The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed that telecommunications companies operating in Nigeria invested about N2.5 trillion in network infrastructure and upgrades in 2025, even as millions of subscribers continued to complain about dropped calls, poor internet connectivity, unstable data services, and frequent network disruptions across the country.
The commission made this known in a statement released on Wednesday by its Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, explaining that the huge investments were part of ongoing efforts to improve service quality, expand network coverage, and modernise Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure.
According to the NCC, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) spent over N2.13 trillion on network expansion and technology upgrades, while tower infrastructure companies contributed an additional N373.8 billion to support the sector’s development. The regulator said these investments helped facilitate the deployment and upgrade of more than 2,800 telecom sites nationwide in 2025 alone.
The commission acknowledged that despite these large-scale investments, many Nigerians are still experiencing frustrations related to poor service delivery. Subscribers across different parts of the country have repeatedly raised concerns over unstable calls, slow internet speeds, delayed message delivery, and weak network signals affecting both businesses and daily communication.
In its statement, the NCC admitted that telecommunications services have become essential to modern life, noting that millions of Nigerians now rely heavily on digital connectivity for work, education, banking, business transactions, healthcare access, and social interaction.
The commission stated that consumers deserve reliable services and value for the money they spend on telecom subscriptions, adding that improving Quality of Service (QoS) remains one of its major regulatory priorities.
The NCC explained that the Nigerian telecom industry is currently undergoing one of the biggest infrastructure modernisation phases seen in recent years. According to the regulator, this follows a prolonged period of under-investment that left many operators struggling to meet rising consumer demand and increasing data consumption.
The regulator revealed that ongoing interventions include the deployment of faster 4G and 5G infrastructure, expansion of fibre-optic backhaul systems, replacement of ageing network equipment, and the rollout of additional telecom sites in both urban centres and underserved rural communities.
While recognising the scale of the investments, the commission stressed that operators must now ensure that Nigerians begin to experience visible and measurable improvements in service quality.
The NCC stated clearly that infrastructure spending alone is not enough if subscribers continue to suffer poor network experiences. It warned operators that they would be held accountable under the updated Quality of Service Regulations introduced in 2024.
The commission further disclosed that network expansion efforts have continued aggressively into 2026 as operators respond to the rapid growth of Nigeria’s digital economy and increasing internet usage across the country.
According to the regulator, telecom operators have already committed to adding and upgrading more than 12,000 telecom sites in 2026, with nearly 3,000 already completed. The NCC also confirmed that over 730 new 5G sites have already been deployed across 27 states this year.
The regulator said it has also facilitated the redistribution of idle and underutilised radio spectrum among major mobile operators to improve efficiency, expand network capacity, and enhance overall service performance nationwide.
Providing further details, the NCC disclosed that recent Quality of Service and Quality of Experience assessments carried out using crowdsourced and field-based analytics showed gradual improvements in some key performance indicators.
According to the commission, 4G network penetration increased significantly from 45 per cent in January 2024 to 54 per cent currently. National median download speeds also improved from 16.5 megabits per second to 20 megabits per second within the same period.
The NCC additionally noted improvements in power availability at telecom towers, saying the national average rose from 99.3 per cent in January 2025 to 99.7 per cent currently.
However, the commission admitted that service quality improvements have not yet reached the level expected by consumers, especially in areas still battling poor call quality, network congestion, and slow browsing speeds.
The regulator blamed part of the sector’s challenges on widespread infrastructure-related problems affecting telecom operations across the country. It revealed that over 27,000 avoidable fibre-cut incidents were recorded nationwide in 2025 alone.
According to the NCC, most of these incidents were caused by road construction activities, vandalism, theft of telecom equipment, power-related disruptions, and denial of access to maintenance teams working on network facilities.
The commission explained that these disruptions continue to affect service reliability and customer experience across multiple regions.
To address the growing challenges, the NCC said it has been working closely with the Office of the National Security Adviser and other government agencies to implement the Presidential Order on Critical National Information Infrastructure protection.
The regulator revealed that security collaborations have already helped disrupt organised criminal syndicates involved in the vandalism and theft of telecom equipment nationwide.
The NCC also stated that engagements are ongoing with federal and state ministries responsible for road construction in order to reduce fibre cuts and protect telecom infrastructure during construction activities.
As part of efforts to improve transparency and customer protection, the commission said operators have now been directed to notify subscribers whenever major network outages occur and ensure affected services are restored within approved timelines.
The NCC added that all major network disruptions are now being documented through its Major Network Outages Reporting Portal to improve accountability across the industry.
The regulator further explained that telecom operators and tower companies were initially granted a transition period to procure, install, and deploy equipment required to improve service quality nationwide. However, the commission emphasised that the grace period was not indefinite.
According to the NCC, enforcement of the updated Quality of Service Regulations officially commenced in November 2025. This includes sanctions, compensation measures for consumers affected by poor service quality, and additional investment obligations for operators found to be underperforming.
The commission warned that operators who fail to deliver measurable improvements in network performance could face tougher regulatory actions moving forward.
The NCC also commended the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the National Assembly, the Office of the National Security Adviser, and other stakeholders for supporting ongoing reforms within the telecommunications sector.
The regulator called on federal, state, and local governments, as well as host communities, to support the protection of telecom infrastructure and create a more enabling environment for sustained investment in digital connectivity across Nigeria.
The development comes shortly after the Federal Government warned telecom operators that they risk facing regulatory sanctions if Nigerians continue to experience poor service quality despite rising telecom costs and increasing investments in the sector.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, had earlier stressed that Nigerians deserve better value for the money they spend on telecom services and assured consumers that the NCC would continue enforcing industry standards to improve service delivery nationwide.
