ABUJA — The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for increased public and private sector investment in telecommunications infrastructure to accelerate broadband expansion, improve service quality and support the rapid growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, made the call at the maiden Nigeria Digital Connectivity Investment Forum held in Abuja.
The two-day forum was organised by the NCC in collaboration with Swedfund and Ookla, bringing together regulators, investors, infrastructure providers, development finance institutions, technology companies and other stakeholders to examine investment opportunities and infrastructure requirements across Nigeria’s digital connectivity ecosystem.
Maida said the forum was designed to identify the investments required to expand connectivity, address barriers to infrastructure deployment and establish partnerships capable of accelerating Nigeria’s digital transformation.
According to him, the growth recorded in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry over the past 25 years demonstrates the impact of sound policy, transparent regulation and investor confidence.
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He noted that the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector and transparent licensing processes had opened the way for private investment, resulting in significant growth in connectivity and communication services across the country.
“The experience of the last two and a half decades underscores the importance of creating an enabling environment for investment. As a regulator, the Commission remains committed to facilitating investment while ensuring consumer protection and promoting fair competition,” Maida said.
The NCC chief executive said demand for reliable digital connectivity was increasing rapidly as individuals, businesses, schools and public institutions increasingly depended on broadband-enabled services.
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He added that the expansion of cloud-based services, digital platforms and artificial intelligence applications would further increase the demand for reliable and resilient telecommunications infrastructure.
Data consumption jumps 47%
Maida disclosed that Nigeria’s data consumption rose from about 1.13 million terabytes in July 2025 to approximately 1.66 million terabytes in July 2026, representing an increase of nearly 47 per cent within one year.
He said the sharp increase demonstrated the growing dependence of Nigerians and businesses on digital connectivity and highlighted the urgent need for sustained investment in network expansion, modernisation and service quality.
“The investment challenge before us is not merely one of expanding coverage. It is also about ensuring that those already connected enjoy better service quality, improved user experiences, and infrastructure capable of supporting future technologies,” he said.
The NCC boss identified the 2025 telecommunications tariff adjustment, ongoing engagements with state governments over Right of Way issues and the designation of telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as some of the measures aimed at reducing deployment barriers and strengthening investor confidence.
He also reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to evidence-based regulation, saying greater access to reliable market and network data would improve transparency, regulatory certainty and investors’ understanding of opportunities within the sector.
Maida urged local and international investors, development finance institutions, infrastructure providers and other stakeholders to take advantage of emerging opportunities and work with the Commission to expand digital connectivity across Nigeria.
He stressed that investments in the telecommunications sector must ultimately translate into improved access to digital services, better economic opportunities and a stronger digital economy.
NCC highlights data-driven regulation
The NCC chief executive also commended Swedfund and Ookla for partnering with the Commission, particularly in strengthening data-driven decision-making and providing insights into connectivity experiences across Nigeria.
He said the partnership provides independent information that enables the NCC to identify service gaps, monitor network performance and determine areas requiring additional investment.
Maida further highlighted the Commission’s Consumer Data Lab, funded by the Gates Foundation and developed in partnership with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA).
According to him, the platform integrates Ookla’s network performance data, consumer complaints and operators’ intervention reports on a single dashboard.
He said the system allows the Commission to examine connectivity challenges by location and demographic characteristics, assess whether interventions have improved consumers’ experiences and determine where additional network deployment or upgrades are required.
Digital infrastructure critical to trade
In her keynote address, titled “Connectivity and Competitiveness: Digital Infrastructure as a Driver of Investment Climate and Trade,” the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said the quality of digital infrastructure was increasingly shaping Nigeria’s investment climate, national competitiveness and participation in international trade.
Oduwole said the forum was timely because modern trade increasingly depended on digital infrastructure, including private networks, data centres, digital platforms and secure data systems.
She stressed the importance of strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure to ensure that businesses could compete effectively in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
Sweden seeks deeper digital investment ties
The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, said significant gaps remained in Nigeria’s connectivity coverage, quality, affordability and supporting infrastructure.
She called for stronger collaboration among government, industry players and investors to address the challenges.
Westerholm identified energy, cybersecurity and digital skills as critical components of a sustainable connectivity ecosystem.
She also expressed Sweden’s interest in deepening commercial and investment relations with Nigeria in the areas of digitalisation and connectivity.
Also speaking, Ookla’s Vice President of Sales for the Middle East and Africa, Tristan Muhader, said connectivity had evolved beyond basic communication to become an essential layer supporting economic and public activities.
Representing the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, the Director of the National Frequency Management Council, Adetunji Adeyemo, said reliable, affordable, resilient and accessible digital infrastructure was essential to Nigeria’s economic transformation.
Adeyemo said the Federal Government had identified infrastructure, policy and innovation, entrepreneurship, and capital as key strategic priorities.
The forum is expected to provide a platform for stakeholders to explore investment opportunities, identify infrastructure gaps and develop partnerships capable of expanding digital connectivity and supporting Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
