The Federal Government of Nigeria will begin the deployment of 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable across the country within the next six months.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, made this announcement while highlighting some of the accomplishments of the Ministry under his direction in the past year.
He emphasised the necessity of the initiative, pointing out that longer-term prospects would arise from a more dynamic digital environment, which would be sparked by increased quantity and quality of connectivity.
“We will guarantee that a greater number of our citizens can access the advantages of the digital economy by establishing connections between more communities throughout the nation.”
The project seeks to expand Nigeria’s backbone network from 35,000 to 125,000 kilometres, amplify internet penetration to over 70%, slash internet access costs by 60% and integrate 50% of the 33 million Nigerians currently excluded from access to the internet.
The project’s impact on the economy is expected to be profound, with a projected 1.5% GDP increase per capita, elevating GDP from $472.6 billion to $502 billion within four years.
To make this a reality, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has greenlit the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), tasked with overseeing the project’s execution. Funding partners, including the World Bank, are currently finalizing arrangements to support this monumental undertaking.
“Our development funding partners are now completing the SPV structure to ensure the aggregation of funding required for the effective deployment of the fiber-optic network,” the Minister said.
However, stakeholders in the ICT industry have sounded a note of caution, emphasizing the need to address the ongoing Right of Way challenges that have hindered previous infrastructure projects.
According to them, securing the cooperation of state governments is crucial to ensuring the project’s success, as they hold the key to facilitating seamless deployment.
FG targets 90,000Km of fibre optic cable in six months.
