The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has launched a new crowdsourcing report and National Coverage Maps, signifying a significant advancement in the country’s initiative for data-driven regulation and enhanced consumer experiences in the telecommunications industry.
This initiative, developed in partnership with Ookla—a global leader in network intelligence and performance analysis—forms part of the NCC’s efforts focused on Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) through crowdsourcing.
With the introduction of these coverage maps and crowdsourced data tools, the NCC aims to foster a telecom environment in Nigeria that is more transparent, consumer-oriented, and innovation-driven, ensuring that every citizen has access to reliable, high-quality connectivity.
During the virtual launch event on Monday, Chip Strange, Chief Strategy Officer at Ookla, emphasised the importance of this initiative for Nigeria’s telecom sector. He stated, “When citizens can visualize and share performance data, it fosters accountability and improvements. The NCC’s commitment to data-driven regulation signifies a pivotal moment for Nigeria.” Strange expressed pride in supporting the NCC with benchmarking, best practices, and capacity building through workshops and strategic insights, noting Nigeria’s potential to lead the telecommunications agenda in Africa and beyond.
Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the NCC, highlighted that effective 21st-century regulation should focus on empowerment and education rather than mere enforcement. “This platform allows consumers to compare coverage that suits their needs. For service providers, it offers valuable insights to enhance latency and data quality. For policymakers and investors, it serves as a guide for directing resources to areas that will have the most impact,” Maida explained. “We aim to make telecommunications more transparent so that every Nigerian understands how connectivity influences their daily lives. This launch is a commitment to serving the public good,” he added.
Ali Benchekh, Technical Account Manager at Ookla, pointed out that data-driven insights could enhance transparency, build consumer trust, and improve Nigeria’s ranking in the global telecom landscape. “While Nigeria’s network capacity for data services is generally robust, significant strain has been identified in major urban centers across all operators,” Benchekh remarked.
He suggested that the most effective solution to relieve this strain is a comprehensive approach that promotes 5G deployment alongside optimizing existing 4G (LTE) capacities. Additionally, extending 4G services to semi-urban and rural regions is vital to bridging the digital divide.
Benchekh also mentioned that improving latency and reducing jitter in networks would boost stability and provide high-quality experiences for real-time applications such as streaming and online gaming.
Looking ahead, Benchekh emphasized the importance of addressing coverage gaps in urban hotspots like Lagos and Abuja to cater to the rising demand from 5G-capable devices.
Edoyemi Ogoh, Deputy Director of Technical Standards at the NCC, encouraged Nigerians to report network outages lasting over 30 minutes to aid in the Commission’s data collection efforts. “Outage reports are crucial for understanding service interruptions,” Ogoh stated, elaborating that the Call Setup Success Rate, which measures call reliability, is determined by the ratio of successful call attempts to total call attempts.
