NCC: Faster fibre rollout key to Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy dream.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for the rapid deployment of Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) infrastructure across Nigeria, saying the country must expand fixed broadband access to achieve its $1 trillion economy target.

Speaking virtually at the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) Critical Conversation Forum on FTTH in Lagos on Tuesday, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said fibre infrastructure has become critical to education, healthcare, commerce, governance and AI-driven innovation.
Broadband use rises, FTTH still behind
Maida disclosed that Nigeria recorded 154.72 million internet subscriptions in April 2026, while broadband penetration increased to 55.67 per cent from 48.81 per cent recorded a year earlier. He added that Nigerians now consume about 1.4 million terabytes of data every month, driven by remote work, online learning, cloud services and artificial intelligence applications.
Despite the progress, he noted that fixed broadband remains underdeveloped, with only 265,000 FTTH subscriptions nationwide.
According to him, the gap presents enormous opportunities for expansion and economic growth, stressing that last-mile FTTH connections to homes, schools, hospitals, businesses and communities must complement the country’s expanding national fibre backbone.
Right-of-Way challenges slowing deployment
The NCC boss identified major obstacles to nationwide fibre rollout, including Right-of-Way bottlenecks, multiple state permit requirements, vandalism, poor installation standards and inadequate coordination among stakeholders.
He revealed that telecom operators recorded 27,685 fibre cuts, 27,000 access denials and 4,210 theft incidents in 2025, resulting in widespread service disruptions.
Maida said 13 states have already waived Right-of-Way charges, while 16 states have adopted the National Economic Council’s approved rate of N145 per linear metre.
He urged the remaining states to remove unnecessary barriers, noting that digital infrastructure offers greater long-term economic benefits than revenue generated from Right-of-Way charges.
NCC introduces measures to ease rollout
To address deployment challenges, the Commission said it has launched an Ease of Doing Business Portal containing state-specific information on approvals, legislation and deployment requirements.
It also announced an ongoing assessment of Nigeria’s wholesale broadband market to promote competition, infrastructure sharing and affordable broadband services.
The Commission further advocated incorporating fibre infrastructure into community planning alongside roads, electricity and water projects to reduce deployment costs and speed up implementation.
Maida also highlighted the Federal Government’s Project BRIDGE, which aims to deploy about 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable to connect all 774 local government areas across the country.
He assured stakeholders that the NCC would continue enforcing technical and safety standards to ensure fibre networks remain durable, reliable and future-proof, adding that protecting telecom infrastructure would require stronger collaboration among governments, security agencies, lawmakers, operators and host communities following the designation of telecom assets as critical national infrastructure.
Industry seeks common standards
ATCON President, Mr. Tony Emoekpere, called for improved installation practices, stronger infrastructure sharing and common deployment standards to reduce costs and improve service quality.
He stressed that collaboration across the telecom industry would be essential to achieving universal broadband penetration.
“Connectivity is no longer a luxury. It is the foundation for a $1 trillion economy,” Emoekpere said, expressing confidence that the forum would produce practical solutions for expanding last-mile broadband access across Nigeria.