The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida has emphasized the Commission’s need to keeping pace with the growing reliance on internet usage, noting that it has become an essential part of the daily lives of average Nigerians.
Dr. Maida, who spoke at a just concluded stakeholders meeting in Abuja said that the determination of the NCC to move fast towards meeting world class telecommunications system is borne out of the fact that Nigeria has become one of the fastest growing internet user countries in the world.
He said Nigeria is currently ranked among top internet users globally, adding that the country now accounts for 132 million internet connections out of the estimated five billion internet users globally.
“Nigerians spend an average of four hours and 20 minutes on social media daily, far above the global average, underscoring how deeply embedded digital interaction is in our lives.
“In 2024, Nigeria’s daily data usage averaged 336 gigabytes per second, marking a 39% increase from the previous year, a clear indication of the data-driven lifestyle many Nigerians lead,” he said.
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Dr. Maida said that the telecommunications landscape in Nigeria has transformed from basic voice services to high-speed data that connects, informs and powers innovations in the last two decades.
“With the rollout of 3G, 4G, and now 5G, we’ve seen Nigerians adopting social media, e-commerce, online banking, and more.
“The introduction of 3G networks in the mid-2000s marked the beginning of this shift, enabling basic browsing and email.
“The leap to 4G LTE brought faster speeds, enabling video streaming, online gaming, and a myriad of digital activities.
“Now, with 5G promising even faster speeds and lower latency, new frontiers are opening for innovations such as smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and the Internet of Things, driving further demand for data,” he said.
The NCC boss said that the NCC is prepared to remove all impediments to meeting the needs of all consumers, stressing that at the heart of the Commission’s Strategic Vision “is the commitment to meet the expectations of our stakeholders: the Consumers, the Industry/Licensees, and the Government.
“To achieve this, our focus has evolved 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.
“Our goal is for consumers to be consistently satisfied with telecom services,” he added.
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