Key points
- Sunday Dare says reliable telecommunications and data services are critical to Nigeria’s economic growth, productivity and social inclusion.
- NCC says Nigeria had 192 million active telecommunications users and 56.7 per cent broadband penetration as of June.
- Stakeholders called for improved service quality, affordable connectivity, infrastructure sharing and stronger protection of telecommunications infrastructure.
Main story
Reliable telecommunications and data services are critical to Nigeria’s economic growth, productivity and social inclusion, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has said.
Dare made the statement on Thursday in Abuja at the National Civil Society Dialogue on Telecommunication and Data Service Provisions in Nigeria, themed: “Upscaling Telecommunication and Data Services for Enhanced Microeconomic and GDP Growth.”
He said telecommunications had evolved from a supporting utility into critical national infrastructure as farmers, businesses, students, hospitals and government increasingly depended on digital connectivity.
According to him, farmers use mobile devices to access market information, while small businesses rely on digital platforms for transactions and marketing. He added that students learn and earn degrees online, hospitals depend on digital communication and government services are increasingly moving to digital channels.
Dare said the growing dependence on connectivity made telecommunications an issue of economic opportunity, national productivity, social inclusion and Nigeria’s future competitiveness.
He said increased broadband connectivity would expand economic participation, innovation, productivity and job creation, but stressed that the expansion of subscriber numbers and infrastructure must be matched by improvements in quality of service.
The presidential adviser said consumers deserved clearer explanations about data usage, while telecommunications operators needed to increase investment in network optimisation, fibre deployment and rural coverage.
He also called for more responsive and efficient customer service, as well as greater corporate investment in digital literacy, youth innovation and local content.
Beyond service delivery, Dare called for infrastructure sharing among telecommunications operators and stronger protection of telecommunications infrastructure against vandalism and theft.
He said the rollout of 5G would create opportunities in areas including smart agriculture, industrial automation, telemedicine, smart cities and advanced logistics.
Dare therefore urged the government, regulators, operators, development partners and civil society organisations to work together to expand affordable connectivity to underserved communities.
He said the focus should shift from assigning blame to developing solutions, while ensuring that consumers were heard, operators were supported and held accountable, regulators remained vigilant and civil society maintained constructive engagement.
The call came as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) disclosed that Nigeria had 192 million active telecommunications users as of June, with broadband penetration standing at 56.7 per cent.
Odoyemi Ogohi, Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the NCC, said the commission welcomed public scrutiny and constructive dialogue on telecommunications services.
He said the NCC was committed to using evidence to assess network performance and address consumer complaints, adding that the commission worked with data when complaints were received or performance data became available.
Ogohi said Nigerians consumed 8.51 million terabytes of data between January and June, with monthly usage continuing to increase.
He said the growing volume of data consumption made quality, affordability, security and inclusion priorities for the telecommunications sector and the wider economy.
According to him, better quality of service encourages increased usage, which is reflected in the volume of data consumed across telecommunications networks.
Ogohi also acknowledged the difference between network experiences in rural and urban areas, saying the NCC had shifted towards measuring service quality at the local level.
The concerns over service quality and consumer experience were also raised by civil society organisations. Executive Director of the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria, Amb. Blessing Akinsolotu, said CSOs had raised concerns over poor telecommunications services, arbitrary deductions and other consumer-related issues.
Akinsolotu said the issues had generated agitation and protests among consumers, particularly over arbitrary deductions and messages, while expressing confidence that the NCC would address the concerns and improve communication with consumers.
He said the resolutions reached at the dialogue would be communicated to relevant stakeholders for further action.
The issues
Nigeria’s growing dependence on digital connectivity has increased the economic importance of telecommunications services, but stakeholders say expansion in subscriber numbers and data consumption must be matched by reliable and affordable service.
The discussion also highlighted the gap between rural and urban network experiences, concerns over consumer deductions and the need for greater investment in network infrastructure, fibre deployment and rural coverage.
At the same time, vandalism and theft of telecommunications infrastructure remain concerns, while infrastructure sharing and the expansion of 5G could help improve connectivity and support new economic activities.
What’s being said
“The quality of services experienced by citizens must improve at the same pace as investment and expansion.” — Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication
“Let us move beyond assigning blames. Let us move on to building solutions. Let the consumers in their millions be heard.” — Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication
“We are not afraid of public scrutiny; we actually welcome it because it is part of our DNA.” — Odoyemi Ogohi, Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, NCC
“At the NCC, we are led by evidence, if anyone complains or we see the data sets, we work based on data.” — Odoyemi Ogohi, Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, NCC
“There have been a whole lot of issues around telecommunication and data service provision in Nigeria, there have been a lot of agitation from CSOs and there have been protests over some of these issues.” — Amb. Blessing Akinsolotu, Executive Director, National Civil Society Council of Nigeria
What’s next
The resolutions from the dialogue are expected to be communicated to relevant stakeholders for further action, with continued engagement among government, regulators, telecommunications operators, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
The NCC is also expected to continue using network performance data and consumer complaints to assess service quality, while efforts to address the rural-urban connectivity gap remain part of the sector’s challenges.
Bottom line
Nigeria’s rising dependence on telecommunications and increasing data consumption have made network quality, affordability and accessibility important to economic activity.
Stakeholders are calling for stronger investment, better consumer protection and closer collaboration across the sector to ensure that the expansion of digital connectivity translates into broader economic participation and productivity.
