Operators have spent the last few days rolling out updates on network expansion and touting new infrastructure investments.

But for the average Nigerian, these corporate achievements do not align with them. When you’re staring at a buffering wheel during a Zoom call or waiting for a WhatsApp video to download, “steady progress” doesn’t mean much.

The main issue isn’t focused on how many towers were built, but whether the person on the street is actually feeling a difference in their connection.

Promises: Expansion, 5G, and Capacity Upgrades

The midweek updates followed a predictable situation where 4G is expanding, 5G is scaling, and fibre-optic cables are being laid at a record pace.

The narrative from the telcos is one of a system finally catching its breath and addressing the congestion that has plagued users for years.

While the data looks good, there’s a lag between “investment” and “experience.” Upgrading a physical network is a slow-motion process that can take months, or even years, to manifest as a smoother browsing experience.

This raises a sceptical eyebrow, wondering how these recent adjustments are actually translating into better service, or are we just hearing the same promises in a new font?

What The Data Says

The data shows a story of two different Nigerias. One where average internet speeds have grown, especially in commercial hubs where 4G is now the baseline. 5G is also making its debut, providing blistering speeds to a small, affluent sliver of the population.

But averages are misleading. If you run a speed test at 10:00 AM in a quiet office, the results might look outstanding. Try that same test at 8:00 PM when the country is simultaneously trying to stream Netflix, scroll TikTok, and join online gaming lobbies, and the story changes.

Heavy traffic during peak hours are stubborn limitation, and it’s this inconsistency that drives public frustration.

Data Prices Compared to Quality: Do People Get What They Pay For?

Then there’s the issue of the “Value Gap.” Nigeria’s data prices are competitive compared to regional neighbours, however, affordability is relative.

With inflation biting and purchasing power shrinking, what used to feel like a fair price now feels like a burden, especially when that “cheap” data cuts out when you need it most.

Nigerians aren’t necessarily begging for rock-bottom prices; they’re asking for reliability. There is a growing sense of fatigue from paying for a service that feels like a gamble every time you switch on your mobile data.

The Bottlenecks: Vandalism and Power

To be fair to the operators, they aren’t fighting a phantom menace. The structural bottlenecks in Nigeria are very real and very expensive.

• The Power Trap:Unreliable electricity means telcos are essentially power companies that happen to sell data. The reliance on diesel generators to keep base stations running drives up costs and creates a single point of failure.
• The Vandalism Crisis:Fibre optic cables are being severed at an alarming rate, sometimes by thieves, but often by reckless road construction. In 2025 alone, operators reported over 5,000 cases of infrastructure vandalism.
• Security & Spectrum:Beyond the physical wires, security issues in certain regions and limitations on available spectrum make it difficult for even the most ambitious company to provide a seamless experience.

The Verdict: Better, but Not Everywhere

Is the internet actually getting better? The honest answer is yes, but it’s uneven.

Nigeria’s digital backbone is undeniably stronger than it was five years ago. 4G is no longer hard to reach and 5G is no longer a myth. But for many in the suburbs or rural areas, these upgrades are like something happening to other people. The progress is gradual and localised rather than a nationwide transformation.

What to Watch For Next

If things are truly improving, we won’t need a press release to tell us. We’ll see it through:

1. Stability:Speeds that don’t plummet the moment the sun goes down.
2. Resilience:Fewer nationwide outages caused by a single cable cut.
3. Real 5G:Use cases that actually impact productivity, not just marketing headlines.
4. Transparency:Honest reporting on where networks are failing, not just where they are succeeding.

Telco Week showed us the industry’s ambition. Now, Nigerians are waiting to see if that ambition shows up on their signal bars.

The outage follows a directive from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) mandating telecom operators to transition to a new identity verification platform.

According to the statement by ALTON, the migration has resulted in technical challenges that have affected key services such as:

1. SIM registration
2. SIM replacement
3. SIM swaps
4. Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
5. Activation of new subscribers

ALTON clarified that while the goal of the new platform is to strengthen Nigeria’s identity management system, the transition has disrupted real-time verification processes, rendering SIM services temporarily unavailable nationwide.

