Lagos, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- NIGERIA has deployed 101,148.36 kilometres of fibre optic infrastructure across the country, but nearly one-fifth of the network remains concentrated in Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), underscoring persistent disparities in broadband infrastructure development.
State-by-state data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) show that Lagos and Abuja jointly account for 18,559.83 kilometres of fibre, representing 18.35 per cent of the nation’s total deployed fibre network.
The figures highlight the concentration of digital infrastructure in Nigeria’s commercial and administrative capitals, while many states continue to face inadequate fibre connectivity despite increasing demand for broadband services.
Lagos remains the country’s largest fibre hub, with 11,586.70 kilometres of deployed fibre—equivalent to 11.46 per cent of the national network.
The FCT follows with 6,973.13 kilometres, accounting for 6.89 per cent of the total fibre infrastructure while supporting 2,884 Base Transceiver Station (BTS) sites.
The two locations have attracted the bulk of fibre investments because they host Nigeria’s largest concentration of financial institutions, corporate headquarters, government agencies, hyperscale data centres and international internet gateways.
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Outside Lagos and Abuja, Edo State ranks third with 4,789.72 kilometres of fibre, followed by Kano (4,616.71km), Rivers (4,616.01km), Kaduna (4,339.85km) and Ogun (4,246.48km).
According to the NCC data, Bayelsa has only 656.87 kilometres of fibre infrastructure, while Ebonyi (586.92km), Jigawa (970.10km), Borno (1,012.52km) and Zamfara (1,100.98km) also rank among the least connected states.
Overall, more than a dozen states still have less than 2,000 kilometres of deployed fibre, limiting broadband availability, network resilience and internet service quality.
Industry experts say fibre infrastructure forms the backbone of modern telecommunications networks by connecting mobile base stations, data centres and internet exchange points.
Without sufficient fibre backhaul, expanding 4G and 5G services becomes significantly more expensive while network performance and reliability suffer.
Analysts attribute the uneven deployment largely to the high cost of Right of Way (RoW)—the fees charged by state governments for laying fibre optic cables along public roads.
Although the National Economic Council (NEC) approved a harmonised RoW charge of ₦145 per linear metre in 2020, implementation has remained inconsistent across the federation.
While several states have adopted the approved rate or waived the charges entirely to encourage investment, others continue to impose significantly higher fees.
According to NCC data, Ogun State currently has the highest Right of Way charge in Nigeria at ₦6,600 per linear metre. It is followed by Kano (₦2,745) and Delta (₦2,706).
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The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, said excessive RoW charges remain one of the biggest barriers to broadband expansion.
“What we are seeing in some states is that despite officially waiving Right of Way fees, they now impose hidden costs such as education taxes and highway levies, which discourage investment,” he said.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, recently echoed similar concerns.
“One of the most significant barriers to broadband deployment in Nigeria has been the high Right of Way fees charged by state governments, despite a resolution by the Nigerian Governors Forum fixing the rate at ₦145 per linear metre,” he said.
To close Nigeria’s digital infrastructure gap, the Federal Government is advancing Project BRIDGE, a 90,000-kilometre national fibre network designed to expand broadband access across the country.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, said the project will be implemented through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will mobilise private capital and promote public-private partnerships.
The government has already secured $200 million in financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and an additional $100 million investment commitment from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to support implementation.
However, industry stakeholders warn that the initiative could encounter many of the same challenges facing private telecom operators unless state governments fully support the programme.
The Executive Director of Broadbased Communications, Chidi Ibisi, said reducing deployment costs and protecting fibre infrastructure will be critical to the project’s success.
“The issues of high Right of Way charges, destruction of fibre by road construction companies and vandalism all need to be addressed for this initiative to succeed,” he said.
Adebayo also urged state governments to stop viewing Right of Way charges primarily as a source of internally generated revenue.
“For the project to succeed, sub-national governments must take ownership. We cannot talk about building a digital economy while treating telecom infrastructure providers simply as revenue sources,” he said.
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Despite the infrastructure challenges, investment in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector continues to grow.
According to the NCC, telecom operators invested more than ₦2.5 trillion in network infrastructure during 2025 to improve service quality and expand network coverage nationwide.
Mobile Network Operators accounted for over ₦2.13 trillion of the investment, while tower companies committed an additional ₦373.8 billion to network expansion and modernisation.
The regulator said the investments enabled the construction and upgrade of more than 2,800 telecommunications sites, helping to reduce network congestion, improve coverage and increase capacity across several parts of the country.
While these investments are strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, experts say achieving universal broadband coverage will require more balanced fibre deployment, lower Right of Way costs and stronger collaboration between the Federal Government, state governments and private sector operators.
