The Telecoms Sector Suffers another Setback as KADUNA Joins other to States Shut Down telecoms operations in its State

The spate of insecurity ravaging the Northern part of Nigeria has taken another toll on the telecoms sector in Nigeria. This is as Kaduna state joins Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina states who shut down telecoms operations in some part of their states to prevent the coordination of banditry and to help the security forces crack down escalating criminal activity and, in particular, gangs who specialize in abduction and extortion.

Zamfara State, alone had 2,177,431 active voice subscribers and 1,592,746 active internet subscribers, out of a total of 192,413,613 active voice subscribers and 144,949,194 active internet subscribers in the first quarter of 2021 who have been affected by this development. With more LGAs in Katsina and Sokoto and the entire Kaduna State, the number of subscribers affected may be very high.

It was estimated that the four big telecom operators might have lost N6.3bn after two weeks of shutting down operations in Zamfara state. While the shutdown has continued in Zamfara State, Sokoto and Katsina states have also shutdown telecoms activities in some local government areas in their states. With Kaduna joining, the telecoms operators, especially the four major ones (MTN, Globacom, Airtel, 9Mobile) would be counting big revenue losses as a result of this. Even their ongoing projects would have been stalled as they business would go on in an atmosphere of insecurity.

According to Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, the seven governors of the North-West had all endorsed the practice of shutting down base stations to fight insecurity, an indication that more could be shut down soon. This is an indication that any dream of an imminent revenue from the affected states by the telecoms operators may be a mirage