By Elvis Eromosele

Today, Nigeria’s telecommunication industry stands at a crossroads. It is facing pressure on a thousand different fronts. On the inside, it is battling with the challenges of sustainable operations and shareholders demands and on the outside, raising costs and regulatory constraints. 

The Nigerian telecom industry has immense potential. The recently launched GSMA digital economy report made this point. It projects a rise of 15 million new internet users by 2028. It equally highlights the industry’s significant contribution to the nation’s GDP. 

Industry players, in the light of existing reality, have determined that a tariff increase will provide some succour and allow it to breathe. The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), an umbrella organisation for telecom and allied services providers, is at the forefront of the push for tariff increase.

ALTON argues that current tariffs, unchanged for over a decade, are insufficient to maintain operations and may indeed hinder vital investments in network infrastructure and possibly impact service quality. This assertion gains traction against a backdrop of foreign exchange losses, declining profits, and the increasingly challenging economic environment 

Within the same decade, electricity tariff was raised, at least, three times; the price of fuel has gone up by over 300 per cent and inflation has effectively climbed to over 33 per cent. Yet, operators’ demand for telecom tariff increases has sparked a contentious debate among industry stakeholders. For many, the crux of the matter is that the economy is already hard, so telcos should not compound things by increasing tariffs at this time. Economists will take a dim view of this argument. 

The telcos’ reason for pushing for tariff increases hinges on three main points. One, rising costs. Inflation, currency devaluation, increase in the pump price of fuel, electricity tariff increases and a general economic downturn have significantly increased operational expenses. The cost of maintaining and upgrading infrastructure, alongside acquiring foreign equipment, has outpaced current price structures.

The second is the investment challenges. Without a price adjustment reflecting economic realities, investors become hesitant. This stagnation in investment will limit the industry’s ability to expand networks, adopt new technologies like 5/6G and ultimately serve a growing population. The bulk of investment in the sector is dollar-denominated. 

Then thirdly, unsustainable business environment. The industry contends with a multitude of charges and levies (the perennial multiple taxation). ALTON reveals that there are over 45. This burden, coupled with a perceived lack of regulatory independence, creates an unfavourable business climate.

The government, however, has firmly rejected the proposal for a tariff hike. The NCC has refused to approve it. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, emphasizes the need for a comprehensive solution. He argues that higher prices would disproportionately affect affordability and hinder inclusion, particularly for low-income Nigerians. This outcome will no doubt widen the digital disparity in the country.

In my mind, to move forward, we must be able to strike a balance between the financial viability of telecom companies and ensuring service affordability for consumers. This path likely involves a multi-pronged approach. 

We can start by reviewing the levy landscape. 45 is definitely too many. Reducing the number of charges levied on telecom operators could free up resources for investment. This can potentially create a more attractive business environment.

Secondly, regulation must be streamlined in line with global best practices. Experts concede that enhancing regulatory clarity and promoting an environment that encourages responsible risk-taking by investors would be crucial.

Moreover, operators have the option of exploring alternative revenue streams. This means that telecom companies can explore value-added services or targeted data packages to generate additional revenue without burdening core services.

The government is not left out. It must consider incentives. The federal government should as a matter of urgency consider targeted incentives that encourage network expansion and technological advancements. This will encourage operators to seek growth without solely relying on price hikes. The NCC must step up to the plate here.

At the heart of the debate lies the delicate balance between consumer affordability and industry sustainability. While tariff increases may alleviate financial strains for telecom operators, they also raise concerns about affordability and access for consumers, particularly in a country where digital inclusion remains a priority. 

To ensure that the telecom sector achieves its potential, we can’t play the ostrich anymore. Constructive dialogue and collaboration between government, industry stakeholders, and regulatory bodies are indispensable at this point. Adjustments must be made, if the sector is to maintain its contribution to Nigeria’s GDP, currently eight per cent, and thus continue to boost the broader ICT ecosystem growth.

By implementing cost-reflective tariffs, telecom companies can enhance their financial viability, enabling them to make essential investments in infrastructure, technology, and service quality. 

