FG seeks $1.5bn funding to lay 95,000km of fibre optic cables

The Federal Government has stated that it is seeking funding for the construction of 95,000km of fibre optic cables across the country.

According to the National digital economy strategy of the country, digital infrastructure forms a strategic pillar in the digital transformation agenda.

Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said the construction of fiber optic cables across Nigeria will cost 1.5 to 2 billion dollars.

Tijani made this revelation in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday.

He said, “I understand, as a minister, that if we prioritise fiber optic cables in this country, the quality of service, whether it’s through your normal mobile telephony or the internet service you use at home, is going to go off the roof, and that’s the commitment I’m also making.

“In the next four years, we are going to do everything to increase the kilometres of fiber optic cables in Nigeria. We are about 35, 000 kilometres away, and we need to go to 95,000 kilometeres, almost half way there.

“It’s going to cost roughly 1.5 to 2 billion dollars to wire the whole of Nigeria to reach that 95, 000.

“We hope we can accelerate in the next 6 to 12 months, secure that funding that private companies can tap into—it’s not government money—and hopefully work with serious companies that can lay fiber over the next two to three years.

“We’re hoping that before the first four years of this administration, a significant portion of that 95, 000 kilometers will be covered,” he said.