PIAFo to Discuss Policy on Fibre Deployment at Summit

Organisers of Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo) have concluded plans to discuss issues around formulation and effective implementation of National Dig Once Policy in Nigeria to boost fibre deployment across the country.

The summit, powered by Business Metrics Nigeria, holds October 18, 2022 in Lagos, with the theme: Laying the Foundation for Ubiquitous Broadband for Nigeria’s Economic Breakthrough.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, the billed to deliver the keynote address, while the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Professor Umar Danbatta, will also deliver a paper on a related topic.

According to the organisers of the forum which is now in its fourth edition, implementing a National Dig Once Policy will give Nigeria the right footing required to deliver last mile broadband infrastructure to every part of the country.

The objective of a Dig Once Policy is to facilitate the provision of ready-made buried conduits across the country to allow seamless fibre deployment by reducing costs and removing unnecessary duplication.

Fibre is a critical element of backbone infrastructure for broadband and connectivity in pursuit of Nigeria’s digital economy.

Interestingly, the policy has become inevitable to meet the targets set by the Federal Government in its National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2020-2025, wherein the country targets 40% and 60% fibre to towers by 2023 and 2025 respectively from a paltry 10% in 2020.