Abuja, Nigeria – E be like sey dem dey drag broadband matter for Naija again! Nigeria don experience serious wahala with fibre optic cable cuts, with over 19,000 cuts from January reach August 2025. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), open mouth on top this matter during one Business Roundtable for Abuja.
During the event, Naija padi don drop some shocking numbers: more than 3,200 cases of telecom equipment theft don happen, plus about 19,000 times wey telecom operators no fit access their sites. Na serious problem o! (E be like sey dem no understand sey internet na life line for everybody.)
Aminu Maida gree talk sey dis vandalism don dey affect everything, from business to health and security. “Dem no dey just cut wire, dem dey cut our progress,” he yarn. He even mention sey this kind interruption fit slow down services, reduce productivity, and fit endanger lives. E be like sey dem no sabi sey broadband na serious development issue wey dey affect our economy!
Na only 48.81% broadband penetration we get for Naija, but e mean sey about 140 million internet users dey rely on this connection. If dis broadband matter no get solve, Naija go dey lose plenty money. Chai! Major research show sey if broadband fit increase by just 10%, GDP go also increase by 1.38% for developing countries. How far, Naija?
Maida remind us sey for June 2024, our president don sign one order wey dey make telecom infrastructure critical, but e be like sey dem no dey take am serious. Vandal dey chase telecom equipment like say dem get bonus for am. He call for serious action to protect our telecom assets and make sure sey government body dey work together.
But e no stop there! He yarn about wetin dey happen with Right of Way (RoW) fees wey states dey charge. Dem agree sey make e be uniform fee of N145 per metre, but only 11 states dey carry am out. Na wetin happen to the rest? Some dey still dey collect higher fees or no get proper plan. This gots dey slow down our network expansion matter.
Maida don launch two new initiatives to help matter for telecom infrastructure. First one be the Ease of Doing Business Portal wey go simplify the process to get permits and approvals. If dem fit use this one well, e go help operators submit, track and manage their applications without wahala.
Second one na Nigeria Digital Connectivity Index (NDCI). Dis one go help benchmark states based on their digital infrastructure and broadband coverage. Na so we go sabi who dey try and who dey slack. This one fit promote competition and help guide policy decisions.
Investors no dey sleep for this matter. Dem don commit over $1 billion for new broadband investments because dem don see sey regulation don change and investors dey gain confidence. Maida don talk sey cooperation between federal and state governments go make sure sey Naija digital infrastructure no go crash.
“Today, pipelines wey carry oil don dey turn to pipelines wey carry fibre,” he talk. “Any community wey no get digital connectivity don already lose access to education and market.”
As Nigeria dey target 70% broadband penetration go end of 2025, na serious matter wey need serious attention. Wale Edun, minister of finance, also call on private sector to invest on top telecom industry. Dem dey quote sey ‘government no fit do everything by itself.’ Dem need private sector to help carry load.
As e be, dis roundtable don gather plenty stakeholders to chat am out about the threat wey dey face broadband infrastructure and wetin e mean for our digital economy. Make we hope sey dem go take action sharp-sharp!
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