Nigeria has fibre across states but lacks fair access market—NCC

…As Maida pushes wholesale fibre market to unlock Nigeria’s digital economy

Nigeria’s broadband infrastructure has expanded to every state of the federation, but the absence of a transparent wholesale fibre market is preventing operators, businesses and millions of Nigerians from fully benefiting from the country’s growing digital network, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said.

Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer of the NCC, said the country’s broadband challenge is no longer the absence of infrastructure but the inability of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and other operators to gain fair and cost-effective access to existing fibre networks.

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Maida, while speaking during a panel session at the BusinessDay 2026 CEO Forum, said Nigeria’s broadband challenge has evolved from deploying fibre infrastructure to creating a transparent wholesale access market that allows more operators to utilise existing networks, expand affordable internet services and drive the country’s digital economy.

“We actually do have connectivity, a lot of connectivity, especially fibre. But what we don’t have is a framework that enables fair and transparent access for anybody that wants to use this fibre. Essentially, what is lacking is a wholesale market,” Maida said.

His comments signal a major shift in the country’s broadband policy conversation. For years, discussions have centred on expanding fibre coverage, particularly to underserved communities. However, the NCC boss argued that, while Nigeria awaits the rollout of the 90,000km fibre, there is need to open up existing infrastructure to more players through a regulated wholesale market.

Industry analysts say such a framework would allow infrastructure owners to lease unused fibre capacity to multiple operators under transparent pricing rules, reducing duplication of investment, lowering broadband deployment costs and improving internet affordability for consumers.

The development is particularly significant as the Federal Government pursues its ambition of building a $1 trillion economy powered by digital technology.

Although Nigeria has invested heavily in broadband infrastructure over the past two decades, internet penetration and service quality remain uneven, especially outside major cities. Many ISPs have repeatedly cited the high cost of accessing backbone fibre infrastructure as one of the biggest barriers to expansion.

Maida dismissed suggestions that fibre infrastructure is absent in large parts of the country.

“Do we have fibre in every state of Nigeria? Yes,” he said.

According to him, the real problem is that operators seeking access to these networks often face commercial barriers due to the absence of an open, regulated wholesale regime.

To address this, the NCC is developing a wholesale fibre market framework that will establish transparent pricing mechanisms and guarantee non-discriminatory access to infrastructure for qualified operators.

The proposed reform is expected to stimulate competition among broadband providers, attract fresh investments and expand internet access to underserved communities.

The NCC chief also noted that the country’s digital ambitions must now move beyond simply increasing internet connections.

“I think what we need to tackle now is not necessarily just connectivity. What are people actually doing with technology? Are they using it to improve healthcare, education and manufacturing? There is so much opportunity there,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria has reached a stage where digital infrastructure must begin delivering measurable economic value rather than merely increasing subscriber numbers.

He argued that broadband should become the foundation for productivity across critical sectors including agriculture, healthcare, education and manufacturing.

Maida also called for a more balanced distribution of digital infrastructure across the country, particularly data centres, noting that the overwhelming concentration of facilities in Lagos limits digital growth in other regions.

“We need to start talking about having data centres beyond Lagos,” he said.

He added that expanding digital infrastructure outside the commercial capital would improve service resilience, reduce latency and stimulate technology-driven investments across Nigeria.

Another concern highlighted by the NCC chief is the uneven distribution of Internet Service Providers. According to him, about 85 percent of Nigeria’s ISPs are concentrated in southern Nigeria, leaving many parts of the country underserved despite the availability of fibre infrastructure.

He argued that a transparent wholesale market would encourage more operators to expand into underserved regions because they would be able to access existing infrastructure at regulated and competitive prices rather than build expensive duplicate networks.

Maida further stressed that while Nigeria operates a liberalised telecom market, effective competition does not emerge automatically without regulatory intervention.

“As good as liberalisation and free markets are, if you do not create the conditions for competition to occur, the market will not function efficiently,” he said.

He explained that the regulator’s role is to create a level playing field that encourages investment while ensuring consumers benefit from affordable and reliable broadband services.

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Beyond commercial returns, Maida said broadband infrastructure must increasingly serve as a public utility capable of supporting essential services such as healthcare, education and agriculture, especially in low-income and rural communities.

His remarks reinforce the NCC’s evolving regulatory agenda, which is increasingly focused on improving infrastructure sharing, boosting competition and ensuring that Nigeria’s growing digital assets translate into inclusive economic growth.

If successfully implemented, industry experts believe the proposed wholesale fibre market could mark one of the most significant reforms in Nigeria’s telecom sector since liberalisation, lowering broadband costs, improving internet quality, accelerating digital inclusion and unlocking new opportunities for businesses in the digital economy.