Hot SourceEmma Okonji
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has stressed the need for improved investment in broadband connectivity, and safeguarding critical national infrastructure in the telecoms sector. Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, stated this during a business roundtable held yesterday at NCC Digital Economy Complex, Mbora, in Abuja, themed, “Right of Way and Protection of Broadband Infrastructure – The Road to Success in Broadband Investment and Connectivity.”
Speaking on the importance of connectivity, Maida said, “When we talk about connectivity, our minds go to faster downloads or smoother video calls. But the scope and impact extend far beyond these. Connectivity today equals economic inclusion, productivity, and national resilience. As of August 2025, Nigeria had achieved a broadband penetration rate of roughly 48.81 per cent with over 140 million people having internet access. The ICT/telecom sector is already one of the leading contributors to Nigeria’s GDP.”
According to him, for individuals and small businesses, broadband access turns local markets into national and global ones.
He said it transformed opportunities for graduates from local to global digital earning possibilities; transforms a state economy from being dependent on traditional revenue streams to fostering an innovation-driven ecosystem.
Citing African countries that had invested in broadband connectivity, Maida said Rwanda had positioned itself as an African hub of digital services by investing heavily in backbone fibre and digital governance, adding that India’s outsourcing and IT services industry is worth over $240 billion annually, enabled largely by early and consistent investment in digital infrastructure and human capacity.
“With over 200 million people and a median age of 18, Nigeria can not only follow those trajectories but surpass them—if we equip our youth with reliable, affordable, high- speed connectivity,” Maida said.
He said through the sustained advocacy of the commission, and efforts of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) as well as the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE), the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Presidential Order was signed by President Bola Tinubu in June 2024.
CNII Presidential Order guarantees proactive protection of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure by providing the executive backing for law enforcement agents to deal with vandalism, theft and denial of service to the assets, while ensuring continued network service provision by operators.
Maida explained that working closely with the Office of the National Security Adviser, NCC had been tasked with ensuring the full operationalisation of the mandate in the telecommunications sector.
He said, “To achieve the mandate, NCC has set up a Telecommunications Industry Working Group to coordinate its operationalisation. Our first task has been to ensure strict compliance with baseline standards for site security, maintenance, and access control.
“We have also launched a broad public awareness drive, including TV and radio jingles, social media campaigns, and community engagement initiatives, to mobilise citizens in protecting telecom infrastructure.”
He said NCC will yesterday in Abuja launch two strategic tools: The Ease of Doing Business Portal, a one-stop-shop that provides information and link to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); and The Nigeria Digital Connectivity Index (NDCI), a framework to measure and publish annually each state’s digital readiness and competitiveness, creating a transparent scorecard to drive accountability.
