Telecom
Fixed Broadband – The Next Big Thing for Nigeria

By: Rajiv Aggarwal
Nigeria urgently needs rapid rollout of broadband services to address the country’s various socio-economic challenges.

Rajiv Aggarwal, Head of CEWA Market Unit at Nokia
With a population estimated at about 203 million people, 23 percent of the overall population is currently unemployed.
Furthermore, 55 percent of the country’s youth are unemployed, which presents a massive challenge considering that over half the population is under the age of 25.
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country’s broadband penetration as at June 2021 stood at is 39.9 per cent with a broadband subscriptions figure of 76.29 million.
Therefore, the country is faced with the tremendous challenge of puttingits largely unemployed and underemployed population to work.
Addressing Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges
The rapid rollout of broadband services will address various socio-economic challenges faced by the country, including the need to grow its economy, job creation, expansion of the tax base, and improving digital literacy and educational standards.
This will also address identity management and security challenges through the effective use of technology, increase financial inclusion and deliver a broad range of services to its people to improve their quality of life and work towards achieving the UN’s 2030Social Development Goals.
The new Broadband Plan is designed to deliver data download speeds across Nigeria of a minimum of 25Mbps in urban areas, and 10Mbps in rural areas, with effective coverage available to at least 90% of the population by 2025 at a price not more than N390 per 1GB of data.
The Broadband Plan will drive increased fibre connectivity in schools, healthcare facilities, government buildings and towers, amongst others.
Notably, a large traffic volume within the middle mile networks is still backhauled using microwave equipment today.
While this type of backhaul was adequate for narrow-band voice communications, it is no longer adequate for the effective delivery of bandwidth-intensive broadband applications driving current demand.
The need to make fibre-optics the de-facto means of backhauling traffic within middle-mile networks, for the effective deployment of broadband networks, cannot be overemphasized.
Last-mile connectivity in Nigeria is also largely mobile with comparatively lower investments made in fixed-line infrastructure within the past two decades.
There is therefore a need for improvement in last-mile connectivity for increased adoption.
More submarine cable access will become available as new players such as the 2Africa Consortium extend broadband cable branches to Nigeria, boosting broadband penetration across the country.
The consortium recently announced the addition of four new branches to the 2Africa cable, which will extend 2Africa’s connectivity to the Seychelles, the Comoros Islandsand Angola; and bring a new landing to South-east Nigeria.
The role of fibre and fixed wireless access
To date, fibre density in Nigeria remains particularly low with approximately 10% of base stations connected to fibre and most of the fibre networks overbuilt on the same routes.
The continued reliance on narrowband microwave links remains a limiting factor in terms of aggregate capacity and stability of mobile networks especially in a challenging electricity supply environment.
Denser metro fibre networks will also provide the essential building blocks for future Fibre-To-The-X networks. In addition, the massive development in the real estate sector of the economy with several ‘’gated communities ‘’ being built in cities like Lagos, Abuja, Kano, PHC, Ibadan are also fuelling broadband adoption in Nigeria.
Fibre access is considered the biggest and fastest growing technology with the largest eco-system of players that includes fixed and converged operators, governments, cities, utilities, enterprises, and infrastructure investors.
Fibre access networks are becoming the unifying infrastructure that underpins the entire telecom industry, connecting everyone to everything.
The COVID pandemic has highlighted the “digital divide” and the importance of broadband connectivity worldwide.
New and more powerful fixed networks are therefore needed to increase speeds and improve the user experience.
While fibre remains a preferred choice, it can be expensive, time consuming, and challenge to serve homes and businesses.
To address the broadband need in underserved rural and suburban markets where the economics of FTTH is too cost-prohibitive, fixed wireless access (FWA) is seen as a good substitute via 4G and 5G to enable high-speed broadband.
With expanding network capacity afforded by 5G and new sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave spectrum, more and more operators see FWA as a complement to their “fibre plus FWA” broadband strategy.
The fixed wireless access (FWA) market continues to expand, with the underlying broadband demand arguably accelerated by the COVID pandemic.
The market growth is supported and fuelled by robust product innovations.
It is therefore important to keep pushing the boundaries of fixed technology and make sure the investments in fixed networks made today will be usable for many years to come to meet the inevitable growth in demand for faster, more responsive, and immersive internet services.
Fibre broadband investment enables a premium customer experience, competitive advantage, the lowest operational costs (OPEX), and the lowest power consumption of any broadband technology, with the additional opportunity of service convergence (residential, enterprise and 5G transport).
As a major global equipment vendor with a leading set of Fixed Access technologies, Nokia partners with fixed, converged, mobile and cable operators to deliver extraordinary Gigabit broadband services and enable them to address the unprecedented demands on their networks today.
Our ability to take our customers beyond the network termination point and deliver gigabit broadband throughout the home is another strength, especially with the increased data consumption associating the pandemic.
Fixed broadband will enable Nigerian Service Providers to provide faster speeds and better coverage to customers while achieving the price points highlighted in the Nigeria Broadband Plan.
The use of passive fibre networks along with a shared infrastructure model will greatly reduce the costs of deployment while maximizing the Capex investment.
Fibre not only ensures the speeds of today, but that the capacity needed tomorrow can be met.
Fixed broadband and fibre not only ensure faster download speeds for end users on fibre, but can also serve as an anchor point for densification of mobile networks as well serving as a connection point for wireless access points and even cell towers in some instances.
All of this translates to greater broadband penetration in Nigeria and increased services and benefits for CSPs and their end customers.
As part of the 2Africa Consortium, Nokia is facilitating increased fibre deployments in Nigeria.
Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), a division of Nokia that has been selected to deploy the new branches, which will increase the number of 2Africa landings to 35 in 26 countries, further improving connectivity into and around Africa including Nigeria.
Nokia also provides GPON solutions to several providers in Nigeria, thereby increasing fixed broadband speeds using FTTH.
One of the examples is that Nokia is providing Spectranet, Nigeria’s largest Internet Service Provider, with its GPON solution and enabling 100+ Mbps ultra-broadband services to end users in Lagos and Abuja as part of an extensive Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) rollout.
This kind of deployments with Nokia’s superior fixed network technologies, in turn, enables Nigerian Service Providers to offer up to 1Gbps speeds to end customers using passive fibre connections.
Rajiv Aggarwal, Head of CEWA Market Unit at Nokia
Telecom
Glo, Huawei, Communications Ministry Bring Digital Services to Abuja Village

