The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has called for urgent and coordinated action among state governments to remove barriers to broadband investment and safeguard the nation’s critical telecommunications infrastructure.
Speaking at the Business Roundtable on Improving Investments in Broadband Connectivity and Safeguarding Critical National Infrastructure, held on Tuesday, October 8, 2025, at the NCC Digital Economy Complex, Mbora, Abuja, Maida said the prosperity of Nigeria’s digital economy depends on how quickly the country aligns policies across all states to attract sustainable investment in broadband expansion.
Themed “Right of Way and Protection of Broadband Infrastructure – The Road to Success in Broadband Investment and Connectivity,” the roundtable brought together governors, policymakers, telecom operators, and other key stakeholders to discuss how to accelerate digital infrastructure rollout nationwide.
“Connectivity is the quiet enabler,” Maida said in his opening remarks. “When it fails, opportunities evaporate, productivity stalls—and in critical situations, lives can be put at risk.”
He emphasized that broadband access now drives economic inclusion, productivity, and resilience, noting that a 10% increase in broadband penetration can yield up to 1.38% GDP growth in developing countries. “Imagine what a 20%, 30%, or 40% increase could do—billions more in economic output, new jobs, and innovation hubs across our states,” he added.
According to Maida, as of August 2025, Nigeria had achieved a broadband penetration rate of 48.81%, with over 140 million internet users. He said the ICT and telecom sector remains one of the largest contributors to Nigeria’s GDP and that expanding broadband coverage is vital for economic diversification and youth empowerment.
“With over 200 million people and a median age of 18, Nigeria can not only follow the digital success stories of Rwanda and India but surpass them—if we equip our youth with reliable, affordable, high-speed connectivity,” he said.
Maida highlighted several recent achievements under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, including the implementation of the National Broadband Plan (2020–2025), which targets 70% broadband penetration and 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic deployment by the end of 2025.
He said the Commission has taken deliberate steps to drive this vision, including securing the Presidential Order on Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) signed by President Tinubu in June 2024. The order empowers law enforcement agencies to protect telecom assets and prosecute vandals.
“The NCC, working with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), has set up a Telecommunications Industry Working Group to coordinate the implementation of this mandate,” he noted. “Through joint efforts, ONSA has dismantled major cartels responsible for equipment theft and network sabotage.”
On the long-standing Right of Way (RoW) challenge, Maida disclosed that advocacy by the NCC has led to significant progress, with 11 states—including Adamawa, Bauchi, Enugu, Benue, and Zamfara—now waiving RoW charges entirely, while 17 states have capped theirs at ₦145 per linear metre, as agreed by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
He urged more states to adopt this uniform policy, saying it would accelerate broadband deployment and attract fresh investments.
To further improve efficiency, Maida said the Commission is promoting a “dig-once” approach to reduce fibre damage and cut costs through coordinated public works and shared duct infrastructure. He also revealed that telecom operators have collectively committed to investing over $1 billion in network expansion following the Commission’s approval of new cost-reflective tariff rates earlier this year.
The NCC, he said, has also commissioned a Wholesale Fibre Study to promote open-access backbone interconnection among Internet Service Providers, while expanding transparency through new quality-of-service dashboards and compliance monitoring tools.
Despite the progress, Maida said the sector still faces serious threats, including infrastructure vandalism, unpredictable RoW policies, and multiple taxation. Between January and August 2025, Nigeria recorded 19,384 fibre cuts, 3,241 cases of equipment theft, and over 19,000 incidents of restricted site access, all of which have led to network disruptions and revenue losses.
“These attacks on telecom infrastructure have far-reaching consequences. They delay service restoration, increase security costs, and hinder the digital growth we seek,” he said.
Maida appealed to governors and state executives to become active partners in operationalising telecom assets as critical infrastructure and adopting full or benchmarked RoW waivers. He urged them to institutionalise coordination between state works departments and operators, implement shared planning portals, and support renewable power solutions at telecom sites.
“Every governor and state represented in this room holds a strategic lever,” he stressed. “Waiving Right of Way charges, protecting telecom infrastructure, and supporting fibre deployment are decisions that can determine the prosperity or stagnation of your states.”
