The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Sunday disclosed that mobile network operators have deployed 8,526 of the 12,179 coverage and capacity sites across Nigeria.
This represents about 70 per cent of the targeted implementation.
The latest figure marks a sharp increase from the approximately 5,000 sites reported at the commission’s previous board meeting, indicating that operators have deployed about 3,500 additional sites.
The NCC disclosed this in a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, following its 110th board meeting held on September 9.
She said, “The board further noted that 8,526 out of the 12,179 committed coverage and capacity sites have now been deployed across the country, representing approximately 70 per cent of the communicated commitments.
“This reflects accelerated progress from the approximately 5,000 sites reported at the last meeting.”
The expansion in network infrastructure according to her comes amid growing disruptions caused by damage to fibre infrastructure, which the regulator said threatens the reliability of telecommunications services.
She continued, “Despite this progress, the board noted that fibre cuts contributed to a sharp rise in network disruptions in June, underscoring the need for infrastructure expansion to be matched by stronger protection of critical communications infrastructure.”
Fibre optic networks carry large volumes of voice and data traffic, meaning damage to the infrastructure can disrupt telecommunications services across affected locations.
The NCC had previously raised concerns about fibre cuts linked to road construction and excavation activities, with more than 5,000 cuts recorded in the first half of 2026.
At its previous board meeting, the commission said operators had deployed more than 5,000 of the over 12,000 sites committed for network expansion, representing more than 40 per cent implementation at the time.
The regulators stressed that expanding network capacity must be accompanied by measures to protect critical telecommunications infrastructure.
