By Godfrey Progress
In 2025, the Nigerian telecom sector received more than $1 billion in capital investments, which resulted in the installation of more than 2,850 new network sites around the country.
Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), revealed this. He added that the investment, which increased network capacity and coverage, supported gains in service quality noted in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The revelation, which was made in a statement yesterday, came after the NCC’s fourth quarter, 2025 Network Performance Reports were officially released on Wednesday. This industry assessment was created in partnership with the international internet analytics company Ookla to gauge actual network performance in urban areas, rural communities, highways, and developing 5G zones.
According to Maida, the studies demonstrated consistent improvements in network quality, including a closing video Quality of Experience gap, a strengthening 4G backbone nationwide, and improvements in median download speeds in both urban and rural areas when compared to the prior quarter.
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“These reports enable us to track progress, identify gaps, and guide targeted regulatory interventions—ranging from spectrum optimization and infrastructure upgrades to quality-of-service enforcement and the expansion of rural connectivity,” he continued.
When compared to Q3 performance, the data clearly and consistently demonstrates improvements in network quality, especially in median download speeds in both urban and rural locations. Notably, the video Quality of Experience difference between urban and rural locations has shrunk, and the strength of our 4G backbone continues to improve.
In order to increase coverage and capacity across the country, more than 2,850 additional sites were deployed in 2025 as a consequence of over $1 billion in industry investment. These investments are directly responsible for a large portion of the advancements shown in today’s reports.
Maida claims that the study demonstrates NCC’s dedication to open, data-driven regulation and the ongoing development of Nigeria’s digital economy.
The head of the NCC stated that there are still gaps in 5G availability, upload speeds, and mobile service coverage despite the advancements, pointing out that regulatory interactions with operators are continuing to close these gaps.
As the commission strives for increased connectivity and better service quality across the country, he revealed that operators have pledged to surpass their 2025 investment levels in 2026, indicating consistent capital inflows into network development and upgrades.
