Tariff hike may increase Nigeria’s telecom sector investment to $1bn – NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said the recent regulatory reforms and tariff increases in the telecom industry have increased capital inflows into the country, with operators projected to invest over $1 billion in network expansion and upgrades before the end of 2025. Disclosing this at a media parley in Lagos on Friday, NCC’s executive […]

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said the recent regulatory reforms and tariff increases in the telecom industry have increased capital inflows into the country, with operators projected to invest over $1 billion in network expansion and upgrades before the end of 2025.

Disclosing this at a media parley in Lagos on Friday, NCC’s executive vice chairman and chief executive officer, Dr Aminu Maida, said the shift back to market-determined pricing in January had reversed a decade-long trend of stagnant tariffs, unlocked new capital and enabled operators to plan large-scale infrastructure rollouts across the country.

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“We took a difficult decision early in the year to return to the principles that brought growth to this industry in the 2000s, allowing market forces to determine fair prices. Almost immediately, we began to see investment commitments that had been absent for years. Cumulatively, 2025 will close with over a billion dollars in fresh infrastructure spend,” Maida revealed.

Maida said that for almost 10 years, mobile operators operated under a form of price control that prevented them from adjusting minimum tariffs despite rising inflation, currency depreciation and higher input costs. And these hindered them from investing in telecom network expansion as necessary.