Eromosele, a corporate communication professional, writes via: [email protected]

By Emmanuel Asika, Country Head, HP Nigeria  

The emergence of cultures within adaptable working models that facilitate improved flexibility and therefore well-being whilst generating new range of opportunities to innovate and increase productivity shows that hybrid work is here to stay. A report by
Gartner shows a sizeable 51% of US knowledge workers are projected to work ‘hybrid’ and 20% to work fully remotely in 2023. Just as a Phillips Consulting (PCL) study reveals how Nigerian executives considered culture as one of the top factors to consider in their business strategy, moving from a 17% focus pre-COVID to a 44% focus in some cases to align with the future of work.  

Notably, these new dynamics signal new trajectories for security teams, as business protection is now more demanding because the path has become doubtful. To mitigate this, emphasis must be on protecting endpoints – PCs and printers; the ‘focal point’ of most attacks. Thus, to detect, prevent, and control cyber threats, new cybersecurity strategies are required; to dispel the threats associated with lost or stolen devices by boosting remote PC management.  

Mitigating security slips  

It’s clear that 82% of security experts adopting a hybrid work model have slip-ups in their organization’s security architecture, a new research and a hybrid security report from HP Wolf Security reveals. The epicenter of the hybrid worker’s world is the endpoint.  

In fact, 84% of security experts agree that endpoint is where the most enterprise-damaging cyber-threats occur, and it’s the root of most security threats – be it a PC, smartphone, laptop, tablet, or complementary peripherals like printers. For malicious attackers, these devices can be a target entry point.  

Nonetheless, local networks may be compromised and misconfigured. But truly, endpoints are the link bridging unprotected technologies and imperfect users. When devices are not provided with requisite routine enterprise protection, hybrid work models suffer and negatively affect productivity. Significantly, machines and employees working remotely are likely to be without appreciable protection and left vulnerable.  

Furthermore, some employees who are confined to their comfort zone without assistance of knowledgeable coworkers makes them more prone to either opening an attachment containing malware or clicking on a risky link. Employees likewise work in cafes, restaurants, and airports, and perhaps even living the digital nomad lifestyle abroad; they aren’t just working from home (WFH). Actually, two-thirds (66%ⁱ) of security leaders and IT experts consequently concluded that the most pronounced cybersecurity weakness in their organization is the possibility for hybrid employees to be compromised – phishing, ransomware, and attacks via unsafe home networks are also cited as top enterprise risks.  

Forward-thinking organizations now seem focused on fine investment in securing hybrid work, with a commendable four-fifths i.e., 82% of security leaders increasing budgets threshold specifically for hybrid workers, and 71%of these leaders expect this focus to increase further in 2023. Yet, the impact of their budget must be targeted at the appropriate tools with a concentration on positioning the endpoint front and center of any hybrid security strategy.  

Leaving no stone unturned  

An improved remote management of devices, despite its attendant complexities, is most necessary as most major considerations for the IT and security teams, in this hybrid age. Also, 70%ⁱ of security experts conclude that the risk of lost or stolen devices is prevalent in hybrid work. This triggers the question – when remote machines are powered down or offline, what happens? Locating or safeguarding data on these devices could be tasking, and substantially risky if they either contain confidential trade secrets, personally identifiable information (PII), or intellectual property (IP). The reality here is that Cloud Technologies have helped to reduce the workload here, but they’re not 100% effective.  

Human-error risk tendency is rife with itinerant workers always on the move; same way there will always be unethical hackers lurking around for susceptible devices they can attack. This trend raises risks, exclusively in highly regulated sectors like government – where a lost or stolen laptop could mean a
national security risk.  

Connecting with a fresh approach  

In Nigeria, an emerging economy, institutions are gradually deepening hybrid work models via infrastructure investments despite challenges of electricity, network coverage, low bandwidth, and affordability. HP has also been working on designing a model of
IT management connectivity solution hence, the new HP Wolf Connect service now enables IT to manage devices even when powered down or offline.  

