Nigeria’s fibre network: Lagos, Abuja hold 18% as deployment gaps persist

Nigeria has deployed a total of 101,148.36 kilometres of fibre optic cable across its 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but nearly one-fifth of that infrastructure is concentrated in just Lagos and Abuja.

Nairametrics’ analysis of state-by-state infrastructure data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that Lagos and the FCT together account for 18,559.83km of fibre, representing 18.35% of Nigeria’s total deployed fibre network.

The figures show the concentration of digital infrastructure in the country’s commercial and administrative capitals, while many states continue to lag behind despite growing demand for broadband connectivity.

What the data is showing

According to the NCC data, Lagos remains Nigeria’s fibre capital with 11,586.70km of deployed fibre, equivalent to 11.46% of the country’s total fibre network.

• The state also has 7,996 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), reflecting its position as Nigeria’s largest telecoms and enterprise market.
• The FCT follows with 6,973.13km of fibre, accounting for 6.89% of the national total and supporting 2,884 BTS sites.

Together, the two locations have attracted more fibre investment than many geopolitical zones combined, largely because they host the country’s largest concentration of businesses, government institutions, financial services, hyperscale data centres and international internet traffic.

Coming distantly behind Lagos and Abuja in terms of deployed fiber are Edo with 4,789.72km, Kano 4,616.71km, Rivers 4,616.01km, Kaduna 4,339.85km and Ogun 4,246.48km.

More insights

The data further revealed that while some states have built substantial fibre networks, several others remain significantly underserved.

• Bayelsa has only 656.87km of fibre, Ebonyi 586.92km, Jigawa 970.10km, Borno 1,012.52km and Zamfara 1,100.98km.
• More than a dozen states still have less than 2,000km of deployed fibre, a disparity that continues to affect broadband availability, network resilience and internet quality.

Industry analysts note that fibre infrastructure forms the backbone of telecommunications networks, connecting mobile base stations, data centres and internet exchange points.

Without adequate fibre backhaul, expanding 4G and 5G coverage becomes more expensive and less effective.

Right of Way remains the biggest obstacle

The uneven distribution of fibre infrastructure reflects long-standing investment challenges facing telecom operators.

• Among the biggest barriers is the high cost of Right of Way (RoW), the fee operators pay state governments to lay fibre cables along roads.

Although the National Economic Council approved a harmonised RoW charge of N145 per linear metre in 2020, implementation has been inconsistent across the country.

While some states have adopted the approved rate or eliminated the charges entirely to attract investment, others continue to impose significantly higher fees, increasing deployment costs and slowing network expansion.

• According to NCC data, Ogun State is currently the most expensive state to deploy fibre infrastructure in Nigeria as it charges N6,600 per linear metre.
• Kano comes at a distant second position with N2,745 being charged for Row, while Delta charges N2,706 as the third state with the highest cost.

According to the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, the high RoW charges has been the major reason for slow broadband penetration in Nigeria.

• “What we are seeing in some states is that despite officially waiving right-of-way fees, they now impose hidden costs such as education taxes and highway levies, which discourage investment,” he said.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida also acknowledged this at a recent forum, saying:

• “One of the most significant barriers to broadband deployment in Nigeria has been the high RoW fees charged by state governments, despite a resolution by the Nigerian Governors Forum fixing the rate at N145 per linear metre.”

Government moves to bridge the infrastructure gap

To bridge the current infrastructure gaps in the country, the federal government is pushing a 90,000-kilometre fibre project called Project Bridge.

According to the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, the project is to be implemented through a Special Purpose Vehicle that invites private investment and encourages public-private partnerships, with the government seeking to attract global financiers and technology partners.

• In April this year, the government secured a $200 million loan from the African Development Bank Group to support the project.
• Earlier in February, the Minister disclosed that the government had secured a $100 million investment from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the Project BRIDGE.

Meanwhile, stakeholders have warned that the project may face the same challenge being faced by private operators except it gets the state governments’ buying.

According to the Executive Director of Broadbased Communications, Mr. Chidi Ibisi, while the government’s SPV initiative is a good plan that could help the country bridge its current digital infrastructure gap, the government would need to address current challenges.

• “The issues of high cost of Right of Way (RoW), destruction of fiber by road construction companies and vandals all need to be addressed for this new SPV initiative to be successful,” he said.
• “For the project to succeed, I think the governments at sub-nationals should take ownership. This issue of state governments seeing right of way as IGR should be a thing of the past. We can’t talk about the digital economy on one side and the government is seeing those who provide the services as sources of revenue,” said ALTON Chairman, Adebayo.

What you should know

Despite challenges across states, NCC recently disclosed that telecommunications operators invested more than N2.5 trillion in network infrastructure in 2025, as the regulator moved to tackle worsening service-quality complaints nationwide.

The commission said Mobile Network Operators invested over N2.13 trillion in network infrastructure and upgrades last year, while Tower Companies committed an additional N373.8 billion to support expansion and modernisation efforts across the sector.

According to the commission, the investments supported the addition and upgrade of more than 2,800 telecommunications sites nationwide to address network congestion, coverage gaps and capacity challenges in several locations.