The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria has voiced concern over the potential for significant connectivity disruptions as the 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar coastal highway construction progresses.
The corridor, serving as a crucial landing point for subsea cables that connect Nigeria to Europe, underscores the potential impact of the coastal highway on international connectivity.
Speaking on the Newscentral Breakfast show on Monday, Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licenced Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALCON), said the government needs to tread cautiously as it continues with the project so that critical infrastructure will not be affected.
Reiterating the crucial need for the government to engage with the association, he emphasised that this collaboration is key to avoiding severe service disruptions, particularly as the project axis also houses the landing point of vital subsea cables from Europe.
Canvassing the importance of government engagement with the association at this time, he claimed that most of the service disruptions in the country are caused by government contractors, and there is usually no recourse to service providers.
“We believe that more consultations are needed so parties can identify critical infrastructure and find ways to work around it.
On telecoms pricing, he said that while the issue of price “is quite emotive,” for the industry to remain sustainable, “the current tariff must reflect the cost input”.
He bemoaned the lack of investment in the industry due to vandalism, multiple taxation, the high cost of doing business, and insecurity.