Nigeria’s telecommunications industry is set for a transformative upgrade, as telecom operators have collectively committed over $1 billion to new network equipment orders the largest infrastructure investment in the sector’s recent history.
Deliveries are expected to begin in July, with major improvements in broadband penetration, 4G and 5G rollout, and overall service quality anticipated by the third quarter of 2025, according to Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.
“We have evidence that our telcos have placed orders of equipment worth over $1bn. That hasn’t been done in a long time in this country,” the minister revealed during an interview on Thursday.
Tariff Review Catalyses Reinvestment
The landmark investment follows the controversial 50% tariff adjustment approved earlier in February 2025 the first of such revision in over a decade. The hike, which sparked debate over affordability, was ultimately designed to strike a balance between consumer cost and the financial sustainability of operators.
Telcos, which have endured over 300% increases in operating costs over the past ten years, now have fresh financial headroom to reinvest in long-overdue infrastructure.
“We’re tracking these orders because we know the OEMs, and we know they will start arriving in-country between June and July,” Tijani said.
Q3 Rollout Expected to Improve Network Quality
The influx of new equipment is expected to drastically reduce call drops, improve internet speeds, and boost access in urban, underserved, and rural areas.
“We expect that by Q3, Nigerians will start to experience better, significant quality of service,” Tijani added.
This statement builds on an earlier disclosure by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) boss, Aminu Maida, who confirmed during an April 2025 event in Lagos that Nigerian operators had placed over $1 billion in orders with Chinese vendors as part of a sweeping network overhaul.
Bridging the Digital Divide
The minister also stressed that while the upgrades are telco-led, the federal government will continue investing in non-commercially viable regions to expand national coverage.
“Rural connectivity isn’t just about giving people access; it’s about strengthening our economy,” Tijani explained. “If we don’t invest in these areas, commercial telcos won’t go there on their own. That’s why President Bola Tinubu has made rural coverage a priority—not only for inclusion but also for national security.”
Tijani pointed out that voice calls are increasingly shifting to broadband-powered apps like WhatsApp, adding more pressure to upgrade existing infrastructure.
“The sector was stagnating while consumer demand was rising sharply,” he noted.
A New Chapter for Nigerian Connectivity
With telcos preparing to deploy new hardware and bandwidth capacity, and government backing efforts in hard-to-reach areas, Nigeria’s telecom sector appears poised for its most significant leap forward in a decade.
“We must go beyond where private capital stops,” the minister concluded. “This is not just a digital agenda,it’s a national imperative.”
