Lagos – The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, has warned that the telecom operators in the country are in state of intensive care where everything must be done to rescue them from dying.
Karl stated this during a forum tagged ‘TELECOMS INDUSTRY 2.0: The Next Investment Frontier In Nigeria’ held on Tuesday in Lagos.
“The telecom sector is facing a lot of challenges of which if urgent action is not taken, it will dry up. The truth is that investors are not going to come to invest in the sector if the fundamental issues are not addressed. The telecom sector is in ICU stage,” he said.
Toriola, who differed with the position of Airtel Nigeria CEO, Carl Cruz, who had expressed optimism that investment will continue to flow into the sector, said pricing increase has become imperative, adding that it is now an absolute necessity.
Also speaking at the event, Gbenga Adebayo, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said the sector has become a victim of its own success, noting that the government sees the sector as a source of income.
Adebayo said: “Today, many people are complaining about the quality of service. One thing we need to realise is that, quality of service is tied to government policies. There are 54 agencies of government that are always on our neck for one levy or the other.
“Unfortunately, telecom operators are now seen as a major source of government revenue. With this trend, the sustainability of the sector cannot be guaranteed. The issue of over N200 billion banks are owing our members for services rendered has not been settled up till now.”
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