The Nigerian telecommunications industry drew more than $1 billion in capital investments in 2025, driving the deployment of over 2,850 new network sites across the country and supporting measurable improvements in service quality, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed.
Disclosing the figures, Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, highlighted that these investments expanded both network coverage and capacity, contributing to stronger connectivity in urban and rural areas.
The announcement followed the release of the NCC’s Q4 2025 Network Performance Reports, developed in partnership with global internet analytics firm Ookla. The assessment measured real-world performance across cities, highways, rural communities, and emerging 5G zones.
Notable Gains in Network Quality
Dr Maida noted steady improvements in median download speeds in both urban and rural centres, alongside a narrowing video Quality of Experience (QoE) gap, signaling enhanced service for all subscribers. The reports also highlighted the strengthening of Nigeria’s 4G backbone nationwide.
“These reports enable us to track progress, identify gaps, and guide targeted regulatory interventions—ranging from spectrum optimisation and infrastructure upgrades to quality-of-service enforcement and the expansion of rural connectivity,” Maida said.
Sustained Investments Drive Progress
According to the EVC, the $1 billion investment in 2025 enabled the addition of 2,850+ new sites, directly improving network capacity and coverage. He emphasized that the data-driven insights from the reports reflect NCC’s commitment to transparent regulation and continuous digital ecosystem development.
While acknowledging the sector’s progress, Dr Maida flagged persistent gaps in 5G coverage, upload speeds, and mobile service availability, noting ongoing regulatory engagements with operators to close these disparities.
Looking ahead, operators have committed to exceed their 2025 investment levels in 2026, promising further network expansion and upgraded service quality across Nigeria.
