The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for increased investment in telecommunications infrastructure as data consumption in the country surged by almost 47 per cent within one year. According to the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, Nigerians consumed about 1.66 million terabytes of data in July 2026, compared with 1.13 million terabytes in the corresponding period of 2025.
The NCC made this call at the opening of the Nigeria Digital Connectivity Investment Forum in Abuja, a forum organised in partnership with Swedfund and Ookla. The forum brought together government officials, investors, development finance institutions, and industry operators to explore financing opportunities for Nigeria’s digital infrastructure. Maida emphasized that keeping pace with the increasing demand for data would require sustained investment to expand networks and improve the experience of people already connected.
Maida noted that pressure on telecommunications networks would increase as cloud services and artificial intelligence became more widely used, making reliable connectivity increasingly important to businesses and consumers. He stated that the NCC had been improving conditions for investment, including through the 2025 tariff adjustment, which addressed financial pressures on operators and their capacity to invest, with an expectation of improved services.
The NCC boss also mentioned that the designation of telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure and engagement with state governments on Right of Way were helping to protect telecom assets and reduce deployment costs. Additionally, the NCC was using network performance data and consumer complaints to identify service gaps and areas requiring further investment.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, highlighted the importance of digital connectivity as economic infrastructure critical to trade and investment. She noted that the telecommunications sector accounted for more than nine per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product in the first quarter of 2026, while mobile technologies and services contributed about $240bn to Africa’s economy in 2025.
Oduwole also identified opportunities in data centres, cloud services, fibre, broadband, fintech, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and digital logistics, while stressing the need for policy predictability and regulatory coordination. She emphasized that Nigeria was not approaching digital connectivity simply as a social infrastructure requirement but as an investable economic opportunity.
Other speakers at the forum, including the Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, and the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, represented by Adetunji Adeyemo, called for stronger public-private partnerships, innovative financing, and development finance to expand connectivity. They emphasized the need for reliable and transparent data to help investors identify and filter asset demand, understand market opportunities, and develop projects that are both commercially viable and developmental.
Key points
- The NCC is seeking fresh investment to expand telecommunications infrastructure as data consumption in Nigeria surged 47% in a year.
- The Nigerian government is promoting public-private partnerships to develop the country's digital infrastructure.
- The telecommunications sector accounted for more than nine per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product in the first quarter of 2026.
