The National Assembly of Nigeria on Thursday commended the steady growth of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector but subjected the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to intense scrutiny over its proposed ₦472 billion budget for 2026 and concerns about service quality nationwide.
At a joint budget defence session of the Senate and House Committees on Communications, chaired by Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis and Hon. Akeem Adeniyi Adeyemi, lawmakers praised the sector’s 5.17 per cent growth in 2025 but demanded stronger regulatory oversight to address persistent connectivity challenges.
Presenting the proposal, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the Commission is seeking ₦472 billion in total expenditure for 2026, aligned with the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework.
From the Commission’s perspective, the telecom sector remained one of the most resilient contributors to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, driven by infrastructure expansion and rising digital demand. Regulatory actions and industry investments led to the deployment and upgrade of 2,800 telecom sites in 2025, boosting network capacity and expanding broadband penetration by six per cent to about 50 per cent nationwide.
Average internet speed also improved by 24 per cent, rising from roughly 16 Mbps to 20 Mbps, though lawmakers noted that service quality continues to decline in several areas, including major urban centres like Abuja.
While acknowledging the NCC’s financial performance — including ₦102 billion remitted to the Federal Government in 2025, far above its initial ₦30 billion projection — legislators raised concerns over underutilisation of approved funds. They observed that ₦95 billion approved for recurrent expenditure saw about ₦73 billion utilised, while only ₦7 billion of the ₦10 billion approved for capital projects was spent.
For 2026, the Commission proposed ₦424 billion for recurrent expenditure and ₦15 billion for capital and special projects. It also projected ₦207 billion in remittances to the Federal Government and ₦20 billion to the Universal Service Provision Fund to accelerate rural connectivity.
Beyond financial scrutiny, lawmakers pressed the Commission on its 2036 digital roadmap, spectrum management plans, Right-of-Way framework and data retention policies, stressing the need for improved oversight to ensure Nigerians receive reliable and affordable communication services.
In response, the NCC reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regulatory compliance, enhancing consumer protection and expanding telecom infrastructure as part of Nigeria’s broader digital transformation agenda.
