ATCON forecasts major growth in 2026 for telecom sector

The Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria on Tuesday projected a shift in the telecom industry from consolidation in 2025 to a phase of expansion in 2026.

President of ATCON, Tony Emoekpere, gave a comprehensive outlook of the industry in 2026 while speaking with journalists in Lagos.
He said that the sector is emerging in 2026, with renewed confidence, underpinned by the combined efforts of industry players, regulators, and the government to deepen digital inclusion.

Reflecting on 2025, he described it as a year defined by careful capital discipline and stabilisation. According to him, the industry did not retreat despite economic challenges such as rising energy costs, foreign exchange volatility, import pressures on equipment, and right-of-way challenges.

“Instead, telecom operators, tower companies, and internet service providers focused on densifying networks in high-demand corridors, transitioning to solar and hybrid energy systems to reduce diesel dependency.

“According to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigeria crossed a landmark milestone in 2025, with broadband penetration exceeding 50 per cent,” he said.

Mr Emoekpere said that this growth was fuelled by record-high data consumption, as services such as digital payments, streaming, and cloud services became embedded in everyday life.

He credited the NCC for playing a confidence-building role by maintaining transparent industry reporting, enforcing quality of service standards, and managing spectrum efficiency.

The ATCON boss said that the regulator helped to preserve investors’ confidence. “On the policies, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, led by Bosun Tijani, advanced several strategic initiatives, which include a proposed 90,000 km open-access national fibre backbone.

“Others are Project 774, aimed at expanding rural connectivity through the Universal Service Provision Fund, and 3 Million Technical Talent, scaling digital skills development in AI, cybersecurity, and software development.
“If 2025 was about endurance, 2026 must be about execution, speed, and scale, driven by rising digital demand from fintech and AI workloads. The industry plans to intensify investment in data centres and last-mile broadband access,” he said.

According to him, a critical factor for success in 2026 will be the visible enforcement of a critical national infrastructure designation for telecom assets.

Mr Emoekpere consequently called for coordinated action to protect fibre routes and towers from infrastructure risks, alongside the harmonisation of RoW. He also underscored the need to reduce multiple taxation.

He said that ATCON would champion an industry-led infrastructure expansion, advocate for open access networks and fair wholesale pricing, and amplify the voice of indigenous operators.

The ATCON president noted that, with regulatory stability and policy execution aligned with market realities, 2026 is set to mark a new phase of accelerated growth for Nigeria’s digital economy. (NAN)