By Chimdiogo Amuh 

The Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has projected a strong expansion phase for Nigeria’s telecom industry in 2026, following a year of consolidation and stabilisation in 2025.

ATCON President, Mr Tony Emoekpere, disclosed this on Tuesday in Lagos while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), noting that the sector is entering 2026 with renewed confidence driven by collaboration among industry players, regulators and government.

Reflecting on 2025, Emoekpere described the year as one marked by disciplined capital management amid economic pressures such as rising energy costs, foreign exchange volatility, equipment import challenges and Right-of-Way (RoW) issues. Despite these hurdles, he said operators sustained growth by strengthening networks in high-demand areas and adopting solar and hybrid energy solutions to cut diesel dependence.

According to him, data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that broadband penetration surpassed 50 per cent in 2025, boosted by increased data consumption linked to digital payments, streaming platforms and cloud-based services.

Emoekpere commended the NCC for maintaining transparency, enforcing quality-of-service standards and managing spectrum efficiently, which he said helped to sustain investor confidence.

He also highlighted key initiatives by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy under Minister Bosun Tijani, including the proposed 90,000-kilometre open-access national fibre backbone, Project 774 to enhance rural connectivity through the Universal Service Provision Fund, and the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme aimed at building digital skills in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and software development.

According to Emoekpere, while 2025 was a year of resilience, 2026 must focus on execution, speed and scale, driven by growing demand from fintech services and AI-related workloads. He said operators plan to ramp up investments in data centres and last-mile broadband solutions such as fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and fixed wireless access (FWA).

He stressed that enforcing the designation of telecom assets as critical national infrastructure would be crucial to sustaining growth, calling for coordinated efforts to protect fibre routes and towers, harmonise RoW charges and reduce multiple taxation.

Emoekpere added that ATCON would continue to promote industry-led infrastructure expansion, advocate open-access networks and fair wholesale pricing, and strengthen the voice of indigenous operators.

He concluded that with regulatory stability and effective policy execution aligned with market realities, 2026 is set to usher in accelerated growth for Nigeria’s digital economy.