NCC’s Tariff Reform Sparks ₦1 Trillion Telecom Investment, Boosting Nigeria’s Digital Infrastructure
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed that its recent tariff reforms have attracted over ₦1 trillion in fresh investments from telecom operators, driving a major upgrade in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure. According to the NCC, the reforms are revitalising the nation’s telecommunications backbone, enhancing service quality, and restoring investor confidence in the industry. Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, made this disclosure during the 94th edition of the Telecoms Consumer Parliament held in Lagos on Tuesday.
Dr. Maida explained that the tariff reform, approved in February 2025, was introduced to make telecom rates more cost-reflective and competitive. The move, though initially met with public hesitation, is now yielding significant results, stabilising the market and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sector. “Collectively, the operators have committed over $1 billion, that is over ₦1 trillion, in new investments aimed at upgrading network infrastructure, modernising equipment, and expanding coverage nationwide,” he said. Over the past six months, operators and tower companies have reportedly deployed more than 2,700 additional capacity and coverage sites across the country.
Before the adjustment, Nigeria’s telecom industry—the largest in Africa with over 220 million active mobile lines—had been strained by surging data usage, rising energy costs, and currency fluctuations. Operators such as MTN Nigeria, Airtel Africa, Globacom, and 9mobile had repeatedly complained that existing tariffs no longer reflected operational realities, leading to underinvestment in infrastructure. Maida stated that the Commission remains committed to ensuring reliable and efficient service delivery, noting that consumers deserve high-quality telecommunications services. “Quality of service today is not yet where we want it to be, but we are no longer where we used to be,” he added.
Highlighting Nigeria’s impressive telecom growth, Maida recalled that the industry has expanded from just 500,000 active lines at the time of liberalisation to over 169 million active mobile subscriptions as of July 2025, with a teledensity of 78.11%. However, he stressed that this growth must translate into better service quality. The NCC, he said, has introduced updated Quality of Service Regulations that set measurable performance standards for operators—including call setup success rates, call drop rates, and power availability—while extending accountability to co-location providers hosting shared infrastructure.
To ensure compliance, Maida disclosed that the Commission has established a Service Committee that meets twice monthly to evaluate operators’ performance and push for measurable improvements before the end of 2025. The NCC is also working to curb network interference, tackle illegal signal boosters, and strengthen the protection of critical telecom infrastructure. He emphasised that the Presidential Order signed by President Bola Tinubu in June 2024, which classified telecom facilities as Critical National Assets, is now being operationalised in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser to safeguard the country’s digital backbone.
source: Punch