FG to Begin 90,000km Fibre Optic Rollout in Weeks
The Federal Government has announced that the rollout of a 90,000-kilometre fibre optic network across Nigeria will begin within the next few weeks as part of efforts to improve broadband access and drive the country’s digital economy.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, made the announcement on Tuesday after briefing President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to Tijani, all funding arrangements and contractual processes for the project have been completed, paving the way for construction to begin.
“In a few weeks, Nigerians will begin to see us laying fibre across the country. This project will transform Nigeria for good,” he said.
The minister explained that the fibre network will extend to every state, geopolitical zone, local government area and ward, providing faster and more reliable internet connectivity nationwide.
Tijani also credited recent reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration for strengthening the communications sector. These include the designation of digital infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure, adjustments to telecom tariffs and efforts to harmonise taxes.
He noted that the sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown from between 16 and 18 per cent to nearly 21 per cent since the current administration took office.
The minister further revealed that the government plans to begin deploying about 3,700 telecommunications towers from October to provide network coverage for more than 20 million Nigerians living in underserved communities.
In addition, Tijani announced that Nigeria will launch a new alphanumeric postcode system on October 1. The system will assign a unique address to every property in the country to improve e-commerce, security, emergency response and the delivery of public services.
