The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has set out firm expectations for telecommunications operators in 2026, making it clear that improved quality of service, greater transparency, and sustained investment will define regulatory engagement in the year ahead.
In its 2026 New Year Newsletter issued by the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), the Commission stressed that Nigeria’s communications sector has become an essential service—connecting families, enabling businesses, supporting education and healthcare, and powering the digital economy. Against this backdrop, the NCC said its expectation for the new year is straightforward: services must improve in ways consumers can clearly experience, delivered within a market that is fair, competitive, and sustainable.
The Commission warned that the sector cannot thrive without trust. Where consumers experience unreliable or unaffordable services, confidence is eroded; where operators are unable to invest sustainably, growth becomes impossible. Getting this balance right, the NCC noted, is what unlocks investment, drives innovation, and allows more Nigerians to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
These expectations, the regulator said, align squarely with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ambition to build a $1 trillion digital economy by 2030. According to the NCC, a reliable, inclusive, and high-quality communications sector is a critical enabler of productivity, job creation, innovation, and national competitiveness, and the Commission reaffirmed its commitment to playing its part in delivering this vision.
As connectivity becomes increasingly central to everyday life, the NCC emphasised that operators’ responsibilities must go beyond providing access alone. Nigerians, it said, must be able to use digital services with confidence and safety. This has informed the Commission’s decision to strengthen regulatory instruments such as the Internet Code of Practice, ensuring that as networks expand, users are better protected from risks including fraud, impersonation, cyberbullying, harmful content, and cyberattacks, while service providers act responsibly.
The regulator disclosed that it is also reinforcing a broader cybersecurity and trust framework for the industry, recognising that modern networks now connect not only people, but also devices, machines, and critical services. Operators are therefore expected to ensure that Nigeria’s digital growth rests on strong foundations of security, resilience, and trust.
In outlining its expectations for 2026, the NCC made it clear that while it will continue to work collaboratively with operators, accountability will be non-negotiable. Operators, the Commission said, remain the engine of investment and innovation in the sector, but the consumer experience must improve. In practical terms, operators are expected to invest deliberately in network expansion, capacity, and resilience; reduce avoidable outages and strengthen response plans when incidents occur; and communicate transparently with customers during service disruptions, clearly explaining what happened, what corrective actions are being taken, and when services are likely to be restored.
The Commission further expects operators to simplify tariffs and improve pricing clarity in line with regulatory guidance, upgrade customer care systems, and treat complaints as critical feedback rather than routine administrative issues. Operators are also expected to protect the integrity of the communications ecosystem by meeting obligations to critical suppliers in a timely manner, supporting long-term service sustainability, and complying fully with the Guidelines on Corporate Governance and all other extant regulatory requirements.
The NCC’s firm stance for 2026 is informed by the progress recorded in 2025, which it described as a turning point for the sector. Over the year, operators deployed more than 2,800 new and upgraded sites nationwide, strengthening both coverage and capacity. Broadband subscriptions grew by six per cent, rising from about 96.3 million in December 2024 to over 109.6 million by December 2025, pushing broadband penetration above the 50 per cent mark.
Network performance also showed measurable improvement. Median 4G download speeds increased by about 24 per cent, while average 4G speeds rose by 18 per cent. The Commission noted that 4G remains the dominant broadband technology in Nigeria, accounting for roughly 52 per cent of mobile connections, making it the clearest indicator of everyday user experience. At the same time, 5G coverage expanded to about 13 per cent of the population and continues to grow.
These gains have been reinforced by broader national digital infrastructure initiatives, particularly Project BRIDGE, championed by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani. The initiative aims to accelerate large-scale fibre deployment of up to 90,000 kilometres nationwide, strengthening Nigeria’s digital backbone and improving network resilience.
The Commission noted encouraging shifts in usage patterns, with 4G overtaking 2G as the dominant mobile technology, supporting better data performance and more efficient use of network resources. It also highlighted growing collaboration with other public institutions as sector boundaries increasingly blur. One notable outcome of this approach is the partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria, which has resulted in enforceable service-level agreements that now ensure consumers receive refunds for failed airtime and data transactions.
Despite these gains, the NCC cautioned that rising demand is placing significant strain on networks. Monthly mobile data consumption more than doubled between January 2023 and November 2025, increasing by about 140 per cent to over 1.23 million terabytes. This surge, the Commission said, underscores the need for continued investment in capacity, backhaul, resilience, and service quality.
The regulator acknowledged that many consumers still experience inconsistent service quality, congestion in busy locations, power-related outages, infrastructure damage, and slow complaint resolution. Operators, on their part, continue to face rising operating costs, energy and logistics challenges, right-of-way issues, and persistent vandalism and theft of telecommunications infrastructure.
According to the NCC, the gains of 2025 demonstrate what is possible. The task for 2026 is to deepen those gains, close remaining gaps, and raise service standards across the board. For operators, the message is clear: sustained investment must continue, but improved consumer experience will be the ultimate measure of performance in the year ahead.
