By Aminu Umar Turaki Airtel Africa has confirmed that it bought back an additional 40,000 ordinary shares on December 31, 2025, under its ongoing buyback programme of 40.9 million, bringing the cumulative total to 40.93 million shares since the programme began in December 2024. The company said the shares were acquired at prices ranging between 354 pence and 357 pence, with an average purchase price of 355.95 pence. Overall, the buybacks have been executed at a cumulative average price of 152.24 pence per share. The value of shares repurchased so far is estimated at about ₦122.7 billion, according to the current exchange rates. The transactions were carried out by Barclays Capital Securities Limited. It was revealed that because the repurchased shares are being cancelled, Airtel Africa’s share base has been slightly reduced. After the cancellation, the ordinary shares issued by the company, stand at roughly 3.66 billion, while total voting rights have fallen to about 3.65 billion. Airtel Africa’s shares closed at ₦2,270 on the Nigerian Exchange on January 2, 2026, placing the company among the most valuable stocks.
Nigeria’s telecom industry set for expansion in 2026 after stabilisation year – ATCON
By Aminu Umar Turaki Nigeria’s telecommunications sector is to move from a period of consolidation in 2025 into a phase of expansion in 2026, according to projections by the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON). The ATCON President, Mr Tony Emoekpere, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, making reference to renewed investor confidence, growing digital demand, and improved coordination between industry players and government agencies as key growth drivers. Emoekpere said the sector is entering 2026 on stronger footing, following collaborative efforts among telecom operators, regulators, and the Federal Government aimed at deepening digital inclusion across the country. Thee ATCON President described the year as one of stabilisation and disciplined capital management. He stressed that despite significant challenges, including high energy costs, foreign exchange volatility, expensive equipment imports, and persistent Right-of-Way (RoW) issues, industry players remained committed to operations. According to him, telecom operators, tower companies, and internet service providers focused on strengthening networks in high-traffic areas while accelerating the adoption of solar and hybrid energy solutions to reduce dependence on diesel. He added that data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows Nigeria’s broadband penetration surpassed 50% in 2025, driven largely by increased data consumption. Services such as digital payments, streaming platforms, cloud computing, and other online applications have become central to daily life, boosting demand for reliable connectivity. Emoekpere also commended the NCC for sustaining investor confidence through transparent reporting, enforcement of Quality of Service (QoS) standards, and effective spectrum management. He stated that the growing demand from fintech, artificial intelligence, and other data-intensive industries will fuel further expansion. Emoekpere said telecom operators plan to ramp up investments in data centres and last-mile broadband infrastructure. This will include expanded deployment of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks and fixed wireless access (FWA) solutions. He stated that the effective enforcement of telecom infrastructure as critical national assets will be crucial to achieving growth targets in 2026. He called for stronger collaboration to protect fibre routes and telecom towers from vandalism, alongside the harmonisation of Right-of-Way charges across states. The ATCON President also emphasized that the continued burden of multiple taxation on operators, urging authorities to address the issue to support sustainable sector growth. Nigeria recently crossed the 50% broadband penetration threshold for the first time since the implementation of the National Broadband Plan (2020-2025). However, the country is still expected to fall short of the Plan’s 70% target by the end of 2025. NCC data shows that Nigeria recorded 109.6 million broadband subscriptions as of November 2025, translating to a penetration rate of 50.58%, up from 49.89% in October. Despite this progress, broadband penetration has grown by just over 6% so far in 2025, compared to 44.43% at the end of 2024.
Nigeria and Google in advanced talks for new subsea cable
The Federal Government of Nigeria is currently in talks with Google Alphabet Inc., to deploy a new undersea fiber-optic cable. This was announced on Tuesday, December 23, marking a transition by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to eliminate a single point of failure in the digital infrastructure of the country.According to NITDA Director General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Nigeria currently relies on subsea cables that follow identical geographic paths to Europe. This concentration makes the $1 trillion digital economy target of Nigeria vulnerable to disruptions if a single cable is damaged.In September 2025, Google unveiled its intention to expand its footprint in Africa by announcing plans for four new infrastructure hubs, cutting across the North, South, East, and West of the continent. These hubs include landing stations and data centers designed to link its newest cables, Equiano and Umoja, to local markets. The new cable will follow a different path than existing links to Europe, in order to provide a backup that will ensure connectivity even if primary cables are damaged.A Google spokesperson confirmed that talks are at an advanced stage, building on Google’s surpassed $1 billion investment pledge for African digital transformation. Nigeria’s current reliance on cables that follow the same path is a ‘single point of failure.’ We want to increase our existing links… to help transform Nigeria into a digital hub – Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, DG of NITDA The new Google cable and its associated infrastructure hubs are to be completed within the next three years. This would lower the cost of wholesale data for local providers like MTN and Airtel, leading to cheaper data plans for consumers. NITDA is also working with the World Bank on a 90,000km terrestrial fiber rollout to ensure this subsea capacity reaches the last mile in rural Nigeria.
