Artificial intelligence is already working inside many of the organisations that run Nigeria’s phone and internet services, but the rules for managing it have not kept up. That is the headline finding of a survey presented by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) at its Internet Governance Symposium 2026 in Lagos, reported by BusinessDay on 15 October.

The survey is a useful snapshot of where Nigeria’s digital sector stands on AI, and it carries lessons for any business, large or small, that is adding AI tools to its operations.

What the survey found

The NCC polled 47 organisations drawn from industry, academia, research and civil society, including mobile network operators, internet service providers and members of the technical community. Among the key results:

• 73% of surveyed licensees said they were using or piloting AI in live operations.
• 27% said they had no governance arrangements for their AI systems.
• 94% supported telling consumers when they are interacting with AI.
• Three in five organisations had not taken part in internet governance processes, and 40% had not attended any internet governance event.
• 53% reported involvement with the Nigerian Internet Governance Forum.
• 46 of the 47 organisations said they were willing to join future consultations and workshops.

Respondents named cybersecurity, online safety, child online protection, data protection and AI governance as their priority concerns.

It is worth reading the numbers carefully. A sample of 47 organisations does not establish how widely AI is governed across the entire telecom industry, and the survey did not specify which AI applications respondents were using. Still, the direction is clear: adoption is moving faster than oversight.

What the NCC plans to do

According to BusinessDay, the Commission intends to clarify how AI systems are defined and what prior-notification requirements apply under its Internet Code of Practice 2026. It also plans to publish implementation guidelines, frequently asked questions and compliance templates, and to run workshops for licensees. No timetable for the AI guidance has been announced.

The strong support for AI disclosure stands out. If nearly all respondents back informing customers when they are dealing with AI, Nigerians may soon see clearer labelling on chatbots, automated customer service lines and other AI-driven interactions with their network providers.

Why this matters beyond telecoms

The gap the NCC found is not unique to telecoms. Many businesses adopt AI tools one at a time: a chatbot on the website, an AI writing assistant for staff, automated fraud scoring or call summarisation. Each feels small, but together they can touch customer data, make decisions that affect people, and create new security risks.

Without governance, common problems include:

• Staff pasting customer or financial data into public AI tools without approval.
• No clear owner when an AI system gives a wrong or harmful answer to a customer.
• AI tools connected to email, files or payment systems with more access than they need.
• Customers not knowing they are talking to a machine, which damages trust when it goes wrong.

Nigeria’s data protection rules already apply to personal data processed by AI systems, so poor oversight is a compliance risk as well as a reputational one.

A simple AI governance starter for organisations

Governance does not have to mean a thick policy manual. Smaller organisations can start with a handful of practical steps:

1. List your AI tools. Write down every AI system in use, who uses it, and what data it can see.
2. Assign an owner. Make one named person responsible for each tool, including what happens when it fails.
3. Set data rules. Decide which information staff may never share with AI tools, such as BVNs, NINs, card details, passwords and customer records.
4. Keep a human in the loop. Require human review for decisions that affect customers’ money, accounts or rights.
5. Tell customers. Label chatbots and automated services clearly, and give people an easy way to reach a person.
6. Review regularly. Revisit the list every quarter as tools and regulations change.

What you should do

• Businesses: take an inventory of the AI tools your staff use this month and set basic data-sharing rules before adding more.
• Telecom and internet licensees: watch for the NCC’s forthcoming guidance under the Internet Code of Practice 2026 and take part in its consultations.
• Consumers: when a chatbot or automated line handles your account, never share one-time passwords or PINs, and ask to speak to a human for anything involving money or SIM changes.

The survey shows an industry willing to engage. The next step is turning that willingness into clear, practical rules before AI problems turn into customer harm.

Sources

• AI adoption is outpacing governance in Nigeria’s telecom sector, NCC survey shows – BusinessDay
• The Nigeria Brief, Thursday 15 October 2026

Featured image: Photo: “Telecom Tower” by Steve Parker, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse — source

Nigeria’s appetite for data is growing fast. According to Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) industry statistics reported by TechCabal on 13 October 2026, Nigerians consumed 11.94 million terabytes of internet data in the first eight months of 2026, roughly 90% of the total for the whole of 2025. With four months still to go, this year’s usage is on track to clearly exceed last year’s.

