The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says investments are flowing into the telecom sector, with operators committing billions of dollars to expand infrastructure, upgrade network sites and improve service quality across the country.
Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said this during a media engagement with NCC Leadership. In attendance was the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Mrs. Varista, Director of Technical Standard and Network Integrity, Engineer and many others.
During the meeting, it was established that the sector is witnessing renewed investor confidence following regulatory measures aimed at improving sustainability and encouraging long-term growth.
According to Maida, operators invested more than $2 billion last year, while one major telecom company has already committed over $1 billion in fresh spending this year.
“The investments we saw last year, just over $2 billion, are being sustained,” Maida said during a media engagement in Abuja.
“To be clear, one operator on their own has committed to doing over a billion dollars this year. That shows confidence in the direction of the sector.”
The NCC boss disclosed that telecom companies are significantly increasing the pace of network rollout and upgrades in 2026.
He said while about 3,000 sites were upgraded or introduced last year, operators have now committed to approximately 12,000 new and upgraded sites this year.
“These are not just new towers,” he explained. “They include upgrades from slower technologies to 3G, 4G and 5G, additional fiber connectivity, and capacity expansion.”
He added that nearly 2,800 sites had already been completed across major operators including MTN, Airtel and Globacom.
Maida noted that telecom demand in Nigeria continues to grow rapidly, putting pressure on operators to keep investing.
He said data consumption has risen by nearly 170 percent in the last two years, creating a cycle where better service leads to higher usage and more demand for capacity.
“We are operating in an environment where there is still an infrastructure deficit,” he said.
“As operators build more infrastructure, Nigerians consume more data because service improves. So the investment must continue.
The commission also revealed that it moved unused spectrum resources into the hands of active operators to speed up broadband growth.
“We reviewed the idle spectrum in the market and ensured it was reassigned to operators that needed it,” he said.
“That has already resulted in increased 4G capacity and better network performance.”
Beyond revenue generation, Maida urged government and stakeholders to view telecoms as a strategic economic enabler.
He said stronger connectivity boosts productivity in sectors such as finance, agriculture, education and manufacturing.
“We need to look at this sector differently,” he said.
“As telecom grows, it contributes more in taxes, but more importantly, it enables growth across the wider economy.”
