Bosun Tijani warns MTN, Airtel, Glo over poor network service

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has warned major telecom operators that they could face regulatory sanctions if they fail to address persistent network issues and improve service quality.

The warning targets MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and T2, following continued complaints from subscribers over dropped calls, slow internet speeds, and poor network coverage.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Tijani said the conditions needed for operators to upgrade their infrastructure and improve performance are now in place. According to him, telecom companies have returned to profitability and are operating in a more stable and transparent environment, giving them both the financial capacity and regulatory clarity to tackle longstanding service challenges.

He said the Federal Government has already secured funding led by the World Bank for Project BRIDGE, a nationwide open-access fibre initiative aimed at expanding broadband infrastructure across the country. Fibre deployment is expected to begin before the end of the year, alongside new telecom tower rollouts through NUCAP and expanded satellite connectivity.

Tijani said the long-term goal is to make reliable high-speed internet accessible to businesses and households, reducing dependence on unstable mobile connections.

The minister stressed that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been fully empowered to monitor network performance, enforce service standards, and take action against non-compliant operators.

“Going forward, we expect to see clear and measurable improvements in call quality, data performance, and coverage,” Tijani said, adding that operators that fail to meet expectations should face “appropriate regulatory action.”

The statement comes amid renewed efforts by the NCC to strengthen consumer protection in the telecom sector. The regulator has directed operators to compensate subscribers in areas where service quality falls below prescribed standards and has introduced stricter Quality of Service regulations with key performance indicators covering call drop rates, network congestion, and call setup success rates.

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The telecom sector has long faced criticism from Nigerians over inconsistent service delivery. Following the approval of a 50 percent tariff adjustment, the NCC said operators have invested more than $1 billion in network infrastructure to expand capacity and improve performance.

Tijani said Nigerians should begin to see better service and greater value for the money they spend on voice and data services.

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