Abuja, April 30, 2025 – Operators in the telecom sector have committed over $1 billion to the improvement of services in the sector.
Dr Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), disclosed this on Tuesday while speaking at a colloquium organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Communications.
He said the $1 billion was being spent by the operators to procure new equipment to enhance telecom infrastructure for improved service delivery.
Maid said the NCC and operators were collaborating to build resilient and robust telecoms infrastructure for the benefit of all Nigerians.
He said the $1 billion was also more than what was invested last year and more than double what was invested in 2023.
He assured Nigerians of improved telecom services as soon as operators received new equipment and urged them to bear with the operators.
Maida said the NCC had started a review of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) of 2003 because of the need to align the law with evolving realities and Nigeria’s digital aspirations.
He said the current laws had become misaligned with the future realities as emerging technologies and growing connectivity disparities had rendered several aspects of the Act outdated.
“The industry is experiencing a seismic shift driven by AI, 5G, quantum computing, IoT, and blockchain. Our regulatory framework must evolve just as quickly if we are to maintain momentum and close the digital divide,” he said.
Maida also highlighted the structural barriers such as poor power supply, high cost of Right of Way (RoW) approvals, and rising operational costs, which he said, had hampered digital infrastructure expansion.
He listed cyber security threats and escalating capital requirements as additional challenges which the current laws could not adequately address.
“The reality of 2025 demands we reimagine Nigeria’s digital future. A revised Communications Act must anticipate opportunities, not merely respond to challenges,” he said.
