….. Insists on Consumer Compensation
The Nigerian Communications Commission has disclosed that the Commission has set a target of 12,000 site upgrades in 2026 in order to cater to the growing demand for data consumption in the country, adding that out of this figure, about 2,800 had been completed as of April 2026.
According to the Commission, this is aside from the 3000 tower sites and other infrastructure that were upgraded in 2025.
The Commission’s Executive Vice-Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, made the disclosure during an interactive session with media practitioners on Friday 24th April, 2026 in Abuja.
“These upgrades cover additional spectrum for 4G sites and the conversion of older networks to more advanced technologies”, he explained.
Maida acknowledged that the over 170 per cent increase in data consumption was made possible by extensive upgrades of telecom infrastructure and tower sites across the country noting that one operator alone invested about $1 billion in network upgrades, in addition to industry-wide investments exceeding $1 billion in 2025.
Explaining why service improvements are sometimes not immediately noticeable, the EVC said, “When service improves, usage increases. This often leads to congestion returning faster than expected if capacity is not continuously expanded.”
Due to the significant improvement in service delivery there has been a noticeable drop in the number of consumer complaints, from 351,000 recorded in January 2025 to 76,000 in January 2026, Maida said.
The planned infrastructure upgrades will go a long way in addressing persistent challenges in network quality and capacity nationwide.
The Commission however also used the occasion to reiterate its earlier directive mandating telecom service providers to compensate subscribers for poor service quality.
Maida said that the Commission has introduced a compensation framework targeted at addressing service deficiencies experienced by subscribers stressing that affected users will receive airtime credits based on quality-of-service assessments conducted at the local government level.
“The compensation covers service performance between November 2025 and January 2026, with subsequent periods to be processed after validation. Subscribers will receive notifications once the rollout begins, following completion of verification processes.”
Maida explained that the compensation is a regulatory penalty on operators, for failing to meet defined service quality benchmarks, not a refund.
He revealed that there is a growing preference for smart phones with a 52 per cent shift from Second Generation and Third Generation phones more popularly known as 2G and 3G respectively, to Fourth Generation (4G) while adding that to achieve affordability and deepen inclusion the Commission is working to support local assembly and manufacture of smartphones.
On the difficulty in tracking criminals using mobile devices as well as the challenge of making the cyberspace safe for minors, Maida said stakeholders are developing a comprehensive cybersecurity framework.
“I can assure you that all stakeholders are working together to address some of the issues. The Nigerian Film and Censor Board, the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, the National Broadcasting Commission, all these agencies are working in synergy to address the challenges.
“There are occasions where inappropriate contents have been taken down some platforms to protect the citizens and children,” Dr Maida said.
To protect children from inappropriate contents on the social media, the EVC also advised parents to take necessary actions on the kinds of smartphones and sites their children have access to while using smartphones, saying inappropriately exposure to some contents could have far reaching implications on the society.
On the security aspect he said the Commission is working in conjunction with other stakeholders which are being coordinated by the office of the National Security Adviser to tackle such issues.