Abayomi Susan
Nigeria’s telecommunications operators could soon be hit with regulatory penalties amounting to as much as ₦12.4 billion ($8.85 million) as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) tightens enforcement over persistent violations of service quality standards.
The looming sanctions follow sustained consumer complaints about dropped calls, weak data performance, and unreliable network availability—issues that have reignited debate over whether recent tariff increases have produced real improvements in service delivery.
Scrutiny of the industry has intensified since the NCC approved a 50 per cent tariff adjustment in mid-January 2025. Operators had argued that the higher rates were necessary to fund long-delayed network upgrades and enhance user experience. However, feedback from subscribers across major networks indicates that service deficiencies remain widespread.
At the time of the approval, the NCC maintained that the tariff increase was carefully structured to strike a balance between consumer protection and the growing economic pressures faced by operators, including rising energy costs, foreign exchange volatility, and inflation. The Commission also made it clear that higher tariffs would not exempt operators from meeting minimum performance benchmarks.
The depth of subscriber dissatisfaction was highlighted by recent disclosures from MTN Nigeria, which reported handling a record 1.62 million customer complaints in 2025 through calls, emails, social media, and walk-in service centres nationwide. The operator attributed much of the disruption to fibre cuts, vandalism, and theft—challenges that continue to undermine network stability across the country.
Beyond infrastructure-related issues, the surge in complaints also reflects rising consumer expectations in an economy that increasingly depends on digital connectivity for work, commerce, and social interaction.
Against this backdrop, the NCC has signalled a tougher enforcement stance. According to a report by TechCabal, the Commission revealed that it is reviewing and updating its Enforcement Processes Regulations to ensure that sanctions remain an effective deterrent in a rapidly evolving communications environment.
“The Commission is in the process of updating the Enforcement Processes Regulations to ensure that sanctions and penalties continue to achieve their intended deterrent effect,” the NCC said, adding that the review would cover additional communications-related offences not explicitly addressed under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 or its subsidiary regulations.
This renewed enforcement drive builds on revised Quality of Service (QoS) regulations issued in July 2024, which broadened performance obligations across the sector, including for colocation and infrastructure providers, while introducing stiffer penalties for non-compliance. Following a transition period through 2025, September was set as the deadline for full compliance.
Early enforcement actions have already been taken. In October, Globacom, Airtel, and IHS Towers were fined a combined ₦45 million ($32,100) for QoS violations. More significantly, further infractions with cumulative financial exposure of about ₦12.4 billion are currently progressing through regulatory processes, with pre-enforcement notices already issued.
The January 2025 tariff adjustment remains one of the most significant regulatory decisions of the period. The NCC says the move has begun to unlock investment, citing more than $1 billion in fresh capital inflows into the sector in 2025 and the rollout of over 2,850 new and upgraded network sites nationwide.
According to the Commission, these investments have strengthened the foundation for sustained improvements in Quality of Experience (QoE). Nonetheless, it has stressed that increased spending does not absolve operators of their responsibilities, insisting that regulatory oversight must ensure investments translate into measurable service improvements for consumers.
In parallel, the NCC says it has narrowed its consumer protection focus to three recurring problem areas that attract direct regulatory action: network quality failures, unexpected data depletion, and refunds linked to failed airtime and data transactions.
As part of these efforts, the Commission conducted a comprehensive audit of 965 base transceiver station (BTS) sites in the Federal Capital Territory during the fourth quarter of 2025, covering about 65 per cent of sites in the area. The audit examined power systems, cooling facilities, and site security, identifying 5,557 infractions—81 per cent of which had been resolved by 31 December 2025.
Spectrum management has also become a key performance lever. Since September 2025, the NCC has approved several spectrum trades and reassignments, reallocating around 50 MHz of previously underutilised spectrum for immediate network expansion. One such reassignment helped raise Globacom’s average 4G download speeds from about 9.5 Mbps to roughly 15 Mbps within a few months.
These initiatives form part of a broader regulatory agenda, as the NCC finalises Nigeria’s first structured Spectrum Roadmap for 2025–2030. Expected in March 2026, the roadmap is designed to guide long-term spectrum planning, refarming, and access models in line with the country’s digital growth goals.
For consumers, the immediate question remains whether stronger regulatory pressure and renewed investment will finally result in more reliable calls, faster data speeds, and fewer service disruptions across Nigeria’s telecom networks.
