Nigerians to get cheaper international calls as ESDIAC unveils platform

The development comes more than two decades after the liberalisation of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector opened up access to mobile telephone services and transformed the country’s communication landscape.

In January 2001, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) auctioned Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) licences to operators, including MTN, Econet, which later became Airtel, and other entrants.

The Federal Government reportedly generated more than $1.2 billion from the licensing exercise, with operators paying about $285 million each for their licences.

Econet made the first GSM call in Nigeria in May 2001, followed by MTN in August of the same year, ushering in a new era of mobile telecommunications. Globacom subsequently joined the market, further expanding competition and access to telephone services.

The transformation was a sharp departure from the era when Nigerians had to queue at public telephone kiosks to make calls.

At a public event in Lagos, former President Olusegun Obasanjo recalled the difficulties Nigerians experienced before the advent of GSM services and the transformation that followed the liberalisation of the sector.

“People had to queue at telephone kiosks to make calls. It was a far cry from the seamless communication we enjoy today, but then came the mobile telephone revolution,” he said.

The revolution also ended the dominance of the once-powerful Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), which had been the country’s national telecommunications monopoly.

Prof. Abiodun Musa Aibinu, a mechatronics engineer at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, said mobile communication had significantly contributed to economic activities across different sectors.

“Needless to say that mobile communication has become a powerful tool for liberating Nigerians from the shackles of the once powerful, but now extinct, national telecoms monopoly, popularly known as the Nigerian Telecommunication (NITEL); it has significantly contributed positively in boosting economic activities in all sectors in Nigeria,” he said.

Data from the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) indicate that Nigeria had approximately 192.2 million active telephone subscriptions as of mid-2026, with national teledensity estimated at about 86.6 per cent.

GSMA Intelligence also estimates total cellular mobile connections at approximately 183 million, representing about 74.9 per cent of the population, while broadband subscriptions stood at 123.1 million.

Aibinu identified call failures, dropped calls and weak signal strength as some of the problems confronting users and network operators.

Available tariff information indicates that international calls on standard pay-as-you-go plans can cost between N30 and N1,500 per minute, depending on the destination and network operator.

It is against this backdrop that ESDIAC, a new entrant into the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) market, is positioning its services as a cheaper alternative for Nigerians seeking to communicate with people abroad.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Austin Ugbebor, said its platform was developed to address the high cost of international calls and limited connectivity options, particularly for Nigerians travelling abroad.

Ugbebor spoke at the company’s unveiling and media engagement in Abuja on Friday, where he introduced ESDIAC as an integrated mobile platform offering VoIP calls, electronic SIM (eSIM) services, and airtime and data top-up facilities.

“ESDIAC is an all-in-one solution, offering international and local calls, eSIM services and data packages through a single platform.

The platform also provides airtime and data top-up services, while its eSIM feature allows travellers to access mobile connectivity in supported destinations without purchasing physical SIM cards.

ESDIAC was registered in 2011, while its first product was launched in 2016. The company, however, said it spent the intervening years developing its operational structures and securing the necessary regulatory and compliance arrangements before entering the market.

He said customers would not incur additional charges simply for initiating calls and that unused balances would remain available to them.

The CEO said ESDIAC operated under the regulatory requirements of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

He, however, acknowledged that telecommunications tariffs could change in response to regulatory directives, adding that operators were required to comply with applicable regulations.

The initiative has also received support from the Presidency, with Mr Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters in the Office of the Vice-President, describing the platform as a promising development for the telecommunications industry.

Fasua said his personal experience with an expensive eSIM purchased during an international trip, which failed to provide connectivity across all his destinations, had reinforced the need for more reliable and affordable connectivity services.

He expressed optimism that ESDIAC would offer travellers better value through its integrated services.

He said ESDIAC had put measures in place to prevent unauthorised access, disclosure or misuse of customer information, including data shared with third-party carriers and service providers.

Similarly, Mr Muhammed Sani, the company’s Human Resources representative, said ESDIAC was established to address the high cost of international calls and connectivity difficulties confronting Nigerians.

He said the platform would be particularly beneficial to travellers and Nigerians seeking affordable communication with family members and business associates abroad.

Sani added that the company’s business solutions were also designed to support organisations requiring reliable communication services.

The entry of ESDIAC represents another attempt by an indigenous company to deepen competition and expand consumer options in Nigeria’s telecommunications market.

It also aligns with the Federal Government’s broader push to encourage private-sector investment, improve digital infrastructure and expand access to affordable telecommunications services.

President Bola Tinubu has repeatedly emphasised the importance of sustained investment in the sector, noting that telecommunications infrastructure remains critical to economic growth.

“Sustained investment in telecommunications infrastructure is essential to expanding broadband access, improving network capacity, and supporting businesses, education, and economic opportunities across Nigeria,” the President said at a recent public event in Abuja.

Tinubu said his administration was committed to encouraging private-sector investment, improving digital infrastructure and ensuring that Nigerians benefit from more reliable and accessible telecommunications services.

For ESDIAC, however, the real test will be whether its promised low-cost international calls, reliable connectivity and consumer protection measures can be sustained as it expands its operations.

While its entry may offer Nigerians an additional option, its ability to compete with established telecommunications operators and deliver consistently affordable services will ultimately determine whether it can ease the country’s long-standing international calling concerns.

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