REMARKS BY THE EVC AT THE BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE ON IMPROVING INVESTMENTS IN BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY AND SAFEGUARDING CRITICAL NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE HELD AT THE NCC DIGITAL ECONOMY COMPLEX, MBORA, ON OCTOBER 08, 2025

Theme:“RightofWayandProtectionofBroadbandInfrastructure–TheRoad to Success in Broadband Investment and Connectivity”

PROTOCOLS

Permit me to begin with a question that frames our purpose today: How much is an hour of connectivity worth?

ConsidertheindustrialistinEnuguclosinganoverseasshipment;theminerinZamfara consultinggeologistsremotely;theentrepreneurinLagosrunninganonlinestore;the technician in Yenagoa checking real-time dashboards; the merchant in Kano coordinating cross-border payments; and our security services relying on live intelligence feeds. In each case, connectivity is the quiet enabler. When it fails, opportunities evaporate,productivitystalls—andincriticalsituations,livescanbeputatrisk.

Historyshowsthatnationsthatembracedsteam,rail,andelectrificationsurgedahead. Today, data, broadband, and AI are the new engines. Those who seize the moment prosper;hesitationcarriesaheavycost.

WhyConnectivityMatters

Whenwetalkaboutconnectivity,ourmindsgotofasterdownloadsorsmoothervideo calls. But the scope and impact extend far beyond these. Connectivity today equals economicinclusion,productivity,andnationalresilience.

As of August 2025, Nigeria had achieved a broadband penetration rate of roughly 48.81%withover140millionpeoplehavinginternetaccess.TheICT/telecomsectoris alreadyoneoftheleadingcontributorstoNigeria’sGDP.Researchshowsthata10% increase in broadband penetration can drive approximately 1.38% GDP growth in developing economies so imagine what a 20%, 30%, 40% increase in broadband penetrationwoulddo:(therewouldbemorebillionsineconomicoutput,newjobs,new services,andinnovationhubsacrossourstates.)

For individuals and small businesses, broadband access turns local markets into national andglobalones.Ittransformsopportunitiesforourgraduatesfromlocaltoglobaldigital earningpossibilities.Ittransformsastateeconomyfrombeingdependentontraditional revenuestreamstofosteringaninnovation-drivenecosystem.Letuslookathowthis hasimpactedcountrieslikeRwandaandIndia,forexample.Rwandahaspositioned itselfasanAfricanhubofdigitalservicesbyinvestingheavilyinbackbonefibreand digitalgovernance.India’soutsourcingandITservicesindustryisworthhundredsof billions of dollars (worth over $240 billion annually), enabled largely by early and consistentinvestmentindigitalinfrastructureandhumancapacity.

Withover200millionpeopleandamedianageof18,Nigeriacannotonlyfollowthose trajectories but surpass them—if we equip our youth with reliable, aﬀordable, high- speed connectivity.

ProgressandChallenges

UndertheleadershipofPresidentBolaAhmedTinubu,andtheHonourableMinister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, Nigeria is pursuingtheambitioustargetsoftheNationalBroadbandPlan(2020–2025).Thisplan setsaclearpathtoachieve70%broadbandpenetrationbytheend of2025andtodeploy 90,000kilometresoffibreopticbackboneinfrastructureacrossthecountry.

AttheNigerianCommunicationsCommission(NCC),wehavetranslatedthisvision intodeliberateandstrategicaction.Wearedrivingbroadbandexpansion,strengthening regulation,andsafeguardingtheindustry—eveninthefaceofachallengingoperating environment.Letmehighlightafewinitiativesthatwehaveundertaken:

ThroughthesustainedadvocacyoftheCommission,andeﬀortsoftheOﬀiceofthe National Security Adviser (ONSA) as well as the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE), the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Presidential Order was signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in June 2024. The CNII Presidential Order guarantees proactive protection of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructureby providingtheExecutivebackingforlawenforcementagentstodealwithvandalism, theftanddenialofservicetotheseassets,whileensuringcontinuednetworkservice provision by operators. The Commission, working closely with the Oﬀice of the NationalSecurityAdviserhasbeentaskedwithensuringthefulloperationalisation ofthismandateinthetelecommunicationssector.Toachievethis,wehavesetupa TelecommunicationsIndustryWorkingGrouptocoordinateitsoperationalisation.

