FG to Deploy 90,000km Fibre Optic Network Nationwide – Senate

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Senator Shuaib Salis, has revealed that the Federal Government will soon roll out a 90,000-kilometre fibre optic network across the country to enhance digital penetration.

Salis made the announcement on Monday in Abeokuta at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun Council.

Speaking on the theme, “The Future of Journalism: Navigating AI and Objective Reporting,” the senator predicted a transformation in Nigeria’s digital communication landscape.

He explained that under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the project would extend to every state, local government, and ward in the country.

“This government under President Bola Tinubu is going to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic broadband nationwide. Not just in some states, not just in some local governments—there is no ward that will not have fibre optic presence,” Salis stated.

He added that research has shown that a 10 per cent increase in fibre penetration could result in at least a two per cent rise in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“So, just imagine the impact if fibre optic infrastructure reaches every ward in Nigeria,” he said.

Salis also disclosed that he recently attended the UN General Assembly alongside the Minister of Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, where they engaged investors to support Nigeria’s digital drive.

On journalism, the senator expressed concern that artificial intelligence (AI) could worsen quackery in the industry. He urged institutions offering mass communication and journalism to embed technology in their curriculum to prepare professionals for the challenges ahead.

“The challenge for professional journalists is that AI also has the potential to increase the incidence of quackery. Our curriculum for mass communication and journalism training must therefore embed technology,” he said.

In his keynote address, Ogun State Head of Service, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya, stressed the ethical concerns around AI. He noted that Nigeria currently lacks regulatory frameworks to guide the disclosure of AI-generated content—whether images, audio, or video—and called on NUJ to establish a widely accepted code of practice.

Earlier, the NUJ Ogun Council Chairman, Wale Olanrewaju, highlighted the union’s achievements in under three years and emphasized that AI is reshaping news gathering, processing, and dissemination.

“As a union, our responsibility is to prepare our members not just to adapt, but to lead in this new reality. We must ensure that technology enhances our credibility rather than diminishes it,” he said.

The event also featured a panel discussion moderated by Prof. Dele Odunlami, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye.

Panelists included Mr. Kunle Durosimi, President of Ogun Tech Community and Registrar of West Midlands Open University, and Mr. Lekan Adeeko, AI Enthusiast and Co-founder of Tedprime Hub.

They examined the opportunities and risks of AI in journalism, stressing the need for professionals to uphold ethics while leveraging technology to promote national unity and cohesion.