Nigeria: NCC Warns Tower Firms Over Service Quality, Signals Sanctions for Non-Compliance

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a strong warning to telecom tower companies, stating that firms failing to meet infrastructure and service quality expectations risk facing regulatory sanctions.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, the Commission’s Executive Vice Chairman, Aminu Maida, said the regulator is expanding its enforcement focus beyond mobile network operators to include tower companies, given their critical role in the telecom value chain.

He emphasised that tower providers—responsible for site infrastructure, power supply, and security—are now fully within the NCC’s compliance framework, noting that lapses in these areas directly affect service delivery.

“The commission retains the discretion to impose financial sanctions or other penalties where necessary,” Maida said, adding that operators have been directed to significantly scale up infrastructure investments.

According to him, the NCC has established clear investment benchmarks for tower companies, requiring them to go beyond existing rollout plans. Independent audits will be conducted to verify compliance, with penalties expected for firms that fall short.

Maida linked ongoing service quality challenges to infrastructure deficits, particularly as demand for data and connectivity continues to surge across the country. While acknowledging some improvements in network performance, he noted that service levels still fall below regulatory standards.

Also speaking, Edoyemi Ogoh, Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the NCC, said the Commission is shifting toward stricter enforcement after previously allowing flexibility due to supply chain disruptions and long equipment lead times.

He stressed that those constraints have eased, and operators—including tower companies—must now meet higher service delivery standards or face consequences.

“Subscribers are entitled to a defined quality of service, and where this is not met, regulatory action will follow,” Ogoh stated.

He added that although infrastructure deployment has accelerated, with thousands of new sites rolled out and upgrades ongoing, these improvements must translate into tangible user experience gains.

On stakeholder engagement, Rimini Makama, Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, highlighted the importance of transparency and collaboration in driving sector reforms. She noted that feedback from subscribers and the media would continue to inform regulatory actions.

Earlier, Nnenna Ukoha, Head of Public Affairs at the NCC, said the engagement reflects the Commission’s commitment to open dialogue with industry stakeholders, particularly on issues related to infrastructure resilience and service delivery.

The development underscores the NCC’s intensified push to improve telecom service quality nationwide, with increasing scrutiny on tower companies as key enablers of network performance.