By Emmanuel Thomas
ABUJA — The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed that over 75 million telecom subscribers across the country have received compensation from Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) following directives to penalize operators for poor Quality of Service (QoS) experiences.
This disclosure was made in a communiqué issued at the end of the 109th Board Meeting of the Commission, chaired by the Board of the NCC and made public on Friday by the Manager of Media Relations, Ayiabari A. Kigbara
The regulatory body noted that while MNOs have complied significantly with the consumer-focused directive, Infrastructure Sharing Licensees, popularly known as Tower Companies (TowerCos), have only partially complied with the mandate requiring them to fund escrow accounts with regulatory fines intended for infrastructure reinvestment.
The Board emphasized that full compliance from the infrastructure providers remains critical to ensuring sustainable network improvements.
To drastically improve the current user experience, the NCC Board announced that telecom operators have committed to deploying over 12,000 additional coverage and capacity sites across Nigeria. Already, over 5,000 of these sites have been completed, representing a 40 percent completion rate.
Furthermore, transmission infrastructure is being strengthened with fibre connectivity extended to more than 700 sites, while upgrades have been deployed across over 2,000 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) to enhance network resilience.
Addressing the massive surge in data usage, the Board revealed that Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) connections jumped exponentially from 84,141 subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 210,065 subscribers by mid-2026.
While acknowledging that the figure is modest compared to national demand, the NCC noted that it is restructuring the market to separate wholesale and retail segments.
The regulatory body expects that wider access to wholesale backbone fibre will soon reduce underlying connectivity costs, paving the way for more affordable retail data prices for everyday Nigerians.
According to the Commission, this structured expansion is the most sustainable pathway to meeting Nigeria’s data needs over the next decade, aligning with the Federal Government’s vision for a $1 trillion economy.
On the lingering menace of infrastructure vandalism, which continues to hamper industry growth, the Board commended the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for protecting telecom assets under the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) designation.
To build on this, the Board announced that it is fast-tracking plans to explore the feasibility of establishing a Communications Industry Security Trust Fund to provide sustainable financing for securing network facilities nationwide.
In a bid to promote digital inclusion and bridge the urban-rural divide, the NCC stated it is currently developing a framework with major industry players to “zero-rate” (make free to access) select educational platforms and content online for Nigerian students.
Meanwhile, to fix critical governance gaps at the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) following the expiration of its previous leadership’s tenure, the NCC Board approved the high-profile appointment of Princess Oforitsenere Emiko, a Non-Executive Commissioner of the NCC, as the Interim Chairman of the DBI Governing Board.
Appointed alongside her as interim board members are Engr. Abraham Oshadami (Executive Commissioner, Technical Services) and Ms. Rimini Makama (Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management).
The Commission reaffirmed its ultimate commitment to fostering a fair, competitive, and consumer-protective telecom environment that will aggressively drive Nigeria’s expanding digital economy.