With 43.53% Spread, Nigeria Still Far From Attaining 70% Broadband Penetration By 2025

Emma Okonji

The promise by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), that Nigeria would attain 50 per cent broadband penetration threshold by the end of 2023 has not materialized as the country has only achieved 43.53 penetration, THISDAY investigation has revealed.

The NCC had early last year reassured Nigerians that the country would attain 50 per cent broadband penetration threshold by the end of 2023 and possibly surpassed the 70 per cent broadband penetration target by 2025, as contained in the Nigeria National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025.

NCC’s reassurance was based on the contribution of telecommunications’ sector to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which increased significantly to 16 per cent in the second quarter of 2023, coupled with the various regulatory efforts put in place by the telecoms regulator.

But such assurances appear too far from reality, giving the current state of broadband penetration is put at 43.53 per cent as at Mach 2024.

Contrary to NCC’s assurance that broadband penetration would reach 50 per cent by the end of 2023, Nigeria struggled to attain 43.71 per cent penetration by December 2023.      

Latest statistics on telecoms industry as released by the NCC, which THISDAY obtained from its official website, showed that Nigeria attained 43.53 per cent broadband penetration as at Mach 2024, which is far from the 70 per cent broadband penetration target by 2025.

According to the statistics, Nigeria attained 47.01 per cent broadband penetration in June 2023, and maintained same penetration level in July 2023, before sliding to 45.57 per cent penetration level by August 2023, with a further slide to 40.85 per cent in September 2023. In October 2023, broadband penetration however picked up a little to reach 41.01 per cent, with a further increase to 41.87 per cent and 43.71 per cent penetration level in November and December 2023 respectively.

In January 2024, broadband penetration dropped again to 42.53 per cent before it increased again to 43.08 per cent in February 2024, with a further increase to 43.53 per cent penetration level in March 2024.

Although there was a slight increase in broadband penetration from 43.08 per cent in February to 43.53 per cent in March 2024, industry stakeholders have raised some concerns about the current 43.53 per cent broadband penetration level, insisting that it will be a herculean task for Nigeria to attain 70 per cent broadband penetration by December 2025.          

Responding to the concerns of industry stakeholders over the slow growth rate of broadband penetration, the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, told THISDAY in a telephone interview, that if Nigeria does not improve on her investments in the telecoms sector, it would be difficult to attain 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025.

According to Adebayo, “The target year 2025 is few months from now, and if we do not have real investors in the telecoms sector who will invest for a minimum turnaround of the sector, it will affect the growth of the telecoms industry, which will also affect the vision of achieving 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025.

“To achieve rapid growth in broadband penetration, we need ubiquitous broadband connectivity, and more fibre optic cable connections from the shores of the sea in Nigeria to the hinterlands where there is high demand for broadband connectivity. We also need more upgrades of cell sites that are formerly on microwave and we need more fibre-to-the-home connectivity. But all of these are not happening now, and the effect is already creating negative impact on the turnaround time.”

“If government did not address the current challenges faced by industry operators, it will be a herculean task achieving 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025, as targeted by the Nigeria National Broadband Plan initiative of the federal government, Adebayo further said.