• Nigerian operators have completed 8,526 of 12,179 committed coverage and capacity site deployments or upgrades, putting the 2026 programme at about 70%
  • The NCC says fibre cuts remain a separate source of network disruption that additional radio capacity cannot resolve on its own

The fact

Nigeria's mobile operators have completed 8,526 of 12,179 committed coverage and capacity site deployments or upgrades, around 70% of the 2026 programme, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission. The regulator said the total had risen from about 5,000 at its previous board review.

The commitment covers more than new towers. NCC executive vice-chairman Aminu Maida said earlier this year that the work includes adding spectrum to 4G sites and converting 2G and 3G equipment to 4G and 5G. The programme also includes fibre-backhaul expansion, work in high-demand cities and underserved areas, and replacement of ageing equipment. The NCC separately said fibre cuts drove a sharp rise in network disruptions in June. It has also identified road works, vandalism, equipment theft, power interruptions and restricted maintenance access as threats to service availability.

The assessment

The 70% figure shows that operators have made substantial progress, but it does not tell customers how much service has improved in a particular area. The programme includes different kinds of work, from new sites to spectrum upgrades and 2G or 3G conversions, and each addresses a different network problem.

Fibre cuts are a separate issue. A stronger mobile site still depends on the connection carrying its traffic back into the wider network. If that fibre is damaged, adding more radio capacity will not keep the site online. In places where congestion is the problem, more capacity may help. Where fibre is being cut repeatedly, operators need better route protection, backup links or faster repairs.

For BTW readers, completing the remaining site work is only part of the job. The stronger test is whether customers see better service and whether fibre-related outages start to fall as the network expands.

What to watch

Watch the NCC's next site count alongside its outage data. Continued progress on the remaining commitments will show whether operators are completing the programme, while the frequency and duration of fibre-related disruptions will show whether service resilience is improving at the same time. Regional figures would make that comparison more useful.