Nigeria’s mobile-phone operators plan to step up spending on network infrastructure this year, promising to invest more than the over $1bn (N1.4tn) ploughed into the sector in 2025, the Nigerian Communications Commission has said.
The commitment comes after a year of heavy capital expenditure last year, when telcos rolled out more than 2,850 new network sites. The expansion extended coverage across cities, rural areas, and major transport corridors, while also supporting the gradual spread of 5G services.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, said the improvements captured in the regulator’s latest network performance report released this week were largely driven by last year’s spending.
“In 2025, over $1bn in industry investment resulted in the deployment of more than 2,850 new sites to expand both coverage and capacity nationwide. Much of the progress reflected in today’s reports is a direct outcome of these investments,” the regulator said in a remark shared with The PUNCH on Thursday.
“We have secured commitments from operators to exceed their 2025 investment levels in 2026, with infrastructure investments continuing in earnest.”
