Telecom operators in Nigeria are ramping up calls for a new national broadband policy framework, four months after the expiration of the National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020–2025, warning that the country risks stalling its digital growth without a more practical and execution-driven roadmap.
Industry stakeholders say while the outgoing plan provided direction, it fell short in key areas such as implementation, infrastructure coordination, and policy alignment across federal and state levels, ultimately missing its ambitious 70 per cent broadband penetration target by the end of 2025.
Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that broadband penetration stood at 51.97 per cent at the close of the five-year period, leaving nearly half of Nigeria’s internet users without access to high-speed connectivity.
President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Tony Emoekpere, stressed that what Nigeria needs is not just a replacement plan, but one that is realistic and enforceable.
“These plans are important as they set direction, align stakeholders, and attract investment. Every serious digital economy operates with a clear broadband strategy, and ours is no exception. As with all policies, our challenge has been execution,” he said.
Emoekpere added that the next phase of broadband development must prioritise infrastructure deployment as a central pillar of national planning.
“From ATCON’s standpoint, a stronger infrastructure-first strategy, alignment between government initiatives and the broader national plan, and deeper local private sector participation are the focus,” he said.
Echoing similar concerns, telecom consultant Adewale Adeoye said although broadband plans remain critical for guiding investment and policy decisions, their effectiveness ultimately depends on execution.
“The industry needs a new plan, but more importantly, an executable one. A lot of actions highlighted in the NNBP 2020–2025 were not executed, and that explains why many of the targets set could not be met,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NCC has confirmed that work is already underway on a successor framework. Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, said the commission is currently reviewing the performance of the outgoing plan to identify gaps and areas for improvement.
“We are carrying out a review of what happened and how it will improve on what NNBP achieved. So all those inputs from those assessments will be part of what the current review will take into consideration. So NNBP has not ended, we are coming up with a new plan,” Oshadami said.
As Nigeria looks to deepen its digital economy, stakeholders say the success of the next broadband plan will depend less on ambition and more on execution, coordination, and sustained investment in critical infrastructure.
Boluwatife Enome
