Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Nigeria’s telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has reported that approximately 50 percent of Nigerians who own 5G‑enabled devices are currently unable to access 5G networks because coverage remains limited across much of the country. The disclosure formed part of the fourth quarter (Q4) 2025 Industry Performance Report presented by Edoyemi Ogoh, Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the NCC in Abuja on Wednesday, 28 January 2026.
Ogoh noted that while the deployment of 5G technology — which promises faster speeds and reduced latency compared with earlier mobile generations — has expanded in some urban centres, network coverage lags significantly behind device ownership. Nigerians with compatible phones often find themselves unable to connect to 5G networks in their homes or workplaces because operators have not yet extended service beyond select areas.
The NCC’s data highlights a stark urban‑rural divide in network performance. Median download speeds in urban regions such as Lagos and Abuja showed modest improvement in Q4 2025, partly due to over 2,800 new sites added by network operators. However, rural areas continue to experience slower speeds and inconsistent connectivity, with much of the countryside remaining dependent on older 4G or even 3G networks. The NCC official warned that this disparity undermines equitable access to high‑speed mobile services and contributes to a widening digital divide.
The commission’s report also indicated that 5G coverage gaps are gradually narrowing in major cities. In Lagos, the percentage of 5G‑capable devices unable to connect fell from around 70.9 percent in Q3 2025 to 55.4 percent in Q4, while in Abuja the gap declined from 65.6 percent to 47.4 percent over the same period. Despite these improvements, more than half of potential 5G users in both cities remain without access to the service.
Telecom industry sources say these shortcomings are rooted in the high cost of deploying 5G infrastructure, regulatory and investment bottlenecks, and a concentration of upgrades in densely populated centers rather than nationwide rollout. Operators including MTN, Airtel and Globacom have been leading network upgrades in urban areas, but uneven performance persists, particularly for latency and upload speeds outside metropolitan zones.
Analysts suggest that the current state of 5G in Nigeria reflects a broader tension between device adoption and infrastructure readiness. While consumer uptake of 5G‑enabled handsets has surged, the backbone networks required to support widespread 5G connectivity have not been extended to match device proliferation. This gap has left many users effectively unable to experience the full benefits of the next‑generation network they already own hardware for.
Industry observers also point to structural challenges such as the cost of fiber and backhaul connectivity, difficulties in expanding coverage to low‑population or underserved areas, and broader economic factors that make infrastructure investment less attractive for commercial operators, especially outside major urban hubs. These constraints have contributed to an environment where demand is rising faster than service availability.
Experts argue that accelerating 5G availability will require policy support, targeted investment incentives, and collaborative efforts between government agencies and private operators to ensure equitable expansion. Until then, millions of Nigerians with 5G‑ready devices will continue to face a mismatch between their hardware capabilities and the networks available to them.
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