By Olakunle Oke
The successful effort by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to clear a major bottleneck to national connectivity has gained significant traction, with 11 state governments having officially waived the contentious Right-of-Way (RoW) charges for telecommunication infrastructure deployment.
This crucial action by the states is expected to rapidly accelerate broadband penetration across Nigeria by reducing the enormous cost and administrative burden faced by telecoms operators when laying fibre optic cables.
However, with 11 states now on board, the Commission still needs the other 25 states to follow suit.
Speaking yesterday at the Business Roundtable on Improving Investments in Broadband Connectivity and Safeguarding Critical National Infrastructure, held at the NCC Digital Economy Complex, Dr. Maida said Nigeria’s digital future depends on decisive collaboration between federal and state governments.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida called on state governments to align policies that support broadband expansion and safeguard national digital infrastructure, describing the initiative as vital to Nigeria’s economic transformation.
The event, themed “Right of Way and Protection of Broadband Infrastructure The Road to Success in Broadband Investment and Connectivity,” brought together governors, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to discuss the removal of barriers hindering broadband rollout.
Maida noted that as of August 2025, Nigeria’s broadband penetration stood at 48.81 per cent, with over 140 million people connected to the internet. He stressed that expanding access remains crucial to national productivity, inclusion, and resilience, citing research that a 10 per cent rise in broadband penetration can increase GDP by about 1.38 per cent in developing economies.
Highlighting ongoing efforts, the EVC said the NCC has intensified engagement with state governments to address the high cost of Right of Way (RoW) fees, one of the biggest obstacles to broadband deployment.
“Within the past two years, five more states; Adamawa, Bauchi, Enugu, Benue, and Zamfara have waived RoW fees entirely, bringing the total to eleven,” he said.
Dr. Maida also praised the signing of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Presidential Order by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in June 2024, which empowers law enforcement to act against vandalism and theft of telecom infrastructure. “Between January and August 2025 alone, Nigeria recorded 19,384 fibre cut incidents, 3,241 equipment theft cases, and over 19,000 denials of access to telecom sites,” he revealed.
He added that the NCC, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), has established a Telecommunications Industry Working Group to coordinate enforcement and ensure compliance with the CNII directive.
On investment, Maida disclosed that operators have pledged over $1 billion in additional broadband rollout following recent tariff adjustments aimed at ensuring cost-reflective and competitive pricing in the telecom sector.
He further announced that the NCC will soon launch two strategic initiatives the Ease of Doing Business Portal, a one-stop interface for engagement with states, and the Nigeria Digital Connectivity Index (NDCI), an annual scorecard to measure and publish each state’s digital readiness and competitiveness.
“The global digital race is accelerating,” Maida said. “If our broadband backbone is weak, our youth will be marginalised, and our economy will not achieve its full potential. The pipelines of oil are giving way to pipelines of fibre. Prosperity now lies in data, connectivity, and human potential.”
He urged governors to adopt zero or benchmark RoW fees, enforce infrastructure protection laws, and institutionalise coordination with public works departments to prevent accidental fibre cuts.
“The Nigerian Communications Commission will continue to protect and expand Nigeria’s connectivity,” Maida said. “But this is not a task we can embark on alone it is a shared mission. Together, we can ensure our youth become creators, not merely consumers, of digital value.”