The Federal Government has said telecom operators including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom and T2 are now operating in a more stable and profitable environment and must begin delivering better network quality and improved service to Nigerians.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, made the statement on Sunday in a post shared through his official X account while addressing concerns over telecom service quality across the country.
According to the minister, the government inherited a telecom sector facing deep structural challenges caused by years of underinvestment in infrastructure and other limitations that affected operators’ ability to provide reliable services.
Tijani said the government responded by focusing on both long-term infrastructure development and immediate sector stabilisation.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has secured funding led by the World Bank and created a framework under Project BRIDGE to support nationwide open-access fibre infrastructure deployment.
He also said new tower rollouts through NUCAP and expansion of satellite capability are expected to improve connectivity across Nigeria over the next two to five years.
“These investments will address the foundational gaps in our digital infrastructure over the next two to five years and permanently transform connectivity across Nigeria,” he said.
The minister explained that the government also introduced reforms aimed at restoring sustainability in the telecom industry. According to him, this included tariff adjustments, efforts to harmonise taxes, the designation of telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure, and broader economic reforms.
Tijani stated that the reforms have now helped operators return to profitability.
“As a result, operators are now operating in a more stable, transparent, and market driven environment and have returned to profitability,” he said.
He added that telecom operators now have both the financial capacity and resources needed to address network problems and improve service quality for Nigerians.
“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 stated.
The minister further said the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has been empowered to monitor operator performance, enforce service standards and ensure compliance across the industry without interference.
According to him, Nigerians should begin to see measurable improvements in call quality, data performance and network coverage going forward.
He warned that operators that fail to improve service quality could face regulatory action from the NCC.
“Nigerians should begin to see improvements in Quality of Service and get value that they paid for now, and in the future,” Tijani added.
