Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to take decisive action against telecommunications operators over persistent network failures across the country. The minister has given the regulator a 90-day deadline to enforce penalties on operators that fail to meet agreed quality-of-service standards, signaling a tougher stance on service delivery in Nigeria’s telecoms sector.
The directive follows growing complaints from consumers and businesses about frequent call drops, poor voice quality, slow internet speeds, and prolonged network outages. Despite Nigeria’s rapid growth in mobile and broadband subscriptions, many users continue to experience unreliable service, particularly during peak hours and in densely populated urban centres. These issues have raised concerns about the ability of existing infrastructure to support the country’s expanding digital economy.
Speaking on the matter, Minister Tijani emphasised that telecommunications services are now critical national infrastructure and should be treated as such. He noted that unreliable connectivity affects productivity, digital innovation, financial services, education, and access to government platforms. According to the minister, Nigerians should not be paying for services that consistently fall below acceptable standards.
Under the directive, the NCC is expected to intensify monitoring of network performance, enforce existing quality-of-service regulations, and apply penalties where operators are found in breach. This may include fines, directives for infrastructure upgrades, or other regulatory sanctions provided for under Nigeria’s telecommunications laws. The commission is also expected to improve transparency around service quality metrics so consumers can better understand operator performance.
Industry analysts say the move reflects mounting pressure on the government to address telecom service quality as data consumption surges. The widespread adoption of smartphones, mobile banking, streaming services, and remote work has placed unprecedented demand on networks originally designed for far lower usage levels. While operators have continued to invest in infrastructure, critics argue that investments have not kept pace with demand.
Telecom operators, for their part, have often cited challenges such as high operating costs, right-of-way fees, vandalism of infrastructure, power supply issues, and foreign exchange constraints affecting equipment imports. They argue that these factors limit their ability to rapidly expand and modernise networks.
Still, consumer advocacy groups have welcomed the minister’s directive, viewing it as a long-overdue step toward accountability. As the 90-day window begins, all eyes will be on the NCC to see whether enforcement translates into tangible improvements in network reliability for millions of Nigerian users.
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