FG, World Bank Begin Talks on 90,000 km Fibre-Optic Cable Project.
This move aims to significantly boost Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, increasing the nation’s fibre-optic cable capacity from 35,000 km to 125,000 km, positioning it as Africa’s third-longest terrestrial fibre-optic network behind South Africa and Egypt.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced the commencement of Nigeria Week in Washington, D.C., and highlighted the importance of the project during a session at the World Bank headquarters. Tijani, a co-founder of CcHUB, Nigeria’s first tech hub, has been a strong advocate for broadband expansion, emphasizing its critical role in advancing Nigeria’s digital economy.
“A great kickoff for Nigeria Week today at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC. Excellent discussions with the World Bank Global Digital Development team on our digital economy agenda, particularly our plans to build out a 90,000 km fibre optic network,” Tijani stated on X (formerly Twitter).
The minister has been engaging with various stakeholders over the past six months to propel this initiative forward. Prior to his trip to Washington, he held a virtual meeting with World Bank representatives to discuss priority areas in digital trade for Nigeria and preliminary findings from the Digital Trade Policy Gap Analysis.
The fibre-optic expansion project aims to enhance broadband penetration in Nigeria, which currently stands at less than 50 percent. Tijani has also developed an artificial intelligence roadmap, engaging about 120 researchers to bolster the nation’s digital infrastructure.
“I am consistent in my belief that building our connectivity infrastructure backbone is a fundamental piece of the digital economy we are building. That’s why I am particularly grateful for the ever-increasing support from partners for our work in deploying fibre optic connectivity across the country,” Tijani reassured.
In May, the Federal Government assigned a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to oversee the project. Tijani noted that the SPV would follow governance and operational models similar to some of Nigeria’s best public-private partnership setups.
The increased connectivity is expected to bridge the non-consumption gap by connecting over 200,000 educational, healthcare, and social institutions across Nigeria, ensuring broader societal inclusion in the benefits of internet connectivity.
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Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan 2020–2025 targets a broadband penetration rate of 70 percent and a population coverage of 90 percent by 2025. However, the country faces significant challenges, including a deficit of fibre infrastructure, high right-of-way (RoW) fees charged by state governments, security issues, limited access to foreign exchange, and multiple taxation.
The World Bank estimates that $6 billion in annual investments are needed to bridge Africa’s digital divide and ensure widespread access to digital technologies. In a positive development, the Nigerian Communications Commission has secured right-of-way fee waivers in six states, a move expected to significantly boost the telecommunications industry. Discussions are ongoing with several other states to secure additional RoW fee waivers, further facilitating the expansion of Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
