Nigeria’s Telecom Regulator Sets 2026 Agenda for Network Investment, Governance and Service Quality

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reiterated its commitment to holding telecom operators accountable, as it moves to drive significant improvements in quality of service, consumer experience, and corporate governance across Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.

The Commission said operators are expected to make deliberate investments in network expansion, capacity, and resilience, reduce avoidable service outages, strengthen incident response plans, and ensure clear, transparent communication with consumers during service disruptions.

Operators face stricter expectations

According to the NCC, telecom companies must also simplify tariff structures and improve pricing clarity, in line with regulatory guidelines. Operators are expected to upgrade customer care operations and treat consumer complaints as critical feedback rather than routine issues.

These directives are contained in a policy document titled “2026: Delivering Better Quality of Experience to the Nigerian Consumer,” signed by the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida.

The document further stresses the need for operators to protect the integrity of the telecom ecosystem, including timely settlement with critical suppliers to ensure service sustainability.

“Put simply, stronger networks, clearer communication, better customer care, stricter compliance,” Maida stated.

Corporate governance in focus

The NCC said operators must fully comply with the revised Corporate Governance Code for the communications sector, alongside other existing regulatory obligations. In 2026, the Commission plans to operationalise the revised code to strengthen board and management accountability, making governance a key driver of performance in the industry.

Regulatory priorities for 2026

On its part, the NCC said it will prioritise quality of service (QoS) and network resilience by:

Deepening QoS monitoring

Strengthening major incident reporting and escalation

Improving network availability and performance, especially in high-traffic areas and persistent black spots

The Commission also pledged to intensify its focus on consumer protection and transparency, reinforcing tariff transparency, billing accuracy, customer care standards, and safeguards against misleading practices. Consumers, it added, will see more consistent public communication during major service incidents.

Competition, compliance, and enforcement

In 2026, the NCC said it will continue to promote fair competition and market discipline, prevent anti-competitive conduct, and support innovation that delivers better services and pricing for consumers.

The regulator also promised clear and transparent regulatory processes, improved efficiency in licensing and approvals, and structured, evidence-based engagement with stakeholders through consultations and working groups.

Persistent or material non-compliance, the Commission warned, will attract appropriate regulatory consequences, applied in a fair, transparent, and proportionate manner.

Infrastructure protection and sector sustainability

To move the sector forward, the NCC said it will regularly publish industry performance insights, strengthen the protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), and reduce vandalism, theft, and service disruptions.

This effort, the Commission noted, is being pursued in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), whose increased involvement has improved rapid response and nationwide infrastructure protection.

The NCC also highlighted the importance of power resilience and energy efficiency to improve network uptime and stability, as well as stronger partnerships with sub-national governments through the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to address right-of-way (RoW) challenges, ease deployment bottlenecks, and accelerate network rollout at state and local levels.