NCC CEO, Maida, urges telcos to boost network quality with increased investment

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, has charged telecom operators to provide subscribers with a quality network experience. The regulator added that they must implement immediate measures to restore services during outages.

Dr Maida declared this while speaking at the Airtel Open Network Launch on Friday. This is a platform where subscribers can view network coverage, check mobile tower locations, and report signal issues directly. This initiative marks the operator’s attempt to relate better with users and improve the customer experience.

Similar: Airtel Nigeria launches Open Network to address network issues through customer feedback

According to the EVC, as demand for data grows with the growing number of connected lines in the country, operators must anticipate the expansion and strengthen network reliability.

Specifically, the NCC Boss encouraged operators to be responsible and accountable for every network outage or disruption by providing clarity of information and a responsive customer care service. With this, Nigerians understand what is happening, get help when a service falls short and see improvements over time.

“When services work, people simply get on with their lives. But when they fail, that’s when we realise the importance of connectivity,” he said.

He added that Nigerians depend on these digital services to run businesses, learn, stay in touch, and, by extension, deserve networks they can rely on. “Transparency should help consumers understand the service available to them, report problems, and see what actions follow. To achieve this, network information must be accurate, understandable, and kept up to date,” he added.

NCC Chair, Aminu Maida, at the Airtel Open Network launch

The conversation is pivotal at a time when poor network quality and consumer complaints are making major headlines in the Nigerian telecoms industry.

During the last six months (April to September, 2026), MTN, Airtel, Globacom and T2mobile received over 214,000 complaints on poor network quality. Issues raised range from quality of experience in dropped calls (voice) to quality of experience in poor internet connection (data).

Owing to recent developments, the House of Reps has also directed the CEOs of MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and others to appear before its committee and provide explanations for consistent network disruption. They are expected to appear on November 4 and explain the causes of dropped calls, slow internet connections, failed airtime, data transactions, and poor network coverage in several Nigerian communities.

Investment: NCC wants more

The telecoms industry is capital-intensive, where operators are required to constantly invest in connectivity equipment.

Aminu Maida urged operators to meet rising demands of high-speed internet and an increase in subscribers with equivalent spending. He stressed that the commission remains committed to an environment that encourages investment.

During the first six months of 2026, MTN reportedly spent ₦620.5 billion on capex while Airtel claimed it used ₦287.6 billion ($211 million) for 4G/5G tower deployment and necessary investments.

While investment and network upgrades are primarily key to improving quality of experience, Maida advised telecom operators to ensure their spending translates to measurable outcomes. In short, it must make subscribers

“Consumers should be able to distinguish between the infrastructure already provided, work underway, and deployments planned for the near future,” he said, adding that “a nearby network site does not, on its own, guarantee a satisfactory or reliable connection.”

On its part, the NCC said it’s strengthening oversight responsibilities through independent, crowdsourced measurements of network experience alongside its existing monitoring processes. “We are also making more performance information available to the public to support informed consumer choice and help identify areas requiring improvement,” he added.

Read also: Nigerian telecoms suffer 44,678 fibre cuts in 9 months, NCC data shows