The Federal Government has intensified pressure on telecommunications operators to improve service quality across Nigeria, insisting that subscribers must begin to experience better connectivity and value for money.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, made this known in a statement issued on Sunday, warning telecom companies to urgently address persistent network failures affecting millions of Nigerians.
According to the minister, operators including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom and T2 must now take responsibility for improving service delivery following government reforms aimed at stabilising the sector.
“It is now the responsibility of telecom operators such as MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and T2 to take all necessary steps to resolve network challenges and deliver the level of service Nigerians expect,” Tijani stated.
The minister explained that the administration inherited major structural problems in the telecom industry caused by years of underinvestment in critical infrastructure, resulting in poor connectivity and frequent service disruptions nationwide.
To address the situation, Tijani said the government had introduced both short-term and long-term reforms targeted at strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
He disclosed that under the long-term strategy, the Federal Government had secured funding support led by the World Bank and established a framework under Project BRIDGE to expand fibre-optic infrastructure nationwide.
“We have secured funding, led by the World Bank, and established the framework for a special purpose vehicle with Project BRIDGE, to deliver nationwide open access fibre infrastructure,” he said.
The minister further revealed that deployment of fibre infrastructure and additional telecom towers through NUCAP would commence before the end of the year, alongside plans to increase satellite connectivity capacity across the country.
According to him, the investments are expected to bridge major infrastructure gaps within the next two to five years and significantly improve internet reliability and network coverage.
Tijani stated that the government’s objective is to ensure Nigerians can access stable and high-speed internet services both at home and in business environments.
“A small business owner should be able to access reliable, high-speed fibre internet directly at their home or shop, not rely solely on dongles or unstable mobile connections,” he said.
The minister also highlighted several reforms already introduced by the government to strengthen the telecom sector, including tariff adjustments, tax harmonisation policies and the designation of telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure.
According to him, the reforms have created a more transparent and stable operating environment for telecom operators, many of which have now returned to profitability.
“They are now operating in a more stable, transparent, and market-driven environment and have returned to profitability,” Tijani stated.
He added that the Nigerian Communications Commission has been empowered to independently monitor operators, enforce compliance and sanction companies that fail to meet service standards.
The minister warned that the government would increasingly rely on reports from the Commission and complaints from consumers to hold telecom companies accountable.
“Where operators deliver, it will be recognised, and where they do not, the Commission is expected to take appropriate regulatory action,” he said.
Tijani expressed optimism that Nigerians would soon witness improvements in call quality, data services and overall network performance nationwide.
“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,” the minister added.
