The Nigerian Communications Commission has entered into a strategic partnership to harmonise Right of Way policies, boost broadband expansion, and promote inclusive digital transformation across states.

In a statement on Wednesday, NGF’s Director of Media and Strategic Communications, Tanko Abdullahi, said the initiative followed a courtesy visit to the NGF Secretariat in Abuja by NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Aminu Maida, who led a delegation.

He added that the delegation, received by NGF Director-General Abdulateef Shittu, reaffirmed their joint commitment to strengthening broadband penetration and safeguarding critical national information infrastructure nationwide.

The statement read, “Dr Maida commended the NGF for its willingness to collaborate, noting the openness of the NGF to engage with us reflects a shared belief in the impact digital solutions can have on subnational development.

“He emphasised the critical need for alignment between national and subnational digital infrastructure, describing it as a “game changer” for Nigeria’s digital economy.

“A key focus of his address was the Right of Way fees, currently set at N145 per linear metre, which he described as a significant burden on telecom companies.

“Dr. Maida urged states to waive or reduce these fees to facilitate fibre optic deployment, stating, The Right of Way is a critical element in opening up the digital economy, and this lies within the purview of the states.”

The statement noted that NGF Director-General Abdulateef Shittu underscored the crucial role of broadband and secure infrastructure in driving development at the state level. He stressed that “broadband and secure information infrastructure are no longer optional for development; they are foundational public goods.”

The statement quoted Shittu as noting that, despite Nigeria’s rapid strides in connectivity, broadband penetration across the country still lags behind the level needed to achieve inclusive digital transformation.

The statement added, “To address this, he proposed four pragmatic areas for deepened partnership with the NCC: institutional alignment through State Broadband Coordinating Councils, policy harmonisation to standardise RoW rules, CNII resilience through state-level protection plans, and information sharing to enhance capacity building.

“The DG pointed to the World Bank’s SABRE initiative as a model for success, citing states that have harmonised RoW fees, adopted coordinated trenching practices, and waived onerous fees to attract private investment.

“These policy choices have produced rapid increases in fibre kilometres and improved access to high-capacity networks.”

The NCC CEO and the NGF Director-General stressed that removing right-of-way bottlenecks would accelerate telecom sector growth, enhance services for citizens, and increase revenue for states.