FG sets deadline for operators to fix poor service quality
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani
Abdullateef Fowewe
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani has issued a directive to telecom operators, demanding immediate improvements in service quality following years of structural challenges in the sector.
In a statement released today, Tijani highlighted the root causes of Nigeria’s connectivity woes, attributing them to “years of underinvestment in infrastructure and constraints that limited the ability of operators to deliver quality service.”
He outlined a dual strategy to address these issues: long-term infrastructure builds and short-term sector stabilisation.
On the long-term front, the government has secured World Bank-led funding for Project BRIDGE, a special purpose vehicle aimed at rolling out nationwide open-access fibre infrastructure.
“Deployment of fibre will commence, alongside new tower rollouts through NUCAP, before the end of the year even as we also expand our satellite capability,” Tijani wrote.
These efforts, he added, will “permanently transform connectivity across Nigeria,” enabling small businesses to access “reliable, high speed fibre internet directly at their home or shop, not rely solely on dongles or unstable mobile connections.”
For immediate relief, the ministry enabled tariff adjustments, designated telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure, harmonized taxes, and supported macroeconomic reforms like naira floatation and fuel subsidy removal.
“As a result, operators are now operating in a more stable, transparent, and market driven environment and have returned to profitability,” Tijani noted.
This financial recovery equips firms like MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and T2 to “fix outstanding issues within their networks and improve the quality of service delivered to Nigerians.”
Tijani made it clear that the ball is now in the operators’ court.
“Let me therefore be clear, the conditions required for improved service delivery have now been established. It is now the responsibility of telecom operators to take all necessary steps to resolve network challenges and deliver the level of service Nigerians expect.”
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) stands empowered to monitor compliance without interference, relying on periodic reports and public feedback.
“We will continue to rely on the Commission’s periodic reports to track network performance, as well as feedback from Nigerians, including complaints and experiences shared across public platforms,” the minister stated.
He promised “clear and measurable improvements in call quality, data performance, and coverage,” with recognition for high performers and “appropriate regulatory action” for laggards.
“Nigerians should begin to see improvements in Quality of Service and get value that they paid for now, and in the future. And we will ensure that the sector delivers,” Tijani concluded.
This comes amid widespread consumer frustration over dropped calls, slow data speeds, and patchy coverage, with the ministry signaling zero tolerance for continued underperformance.
