Telecom
Danbatta, Ndukwe Applaud Steady Rise of Broadband Penetration
Nigeria’s broadband penetration recorded a quantum lip in the last seven months from November 2021 with a record of Seven Million new subscriptions, indicating a steady rise in the nation’s quest to achieve 70% national coverage by the year 2025.
Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, stated this on Thursday in Lagos, at the launch of a book on the impact of broadband on the economy, said the steady growth in broadband penetration is positively impacting other sectors of the economy such as healthcare, education, agriculture, finance, transportation, commerce, governance, and other sectors.
Danbatta said the sector has impressive statistics as he presented the keynote at the 11th eWorld Forum which featured the launch of a book: “Nigeria Drivers of Digital Prosperity: The Trajectories of the Digital Evolution, Sector Analysis and Players Contributions”, authored by the Convener of the forum, Mr. Aaron Ukodie, a veteran ICT journalist and publisher of eWorld News Online.
“Internet subscribers have grown from 90 million in 2015 to 150.36 million as of May 2022. Also, within the period under review, broadband penetration increased from 8 percent to 43.67 percent, indicating that over 83.3 million subscribers are on broadband networks of 3G and 4G. Indeed, between November 2021 and May 2022, the networks have added 7 million new users,” Danbatta said.
At the event, chaired by Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, former EVC of the NCC and current Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Danbatta, who was represented by NCC’s Head, Spectrum Administration, Abraham Oshadami, informed the audience that in the fourth quarter of 2021, the sector contributed 12.61 percent to the GDP, a reasonable leap from 8.50 percent in 2015. Active mobile voice subscriptions also increased from 151 million in 2015 to over 204 million as of May 2022, while teledensity is 107.17 percent.
On universal access and service, the NCC chief executive said the Commission, through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), has recorded huge successes in ensuring that telecommunications services are accessible to a large number of people (and communities) at affordable prices, in addition to various projects being implemented by the Commission to increase universal access and service as well as to enhance government efforts in poverty reduction.
He said that through the Commission’s Strategic Vision Implementation Plan (SVP) 2021 – 2025, also known as NCC’s 5-Point Agenda of the Commission, a number of steps have been taken toward implementing all the digital economy-oriented policies that require the attention of the Commission, including the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), 2020-2030.
“It is our belief that the communications industry will continue to experience more quantum leaps that will be beneficial to the nation’s economy and its citizens,” the EVC stated.
Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, former EVC of NCC, applauded the progressive steps that the Commission has taken since the solid foundation laid with the transparent auction of 2001 and the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 as an enabling law, thus giving a solid foundation upon which the current strides are being made.
The event was attended by other eminent personalities in the ICT sector, including Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, Secretary to the Government of Akwa Ibom State who was President of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON); Nkem Uwaje-Begho, Mr. Tim Akano, CEO of New Horizons, who made a presentation on the significance and benefits of 5G services.
Frontline and veteran journalists, other specialised communication professionals in the ICT sector, and many stakeholders in the telecommunication ecosystem also attended the event, and all of them spoke glowingly about Ukodie’s courage and devotion to chronicling landmarks in Nigeria’s telecom history
Nigeria has exactly 156,662 active fixed wired internet subscriptions as of mid-2026.
This is a tiny fraction compared to mobile GSM networks, which dominate the market with over 154 million subscribers.
The fixed wired market primarily consists of homes and offices using direct physical cables like fiber optics.
Fixed wired services use physical cables, like glass fiber or copper wire, to bring internet directly into a building.
It is like a dedicated, private water pipe for your home. It provides very fast speeds, unlimited data, and is reliable.
In contrast, mobile GSM uses radio waves transmitted from tall towers to phones, acting more like a sprinkler that sprays a signal across an entire neighborhood.
Because laying physical cables across cities is expensive and hard to do, these subscriptions are very rare.
However, the market has seen recent growth, driven largely by Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services.
The top players are: MTN FibreX with 110,564 subscribers, which is roughly 88.7 per cent of the entire market.
