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By Chinenye Anuforo
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Fresh data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in collaboration with global analytics firm, Ookla, has revealed the regional disparities in internet quality across the country, with 4G networks emerging as the backbone of the country’s digital experience amid limited 5G availability.
The Comparative Assessment of Network Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE), captured in the Q4 2025 Network Performance Reports, showed that while Nigeria has made measurable progress in mobile broadband deployment, user experience remains highly location-dependent, with a persistent quality gap between urban centres and rural communities.
Speaking on the reports, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the exercise reflected the Commission’s commitment to transparent, data-driven regulation and continuous improvement of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
“Through our collaboration with Ookla, we are providing independent insights into real-world network performance and the lived experience of Nigerians across cities, rural communities, highways and emerging 5G zones,” Maida said.
“It is in this context that we have released the Q4 2025 Network Performance Reports.”
According to him, the reports enable the regulator to track progress, identify gaps and guide targeted regulatory interventions, including spectrum optimisation, infrastructure upgrades, quality-of-service enforcement and the expansion of rural connectivity.
The assessment shows that network performance varies significantly by geography, highlighting what the NCC described as a lingering digital divide driven by uneven infrastructure investment and reach. Rural users are more likely to experience slower speeds, higher latency and service interruptions that directly affect access to video streaming, online education, cloud services and VoIP applications.
The data further indicated that network responsiveness, latency and jitter have overtaken raw speed as the most critical challenge facing operators nationwide.
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On national performance, throughput and latency measurements showed steady improvement, particularly when compared with Q3 2025 results. Maida noted that median download speeds improved across both urban and rural areas, while the video Quality of Experience gap between urban and rural users narrowed during the period.
“Notably, the strength of our 4G backbone continues to improve,” he said.
The report confirmed that 4G LTE remains the workhorse of the nation’s internet ecosystem, supporting the vast majority of web browsing and video streaming activities. While 5G offers superior capability and premium performance, its limited availability means its impact on national averages remains modest.
For video streaming, the findings reveal lingering constraints. Average video start-up times range between five and six seconds, streaming quality is often limited to standard definition (480p) or basic high definition (720p), and approximately one in four sessions experiences buffering or stalling.
While acknowledging these challenges, the NCC stressed that significant industry investment is already yielding results. In 2025 alone, over $1 billion in investment led to the deployment of more than 2,850 new network sites nationwide, expanding both coverage and capacity.
“The industry is not without challenges, particularly in gaps in 5G services and inequalities in upload speeds,” Maida said. “However, we are actively engaging operators to address these issues, including gaps in mobile service coverage.”
He added that the Commission has secured commitments from operators to exceed their 2025 investment levels in 2026, signalling sustained momentum in infrastructure rollout.
A state-by-state comparison of download speeds in the report highlights sharp regional contrasts, especially in high-demand areas such as Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory and other major urban hubs. The NCC said the data is intended to empower consumers to make informed choices while encouraging operators to intensify investment in under-served regions.
“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.
