Nigeria: NCC presents new regulatory framework to manage telecoms infrastructure
July 23rd 2025
Nigeria aims to achieve 80% internet coverage by 2027. Authorities are making strategic decisions to achieve their goal.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a plan to strengthen governance and regulation of telecom equipment deployment. The institution introduces new technical, financial, and operational assessment mechanisms in its new document.
This approach addresses several challenges, including lack of transparency in the use of funds, weak coordination between stakeholders, the concentration of infrastructure in urban areas, and redundant deployments. The new rules should help unify standards, map unserved areas, and track the progress of funded projects.
The NCC also emphasizes the need to strengthen internal capacities to process collected data, monitor operator performance, and adapt regulation to the evolving needs of the digital market. With a population of over 223.8 million (World Bank, 2023), Nigeria represents the largest market in Africa.
However, internet access is unevenly distributed, with the country having the largest number of people without mobile internet access on the continent (120 million), according to the Global Telecommunications Association (GSMA). By reforming its telecom infrastructure management framework, it aims to lay the foundations for more balanced, inclusive, and sustainable digital growth, while ensuring greater accountability for public and private investment in the sector.
According to the GSMA’s ” The Mobile Economy 2025 ” report , Nigeria is also expected to register 32 million new mobile internet subscribers by 2030.
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