Nigeria’s Networks Show Strong Gains as NCC Releases Q4 2025 Report
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has released its Quarter 4 2025 Network Performance Report, revealing measurable improvements in mobile network quality across the country, driven by increased infrastructure investment and data-driven regulatory oversight.
Speaking at the launch event in Abuja, the Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said the report reflects the Commission’s commitment to transparency, accountability and evidence-based regulation in strengthening Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
“Today’s engagement reflects our commitment to transparent, data-driven regulation and the continuous improvement of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem,” Maida said. “Through our collaboration with Ookla, we are providing independent insights into real-world network performance and the lived experience of Nigerians across cities, rural communities, highways, and emerging 5G zones.”
The report, developed in partnership with global internet performance analytics firm Ookla, provides independent performance insights based on real user experience data. It enables the regulator to track progress, identify service gaps and guide targeted regulatory interventions such as spectrum optimisation, infrastructure upgrades, quality-of-service enforcement and rural connectivity expansion.
According to the NCC, the Q4 2025 data shows steady improvements in network quality nationwide, particularly in median download speeds across both urban and rural areas when compared with Q3 2025 performance figures.
Dr Maida noted that the video Quality of Experience (QoE) gap between urban and rural areas has narrowed, while the strength of Nigeria’s 4G network backbone continues to improve, reflecting increased capacity and infrastructure resilience.
“The data shows clear and steady improvements in network quality, particularly in median download speeds across both urban and rural areas,” he said.
However, the NCC acknowledged that challenges remain, particularly in 5G service gaps, inequalities in upload speeds, and uneven mobile service coverage across some regions.
“The industry is not without challenges, as reflected in gaps in 5G services and inequalities in upload speeds highlighted in the reports,” Maida said. “We are actively engaging with operators to address these issues, including gaps in mobile service coverage.”
A major driver of the improvements, according to the Commission, is the scale of industry investment. In 2025 alone, more than US$1 billion was invested by telecom operators, leading to the deployment of over 2,850 new network sites nationwide to expand both coverage and capacity.
“Much of the progress reflected in today’s reports is a direct outcome of these investments,” Maida stated.
Looking ahead, the NCC disclosed that telecom operators have committed to exceeding their 2025 investment levels in 2026, signalling continued infrastructure expansion and network modernisation.
“We have secured commitments from operators to exceed their 2025 investment levels in 2026, with infrastructure investments continuing in earnest,” the EVC said.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to working with industry stakeholders to translate data insights into tangible improvements for consumers.
“We look forward to continued collaboration with industry stakeholders as we translate these insights into better connectivity, improved service quality, and a more inclusive digital future for all Nigerians,” Maida added.
The Q4 2025 Network Performance Report forms part of the NCC’s broader regulatory strategy to promote digital inclusion, service quality improvement, rural connectivity expansion and sustainable telecom infrastructure development across Nigeria.
