Dr. Aminu Maida serves as the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). In this interview, he explains the Commission's approach to improving consumer experience in the telecom sector and addressing growing demand on networks.
What constitutes a good consumer experience in telecommunications?
From the NCC's perspective, a good consumer experience encompasses the entire journey of using telecom services. It begins with the moment a consumer decides whether they want a mobile or fixed connection, which provider to choose, how to purchase services, how to escalate complaints while using the service, and finally how to terminate or switch providers. For the Commission, experience spans the complete lifecycle of a consumer's engagement with telecom services.
The most critical element is the quality of network performance — what consumers expect when they pay for services. While 'quality of service' traditionally refers to network performance metrics, the NCC now measures these from the user's perspective rather than just the network's perspective. This means the Commission now uses platforms that report actual user experiences, not just raw network data.
For example, if one tower goes down and places additional stress on surrounding towers, the consumer may still be connected but with degraded service. The old approach would not capture this user-level impact.
Current state of data consumption in Nigeria
Data consumption in Nigeria has grown significantly. The Commission cited 1.6 million terabytes in July, rising to 1.75 million terabytes by August. There is an average monthly growth exceeding 5%, with a 39% increase from February to August alone. If this trend continues, consumption could reach 2 million terabytes by December.
This increasing demand comes alongside rising average network speeds and growing GDP contribution, while investment activities in the sector also continue to expand. The Commission acknowledges that user experience has improved but remains below where it needs to be.
Consumer choice tools
The NCC provides consumers with tools to make informed choices. Its website features a national coverage map showing network performance across the country based on crowdsourced data from users. Consumers can check which networks are available and how they perform at specific locations — for instance, comparing Globacom, MTN, or Airtel in areas like Kuje or Gwagwalada.
Why does Nigeria operate cost-reflective tariffs?
The requirement for cost-reflective tariffs dates back to the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003, which was itself a product of the National Telecom Policy 2000. At the time of liberalisation, Nigeria had only about 500,000 telephone lines and ranked third from the bottom globally in teledensity alongside Afghanistan and Mongolia. The policy aimed to attract investment to build fit-for-purpose networks and improve teledensity.
Cost-reflective tariffs mean operators can recover their costs and earn a fair return, preventing the industry from becoming a social service. The NCC's role is not to set prices directly but to model them — benchmarking operators' cost structures and establishing price ranges that allow fair returns and healthy competition. Foreign investors, who are highly mobile, will go where they can earn returns.
Unfortunately, operators had not adjusted tariffs in over a decade despite inflationary pressures. Three countries — Sweden (Ericsson), Finland (Nokia), and China (ZTE and Huawei) — build the major components of mobile telecom equipment. When the dollar rises, operators face increased costs for equipment upgrades and expansion. Additionally, the removal of fuel subsidies has raised energy costs significantly.
In 2024, operators threatened to implement load-shedding — shutting down networks at night — which the NCC stopped through regulatory intervention.
GDP contribution of the telecom sector
Before 2024-2023, the telecom sector contributed approximately 9% to GDP. Under current reforms, this figure has risen to around 10%. Average user speeds are also steadily increasing, reflecting the sector's growing vibrancy.
Zero-rated access for Nigerian students
The zero-rated initiative provides 100 megabytes per day for approved educational platforms only — not unlimited internet or free access. The Commission works with the Ministry of Education to define approved content. At 100 megabytes daily, consumers can download substantial documents over a week, listen to multiple lectures, and access educational materials consistently throughout the year.
Impact of vandalism on telecom infrastructure
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed an executive order in 2024 designating telecom assets as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), making vandalism a serious criminal offence. A fibre cut in the North Central region combined with bush burning on backup fibre disconnected southern Nigeria from the north for a time. Networks unable to offer optimal services during the disruption overloaded as consumers switched providers.
Hospitals, schools, and financial institutions all depend on telecom connectivity. The Commission is working with the Federal Ministry of Works through the Office of the National Security Adviser to establish a framework requiring advance notification before road construction or other work that could damage fibre cables. Edo State has shown significant progress in reducing such damage.
Access denial by government agencies and landlords also frequently degrades service quality, sometimes affecting sites critical to 10 or 20 other dependent sites.
Compensation framework
The NCC revised its regulations in 2024 to strengthen enforcement. Previously, penalties were applied only at sub-national levels, masking poor performance in specific areas. Now the Commission can hold operators accountable at the local government level on a monthly basis. Sanctions now combine monetary penalties with compensation to consumers, delivered quarterly. The Commission reports that at least one operator completed or partially completed compensation payments two weeks prior.
Future plans
Maida's overarching goal is reliable and robust internet for citizens and businesses, which will unlock economic productivity. Project Bridge, a 90,000-kilometre fibre backbone project led by the Honourable Minister, will improve resilience and expand fibre coverage. While fibre already connects every state in Nigeria, the key remaining challenge is opening fibre access beyond mobile operators' tower connections into buildings, homes, businesses, and public spaces — enabling unlimited internet over Wi-Fi and reducing strain on mobile networks.