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NCC assures Nigerians of improved telecom services amid quality concerns
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has acknowledged growing public concerns over the quality of telecommunications services in parts of the country, assuring consumers that efforts are underway to improve network performance and service delivery nationwide.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head of Public Affairs, Mrs Nnenna Ukoha, the Commission said it recognised the frustration experienced by consumers due to dropped calls, slow internet speeds, unstable data services, and other service disruptions affecting daily activities.
According to the Commission, telecommunications services have become central to economic and social activities, including business, education, and access to essential services, stressing that consumers deserve reliable services and value for money.
The NCC disclosed that improving Quality of Service (QoS) has remained a major regulatory priority over the past two years. It said the Commission had intensified monitoring of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and Tower Companies, while strengthening data-driven oversight and engagement with relevant institutions to tackle structural challenges affecting service delivery.
The Commission noted that the telecommunications sector is currently undergoing one of its largest network expansion and modernisation drives in recent years, following what it described as a prolonged period of under-investment.
According to the statement, Mobile Network Operators invested over ₦2.13 trillion in network infrastructure and upgrades in 2025 alone, while Tower Companies committed an additional ₦373.8 billion to the sector. These investments supported the addition and upgrade of more than 2,800 telecommunications sites across the country.
The NCC explained that the interventions included deployment of additional 4G and 5G infrastructure, expansion of fibre backhaul systems, targeted installations in high-demand urban areas, rollout of services to underserved communities, and replacement of ageing network equipment.
It added that the expansion drive has continued into 2026, with operators committing to add or upgrade more than 12,000 sites within the year, of which nearly 3,000 have already been completed. The Commission further disclosed that over 730 new 5G sites had been deployed across 27 states so far in 2026.
The Commission also revealed that it had facilitated the reallocation of idle and underutilised radio spectrum among the three major mobile network operators in line with its Spectrum Trading Guidelines. According to the NCC, the move is aimed at improving spectral efficiency, increasing network capacity, and enhancing service performance.
The statement noted that recent Quality of Service and Quality of Experience assessments conducted by the Commission indicated gradual improvements in network coverage, capacity, and average data download speeds in several parts of the country.
It said national median download speeds had increased from 16.5Mbps in January 2024 to 20Mbps currently, while 4G penetration rose from 45 per cent to 54 per cent within the same period. Power availability at telecom towers also improved from a national average of 99.3 per cent in January 2025 to 99.7 per cent presently.
Despite the improvements, the Commission admitted that consumers in some locations still experience poor call quality, congestion, slow internet speeds, and service instability, stressing that operators must accelerate the pace and consistency of improvements.
The NCC also disclosed that it is conducting a market study aimed at creating a wholesale broadband market segment to enable smaller and localised Internet Service Providers to expand internet access at lower costs. It said the initiative complements government-backed projects such as Project BRIDGE aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
On challenges affecting service quality, the Commission identified frequent fibre cuts, vandalism, theft of telecom equipment, power-related disruptions, and denial of access to network sites as major obstacles.
It revealed that over 27,000 avoidable fibre-cut incidents linked mainly to road construction activities and vandalism were recorded nationwide in 2025 alone, with significant impact on network performance and service availability.
According to the NCC, it is collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser and other stakeholders to enforce the Presidential Order on Critical National Information Infrastructure and curb the activities of syndicates involved in telecom infrastructure vandalism and theft.
The Commission further stated that operators have been directed to notify consumers promptly whenever major outages occur and to restore affected services within stipulated timelines. It added that details of major incidents are now being published on the Commission’s Major Network Outages Reporting Portal.
The NCC said enforcement of the updated Quality of Service Regulations 2024 commenced in November 2025 after operators were granted a transition period to procure and install equipment required to improve service delivery.
It warned that enforcement actions, including consumer compensation measures and additional investment obligations for operators failing to meet performance standards, would continue where measurable improvements are not achieved.
The Commission commended the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the National Assembly, the Office of the National Security Adviser, and other stakeholders for supporting efforts to improve service quality in the sector.
It also appealed to federal, state and local governments, as well as host communities, to support the protection of telecommunications infrastructure and create an enabling environment for sustained investment in the industry.
The NCC reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that Nigerians enjoy reliable, affordable, and high-quality telecommunications services, insisting that the industry must now deliver measurable improvements in service quality.
Nura Abdullahi
Former Kano State Governor and vice presidential candidate, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has condemned comments attributed to Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir at an event in Kano, describing them as divisive and capable of undermining national unity.
KANO FOCUS reports that Dr Kwankwaso, who expressed his position in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Monday, said statements promoting division and disunity should be discouraged, particularly at a critical period in the country’s history.
He said it was troubling that such remarks came from a religious leader with Sheikh Jingir’s influence and stature.
“At this critical moment in our nation’s history, statements that promote division and disunity must be firmly discouraged,” Dr Kwankwaso said.
He added that the people of Kano did not endorse or support what he described as the cleric’s divisive remarks.
“Let it be clearly stated: the good people of Kano do not endorse or support these divisive remarks,” he said.
