The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has asked telecommunications operators in the country to improve the quality of their services, warning that operators who fail to meet expected standards will face regulatory action.
Tijani, in a statement on Sunday, said telecom operators are now operating in a more stable and market-driven environment, following reforms introduced by the Federal Government to strengthen the sector and return operators to profitability.
According to him, the improved operating environment means that telecom companies now have the capacity and resources to address the lingering network challenges affecting subscribers across the country.
“This is important as it means operators now have both the capacity and the resources to fix outstanding issues within their networks and improve the quality of service delivered to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He said the government had already created the necessary conditions for better service delivery, adding that the responsibility now rests on operators to meet the expectations of Nigerians.
“Let me therefore be clear, the conditions required for improved service delivery have now been established.
“It is now the responsibility of telecom operators such as MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and T2 to take all necessary steps to resolve network challenges and deliver the level of service Nigerians expect,” he said.
Tijani said the Nigerian Communications Commission had been fully empowered to monitor operators, enforce service standards and ensure compliance across the industry.
He added that the government would rely on periodic reports from the NCC, as well as feedback from Nigerians, to track improvements in network performance.
“Going forward, we expect to see clear and measurable improvements in call quality, data performance, and coverage,” the minister said.
“Where operators deliver, it will be recognised. Where they do not, the Commission is expected to take appropriate regulatory action.”
Tijani said Nigerians should begin to see improvements in the quality of telecom services and get value for the services they pay for, both now and in the future.
The minister also explained that Nigeria’s connectivity challenges are largely structural and are linked to years of underinvestment in telecom and digital infrastructure.
He said the Federal Government had begun addressing the problem through long-term infrastructure investments, as well as immediate reforms aimed at stabilising operators and improving service delivery.
According to him, the government has secured funding led by the World Bank under Project BRIDGE to support the deployment of nationwide open-access fibre infrastructure.
“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 said.
Tijani disclosed that fibre deployment would commence before the end of the year, alongside new tower rollouts through NUCAP, while the government also expands Nigeria’s satellite capacity.
“Deployment of fibre will commence, alongside new tower rollouts through NUCAP, before the end of the year even as we also expand our satellite capability,” he said.
He noted that these investments would help address foundational gaps in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure within the next two to five years.
The minister said the goal is to ensure that Nigerians, including small business owners, can access reliable and high-speed internet directly in their homes and shops, rather than depending only on dongles or unstable mobile connections.
“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.
“That is the level of meaningful connectivity we are building towards,” he said.
Tijani added that the government had also implemented other reforms to restore sustainability in the telecom sector. These include tariff adjustments, the designation of telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure, efforts to harmonise taxes, and broader macroeconomic reforms.
The minister maintained that with these steps already taken, telecom companies must now match the government’s reforms with clear improvements in service quality for Nigerians.