The Federal Government has announced plans to begin the nationwide deployment of a 90,000-kilometre fibre optic network within the next few weeks as part of efforts to expand broadband access and accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, disclosed this after briefing President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on the progress of key digital infrastructure projects being implemented by his ministry.
Tijani described the initiative as one of Nigeria’s most ambitious digital infrastructure projects, stating that all resource mobilisation and contractual processes had been completed ahead of deployment.
“We’re now at the point where, in a few weeks’ time, we should start laying the fibre, and Nigerians will begin to see deployment activities across the country. This is going to transform Nigeria for good,” the minister said.
According to him, the fibre optic network will extend to every state, geopolitical zone, local government area and ward, significantly improving internet connectivity and digital access nationwide.
The minister also credited President Tinubu’s administration for implementing policy reforms that have strengthened the communications sector, including the designation of digital infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure, tariff adjustments and tax harmonisation.
He noted that the reforms had contributed to the sector’s increased contribution to the nation’s economy, with its share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rising from between 16 and 18 per cent to nearly 21 per cent.
On rural connectivity, Tijani revealed that the Federal Government plans to commence the deployment of about 3,700 telecommunications towers from October to provide network coverage for more than 20 million Nigerians living in underserved communities.
He said the project, which had received presidential approval, would significantly improve access to telecommunications services in rural areas.
The minister further disclosed that Nigeria would launch a new alphanumeric postcode system on October 1, describing it as a major milestone that would place the country among a select group of nations using advanced digital addressing technology.
According to him, the system will assign a unique address to every property in the country, making deliveries faster, improving e-commerce, strengthening security and enhancing public service delivery.
Tijani explained that the new postcode system would also integrate with existing government identity databases, enabling more efficient service delivery and improving the accuracy of property identification across Nigeria.
He expressed confidence that the combined implementation of the fibre optic network, rural connectivity initiative and digital addressing system would significantly strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy and support long-term national development.
