The Federal Government has issued a stern warning to telecommunications operators across the country, directing them to urgently improve service delivery or risk regulatory sanctions.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, gave the warning on Sunday, stressing that the Federal Government’s recent reforms in the telecommunications sector leave no room for excuses over poor network performance.
According to the minister, Nigeria’s connectivity challenges are largely structural, stemming from years of underinvestment in infrastructure and operational limitations that weakened service quality nationwide.
Tijani explained that the government has moved decisively to address the problems through both long-term infrastructure development and immediate interventions aimed at stabilizing the sector and restoring investor confidence.
“When we assumed office, it was clear that Nigeria’s connectivity challenges were structural, driven by years of underinvestment in infrastructure and constraints that limited the ability of operators to deliver quality service,” he said.
The minister revealed that the government has secured funding, led by the World Bank, and established a framework for a special purpose vehicle under Project BRIDGE to expand nationwide open-access fibre infrastructure.
He added that fibre deployment and new telecommunications tower rollouts through NUCAP are expected to commence before the end of the year, alongside efforts to expand the country’s satellite communication capabilities.
Tijani also highlighted several reforms introduced by the government to stabilize the telecommunications sector, including tariff adjustments, the designation of telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure, tax harmonization measures, and broader macroeconomic reforms.
According to him, the reforms have restored profitability within the sector and created a more transparent, market-driven environment capable of supporting fresh investments in network expansion and service improvement.
The minister, however, insisted that the responsibility now lies with operators including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and 9mobile to resolve persistent network issues and meet the expectations of Nigerians.
He further disclosed that the Nigerian Communications Commission has been fully empowered to monitor operators’ performance, enforce service standards, and impose sanctions on defaulting companies.
Comments