NCC, NGF partner to boost Nigeria’s digital economy
Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has pledged to partner the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) to drive the nation’s digital economy.
The pledge was made during a visit by NCC team which met with a warm reception from Mr. Abdulateef Shittu, Director-General (DG) of the NGF.
The visit underscores a shared commitment to enhancing broadband connectivity and safeguarding critical national information infrastructure (CNII) across the country.
Dr. Maida commended the NGF for its willingness for the collaboration, noting, “The openness of the NGF to engage with us reflects a shared belief in the impact digital solutions can have on sub national development.”
He emphasised the critical need for alignment between national and sub national digital infrastructure, describing it as a “game changer” for Nigeria’s digital economy.
A key focus of his address was the Right of Way (RoW) fees, currently set at N145 per linear meter, which he described as a significant burden on telecom companies.
Dr. Maida urged states to waive or reduce these fees to facilitate fibre optic deployment, stating, “The Right of Way is a critical element in opening up the digital economy, and this lies within the purview of the states.”
Echoing the call for collaboration, Shittu highlighted the centrality of broadband and secure infrastructure to state development. “Broadband and secure information infrastructure are no longer optional inputs to development. They are foundational public goods,” the DG declared.
Mr. Shittu noted that while Nigeria has seen rapid growth in connectivity, national broadband penetration remains below the level needed for inclusive digital transformation.
To address this, he proposed four pragmatic areas for deepened partnership with the NCC: institutional alignment through State Broadband Coordinating Councils, policy harmonization to standardize RoW rules, CNII resilience through state-level protection plans, and information sharing to enhance capacity building.
The DG pointed to the World Bank’s SABER initiative as a model for success, citing states that have harmonized RoW fees, adopted coordinated trenching practices, and waived onerous fees to attract private investment.
“These policy choices have produced rapid increases in fibre kilometres and improved access to high-capacity networks,” he said, highlighting the socio-economic benefits, including improved productivity, job creation, and expanded access to education and health services.
Both leaders emphasised the economic potential of enhanced connectivity.
Dr. Maida noted that easing RoW barriers would enable telecom companies to create more value chains, benefiting citizens and increasing tax revenues for states.
Mr. Shittu reinforced this, stating: “Expanded fibre coverage raises productivity, supports job creation, broadens access to education and health services, and enlarges the taxable base available to state governments.”
The NGF proposed leveraging the upcoming NCC Business Roundtable to convert commitments into concrete state-level pledges. “I further propose that the NGF and the NCC jointly convene a series of follow-up workshops to translate best practices from leading states into implementable toolkits for lagging ones,” the DG noted, advocating for measurable targets and clear timelines.
As Nigeria strives for universal, affordable, and resilient connectivity, the NCC-NGF partnership signals a collaborative path forward. With states controlling critical administrative processes like land use and security, Mr. Shittu affirmed the NGF’s commitment: “We will bring political will, coordination capacity, and the convening power of the governors to bear on this agenda.”
Dr. Maida, in turn, pledged the NCC’s technical leadership and regulatory clarity to ensure rapid and secure broadband expansion.
This landmark engagement sets the stage for a transformative push to bridge Nigeria’s digital divide, with both the NCC and NGF poised to drive measurable progress in the nation’s digital economy.
