Telecoms regulator pledges tougher consumer protection as service gaps persist

Nigeria’s telecommunications regulator said it will adopt a tougher stance on consumer protection in 2026, as persistent service disruptions and network congestion continue to frustrate users despite a rebound in investment and rising broadband penetration.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said operators expanded network infrastructure in 2025, pushing broadband penetration past the 50 percent threshold for the first time, but acknowledged that service quality improvements have yet to be felt consistently across the country.

In a New Year address outlining the sector’s performance and priorities, the regulator said telecoms companies deployed more than 2,800 new and upgraded sites during the year, lifting broadband subscriptions to about 109.6 million by December, from 96.3 million a year earlier. Broadband penetration rose to 50.58 percent, up from 44.43 percent at the end of 2024.

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The recovery marks a turning point after years of muted investments caused by foreign-exchange shortages, rising energy costs and infrastructure constraints. Still, consumers continue to face patchy data speeds, outages and slow complaint resolution, according to the commission.

“While network performance is not yet where we want it to be in all locations, measurable improvements were recorded over the year,” Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer of the NCC, said.

Fourth-generation networks now account for about 52 percent of mobile connections nationwide, overtaking 2G, which still represents roughly 38 percent, the regulator said. Median 4G download speeds rose by 24 percent to around 20 megabits per second in 2025, while average speeds increased 18 percent to roughly 33 Mbps.

The NCC said 4G performance remains the clearest indicator of everyday user experience, as it continues to be Nigeria’s dominant broadband access technology.

Data demand outpaces network capacity

With these gains, surging data consumption is placing fresh strain on mobile networks. Monthly mobile data usage climbed from about 518,000 terabytes in early 2023 to more than 1.23 million terabytes by November 2025, an increase of roughly 140 percent in less than three years.

The growth has intensified congestion in high-density urban areas and highlighted the need for sustained investment in network capacity, fibre backhaul and infrastructure resilience, even as coverage expands.

Consumers continue to experience inconsistent speeds in some locations, service disruptions linked to power failures and fibre cuts, as well as delayed resolution of complaints, the regulator said.

Operators, on their part, are grappling with high operating costs, right-of-way challenges, vandalism and theft of telecom infrastructure, which slow expansion and undermine service quality.

Tougher consumer protection in 2026

Against that backdrop, the NCC said consumer protection and service quality will sit at the centre of its regulatory agenda in 2026.

“If consumers do not experience reliable and affordable service, the sector loses trust, and if operators cannot invest sustainably, the sector cannot grow,” Maida said, noting that restoring balance between users and operators is essential for long-term stability.

The commission said it will deepen quality-of-service monitoring, tighten incident-reporting requirements and push for faster escalation and resolution of major network failures, particularly in high-traffic areas and persistent coverage black spots.

It also pledged stricter oversight of tariffs, billing accuracy and customer-care standards, alongside clearer communication during major service disruptions.

One area where enforcement is already yielding results is transaction reversals. Working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the regulator said consumers are now receiving refunds for failed airtime and data purchases within enforceable service-level timelines.

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Internet safety and infrastructure push

Beyond connectivity, the NCC said it is expanding its focus to online safety as internet use deepens across the economy. Regulatory tools such as the Internet Code of Practice are being strengthened to address fraud, impersonation, cyberbullying and harmful content, while improving cybersecurity resilience.

The regulator’s outlook aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s ambition to build a $1 trillion digital economy by 2030, with telecoms positioned as a core enabler of productivity and innovation.

National infrastructure initiatives, including Project BRIDGE, which targets up to 90,000 kilometres of fibre deployment, are expected to strengthen Nigeria’s digital backbone and improve broadband performance.

The NCC said it will also operationalise a revised Corporate Governance Code for the communications sector in 2026, tightening board-level accountability and reinforcing market discipline.

“The gains recorded in 2025 show what is possible. The task ahead is to deepen those gains, close remaining gaps and raise service standards across the board,” the regulator said.

Royal Ibeh is a senior journalist with years of experience reporting on Nigeria’s technology and health sectors. She currently covers the Technology and Health beats for BusinessDay newspaper, where she writes in-depth stories on digital innovation, telecom infrastructure, healthcare systems, and public health policies.

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