The Federal Government has warned telecommunications companies operating in Nigeria to improve the quality of their services or face regulatory sanctions, insisting that recent reforms have removed excuses for persistent network failures.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, issued the warning in a statement on Sunday, stating that the country’s connectivity challenges were largely caused by years of underinvestment and operational constraints within the telecom sector.
According to the minister, the government has already introduced reforms aimed at stabilising the industry, restoring investor confidence, and improving long-term digital infrastructure nationwide.
He explained that the reforms include nationwide fibre deployment projects, expansion of telecom towers, and investments in satellite connectivity to improve internet access across underserved areas.
The minister said funding support has been secured through the World Bank-backed Project BRIDGE initiative, alongside additional infrastructure rollout plans expected to begin before the end of the year.
“When we assumed office, it was clear that Nigeria’s connectivity challenges were structural, driven by years of underinvestment in infrastructure and constraints that limited the ability of operators to deliver quality service,” Tijani said.
“We have secured funding, led by the World Bank, and established the framework for a special purpose vehicle with Project BRIDGE to deliver nationwide open-access fibre infrastructure,” he added.
He noted that new fibre deployments and tower rollouts under the NUCAP initiative, as well as expanded satellite capabilities, are expected to significantly improve nationwide connectivity within the next two to five years.
The minister also highlighted immediate measures taken by the government to stabilise the telecom sector, including tariff adjustments, tax harmonisation, and the designation of telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure.
According to him, these policies have improved the financial position of operators and created conditions for increased investment in network quality and service delivery.
“It is now the responsibility of telecom operators such as MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and 9mobile to take all necessary steps to resolve network challenges and deliver the level of service Nigerians expect,” the minister stated.
He further disclosed that the Nigerian Communications Commission has been fully empowered to monitor service quality, enforce compliance standards, and sanction operators that fail to meet regulatory expectations.