Airtel to boost Nigeria’s mobile coverage with Starlink satellite service
By Aminu Umar Turaki Airtel Africa has partnered with SpaceX to use Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell satellite technology to improve mobile coverage in Nigeria and other African countries. The deal will allow people in remote and rural areas, where there are no mobile towers, to connect their smartphones directly to satellites, without needing special devices. According to a statement released on Tuesday, the service will first support text messages and limited data services. Faster internet and full broadband services will be added later, after regulators in each country give approval. Starlink’s new satellite system is designed to offer higher speeds and better reliability than older satellite networks. This makes it useful in places where building mobile towers is difficult or too expensive. Airtel Africa has about 174 million customers, many of whom live in areas with weak or no network coverage. The company says the partnership will help improve access to education, business, and digital services. Airtel Africa’s Managing Director, Sunil Taldar, said the deal will help set a new standard for network availability. SpaceX’s Vice President of Sales, Stephanie Bednarek, added that people will be able to stay connected without changing their phones. The system uses about 650 satellites and is meant to support existing mobile networks, not replace them.The service will be launched in 2026, starting with basic features like texting and limited data use.
NIN-SIM policy leads to loss of 59.7 million phone lines in Nigeria
Nigeria’s active voice subscriptions plummeted by 59.7 million in 2024, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) 2024 Subscriber/Network Performance Report. This correction, which saw the active subscriber base drop from 224.7 million in 2023 to 164.9 million by December 2024 (a 26.6% year-on-year decline), was primarily caused by the strict enforcement of the National Identification Number (NIN)–Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) linkage policy.The mass deactivation of unlinked SIM cards marks a phase in the multi-year drive of the Federal Government to strengthen national security and establish a credible digital identity database.The NIN-SIM linkage policy was launched in February 2020 and jointly enforced by the NCC and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). Following several extensions, the final cut-off date was September 14, 2024, leading to the automatic deactivation of any SIM without a verified NIN the following day.The government made the linkage mandatory primarily to curb the criminal use of anonymous SIM cards, strengthen national security, and create a more reliable national identity database. The policy also aims to expand financial inclusion and improve digital service delivery.The NCC report shows the massive decline was due to the removal of SIMs not linked to a verifiable NIN, coupled with the rectification of a long-standing subscriber-count discrepancy by a major mobile network operator, which had inflated the total subscriber count.The subscriber loss also affected other industry metrics. Teledensity fell from 103.66% to 76.08%, and internet subscriptions dropped by 24.6 million users (a 14.98% contraction).The NCC views the drop as a necessary and successful clean-up that has created a more authentic subscriber base. They argue that the verified database enhances national security and establishes a foundation for digital governance reforms, with President Bola Tinubu confirming that over 126 million Nigerians had been enrolled in the National Identity Database by September 2024.
Nigerian telecom sector cuts 383 jobs as operating costs surge 85%
Nigeria’s telecommunications industry has reduced its workforce by 383 employees in one year, according to reports from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This reduction, predominantly impacting GSM operators, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and Value-Added Service (VAS) providers, coincided with a drastic 85.35% increase in total operating expenses (OPEX), which jumped from ₦3.16 trillion in 2023 to ₦5.85 trillion in 2024. The NCC attributed the cost surge to high energy prices, currency devaluation, inflation, and excessive regulatory fees.The NCC officially cited several macroeconomic and regulatory factors as the primary drivers of the 85.35% rise in OPEX. These include higher energy costs, persistent inflation, crippling foreign exchange (FX) pressures, and multiple charges, particularly the excessive Right-of-Way (RoW) fees levied by some state and local authorities. The most massive job losses occurred within the GSM segment, which cut staff from 7,212 to 6,658. ISPs and VAS operators also saw notable reductions, reflecting an industry-wide effort to rationalize costs.The workforce cuts follow a decline in the active voice subscriber base, which fell by 26.61% (from 224.7 million to 164.9 million) after the enforcement of the NIN-SIM linkage policy. This contraction of the customer base pressured operators’ revenue streams and necessitated internal restructuring.Despite shrinking subscriber numbers and mounting operational costs, operators increased Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) from ₦990.55 billion in 2023 to ₦2.90 trillion in 2024, driven by the high cost of imported equipment and continuous network expansion.Telecom operators maintain that the increase in costs, which they cannot fully pass on to consumers through tariff increases, makes sustained operations and talent retention extremely difficult. They stress that the multiple levies, particularly high RoW fees in key states, continue to obstruct necessary infrastructure deployment.The NCC’s report showed that the sector’s overall revenue still grew by 44.70% (to ₦7.67 trillion) in 2024, and its contribution to Nigeria’s GDP marginally increased to 14.40%. The NCC pointed out that it has successfully secured zero RoW fees in some states, demonstrating regulatory efforts to ease the fiscal burden, even as the high cost of imported equipment drives up CAPEX.