NCC May Sanction MTN, Airtel, Glo Over Poor Network Quality

Nigeria’s communications minister, Bosun Tijani, has warned telecom operators, including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and T2, that regulators will impose sanctions if network quality fails to improve.

In a statement shared with Nairametrics on Sunday, Tijani said operators now have the financial capacity and regulatory environment needed to resolve persistent service problems affecting Nigerian subscribers.

“Going forward, we expect to see clear and measurable improvements in call quality, data performance, and coverage,” the minister said.

He added that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had been fully empowered to enforce service standards and take “appropriate regulatory action” where operators fail to comply.

The warning comes amid growing public frustration over dropped calls, weak mobile coverage and slow internet speeds across Nigeria. It also follows recent disputes over the temporary suspension of airtime borrowing and data advance services, which the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission blamed on service providers rather than regulators.

Tijani said the government had already taken steps to improve long-term telecom infrastructure through Project BRIDGE, a fibre expansion initiative backed by the World Bank, alongside new tower deployments through NUCAP.

“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.

The minister said fibre rollout and new tower deployment would begin before the end of the year.

Nigeria’s telecom operators have argued for years that fixed tariffs and currency depreciation weakened their ability to invest in infrastructure. But the sector has seen improving earnings since regulators approved a 50% tariff increase in 2025.

The NCC said operators have since invested more than $1 billion in network infrastructure to improve capacity and service quality.

The commission has also tightened oversight through new Quality of Service regulations introduced in 2024. The rules set stricter performance targets for call drop rates, network congestion and data reliability.

The latest warning implies that regulators now expect telecom companies to translate stronger revenues into visible service improvements for consumers.