Telecom Operators Begin Infrastructure Overhaul Amid Service Complaints and Tariff Hike

Telecommunications operators across Nigeria have begun major upgrades and equipment installations to improve service quality nationwide. This move comes in response to increasing customer complaints about poor service delivery and follows a recent 50 percent tariff hike. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), disclosed this to The Guardian, noting that the industry is aware of the challenges and is actively working to address them.

Adebayo explained that much of the existing telecom infrastructure has reached its “end-of-life” stage, having served the country since the industry’s revolutionary growth began decades ago. He admitted that lack of recent investment in infrastructure had worsened the situation in recent weeks, leading to inconsistent service quality across the country. The current upgrade initiative aims to replace aging equipment and modernize operations.

According to data gathered, Nigeria currently has around 40,000 telecom towers supporting approximately 144,000 transceiver stations. In a strategic push to revamp the sector, the Federal Government is planning to lay an additional 90,000km of fibre optic cable by Q4. This would expand the national fibre network from 35,000km to 125,000km over the next five years, potentially boosting the $76 billion telecom sector.

On the global front, Adebayo addressed concerns about how international economic shifts—particularly the global tariff war triggered by former U.S. President Donald Trump—might impact Nigeria’s telecoms industry. While he noted that Nigeria doesn’t export much technology to the U.S., increased costs of importing software and hardware could trickle down to affect service delivery and pricing locally.

Source: The Guardian