So, for IT managers, what can they do to mitigate these concerns? Step one is to find a fresh approach to link remote computers over cellular networks. This implies that devices can be controlled even when turned off or offline. Fundamentally, such functionality could be deployed to connect with lost or stolen devices and then lock and wipe them. This approach will not only lower the risk of data leaks and violations, but it can also moderate IT expenses by cutting cases of PC replacement or remediation. A stronger and secure connection to remote computers also reduces the time and effort required to resolve support tickets. Teams can precisely report where and when devices went missing, and how long it took to lock or erase them. Now, that’s a fresh approach to security.  

About 80% of institutions laid claims to have deployed numerous tools and policies to protect hybrid working staff. However, what’s vital now is that these tools and policies require a paradigm shift from old perimeter-focused thinking. Once again, endpoint must become the focus for applying protection in the hybrid age. Accepting hardware-enforced security features and protection above, in, and below the OS – such as application isolation – will be strategic for protecting end-users without impacting on the freedoms that hybrid work admits.  

This model should be part of an approach to hybrid workplace security that takes into consideration the distinct threats and contextual challenges that are more common with flexible working.  

Incidentally, about two-thirds, representing 61% of corporations and leaders, are saying that protection of their hybrid workforce will be harder moving forward. This doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Enhanced remote management and the adoption of hardware-enforced security, can help businesses unleash end-user productivity without alluring extra cyber risks.  

Consequently, businesses should upgrade to a hybrid work model, at a time when sustainable growth is strategically significant to all organizations, bearing a fine blend of tech tools and motivated people to optimize lasting productivity. This is the future of work.

A new report, Future of Work Life, from Ericsson Consumer & IndustryLab examines how employees and employers navigate the current work environment and their views on the future of work shaped by the pandemic, digitalization and the fluctuating labor market.

The way people spend their work hours has been the same for a long time, but the pandemic was a major disruptor of this. Work has changed and will continue to change going forward.

Almost half (48 percent) of the employees in the study say that they enjoy increased flexibility at work. 52 percent consider flexible work hours or locations as key requirements, and 25 percent say that flexibility is the top priority if they would start to look for a new job. Doing work rather than going to work is seen as central in this new way of thinking about work life.

Employers need to embrace digitalization and flexible workforce management, and this can be done by creating a workplace of the future that supports human collaboration, simplifies work and values employee input in decision making.

Key findings:

• Flexibility is the new work life currency. Employees predict flexibility as a future employment need as hybrid work continues to be the norm as 25% of the global working population say they will prioritize flexibility above all else.
• Digital technologies renew employee confidence. Using the right digital technologies boost twice as much positive feelings for employees without increasing stress.
• Decision-makers and employees are increasingly at odds over technology. Only 33% of employers consider employee preferences when investing in new technology as 4 out 10 employees struggle with non-relevant tools for their tasks.
• Flexible workplaces may come at the cost of increased surveillance. Balancing visibility and privacy is a challenge and concern for hybrid work. 65% of employees who are optimistic about technologically-enabled flexibility also believe it will be tied to an increase in monitoring.
• Globalized labor markets bring talent and concerns to employers. Decision makers in emerging markets agree loyalty is declining with the rise of remote jobs.
• Five employee paths shape the future of work. Employees prioritize flexibility (24 %) digitalization (20 %), project-based work (12 %), or career (19 %) and financial stability (25%).

“Based on our research, it is quite clear that the future of work is going to be increasingly dependent on ICT solutions such as high-speed, globally available mobile connectivity. We felt the pandemic could finally be seen in the rear-view mirror, and therefore wanted to take a closer look at what changes in peoples worklife had stuck, and what was only a temporary adjustment! My own favourite take-away is that remote work is clearly here to stay – maybe not exactly at the level as was measured during the pandemic, but still at significantly higher levels than before the pandemic!” – Anders Erlandsson, Head of Ericsson IndustryLab

“Amidst the rapid digitalization brought on by the pandemic, our research highlights a concerning gap between the technology available in the workplace and the needs of employees for flexible working. With 6 in 10 companies lacking relevant technology for their staff, and just 2 in 10 employees feeling they have relevant tools at workplace there is a pressing need for organizations to invest in digital tools and robust connectivity that enable remote collaboration and flexibility, not only to attract and retain top talent, but also to stay competitive in the post-pandemic world.” – Jasmeet Singh Sethi, Head of Ericsson ConsumerLab