The Federal Government of Nigeria is partnering with the World Bank to raise the $3 billion the country needs to ensure full fiber optic coverage. The partnership was revealed by Bosun Tijani 
(pic), Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, during a meeting with stakeholders in Abuja on Tuesday, February 13.
As part of this collaboration, a National Digital Broadband Fund will be established. The funds raised will be used to deploy approximately 95,000 km of fiber optic cable, in partnership with the private sector. The project is expected to be completed within the next three years.
In December 2023, during an interview on the local television channel Channels TV, Mr. Tijani stressed the need to invest in the extension of the national fiber optic network. The minister then expressed a need for around 65,000 km of optical fiber at a cost of between 1.5 and 2 billion dollars. He also made it his mission to seek partners at the World Economic Forum (January 15-19) to improve Internet connectivity in the country.
Furthermore, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is campaigning with Nigerian states for the reduction of rights of way in order to facilitate the deployment of optical fiber across the country. Katsina, Nassarawa, Anambra, Ekiti states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory have already taken steps in this direction. The current right of way fee in Nigeria is 145 naira ($0.09) per linear meter.
These various initiatives should not only improve the quality and reduce the costs of telecoms and Internet services in Nigeria, but also extend the reach of these services to millions of additional people. According to the latest statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria has 223.2 million mobile subscribers. The country also has 162.06 million Internet service subscribers, of which 90.7 million use broadband.
Source: Agency EcoFin
