The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned that tower companies may face sanctions if they fail to improve telecom infrastructure and support systems critical to service delivery across the country.
Speaking at a media breakfast meeting in Abuja, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, said the commission is widening its regulatory focus beyond mobile network operators to include tower firms, stressing their central role in ensuring network reliability.
Maida stated that the commission would not hesitate to impose penalties on non-compliant operators. “The commission still retains the discretion to apply financial sanctions or other types of penalties as we deem fit,” he said, adding that tower companies had been directed to scale up infrastructure investments.
He explained that tower firms, which provide essential infrastructure such as power supply and site security, are now fully integrated into the NCC’s compliance framework. According to him, lapses in these areas directly impact service quality nationwide.
“It wasn’t only the mobile operators. It was also the tower hosts who are an important part of the value chain because they own the physical sites. If there’s no power, you cannot provide service,” Maida noted.
The NCC boss revealed that the commission has set clear investment benchmarks for tower companies, requiring them to go beyond current expansion plans. He added that independent auditors would be engaged to assess compliance by year-end, with sanctions looming for defaulters.
Maida also linked ongoing service quality issues to infrastructure gaps, noting that while improvements have been recorded, performance levels remain below regulatory expectations. He attributed the pressure on networks to a sharp rise in data consumption and increasing demand for connectivity.
Providing further insight, the Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the NCC, Edoyemi Ogoh, said the commission is shifting from a lenient approach to stricter enforcement as conditions in the sector improve.
He explained that earlier flexibility was due to global supply chain disruptions and long equipment import timelines, but said those constraints have eased, making it necessary to hold operators to higher standards.
“Subscribers are entitled to a certain quality of service, and if they are not getting it, then certain actions should be taken,” Ogoh said, adding that regulatory enforcement would now be more decisive.
Ogoh disclosed that while infrastructure deployment has accelerated—with thousands of new sites and capacity upgrades—operators must ensure that these investments translate into improved user experience or risk penalties.
Also speaking, the Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management at the NCC, Rimini Makama, emphasised the importance of transparency and collaboration, noting that feedback from subscribers and the media would continue to shape regulatory actions.
Earlier, the Head of Public Affairs at the NCC, Nnenna Ukoha, said the engagement underscores the commission’s commitment to openness and dialogue with industry stakeholders.
She noted that the forum aims to address key issues such as infrastructure sustainability, network resilience, and service delivery challenges.
The latest move signals a tougher regulatory stance by the NCC as it seeks to close persistent infrastructure gaps and improve the quality of telecom services in Nigeria.