Telecommunications and digital services provider, Globacom, has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and Huawei Nigerian Enterprises, to provide digital access to 7,000 remote communities in Nigeria with the commissioning of the pilot project in Isuanin Kura in Ibwa 2, Gwagwalada, on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Wednesday.
The project, which is championed by the Ministry, will deliver 2G/3G/4G services, free public Wi-Fi access, digital healthcare and remote learning capabilities to the over 12,000 residents of the community.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, was full of commendation to Globacom and Huawei for supporting President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to addressing the connectivity crisis affecting more than 20 million Nigerians who currently lack basic telecommunication access in the country.
Said he: “If you bring out your phone in many communities, there is no network at all. This is costing the country significantly because people cannot access financial services, medical care, or education”, adding that this also poses governance challenges as disconnected areas are difficult to administer.
“Where you live should not determine your access to opportunity. We are using innovation to ensure every Nigerian, regardless of location, can thrive in the digital age”, the Minister added.
Globacom’s Group Chief Technical Director, Mr. Sanjib Roy, who spoke on the project said the company worked with the Ministry and Huawei to bring up the site by providing the Microwave backhaul link and access to Globacom’s full core network resources and also manage the operation of the site to ensure uninterrupted voice and data services for the community.
“The Smart Education facility allows for young students within the community to receive education remotely, with the teachers being in Abuja or any other part of the world, while Healthcare delivery has been revolutionised through connected medical equipment that enables remote consultations between patients in Ibwa and doctors and specialists in urban-locations”, Mr Roy explained. The site and all the equipment are powered by solar thereby ensuring clean environment and uninterrupted power supply.
During the inauguration, the system’s effectiveness was demonstrated with the leader of Isuanin Kura, Ibwa 2 Community, Chief Abubakar Bamaiyi, having a live consultation with a medical doctor in Abuja, while the Minister and other guests watched as the students in the local school were being taught via online video by a teacher in Lagos, using equipment provided by Huawei.
Mr Kazeem Kaka, Globacom’s Head of Division, North West, who also spoke at event, said, “For Globacom, this is a continuation of our long-standing mission to democratize access to communication. Since 2003, we have remained at the forefront of efforts to lower the barriers to connectivity—making telephony, internet, and data services more accessible and affordable for all Nigerians.
“Today’s launch reinforces that commitment. We are particularly excited about the impact this initiative will have on education, healthcare, and economic empowerment of Ibwa people”.
In his remarks, Mr Terrens Wu, Managing Director, Huawei Nigerian Enterprises, said his company was proud to be part of the initiative to provide connectivity, and promote learning and healthcare in rural communities through digital technology. His company later gave out 120 affordable smartphones to the community to help them have access to telephony.
Telecom
NIMC Targets 95% National ID Enrollment by December 2025

National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has unveiled an ambitious plan to register at least 95% of Nigerians into the National Identity Database before the end of 2025, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on digital governance and inclusive development.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote outlined the agency’s strategy, which includes expanded registration centers, improved infrastructure, and intensified public sensitization campaigns.
“As part of our efforts, we are launching the Ward Enrollment Exercise to ensure that at least 95% of Nigerians are captured by December,” she stated.
NIMC reported that over 120 million Nigerians have already been enrolled, with the target set to register an additional 100 million before year-end. Coker-Odusote emphasized that the exercise would provide the government with accurate population data, enabling better planning and resource allocation.
Addressing concerns about data security and public trust, the NIMC boss assured Nigerians that robust measures have been put in place to safeguard personal information.
She highlighted initiatives such as the NIN Authentication system, which allows individuals to control access to their data through user consent management.
Additionally, NIMC is collaborating with security agencies to track and shut down fraudulent NIN websites while working alongside the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to ensure that enrollment officers receive proper certification in data handling.
“To foster trust, we are ensuring that all personnel handling data are certified experts through NDPC training programs,” she explained.
Looking ahead, Coker-Odusote revealed that NIMC is actively working to integrate all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to eliminate fragmented operations.
She also disclosed plans to launch a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) initiative, which will enhance trust in government transactions and digital interactions.
“In the near future, MDAs will be able to implement digital signing across platforms, seamlessly exchanging documents within and between various establishments, thereby advancing e-government and the digital economy,” she added.
The mass enrollment drive, coupled with the strengthening of cybersecurity frameworks, positions Nigeria for an inclusive and efficient national identity system that will serve as a foundation for digital transformation.
Telecom
Experts @ ABoICT 2025 Warn of Digital Disaster Risks in Nigeria Without AI Governance

