Zegtel, a new Nigerian mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), has announced plans to invest about US$21.8 million over the next five years to expand mobile connectivity across the country.
The company’s widely reported statement suggests that this investment aims to bridge the digital gap and deliver affordable connectivity to millions of Nigerians who now lack access to telecom services.
Professor Victor Izegbu, Zegtel executive chairman, is quoted as saying: “In other developed markets, subscribers enjoy an extensive array of value-added services on their mobile networks. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, subscribers are mostly exposed to just the basic offering of voice and data. Zegtel is set to change that narrative with our product offerings.”
Timings are so far unclear. The Zegtel website still contains the announcement ‘Coming in Q4 23' and invites interested parties to ‘Contact us or sign up now’.
However, according to one local news outlet, Zegtel has an agreement with an (unnamed) British MVNO management company to roll out its service over the next six months.
It probably won't be alone. Since announcing plans to license MVNOs in March 2023, regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued over 30 MVNO licences across five service tiers at varying licence prices.
In turn various MVNO enablers are likely to be sizing up the market. In March we reported that software solutions provider Mobilise had launched Tier 5 MVNE services to cater to this burgeoning market segment.