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), this is more than a telecoms statistic. It signals where customers are, how they want to be served, and what kind of connectivity a modern business needs.

What the numbers show

• Monthly usage is climbing. Consumption was lowest in February at 1.26 million terabytes, rose to about 1.4 million in March, passed 1.5 million in June and reached 1.76 million terabytes in August.
• More connections. Roughly 800,000 new internet subscriptions were added in August alone, according to an industry expert citing NCC figures.
• Faster networks. 4G’s share of mobile subscriptions rose to 54.77% in August, and 5G to 4.92%, together about 60% of mobile subscriptions.
• Broadband reach. THISDAY, citing NCC data, reported broadband penetration of 57.40% in July 2026, up from 48.81% in August 2025.
• Economic weight. The same NCC figures put the telecoms sector’s contribution to GDP at 9.72% in the second quarter of 2026.

Total telecom subscriptions reached 197.42 million in August. MTN recorded 84.56 million internet subscriptions, followed by Airtel with 56.94 million and Globacom with 15.76 million. Note that subscriptions count connections, not unique people, since many Nigerians carry more than one SIM.

What is driving the growth

Industry analysts point to two forces. First, more people are getting connected. Second, existing users are doing more data-heavy things: streaming video on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Netflix, alongside online banking, digital payments, cloud services, remote work tools, online learning and AI applications. These are informed assessments rather than a measured breakdown of traffic, but they match what most businesses see among their own customers.

A new policy may add to demand. On 1 October 2026, the NCC introduced zero-rated access to designated educational platforms, giving eligible users up to 100MB of free daily data for learning.

What it means for small businesses

Your customers are online, and on video

Rising data use, driven heavily by video, means customers are increasingly discovering, comparing and buying through their phones. Short product videos, WhatsApp catalogues and mobile-friendly websites are no longer extras. At the same time, many users still watch their data budgets, so keep pages light and images compressed.

Networks will be under pressure

More traffic means more strain on operators’ capacity. Experts say sustained investment in fibre, network capacity and spectrum will be needed to maintain quality. Until that catches up, businesses that depend on the internet for payments, cloud accounting or customer service should plan for slowdowns and outages.

Data costs belong in your budget

If your team relies on mobile data for work, consumption is likely rising for you too. Treat connectivity as a core operating cost and review it regularly.

Practical steps for SMEs

1. Measure your usage. Check how much data your office or devices use each month and which applications consume the most.
2. Build in redundancy. Keep a backup connection from a different provider, such as a 4G/5G router alongside fibre, so POS terminals and payment systems keep working during outages.
3. Consider fibre where available. For offices with several staff, a fixed fibre line is often more reliable and better value than multiple mobile data bundles.
4. Control background usage. Schedule large software updates and cloud backups outside business hours, and turn off video autoplay on work devices.
5. Optimise for mobile customers. Test your website and online store on a basic smartphone over a mobile connection, and cut anything slow or heavy.
6. Secure what you connect. More online activity means more exposure. Use strong router passwords, update devices and enable two-step verification on business accounts.

The bigger picture

Nigeria’s data growth reflects an economy that is steadily moving online. For SMEs, the opportunity is clear: customers are reachable, digital payments are routine and cloud tools are affordable. The businesses that benefit most will be those that treat connectivity as essential infrastructure, plan for its weaknesses, and design their services for a mobile-first market.

Sources

• Nigerians used 90% of 2025's internet data volume in eight months – TechCabal
• Broadband Penetration Maintains Steady Growth as Telecoms Contribution to GDP Increases – THISDAY
• Nigeria's internet data usage jumps to 1.66m terabytes in July – Techeconomy

Featured image: Photo: "Fiber Optic cable upgrade" by Wesley Fryer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse — source

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has begun an enhanced verification exercise for phones, tablets and other SIM-enabled devices used on Nigerian mobile networks. The aim, according to the regulator, is to keep fake, cloned, substandard and stolen devices off the networks and to make sure equipment sold in Nigeria meets technical standards.

