The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has acknowledged that mobile operators may have been overly ambitious in promising rapid, nationwide 5G coverage within a year of launch. According to the Commission, economic headwinds and sector-specific challenges have slowed progress, though new investments are expected to significantly improve service quality in the months ahead.
Speaking at an interactive session with journalists in Lagos on Friday, NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, explained that access to foreign exchange has been one of the biggest hurdles, given that nearly all telecom equipment used in Nigeria is imported. “So many challenges may have dwarfed such a promise,” he said, referencing both micro- and macro-economic obstacles affecting the industry.
Three years after the commercial launch of 5G in 2022, there are fewer than 2,000 active 5G sites nationwide. Data from the Commission shows that 5G penetration currently stands at just 3.07 percent, meaning only 5.2 million subscribers out of Nigeria’s 171.2 million active telephone users are connected to the next-generation network. The country’s 5G licences were secured in 2021 by MTN, Airtel, and Mafab Communications, with the trio collectively paying over $820 million.
Despite the slow rollout, Maida assured subscribers that operators remain committed to expanding infrastructure. He revealed that about $1 billion worth of telecom equipment has begun entering the country since June 2025, an investment wave he said was spurred by regulatory reforms designed to attract fresh capital into the sector. The funds will be channeled into base station upgrades, new site construction, and fibre backbone expansion, beginning with the North Central region.
Improvements, however, will not be immediate. “The benefits of this investment wave will take between six and nine months to fully translate into better service,” Maida cautioned, while noting that subscribers should begin to feel tangible improvements within that period.
He also highlighted persistent threats to service quality, including fibre cuts, vandalism, theft, multiple taxation, and site closures. At an earlier forum, Maida disclosed that operators face as many as 1,100 fibre cuts daily, alongside 545 instances of access denial and nearly 100 theft cases affecting equipment and power systems. To address this, the NCC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal and State Ministries of Works and Environment, enabling construction firms to share planned activities with telecom operators through a new digital notification platform.
Maida further noted that the recently approved 50 percent tariff increase, effective from January 2025, would support network sustainability, though he warned that rising costs and ongoing disruptions continue to strain operators.
Looking ahead, he stressed the urgency of strengthening Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure to avoid being left behind. “The world is already talking about 6G, and Nigeria cannot afford to fall behind. The capital commitments we’ve unlocked this year put us back in the race,” Maida said.