The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has issued a strong warning to state governments, urging them to remove barriers to broadband deployment and take urgent steps to protect critical telecom infrastructure or risk stalling Nigeria’s digital transformation.
Speaking at the Business Roundtable on Improving Investments in Broadband Connectivity and Safeguarding Critical National Infrastructure, held at the NCC Digital Economy Complex, Mbora, Maida said the future of Nigeria’s economy depends on reliable, affordable, and high-speed internet connectivity.
“Connectivity is the quiet enabler,” he declared. “When it fails, opportunities evaporate, productivity stalls — and in critical situations, lives can be put at risk.”
Maida stressed that broadband access is no longer a luxury but a necessity for economic inclusion and productivity. He cited global data showing that a 10 percent increase in broadband penetration can lift a developing economy’s GDP by about 1.38 percent.
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As of August 2025, Nigeria’s broadband penetration stood at 48.81 percent, with over 140 million people online. “Imagine what a 20, 30, or 40 percent increase would mean,” he said. “Billions in new economic output, more jobs, and innovation hubs across the federation.”
He pointed to Rwanda and India as examples of countries that have reaped massive economic benefits through consistent investment in digital infrastructure and human capacity, adding that Nigeria, with its youthful population, can surpass those models if it aligns policy and investment priorities.
NCC Strengthens Broadband Connectivity and Infrastructure Protection
Maida highlighted the Commission’s progress under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, in implementing the National Broadband Plan (2020–2025), which targets 70 percent broadband penetration and 90,000 kilometres of fibre deployment by the end of 2025.
He said that following the Presidential Order on Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) signed in June 2024, the NCC has intensified protection of telecom assets nationwide in partnership with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Between January and August 2025 alone, Nigeria recorded 19,384 fibre cuts, 3,241 cases of equipment theft, and more than 19,000 incidents of denial of access to telecom sites — disruptions that he said caused prolonged outages and financial losses. “These numbers show why protecting telecom infrastructure must be at the centre of our collective agenda,” he emphasized.
Maida also lamented the persistent problem of inconsistent and excessive Right of Way (RoW) fees imposed by some states, describing them as a major bottleneck to broadband rollout. He commended the 11 states that have now waived RoW charges entirely — including Adamawa, Bauchi, Enugu, Benue, and Zamfara — while 17 others have pegged fees at the Nigerian Governors Forum benchmark of ₦145 per linear meter.
The NCC boss noted that the Commission’s approval of cost-reflective tariff rates earlier this year has renewed investor confidence, leading to over $1 billion in fresh commitments for broadband expansion. The NCC has also launched a wholesale fibre study to encourage open access and introduced new transparency tools to track service quality and compliance.
Despite this progress, Maida said the sector still faces major challenges — from vandalism and multiple taxation to power instability and bureaucratic delays. “In the 21st century, a community without digital connectivity is invisible,” he warned. “It is cut off from education, healthcare, and markets.”
He urged governors to take decisive action by enforcing infrastructure protection, streamlining approval processes, coordinating with public works agencies, and creating digital infrastructure funds to attract private sector investment. “Every governor and state represented here holds a strategic lever,” Maida said. “Waiving RoW charges and protecting telecom infrastructure are decisions that can determine the prosperity or stagnation of your states.”
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Looking ahead, Maida announced that the NCC will soon unveil two major initiatives — the Ease of Doing Business Portal, linking investors with all 36 states and the FCT, and the Nigeria Digital Connectivity Index (NDCI), which will rank states annually based on their digital readiness and competitiveness.
Dr. Maida closed with a call to unity and urgency: “Pipelines of oil are giving way to pipelines of fibre,” he said. “The digital revolution does not wait. Let us align, invest, and protect for the prosperity of our people and the future of our nation.”
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