Nov. 28, 2024

…As vandalism, denial of access to telecom facilities by property owners  continue to pose challenge

Nigeria’s broadband subscriptions  reached approximately 91.6 million in October 2024, reflecting a slight increase from 90.1 million in September 2024.

This is according to the most recent data from the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC),

This growth has led to a broadband penetration rate of 42.24%, up from 41.56% the previous month13.

Mobile broadband remains dominant, accounting for over 99% of connections.

Despite these gains, Nigeria faces significant challenges in achieving its goal of 70% penetration by 2025, primarily due to infrastructure deficits and vadalism, security issues, especially in Northern Nigeria and foreign exchange constraints impacting telecom investments.

Recall that the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) Aminu Maida at the Critical National Information infrastructure (CNII) protection and Resilience Workshop Series, organised by the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC), office of the National Security Adviser in October, noted that beyond vandalism and theft, another critical challenge in the sector is the denial of access to telecom facilities by property owners, communities, and various levels of government.

“This issue profoundly affects network expansion and maintenance efforts, hindering our ability to meet the high demand for connectivity and services.

“In 2023 alone, we recorded over 20,000 cases of site access denial, with each case representing a barrier to connecting more Nigerians and facilitating a robust digital economy.

Reporting by Theresa Igata