Nigeria to receive $3bn boost in telecom infrastructure in June — Minister

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has announced that Nigeria is set to receive telecommunications equipment and fibre optic infrastructure valued at $3 billion as part of a major effort to strengthen the country’s digital backbone.

Speaking during a panel session at the Nigeria Development Update (NDU) event organised by the World Bank, Tijani said that the initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to expand broadband connectivity nationwide.

According to the minister, telecom equipment worth $1 billion is expected to arrive in Nigeria by mid-2025. This will be followed by an additional $2 billion investment in fibre optic cables intended to enhance broadband coverage across the country, particularly in areas with limited or no access.

“This investment is the result of sustained work with the World Bank and other development partners to secure long-term financing for digital infrastructure,” Tijani noted.

At a recent stakeholder forum in Abuja titled Realising a Nigerian Vision of Broadband for All, Tijani spoke candidly about the scale of the challenge and the urgency of building out the nation’s digital infrastructure.

“We are here with critical stakeholders to explore how we can bring in investment to fund our broadband network. Everyone understands that life without internet connectivity is becoming unthinkable, and so it is essential that all Nigerians, regardless of where they live, have access to reliable digital services,” he said.

He went on to explain the importance of building what he described as a national databank. “This is essentially what we refer to as telecommunications infrastructure or fibre optic cables. These are the physical systems that make the internet possible,” he explained.

Tijani further noted that the infrastructure rollout will begin with a pilot phase targeting more than 20 million Nigerians who currently have no access to telecommunications services of any kind.

“This initial phase will allow us to extend communications infrastructure to unserved and underserved communities, especially in rural areas,” he said.

He added that the project aims to “markedly improve communication services across Nigeria and close the connectivity divide,” which is a key objective of the country’s digital economy strategy. That plan prioritises equitable access to technology and connectivity as vital tools for economic inclusion.

Nigeria’s current fibre optic network remains limited, particularly outside major urban areas. While cities such as Lagos and Abuja have seen some progress in fibre deployment, vast stretches of rural and semi-urban regions still suffer from poor or nonexistent infrastructure.

Tijani acknowledged that the sector also faces recurring setbacks due to frequent fibre optic cable cuts. According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), more than 50,000 incidents of fibre cuts were recorded in 2023 alone.

Of those, around 30,000 were attributed to road construction activities carried out by federal and state agencies. These incidents have caused widespread service disruptions and heavy financial losses.

One of the most severe examples occurred in February 2024, when a nationwide network outage affecting MTN was traced to damaged fibre cables.

To address the issue, the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy have jointly established a Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables, aimed at preventing future disruptions and safeguarding critical infrastructure.