SWIFTNG accounts for about 13,945 connections.
The others are ipNX and 21st Century Technologies which make up the number.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is intensifying efforts to implement Nigeria’s planned 112 national emergency number following its approval by the National Economic Council (NEC).
NCC
The commission disclosed this during a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and an NCC delegation led by the Chairman of its Governing Board, Chief Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Briefing the Vice President, Olorunnimbe said the NCC had already established about 35 Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) across the country to support a unified national emergency response system.
He said the next phase of implementation would focus on closer collaboration with state governments and emergency response agencies to ensure the effective rollout of the initiative.
The development follows the recent approval by the NEC, chaired by the Vice President, for the adoption of 112 as Nigeria’s single national emergency number across all tiers of government and emergency response agencies.
The council also approved the establishment of a multi-agency implementation committee to be jointly coordinated by the Office of the Vice President and the NCC.
Olorunnimbe stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on the commitment of state governments to support and maintain emergency communications infrastructure, as well as the readiness of response agencies to promptly attend to distress calls.
“We need commitment at every level of all response agencies—from top to bottom—including the Nigeria Police Force, ambulance services across the states and, at the national level, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),” he said.
Responding, Shettima directed the NCC to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the nationwide implementation of the single emergency number in line with international best practices.
He also urged the commission to work closely with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), citing the agency’s experience in disaster management, relief and rehabilitation.
The Vice President assured the commission of the Federal Government’s commitment to sustaining the initiative, saying funding would be mobilised through the National Economic Council and partnerships with the private sector.
He also called for greater dedication from all emergency response agencies to ensure the success of the programme.
The adoption of 112 is expected to harmonise emergency communications across Nigeria by providing a single number through which citizens can quickly access police, fire, ambulance and other emergency services.
The initiative is also expected to replace multiple emergency contact numbers currently in use and improve coordination and response during emergencies.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it was strengthening collaboration with state governments and industry players to develop a transparent, cost-based pricing framework for sharing telecom ducts as part of efforts to speed up broadband expansion across Nigeria.
Ayuba Shuaibu, director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC, disclosed this at the Stakeholders’ Forum in Abuja.
Shuaibu said the initiative was designed to build consensus among all parties.
“The primary purpose of this forum is to ensure seamless synergy between the Commission and all stakeholders,” he said.
The director said the consultation was prompted by longstanding complaints over permits, levies and other charges imposed by different levels of government.
He said bringing together state commissioners, telecom operators, tower companies and representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had helped improve understanding of the issues.
“This engagement is a work in progress. We expect more input from stakeholders before presenting the outcome to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum,” he added.
Dr Helen Adeneye, commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Kogi State. welcomed the consultation, saying Nigeria needs a harmonised policy that clearly defines the responsibilities of both the federal and state governments.
“We need a harmonised policy that allows states to collaborate better with telecom operators and creates a more business-friendly environment,” she said.
Dr Adeneye added that adopting the Dig-Once policy would establish a uniform pricing system and help resolve disputes over charges for telecom infrastructure deployment.
Chidi Ajuzie, chief executive officer, WTES Projects Limited, whose firm is conducting the consultancy study, said the proposed framework would introduce a common cost structure for duct sharing to support broadband investment and economic growth.
“The study is designed to create a uniform pricing model that will drive broadband growth, economic development and wider adoption across the country,” he said.
Ajuzie explained that the consultants had developed preliminary floor and ceiling prices to guide operators while allowing flexibility within the approved range.
He added that the recommendations remain open to industry input before the NCC finalises the framework.
The Dig-Once Policy is designed to reduce the cost and disruption of deploying broadband infrastructure by requiring fibre ducts to be installed whenever roads are constructed or rehabilitated.
The NCC is developing a cost-based pricing framework for sharing these ducts to promote fair pricing, reduce duplication of infrastructure and encourage investment.
The proposed model is expected to support the Federal Government’s broadband expansion targets while improving collaboration between telecom operators and state governments.
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