Nigeria’s leading telecommunications companies have commenced a massive network upgrade, deploying $1 billion in equipment from Chinese manufacturers to tackle persistent service quality issues. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has confirmed that equipment shipments have started arriving, with mobile network operators working diligently to meet a year-end deadline for significant service improvements.
According to Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, the ordered equipment has begun arriving since early June, and deployment has already started in earnest by the Mobile Network Operators. Maida assured that the operators are on course to meet the Q4 deadline for significant Quality of Experience enhancements. This large-scale investment marks a turning point for Nigeria’s telecom industry, which has faced financial headwinds and underinvestment in infrastructure in recent years.
The $1 billion spend more than doubles the previous year’s capital expenditure and signals renewed momentum following the approval of a long-awaited 50% tariff increase by the NCC in early 2025. The tariff review, the first in over a decade, was introduced to help operators cope with mounting operating costs, which have surged by more than 300% over the past ten years due to inflation, energy prices, and foreign exchange constraints.
With improved financial flexibility, operators are now reinvesting in critical network upgrades, including expansion of 4G coverage and laying the groundwork for broader financial flexibility. The NCC has received deployment strategies from all major operators and is closely monitoring progress. The commission collaborates closely with operators to streamline deployment plans and navigate complex dependencies.
The regulator has assured Nigerians that service improvements would become visible before the end of the year, despite the scale and complexity of the national upgrade effort. Nigerians can expect clear improvements in service quality by year-end, given the country’s vast size and complex network deployment challenges. The NCC is steadfast in holding operators accountable for consistent progress.
The upgrades are expected to significantly reduce network congestion, improve call quality, and boost internet speeds for Nigeria’s 160 million telecom subscribers. Rural areas, which have long suffered from patchy or non-existent coverage, are also expected to benefit as part of the broader network improvement strategy. The infrastructure investment will also play a key role in advancing Nigeria’s digital economy, currently valued at over $75 billion, by supporting increased broadband penetration and improved user experience.
Industry stakeholders have welcomed the move, with the President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, describing the network upgrade as a welcome move that aligns with the expectations of millions of telecom users across the country. Ogunbanjo urged operators to maintain transparency in the upgrade process and ensure that the benefits translate directly into a better user experience, particularly in underserved areas.
However, industry experts caution that infrastructure rollouts of this scale involve long lead times. The President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Tony Emoekpere, highlighted the timeline complexities behind such projects, noting that manufacturing alone can take between 60 and 90 days, and shipping from the manufacturing country to Nigeria typically adds another 30 to 40 days.
Despite the challenges, the NCC remains committed to ensuring the success of the network upgrade, with Maida assuring that the commission will maintain oversight and engage with stakeholders as needed. The upgrade is expected to have a significant impact on Nigeria’s digital economy and the lives of millions of Nigerians, and stakeholders are eagerly awaiting the improvements in service quality.
