Nigeria’s broadband penetration rose slightly to 48.15% in April 2025, up from 47.73% in March, according to the latest data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission.
The data reveals that the country had approximately 104.3 million broadband connections as of April. Despite this modest progress, Nigeria remains significantly behind the 70% broadband penetration target outlined in the National Broadband Plan (NBP 2020–2025).
When the NBP was launched in March 2020, Nigeria’s broadband coverage stood at 39.85%, representing 75.4 million connected users. Over four years later, the nation has added less than 10 percentage points in penetration, signaling slow progress in broadband rollout.
Industry stakeholders point to policy bottlenecks at the state level as key impediments to faster broadband expansion. Chief among these is the high cost of Right of Way charges, which telecom operators must pay to lay fiber-optic cables. Only seven states have waived these fees to encourage infrastructure deployment.
Speaking at a recent telecommunications forum, NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, stressed that while the federal government remains committed to achieving 70% penetration by 2025, many state-level regulations are actively hindering progress.
“Major obstacles to telecom infrastructure development have been issues within the purview of sub-national governments,” Maida said. “These include RoW charges, multiple taxation, and poor infrastructure resilience. Addressing these will accelerate broadband rollout and ensure that all Nigerians can participate in the digital economy.”
Maida described broadband access as a key driver of economic growth, digital inclusion, and job creation, and called on states to adopt investor-friendly policies that will support telecom and ICT sector growth.
According to the NBP’s timeline, Nigeria was expected to reach 50% broadband penetration by the end of 2023. However, penetration was at 43.71% by the close of that year and only 44.43% at the end of 2024, highlighting a persistent shortfall.
Another major hurdle identified in the Plan is device affordability. The NBP had recommended the establishment of at least one local smartphone assembly plant by 2023 to reduce the cost of entry-level smartphones to around ₦18,000. This target remains unmet, and with the devaluation of the Naira, the cheapest smartphones now sell for over ₦100,000, further limiting access for many Nigerians.
Furthermore, the Plan aimed for 70% of mobile subscriptions to be on 4G by 2023. NCC’s April 2025 data shows that only 49.27% of the country’s 172 million active mobile lines are currently on 4G networks.
As Nigeria approaches the final year of its five-year broadband strategy, the country still faces significant hurdles in meeting its goals — with infrastructural, economic, and policy challenges still standing in the way of universal broadband access.