Industry stakeholders, including ALTON and member Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), are working with regulatory bodies like the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and NIMC to resolve the integration hurdles.

The association apologized to subscribers for the inconvenience, urging customers to postpone visits to service centers for SIM-related requests until further notice.

Despite the setback, ALTON reaffirmed its commitment to delivering secure, compliant, and high-quality telecom services, promising regular updates as efforts progress.

The four persons promoted into leadership positions are Jumoke Akinyele, Gabriel Olonisakin, Ugochukwu Ukaogu and Judith Ezeali.

While Jumoke Akinyele and Gabriel Olonisakin were elevated to the positions of  Business Director and Creative Director respectively,  Judith Ezeali moved up the ladder to the position of Deputy Business Director and Ugochukwu Ukaogu was promoted to the position of Associate IT Director.

Speaking on the promotion, the Chief Executive Officer of Noah’s Ark Communications Limited, Lanre Adisa, stated that the elevation is in line with the company’s culture of recognizing high-performing team members while creating the enabling environment for them to develop their skills and collaborating to achieve exceptional performance in their new roles.

Adisa expressed optimism that the promoted staff would bring fresh ideas to reinvigorate the leadership team to record tremendous success in the coming years. He noted that all the elevated team members have put in meaningful years of hard work, loyalty and dedication.

Jumoke Akinyele started her career in the agency in 2010 as a temp/intern and rose to her current role. Until recently, she was the Associate Director and was responsible for managing business processes and cross-functionally working with critical stakeholders and agency teams to solve marketing problems while ensuring profitability for the business.

Jumoke holds a B. A. in English Language from Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State and  an MBA from Nexford University, USA.

She is an alumna of the Lagos Business School (Senior Management Programme). An ARCON-certified marketing communications and brand management professional, her industry experience spans several multinational and local brands across various industries and categories, some of which are  Maltina, Airtel, Maggi, Rexona, Minimie, Hacey Initiative, PayAttitude, Fayrouz, Indomie, Paga, SWIFT Networks, Three Crowns Milk, Peak Milk, Travelstart, Hypo, Power Oil, among others.

Similarly, Gabriel Olonisakin joined the company 13 years ago, bringing a unique blend of artistic vision, strategic thinking and leadership prowess into his new role. Throughout his career, he has been instrumental in crafting visually stunning and conceptually compelling campaigns that captivate audiences and drive brand success.

A serial award winner, he has won laurels at global and regional advertising festivals, including the Loeries and Epica Awards. He clinched the first-ever creative effectiveness medal at the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival and was recognized for his creativity at the African Cristal Awards.

Judith Ezeali started her career with Brand Communicator magazine in 2008 as an Assistant Editor and Sales Lead before joining 141 worldwide (now Nitro 121).  She left 141 Worldwide as an intern and moved to Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited in 2011. In 2014, she joined Noah’s Ark Communications Limited as an Account Executive and rose to become a Deputy Director.

Her work involves business operations, brand management, client servicing and managing the creative processes from start to finish.

Over the years, she has garnered cross-industry experience from working on various brands in diverse categories spanning Telco, FMCG, Insurance, Aviation, Travel, Education, Hospitality and Financial Services.

Ezeali, who holds a B. Sc. in Mass Communication from Olabisi Onabanjo University, is also an alumna of the prestigious Lagos Business School, SMP 80 Class. She is an associate member of ARCON (ARPA) and holds a diploma in digital marketing (DDM) from the Digital Marketing Institute, Ireland.

Ugochukwu Ukaogo is a seasoned professional in IT infrastructure management with a robust experience.

He joined Noah’s Ark as an Assistant Manager and rose to Deputy IT Director before his latest promotion to Associate IT Director.

Before joining Noah’s Ark in 2017, he had worked in different multinational companies, ranging from telecommunications to fast-moving consumer goods.