Nigeria’s broadband penetration climbed to 48.15% in April 2025, a slight increase from 47.73% in March, according to the latest industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This figure represents 104.3 million active broadband connections across the country.
Despite the upward trend, Nigeria remains significantly behind its 70% broadband penetration target set in the National Broadband Plan (NBP 2020–2025). When the plan was launched in March 2020, penetration stood at 39.85%, with 75.4 million broadband users. This means the country has only seen a marginal increase of just over 8% in more than four years.
State-Level Challenges Hindering Progress
The slow pace of broadband infrastructure rollout is largely attributed to regulatory bottlenecks at the state level. One of the most pressing issues is the high cost of Right of Way (RoW) charges, which telecom operators must pay to deploy fibre infrastructure. Only seven states have waived these charges, while others continue to impose steep fees that deter investment.
NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, recently highlighted these issues at a telecom industry forum. He stressed that state-level regulations, multiple taxation, and inconsistent policies are undermining the success of the national broadband agenda.
“To meet the NBP targets and drive Nigeria’s digital economy, state governments must ease regulatory burdens and adopt investor-friendly policies,” Maida said.
“Broadband is a catalyst for economic growth—it empowers digital innovation, job creation, and entrepreneurship. Sub-national obstacles like RoW charges and multiple taxation must be urgently addressed.”
Falling Behind Broadband Plan Milestones
According to the NBP 2020–2025, Nigeria was expected to hit 50% broadband penetration by the end of 2023. However, the actual figure was 43.71% by December 2023 and only improved slightly to 44.43% by the end of 2024.
Another critical gap is the lack of affordable smartphones—a key enabler of broadband adoption. The Plan recommended the establishment of at least one local smartphone assembly plant by 2023 to reduce device costs and improve access. However, no such plant exists as of 2025. Due to Naira devaluation, the cheapest smartphones now cost over ₦100,000, far exceeding the target of ₦18,000 for an entry-level device.
4G Adoption Below Expectations
The Broadband Plan also set a goal for 70% of telecom subscriptions to be on 4G by 2023. Yet, NCC data shows that only 49.27% of Nigeria’s 172 million active mobile lines are currently on 4G networks, underscoring the gap between ambition and reality.
Conclusion
While Nigeria’s broadband penetration is gradually increasing, the nation risks missing the 70% target outlined in the National Broadband Plan due to regulatory challenges, infrastructure deficits, and affordability barriers. Urgent collaboration between federal and state governments, along with private sector investment, is crucial to closing the gap and unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s digital economy.
Leave a Reply