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform the global digital landscape, two prominent technology leaders have issued urgent warnings and strategic calls for Nigeria and Africa to adopt a unified, governance-driven approach to AI development, emphasizing that trust, regulation, and cybersecurity are more important than ever.

L-r: Dr. Krishnan Ranganath, Regional Executive, West Africa, Africa Data Centres, Adewale Obadare, chief visionary officer, Digital Encode, Amrish Singhal, chief operations officer, Spectranet, Engr. Ike Nnamani, Managing Director, Digital Realty Nigeria and Rudman Muhammed, Managing Director, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, at the 16th Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership awards held in Lagos recently.
At the 2025 Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit & Leadership Award (ABoICT 2025), held over the weekend in Lagos, Professor Adewale Peter Obadare, Chief Visionary Officer of Digital Encode, and Amrich Singhal, Chief Operating Officer of Spectranet, independently but powerfully echoed the same sentiment: AI without governance is a ticking time bomb.
Delivering his keynote on “AI Governance, Standardization and Cybersecurity in the AI Era,” Prof. Obadare warned against the rising trend of “AI washing”—where companies label basic software or services as “AI” to capitalize on hype, often without the underlying technological integrity or oversight.
“People are calling everything AI today, from photography apps to basic automation, but no one is talking about AI governance,” he said.
Drawing comparisons to the early days of the internet, Obadare cautioned that failing to integrate security and governance into AI architecture could lead to far-reaching consequences. “We are repeating the same mistake we made with TCP/IP, which was not built with cybersecurity in mind. We cannot afford to make that error again.”
He emphasized that governance should not be seen as a hindrance but as an enabler of safe innovation. “Governance is not a brake to stop movement; it is a brake to make movement safe,” he said.
Citing international standards like ISO/IEC 42001 and ISO/IEC 38507, Obadare called for responsible innovation grounded in clear ethical guidelines, stressing the importance of securing the core components of AI: data, models, and infrastructure.
Echoing similar concerns, Amrich Singhal, chief operating officer, Spectranet in his presentation themed “Responsible AI and Nigeria: Balancing Innovation, Regulation, and Cybersecurity,” stressed that “the countries that will benefit most from AI are not necessarily those with the most powerful models, but those with the most trusted systems.”
Singhal painted AI as a double-edged sword, capable of boosting national productivity while also enabling new forms of cyber manipulation—from deepfakes to identity theft and disinformation. “AI can clone voices, create fake personas, and even undermine democracy. It’s no longer a question of readiness, it’s a question of urgency,” he declared.
He acknowledged Nigeria’s potential due to its youthful, tech-savvy population and its expanding use of AI across sectors like healthcare, agriculture, education, and oil exploration.
However, he criticized existing regulatory structures such as the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) and NITDA’s 2023 draft AI framework as being “underdeveloped, underfunded, and poorly enforced.”
Both experts called for a multi-stakeholder approach to AI governance. Prof. Obadare warned of real-world failures, such as Microsoft’s racist chatbot Tay, Amazon’s gender-biased recruitment AI, and Uber’s fatal autonomous vehicle incident, not as tech failures, but as governance failures.
He also cited cybersecurity breaches, including the 2023 hacking of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and the leak of DeepSeek’s API keys and user data on launch day, to stress that “the danger is not just in the algorithms, but in how we design and deploy them.”
Singhal proposed a three-tiered strategy to build Nigeria’s AI resilience: government must champion AI education, create safe innovation sandboxes, and enforce data laws; private companies must adopt ethical and secure design practices; and civil society must raise awareness of digital rights and AI risks—especially for vulnerable populations.
In a firm conclusion, Prof. Obadare urged that “governance must be embedded by design,” warning that irresponsible innovation has already proven costly and called on both developers and policymakers to act before Nigeria’s AI future becomes a liability rather than a strength.
Meanwhile, Singhal closed with a stark challenge: “AI is already here. The question is not whether to use it, but how. Nigeria must choose whether AI will be a great equalizer or its greatest vulnerability.”
As the nation moves deeper into the AI era, the message is clear: building trust, enforcing cybersecurity, and embedding responsible governance must be at the core of Nigeria’s AI journey, before it’s too late.
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