The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced new regulatory measures aimed at improving telecom service quality through increased transparency and public information sharing.
The move, the Commission says, is designed to encourage healthy competition among operators and empower consumers with real-time performance data.
Speaking at an event in Abuja on Tuesday, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the Commission is shifting focus from traditional regulatory enforcement to data-driven accountability.
“We are now using information disclosure as a tool to push operators to do better. When performance is public, operators will have to explain themselves—not just to us, but to their boards, investors, and most importantly, their customers,” he said.
As part of this shift, telecom companies will be required to publicly share their service quality records. Dr. Maida noted that this level of transparency is already yielding results. “The correction of historical data, including population rebasing and SIM–NIN linkage audits, has forced some operators to resume equipment investments they had delayed for years,” he revealed.
One key platform already making an impact is the NCC’s Major Incident Reporting Portal, which has exposed the frequency of fiber cuts affecting service quality. Dr. Maida urged telecom operators to go a step further. “We want operators to name those responsible. Only then can we drive real accountability,” he added.
In a major step toward empowering consumers, Dr. Maida announced that by the end of August or early September, the NCC will launch a public network performance map. The map will be powered by real-time data generated directly from users' devices, providing insights into download speeds, latency, and overall service experience by location.
“This is not operator-submitted data—it’s coming straight from users,” Dr. Maida emphasized. “You won’t need to ask your neighbor which network is better anymore. You’ll see the facts for yourself.”
The Commission also plans to publish quarterly performance reports, offering deeper analysis of how each operator is performing across various indicators. These tools are expected to foster fair competition and motivate underperforming operators to improve.
Dr. Maida stressed that the goal is not just service improvement, but also stronger corporate governance.
“Transparency drives better decision-making. We’ve seen that companies with stronger governance structures perform better across the board—from service delivery to regulatory compliance.”
He added that a better consumer experience will ultimately benefit all stakeholders. “When services are reliable and affordable, consumers will use more digital services. That leads to higher revenue for operators, better returns for investors, and a stronger tax base for the government.”
The NCC says it remains committed to building a vibrant digital economy by ensuring Nigerian telecom users have access to high-quality, transparent, and accountable services.
