
“We owe it to ourselves to give it another shot,” he remarked. “Our goal is to implant ntel into the hearts and minds of Nigerians by creating important but overlooked solutions within the industry.”
He expressed optimism that the telecoms industry will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s economy for decades to come.
“We think there are opportunities for us to contribute and make not just a direct impact in the lives of our subscribers, but also generate additional innovation in the broader ecosystem,” he said.
Technology Times Thought Leadership Series
The Technology Times Thought Leadership Series provides exclusive insights from innovators, policymakers, and industry leaders shaping Nigeria’s technology and digital-transformation landscape. The platform is designed to document, interpret, and amplify expert perspectives on how technology can drive inclusive growth across Africa.
Maurice-Diya’s session marks a significant addition to the Series, offering an in-depth view of the strategic thinking guiding ntel’s comeback and the broader telecoms policy environment.
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