Telecommunications companies across Nigeria have begun large-scale upgrades and installations of new equipment to enhance service delivery nationwide, according to the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo.
In a chat with The Guardian, Adebayo acknowledged the recent dip in network quality, attributing it to outdated infrastructure that has been in use since the telecom boom began decades ago. He assured that service providers are now investing in improvements—not only to address current shortcomings but also to justify the recent 50% tariff hike.
He admitted that operators have neglected infrastructure renewal for years, which might explain the uneven service users have experienced in recent weeks.
According to investigations by The Guardian, Nigeria currently has about 40,000 telecom towers supporting 144,000 transceiver stations.
To further boost network capacity, the Federal Government is eyeing the deployment of an additional 90,000 km of fibre optic cable—raising the total to 125,000 km within five years, up from the current 35,000 km.
This move is expected to further expand Nigeria’s $76 billion telecoms industry.
On the broader impact of the U.S.-led global tariff war, Adebayo noted that while Nigeria doesn’t export much tech to the United States, the country isn’t entirely shielded. “We don’t send much to the U.S., so inbound tariffs may not hit us directly.
But if the cost of importing software or hardware rises due to trade tensions, it’ll definitely reflect on our operations,” he explained.
