The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged stakeholders to invest in the country's digital infrastructure to drive growth in the sector. The call was made by the NCC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Aminu Maida, at the maiden Nigeria Digital Connectivity Investment Forum in Abuja. The forum aimed to bring regulators, investors, infrastructure providers, and development partners together to identify the investment required to expand connectivity and tackle barriers to infrastructure deployment.
According to Dr Maida, the growth recorded in Nigeria's telecommunications sector over the past 25 years demonstrated the impact of sound policy, transparent regulation, and investor confidence. The liberalisation of the sector and transparent licensing processes opened the door for private investment, driving significant expansion in connectivity and communications services across the country. Maida noted that the experience of the last two and a half decades underscores the importance of creating an enabling environment for investment.
The NCC chief executive disclosed that data consumption in Nigeria rose from about 1.13 million terabytes in July 2025 to approximately 1.66 million terabytes in July 2026, representing an increase of nearly 47 per cent in one year. He said the pace of growth required sustained investment in network expansion, modernisation, and service quality. Maida identified the 2025 telecommunications tariff adjustment, 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 as some of the measures aimed at reducing deployment barriers and strengthening investor confidence.
Dr Maida reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to evidence-based regulation, saying greater access to reliable market and network data would improve transparency, regulatory certainty, and understanding of investment opportunities. He urged local and international investors, development finance institutions, infrastructure providers, and other industry stakeholders to take advantage of emerging opportunities and work with the Commission to expand digital connectivity across Nigeria. The investments in the sector must ultimately deliver improved access to services, better economic opportunities, and a stronger digital economy.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said the quality of digital infrastructure was increasingly shaping the investment climate, national competitiveness, and participation in international trade. In her keynote address, Oduwole noted that modern trade increasingly depends on digital infrastructure, including private networks, data centres, digital platforms, and secure data systems. The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, stressed that government, industry, and investors must work together to address significant gaps in connectivity coverage, quality, affordability, and supporting infrastructure.
The two-day forum brings together policymakers, investors, development finance institutions, telecommunications operators, infrastructure providers, technology companies, and development partners to examine investment opportunities and infrastructure requirements across Nigeria's digital connectivity ecosystem. The NCC chief executive commended Swedfund and Ookla for partnering with the Commission, particularly in strengthening data-driven decision-making and providing insight into connectivity experiences across the country.
The forum aims to drive growth in Nigeria's digital economy by improving access to reliable digital connectivity. Key stakeholders are expected to discuss ways to address the investment challenge in the sector and develop partnerships capable of accelerating Nigeria's digital transformation. The NCC remains committed to facilitating investment while ensuring consumer protection and promoting fair competition.
Key points
- The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for increased public and private sector investment in telecommunications infrastructure to accelerate broadband expansion and improve service quality.
- The growth recorded in Nigeria's telecommunications sector over the past 25 years demonstrated the impact of sound policy, transparent regulation, and investor confidence.
- Data consumption in Nigeria rose from about 1.13 million terabytes in July 2025 to approximately 1.66 million terabytes in July 2026, representing an increase of nearly 47 per cent in one year.
