…. 75 million affected subscribers in compensation policy drive

By Martin Ekpeke

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in a major push to overhaul Nigeria’s digital landscape, have committed to deploying more than 12,000 additional coverage and capacity sites across the country.

Currently, over 5,000 of these sites have already been completed, marking a 40% milestone in an aggressive infrastructure expansion campaign.

This disclosure was a central highlight of the 109th Board Meeting of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), held last month. In a communiqué issued following the meeting, the regulatory body detailed extensive strategic decisions aimed at elevating the quality of experience (QoS) for millions of Nigerian telecom consumers and steering the nation toward a $1 trillion economy.

The ongoing rollout of the 12,000 sites represents a coordinated effort to address long-standing capacity bottlenecks. According to the NCC Board, this massive infrastructure injection is already yielding results, backed by heavy investments in transmission networks.

Key infrastructure milestones highlighted in the communiqué include the extension of fiber connectivity to more than 700 new sites, which drastically improves backhaul capacity and network resilience. Additionally, colocation and infrastructure sharing licensees have upgraded equipment across more than 2,000 base transceiver stations to support the mobile network operators’ expansion goals.

“The Board acknowledged the significant investments being undertaken by the Mobile Network Operators to enhance network coverage, capacity, and overall quality of experience,” the communique stated, highlighting that these expansions are critical to meeting strict regulatory obligations.

Also, in a decisive win for consumer protection, the NCC revealed the outcomes of its consumer-focused directive, which forced MNOs to compensate subscribers for failing to meet prescribed service standards.

The Commission confirmed full compliance from operators, resulting in compensation being successfully delivered to over 75 million affected subscribers. The NCC is currently independently validating these claims to ensure no eligible consumer is left out.

However, the news was mixed for infrastructure providers. While MNOs met their consumer targets, the Board noted that TowerCos have only partially complied with directives requiring them to fund escrow accounts with regulatory fines intended for infrastructure reinvestment. The Board emphasized that full compliance is non-negotiable to ensure long-term network resilience.

The telecom regulator also addressed an inherent vulnerability in Nigeria’s current digital setup: an over-reliance on mobile internet, with the board noting that while data consumption is skyrocketing, growth is constantly threatened by duplicated assets and limited capacity.

To alleviate the strain on mobile networks, the NCC is championing Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH), as the sector is seeing explosive growth, with FTTH subscribers leaping from 84,141 in Q4 2025 to 210,065 by mid-2026.

To sustain this momentum, the NCC is actively reviewing the telecom market structure to separate wholesale and retail dynamics. By broadening access to wholesale backbone fiber, the regulator aims to drive down retail data costs for homes and businesses.

Despite these aggressive expansion milestones, systemic challenges persist, as infrastructure vandalism continues to hinder industry growth. To safeguard these investments, the NCC is collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps following the designation of telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).

Moving forward, the NCC is exploring the feasibility of a Communications Industry Security Trust Fund to secure network facilities.