The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said plans are underway to launch public evaluation map that will help network subscribers ascertain the quality of services provided by telecom operators.
Speaking at an interactive session with the media in Abuja on Tuesday, the Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Aminu Maida said the initiative is aimed at strengthening digital services nationwide.
He explained that the move is in line with the presidential order that designated telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).
Maida said the evaluation would pave way for improved service delivery and enforcing compliance among telecom operators.
According to him, with over 171million mobile subscribers and a teledensity of 79.22% as of last June 2025, there was the need for continued service improvement by the operators.
In addition, he advocated for corporate governance in the telecom sector which will bring about transparency and security.
The NCC’s evolving regulatory approach leans heavily on transparency and the power of information disclosure.
Maida revealed that recent data releases — including rebased telecom subscriber numbers and infrastructure incident reports — were part of a deliberate strategy to drive change.
“We saw that just by putting out the truth, it triggered over a billion dollars in new investments this year,” he said. “That’s more than the previous two years combined.”
Maida stressed that more capital injection is critical to the sector’s future.
“What we actually need to take us to the next level is a fresh injection of capital into this industry,” he said, adding that good governance and trust are key to unlocking such investments.
He added that new indices — including compliance rankings, quality of service reports, and consumer satisfaction scores — will soon be published quarterly.
“These reports will name operators with the most infractions and provide consumers and investors with objective data to make informed choices.
“Investors will put money where the metrics are strong — whether it’s quality of service, compliance, or consumer satisfaction,” he said.
On the consumer front, Maida said the NCC is prioritising resolution of the top three complaints: poor quality of service, data depletion, and failed recharge transactions.
Regarding data depletion, he said a forensic audit by top-tier auditors like KPMG and PwC revealed that operators were not stealing data.
“It was more of a perception issue,” he said.
“Customers were not aware that high-definition videos, hotspot sharing, or newer phones like iPhone 16 consume more data.”
To address confusion in pricing, the NCC has mandated operators to simplify their tariff structures and publish a standard disclosure table. According to Maida, “No more ‘buy this, get extra that’.
“Every operator must disclose call, SMS and data rates in a uniform table so consumers can compare apples to apples,” Maida explained.
