NCC pushes faster fibre-to-home rollout to drive Nigeria’s $1tn economy target

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for accelerated deployment of Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) infrastructure across the country, saying expanded broadband connectivity is critical to achieving Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, made the call virtually on Tuesday during the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) Critical Conversation Forum on FTTH held in Lagos.

The forum, themed “Addressing Challenges, Strengthening Standards and Ensuring Sustainable FTTH Deployment in Nigeria,” brought together key stakeholders to discuss strategies for expanding last-mile broadband connectivity.

Maida described internet connectivity as a vital enabler of education, healthcare, commerce, governance, financial services and innovation, stressing that resilient fibre infrastructure has become indispensable to national development.

He disclosed that Nigeria recorded 154.72 million internet subscriptions as of April 2026, while broadband penetration increased to 55.67 per cent from 48.81 per cent recorded a year earlier.

According to him, Nigerians now consume about 1.4 million terabytes of internet data every month, driven by remote work, online learning, cloud computing and the growing adoption of artificial intelligence-powered applications.

Despite the growth, Maida noted that fixed broadband remains significantly underdeveloped, with only about 265,000 Fibre-to-the-Home subscriptions nationwide.

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He identified Right-of-Way (RoW) bottlenecks, multiple permit requirements, vandalism, poor deployment standards and weak coordination among stakeholders as major obstacles slowing fibre infrastructure rollout.

The NCC boss revealed that 13 states have already waived Right-of-Way charges, while 16 states have adopted the National Economic Council’s recommended fee of N145 per linear metre.

He urged the remaining states to remove deployment barriers, arguing that the long-term economic benefits of digital infrastructure far outweigh revenues generated from Right-of-Way charges.

To improve the investment climate, Maida said the Commission has launched an Ease of Doing Business Portal to provide investors with state-specific information on approvals, regulations and deployment requirements.

He also disclosed that the NCC is assessing Nigeria’s wholesale broadband market to promote greater competition, infrastructure sharing and affordable broadband services.

According to him, telecommunications infrastructure should be integrated into community development plans alongside roads, electricity and water projects to reduce deployment costs and accelerate broadband expansion.

Maida further revealed that telecom operators recorded more than 27,685 fibre cuts, 27,000 access denials and 4,210 incidents of theft in 2025, leading to widespread service disruptions.

He stressed the need for stronger collaboration among governments, security agencies, lawmakers, operators and host communities to protect telecommunications infrastructure following its designation as Critical National Information Infrastructure.

The NCC chief also highlighted the Federal Government’s Project BRIDGE, which aims to deploy about 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, noting that the national backbone must be complemented by last-mile Fibre-to-the-Home connections to homes, schools, hospitals and businesses.

Also speaking, ATCON President, Tony Emoekpere, called for greater infrastructure sharing, uniform deployment standards and stronger collaboration among operators to accelerate broadband expansion.

Emoekpere said addressing poor installation practices and reducing infrastructure duplication would improve service quality, lower costs and support the country’s drive towards universal broadband access.