Nigeria’s Broadband Penetration Hits 48.81% As Government Pushes For 70% Target 

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida has said that, Nigeria’s broadband penetration rate has reached 48.81% with over 140 million people having internet access.

He made this disclosure on Wednesday during a business roundtable on broadband investment and critical national infrastructure protection hosted by the Commission in Abuja.

He said, the government is working towards achieving 70% broadband penetration by the end of 2025 under the National Broadband Plan, which aims to deploy 90,000 kilometers of fibre optic backbone infrastructure across the country.

The NCC Boss who emphasized the importance of connectivity in driving economic growth, noted that a 10% increase in broadband penetration can drive approximately 1.38% GDP growth in developing economies.

According to him, this growth can lead to increased economic output, new jobs, and innovation hubs across states.

He reiterated that, the NCC is driving broadband expansion and safeguarding the industry through initiatives such as the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Presidential Order.

He said this order guarantees protection of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure and ensures law enforcement agents deal with vandalism, theft, and denial of service to these assets.

“The Commission has set up a Telecommunications Industry Working Group to coordinate the operationalization of the CNII mandate in the telecommunications sector. With a median age of 18 and over 200 million people, Nigeria has the potential to surpass countries like Rwanda and India in digital growth if it equips its youth with reliable, affordable, and high-speed connectivity”, he added.

 

Photo Caption: