The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for increased public and private sector investment in telecommunications infrastructure to accelerate broadband expansion, improve service quality and support Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, made the call at the opening of the maiden Nigeria Digital Connectivity Investment Forum organised by the Commission in collaboration with Swedfund and Ookla in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Maida said the forum was designed to provide a strategic platform for regulators, investors, infrastructure providers and development partners to discuss the investment requirements needed to expand connectivity, identify barriers to infrastructure deployment and explore partnerships capable of accelerating digital transformation and economic development.
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He said the overarching objective was to mobilise investments that would improve connectivity, stimulate economic growth and enhance the quality of life of Nigerians.
Maida noted that Nigeria’s telecommunications sector had recorded significant growth over the past 25 years, demonstrating the impact of sound policy, transparent regulation and investor confidence.
According to him, the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector and the introduction of transparent licensing processes encouraged private sector participation, resulting in unprecedented growth in connectivity and communications services across the country.
“The experience of the last two and a half decades underscores the importance of creating an enabling environment for investment. As a regulator, the Commission remains committed to facilitating investment while ensuring consumer protection and promoting fair competition,” he said.
The NCC chief executive observed that demand for reliable digital connectivity continues to increase as individuals, businesses, educational institutions and public services increasingly depend on broadband-enabled technologies.
He added that the growing adoption of cloud-based services, digital platforms and artificial intelligence applications would further increase the need for robust and resilient telecommunications infrastructure.
Highlighting the scale of the demand, Maida disclosed that data consumption in Nigeria increased from approximately 1.13 million terabytes in July 2025 to about 1.66 million terabytes in July 2026, representing an increase of nearly 47 per cent within one year.
He said sustaining such growth would require significant investment in network expansion, modernisation and quality-of-service improvements.
“The investment challenge before us is not merely one of expanding coverage. It is also about ensuring that those already connected enjoy better service quality, improved user experiences, and infrastructure capable of supporting future technologies,” he said.
NCC Highlights Measures to Support Investment
Maida cited several measures already implemented by the government and the Commission to support investment in the telecommunications sector.
These include the telecommunications tariff adjustment approved in 2025 to strengthen operators’ capacity for network investment and service improvements, 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.
According to him, the initiatives are aimed at reducing barriers to network deployment and strengthening investor confidence in the sector.
He also stressed the Commission’s commitment to strengthening evidence-based regulation to improve transparency, enhance regulatory certainty and provide clearer insights into investment opportunities within the telecommunications industry.
Maida called on local and international investors, development finance institutions, infrastructure providers and other industry stakeholders to take advantage of emerging opportunities in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector and partner with the Commission to expand digital connectivity across the country.
“The investment we advance today must ultimately translate into better opportunities for Nigerians, improved access to services, and a stronger digital economy that supports sustainable national development,” he said.
He commended Swedfund and Ookla for their strategic partnership and contributions to the successful organisation of the forum.
According to him, both organisations have played important roles in supporting the Commission’s efforts to deepen data-driven decision-making and improve understanding of connectivity realities across Nigeria.
Maida said the collaboration with Swedfund and Ookla provides independent insights into consumers’ actual connectivity experiences, helping the Commission identify service gaps, monitor network performance and assess areas requiring additional investment.
He explained that data generated through the partnership was being integrated with other market and network information to provide a more comprehensive understanding of infrastructure needs and investment opportunities across the country.
NCC Consumer Data Lab
The NCC chief executive also highlighted the role of the Commission’s Consumer Data Lab, funded by the Gates Foundation and developed in collaboration with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA).
He disclosed that the platform integrates Ookla’s network performance data, consumer complaints and operators’ intervention reports into a single dashboard, enabling deeper analysis of connectivity issues by location and demographic characteristics.
“This helps us investigate service problems and assess whether operators’ interventions have improved consumers’ experience. It also gives us a more useful picture of where further deployment or network upgrades may be needed. We want investors to benefit from that understanding, and from regulatory decisions that are clear, proportionate and supported by evidence,” he said.
Digital Infrastructure Critical to Trade and Investment
Delivering her keynote address, titled “Connectivity and Competitiveness: Digital Infrastructure as a Driver of Investment Climate and Trade,” the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, commended the NCC and its partners for convening the investment forum.
Oduwole said the discussion was centred on the infrastructure required to produce, connect, invest and trade in a modern economy.
She described the forum as timely, noting that the quality of a country’s digital infrastructure increasingly influences its investment climate, competitiveness and ability to participate meaningfully in international trade.
According to her, the future of trade is increasingly digital, with private networks, data centres, digital platforms and secure data systems becoming critical to commercial transactions.
Sweden Seeks Deeper Digital Investment Ties
The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, acknowledged significant gaps in connectivity coverage, quality, affordability and supporting infrastructure.
She stressed the need for government, industry and investors to work together to address the challenges.
Westerholm said data on network performance and user experience could help identify areas requiring investment, reduce uncertainty and strengthen investor confidence.
She also identified energy, cybersecurity and digital skills as important components of a sustainable connectivity ecosystem.
“Sweden is interested in deepening commercial and investment relations with Nigeria, particularly in digitalisation and connectivity. Swedish institutions and companies could contribute technology, commercial expertise, development finance, export financing and project development to support Nigerian infrastructure priorities,” she said.
Ookla Highlights Role of Connectivity Data
Commenting on the forum, Tristan Muhader, Vice President of Sales, Middle East and Africa, at Ookla, said connectivity had evolved beyond its traditional role of enabling phone calls and internet browsing.
“Connectivity is no longer simply the channel through which we make calls or browse the internet. It is becoming the operating layer for economic and public activity across sectors, from essential services to AI. That makes its performance and resilience a national priority,” Muhader said.
She added that Ookla’s collaboration with the NCC provides independent, crowdsourced intelligence that helps reveal the connectivity experience of users and identify areas where infrastructure investment could have significant impact.
According to her, the data could also help authorities understand the impact of network disruptions and verify recovery.
“The forum is an opportunity to turn shared evidence into smarter investment, stronger national digital resilience and a more competitive digital economy for Nigeria,” she said.
Government Reaffirms Digital Infrastructure Commitment
Representing the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, the Director of the National Frequency Management Council, Adetunji Adeyemo, said reliable, affordable, resilient and accessible digital infrastructure was essential to Nigeria’s economic transformation.
He said the Nigerian Government had identified infrastructure, policy and innovation, entrepreneurship and capital as key strategic priorities.
The two-day forum brings together policymakers, investors, development finance institutions, telecommunications operators, infrastructure providers, technology companies and development partners to explore investment opportunities in digital connectivity across Nigeria.
