NCC calls for more investments in rural areas
Some industry reports are pointing to new levels of improvement in network connectivity and service expansion in the country.

For instance, the latest data from nPerf revealed a marked improvement in mobile performance between the first quarter of 2023 and the fourth quarter of 2025, driven by 4G.

Over the period, it informed that average download speeds doubled, rising from 7.1 Mbps to 14.7 Mbps, while upload speeds more than quadrupled, rising from 1.77 Mbps to 7.28 Mbps.

This improvement comes amid rapid growth in mobile data consumption. According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), volumes exchanged on mobile networks increased by 140 per cent between January 2023 and November 2025, rising from 518,000 terabits to more than 1.23 million terabits. This increase reflected the growing adoption of digital services and placed additional pressure on mobile infrastructures.

The report observed that the performance gains were primarily driven by widespread 4G adoption. Checks by The Guardian showed that some 51.99 per cent of the 177 million active telephone users in Nigeria are currently on the 4G network.

Further nPerf insight revealed that tests conducted in 4G on the networks of MTN, Airtel and Globacom now account for 64 per cent of measurements, compared with 49 per cent in 2022.

It noted that operators played a central role in this transition through sustained investments in the expansion and modernisation of their networks, notably through partnerships such as the one established between MTN and Airtel to improve coverage in rural areas.

According to the report, the significant increase in mobile speeds over the past year in Nigeria opens the door to new use cases and opportunities for users, such as participating in video conferences, carrying out online financial transactions, or watching movies and series on streaming platforms with relatively smooth playback.

Despite these speed increases paving the way for an improved online experience, the streaming performance measured by nPerf (a French company based in Lyon, which specialises in providing comprehensive, independent Internet speed and connection quality measurement tools for fixed and mobile networks globally) has not improved, and further efforts are still required from operators to enhance performance, for example, by improving network densification, increasing interconnections, or deploying more YouTube cache servers within the country.

The nPerf application allows users to measure mobile connection performance on Android and iOS devices. Assessing download and upload speeds helps users better understand the quality of their connection, whether for watching a movie via streaming or making a video call.

According to it, in November 2025, Nigeria reached a broadband penetration rate of 50.58 per cent, thereby exceeding the initial target of 50 per cent set for 2025. However, disparities between urban and rural areas persist, and digital inclusion remains a major challenge. Operators and the government continue to work on solutions to expand 4G and 5G coverage, while improving the accessibility and resilience of these infrastructures.

On the part of Ookla (best known for its Speedtest.net service, is based in Seattle, Washington, USA), Nigeria’s digital landscape is characterised by a transition toward high-speed infrastructure. While newer technologies like 5G are expanding, the current experience is largely defined by the consistency of 4G networks and the ongoing presence of 2G and 3G in rural regions.

Ookla rightly observed that digital experiences are heavily influenced by the specific technology available (4G/5G vs. 2G/3G) in a given area. It said 5G offers the best experience with page load times of two to three seconds (vs. >10s for 2G/3G).

According to it, urban centres like Lagos and Abuja outperform rural regions by approximately 22 per cent in download speeds (35.52 Mbps Urban vs. 27.67 Mbps Rural).

For modern applications like video calls and gaming, network stability (latency and jitter) is as vital as headline download speeds.

The report noted that MTN is the fastest for browsing (Score: 65.9), making e-commerce and news reading smoother. T2 follows (score: 50), showing strong local performance.

In terms of video streaming, Ookla said competition is more even here; while MTN and T2 lead on start times, Airtel and Glo provide stable urban streaming experiences. The gap between urban and rural video streaming quality is only two per cent (65.7 vs 64.39), suggesting fairly even basic video access.
It was observed that urban users currently access speeds roughly 22 per cent faster (35.52 Mbps) than those in rural Local Government Areas (27.67 Mbps).

For an improved seamless experience, the report urged subscribers to upgrade to 4G/5G, saying moving away from 3G devices is the single biggest step to improve user experience (2-3s load times vs 10s+).
In terms of investments, Ookla said the disparity is more evident in parts of the country with historically lower network density and higher infrastructure deployment challenges, underscoring the need to close the 40 per cent performance gap for more balanced national connectivity.

It stressed the importance of operators optimising for stability (jitter/latency), not just speed, to support the growing demand for video calls and gaming.

To further improve the sector’s performance in 2026, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, has charged operators to improve voice quality and more consistent data performance in everyday use.

Maida called for fewer avoidable disruptions and faster restoration when incidents occur; fewer unresolved complaints and better feedback when issues are escalated.

The EVC said there should be simpler, more transparent tariffs and bundles, coupled with a resilient and safe Internet for citizens and businesses.

“Continued expansion of coverage, especially for underserved and unserved communities, and prompt value reversal on unsuccessful recharges, ensuring customers enjoy full value for their money,” he stated.