IHS Nigeria, a leading tower company, has emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration among regulators, operators, policymakers, and stakeholders to ensure the sustainability and resilience of Nigeria's telecommunications sector. This call was made at a stakeholder breakfast organized by the Telecommunications and Technology Sustainability Working Group (TTSWG) in Abuja. The event brought together representatives from regulatory agencies, industry players, academia, development organizations, technology startups, and other stakeholders.
The meeting provided a platform to discuss sustainability priorities and review the TTSWG's proposed Strategy for 2025–2030. It also presented proposed sustainability metrics for the telecommunications industry to the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC). Speaking on behalf of IHS Nigeria, Director of Sustainability Titilope Oguntuga highlighted the importance of the engagement in developing practical solutions to the sector's environmental, social, and governance challenges.
Oguntuga noted that the dialogue allowed stakeholders to assess progress and identify areas requiring greater collaboration. She emphasized that collaboration among industry players, regulators, and stakeholders was crucial in addressing issues affecting Nigeria's digital infrastructure. TTSWG's progress reflects a shared conviction that technology and innovation are key to addressing the sector's challenges.
TTSWG Board Chairman Abdu-Waya Mohammed stated that the proposed strategy provides a framework for strengthening collaboration around sustainability in the telecommunications and technology ecosystem. The strategy focuses on renewable energy transition, digital inclusion, governance, collaborative innovation, and sustainable development. However, Mohammed noted that the strategy is still a draft and requires further input before adoption.
Bankole Oloruntoba, CEO of the Nigeria Climate Innovation Center, described TTSWG as a multi-stakeholder platform for advancing sustainability across the telecommunications and technology ecosystem. The center's areas of focus include sustainable energy, digital inclusion, electronic waste management, gender and capacity development, youth participation, innovation, community development, and policy advocacy.
A key component of the meeting was the presentation of a proposed sustainability metrics framework by Dr. Chris Uwaje, a board member of TTSWG. The framework provides measurable indicators for assessing sustainability performance across areas such as energy and decarbonization, digital inclusion and affordability, digital integrity and consumer trust, infrastructure resilience, governance, and waste reduction.
The engagement also featured contributions from Helen Obi, Director of the Digital Economy Department at the NCC, who represented the Executive Vice-Chairman of the commission. Obi noted areas of alignment between the NCC's priorities and the issues being advanced by TTSWG, including broadband expansion, resilient connectivity, digital skills, local device manufacturing, and assistive technologies for persons with disabilities.
Key points
- IHS Nigeria stresses the need for collaboration to improve sustainability and resilience in Nigeria's telecommunications sector.
- The proposed strategy focuses on renewable energy transition, digital inclusion, governance, collaborative innovation, and sustainable development.
- A sustainability metrics framework was presented to provide measurable indicators for assessing sustainability performance in the telecommunications industry.
