By Nkechi Eze
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 sustain the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
According to an official statement signed by Nnenna Ukoha, Director, Public Affairs of the NCC, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, made the call at the opening of the maiden Nigeria Digital Connectivity Investment Forum organised by the NCC in collaboration with Swedfund and Ookla in Abuja.
Maida said the forum was designed to provide a strategic platform for regulators, investors, infrastructure providers and development partners to examine Nigeria’s connectivity investment requirements, identify barriers to infrastructure deployment and explore partnerships capable of accelerating digital transformation.
He said the telecommunications sector’s growth over the past 25 years demonstrated the impact of sound policy, transparent regulation and investor confidence, noting that the liberalisation of the sector and transparent licensing processes had encouraged private investment and driven unprecedented expansion in connectivity services.
“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,” he said.
The NCC chief disclosed that data consumption in Nigeria rose from approximately 1.13 million terabytes in July 2025 to about 1.66 million terabytes in July 2026, representing an increase of nearly 47 per cent within one year.
He said the growth underscored the need for sustained investment in network expansion, modernisation and quality-of-service improvements, particularly as individuals, businesses, educational institutions and public services increasingly rely on broadband-enabled technologies.
“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,” Maida said.
He identified several measures being implemented to facilitate investment in the sector, including the telecommunications tariff adjustment approved in 2025, ongoing engagements with state governments on Right of Way issues and the designation of telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to him, the initiatives are intended to reduce barriers to network deployment and strengthen investor confidence.
Maida also called on local and international investors, development finance institutions, infrastructure providers and other industry stakeholders to take advantage of emerging opportunities in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector and partner with the Commission to expand digital connectivity.
He said the NCC was strengthening evidence-based regulation to improve transparency, enhance regulatory certainty and provide clearer insights into investment opportunities across the telecommunications sector.
The NCC boss highlighted the Commission’s collaboration with Swedfund and Ookla, saying data generated through the partnership provides independent insights into consumer connectivity experiences and helps identify service gaps, network performance challenges and areas requiring additional investment.
He also disclosed that the Commission’s Consumer Data Lab, funded by the Gates Foundation and developed in collaboration with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), integrates Ookla’s network performance data, consumer complaints and operators’ intervention reports into a single dashboard for deeper analysis of connectivity issues.
In her keynote address, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said digital infrastructure had become a critical determinant of a country’s investment climate, competitiveness and ability to participate meaningfully in international trade.
Oduwole said the future of trade was increasingly digital, with private networks, data centres, digital platforms and secure data systems becoming critical to modern commercial transactions.
The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, also identified gaps in connectivity coverage, quality, affordability and supporting infrastructure, calling for stronger collaboration among government, industry and investors.
She said Sweden was interested in deepening commercial and investment relations with Nigeria, particularly in digitalisation and connectivity, adding that Swedish institutions and companies could contribute technology, commercial expertise, development finance, export financing and project development to support Nigeria’s infrastructure priorities.
Vice President of Sales, Middle East and Africa, Ookla, Tristan Muhader, said connectivity had evolved beyond enabling communication and internet access to becoming an operating layer for economic and public activities across sectors.
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.
He said the Federal Government had identified infrastructure, policy and innovation, entrepreneurship and capital as key strategic priorities.
The two-day forum brings together policymakers, investors, development finance institutions, telecommunications operators, infrastructure providers, technology companies and development partners to explore investment opportunities in Nigeria’s digital connectivity ecosystem.
