Nigeria’s telecom sector attracted more than ₦2.5tn in network investments in 2025, but millions of subscribers across the country are still battling dropped calls, unstable internet connections, failed banking transactions and worsening service disruptions.
The Nigerian Communications Commission disclosed on Wednesday that mobile network operators and tower companies invested heavily in telecom infrastructure upgrades despite growing consumer frustration over poor network quality across Africa’s largest telecom market.
The regulator said Mobile Network Operators invested more than ₦2.13tn in network expansion and upgrades in 2025, while Tower Companies committed an additional ₦373.8bn to telecom infrastructure development nationwide.
The spending supported the deployment and upgrade of more than 2,800 telecom sites across the country as operators raced to expand 4G and 5G coverage amid rising data consumption and mounting pressure on Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
But despite the massive investment wave, many Nigerians say daily network experiences have continued to deteriorate.
For millions of Nigerians, the issue has moved beyond inconvenience. Failed mobile banking transfers, frozen POS transactions, unstable Zoom meetings, interrupted online classes and repeated call drops are increasingly disrupting daily economic activity across homes and businesses.
In major commercial centres including Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja, subscribers say even basic WhatsApp calls and mobile data sessions now struggle during peak periods despite rising telecom spending and higher service tariffs.
“The Commission recognises the frustration experienced by consumers when calls drop, internet speeds slow down, data services become unstable, or service disruptions affect daily activities,” the NCC said in a statement signed by its Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha.
The regulator noted that telecommunications services had become central to how Nigerians work, learn, access healthcare, run businesses and carry out financial transactions, adding that consumers deserved reliable services and value for money.
Nigeria telecom network quality worsens despite massive infrastructure spending
The NCC said Nigeria’s telecom industry is currently undergoing one of its largest network modernisation cycles in years following what it described as a prolonged period of underinvestment.
According to the commission, operators are deploying faster 4G and 5G infrastructure, expanding fibre backhaul systems, upgrading ageing equipment and extending network coverage into underserved communities.
The commission disclosed that operators have already completed nearly 3,000 telecom site upgrades in 2026 as part of plans to add or modernise more than 12,000 sites this year.
More than 730 additional 5G sites have also been deployed across 27 states in 2026 alone.
Industry analysts say the aggressive infrastructure expansion reflects the growing pressure placed on telecom networks by Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital economy, where streaming services, fintech platforms, cloud computing, AI tools, online learning and remote work continue to drive data traffic higher.
The NCC disclosed that 4G penetration increased from 45 per cent in January 2024 to 54 per cent currently, while national median download speeds improved from 16.5 megabits per second to 20 megabits per second over the same period.
Power availability across telecom towers also improved from a national average of 99.3 per cent in January 2025 to 99.7 per cent currently.
Still, the commission admitted that network quality remains inconsistent in several parts of the country.
“The pace and consistency of improvement must increase,” the regulator stated, particularly in areas where subscribers continue to experience poor call quality, congestion and slow internet speeds.
NCC says fibre cuts and vandalism are hurting Nigeria telecom network quality
The NCC blamed a major part of the sector’s service instability on infrastructure sabotage, vandalism, power disruptions and widespread fibre damage across the country.
According to the commission, Nigeria recorded more than 27,000 avoidable fibre-cut incidents in 2025 alone, most of them linked to road construction activities, vandalism and equipment theft.
More than 27,000 fibre cuts in a single year translates to roughly 74 network disruptions every day across Nigeria’s digital backbone, underscoring the scale of operational pressure facing the country’s telecom infrastructure.
The scale of the disruption has raised broader concerns about whether Nigeria’s digital infrastructure can keep pace with rising data demand as banks, fintech platforms, schools and businesses become increasingly dependent on stable connectivity.
The commission said the incidents directly affected network availability, service quality and customer experience nationwide.
Analysts warn that persistent network instability could slow Nigeria’s broader digital-economy ambitions at a time when fintech platforms, cloud services, remote work systems, e-commerce operations and digital learning increasingly depend on stable connectivity.
The pressure is becoming more visible as banks, payment processors and online businesses process larger transaction volumes across mobile networks. In practical terms, every major outage now carries wider economic consequences beyond telecommunications alone.
The NCC said it is working with the Office of the National Security Adviser and other stakeholders to enforce the Presidential Order on Critical National Information Infrastructure.
The regulator added that the collaboration had helped disrupt organised syndicates involved in telecom equipment theft and illegal resale operations.
Discussions are also ongoing with ministries of works at federal and state levels to reduce fibre cuts caused by road construction projects.
5G rollout targets Nigeria telecom network quality crisis
The commission disclosed that telecom operators have intensified network expansion efforts in response to surging data demand and the rapid evolution of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
According to the NCC, the regulator has also facilitated the reallocation of idle and underutilised radio spectrum among major mobile network operators under its Spectrum Trading Guidelines.
The commission said the move is expected to improve spectral efficiency, increase network capacity and strengthen overall service performance.
The NCC further stated that its Quality of Service and Quality of Experience assessments conducted through crowdsourced and field-based analytics showed gradual improvements in network coverage and download speeds in several locations.
Still, telecom operators continue to face rising operational costs linked to diesel prices, foreign exchange pressure and infrastructure maintenance expenses.
Much of the telecom industry’s hardware, software and technical infrastructure remains heavily dependent on imported equipment priced in dollars, leaving operators exposed to naira volatility and global supply chain costs.
Industry stakeholders say the sector is now facing a difficult balancing act between maintaining profitability, funding network expansion and meeting rising consumer expectations.
The NCC noted that operators and tower companies had initially been granted a transition period to procure and deploy infrastructure needed to improve service quality nationwide, but stressed that the grace period was not indefinite.
Poor Nigeria telecom network quality threatens digital economy growth
The commission disclosed that enforcement of the updated Quality of Service Regulations 2024 commenced in November 2025, including consumer compensation measures and additional investment obligations where operators fail to meet required performance benchmarks.
“This enforcement will continue, and where operators fail to deliver measurable improvements, the Commission will take appropriate regulatory action, including escalation where necessary,” the NCC stated.
The regulator said details of major network outages are now being logged on its Major Network Outages Reporting Portal while operators have been directed to notify consumers whenever major disruptions occur.
The NCC also said it is conducting a market study aimed at creating a wholesale infrastructure market to support smaller internet service providers and deepen fibre penetration across homes, schools, businesses and public institutions.
The initiative is expected to complement broader government-backed projects including Project BRIDGE and other digital infrastructure programmes.
For regulators, operators and investors, the challenge is no longer simply expanding telecom coverage. The bigger test is whether Nigeria’s telecom sector can deliver stable, reliable infrastructure fast enough to support the country’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
After years of underinvestment, rising data demand is now colliding with ageing infrastructure, fibre sabotage, power pressure and growing consumer frustration.
The result is a sector facing one of its most critical stress tests in years.
For millions of Nigerians, telecom instability is no longer just an inconvenience. It is becoming a direct tax on productivity, commerce and participation in an economy moving rapidly online.
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