Ourfirsttaskhasbeentoensurestrictcompliancewithbaselinestandardsforsite security,maintenance,andaccesscontrol.

We have also launched a broad public awareness drive, including TV and radio jingles,socialmediacampaigns,andcommunityengagementinitiatives,tomobilise citizens in protecting telecom infrastructure.In addition,the Commission alongside ONSAisdeepeningcollaborationwithsub-nationalsandtheirinstitutions,aswell as the judiciary—for deterrence and speedy prosecution. Through mediation, enforcement,andprosecutionsofvandals,theNCCandONSAaregivingpractical eﬀecttothePresidentialOrderinsafeguardingNigeria’sdigitallifelines.Withinthe lasttwoyears,ONSAhassuccessfullydismantledmajorcartelsresponsibleforthe theftoftelecommunicationsequipmentacrossthecountry.

OneofthemostsignificantbarrierstobroadbanddeploymentinNigeriahasbeen thehighcostofRightofWay(RoW)feeschargedbystategovernments,despitea resolution by the Nigerian Governors Forum fixing the rate at N145 per linear meter. Recognising this challenge, the Commission intensified advocacy with states to Withinthepasttwoyears, five additional states—Adamawa, Bauchi, Enugu, Benue, and Zamfara—have waivedRoWfeesentirely.ThisbringsthetotalnumberofstatesoﬀeringzeroRoW charges to eleven (11), while 17 states have capped it at N145 per metre. Our sustained engagement with state governments, including today’s gathering underscoresourcommitmenttocreatinganenablingenvironmentfor broadband expansion.

We are also promoting the “dig-once” coordination with public works to cut avoidablefibredamageandlowercivil-workscostsbysharingductsandplans.Our goalisuniform,predictableRoWcountrywide,pairedwithclearpermittingSLAs.

In line with our economic regulatory mandate, earlier this year, the Commission approvedtheapplicationoftariﬀratesthatarebothcost-reflectiveandcompetitive Thisstrategicregulatoryinterventionhas significantlystrengthenedinvestorconfidenceintheNigeriantelecommunications sector. I can confirm to you that operators have made collective commitment to investing over $1 billion in additional rollout investments to expand broadband coverageandcapacitynationwide.Wewillkeepmonitoringquality,soconsumers see the benefit in better service.

TheNCC hascommissioned awholesaleFibreStudy,whichislikelytoopenup existingbackbone,andanybuiltinthefuture,oncomparable,transparenttermsso thatbackboneownersandInternetServiceProviders(ISPs)caninterconnectmore easily.Thisinterventionwillunlocklast-mileexpansionandfasterbackhaul.
Transparency&Data:TheCommissionisexpandingperformancedisclosures— outage reporting, QoS/QoE maps, and compliance dashboards—to anchor accountabilityacrossthevaluechain.Whatgetsmeasuredgetsmanaged;whatis published gets improved.

Despitethesesignificantefforts,somechallengesremain.

Infrastructureattacksandvandalismcontinuetoposeachallenge.BetweenJanuaryand August 2025 alone, Nigeria recorded 19,384 fibre cut incidents, 3,241 cases of equipment theft, and over 19,000 cases of denials of access to telecom sites.

Together,thesedisruptionshavecausedprolongedoutages,revenuelosses,increased securitycosts,anddelayedservicerestoration.Theydemonstratewhyinfrastructure protectionmustbeatthecentreofourcollectiveagenda.

AnotherpersistentchallengefacingbroadbandexpansioninNigeriaisthefragmented andunpredictableRightofWay(RoW)regimesacrossdiﬀerentstates,whichcreate delays and cost uncertainties for operators. This problem is compounded by inconsistentenforcementofcriticalinfrastructureprotection,weakcoordinationwith road authorities, and the absence of clear construction planning protocols.Beyond these,thesectorcontinuestocontendwithenergysupplyvolatility,multipletaxation, and cumbersome permitting processes, all of which pose significant headwinds to progress.

