The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has emphasised the need for sustained investment in the country’s digital connectivity infrastructure.
The Commission warned that the exponential rise in data consumption and growing reliance on cloud services and artificial intelligence, are putting greater demands and pressure on telecommunications networks.
The Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, made the call on Tuesday, September 28, 2026, at the opening of the inaugural Nigeria Digital Connectivity Investment Forum in Abuja.
He disclosed at the conference that Nigerians consumed about 1.66 million terabytes of data in July 2026, compared with 1.13 million terabytes in July 2025, representing an increase of almost 47 per cent within 12 months.
He said the surge demonstrated the need for continued investment not only in expanding telecommunications networks, but also in improving the quality of services available to existing and new users.
According to him, the growing dependence of traders, students and businesses on reliable connectivity means that digital infrastructure has become increasingly critical to Nigeria’s economic and social development.
“Keeping pace will require sustained investment, both to expand networks and to improve the experience of people already connected,” Maida stressed.
He further disclosed that the Commission had been working to create more conducive environment for investment, pointing to the 2025 telecommunications tariff adjustment, which he said, addressed financial pressures on operators and their capacity to invest, while carrying an expectation of improved services for consumers.
He further noted that the NCC’s engagement with state governments on Right of Way issues was helping to address deployment costs and facilitate infrastructure expansion.
He said investors required confidence in the consistency and transparency of regulatory decisions, while acknowledging that practical challenges associated with deploying infrastructure still needed to be addressed.
He added that the NCC’s collaboration with Swedfund and Ookla was providing independent insight into the quality of connectivity experienced by Nigerians, which, combined with network and market data, was being used to identify service gaps and areas requiring further investment.
Maida also cited the Commission’s Consumer Data Lab, funded by the Gates Foundation and developed in collaboration with Innovations for Poverty Action, as another initiative helping to combine Ookla data, consumer complaints and information on operators’ interventions.
He said the platform would enable the commission examine service issues by location and demographic group, assess the impact of operators’ interventions and identify areas requiring further network deployment or upgrades.
The two-day forum, according to Maida, would examine investment opportunities across Nigeria and explore the financing models and partnerships required to unlock them.
He said while some projects could attract immediate commercial investment, others might require improved project preparation, shared infrastructure or development finance.
He urged participants to use the forum to identify viable projects, address obstacles to investment and establish concrete areas of collaboration.
He said Nigeria’s next phase of economic growth would depend significantly on how effectively the country connected its people and businesses.
