NCC Vows Stronger Consumer Safeguards as Network Quality Lags Behind Telecoms Growth
Story: written by Joseph January 6,2026
Nigeria’s telecommunications regulator has pledged to tighten consumer protection and raise service standards in 2026, following sustained complaints over poor network quality, outages and slow resolution of user grievances.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) acknowledged that while telecom operators increased investment and expanded infrastructure in 2025, service improvements have not been evenly experienced nationwide.
In its New Year sector outlook, the NCC disclosed that operators rolled out over 2,800 new and upgraded base stations during the year, driving broadband subscriptions to about 109.6 million by December, up from 96.3 million in 2024. Broadband penetration climbed to 50.58 percent, crossing the 50 percent mark for the first time, compared with 44.43 percent a year earlier.
The rebound follows years of weak investment caused by foreign exchange shortages, rising energy costs and infrastructure challenges. However, subscribers continue to complain about unstable data speeds, frequent service interruptions and delayed complaint handling.
“Although network quality is still below expectations in some areas, we recorded measurable progress in 2025,” said NCC Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Aminu Maida.
Fourth-generation (4G) networks now account for about 52 percent of mobile connections in Nigeria, surpassing 2G, which still makes up roughly 38 percent. Median 4G download speeds improved by 24 percent to around 20 Mbps, while average speeds rose 18 percent to approximately 33 Mbps.
The commission noted that 4G remains the most reliable indicator of everyday user experience, as it continues to dominate broadband access across the country.
Despite these gains, rising data consumption is putting renewed pressure on network capacity. Monthly mobile data usage surged from about 518,000 terabytes in early 2023 to over 1.23 million terabytes by November 2025 — a jump of roughly 140 percent in less than three years.
The NCC said this surge has worsened congestion in densely populated cities and exposed the need for sustained investment in fibre infrastructure, backhaul capacity and network resilience. Power outages, fibre cuts, vandalism and theft of telecom assets continue to disrupt services, while high operating costs and right-of-way issues slow expansion.
In response, the regulator said consumer protection and quality-of-service enforcement will be at the heart of its regulatory priorities in 2026.
Beyond connectivity, the NCC is also stepping up efforts on internet safety. It plans to strengthen enforcement of the Internet Code of Practice to combat online fraud, impersonation, cyberbullying and harmful digital content, while enhancing cybersecurity resilience.
These efforts align with President Bola Tinubu’s goal of building a $1 trillion digital economy by 2030, with telecommunications positioned as a key driver of growth and innovation.
National infrastructure programmes such as Project BRIDGE — targeting up to 90,000 kilometres of fibre deployment — are expected to improve broadband performance and expand coverage. The NCC also plans to implement a revised Corporate Governance Code for the communications sector in 2026 to boost accountability and market discipline.
“The progress seen in 2025 shows what can be achieved. Our focus now is to close existing gaps, strengthen consumer confidence and raise service quality nationwide,” the commission said.
