Speaking during an engagement on the report’s release, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said the exercise underscores the Commission’s commitment to transparent, evidence-based regulation and the continuous enhancement of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

According to Maida, the reports, produced in collaboration with global network intelligence firm Ookla, provide independent insights into real-world network performance and the actual user experience across urban centres, rural communities, highways, and emerging 5G zones.

“Through our collaboration with Ookla, we are providing independent insights into real-world network performance and the lived experience of Nigerians,” Maida said. “It is in this context that we have released the Q4 2025 Network Performance Reports.”

Improved Speeds, Narrowing Urban-Rural Gap

The data shows clear and consistent improvements in network quality, particularly in median download speeds across both urban and rural areas when compared with Q3 2025 performance. The report also indicates that the video Quality of Experience (QoE) gap between urban and rural locations has narrowed, while the country’s 4G backbone continues to strengthen.

Maida noted that the reports enable the NCC to track progress, identify performance gaps, and guide targeted regulatory interventions, including spectrum optimisation, infrastructure upgrades, quality-of-service enforcement, and the expansion of rural connectivity.

Persistent Challenges in 5G and Upload Speeds

Despite the gains, the NCC acknowledged ongoing challenges within the sector. The Q4 2025 reports highlight gaps in 5G service availability and inequalities in upload speeds, alongside persistent mobile service coverage gaps in some areas.

The EVC said the Commission is actively engaging with operators to address these issues, stressing that regulatory actions are being shaped directly by insights from the performance data.

$1bn Investment, 2,850 New Sites Deployed

Maida disclosed that in 2025 alone, over $1 billion in industry investment led to the deployment of more than 2,850 new network sites, significantly expanding coverage and capacity nationwide.

He attributed much of the performance improvement recorded in the Q4 report to these investments.

Looking ahead, the NCC has secured commitments from operators to exceed their 2025 investment levels in 2026, signalling sustained infrastructure expansion across the country.

“We look forward to continued collaboration with industry stakeholders as we translate these insights into better connectivity, improved service quality, and a more inclusive digital future for all Nigerians,” Maida said.

The report, released under the Speedtest Awards banner, highlights MTN’s superior performance in download and upload speeds, cementing its leadership in mobile broadband innovation and 5G deployment.

Key Performance Highlights (Q2 2024)

5G Rollout Driving Speed Revolution

MTN Nigeria launched its 5G network commercially in September 2022, covering major cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri.

The company reportedly invested over $120 million in infrastructure upgrades, spectrum acquisition, and rollout, enabling it to deliver next-generation connectivity to millions of users.

According to Ookla, both Nigeria and Ghana have tripled their median download speeds in just two years, a clear reflection of network modernization and fiber expansion across the sub-region.

Industry Significance

The recognition underscores the role of private sector innovation in driving Africa’s digital transformation.

For consumers, the performance leap means smoother streaming, online gaming, and video calls.
For businesses, it enhances cloud adoption, fintech transactions, and remote operations, critical enablers for a digital economy.

The Road Ahead

As Nigeria’s telecom sector continues to evolve, all eyes are on how competition; Airtel and Mafab will respond to MTN’s dominance in the 5G race. Is there possibility of Glo and 9mobile joining the race too?

The industry regulator – Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and industry stakeholders are also expected to prioritize spectrum availability and rural broadband coverage to sustain this momentum.

Summary of the Report:

Using insights from its data platform, “Speedtest,” which tests internet connection performance, Ookla, a network firm based in the United States, measured four network providers, MTN, Airtel, Orange, and Vodacom, which account for 62% of internet subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa, to determine which network providers have the fastest internet speeds and which cities have the fastest internet connections.

MTN South Africa came in first place with a median download speed of 65.95 Mbps, followed by Vodacom South Africa and Safaricom Kenya, with median download speeds of 48.71 Mbps and 36.25 Mbps, respectively. 

According to the report, MTN Nigeria’s median download speed is 26.3 Mbps.

When the internet download speeds of major African cities were calculated, MTN Cape Town and MTN Johannesburg came in second and third, with speeds of more than 60 Mbps in both cities, respectively, while Vodacom Johannesburg took first place with a speed of more than 81 Mbps.

MTN outperformed Orange in Côte d’Ivoire and Vodacom in South Africa, both in terms of median download and upload speeds. While MTN had faster download speeds in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MTN outperformed Airtel in Rwanda in terms of median download speed.

In Nigeria, MTN service in Lagos is ranked amongst the top 10 cities with the fastest internet speeds, while MTN service in Abuja is ranked in top 15, both with internet speeds of more than 20 Mbps, outperforming Airtel in both states.

MTN Nigeria once again outperformed Airtel in terms of 4G availability, with MTN having 83.8% 4G availability against Airtel’s 77.9%.

MTN is the ‘Best in Test’ in Nigeria:

Following a six-month analysis of over 320 thousand users, German IT firm umlaut revealed MTN as the ‘best in test’, best rated user download speed, and best rated latency in Nigeria, beating Airtel and Glo.

With MTN Nigeria’s 5G network rollout and a combined investment of over $502 million by Nigerian telecommunications companies, internet speeds are expected to increase.