Nigeria Faces 52,000km Fibre Deficit As Digital Demand Surges

Nigeria may need to deploy about 52,000 kilometres of additional fibre-optic infrastructure to meet its long-term connectivity target, as inadequate backbone infrastructure continues to constrain broadband expansion and digital economic activities.

The infrastructure gap has renewed calls for sustained, long-term financing and stronger coordination between the federal and state governments to accelerate fibre deployment nationwide.

Speaking at the Telecom Sector Sustainability Forum, Chief Operating Officer of WTES, Chidi Princewill Ajuzie, said Nigeria’s existing fibre infrastructure remained below the level required to provide comprehensive national connectivity.

He noted that the country needed to significantly expand its fibre network to support the growing demand for broadband, cloud services, data centres, financial technology, and other digital services.

Ajuzie also identified high Right-of-Way (RoW) charges, multiple regulatory requirements, foreign-exchange pressures, and the cost of financing as major obstacles to large-scale fibre deployment.

According to him, the cost of obtaining access to roads and other public infrastructure for fibre installation could substantially increase the cost of network expansion, making long-term infrastructure financing increasingly important.

He advocated developing financing structures that support projects with returns realised over several years, rather than relying heavily on short-term commercial borrowing.

Meanwhile, the call comes as the Federal Government pursues Project BRIDGE, a national initiative designed to deploy about 90,000km of additional open-access fibre infrastructure across the country. The project is intended to extend the national backbone to about 120,000km and connect all 774 Local Government Areas.

The African Development Bank has already approved a $200 million loan for the programme, while the World Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development are also supporting the broader financing structure.

Ajuzie further proposed greater use of shared infrastructure to reduce duplication and deployment costs, arguing that an open-access model could allow operators and other digital service providers to utilise common backbone infrastructure.

Stakeholders have consistently identified RoW charges and other deployment barriers as major impediments to fibre expansion. Recent industry data also show significant differences in fibre deployment among states, with infrastructure heavily concentrated in major commercial centres.

The expansion is considered critical as Nigeria’s digital economy becomes increasingly dependent on reliable connectivity for banking, electronic payments, e-commerce, government services, education and other essential activities.

The Federal Government’s BRIDGE initiative is consequently expected to play a major role in reducing the infrastructure deficit, particularly in underserved areas where commercial operators may have limited incentives to deploy fibre independently.