FG gives telecom operators ultimatum over poor service quality

From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

The Federal Government has issued a strong warning to telecommunications operators in the country, insisting that Nigerians must begin to experience noticeable improvements in service quality following recent reforms introduced to stabilise the sector.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, gave the charge in a statement on telecom service quality released in Abuja over the weekend,

He said operators now have the financial capacity and enabling environment required to address persistent network challenges across the country. He added that the government had taken difficult but necessary decisions to reposition the telecommunications sector after years of structural deficiencies caused by underinvestment in infrastructure and operational constraints.

According to him, the Federal Government tackled the problem from two directions; long-term infrastructure expansion and immediate sector stabilisation.

On the long-term plan, the minister disclosed that the government had secured funding led by the World Bank and established a framework for a special purpose vehicle under Project BRIDGE to deploy nationwide open-access fibre infrastructure.

He revealed that fibre deployment, alongside new tower rollouts through NUCAP, would commence before the end of the year, while efforts were also being made to expand Nigeria’s satellite capability.

“These investments will address the foundational gaps in our digital infrastructure over the next two to five years and permanently transform connectivity across Nigeria,” he said.

The minister explained that the goal was to ensure that small businesses and households could access reliable high-speed fibre internet directly, rather than depending solely on unstable mobile connections.

Speaking on efforts to stabilise the sector, Tijani said the government approved tariff adjustments and introduced reforms aimed at restoring sustainability to the telecommunications industry.

He listed some of the measures to include the designation of telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure, moves to harmonise multiple taxes, and broader macroeconomic reforms such as the floating of the naira and removal of fuel subsidies.

According to him, the reforms have returned telecom operators to profitability and positioned them to improve service delivery.

“As a result, operators are now operating in a more stable, transparent and market-driven environment and have returned to profitability.

“This is important as it means operators now have both the capacity and the resources to fix outstanding issues within their networks and improve the quality of service delivered to Nigerians,” he stated.

The minister, however, stressed that the time for excuses was over, declaring that operators including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom and T2 must now take responsibility for improving network performance nationwide.

“It is now the responsibility of telecom operators to take all necessary steps to resolve network challenges and deliver the level of service Nigerians expect,” he said.

Tijani also stated that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had been empowered to independently monitor operators, enforce service standards and ensure compliance across the industry without interference.

He added that the government would continue to rely on periodic performance reports from the NCC as well as public complaints and feedback from Nigerians to engage operators more aggressively in the coming months.

The minister warned that while operators delivering improved services would be recognised, those failing to meet expected standards could face regulatory sanctions from the commission.

He assured Nigerians that government remained committed to ensuring improved call quality, better data performance and wider network coverage across the country.

“Nigerians should begin to see improvements in quality of service and get value for what they paid for now and in the future. And we will ensure that the sector delivers,” Tijani added.