Dr Kwankwaso urged political and religious leaders to uphold truth, promote unity and support reconciliation, warning that leaders should avoid statements capable of weakening Nigeria’s national cohesion.
“Political and religious leaders alike carry a solemn responsibility to uphold truth, foster unity, and advance reconciliation,” he said.
He said leaders should not lend their voices to utterances capable of undermining the foundation of Nigeria’s nationhood.
Kwankwaso attacks Tinubu administration ahead of 2027
Turning to the 2027 general elections, Dr Kwankwaso said the polls would provide Nigerians with an opportunity to assess the performance of the current administration.
He said voters would have the opportunity to reward good governance with strong electoral support and reject poor performance at the polls.
“This administration has earned the latter,” Mr Kwankwaso said, in an apparent reference to his call for voters to reject the administration at the 2027 elections.
He concluded his statement by praying for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has approved a new salary structure for academic and non-academic staff of Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology (ADUSTECH), Wudil, and Northwest University, Kano.
KANO FOCUS reports that the new remuneration package, adopted from the Federal Government’s recently implemented salary structure for staff of federal universities, will take effect from January 2026, with payment scheduled to commence in September.
The approval was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.
According to the statement, the decision followed the report and recommendations of a committee constituted by the Kano State Executive Council to review requests by the two state-owned universities for the domestication of the new federal university salary package.
The new salary review will cost the state government ₦391.85 million monthly, translating to ₦4.70 billion annually for the two institutions.
For ADUSTECH, Wudil, the monthly financial implication is ₦228.20 million, comprising ₦141.08 million for academic staff covered by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) agreement and ₦87.11 million for non-academic staff under the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
At Northwest University, Kano, the monthly cost is ₦163.65 million, comprising ₦112.24 million for academic staff and ₦51.41 million for non-academic staff.
The government has also approved the inclusion of ₦1.57 billion in the 2026 Supplementary Budget to cover the implementation from September to December 2026.
Similarly, arrears covering January to August 2026, estimated at ₦3.13 billion, will be provided for in the 2027 Budget.
The government said the salary review was aimed at promoting industrial harmony and improving the welfare of staff of the two institutions, in line with the remuneration package already being implemented in federal universities and some state-owned institutions.
Yusuf approves visitation panels
Governor Yusuf also approved the consideration of visitation panels for the two universities and other tertiary institutions in the state, in accordance with relevant laws.
The panels, according to the statement, are expected to strengthen accountability, administration and effective management of the institutions.
Gov Yusuf reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving workers’ welfare and strengthening the quality of higher education as part of its broader human capital development agenda.
The government said the measures were also intended to create a more conducive environment for academic and non-academic staff to contribute effectively to the development of the state’s tertiary education sector.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Tanzanian government has expressed interest in attracting more investments from Dangote Group in fertiliser production, energy and industrial infrastructure as part of efforts to accelerate the country’s long-term economic development.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Minister of State in the President’s Office responsible for Planning and Investment, Prof. Kitila A. Mkumbo, disclosed this during a visit by a Tanzanian delegation to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals in Lagos.
Mr Mkumbo said the visit was part of efforts to follow up on discussions between Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, on expanding the company’s investment footprint in Tanzania.
He noted that Dangote Group already operates Tanzania’s largest cement manufacturing plant, with an investment estimated at about $800 million.
“We have come here to make a follow-up on what they deliberated with our President in terms of further Dangote investments in Tanzania,” Mr Mkumbo said.
He said Tanzania was particularly interested in Dangote Group’s experience in fertiliser production and refinery operations, describing the company’s industrial capabilities as valuable to Africa’s economic transformation.
### ‘Africa needs economic liberation’
The minister said stronger collaboration between Tanzania and Dangote Group would also contribute to greater economic integration across Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He said African countries had maintained strong political relations for decades but must now prioritise economic integration through industrialisation.
“Africa now needs economic liberation, and that can only come through industrialisation,” he said.
Mr Mkumbo described Mr Dangote as one of Africa’s leading industrialists, noting that his investments were increasingly expanding beyond Nigeria and contributing to industrial development across the continent.
He said Tanzania was ready to work with the Dangote Group as part of efforts to promote Pan-African industrialisation and expand manufacturing capacity across the region.
### Tanzania highlights refining capacity
The minister also stressed the importance of increasing local refining capacity to strengthen Africa’s energy security, particularly amid disruptions in the international oil market.
He referred to the impact of tensions around the Strait of Hormuz on global fuel prices, saying increased refining capacity through facilities such as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery could help African economies reduce their vulnerability to external shocks.
According to him, access to affordable and reliable energy remains a major driver of economic growth.
He said expanding refining capacity across Africa would help reduce energy costs, strengthen energy security and improve living conditions for millions of people.
The Tanzanian delegation’s visit is part of continuing engagements between the country’s government and Dangote Group to explore new opportunities for strategic investments, industrial development and regional economic integration.
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Gov. Yusuf approves salary increase for staff of two Kano universities
Tanzania seeks more Dangote investments in fertiliser, energy, infrastructure
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