Nigeria’s digital economy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reform effort is entering a stage where expanding connectivity alone may no longer be enough. The latest figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) show substantial progress in the deployment of network infrastructure, but the same regulatory update points to a more complicated challenge. As more infrastructure comes online, the country must also protect it, strengthen digital identities, improve consumer trust and ensure that connectivity translates into meaningful access. The NCC’s 110th Board Meeting therefore offers more than another progress report on telecommunications. It provides a glimpse into the next set of questions Nigeria must answer as its digital economy expands. Enam Obiosio writes…
The NCC, led by Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NCC, says mobile network operators have deployed 8,526 of the 12,179 coverage and capacity sites they previously committed to deliver across the country. That represents approximately 70 percent of the commitments and marks a considerable increase from the approximately 5,000 sites reported at the previous Board meeting.
The figure is important because network capacity remains one of the foundations of digital participation. More sites should, in principle, improve coverage and capacity while supporting better quality of experience for users. Yet the NCC’s own assessment introduces an important qualification. Fibre cuts contributed to a sharp rise in network disruptions in June, prompting the Board to stress that infrastructure expansion must be accompanied by stronger protection of critical communications infrastructure.
This creates the first major test for Nigeria’s telecommunications policy. Deployment is measurable, but resilience is equally important.
A network can expand rapidly and still remain vulnerable if the infrastructure connecting its different components is repeatedly disrupted. For users and businesses, the practical value of connectivity is determined not only by whether a network exists, but by whether it remains available when it is needed.
The NCC’s latest position consequently points towards a broader interpretation of telecommunications infrastructure. Network expansion is becoming inseparable from infrastructure protection and service reliability. The Board’s commitment to network resilience suggests that the next phase of the sector’s development will have to consider the quality and durability of infrastructure alongside the speed of deployment.
Regulation is moving into the technology itself
Another significant development from the meeting is the NCC’s growing use of technology to strengthen regulatory oversight.
The Board reported that the Device Management System (DMS) is now live. According to the communiqué, the system is designed to improve type approval compliance, discourage the circulation of non-compliant devices and help deter mobile device theft by enabling reported stolen devices to be blocked across Nigerian networks.
This is significant because it represents a shift from regulation based mainly on rules and enforcement towards regulation supported by digital systems.
The distinction matters. As the telecommunications ecosystem becomes more complex, regulators require increasingly sophisticated tools to monitor compliance and protect the integrity of the market. A technology platform that can support device verification and block reported stolen devices potentially gives the regulator a more direct mechanism for implementing existing rules.
But the effectiveness of such systems will ultimately depend on implementation. Technology can improve regulatory capacity, but it does not automatically resolve the underlying problems it is designed to address. Its value will be measured by how consistently it works, how well industry participants comply and whether consumers experience tangible improvements.
The same principle applies to the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), which the NCC says is scheduled to go live in October 2026.
The system is expected to strengthen the governance of telecommunications identities, including mobile numbers, while reducing risks associated with the misuse, reassignment or recycling of those identities. The NCC noted that the issue has become increasingly important because telecommunications identities are now connected to financial, social and other digital services.
This potentially takes telecommunications regulation beyond the traditional boundaries of calls, messages and data.
The mobile number has become an important point of access to several digital services. Consequently, weaknesses in identity management can have consequences beyond the telecommunications sector. The NCC’s decision to emphasise legal, privacy and data protection requirements alongside regulatory technology is therefore particularly important.
The challenge will be to strengthen digital trust without creating unnecessary barriers to legitimate users and businesses.
From connectivity to meaningful access
The Board’s consideration of zero-rating educational platforms and content adds another dimension to the digital economy conversation.
The NCC said it had been engaging industry players and other stakeholders on a framework that would zero-rate educational platforms and content. The stated objective is to promote digital inclusion and improve access to educational resources for students. The initiative was scheduled for official launch on September 10, with a go-live date of October 1, 2026.
The policy is notable because it shifts the conversation from the availability of connectivity to what connectivity enables.
Access to a network has limited value if the cost of using relevant digital services remains a barrier. Zero-rating educational content attempts to address that problem in a specific area by reducing the connectivity cost associated with accessing designated educational resources.
However, the success of the initiative will depend on sustainable implementation. The NCC itself said that it would monitor the initiative’s sustainability. That caveat is important. A policy that improves access in the short term must also be capable of functioning effectively over time.
The measure therefore deserves to be assessed not only by how many platforms are covered, but by whether students actually use the services, whether content providers can participate sustainably and whether the arrangement produces measurable improvements in access.
The unresolved infrastructure question
The combination of network expansion and fibre disruptions presents perhaps the clearest policy tension emerging from the communiqué.
Nigeria is adding infrastructure while simultaneously confronting threats to the infrastructure already in place. That means the next phase cannot simply be about deployment numbers.
The 8,526 sites provide a useful measure of progress. The disruption caused by fibre cuts provides a reminder that infrastructure can lose value when its supporting systems are vulnerable.
For the regulator, this creates a difficult balancing act. Operators need room to invest and expand, while critical infrastructure requires stronger protection. Consumers need better services, while the regulatory framework must avoid imposing unnecessary costs that could ultimately affect investment and service delivery.
The Board’s broader commitment is to promote network resilience, digital trust, inclusive connectivity, consumer protection, fair competition and sustainable growth of the digital economy.
Taken together, these priorities suggest that Nigeria’s telecommunications policy is increasingly being treated as part of a wider digital-economic framework.
What comes next
The immediate test is execution. The infrastructure deployment commitments need to translate into reliable services. The DMS needs to deliver meaningful improvements in device compliance and security. TIRMS will need to strengthen identity governance while respecting privacy and data protection requirements. The educational zero-rating initiative will need to demonstrate that affordability can be improved sustainably.
The NCC’s proposed repositioning of the Digital Bridge Institute also points to another aspect of the transition. The Board considered a strategic roadmap aimed at strengthening the institute’s relevance and long-term sustainability, including proposed independent assessments of its structure, operations, human resources, institutional position, as well as the commercial and legal viability of the repositioning.
This indicates that the digital economy challenge is not exclusively about physical infrastructure or regulatory systems. Institutions and capabilities also matter.
The resurgence of call masking reinforces the point from another direction. The NCC described the practice as a serious regulatory concern that can distort industry revenues and undermine the orderly development of the telecommunications ecosystem. It said that it would continue working with security, law-enforcement agencies and industry stakeholders to eliminate the practice.
Nigeria’s digital economy is therefore confronting several issues at once: infrastructure expansion, resilience, identity governance, device security, affordability, institutional capacity and market integrity.
The 110th Board Meeting does not resolve these challenges. It does, however, show where the regulator believes the next phase of work lies.
