Managing innovations in telecommunications industry in Nigeria

Abstract

Of all the challenges faced by managers today, the management of technological innovation (MTI) is one of the most demanding. Get it right and firms create value and profit. Get it wrong and firms can face serious and perhaps terminal problems, losing money, workers, and reputation. This will lead to revenue loss, company closures and increased unemployment. The objective of this study was to assess the level of innovation in Nigeria's telecommunications industry. The aim was to ascertain how innovative the operators in the industry are which in turn determines how competitive the industry is. Data was collected from available literature on the telecommunications industry. The study proved that there are innovative activities being carried out by the various operators but there is still a lot of room for improvement. The study also found out that government and regulatory authorities need to do more in the area of infrastructural development and policy formulation to ensure a level playing field for both the old and new entrants. The study recommended that all stakeholders in the telecommunications industry, especially the regulator, shareholders, sponsors/directors, top management, and the government, should ensure that there is an innovation strategy in place which should be managed to ensure a high level of productivity and competition amongst the various operators. The study concluded that most of the service providers do not have designed corporate innovation strategies or processes. Furthermore, there are no agents of innovation and innovation teams across the various organizations; champions who will assist the project manager with the implementation and tracking of ideas, innovations and changes. Therefore, there is the need by the various service providers to breakdown functional barriers in their various organizations. However, it is equally important for these organizations to minimize the impact of hierarchies so that a seamless flow of ideas is made possible. Key words: Telecommunications, management of technological innovation (MTI), infrastructural.