The Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Idris Olorunnimbe, recently shared a lighthearted yet deeply telling story that perfectly captures the daily frustration Nigerians face with their internet service. It wasn’t a formal petition or a technical report that brought the point home, but rather a blunt confrontation from his own nine-year-old daughter.
Shortly after he took the helm at the regulatory body, his daughter reportedly stormed into his room one morning, skipping her usual cheerful greetings. With a look of genuine annoyance, she looked him in the eye and declared, “Mr. NCC Chairman, the internet is not working!” It was a moment that mirrored the grievances of millions across the country who are tired of paying for bandwidth that seems to disappear into thin air before they can even load a webpage.
This story, shared during a meeting with telecom operators, served as a backdrop to a much more serious conversation about why our connections are so unreliable. While users feel the sting in their pockets, the companies providing the service, represented by the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), say they are dealing with their own set of nightmares.
The head of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, pointed out that over 540 kilometers of vital fiber optic cables have been damaged by road contractors. The irony is striking: telecom companies pay “Right-of-Way” fees to the government to lay these cables, yet when road projects begin, no one bothers to inform them. Contractors dig up the ground, sever the “digital highways” that power our banking, schools, and hospitals, and simply move on as if it were business as usual.
Adebayo argued that until there are real consequences for destroying this infrastructure, the cycle will continue. He noted that cutting a fiber cable is no different from blowing up a bridge that connects entire regions; it halts commerce and disrupts life, yet those responsible rarely face a bill for the repairs.
Responding to these concerns, Olorunnimbe admitted that the sector is still structurally vulnerable. While some steps were taken over the last two years to stabilize the industry, he acknowledged that this stability is fragile. He emphasized that telecom infrastructure is no longer a luxury but a basic necessity. To address the issue, the commission is looking at stricter enforcement where contractors must halt work and repair any damage they cause before they can proceed with their projects.
The NCC has promised to take these discussions to the highest levels of government to ensure that “Critical National Infrastructure” becomes more than just a fancy title on a piece of paper. The goal is to create a system where negligence carries a swift and heavy price tag.
However, despite these high-level assurances, the reality on the streets remains unchanged for now. Nigerians are still struggling with dropped WhatsApp calls, data that vanishes overnight, and the endless buffering of videos. For the average user, the sentiment remains exactly what that nine-year-old girl observed: the internet simply isn’t working the way it should.
