By Rotimi Agbana

To tackle some of the challenges plaguing the telecommunications sector in Nigeria such as electricity, infrastructure maintenance, a telecoms service provider CEO, Omnicon Solution Limited, Mr. Lanre Olaniyan, has said government and stakeholders need to sit together and find a way out.

President Buhari 

Speaking at the company’s 10th anniversary and awards held in Lagos recently, Olaniyan noted that although  telecom operators have invested a lot towards improving the quality of services, they may still not get effective results if government and other stakeholders do not key into the development agenda.

CCNN/BUA merger: Shareholders to get higher dividend – Mikail

He said: “I can assure you that these operators are spending a lot of money to improve the quality of service. Now we look at the networks in such a way that everyday people are on it. It’s getting degraded because of the usage. The weather also adds to it and all these things reduce the quality of the equipment that they use but I can assure you all the operators spend hundreds if not billions of naira per annum to help improve the network.

“No telecommunication company can solve the problem of power. In developed or developing countries, power is the responsibility of the government; the telecommunication companies are just users.

•Gbenga Adebayo

Now in this part of the world, telecom industries spend billions every year, fuelling generators to make sure the network stays up and there’s really not much we can do until the government and other stakeholders show necessary interest in solving this problem.

“The government has to encourage infrastructure, either they put it in place or attract investors/stakeholders that are interested in putting it in place and government has the power, will and ability to do that more than any service provider in the industry. The least any service company can do is to buy generator and  fuel it. Believe me, that is very expensive and unsustainable,” he added.

A man’s lifestyle can affect the quality of his sperm

Olaniyan believes telecommunications will still become one of the fore drivers of economic growth in Nigeria.

He, therefore, called for introduction of most things done in the industry in school curriculum so that young people that are technology inclined can be produced.