By NEWSCOUNT Desk

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 on September 29, 2026, at the opening of the maiden Nigeria Digital Connectivity Investment Forum organised by the Commission in collaboration with Swedfund and Ookla in Abuja.

Maida said the forum was designed to provide a strategic platform for regulators, investors, infrastructure providers and development partners to examine investment requirements for expanding connectivity, identify barriers to infrastructure deployment and explore partnerships capable of accelerating digital transformation and economic development.

He said Nigeria’s telecommunications success over the last 25 years demonstrated the impact of sound policy, transparent regulation and investor confidence, noting that the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector and introduction of transparent licensing processes encouraged private sector participation and led to significant growth in connectivity and communications services.

“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.

Maida noted that demand for reliable digital connectivity was rising as individuals, businesses, educational institutions and public services increasingly depended on broadband-enabled technologies, adding that the growing use of cloud-based services, digital platforms and Artificial Intelligence applications would further increase the need for robust and resilient telecommunications infrastructure.

He 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 nearly 47 per cent growth within one year.

He said sustaining such growth would require substantial 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,” Maida said.

The NCC chief executive cited the telecommunications tariff adjustment approved in 2025 to support operators’ capacity for network investment and service improvement, 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 as measures aimed at reducing barriers to network deployment and improving investor confidence.

He also stressed the Commission’s determination to strengthen evidence-based regulation to improve transparency, enhance regulatory certainty and provide clearer insights into investment opportunities in the telecommunications sector.

Maida called on local and international investors, development finance institutions, infrastructure providers and other industry stakeholders to take advantage of emerging opportunities and partner with the Commission to expand digital connectivity across Nigeria.

He said the investments made today should translate into better opportunities for Nigerians, improved access to services and a stronger digital economy capable of supporting national development.

Maida commended Swedfund and Ookla for their partnership and contributions to the forum, noting that both organisations had supported the Commission’s efforts to deepen data-driven decision-making and improve understanding of connectivity realities across Nigeria.

According to him, the collaboration provides independent insights into the actual connectivity experience of consumers and supports the Commission’s efforts to identify service gaps, monitor network performance and assess areas requiring additional investment.

He said 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.

Maida 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.

Delivering the keynote address on “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 forum.

Oduwole said the discussion was about the infrastructure required to produce, connect, invest and trade in a modern economy, adding that the quality of a country’s digital infrastructure increasingly determines the quality of its investment climate, competitiveness and ability to participate meaningfully in international trade.

She noted that the future of trade was increasingly digital, with private networks, data centres, digital platforms and secure data systems becoming critical to transactions.

The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, acknowledged gaps in connectivity coverage, quality, affordability and supporting infrastructure, saying government, industry and investors would need to work together to address them.

She said data on network performance and user experience could help identify areas requiring investment, reduce uncertainty and strengthen investor confidence, while energy, cybersecurity and digital skills were also 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,” Westerholm said.

Also speaking, the Vice President, Sales, Middle East and Africa, Ookla, Tristan Muhader, said connectivity had moved beyond its traditional role as a means of making calls and browsing the internet and was increasingly becoming an operating layer for economic and public activity across sectors.

She said Ookla’s collaboration with the NCC provided independent, crowdsourced intelligence on the connectivity experience of users and helped identify areas where infrastructure investment could have significant impact.

Muhader added that the data could also help authorities understand the impact of disruptions and verify recovery, describing the forum as an opportunity to turn shared evidence into investment decisions, stronger digital resilience and a more competitive digital economy for Nigeria.

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 Federal 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.