Nigeria’s telecoms regulator lines up ₦12.4bn fines over poor network quality

Nigeria’s telecommunications regulator is preparing one of its strongest enforcement actions yet, as operators face potential fines totalling about ₦12.4 billion for breaches of network quality standards.

According to reports, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is moving beyond warnings and compliance notices after years of persistent consumer complaints over dropped calls, slow internet speeds, unexplained data depletion and failed airtime transactions. The proposed sanctions, estimated at about $8.77 million, target operators that have repeatedly fallen short of service quality requirements.

The planned penalties come as the NCC updates its enforcement regulations to introduce stiffer sanctions and new communications-related offences. The tougher stance follows directives from the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, who has called for penalties for poor network performance to be automatic rather than subject to prolonged negotiations.

While the regulator approved tariff adjustments earlier in the year to help telecom operators manage rising operational costs, it has made it clear that higher prices must be matched by measurable improvements in service quality. Operators, the NCC insists, can no longer rely on promises of future investments as justification for substandard performance.

The commission says its enforcement focus is now firmly aligned with the issues most frequently raised by consumers, including poor network coverage, rapid data depletion, and failed airtime or data recharges. Measures already deployed include large-scale audits of base stations, facilitation of refunds exceeding ₦10 billion, and spectrum reallocations aimed at improving network capacity and reliability.

Nigeria’s move reflects a broader shift across Africa, where regulators are tightening oversight of telecom operators. In countries such as Kenya, regulators have imposed fines on major players like Safaricom and Airtel for quality-of-service violations. Analysts say Nigeria’s proposed ₦12.4 billion fine signals a clear transition from conciliatory regulation to strict, rule-based enforcement, with consumer experience now firmly at the centre of telecoms oversight.