The Nigerian Federal Government has intensified pressure on telecommunications operators to enhance service quality, warning that subscribers must experience improved connectivity and better value for money.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, stated on Sunday that major providers – including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and T2 – must take decisive steps to resolve persistent network failures.
Tijani noted that while the current administration inherited significant structural challenges due to years of inadequate infrastructure investment, the government has implemented reforms to stabilise the sector.
To bridge the digital divide, the government is pursuing both immediate and long-term strategies.
Under “Project BRIDGE,” a World Bank-supported framework, the government aims to deliver nationwide open-access fibre-optic infrastructure.
Additionally, the rollout of telecom towers and fibre deployment under NUCAP is scheduled to begin before the end of the year, alongside efforts to expand satellite connectivity capacity.
Tijani expects these investments to close major infrastructure gaps within the next two to five years, facilitating high-speed internet access for homes and businesses.
“A small business owner should be able to access reliable, high-speed fibre internet directly at their home or shop, not rely solely on dongles or unstable mobile connections,” he said.
The minister also highlighted several short-term reforms designed to strengthen the industry, including tariff adjustments, tax harmonisation, and the designation of telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure.
He noted that these measures have created a more stable, market-driven environment, helping many operators return to profitability and providing them with the financial capacity to upgrade services.
To ensure accountability, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been empowered to independently monitor performance and sanction defaulting operators.
Tijani emphasised that the government will increasingly rely on regulatory reports and consumer complaints to hold companies accountable, warning that appropriate regulatory action will be taken where service levels fall short.
