The federal government has lamented what it described as poor network delivery, insisting that it has made the necessary investment that would enable telecom operators to deliver quality service to Nigerians.
The development comes after many customers complained of persistent network failure while calling on the government to immediately intervened.
Recall that the Nigerian government recently approved tariff increase after telecom operators argued that it would avert the collapse of its operations and lead to improved and sustained network service delivery.
However, despite the tariff increase, telecom operators have failed to live up to expectations, raising concerns about the regulatory role of the government of ensuring that customers get value for the money charged.
Addressing the matter in a statement on Sunday, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, stressed that the operators now have a more stable, transparent, and market – driven environment to make profit.
The minister said the government has addressed the issue of sustainability of the telecommunications sector and made the necessary decisions to restore it.
He added that these measures include the tariff adjustments, alongside broader reforms such as the designation of telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure, efforts to harmonise taxes, and macroeconomic reforms including the floating of the naira and the removal of fuel subsidies.
He said, “This is important as it means operators now have both the capacity and the resources to fix outstanding issues within their networks and improve the quality of service delivered to Nigerians. Let me therefore be clear, the conditions required for improved service delivery have now been established.
“It is now the responsibility of telecom operators such as MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and T2 to take all necessary steps to resolve network challenges and deliver the level of service Nigerians expect.
“At the same time, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has been fully empowered, without interference, to carry out its mandate of monitoring performance, enforcing service standards, and ensuring compliance across the industry.
“We will continue to rely on the Commission’s periodic reports to track network performance, as well as feedback from Nigerians, including complaints and experiences shared across public platforms, to engage both the NCC and operators even more actively in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
“Going forward, we expect to see clear and measurable improvements in call quality, data performance, and coverage. “Where operators deliver, it will be recognised. Where they do not, the Commission is expected to take appropriate regulatory action.”
