ALTON Backs NCC Leadership, Hails Resolution of ₦300bn USSD Debt Crisis »

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has reaffirmed its confidence in the regulatory direction of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), commending recent interventions that operators say have restored financial stability and strengthened the industry’s long-term outlook.

During a strategic engagement with the Chairman of the NCC Board, Dr. Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, an ALTON delegation led by its Chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, praised the Commission’s role in resolving the long-standing USSD debt impasse between telecom operators and financial institutions. According to the association, decisive regulatory action led to the clearance of nearly ₦300 billion in accumulated debts and a full transition to an end-user billing model, eliminating what had posed a systemic risk to both the telecommunications sector and the digital financial ecosystem.

ALTON noted that the intervention marked a turning point for operators who had endured years of mounting receivables linked to USSD services. The association described the resolution as a sustainable framework that has brought predictability and improved liquidity to the sector.

The telecom operators also highlighted the Commission’s approval of cost-reflective tariff adjustments as a critical step in averting industry decline. After more than a decade of static pricing amid rising inflation, foreign exchange volatility, escalating energy costs, and aging infrastructure, operators said networks had become increasingly strained and investment had slowed considerably. The upward review of call and data tariffs, they argued, has begun to restore profitability, stabilize networks, and reactivate capital expenditure plans.

ALTON further acknowledged the supportive roles played by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the NCC’s executive management in advancing the tariff review process, describing the decision as pivotal to preserving sector viability.

Beyond regulatory reforms, the association expressed optimism over improving macroeconomic indicators, including relative foreign exchange stability and moderating inflation. It also pointed to renewed investor confidence in Nigeria’s telecommunications market, reflected in fresh infrastructure commitments within the tower segment.

However, ALTON warned that persistent structural challenges continue to threaten sector growth. Chief among these are multiple taxation regimes at sub-national levels and the recurring vandalism of fibre optic infrastructure. The association stated that overlapping levies imposed by various agencies, coupled with enforcement measures such as site shutdowns, undermine service quality and disrupt national connectivity

To address these concerns, ALTON urged the NCC Board to intensify advocacy for a harmonized national telecommunications taxation framework, emphasizing that broadband expansion and digital inclusion depend on regulatory clarity and fiscal coordination across all tiers of government.

The association also called for stronger inter-agency collaboration to safeguard critical national information infrastructure. It recommended proactive engagement with key institutions, including the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the National Economic Council, federal and state ministries responsible for works, and the Office of the National Security Adviser, to ensure harmonized Right of Way policies, effective fibre mapping, infrastructure protection, and enforcement of critical infrastructure regulations.

ALTON maintained that sustained regulatory independence, coordinated fiscal policy, and enhanced infrastructure protection will be central to securing long-term stability and growth in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.