NCC boss Aminu Maida says tariff reform unlocked $1bn in telecoms investments

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says its return to market-driven pricing has unlocked over $1 billion in telecoms infrastructure investment so far in 2025.

Aminu Maida, executive vice-chairman (EVC) of the NCC, disclosed this during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos on Friday.

Maida said the policy shift introduced in January and February allowed mobile network operators to raise tariffs by up to 50 per cent after nearly a decade of price stagnation.

“This act alone has allowed investments to flow in. We will reveal more specific figures in the coming weeks after verification, but we are talking about over a billion dollars worth of investment in 2025 alone,” he said.

He said the reform restored investor confidence and reversed years of underinvestment that had slowed network expansion and service quality upgrades.

“This is an industry that requires continuous investment. The world is moving ahead, and if we do not create the right conditions, we will be left behind,” Maida added.

The NCC boss noted that while tower companies could adjust prices annually for inflation and exchange rates, mobile operators could not, creating an imbalance that discouraged capital inflows.

Maida revealed that operators began taking delivery of new equipment in June, with upgrades and expansion already underway.

On operational challenges, he said the sector consumes over 40 million litres of diesel monthly to power base stations, while all network hardware and software are imported and require foreign exchange.

He added that the NCC is collaborating with the office of the national security adviser to create region-specific rapid response frameworks to tackle infrastructure security threats.