By
The Federal Government is intensifying efforts to achieve its ambitious target of deploying 120,000km of fibre infrastructure across Nigeria by 2025, a key milestone in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2020-2025. To this end, industry leaders, including the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Pantami, and the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Danbatta, will converge at the upcoming Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo) to deliberate on the National Dig Once Policy.
The policy is critical to meeting the NBP goals, which aim to expand Nigeria’s fibre infrastructure from 40,000km in 2020 to 90,000km by 2023 and 120,000km by 2025. The deployment of fibre is essential for achieving seamless broadband connectivity, with the plan targeting 95% broadband coverage for public institutions and private enterprises in all 774 local government areas. Urban areas are set to benefit from internet speeds of up to 25 Mbps, while rural areas will have 10 Mbps by 2025.
The Dig Once Policy is expected to significantly reduce deployment costs and prevent duplication by creating ready-made buried conduits for fibre installation. “This is a collaborative effort among federal, state, and local authorities, alongside private sector players, to establish the infrastructure necessary for a smart and connected Nigeria,” said Omobayo Azeez, Lead Executive of PIAFo and Editor of Business Metrics.
Currently, Nigeria has achieved a total fibre deployment of 74,947km, including 47,128.7km on land and 27,818.3km submarine, according to the NCC. The summit, themed Laying the Foundation for Ubiquitous Broadband for Nigeria’s Economic Breakthrough, will bring stakeholders together on October 18, 2022, in Lagos to strategize on effective implementation of the Dig Once Policy.
Endorsed by the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), and the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), the event highlights the importance of broadband infrastructure as a backbone for Nigeria’s economic transformation.
