The Federal Government has issued a strong warning to telecom operators in Nigeria, including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, and Globacom, over the persistent poor quality of network services, saying regulatory sanctions will follow if performance does not improve.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, speaking on Sunday, said recent reforms by the government have stabilised the telecom sector and removed earlier excuses often cited by operators for weak network performance.
According to the minister, Nigeria’s connectivity challenges are largely structural, caused by years of underinvestment and infrastructure limitations. He said the government has responded with both long-term and immediate interventions aimed at improving service delivery and restoring investor confidence.
Tijani explained that long-term solutions include expanded fibre deployment and new tower installations under major national infrastructure projects, supported by funding from the World Bank through Project BRIDGE. He added that satellite expansion is also part of efforts to improve nationwide coverage.
He noted that these investments are expected to significantly improve internet connectivity within the next two to five years, reducing reliance on unstable mobile networks and expanding access to high-speed internet across the country.
For immediate relief, the minister said the government has introduced policy and economic reforms, including tariff adjustments, tax harmonisation, and the designation of telecom infrastructure as critical national assets. These steps, he said, have helped stabilise the industry and improve operators’ financial capacity.
Tijani stressed that it is now the responsibility of operators to act decisively to fix service quality issues and meet customer expectations.
He added that the Nigerian Communications Commission has been fully empowered to monitor compliance, enforce standards, and impose sanctions where necessary.
The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy also said Nigerians should begin to experience noticeable improvements in call quality, data speed, and network coverage, while assuring that user feedback will continue to guide regulatory actions.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that telecom consumers get value for money while pushing operators to deliver more reliable services nationwide.
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