The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says that Nigeria accounts for 132 million connections out of over 5 billion internet users globally, according to DataReportal.
Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, told the 93rd Telecoms Consumer Parliament on Friday that Nigerians spend an average of 4 hours and 20 minutes on social media daily, far above the global average.
According to him, this underscores how deeply digital interactions have become embedded in the lives of Nigerians/
He also said that Nigeria’s daily data usage in 2024 averaged 336 gigabytes per second, marking a 39% increase from the previous year—a clear indication of the data-driven lifestyle many Nigerians lead.
He noted that this makes it imperative to ensure transparent data usage and billing system which also underscores the commissions Strategic Vision of meeting the expectations of stakeholders: the Consumers, the Industry/Licensees, and the government.
“To achieve this, our focus has evolved from simply demanding quality service to ensuring a holistic Quality of Experience throughout the telecom consumer’s lifecycle—from SIM registration to usage and even service disposal. Our goal is for consumers to be consistently satisfied with telecom services.
“Over the past months our data analysis has shown that quality service delivery is not solely the responsibility of Mobile Network Operators; it requires collaboration across the value chain. Key stakeholders, such as TowerCos, which provide power and shared infrastructure, as well as those providing essential backhaul services, whether by fibre, microwave or even satellite, connecting base stations to the core networks of MNOs, all play crucial roles in ensuring high-quality telecom services.
“In recognition of this, the Commission has revised its guidelines to include provisions that hold each player in the value chain accountable for quality service.,” he said.
According to him, while the Commission remains committed to these goals, the industry also faces challenges such as vandalism and theft of telecom assets, which frustrate operators’ efforts to deliver quality telecom services.
He added that in July, through NCC’s advocacy and collaboration with key stakeholders, President Bola Tinubu signed a Presidential Order designating telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure.
“This Executive Order strengthens our ability to address issues of vandalism, tampering, and unauthorized access to telecom infrastructure,” he said.
GIK/APA