TMT Nuggets Q1 2026

The first quarter of 2026 marks a transformative period for Africa’s technology, media, and telecommunications sectors, characterised by a decisive shift toward infrastructure sovereignty, stringent regulatory oversight, and the rapid adoption of frontier technologies.

In Nigeria, the NCC and CBN have pivoted toward aggressive consumer protection, mandating realtime fraud monitoring and near-instant refunds for failed transactions, while massive capital injections, including the $2 billion BRIDGE fibre project and Amazon’s Project Kuiper entry, signal a race for universal high-speed connectivity.

Simultaneously, the continent is witnessing a landmark consolidation of tower assets and the operationalisation of AfCFTA’s intellectual property protocols, creating a more unified and predictable commercial landscape.

However, this digital acceleration is met with heightened accountability; from the NDPC’s crackdown on data privacy in the creator economy to global jury verdicts holding big tech liable for mental health harms, the message of Q1 2026 is clear: technical innovation must now be matched by ethical transparency and robust legal compliance.

TELECOMS

NCC PROPOSES REAL-TIME FRAUD MONITORING SYSTEM TO ENHANCE TELECOMS IDENTITY SECURITY

In March 2026, the NCC proposed the implementation of the Telecoms Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), a proactive framework designed to monitor and flag high-risk mobile numbers in real time to combat escalating digital fraud. ¹ The initiative recognises that mobile numbers have become the cornerstone of digital identity for banking and ecommerce, making the mitigation of identity-related vulnerabilities a national security priority. Under the proposed rules, operators and financial institutions will be able to instantly verify a number’s risk status, while new mandates will require telcos to report churned lines promptly and notify subscribers before any number reassignment.

ICASA IMPLEMENTS INFLATION-ADJUSTED FEE INCREASES FOR SOUTH AFRICAN TELECOMS

From April 1, 2026, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) will introduce a 3.2% increase in regulatory fees across spectrum, service licenses, and equipment approvals to align with current inflation rates. ² This adjustment impacts a broad range of stakeholders, including telecom operators and device manufacturers, by raising the costs associated with importing hardware and certifying infrastructure. Beyond direct licensing fees, the hike is expected to increase the administrative and compliance burden for industries reliant on broadcasting and frequency management.

MAJOR ACQUISITION SET TO CONSOLIDATE CONTROL OF AFRICAN TELECOM INFRASTRUCTURE

In February 2026, a landmark $2.2 billion acquisition was initiated to consolidate control of nearly 29,000 telecom sites across Africa, as a major operator moved to acquire full ownership of a leading tower company and take it private.³ The offer, priced at $8.50 per share, values the infrastructure firm at approximately $6.2 billion. This transaction signals a strategic pivot within the industry toward reintegrating physical assets to directly capture lease margins and future revenues, reversing previous trends of asset separation. The deal, which awaits final regulatory and shareholder approval, highlights an increasing focus on infrastructure sovereignty and the long-term financial optimisation of mobile networks across the continent.

PAPSS TRANSFORMS CROSS-BORDER PAYMENTS WITH FOUR YEARS OF PAN-AFRICAN INTEGRATION

Since its launch in January 2022, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) has significantly streamlined intra-African trade by enabling instant settlements in local currencies, effectively bypassing the expensive and cumbersome correspondent banking networks of the US and Europe. Now operational across 19 countries, the system connects over 160 banks and 15 national switches, with Nigeria playing a pivotal role through the integration of more than 22 commercial banks. This expansion reduces transaction costs, accelerates settlement times, and lessens the continent's dependence on hard currencies, while the introduction of tools like PAPSSCARD further accelerates financial integration. The ongoing success of PAPSS highlights a transformative shift toward African financial sovereignty and a more unified economic landscape across the continent.

NIGERIA’S TELECOM SUBSCRIPTIONS HIT 182.2 MILLION AMID SURGING DATA DEMAND

In January 2026, Nigeria’s telecommunications sector recorded a significant expansion, with active subscriptions climbing to 182.2 million, driving teledensity to 84.06 and reflecting robust year-on-year growth from 169.3 million. The latest data reveals a decisive migration toward high-speed connectivity, with 4G and 5G adoption accelerating as legacy 2G and 3G networks decline, while total internet subscriptions reached 151.6 million. This surge in data consumption underscores an intensifying reliance on digital services and highlights the success of ongoing broadband expansion efforts in strengthening the nation's digital economy.

