Nigeria’s telecommunications regulator said it removed more than 450 illegal signal boosters in 2025 and fined operators a combined N45 million ($29,000) as part of a wider enforcement and transparency drive aimed at improving service quality nationwide.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) disclosed the actions in a detailed response to a formal request from Bosun Tijani, the minister of Communications and Digital Economy, outlining measures already taken to strengthen oversight, improve consumer experience and sanction defaulting operators.
The commission said enforcement teams dismantled more than 450 unauthorised signal boosters across the Federal Capital Territory in 2025, devices found to significantly degrade network quality in surrounding areas.
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Follow-up analysis showed immediate gains, with at least 70 network sites recording measurable performance improvements after the booster removals, supported by operator metrics, crowdsourced data and a decline in related consumer complaints, the regulator said.
The NCC said addressing persistent quality-of-service challenges remains central to its regulatory agenda for 2026, with a renewed emphasis on openness, faster responsiveness and visible service outcomes for consumers.
As part of a transparency push, the regulator said it expanded public disclosure to strengthen consumer confidence and compel operators to improve quality of experience. It cited the approval of tariff adjustments in January 2025 as a calibrated intervention aimed at sustaining industry viability while supporting continued network investment.
According to the commission, Nigeria’s telecoms sector attracted more than $1 billion in fresh capital in 2025, alongside the rollout of over 2,850 new and upgraded network sites nationwide, laying the foundation for sustained service improvements.
On consumer protection, the NCC said it adopted a targeted complaint-management strategy focused on the most frequently reported issues, including poor service quality, rapid data depletion and refunds for failed transactions.
Operators are now required to notify subscribers of major outages and maintenance activities, while a Major Outages Reporting Portal launched on the commission’s website provides real-time information on network disruptions, their scope and remedial actions.
The regulator also launched a crowdsourced National Coverage Map in October 2025, allowing users to compare operator performance across locations using anonymised, near real-time data, and began publishing quarterly industry performance reports with state-by-state and regional breakdowns.
To strengthen enforcement, the NCC said it now receives daily granular performance data from operators and infrastructure firms and reinstated nationwide drive tests in 2025 after nearly a decade, covering both urban and rural areas to independently validate reported data.
Addressing complaints over data depletion, the commission said it issued tariff simplification guidelines in November 2024, directing operators to reduce the number of tariff plans and standardise disclosures to improve clarity for consumers.
The regulator said routine audits and spot checks remain in place, noting that a fourth-quarter 2025 audit of 965 base stations in the Federal Capital Territory uncovered 5,557 infractions, with 81 percent remedied by year-end.
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On failed airtime and data recharges, the NCC said refunds exceeding N10 billion have already been facilitated in collaboration with the central bank, operators and financial firms, with a formal framework expected to be launched in March 2026.
It said Globacom, Airtel and infrastructure provider IHS were fined a combined N45 million in October 2025, while additional cases carrying potential liabilities of N12.4 billion are undergoing regulatory processing.
Beyond enforcement, the commission said it approved spectrum trades and reassignments, reallocating about 50 MHz of underutilised spectrum. The reassignment of an additional contiguous 10 MHz to Globacom helped raise its average 4G download speeds to about 15 megabits per second by late 2025, from around 9.5 Mbps previously.
The NCC added that Nigeria’s first Spectrum Roadmap, covering 2025 to 2030, has been drafted and is expected to be released by March 2026 after board approval.