The exercise was explained at a media briefing in Abuja on 13 October 2026, a few days after some subscribers started receiving SMS alerts from a sender called “NCC-Checker” saying their device was not verified. If you or your staff received one of these messages, here is what it means and what to do.

What the NCC is doing

The checks run under what the NCC calls its enhanced Type Approval compliance framework, which builds on the Type Approval Business Rules it issued in August 2024. Type Approval is the NCC’s confirmation that a particular device model meets Nigerian technical requirements.

Each phone has a unique 15-digit identifier called an IMEI. According to TechAfrica News, the NCC’s Device Management System checks a device’s IMEI against a central equipment register to see whether the model is type approved. The NCC has worked with the Nigeria Customs Service, manufacturers, importers and market associations so that devices already in stock can be onboarded and future imports can be verified before they reach shops.

At the briefing, the NCC’s Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity said about 231 million existing devices had been registered automatically and that subscribers whose devices were already on the networks did not need to take any action, Nairametrics reported. He also stressed that the system is not a surveillance tool: the NCC says it keeps device identification data such as IMEI numbers, but does not access the contents of users’ phones or their personal communications.

What the “not verified” alerts say

From 10 October 2026, some users of iPhones, Google Pixels, Tecno, Infinix and other brands reported receiving alerts saying their device was not verified and could lose network access after 30 days. TechAfrica News explains that the countdown counts only days when the device is actively used on a Nigerian network, not 30 calendar days in a row.

Many of the devices being flagged appear to be imported or grey-market phones, meaning genuine models bought abroad or from sellers who never submitted them for Nigerian approval. Commentators have pointed out that the system does not yet publicly separate these legitimate imports from counterfeit or cloned phones, and that the steps for registering a phone bought overseas have not been clearly published. Unofficial figures for registration fees are circulating on social media, but they have not been confirmed by the NCC, so do not rely on them.

How to check your device

1. Find your IMEI. Dial *#06# on the phone. The IMEI appears on screen. Note it down or take a screenshot.
2. Run the NCC check. Dial *315# from the phone and choose the device check option. Nairametrics also mentions an NCC Device Checker portal.
3. Read the result. A verified device returns a confirmation that it is type approved and verified for use on Nigerian networks.
4. Keep evidence. If you get a warning, screenshot it along with your receipt or proof of purchase.

If your phone is flagged

• Bought locally? Go back to the seller. The NCC advises asking for a replacement if a device you bought turns out not to be verified.
• Bought abroad? The NCC has indicated that a registration route exists for devices bought overseas. Watch the NCC’s official website and social media channels for published instructions and fees.
• Still unresolved? Call the NCC’s toll-free 315 consumer helpline.

Watch out for scammers using this news

Any change that worries large numbers of people is an opportunity for fraudsters. Expect fake “phone unblocking” agents, look-alike messages and social media posts offering to verify your phone for a fee. The NCC’s check is done by dialling *315# from your own phone; you should not need to send money or your personal details to anyone who contacts you first.

What businesses should do

For companies that issue phones to staff or run POS terminals and other SIM-enabled devices, a lost connection can stop sales or field work. Treat this as a small asset audit:

• List every SIM-enabled device your business owns, with its IMEI and where it was bought.
• Run the *315# check on each one and record the result.
• Raise any flagged devices with the supplier now, while the 30-day window is still open.
• Before buying new devices, ask the seller to confirm in writing that the model has NCC Type Approval.

What you should do

1. Dial *315# today to check your phone, and *#06# to note your IMEI.
2. If you received an alert, contact your seller first, then the 315 helpline.
3. Ignore anyone who calls or messages offering paid “unblocking”.
4. Before buying any phone, ask whether it is NCC type approved, and keep your receipt.

Sources

• allAfrica: NCC Moves to Block Fake, Cloned Devices From Nigerian Networks
• Nairametrics: NCC registers 231 million telecom devices as Nigeria begins phone verification
• TechAfrica News: Nigeria’s Phone Crackdown

Featured image: Photo: “he was waiting his parents to stop looking at a smartphone shop” by giacomo.gasperini, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse — source