The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that telecom operators in Nigeria have committed to upgrading 12,000 network sites in 2026, in a major push to improve service quality and expand coverage nationwide.
Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, disclosed this during a media briefing held in Lagos on Thursday, urging subscribers to remain patient as ongoing infrastructure investments begin to translate into better user experience.
Maida revealed that the scale of planned upgrades marks a significant jump from 2025, when operators carried out just over 300 site upgrades focused on improving coverage and capacity. In contrast, the 2026 target of 12,000 upgrades signals an aggressive expansion strategy across the industry.
“So far, 2,800 of those have been done, including about 63 new sites,” he said, noting that the current pace already surpasses last year’s total performance.
The upgrades include the deployment of additional spectrum on existing 4G sites, as well as the conversion of legacy 2G and 3G infrastructure to more advanced 4G and 5G networks.
According to the NCC, these improvements are expected to significantly enhance network speed, reliability, and overall service delivery.
The NCC boss said telecom operators have maintained strong investment momentum, with at least one major operator already exceeding $1 billion in capital expenditure this year alone.
He noted that such large-scale funding is being channelled into network expansion, infrastructure upgrades, and capacity improvements aimed at addressing persistent service challenges across the country.
The investment surge follows regulatory reforms, including a 50 percent tariff adjustment approved in 2025, which the commission says helped unlock funding and reverse years of under-investment in the sector.
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Maida explained that prior to the adjustment; the telecom value chain had been imbalanced. While tower companies could adjust prices in response to inflation and foreign exchange fluctuations, mobile network operators were constrained by fixed tariffs, limiting their ability to invest in network upgrades.
On spectrum management, the NCC highlighted recent efforts to optimise the use of available frequencies to improve network performance.
Maida described spectrum as the “highway” for telecom traffic, stressing that broader and more efficient spectrum allocation directly translates into better service quality.
In addition, the NCC released a substantial portion of its own 50MHz spectrum holdings to further support the industry.
“This was what enabled some of the site upgrades that I was referring to, so that the operators can have wider highways and better quality highways,” Maida said.
He added that lower-band spectrum is particularly critical for expanding connectivity in rural and underserved areas due to its wider coverage range.
Beyond infrastructure and investment, the NCC is also strengthening consumer protection. Maida confirmed that the commission’s directive on compensation for subscribers affected by poor service will take immediate effect.
“The philosophy here was that it lets the people who are suffering get something back,” he said, indicating a shift toward greater accountability for service quality.