By Barnabas Esiet.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has urged state governments to align their policies on Right of Way (RoW) and protect telecom infrastructure to fast-track broadband investment and digital inclusion across Nigeria.
Speaking at the Business Roundtable on Improving Investments in Broadband Connectivity and Safeguarding Critical National Infrastructure, Maida emphasized that broadband is now as vital to the economy as power and transport.
Maida highlighted the challenges facing broadband expansion in Nigeria, including high RoW fees charged by state governments, infrastructure attacks, and vandalism.
He revealed that between January and August 2025, 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.
Despite these challenges, Maida noted that Nigeria has made progress in expanding broadband coverage, with a penetration rate of 48.81% and over 140 million internet users as of August 2025. He highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the NCC, including:
– Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Presidential Order: Providing legal backing for the protection of telecom assets and empowering law enforcement agencies to deal with vandalism and theft.
– Right of Way (RoW) Fee Reduction: 11 states have waived RoW fees entirely, while 17 others have capped rates at N145 per meter.
– “Dig-once” Policy: Coordinating public works with telecom operators to prevent accidental fibre cuts and lower civil works costs.
– Cost-reflective Tariffs: Approving tariff rates that are both cost-reflective and competitive within the telecommunications industry.
– Wholesale Fibre Study: Commissioning a study to open up existing backbone and future fibre infrastructure on comparable and transparent terms.
Maida urged state governments to support the broadband agenda by fully adopting the Nigerian Governors Forum-approved RoW benchmark, protecting telecom assets, and aligning with national standards for fibre deployment.
He emphasized that every governor holds a strategic lever to determine the prosperity or stagnation of their state.
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