The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has officially launched the National Broadband Alliance for Nigeria (NBAN), a policy initiative to expand internet access nationwide. The initiative targets key sectors, including schools, healthcare facilities, religious centers, and markets, in a bid to create a sustainable model for widespread broadband adoption.
NBAN aligns with Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) and the Strategic Blueprint from the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy. The initiative’s goals include increasing broadband penetration from 44% in December 2024 to 70% by 2025, providing minimum data speeds of 25 Mbps in urban areas and 10 Mbps in rural areas, and boosting broadband investments by 300–500% by 2027.
NBAN adopts a collaborative approach, bringing together state governments, schools, hospitals, telecom operators, and infrastructure companies to expand broadband access across the country. The initiative starts with a pilot program in eight states: Edo, Ogun, Kwara, Katsina, Imo, Abia, Borno, and Nasarawa.
“Achieving these goals will require more than just the efforts of the private sector. It will require a holistic approach that includes strategic partnerships with donors, investors, and other key stakeholders to accelerate the roll-out of critical infrastructure,” Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC.
On January 20, 2025, the NCC approved a 50% tariff increase for telecom operators, with the condition that service quality must improve within three months of implementation. While the new tariffs are not yet in effect, operators are already preparing to comply with the NCC’s requirements.
The NCC has also reportedly approved a roaming and spectrum-sharing agreement between MTN Nigeria and 9mobile. Under the agreement, 9mobile, Nigeria’s fourth-largest telecom operator, will leverage MTN’s nationwide infrastructure to improve its network coverage. This arrangementallows 9mobile subscribers to make calls, send messages, and use data services in areas where 9mobile lacks coverage. For MTN, the partnership offers profit-sharing opportunities and access to 9mobile’s spectrum holdings, including the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz bands.
Airtel Nigeria has also announced plans to expand its network to more locations, upgrade existing sites, and enhance service delivery, according to CEO Dinesh Balsingh. However, meeting the NCC’s three-month deadline could be a significant challenge. As of January 2025, Nigeria’s internet penetration stands at 44%, significantly lower than South Africa and Egypt, which reported 74.7% and 72.2% penetration in 2024, respectively. Additionally, Nigeria struggles with low-speed internet deployment, with 4G penetration at 47% and 5G at just 2.4%, two years after its launch.
“Tariff increase is not the only problem that the industry faces,” said Gbenga Adebayo, President of the Association of Licenced Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria, at a telecom CEOs town hall last week. He explained that the 50% increase only allows the operators to recover some of the revenue losses and fund infrastructure deployment in some underserved areas. However, it does not address multiple taxation, vandalism of telecom infrastructure, and insecurity across the country.
Aminu Maida of NCC believes the NBAN initiative can help address these challenges in three key ways: streamlining regulatory processes to expedite fiber deployment, creating incentives for private-sector investment in underserved areas, and launching public awareness campaigns to encourage broadband adoption and usage.
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