Four months after the expiration of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020–2025, telecom operators are calling for a fresh and more practical policy framework to drive the next phase of the country’s digital infrastructure development. Industry stakeholders say the outgoing plan failed to meet expectations in key areas such as execution, infrastructure coordination, and policy alignment across different levels of government.
The renewed push comes as Nigeria continues to fall short of its broadband ambitions. The plan originally targeted 70% broadband penetration by the end of 2025, but data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows penetration stood at 51.97%, leaving nearly half of internet users without access to high-speed connectivity. Operators say this gap highlights deeper structural challenges in the telecom ecosystem.
Speaking on the development, the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Tony Emoekpere, stressed that Nigeria does not just need another policy but one that is executable and well-coordinated. He noted that infrastructure rollout must be placed at the centre of the next broadband strategy, with stronger alignment between government initiatives and private sector participation to attract investment and improve delivery.
Telecom consultant Adewale Adeoye also emphasized the importance of a new framework, noting that while the previous plan provided direction, many of its targets were not implemented effectively. He added that execution gaps were a major reason the industry failed to achieve key milestones, despite the existence of a structured roadmap.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says work is already underway on a successor plan. Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, explained that lessons from the previous cycle are being reviewed to shape a stronger framework. However, industry players insist that isolated projects such as Project BRIDGE and the planned deployment of 7,000 telecom towers must be integrated into a unified national broadband strategy to deliver meaningful impact.
source: nairametrics