A few dozen Nigerian states have waived Proper of Means (RoW) charges to draw broadband investments and increase web entry, significantly in rural and underserved areas.
These states, together with Zamfara, Katsina, Anambra, Kebbi, Nasa,rawa, Bauchi, and Adamawa, have over 31.17 million cell subscriptions. Their objective is to enhance digital connectivity by easing infrastructure deployment for telecom operators.
RoW is a payment that telecom firms pay state governments for permission to dig roads and set up infrastructure like fibre optic cables, which carry web visitors. This payment is likely one of the main hurdles in constructing broadband networks throughout the nation.
Fibre optic cables are important to fashionable communication, offering high-capacity hyperlinks that join cell community websites and carry knowledge visitors. Constructing these cables is crucial in a rustic the place broadband penetration stood at 45.61 p.c in January 2025. That is regardless of surging web utilization within the nation, which rose to over 1 million terabytes in January, underscoring elevated consumption of digital providers.
“Nigeria has quick web capability on its shores, however this capability can not attain folks with out fibre. RoW challenges have gotten in the best way of this through the years,” an trade insider mentioned.
In accordance with the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economic system, solely 39 p.c of Nigerians reside inside 5 km of fibre networks. Excessive RoW expenses have discouraged investments in increasing Nigeria’s fibre spine, which stands at round 35,000km. To handle this drawback, the state governors agreed to cut back RoW charges to N145 per metre.
“Nonetheless, solely a restricted variety of states have carried out this settlement, with many states growing RoW charges as an alternative,” in accordance with GSMA, the worldwide physique for telcos.
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Ebonyi has the best RoW expenses, as much as 69 instances greater than others, like Ekiti, which has the bottom.
Nonetheless, advocacy by the Nigerian Communications Fee (NCC) is starting to yield outcomes. To date 12 states have waived this payment, with Niger State turning into the most recent addition to this group of states. Fairly than amassing RoW charges, telecom operators will now pay a one-time, non-refundable utility payment of N500,000.
These states purpose to increase their a minimum of 14,223.76km of fibre community to enhance entry for his or her residents. “Eliminating proper of approach (RoW) charges for telecommunication infrastructure can considerably decrease the price of community deployment, thereby accelerating digital inclusion and offering residents with higher entry to academic sources, healthcare providers, and financial alternatives,” Niger State mentioned.
GSMA estimates that harmonising RoW charges to N145 per metre throughout all states may cut back the overall value of nationwide broadband rollout by roughly 15 p.c. With extra states waiving the charges, operators are more likely to enhance their investments.
Regardless of rising demand, restricted connectivity has led to utilization gaps, with greater than 120 million Nigerians not utilizing cell web on account of infrastructure and affordability points, in accordance with GSMA. The NCC estimates that 23 million Nigerians nonetheless lack telecom entry, whereas 301 native authorities areas don’t have any web service. With out resolving the RoW problem, operators can not deploy the fibre wanted to bridge this hole.
Aminu Maida, the chief vice chairman of the NCC, emphasised that waiving RoW charges creates an enabling setting for telecom funding, will increase connectivity, drives financial development, and enhances entry to digital providers.
In accordance with the GSMA, streamlining RoW processes will speed up nationwide connectivity.
Supply: Businessday
