Cut Right of Way Fees, Protect Broadband Infrastructure to Drive National Prosperity – NCC EVC Maida Urges States 

In a bold push to accelerate Nigeria’s digital growth, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has urged state governments to slash Right of Way (RoW) charges and protect broadband infrastructure. Speaking at a high-level business roundtable in Abuja, Maida said unified policies and secure networks are critical to unlocking the country’s digital and economic potential.

The event, themed “Right of Way and Protection of Broadband Infrastructure – The Road to Success in Broadband Investment and Connectivity,” brought together key players in the public and private sectors to tackle some of the most pressing barriers to broadband expansion across the country.

In his remarks with a poignant question he questioned “How much is an hour of connectivity worth?” Dr. Maida painted a vivid picture of how lives, livelihoods, and national security increasingly depend on seamless digital access. “From the industrialist in Enugu closing an overseas shipment to our security services relying on live intelligence feeds, connectivity is the quiet enabler,” he said. “When it fails, opportunities evaporate, and in critical moments, lives are at risk.”

According to Dr. Maida, as of August 2025, Nigeria had achieved 48.81% broadband penetration, connecting over 140 million Nigerians to the internet. He emphasized the transformative potential of deeper broadband access, citing research that links a 10% rise in penetration to 1.38% GDP growth in developing economies.

“Broadband turns local markets into national ones and transforms graduates into global digital earners,” he noted. “With over 200 million people and a median age of 18, Nigeria can do more than follow the trajectory of nations like Rwanda and Indian we can surpass them.”

On Infrastructure Protection Now a National Priorities, Dr. Maida however, lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2024 Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Presidential Order, describing it as a major step forward in protecting telecom assets from vandalism and sabotage.

He said, working in coordination with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the NCC has taken several bold steps in Establishing a Telecommunications Industry Working Group to operationalize the CNII Order.

• Launching a national awareness campaign across TV, radio, and social media to educate citizens.
•  Partnering with law enforcement and the judiciary to ensure swift prosecution of vandals.

Despite these efforts, the statistics are stark: Between January and August 2025, Nigeria recorded 19,384 fibre cut incidents, 3,241 equipment thefts, and over 19,000 site access denials, resulting in widespread service outages and significant economic losses. “A community without digital connectivity is now invisible. It is cut off from education, healthcare, markets, and opportunity,” Dr. Maida warned.

One of the EVC’s strongest appeals was to state governments to remove the single biggest barrier to broadband deployment Right of Way (RoW) charges.

Despite a Nigerian Governors Forum resolution standardizing RoW fees at N145 per linear metre, many states continue to impose arbitrary or excessive fees, stalling network expansion. However, there has been progress. In the past two years, five additional states such as Adamawa, Bauchi, Enugu, Benue, and Zamfara have joined the growing list of 11 states that have waived RoW fees entirely. Seventeen others have adopted the benchmark rate. “Policy direction matters. where states have waived RoW and protected infrastructure, operators are expanding networks with greater confidence.” Maida stressed.

In a direct appeal, Dr. Maida urged all 36 states and the FCT to adopt full RoW waivers or the NGF benchmark rate, enforce the CNII Order through legislative and operational support, coordinate with public works to prevent fibre cuts through “dig-once” protocols, create enabling environments for private investment via clear permitting processes, transparency, and incentives, support energy resilience at telecom sites with solar and hybrid solutions. “Every Governor and State holds a strategic lever, their decisions can determine prosperity or stagnation, he pointed”.

While speaking Dr. Maida further reiterate NCC move to enhance accountability and investment confidence, stated that the commission has created two strategic initiatives to drive it’s mandates which includes the Ease of Doing Business Portal – a digital one-stop shop linking all 36 states and the FCT to broadband operators and investors alongside the Nigeria Digital Connectivity Index (NDCI) – an annual scorecard that will rank each state’s digital readiness and infrastructure support.