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Nigerian Mobile Users May Pay More Under New NCC Roadmap

January 7, 2026
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By Prosper Okoye

Nigerian mobile phone users may face higher call and data costs following a new five-year plan released by the country’s telecoms regulator.

Prime Business Africa gathered that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has published a Draft Spectrum Roadmap outlining how radio frequencies — used for mobile calls and internet services — will be managed up to 2030.

The regulator says the plan is designed to improve service quality and expand coverage, particularly for about 23 million Nigerians living in 87 unserved or underserved areas.

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READ ALSO: The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development and Vodafone Urge Action to Connect 3.4BN People with Smartphones by 2030

But analysts say the changes could increase costs for telecom operators, with possible consequences for consumers.

Christian Okon, a telecoms analyst, says the roadmap places new demands on operators, including stricter service quality standards and wider coverage obligations.

“Meeting these requirements will require heavy investment in infrastructure and spectrum licences, and in the short term, operators are likely to pass some of those costs on to users,” he said.

The NCC expects strong growth in the sector. Active mobile subscriptions are projected to rise from 171.6 million in 2025 to about 220 million by 2030, while mobile data usage is forecast to grow from 11.9 exabytes to 31.7 exabytes.

To support this expansion, the regulator plans to release additional spectrum bands, including the 450 MHz and 600 MHz frequencies, which are expected to improve network coverage, especially in rural areas.

The roadmap also shows that 4G will remain Nigeria’s main network nationwide, while 5G will continue to expand in major cities, supporting data-intensive services.

Telecommunications already plays a major role in Nigeria’s economy. The ICT sector contributed 17.68% to GDP in late 2024, with telecoms accounting for 14.4%.

While the NCC says increased competition and new technologies could help stabilise prices over time, consumers are more likely to feel the impact first through higher costs before service improvements translate into savings.

The roadmap will be reviewed regularly as implementation progresses.

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Prime Business Africa

Prime Business Africa is a business, economy and policy news platform founded in 2021 by veteran journalist and media scholar, Dr Marcel Mbamalu, after he left The Guardian as Editor.

Dr Mbamalu, who serves as Founder and Publisher, set up Prime Business Africa to deliver sharp, data-driven reporting on Nigeria’s markets, trade, investment, and governance trends for decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and policy leaders.

He also writes The Bottom Line, a backpage column for Punch Newspaper every Thursday.

Under his leadership, Prime Business Africa combines deep newsroom experience with a focus on accountability journalism, aiming to bridge information gaps between Africa’s private sector and the global economy.

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