Despite NCC Sanctions, Nigerians Continue To Battle Poor Telecom Services

POOR telecommunications service delivery has remained a major source of frustration for millions of Nigerian subscribers despite increasingly stringent regulatory actions by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), raising fresh concerns over the effectiveness of existing enforcement measures in addressing persistent network quality challenges.

Although the telecom regulator has intensified sanctions against operators and introduced stricter compliance requirements, consumers across the country continue to report frequent network disruptions, poor voice quality, unstable internet connectivity and failed transactions that affect businesses, education, banking and other daily activities.

The continued deterioration in service quality has renewed public debate over whether regulatory penalties alone are sufficient to compel operators to significantly improve network performance amid Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital economy.

Subscribers Continue to Express Frustration

In recent weeks, internet users and mobile subscribers have repeatedly complained about worsening service quality across several telecommunications networks.

Many consumers say unreliable connections have disrupted commercial activities, delayed financial transactions and reduced productivity, with businesses increasingly depending on stable digital infrastructure to serve customers.

The growing dissatisfaction has placed additional pressure on regulators to ensure that operators comply fully with established quality-of-service standards.

NCC Escalates Enforcement Measures

Determined to improve industry performance, the NCC has shifted from issuing warnings to imposing tougher regulatory sanctions on telecommunications operators.

As part of its enforcement measures, the commission directed operators to compensate more than 75 million subscribers through automatic airtime credits in locations where network performance failed to meet regulatory benchmarks.

The compensation was calculated based on the average spending patterns of affected customers, reflecting the regulator’s effort to ensure that consumers receive direct relief for poor service delivery.

Beyond the compensation programme, the NCC is pursuing combined penalties estimated at ₦12.4 billion against operators accused of repeated violations of quality-of-service regulations.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has also directed the commission to develop a framework that would automatically impose financial penalties whenever network failures occur.

Industry Challenges Extend Beyond Operators

While consumers largely direct their frustrations at major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) such as MTN and Airtel, industry stakeholders note that several structural challenges continue to undermine service delivery.

According to the NCC, telecommunications services have become indispensable to commerce, education, healthcare, governance and everyday communication, making reliable service a critical national requirement.

The commission said improving quality of service has remained one of its major regulatory priorities over the past two years through enhanced monitoring of MNOs, Internet Service Providers and tower companies.

Infrastructure Constraints Remain Significant

Despite substantial investments across the telecommunications sector, infrastructure limitations continue to affect service quality.

The NCC disclosed that mobile network operators invested more than ₦2.13 trillion in network expansion and upgrades during 2025, while tower companies committed an additional ₦373.8 billion to strengthen supporting infrastructure.

However, joint research conducted by the NCC and broadband intelligence firm Ookla indicates that although national network coverage has improved considerably, local network capacity remains inadequate in many high-demand locations.

Major urban centres including Lagos and Abuja continue to experience severe congestion during peak periods, significantly reducing daytime internet speeds compared to nighttime performance.

Power, Security and Logistics Compound Problems

Industry operators also face multiple operational challenges beyond network expansion.

Telecommunications infrastructure providers, including IHS Nigeria, have experienced recurring disruptions in diesel supply chains, while strikes and logistics bottlenecks have periodically interrupted fuel distribution needed to power telecommunications sites.

These disruptions have led to outages affecting multiple operators simultaneously.

Additionally, telecom towers remain vulnerable to vandalism, cable theft and organised criminal attacks, resulting in repeated service interruptions.

To address these security concerns, the Federal Government recently designated telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), providing additional legal protection for strategic telecom assets.

Calls for Long-Term Solutions

While subscribers acknowledge recent regulatory interventions, many believe stronger enforcement must be accompanied by faster infrastructure deployment, improved operational resilience and sustained investment if Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives are to be fully realised.

Analysts argue that maintaining affordable, reliable and high-quality telecommunications services remains essential to supporting financial inclusion, economic growth and the country’s expanding digital economy.