The newly appointed Chairman of the Board of Commissioners at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, has been commended by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) just as it sets a transformative agenda for the sector’s future, reports ITREALMS.
In a landmark congratulatory visit to the Commission’s headquarters on Thursday, February 19, 2026, the Chairman of ALTON, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, led a high-powered delegation of industry leaders to signal a new era of collaborative leadership.
Speaking on behalf of the operators, Adebayo set a bold strategic priority for the new board: the "zerofying" of educational websites to ensure no Nigerian student is left behind in the digital age.
"Our sector is moving beyond mere connectivity to active intellectual enablement," Adebayo stated, emphasizing that educational empowerment must stand "front and center" of the industry’s social impact goals.
"Our sector is moving beyond mere connectivity to active intellectual enablement," Adebayo stated, emphasizing that educational empowerment must stand "front and center" of the industry’s social impact goals.
He maintained that the push for zero-rated educational content is a vital extension of the sector’s contribution to national development.
Adebayo further emphasized that by removing data costs for essential learning portals, operators are directly supporting the federal government’s vision for a digital economy that prioritizes human capital.
Adebayo further emphasized that by removing data costs for essential learning portals, operators are directly supporting the federal government’s vision for a digital economy that prioritizes human capital.
He noted that this initiative is particularly timely given the recent recovery of the sector, bolstered by the resolution of the ₦300 billion USSD debt crisis and the implementation of cost-reflective tariffs.
"With the industry returning to a path of profitability and network stabilization, our focus has shifted toward high-impact social investments," Adebayo told the board.
"With the industry returning to a path of profitability and network stabilization, our focus has shifted toward high-impact social investments," Adebayo told the board.
He highlighted rural broadband expansion and the digital enablement of hospitals and schools as key pillars of this new direction.
The ALTON Chairman pointed out that Dr. Olorunnimbe’s background in youth employment through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) makes him a "uniquely suited ally" for this mission.
The ALTON Chairman pointed out that Dr. Olorunnimbe’s background in youth employment through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) makes him a "uniquely suited ally" for this mission.
He further said that the chairman’s leadership, combined with the technical stewardship of the Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, provides the perfect governance structure to operationalize these zero-rated frameworks.
However, Adebayo did not shy away from the structural hurdles still plaguing the industry.
However, Adebayo did not shy away from the structural hurdles still plaguing the industry.
He drew the Board's attention to the menace of frequent fibre cuts by road contractors and the complexities of multiple taxation.
While he lauded the designation of telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), Adebayo stressed that more work is needed for full operationalization.
"For Nigeria to truly scale its digital economy, the independence of the NCC must be preserved as a sacrosanct principle," Adebayo underscored, citing the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
"For Nigeria to truly scale its digital economy, the independence of the NCC must be preserved as a sacrosanct principle," Adebayo underscored, citing the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
He argued that a visibly independent regulator and a harmonized fiscal environment are the bedrocks upon which initiatives like free educational access are built.
As the visit concluded, Adebayo extended a formal invitation to the Chairman to visit wholly Nigerian-operated call centers.
As the visit concluded, Adebayo extended a formal invitation to the Chairman to visit wholly Nigerian-operated call centers.
This, he noted, would demonstrate the sector's immense potential to drive youth employment; an ambition that mirrors the spirit of inclusion found in ALTON’s commitment to "zerofying" the nation's educational landscape.
Remmy Nweke/DoP
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