NCC fibre rollout Nigeria push highlights broadband expansion as key driver for Nigeria’s $1trn economy ambition and digital growth strategy

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), led by Executive Vice Chairman Dr Aminu Maida, has called for accelerated nationwide fibre-optic expansion, stressing that robust broadband infrastructure is essential for Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.

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The appeal was made virtually on Tuesday during the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria’s Critical Conversation Forum on Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployment in Lagos, where industry stakeholders gathered to address barriers slowing digital infrastructure growth across the country.

Dr Aminu Maida emphasised that broadband connectivity has become a foundational pillar for modern development, supporting education, healthcare delivery, financial services, governance and innovation across Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem.

He noted that Nigeria currently records about 154.72 million internet subscriptions as of April 2026, with broadband penetration rising to 55.67 per cent, reflecting steady but uneven progress in connectivity expansion.

According to the NCC, Nigerians now consume approximately 1.4 million terabytes of data monthly, driven by increased reliance on remote work, digital learning platforms, cloud computing and emerging artificial intelligence applications.

Despite this growth, Dr Maida highlighted a significant infrastructure gap in fixed broadband, revealing that only about 265,000 Fibre-to-the-Home subscriptions currently exist nationwide, underscoring untapped economic potential in last-mile connectivity.

He identified major challenges affecting deployment, including Right-of-Way bottlenecks, multiple regulatory permits, vandalism, inconsistent installation standards and weak coordination between stakeholders in the telecommunications ecosystem.

Dr Maida noted that 13 states have waived Right-of-Way charges, while 16 others have adopted the National Economic Council’s recommended rate of N145 per linear metre, urging remaining states to eliminate barriers that discourage infrastructure investment.

He stressed that digital infrastructure should be treated as essential national development infrastructure alongside roads, electricity and water systems, arguing that long-term economic gains outweigh short-term revenue from permit charges.

The NCC Executive Vice Chairman also disclosed that the Commission has introduced an Ease of Doing Business Portal to simplify investment processes by providing state-specific regulatory information to telecom operators and infrastructure developers.

He further explained that ongoing assessments of Nigeria’s wholesale broadband market are aimed at improving competition, encouraging infrastructure sharing and enhancing service quality for consumers.

Data shared at the forum showed that operators recorded more than 27,685 fibre cuts, 27,000 cases of access denial and 4,210 incidents of theft in 2025 alone, all of which significantly disrupted telecommunications services nationwide.

Dr Maida warned that protecting telecom infrastructure has become a national priority following its classification as critical infrastructure, calling for stronger collaboration among government agencies, security services, operators and host communities.

He also highlighted the Federal Government’s Project BRIDGE, which is expected to deploy approximately 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, as a major step toward improving nationwide broadband access.

According to him, expanding backbone infrastructure must be complemented by last-mile Fibre-to-the-Home connections to ensure households, schools, hospitals and businesses fully benefit from improved connectivity.

ATCON President Tony Emoekpere also addressed the forum, calling for improved infrastructure sharing, standardised deployment practices and stronger industry cooperation to eliminate inefficiencies in network expansion.

He warned that poor installation practices and repeated infrastructure duplication continue to drive up costs and undermine service quality, urging operators to adopt more coordinated and sustainable approaches.

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The forum concluded with renewed commitments from stakeholders to strengthen Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, with expectations that improved fibre deployment will accelerate economic growth and deepen digital inclusion nationwide.