The Nigerian Communications Commission has disclosed that telecommunications operators invested more than N2.5 trillion in network infrastructure and upgrades in 2025 as efforts intensify to improve service quality across Nigeria.
According to a statement signed by NCC Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, Mobile Network Operators invested over N2.13 trillion in infrastructure upgrades, while Tower Companies committed an additional N373.8 billion to network expansion projects.
The commission said the investments supported the deployment and upgrade of more than 2,800 telecom sites nationwide to address network congestion, coverage gaps and capacity challenges.
The NCC acknowledged persistent complaints from consumers over dropped calls, slow internet speeds and unstable data services, noting that telecommunications services have become essential for business operations, education, financial transactions and access to public services.
According to the regulator, improving Quality of Service has remained a major priority over the past two years through stronger monitoring and data-driven oversight of telecom operators and infrastructure providers.
The commission also disclosed that operators are expected to add or upgrade more than 12,000 telecom sites in 2026, with nearly 3,000 sites already completed.
As part of efforts to accelerate next-generation connectivity, the NCC said over 730 additional 5G sites have already been deployed across 27 states this year.
The regulator added that recent interventions include 4G and 5G network upgrades, fibre backhaul expansion, rollout into underserved communities and replacement of ageing infrastructure equipment.
According to the NCC, 4G penetration increased from 45 per cent in January 2024 to 54 per cent currently, while national median download speeds improved from 16.5Mbps to 20Mbps within the same period.
The commission also revealed that power availability at telecom tower sites improved from 99.3 per cent in January 2025 to 99.7 per cent currently.
Despite the improvements, the NCC admitted that many areas still experience poor connectivity, congestion and unstable network performance.
The commission said enforcement actions against operators failing to meet Quality of Service standards under the 2024 QoS Regulations commenced in November 2025 after an earlier transition period for infrastructure upgrades.
According to the regulator, enforcement measures include consumer compensation and additional investment obligations where service failures are identified.
The NCC also identified fibre cuts, vandalism, power disruptions and equipment theft as major external challenges affecting network performance.
It disclosed that more than 27,000 fibre-cut incidents were recorded nationwide in 2025, largely linked to road construction activities and vandalism.
The commission added that operators are now required to notify subscribers during major service outages and restore services within specified timelines, while outage details will also be published on the NCC’s Major Network Outages Reporting Portal.
