Minister says Nigerians must begin to enjoy better calls, faster internet, and improved coverage as reforms stabilise telecom sector….
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has issued a strong warning to telecommunications companies over poor service delivery, insisting that operators now have no excuse not to improve network quality across the country.
In a statement released on Sunday, Tijani said recent government reforms have created a more stable operating environment for telecom firms, restoring profitability and giving operators the financial capacity to address persistent network challenges affecting millions of subscribers.
According to the minister, the responsibility now rests squarely on service providers to improve call quality, internet performance, and network coverage nationwide.
“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,” Tijani said.
“Let me therefore be clear, the conditions required for improved service delivery have now been established.”
He specifically called out major telecom operators including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and T2, urging them to urgently tackle network failures and deliver the standard of service Nigerians expect.
“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.
Tijani also revealed that the Nigerian Communications Commission has been fully empowered to enforce service standards and monitor compliance across the telecom industry.
According to him, the government will rely heavily on the commission’s periodic assessments, alongside direct feedback from Nigerians, to evaluate 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.”
The minister assured Nigerians that users should begin to notice visible improvements in service quality both now and in the coming years as new investments enter the sector.
He explained that many of the country’s connectivity problems are rooted in years of infrastructure deficits and underinvestment, which the government is now attempting to address through major reforms and long-term infrastructure projects.
As part of the strategy, Tijani disclosed that the federal government has secured funding led by the World Bank under the Project BRIDGE initiative to support the rollout 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.
He added that large-scale fibre deployment and new telecom tower installations under the NUCAP programme are expected to commence before the end of the year.
“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,” Tijani said.
According to the minister, the investments are expected to significantly close Nigeria’s digital infrastructure gap within the next two to five years and improve internet access for homes and businesses.
“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,” he explained.
“That is the level of meaningful connectivity we are building towards.”
Tijani further highlighted several government reforms introduced to stabilise the telecom sector, including tariff adjustments, tax harmonisation efforts, macroeconomic reforms, and the designation of telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure to protect assets from vandalism and disruption.
The latest warning comes amid growing frustration among Nigerians over dropped calls, slow internet speeds, network congestion, and unstable data services despite rising telecom costs.
