Digitnomics 
The Federal Government has told telecom operators, including MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria, that Nigerians must begin to see clear improvements in network quality and service delivery following recent reforms introduced to stabilise the telecom sector.
In a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the Minister, Bosun Tijani, said the government had already created the right conditions for telecom operators to improve their services.
According to him, the era when operators blamed poor service on difficult operating conditions is gradually coming to an end because the government has taken major steps to strengthen the sector.
Tijani said Nigeria’s connectivity challenges were caused by years of underinvestment in telecom infrastructure and other structural problems that weakened network quality across the country.
He explained that the government is addressing the problem through both long-term infrastructure investment and immediate sector reforms.
As part of the long-term plan, the minister said the government had secured funding led by the World Bank for Project BRIDGE, a nationwide fibre infrastructure initiative aimed at expanding broadband access across Nigeria.
He disclosed that fibre deployment under Project BRIDGE, alongside new telecom tower rollouts through NUCAP and expansion of satellite connectivity, would begin before the end of the year.
According to him, these investments are expected to close major infrastructure gaps and improve internet access over the next two to five years.
Tijani said the goal is to ensure that Nigerians, especially small business owners, can enjoy reliable high-speed internet services directly in their homes and offices instead of depending only on unstable mobile networks.
The minister also linked recent tariff adjustments approved for telecom operators to the need to restore financial stability in the sector.
Operators had repeatedly warned that rising diesel prices, inflation, foreign exchange shortages, multiple taxes and vandalism were affecting their ability to invest in network expansion and maintenance.
The government eventually approved tariff increases earlier this year after operators argued that the industry was becoming financially unsustainable.
According to Tijani, the reforms introduced by the government, including the designation of telecom infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure, tax harmonisation efforts, removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira, have now improved the operating environment for telecom companies.
He said telecom operators have returned to profitability and now have the financial capacity to address long-standing network problems.
“Let me therefore be clear, the conditions required for improved service delivery have now been established,” the minister stated.
“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.”
The minister also said the Nigerian Communications Commission had been fully empowered to independently monitor telecom performance and enforce quality standards across the industry.
According to him, the government will continue to rely on periodic NCC reports and consumer complaints to assess operator performance.
He added that operators delivering better service would be recognised, while those failing to improve network quality could face regulatory sanctions.
The statement comes amid growing consumer frustration over dropped calls, poor voice quality, slow internet speeds and rapid data depletion despite rising telecom costs.
Demand for telecom services has continued to increase sharply in Nigeria due to growth in video streaming, fintech transactions, remote work, cloud services, gaming and artificial intelligence applications.
Although Nigeria remains Africa’s largest telecom market, network congestion and inadequate infrastructure continue to affect service quality in many parts of the country.
Industry experts say the government’s latest position signals increasing pressure on telecom operators to convert recent tariff increases and improved business conditions into visible improvements for consumers.
For millions of Nigerians struggling with unstable calls and poor internet connectivity, the government’s message is clear: telecom operators must now deliver better network quality and improved customer experience.
