The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is moving to impose a historic ₦12.4 billion ($8.85 million) in cumulative penalties on telecommunications operators following a massive failure to meet mandatory Quality of Service (QoS) benchmarks. The crackdown, confirmed on January 28, 2026, targets systemic breaches in network reliability, call drop rates, and data performance.
This action follows a directive from the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who ordered the regulator to transition from “negotiated compliance” to automatic penalties. Pre-enforcement notices have already been issued to the affected majors, signaling an end to the grace period that followed the 2025 tariff adjustments.
The surge in penalties stems from a comprehensive audit of 965 Base Transceiver Station (BTS) sites, which uncovered over 5,500 infrastructure infractions, including power failures and cooling lapses. Under the revised July 2024 QoS Regulations, the NCC’s oversight now extends beyond mobile network operators (MNOs) to include colocation and infrastructure providers like IHS Towers.
The regulator noted that while the sector attracted over $1 billion in fresh capital in 2025, this investment must translate into “Quality of Experience” for the consumer rather than just expansion on paper. Operators who failed the September 2025 compliance deadline are now facing the full weight of these newly increased threshold fines.
To ensure long-term stability, the NCC is also finalizing a Spectrum Roadmap (2025–2030), expected in March 2026, which will reallocate idle spectrum to improve congestion. Already, the commission’s intervention has seen Globacom’s average 4G speeds rise from 9.5 Mbps to 15 Mbps through optimized spectrum use.
However, for persistent offenders, the NCC is updating its Enforcement Processes Regulations to include non-monetary sanctions, such as restricting licensing rights or holding executive boards directly accountable. The message from the commission is clear: with higher tariffs now in place, the era of “profit without performance” has officially ended.
 is moving to impose a historic ₦12.4 billion ($8.85 million) in cumulative penalties on telecommunications operators following a massive failure to meet mandatory Quality of Service (QoS) benchmarks. The crackdown, confirmed on January 28, 2026, targets systemic breaches in network reliability, call drop rates, and data performance.){kind=link}