Four months after the expiration of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020 to 2025, telecom operators are intensifying calls for a new broadband policy framework. They stated that the country now requires a more practical and better-aligned roadmap to drive the next phase of digital infrastructure expansion.

This renewed demand comes as stakeholders assess the performance of the outgoing plan, which industry players say fell short of expectations in critical areas including execution, infrastructure coordination, and policy alignment across different levels of government. Nigeria fell short of meeting its 70% broadband penetration goal at the end of the five-year plan in December last year.

According to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), broadband penetration in the country stood at 51.97%, indicating that nearly half of the internet users in the country have no access to high-speed internet.

What they are saying

Speaking with Nairametrics, the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Tony Emoekpere, said Nigeria needs not just another plan, but a more executable and better aligned plan.

• “These plans are important as they set direction, align stakeholders, and attract investment.
• “Every serious digital economy operates with a clear broadband strategy, and ours is no exception. As with all policies, our challenge has been execution,” he said.

The ATCON President said the next broadband policy should place infrastructure rollout at the centre of national planning.

• “From ATCON’s standpoint, a stronger infrastructure first strategy, alignment between government initiatives and the broader national plan, and deeper local private sector participation are the focus,” he said.

Also speaking on the need for a new policy, a telecom consultant, Mr. Adewale Adeoye, said broadband plans remain important because they provide direction for government agencies, investors and private operators.