TheUrgencyofNow

Governors, ministers, colleagues: time is not on our side. The global digital race is accelerating.ArtificialIntelligenceistransformingindustries;outsourcingisshiftingto low-cost, high-connectivity environments. If our broadband backbone is weak, our youthwillbemarginalized,andoureconomywilllikelynotachieveitsfullpotential.

Inearliereras,acommunitywithoutarailwayorelectricitycouldstillsubsist.Intoday’s world, a community without digitalconnectivity is invisible.Itis cutoﬀ from education, markets,accesstohealthcare,socialservices,andopportunities.

Wemustactdecisively—statebystate,communitybycommunity—toensurenooneis left behind.

ASharedResponsibilityandCalltoAction

Every Governor and State represented in this room holds a strategic lever. Waiving RoW charges, protecting telecom infrastructure, and proactively supporting fibre deploymentaredecisionsthatcandeterminetheprosperityorstagnationofyourstates.

InstatesthathavewaivedRoWandsupportedinfrastructureprotection,operatorsare expanding networks with greater confidence. This proves that policy direction matters. Butweneedalignmentacrossall36statesandtheFederalCapitalTerritory.Ifevery state embraces uniform, pro-investment policies, we can transform Nigeria into a continental digital powerhouse.

Inthisregard,letmemakesomeconcreterequeststoyou:

Beapartnerintheoperationalisationandenforcementoftelecomassetsascritical
Adopt 100% RoW waiver statewide (or at minimum the NGF benchmark), with clearSLAtimelinesforapprovals.
Institutionalise coordination between road/public works and operators—shared planning portals, advance works notifications, and dig-once protocols to prevent accidental cuts.
Embrace transparency: Publish standard processes, timelines, and fees; adopt single-
Create state digital-infra funds/incentives to crowd in private fibre in rural or underservedareas;leveragePPPsforopen-accessbackboneandmetrobuilds.
Facilitateenergyresilience:Supporthybrid/solarpoweratsitestoimproveuptime and reduce OPEX and emissions.

WhyThisRoundtableMatters

Thisisastrategiccrossroads.Everydecision—protectivelegislation,RoWwaivers, enablingfibre—shapesthefutureofmillions.Withalignment,ourstatescanbecome digitalgrowthengines;withdelay,weriskwatchingopportunitypassusby.Today’s discussion is about removing friction so investment flows faster and value reaches citizens sooner.

Tomorrow,theNCCwilllaunchtwostrategictools:

The Ease of Doing Business Portal, a one-stop-shop that provides information and link to our 36 States and FCT.
The Nigeria Digital Connectivity Index (NDCI), a framework to measure and publish annually each State’s digital readiness and competitiveness, creating a transparentscorecardtodriveaccountability.

Ladies and Gentlemen,in the 21st century,prosperity now lies in data, connectivity, and human potential.Pipelines of oil are giving way to pipelines of fibre. Factories are being redefinedbyhowmanytechentrepreneurswenurture,nothowmanysmokestackswe build.

The Nigerian Communications Commission will continue to protect and expand Nigeria’s connectivity. But this is not a task we can embark on alone, it is a shared mission.Together,withGovernorsandStates,operators,theprivatesector,security agencies, and development partners, we can ensure our youth become creators, not merelyconsumersofdigitalvalue.

Thedigitalrevolutiondoesnotwait.Letusalign,invest,andprotect,fortheprosperity of our people and the future of our nation.

Ileaveyouwiththisquestion:Willwealign—orbeleftbehind? Thank you.

DrAminuMaida

ExecutiveViceChairman

NigerianCommunicationsCommission(NCC)

Photo Caption: L-R: Director, Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Protection, Office of the National Security Advisers (ONSA), Enebong Effiom; Executive Governor, Katsina State, Dikko Radda and Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, during a business roundtable on broadband investment and critical national infrastructure protection hosted by the Commission in Abuja on Wednesday (October 8, 2025).