Olamilokun also said MVNOs could play a major role in advancing mobility and efficiency in telecommunications
By Emma Ogbuehi
Founder of Talentcroft and Senior Partner at Rane Interaktiv Medien Limited, Harold Olamilokun has said the emergence of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) in the Nigerian market will bring about a new dawn in telecommunications in the country.
He made this known during the recent MVNOs conference hosted by XIUS at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos, where industry leaders and experts illuminated the path toward a transformative era in the Nigerian telecommunications landscape
The conference delved into the challenges and opportunities associated with the emergence of MVNOs in the Nigerian market, exploring collaborative dynamics between Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and MVNOs.
According to Olamilokun, MVNOs could play a major role in advancing mobility and efficiency within the telecommunications industry.
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Drawing on his vast experience, the ICT expert highlighted the foundational significance of communication in all transactions, saying, “No transaction exists without first being able to communicate.”
Also reflecting on Nigeria’s telecommunications evolution, he traced the transformative journey from the privatization era, propelling the country into an era of rapid economic growth through various communication technologies.
“The time has come for a new era—the era of the democratization of telecommunications,” he declared Olamilokun.
He went on to draw parallels with the banking sector’s swift transition to digital banking and underscored the imperative for collaboration between MNOs and MVNOs to fuel sustained growth.
He further encapsulated the essence of the MVNOs conference as a rallying call for collaboration, innovation, and a forward-looking approach as the industry embraces this transformative journey, saying the echoes of the discussions signal a promising and vibrant future for Nigerian telecommunications.
Similarly, Sridhar Lanka, President of Telecom at XIUS, who has 25 years of industry expertise expressed confidence that Nigeria is well-positioned to emulate the success of other economies that have embraced the MVNO TELECOMS framework, signaling a promising future for the introduction of MVNOs.
However, the CEO of InfraTel Africa, Tola Yusuf, who also spoke at the conference
provided a unique perspective, expressing concerns about potential market dominance by major MNOs.
Coming from a rural telephony background, Yusuf said he is worried about big MNOs choking the market and their willingness to support the MVNO framework with potentially unfair commercials.
He highlighted the need for regulatory frameworks that ensure fair competition, especially for MVNOs focusing on rural telecommunications.