NCC PROJECTS MOBILE OPERATORS TO EXCEED $1BN NETWORK INVESTMENT IN 2026

The NCC projects that mobile network operators will surpass $1 billion4 In capital expenditure during 2026, to further strengthen the nation's digital infrastructure. Building on a similar investment milestone in 2025, which saw the deployment of over 2,850 new sites, this financial commitment aims to aggressively expand 5G services and broaden 4G reach into underserved urban and rural corridors. The sustained capital injection has already yielded measurable improvements in median download speeds and video streaming consistency, signalling a concerted effort by operators to meet the surging domestic demand for high-speed data. The ambitious investment roadmap underscores a regulatory and commercial pivot toward achieving universal network reliability and closing persistent performance gaps.

NCC DIRECTS MOBILE NETWORK OPERATORS TO COMPENSATE SUBSCRIBERS WITH AIRTIME CREDITS FOR POOR SERVICE DELIVERY

The NCC has directed Mobile Network Operators to compensate subscribers with airtime credits when network quality falls below prescribed targets in specific locations, with payments linked to users' average spending and presence in affected areas. The measure complements the Commission's ongoing monitoring of Quality-of-Service Key Performance Indicators and extends accountability to tower companies, which will be required to channel regulatory fines into measurable infrastructure improvements.

The directive reflects a decisive regulatory shift toward enforceable consumer protection in Nigeria's telecommunications sector, moving beyond passive monitoring to impose direct financial consequences for service shortfalls.⁵

NCC GRANTS AMAZON'S PROJECT KUIPER SEVEN-YEAR LANDING PERMIT AHEAD OF 2026 NIGERIA LAUNCH

In January 2026, the NCC granted Amazon's Project Kuiper a seven-year landing permit to operate satellite internet services across Nigeria, forming part of a global constellation of up to 3,236 satellites. ⁶ . The approval covers Fixed Satellite Service for homes and enterprises, Mobile Satellite Service for portable and emergency communications, and Earth Stations at Sea for mobile platforms including ships, aircraft, and vehicles, with the network operating in the high-capacity Ka-band frequency to deliver multi-gigabit speeds, low latency, and affordable user terminals. The permit provides Amazon with the legal certainty required to invest in ground infrastructure, local partnerships, and enterprise contracts, intensifying competition in Nigeria's satellite broadband market alongside existing players such as Starlink. The development signals a broader industry shift toward diversified connectivity solutions, with the potential to reshape pricing, service standards, and coverage across urban, semi-urban, and mobility-focused segments of Nigeria's digital economy.

NIGERIA ACQUIRES 49% STAKE IN $2 BILLION WORLD BANK-BACKED BRIDGE FIBRE PROJECT

Nigeria has launched the financial advisory phase of the $2 billion BRIDGE Project, backed by the World Bank, to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable across all 774 local government areas, targeting 33 million currently unconnected Nigerians. Under the arrangement, the Federal Government will hold a 49%₇ minority stake in a majority privately-owned Special Purpose Vehicle, with a $500 million concessional IDA credit disbursed in milestone-linked tranches, beginning with $150 million for initial equity and a 30,000 km first phase scheduled for early 2026. The initiative delivers wholesale, open-access broadband infrastructure to underserved regions, with oversight coordinated through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, and a dedicated Project Implementation Unit responsible for governance and ESG compliance.

CBN AND NCC PROPOSE JOINT FRAMEWORK MANDATING NEAR-INSTANT REFUNDS FOR FAILED AIRTIME AND DATA PURCHASES

In Q1, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the NCC jointly proposed a new regulatory framework requiring automatic refunds for failed airtime and data purchases within 30 seconds of a failed transaction, with a 24-hour window applicable to pending cases. Developed in collaboration with mobile network operators, banks, and value-added service providers, the framework holds telecoms and financial institutions accountable through enforceable service-level agreements, mandatory SMS transaction notifications, and provisions covering errors such as wrong numbers and ported lines.

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