Telecom Companies Seek Lower Financing Costs for Infrastructure
The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has called for lower financing costs and stronger investment support to sustain Nigeria’s digital infrastructure growth.
ATCON President, Mr Tony Emoekpere made the call at the 7th Telecom Sector Sustainability Forum (TSSF) Conference on Wednesday in Lagos.
Emoekpere, who was represented by the association’s Executive Secretary, Mr Ajibola Olude, said that telecom infrastructure should receive financing consideration similar to other critical infrastructure.
He said that the cost of capital and bank interest rates exceeding 30 per cent was making infrastructure investment increasingly difficult for telecom operators.
“The banking sector and the Central Bank of Nigeria should recognise telecommunications as foundational infrastructure that supports other critical sectors,” the president said.
He said that the future of Nigeria’s digital economy depended not only on infrastructure deployment, but also on creating opportunities for people, businesses and communities.
Emoekpere identified talent development as a key area requiring renewed industry attention, particularly the creation of a pipeline of skilled and industry-ready digital professionals.
According to him, Nigeria needs to prepare its young population to take advantage of the opportunities created by the digital economy and infrastructure already deployed across the country.
He further identified rural inclusion as another area requiring greater attention, noting that many rural communities were without adequate connectivity.
Emoekpere attributed part of the challenge to security concerns, which had made operators reluctant to deploy infrastructure in some rural locations.
According to him, expanding connectivity to underserved communities will support economic participation and create opportunities for young Nigerians.
He said that digital infrastructure must also contribute more directly to economic growth by enabling digital businesses to expand and create meaningful employment across the country.
The president said that many Nigerians were already working remotely for organisations outside the country, demonstrating the potential of digital infrastructure to create opportunities beyond traditional employment.
“We need to create a platform for our youth. The reason why we have insecurity here and there is because our youth are not productively engaged,” he said.
Emoekpere urged stakeholders to continuously create an environment that supported investment in resilient, accessible and sustainable digital infrastructure.
He warned that high financing costs were undermining the ability of operators and infrastructure providers to sustain the level of investment required by Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
The ATCON boss maintained that the industry also needed to move beyond connectivity statistics and focus on measurable outcomes capable of improving lives and strengthening the economy.
He said that achieving these outcomes would require stronger collaboration among government, regulators, operators, investors, technology companies and other stakeholders.
Also speaking, Mr Gbenga Adebayo, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), urged stakeholders to highlight the positive contribution of the telecommunications sector alongside its challenges.
Adebayo said that the industry had achieved significant progress in more than 25 years and urged stakeholders to tell its success stories more effectively.
“We must not fail to tell the good story of the work that we have done. If we don’t tell our stories, no one will tell it for us,” he said.
The chairman said that ALTON members had provided zero-rated access to educational websites, with more providers expressing interest in joining the initiative.
Adebayo described the initiative as an investment in education and the future of Nigeria, particularly as digital access increasingly shaped learning and economic participation.
Also speaking, the Convener of the conference, Mrs Bukola Olanrewaju, said that rising infrastructure costs, foreign exchange pressures and inflation were putting significant pressure on operators.
Olanrewaju, who is also the Managing Editor of Business Remarks, said that increasing energy and network deployment costs, alongside high financing costs, required urgent attention, as demand for reliable connectivity continued to rise.
She said that the question was no longer whether Nigeria needed more digital infrastructure, but how to attract the capital required to build, maintain and expand it sustainably.
“This calls for stronger collaboration among regulators, telecommunications operators, infrastructure providers, investors, technology companies and other stakeholders,” Olanrewaju said.
She called for policies that would encourage investment, promote infrastructure sharing, support innovation, improve digital inclusion and provide certainty for long-term investors.
