The Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has forecasted a shift in the country’s telecoms industry from consolidation in 2025 to robust expansion in 2026.
Okay News reports that ATCON President Tony Emoekpere outlined the optimistic outlook during an interview in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub.
He attributed the projected growth to renewed investor confidence, surging digital demand, and enhanced policy coordination between operators, regulators, and the Federal Government.
Emoekpere described 2025 as a year of stabilisation, where industry players exercised capital discipline amid challenges like high energy costs, foreign exchange volatility, and equipment import expenses.
Operators focused on network densification in high-traffic areas and transitioned to solar and hybrid energy solutions to mitigate diesel dependency.
Broadband penetration in Nigeria crossed the 50 per cent milestone in 2025, driven by increased data consumption from digital payments, streaming, and cloud services.
Emoekpere commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for transparent reporting, enforcing Quality of Service standards, and efficient spectrum management, which helped sustain investor trust.
Looking to 2026, he emphasised execution and scale, with rising demand from fintech, artificial intelligence, and data-intensive sectors fuelling expansion.
Planned investments will prioritise data centres, last-mile infrastructure, fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), and fixed wireless access (FWA) technologies.
Emoekpere called for stronger protection of telecom assets as critical national infrastructure, unified Right-of-Way charges across states, and reduction in multiple taxation to support sustainable growth.
 has forecasted a shift in the country's telecoms industry from consolidation in 2025 to robust expansion in 2026.){kind=link}