Nigeria Spends $1bn to Improve Telecom Infrastructure
Nigeria’s telecommunications sector is about to expertise a dramatic enchancment in service high quality by the third quarter of 2025, pushed by a monumental $1 billion funding in community tools, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economic system, Dr Bosun Tijani, mentioned on Thursday.
The tools, slated for supply beginning in July, marks a historic dedication to modernising the nation’s telecom infrastructure.
The $1bn procurement, one of many largest in Nigeria’s telecom historical past, was made doable by a 50 per cent tariff adjustment permitted in February 2025, the primary in over a decade. This adjustment has offered operators with the monetary flexibility to deal with operational prices which have skyrocketed by over 300 per cent up to now ten years, enabling reinvestment in essential community upgrades.
“We’ve confirmed that our telcos have positioned tools orders price over $1 bn, one thing we haven’t seen in years,” Tijani shared in an interview with TVC. “These orders, positioned with Authentic Gear Producers (OEMs), will begin arriving between June and July, setting the stage for a major leap in service high quality by Q3.”
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The funding is poised to deal with long-standing points corresponding to dropped calls, sluggish web speeds, and restricted broadband entry. It should additionally speed up the rollout of 4G and 5G networks, notably in high-demand city areas and underserved rural areas. Nigerians can anticipate a noticeable enchancment in connectivity and reliability by Q3,” Tijani added.
This announcement follows an announcement by the Govt Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Fee (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, who revealed on April 29, 2025, at a Lagos colloquium that operators had secured over $1bn in orders from Chinese language distributors for a complete community overhaul.
With information utilization surging, pushed by platforms like WhatsApp for voice calls, the brand new infrastructure will alleviate community congestion and improve broadband penetration.
The federal government can be prioritising rural connectivity as a key pillar of financial progress and nationwide safety.
“Connecting rural areas is about greater than entry; it’s about empowering communities and strengthening our nation,” Tijani mentioned. “President Bola Tinubu has emphasised rural protection to make sure no area is left behind.”
Whereas the funding will gas personal sector-led upgrades, Tijani harassed the significance of presidency intervention in areas the place industrial viability is low. “Non-public capital alone gained’t attain each nook of Nigeria. We’re dedicated to stepping in the place wanted to make sure inclusive connectivity,” he famous.
