The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has warned that “appropriate regulatory action” will be taken against MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom and T2 if they fail to address persistent network issues and improve the quality of call and data services.
Tijani made this known in a statement issued to Nairametrics on Sunday.
The warning comes weeks after the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission refuted claims that it had cancelled or banned airtime borrowing and data advance services, attributing the temporary suspension to actions by service providers.
The minister said the regulatory warning is based on the expectation that recent investments in the telecom sector will close critical gaps in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure within the next two to five years and permanently improve connectivity nationwide.
He also stressed the need for immediate steps to stabilize the sector.
“We have secured funding, led by the World Bank, and established the framework for a special purpose vehicle with Project BRIDGE to deliver nationwide open-access fibre infrastructure. Deployment of fibre will commence, alongside new tower rollouts through NUCAP, before the end of the year, even as we also expand our satellite capability.
“What this means in practical terms is simple.
“A small business owner should be able to access reliable, high-speed fibre internet directly at their home or shop, rather than relying solely on dongles or unstable mobile connections. That is the level of meaningful connectivity we are building towards,” he stressed.
According to him, operators are now functioning in a more stable, transparent and market-driven environment, and have returned to profitability.
He noted that this places them in a stronger position, with the capacity and financial resources required to address lingering network challenges and enhance the quality of service provided to Nigerians.
“Going forward, we expect to see clear and measurable improvements in call quality, data performance, and coverage,” he warned.
The minister added that operators who meet expectations and improve service delivery will be duly acknowledged.
“Where they do not, the Commission is expected to take appropriate regulatory action.
“Nigerians should begin to see improvements in Quality of Service and receive value for what they pay for, now and in the future,” he added.
The move follows a directive by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) instructing Mobile Network Operators to compensate subscribers in locations where network quality fails to meet prescribed standards.
The directive forms part of broader efforts to enhance consumer protection and ensure that telecom users do not bear the consequences of poor service delivery.
Nigeria’s telecom sector has long grappled with complaints over dropped calls, weak network signals, and slow data speeds.
In response, the NCC has stepped up service quality monitoring and enforcement of performance standards across the industry
