Dr. Aminu Maida, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has pledged the Commission’s dedication to delivering high-quality, reliable, and affordable telecommunications services to Nigerians. Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, Dr. Maida emphasised the critical role of the NCC in ensuring that Nigerians have access to world-class communication services as internet usage becomes increasingly central to daily life.
“Our role at the NCC is not only to ensure accessibility but to enhance service delivery for consumers,” he stated, underscoring the importance of connectivity in Nigeria’s growing digital landscape.
Dr. Maida highlighted Nigeria’s remarkable progress in the telecommunications sector, noting that the country is now among the global leaders in internet usage. With an estimated 132 million internet connections out of the 5 billion users worldwide, Nigeria has cemented its place as a key player in the digital space.
“Nigerians spend an average of four hours and 20 minutes on social media daily, far exceeding the global average. This underscores how deeply digital interaction is embedded in our lives,” Dr. Maida said. He further revealed that Nigeria’s daily data usage in 2024 averaged 336 gigabytes per second, a 39% increase compared to the previous year, illustrating the data-driven lifestyle of many Nigerians.
Over the past two decades, the telecommunications landscape in Nigeria has undergone a dramatic transformation, evolving from basic voice services to high-speed data that fuels innovation and connectivity.
“With the rollout of 3G, 4G, and now 5G, we’ve witnessed Nigerians adopting social media, e-commerce, online banking, and more,” Maida explained. “The introduction of 3G in the mid-2000s enabled basic browsing and email, while the leap to 4G LTE brought faster speeds, enabling video streaming and online gaming. Now, 5G is opening new frontiers for innovations like smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and the Internet of Things, further driving demand for data.”
Dr. Maida also assured stakeholders of the NCC’s commitment to addressing challenges and ensuring that the evolving needs of consumers are met.
“At the heart of the Commission’s Strategic Vision is our commitment to meet the expectations of our stakeholders: the consumers, the industry/licensees, and the government. To achieve this, we’ve shifted our focus from simply demanding quality service to ensuring a holistic Quality of Experience throughout the telecom consumer’s lifecycle, from SIM registration to usage and even service disposal,” he said.
As Nigeria continues to lead in digital adoption and data consumption, the NCC reaffirmed its readiness to foster an enabling environment for technological growth and innovation, ensuring that the nation remains at the forefront of the global digital economy.
