The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has highlighted the need for a more inclusive approach to measuring and reporting investment flows into the telecommunications sector.

Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of ALTON, made the call in a statement on Monday while reacting to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Q1 2026 capital importation report.

He said the association recognised the importance of accurate investment data in shaping investor perceptions and guiding policy decisions across critical sectors of the economy.

According to Mr Adebayo, the report’s indication of declining foreign capital inflows into telecommunications does not fully reflect the scale of investment currently being deployed in the sector.

He noted that while the NBS report showed that foreign capital importation into telecommunications fell from $80.78 million in 2025 to $7.24 million in the first quarter of 2026, operators continued to commit substantial resources to network development.

Mr Adebayo said the disparity between reported foreign capital inflows and actual infrastructure investment suggested that existing reporting mechanisms might not fully capture all sources of sectoral investment.

“Our industry’s substantial capital expenditure figures suggest that current investments derive largely from domestic capital sources and reinvested operational earnings.

“These financial mechanisms may not be fully reflected in conventional foreign capital importation metrics,” he said.

Mr Adebayo called for collaboration among the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to address disparities in telecommunications investment reporting.

He specifically proposed a collaborative engagement involving the NCC, the NBS and the CBN to develop a comprehensive investment-tracking framework capable of capturing the full spectrum of capital deployed within the industry.

According to him, a transparent and accurate investment profile will better position Nigeria as an attractive destination for telecommunications investment while supporting evidence-based policy formulation.

He said mobile network operators, tower companies and other industry players recorded total capital expenditure of N2.13 trillion in 2025 and had projected N1.86 trillion in capital spending for 2026.

According to him, the investments are being channelled into network expansion, technology upgrades and other critical infrastructure required to improve service quality and coverage nationwide.

Mr Adebayo also commended the federal government for the 50 per cent tariff adjustment approved in 2025, which he said helped restore financial sustainability within the sector.

He said the intervention enabled operators to move from financial distress to a growth-focused model driven by significant capital reinvestment.

Mr Adebayo assured Nigerians that telecommunications operators remained committed to continuous investment in network modernisation, resilience and service quality improvements.

He added that sustained collaboration among government, regulators and industry stakeholders would ensure continued access to digital services that supported economic growth, innovation and financial inclusion.

(NAN)