Nigeria’s digital transformation continued to gain momentum as Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Globacom (Glo) reinforced a powerful partnership built on transparency, long-term investment, and consumer trust.

Through its Industry Performance Reports, developed with global network intelligence firm, Ookla under the QoS/QoE Crowdsourcing Project, NCC is setting a new benchmark for accountability in the telecoms sector.

The quarterly, data-driven reports provide independent insights into network performance, coverage and real-world user experience across operators, states and regions.

A senior NCC official described the initiative as “sunlight and substance”, stating that it enables Nigerians to see clearly how networks perform so that excellence is rewarded and complacency is exposed.

Within this rigorously lit landscape, Globacom has emerged as a standout performer. Its leadership position is anchored in decades of sustained investment, patient capital, and continuous modernisation.

From pioneering one of the largest fibre-optic backbones in the country to upgrading radio access and core networks, Glo has consistently treated infrastructure as a long-term covenant with Nigeria’s future.

A member of Glo’s executive leadership summarised the company’s philosophy, thus, “We invest as if Nigeria’s tomorrow depends on what we build today—because it does. Our goal is not to be loud, but to be lasting.”

NCC–Ookla analytics now validate what many subscribers already experience: Glo’s network is engineered for substance, not spectacle.

With strong fibre-to-site architecture, resilient backhaul and intelligent traffic management, Glo delivers stable speeds, lower latency and dependable service in real-world conditions.

The commission’s focus on Connectivity on the Move highlights performance along major road corridors—critical arteries of commerce and social life. Here, Glo’s dense fibre footprint and redundant routes ensure fewer call drops, faster data sessions and reliable streaming for Nigerians on the move.

On the Urban vs Rural Divide, Glo’s strategy of extending fibre closer to base stations and modernising legacy sites is narrowing performance gaps between metropolitan and underserved areas.

Where signals once faltered, connectivity now flows with confidence.

Glo’s measured approach to next-generation technology is equally notable. NCC’s 5G Reality Check compares coverage with actual usage and experience. By prioritising strong 4G foundations and fibre-fed sites, Glo is ensuring that future 5G deployment is credible, inclusive and sustainable.

The reports also examine how networks affect battery life and device temperature. Here again, Glo’s optimisation protocols and modernised core architecture stand out, reducing unnecessary signalling and improving everyday user comfort.

For consumers, the impact is tangible. A small-business owner in Ibadan, Segun Adeleye, stated, “My work runs on data. With Glo, I just connect and go. That confidence is everything.”

With the NCC providing the tools for transparency and Glo delivering on long-term leadership and investment, Nigeria’s telecoms industry is entering a new era—one defined not by promises, but by performance.

Regulation is the lighthouse; leadership is the ship. And together, NCC and Glo are steering Nigeria towards a faster, fairer and more connected future.

ThisDay

President Bola Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, has explained the reason the Nigerian leader stumbled in Turkey.

Onanuga, while addressing enquiries on Tuesday, said Tinubu lost balance in Turkey because he stepped on a metal object.

“The President stepped on a metal on the floor, which made him lose his balance,” Onanuga said.

The incident happened when the Nigerian leader was walking alongside his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Erdogan, in Ankara, capital of Turkey, on Tuesday.

Prior to the incident, Tinubu inspected a parade as part of a state reception.

A review of the video of the incident showed that the president went down after a camera man moved his tripod stand close to him.

But Onanuga said the President merely stepped on an object, resulting in a minor loss of balance.

“This is not a big deal, except for those who want to make mischief out of a fleeting incident. It was a mere stumble, thank God, not a fall,” he said.

Sources within the Presidency explained that the stumble was purely accidental and unrelated to the President’s health.

Tinubu’s aide on on social media, Dada Olusegun on Tuesday, said the President continued his engagements as scheduled after the incident.

Olusegun stated that Tinubu was part of a joint press conference with the Turkish leader immediately after a bilateral meeting.

Similarly, Tinubu’s aide on public communication, Sunday Dare, said the President was in good shape and fully engaged in official activities.

“President Tinubu, after a stately welcome ceremony in Ankara, proceeded to scheduled bilateral meetings with the President of Türkiye and other senior government officials from both countries,” Dare said.

“No injury was recorded, and the President went on to participate fully in the rest of the scheduled programme.”

Reacting to public speculation, the Presidency reportedly said there was “no cause for alarm,” stressing that Tinubu remains hale and hearty.

Tinubu is in Türkiye as part of Nigeria’s ongoing diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in trade, investment, defence cooperation and infrastructure development.

“The visit is aimed at strengthening the existing cordial relations between the two countries and exploring further areas of cooperation in security, education, social development, innovation, and aviation,” Onanuga said in a statement on Sunday.

“It also reciprocates an earlier state visit to Nigeria by the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, from October 19 to 20, 2021.”

The visit will feature a business forum bringing together investors from both countries to explore areas of interest

Former presidential candidate, who is also a former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has attributed Nigeria’s perennial national grid collapse and worsening electricity crisis to persistent leadership failures.

Obi made the remarks in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, referencing the latest grid collapse.

He pointed out that the problem has been recurring, with multiple of collapse recorded in 2025, and now the crisis has returned in January 2026.

The former presidential candidate highlighted the long-standing underperformance of Nigeria’s power sector, describing it as unacceptable for Africa’s most populous nation.

Obi noted that for three consecutive years—from 2023 through 2025—Nigeria has been ranked as the country with the lowest access to electricity worldwide, leaving nearly 100 million citizens without reliable power.

What Obi is saying 

Obi expressed deep disappointment over Nigeria’s energy situation and emphasized the urgent need for competent leadership in the sector.

“In January 2025, we witnessed the first grid collapse of that year, which was followed by several other collapses. Now in January 2026, the national shame has commenced again with yesterday’s collapse,” he said.

“This power crisis is a direct result of continuous leadership failures. The power sector is critical and requires competent and committed leadership to thrive,” Obi added.

Obi urged Nigerians to prioritise leadership qualities such as competence, accountability, and empathy in future elections.

He stressed that the power sector is crucial for industrialisation, business growth, and improving the quality of life for citizens, and warned that anything less than strong leadership is unacceptable.

Backstory 

Nairametrics reported yesterday that Nigeria was plunged into darkness following the collapse of the national electricity grid, marking the first system failure recorded in 2026.

Data obtained from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that power generation across the country dropped to 0 megawatts (MW) at about 1:00 pm, indicating a total shutdown of the grid.

The collapse triggered widespread blackouts in many parts of the country, with electricity distribution companies forced to shut down supply to customers as a result of the system failure.

What you should know 

The NISO says Friday’s nationwide power outage was caused by a system-wide disturbance from multiple 330kV transmission line trips and the disconnection of some grid-connected generating units.

NISO said preliminary findings from its operational assessment point to multiple failures on the high-voltage transmission network, which ultimately destabilised the entire system.

Nigeria’s national grid has experienced repeated partial and total collapses in recent years, raising concerns among industry stakeholders and electricity consumers.