*As NCC proposes ₦472bn in 2026 budget
The National Assembly has commended the steady growth of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector stressing that such goes with focused leadership.
The commendation was made while the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) presented its proposed ₦472 billion budget for the 2026 fiscal year before the Assembly.
Dueing a joint budget defence session of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Communications, where the telecom regulator also addressed questions on service quality and utilisation of previously approved funds, the House members scrutinized the NCC management approach, applauding them for their efforts.
The session was chaired by Hon. Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Communications, alongside the Chairman of the House Committee on Communications, Hon. Akeem Adeniyi Adeyemi.
Presenting the Commission’s proposal, the Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, De. Aminu Maida, said the regulator is seeking ₦472 billion in total expenditure for 2026, in line with the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework.
Maida, who spoke through the Commission’s Head of Finance, De. James Kalu, said the telecommunications sector recorded a growth rate of 5.17 per cent in 2025, maintaining its position as one of the most resilient contributors to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He attributed the sector’s performance to continued infrastructure expansion and increasing demand for digital services nationwide.
According to him, regulatory actions and investments by telecom operators led to the deployment and upgrade of about 2,800 telecom sites across the country in 2025, boosting network capacity and expanding broadband penetration by six per cent to approximately 50 per cent nationwide.
The Commission also reported improvements in internet performance indicators during the period, with average data speeds increasing by about 24 per cent—from roughly 16 megabits per second to around 20 megabits per second.
Despite acknowledging the sector’s progress, lawmakers expressed concern over persistent service quality challenges in several parts of the country, including the nation’s capital, Abuja.
They urged the NCC to strengthen regulatory oversight to ensure Nigerians enjoy reliable and affordable telecommunications services.
Lawmakers also scrutinised the Commission’s financial performance, pointing to discrepancies between approved budgets and actual spending in the previous fiscal year.
According to the legislators, of the ₦95 billion approved for recurrent expenditure in 2025, about ₦73 billion was utilised, while only about ₦7 billion of the ₦10 billion allocated for capital projects was spent.
However, the committees commended the NCC for its strong revenue contribution to the Federal Government.
While the Commission initially projected about ₦30 billion in remittances to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2025, it ultimately remitted ₦102 billion.
For the 2026 fiscal year, the NCC proposed ₦424 billion for recurrent expenditure and ₦15 billion for capital and special projects.
The Commission also projected that it would remit ₦207 billion to the Federal Government and transfer ₦20 billion to the Universal Service Provision Fund to support telecommunications infrastructure expansion in rural and underserved communities.
Beyond financial matters, lawmakers requested further clarification on the Commission’s long-term digital strategy, including its 2036 roadmap, spectrum management plans, Right-of-Way framework, and data retention policies.
In response, the NCC assured the National Assembly of its commitment to strengthening regulatory compliance, enhancing consumer protection, and expanding telecommunications infrastructure as part of Nigeria’s broader digital transformation agenda.
