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By Chinenye Anuforo
Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (ntel), the nation’s revitalised legacy carrier, has officially announced plans to re-enter the market in the first quarter of 2026. Chief Executive Officer, Soji Maurice-Diya, unveiled a comprehensive roadmap at the Technology Times Thought Leadership Series in Lagos, describing a strategy focused not on broad-scale subscriber acquisition but on a “light digital play” centred around innovation, youth engagement, and niche services.
Maurice-Diya framed ntel’s comeback as both a continuation of its historical legacy and a pivot toward the next generation of telecom services. He recalled that ntel, formerly NITEL, transformed into its current form in 2015, making a credible attempt to penetrate the market before pausing operations. He described the new strategy as a targeted approach, prioritising niche products for a specific demographic rather than competing for millions of subscribers. The company aims to serve a small but highly engaged audience extremely well, leveraging its existing legacy infrastructure to support industry-wide capacity sharing while developing digital-first platforms designed to meet the needs of Nigeria’s rapidly growing youth population.
Maurice-Diya emphasised that millions of young Nigerians enter adulthood annually, representing a largely untapped market where incumbent loyalty has not yet solidified. He explained that targeting this demographic provides an opportunity for ntel to deepen market penetration and grow alongside its subscribers, offering innovative products and services that reflect the lifestyles and aspirations of younger users.
Beyond its internal strategy, Maurice-Diya presented a vision for broader sector transformation. He called for deeper collaboration between telecom operators and the financial sector, arguing that future growth will depend on telcos evolving into digital platforms capable of unlocking opportunities in adjacent markets such as FinTech, Health-Tech, and Ed-Tech. He commended government initiatives that provide the foundation for this transformation, including the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Act, which safeguards telecom assets, and major infrastructure projects such as the deployment of 7,000 new rural telecom towers and the 90,000-kilometre national fibre-optic network. He also highlighted complementary measures such as dynamic pricing, tax incentives, and green-energy adoption as key enablers of sector resilience.
On the regulatory front, Maurice-Diya urged authorities to maintain a balance between oversight and innovation. He warned that over-regulation could stifle growth, advising agencies to monitor emerging technologies like cryptocurrency, blockchain, and artificial intelligence, but to intervene only when necessary to curb excesses rather than imposing pre-emptive restrictions that could deter progress. He emphasised that the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s telecom sector depends on localisation, including the development of domestic technology, infrastructure, and human capacity. Initiatives such as the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme were cited as critical to building the skilled workforce necessary for the next phase of Nigeria’s digital development.
Maurice-Diya also addressed capital inflow and investment, assuring that global investors will continue to support Nigeria’s telecom sector if there is long-term value, policy stability, and reliable exit mechanisms. He recommended further tax incentives tied to long-term commitments and a more equitable revenue-sharing formula between telecom operators and other sectors benefiting from digital transformation. He stressed that savvy investors respond to opportunity rather than emotion, deploying capital where they see sustainable returns.
The ntel CEO outlined the company’s niche-focused strategy in detail, explaining that rather than competing for scale, ntel aims to deliver highly relevant, innovative solutions to a targeted audience. By modernising legacy infrastructure and introducing digital-first products, the company hopes to differentiate itself in the market while contributing meaningfully to national connectivity goals. Maurice-Diya said the objective is
