The Federal Government says it will begin the rollout of a 90,000-kilometre fibre optic network across the country within weeks as part of efforts to improve broadband connectivity and accelerate Nigeria’s digital economy.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on Tuesday after briefing President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
He said all funding and contractual processes for the project had been completed and deployment would commence soon.
“In a few weeks, Nigerians will begin to see us laying fibre across the country. This project will transform Nigeria for good,” he said.
According to Tijani, the network will cover every state, geopolitical zone, local government area and ward, significantly improving internet access and service quality nationwide.
The minister also thanked President Tinubu for reforms that have strengthened the communications sector, including the designation of digital infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure, tariff adjustments and tax harmonisation.
He said the sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product had risen from between 16 and 18 per cent to nearly 21 per cent since the administration came into office.
Tijani further disclosed that the government would begin deploying about 3,700 telecommunications towers from October to provide network coverage for more than 20 million Nigerians living in underserved communities.
He also announced that Nigeria would launch an alphanumeric postcode system on October 1, giving every property a unique address to improve e-commerce, security and public service delivery.
